Daily Newspaper and Tourism Guide for Reeves County Trans Pecos, Big Bend of West Texas

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October 9, 1997

Bealls holds Grand Opening of new store

From Staff and Wire reports

PECOS, October 9, 1997 - Bealls has opened a new fashion store in Pecos
and the grand opening is being held this week, at 910 East Eddy Street.

Events at the store were kicked off today, with a grand opening
ceremony, complete with a reception.

Specials are being offered throughout the store, along with free
giveaways.

Bealls offers famous name, top quality merchandise at affordable prices,
according to Pecos store manager Chris Metler.

The grand opening which begin early this morning with a special tour at
8 a.m. will continue throughout this week until Sunday, Oct. 12.

"We're very excited about this new venture and have been working very
hard to spruce things up," she said.

The store will be filled with the latest men's, women's and children's
fashions, stylish shoes, accessories, fine fragrances for both men and
women, beautiful lingerie and hard-to-fit sizes, according to Metler.

"We'll be giving out door prizes during the grand opening and two big
prizes which will be trips," she said.

"Pecos is our kind of hometown," said Carl Tooker, chairman and chief
executive officer. "It's a friendly, family-oriented community, and
we're making a major commitment to give our customers the nicest
shopping environment and the best service to be found anywhere," he said.

Bealls is part of the Houston-based retail family, Stage Stores, Inc., a
highly-respected group of stores with a strong track record for success,
according to Tooker. As a division of Stage Stores, Beall's
merchandisers shop the world for the newest fashions - buying in large
quantities to offer day-in, day-out value prices.

Bealls looks for towns just like Pecos to open new stores because we
know a growing number of people and businesses are looking to return to
their roots, Tooker said. "It's a community where the quality of life is
important and neighbors know each other - a perfect fit for the Bealls
family," said Tooker.

Stage Stores, Inc. now operates over 600 stores in 24 states with most
of the stores located in smaller communities.

"The Bealls philosophy is 'taking fashion to small-town America' giving
people the opportunity to buy up-to-the-minute styles from some of the
best names in the business without having to drive long distances to the
nearest city or regional mall," said Tooker.

The Pecos Bealls is only one of several opening in Texas in cities like
Kermit and Monahans.

No, the fashion pace-setters haven't abandoned their penthouse views for
the brown acres of the Permian Basin. But their designs, once an hour's
drive away for folks in this town of 7,000, will be within arm's reach
at the refurbished Bealls store in Kermit.

"It was a pretty store as an Anthony's," said manager Elfida Armendarez,
a 26-year veteran of the C.R. Anthony Co., which was bought by
Houston-based Stage Stores Inc. this summer. "Now, with all this new
stuff, it's going to be great."

Today, 13 former Anthony's locations in the Midland-Odessa area will
reopen as Bealls as part of Stage's gradual absorption of the
75-year-old Anthony's chain. Remodeled stores will carry some cosmetics,
accessories and fragrances not previously available at Anthony's.

When it absorbed 246 Anthony's outlets in a $93 million deal, Stage
nearly doubled in size overnight. The company now owns 577 stores in 26
states, mostly serving Middle America's smaller cities and towns.

"There's a great need in those areas because they have no options," said
Joanne Swartz, vice president of retail marketing for Stage. "This gives
them an opportunity to find what they're looking for in their own back
yard."

Store managers are crisscrossing the country to re-train Anthony's
personnel. The grand openings take place in regional blocs, though the
two-year process will take a holiday during the hectic Christmas season.

Officials say there are no current plans to close any outlets, even in
seemingly redundant locations.

In Lubbock for instance, a Bealls sits across the freeway from an
Anthony's that has yet to be redecorated. Rather than close the latter,
the company plans to spruce up the building and stamp its Stage name on
it, though the product lines of both stores will be almost identical.

"Convenience is very important this day and age," said Ms. Swartz, who
said customers used to that Anthony's location might not want to take
their business a mile away. "People don't have time like they used to
run to malls or go out of their way to pick up a gift or whatever."

Stores will carry roughly the same brand names, though Ms. Swartz said
locale is taken into consideration. Where the Kermit store might have
extra western wear, the Palais Royal near Houston's Meyerland
neighborhood might focus more on upscale fashions.

Three monikers compose Stage Stores - Bealls, Stage and Palais Royal.

More than three dozen stores in Houston carry the Palais Royal name.
Bealls presides elsewhere in Texas, in Oklahoma and New Mexico. Stage
will be the name of choice in the other states, which include all of the
nation's midsection, extending westward to California and east to Ohio;

In the late 1960s, New York native Bernard Fuchs arrived in Houston to
work for the Palais Royal chain, then a 10-store local clothier. He took
over in 1979, then began an aggressive growth program that continues
today.

Appraisal board looks at new insurance plan

By RICK SMITH

Staff Writer

PECOS, October 9, 1997 - Members of the Reeves County Appraisal District
board of directors heard a proposal for changing the board's workers
compensation insurance provider and discussed a pending appraisal
dispute during their regular quarterly meeting yesterday.

Thomas Taylor told board members that Texas Municipal League
Intergovernmental Risk Pool's 1,900 members were mostly governmental
organizations similar to the appraisal board.

"We're a non-profit organization set up to meet the needs of
governmental organizations," Taylor said.

Taylor said area organizations insured through the TMLIRP includes the
appraisal boards of Ector and Ward counties, the city of Pecos,
Balmorhea, Toyah and the Reeves County Hospital District.

The appraisal board agreed to work with Taylor to do a comparison
between what TMLIRP has to offer and the current plan used by the board.

Certified appraisal totals were presented during the meeting. Reeves Co.
has a total net taxable of appraised property of $360.7 million, Pecos
City has $116.2 million, Toyah has $1.4 million, Balmorhea has $3.4
million, the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school district has $381.2 million, the
Balmorhea school district has $18.6 million, RCWID#2 has $3.6 million,
and the Reeves County Hospital District has $360.7 million.

In preliminary negotiations over property the board has appraised at
more than $3 million, the property owner offered to settle at $1.75
million. Because the property owner is not cooperating with negotiations
the board has not agreed to accept the offer at this time.

Discussion of a new telephone system for the board was postponed until
the Jan. 7 meeting of the board.

Items approved by the appraisal board during the meeting included a
progress report; the 1998-99 data processing contract; appraisal courses
for the district's staff; PACRAT update; and discussion and approval of
expenses and balances for the third quarter (July-Sept.) of 1997.

Local OC courses make higher education easier

By ROSIE FLORES

Staff Writer

PECOS, October 9, 1997 - Getting a college education right here in our
community is getting easier to do thanks to the cooperation of school
officials.

Odessa College offers adult continuing education in the evenings and is
also offering concurrent classes for high school students to get a jump
start on their college education.

Classes currently in session for the fall semester here in Pecos include
four concurrent classes and 11 regular extension classes.

For high school students wanting to get ahead on their college credits,
OC offers economics, English IV, English III and government.

A graduate course for educators is offered in the evenings. This course
is for individuals who are working on their master's or earning
certification.

Other courses are offered in the evenings in Pecos and more are offered
at Pyote, which is only 27 miles from Pecos.

"One thing to consider, is that the city is at least 70 miles away from
any type of community college, and bringing some of these courses closer
can only help those who want more education," said Ned Pilcher, Dean of
Arts, Humanities and Distance Education at Odessa College.

Pilcher stated that OC officials plan to conduct a survey to set up a
program that would better serve the community of Pecos.

"The first step we want to take is the survey," said Pilcher. "We want
to get together with other folks and pose some questions and get some
input and then go from there," he said.

Right now, Pilcher stated that the college doesn't have as many students
enrolled as she would like.

"We have 13 enrolled in concurrent classes, 77 in extension classes in
Pecos, but we have 85 in Pyote that travel from Pecos," said Pilcher.

"If we could set up some type of program, maybe more classes in Pecos,
more students would take those courses that they need, without having to
travel," said Pilcher.

Pilcher said she thought more students would welcome the chance to
enroll in courses locally and reduce the travel they would have to make
to further their education.

Pecos High school students taking college courses here expressed their
appreciation at having the chance to get a good start on their college
days.

"It's very competitive, very challenging to me, to take a college
course," said PHS senior Gracie Garcia.

Garcia is currently enrolled in economics and government courses and
plans to attend Midland College after graduation and later attend St.
Mary's in San Antonio.

"Taking these courses has made me work harder," she said. "And it's
helped me a lot."

David Gomez is enrolled in both economics and government and plans to
continue his education but hasn't decided where yet. "They're not hard
courses, but it is very challenging," he said.

"It's a great opportunity to get some of these courses out of the way,"
said Kimberly Clark.

Clark is taking economics this year and took an English course last
year. "It gives us an opportunity to interact with others who are trying
for the same thing," she said.

She plans to attend East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Tx. "I
think they should offer other courses," said Clark. "Taking these has
really helped me," she said.

"I think offering these courses here is a great idea, because we can get
some of these courses out of the way," said Laura Marquez.

Marquez is enrolled in government and economics and plans to attend
South West Texas following graduation.

"It's shown us how it will really be in college, and how much harder
we'll have to work," said Marquez.

Ivy Thorp is enrolled in economics and plans to go to North Texas
College in Denton.

"It's a good experience, we get some college experience while still in
high school," Thorp said. "I think it's pretty cool," she said.

All sizes of kids enter Mother Goose Parade

By ROSIE FLORES

Staff Writer

PECOS, October 9, 1997 - Batmans, goblins, witches and pumpkins were on
hand Wednesday afternoon for the Annual Mother Goose Parade.

Children from birth through 10 years of age were invited to dress up in
costume and participate in the parade.

The annual event is sponsored by the Women's Division of the Pecos
Chamber of Commerce.

First, second and third place ribbons were awarded in the following
divisions: individual, birth-four years of age; individual, 5-7 years
old; individual 8-10 years of age; groups, decorated bicycle. A new
category was added this year to include big groups, due to the fact that
more participants were in the annual event.

Honorable mention ribbons were awarded to all other participants.

Participants gathered at the First National Bank drive-through and the
parade continued down Oak Street, and ended at the West of the Pecos
Museum.

Gabriana Nichols, dressed as Little Bo Peep, took first place in the
Division 0-4 years of age; second place was a tie between Adrian Evans,
a Genie, and Desi Chavez, Batman; third place went to Aschten Chabarria,
World Series baseball boy.

In Division 5-7 years of age Jordan McNeil, Little Miss Cantaloupe,
placed first; a tie for second was between Danielle Bustillos and Leanna
Bustillos, both witches, and third place was awarded to Jeanette Perea,
a clown.

A caterpillar, Shay Evans, took first place in the Division 8-10 years
of age; with Isaiah Ramirez, a pumpkin, netting second and third place
went to Vanity Vasquez, a rock 'n roller.

In the Bicycles Division, Chito Franco, an Indian, placed first; Bill
Moody, a goblin, second; and Simon Castillo, G.I. Joe, took third.

In the small groups division, Mary Mary Quite Contrary, Jessica Burner
and Macayla Burner, took first; a jeep, carrying Victorian Canales, Alex
Canales and Roxxie Mendoza, placed second and a 4-wheeler, with Ysidro
Renteria and Amanda Renteria, was awarded third place.

There Was An Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe, placed first in the large
groups division, the new division added this year. The group consisted
of Claire Weinacht, Brittany Palomino, Allyson Salcido, Alyson Reynolds,
Amie Reynolds, Jamye Galindo, Ryan Salcido, Gabby Contreras and John
Tarin.

Jail House Rock took second with Linsdsey Shaw, Bradley Shaw, Tatum
Windham, Adrienne Bagley, Lauren Scott and Jared Windham.

Third place in that category went to Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, with
Talia Castillo and John Terrazas.

Both Pecos seventh- and eighth-grade bands were in the parade, as well
as the Pecos cheerleaders who helped with the parade.

Ronald McDonald joined the group this year for the first time, along
with the Sonic Lime and Sonic Hot Dog.

Cracks stir up Verhalen man's curiosity

By CARA ALLIGOOD

Staff Writer

PECOS, October 9, 1997 - The sky isn't falling, but the ground is
cracking, and a Verhalen man wants to know why.

If you travel south from Pecos on Highway 17 and you look off to the
east when you cross Salt Draw, you can see the cracks in the ground.
There is one main fissure running in a mainly east-west direction for
about 100 feet. It is deeper than the "arm" that breaks off from it, and
is continuous. About midway along that crack, another crack breaks off
and runs perpendicular to it, it a more or less north-south direction,
for about 100 yards, but that crack starts and stops. It appears that it
runs underground, but the earth has not yet collapsed over the entire
area.

"I've been seeing this for months and months, beginning in May or June,"
said M.A. "Al" Cate, who took pictures of the phenomenon in September
and sent copies of them to the Pecos Enterprise earlier this week.

"The first time I looked at it, the main fissure was about four feet
deep, but it isn't that deep now," said Cate. He suggested in a letter
to the Enterprise that the cracks might be a result of an earthquake
that occurred in West Texas in April 1995. "That earthquake shook the
windows in my house," Cate said.

Dr. Kevin Urbanczyk, a professor of geology at Sul Ross State University
in Alpine, guessed from a description of the cracks that they might have
been caused by something called "evaporites."

Urbanczyk explained that evaporites are minerals such as salt that were
deposited in this area millions of years ago when the area was covered
by an ocean. When the ocean waters receded, mineral deposits were left
in and under the soil.

Over time, the minerals evaporate, leaving holes where the minerals used
to be.

He said that the cracks are most likely from subsidence of the ground
over the area the minerals evaporated from. Evaporites that may be
underground or in the soil in our area, besides salt, are gypsum,
calcium sulfate and hydrite, he said.

Urbanczyk said that he could not rule out the earthquake explanation,
but would have to actually study the area to be able to determine what
caused the cracks in the earth. Although, he did say that "it is
unlikely to be caused by the earthquake" in this area.

"I think a geologist, or somebody who knows about this kind of thing,
should come out and look at it," said Cate.

OBITUARIES

E.C. Hughes

Roque Madrid Jr.

WEATHER

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