TOP STORIES

November 17, 1997

Brother and sister reunited after 46 years

By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - Brother and sister last saw each
other on a fishing trip in the summer of 1951. A family
split, still painful for the two to discuss, led to the
separation of Frank Pasley from his little sister Alice.
That split ended last Tuesday when the two were reunited for
the first time in 46 years.

Alice, who now has the last name of Roberts and resides in
Toyah, was taken in by an aunt and uncle after the death of
their father on Christmas Eve, 1942.

Just months after the fishing trip, where the two were
briefly reunited, Frank joined the Army, not to return to
California until 1967. While Frank was in the service his
little sister had grown up, graduated from high school and
gotten married. Her husband took her out as far west as
Odessa where she lost track of her other siblings.

"I searched for her for years," Frank said. At one point he
even enlisted the help of a cousin, a police officer in
Missouri, to help track her down. Unfortunately, a drivers
license check couldn't turn up any information regarding his
sister's whereabouts - she didn't get her first license
until 1980.

Then Frank's daughter, Felicia, took it upon herself while
attending Southern Mississippi University in Hattiesburg,
Miss., to reunite her father with his missing sister.
Felicia's activities were kept a secret from Frank, his wife
Dorris explained over coffee last week, for fear of raising
his expectations.

Felicia started her quest with several searches on the
Internet that, after lots of false leads, failed to turn up
any results.

But the information that technology and modern police search
techniques had failed to deliver, a marriage revealed. The
information that led to last week's reunion came to light
when Edward, brother to Frank and Alice, married a friend of
Alice's from her school days. Also, Edward's now
sister-in-law (another friend of Alice's) married Alice's
first husband's brother.

The sisters communicated with Felicia, through her uncle
Edward, and it wasn't long before she was able to find one
of Alice's sons in Odessa. Just a couple more phone calls
and the reunion was almost complete.

Felicia called her parents immediately after receiving a
definite phone number for her aunt and found a house full of
relatives on the other end of the line. "We had our
daughters there and a grandson," Dorris Pasley said, "and we
were all on two phones trying to (get the news)."

When Frank reached the phone, he heard his daughter on the
other end say, "I got you an early Christmas present."

"She told me write this down,' and she gave me a phone
number," Frank recalled. "And I thought, 'What on earth do
I want with a phone number?' Then she asked me if I wouldn't
like to know whose number it was. I told her 'Yes.'"

It was, in fact, his long lost sister's number. She is now a
mother of eight children and has settled in Toyah with her
husband.

"It took a while to compose myself," he said, "Then I called
her." That was two months ago.

Last Wednesday Frank and Dorris Pasley arrived in Pecos to
see Alice for the first time in 46 years, and meet her
husband, Frank Roberts. "I didn't want to wait too much
longer. I wanted to see her," Pasley said.

Even though the camcorder's batteries turned out to be dead
at that critical moment, it is doubtful either Frank or his
sister Alice will forget that reunion for a long time to
come.

Frank said that he planned to stay and visit with his sister
for a few days. Then, when summer rolls around, the Pasley
family reunion in Kansas may witness a good number of new
faces from out of West Texas: Alice and Frank Roberts and
their seven remaining children.

DPS officers shoot trucker

From Staff and
Wire Reports

VAN HORN, Texas November 17, 1997 - Texas Rangers are
investigating the fatal shooting of an Alabama trucker who
tried to run over two state troopers with a big rig hauling
frozen chicken, officials said.

Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sherri Deatherage
Green said today in Austin that the shooting took place
Sunday night about five miles west of Kent in Culberson
County.

Ms. Green said the troopers were trying to find a truck
reportedly involved in a hit-and-run accident about 7 p.m.

"It was a big rig, a blue 90 model Peterbilt towing a
trailer. Its hood was missing," she said.

The troopers caught up to the suspect vehicle as it was
blocked on Interstate 10 by a truck pulling a wide load, she
said.

"The troopers turned on their lights and everything and the
vehicle didn't respond and it started ramming the truck in
front of it," she said.

One trooper fired several shots into the rear tires of the
truck, but was unable to stop it, she said.

The trucker then swerved across the median and blocked both
eastbound lanes of I-10, Ms. Green said.

The spokeswoman said the driver next began trying to go west
in the eastbound lanes.

"This put both the troopers at risk as well as anyone
driving east on I-10," she said. "Both the troopers fired
their weapons and fatally wounded the driver."

Nobody else was hurt and the truck wound up in the median,
she said.

The troopers have been taken off the road for three days
while Rangers investigate the shooting, Ms. Green said.

"It's just as a matter of policy because obviously they've
been through a lot and the investigation is ongoing," she
said.

The driver was identified as George Wayne Davis, 30, of
Cullman, Ala., Ms. Green said. He was employed by JLT, Inc.,
she said.

Davis' body was taken to San Antonio for autopsy.

Green said that it is not yet known if alcohol or drugs
played a part in this incident, and that the Bexar County
Medical Examiner's Office will not have the autopsy results
ready for several weeks.

However, Green did say that "there were some pills in the
cab of the truck that have been sent off to a DPS lab for
analysis."

Cold spell scores in the first

By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - Cowboys fans in Pecos were left
with snow on their screens and anger in their hearts after
last night's Dallas vs Washington game was disrupted in the
first quarter.

It appears that this time the fault isn't with Classic Cable
or the Fox network.

According to Fox Area General Manager Jamie Beeghley, all of
their equipment was running fine, but power supplied to
Gomez Peak's Channel 18 repeater was interrupted. "Perhaps
there was ice on the line," he suggested. Beeghley
apologized for interruption, saying it was unfortunate
considering it was such a pivotal game.

Rio Grand Electric, which supplies power to Gomez Peak, has
had a repair crew on the site all night and could not
comment on the outage since no paperwork had been turned in.
The transmission wasn't restored until about 7 p.m.

Cotton harvest slowed by rain

By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - As much needed rain moved through
the area and turned to a freeze, cotton harvesting has
slowed. "We haven't been able to get out and get (the
cotton)," said Coyanosa Co-op Gin manager Gail Fritter, "We
haven't been in the field since Tuesday."

Weekend temperatures dropped yesterday to 28 degrees
Fahrenheit, and held there for about nine hours. The freeze,
said A&M Experimental Station technician Paul Ward, should
expedite the harvest. "If we see some moderation in
temperatures," said Ward, "it should turn out nicely."

Alamo-Kerley Saw Gin manager Don Kerley said that a freeze
last weekend wouldn't have any "serious adverse affects" on
the crops, but that after a freeze the cotton will not weigh
as much. "Ideally, we like to get it all out before a
freeze," said Kerley.

Fritter, who was not too worried about the freeze, said that
more rain would keep workers out of the field and slow down
the harvest. Kerley said that they were just over 9,000
bales ginned, or, a little more than half done for the
season.

Precinct 2 J. P. seeks to retain office

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - Justice of the Peace J. T. Marsh
filed Friday to be his own treasurer in his bid for
reelection in the upcoming March election.

Marsh has held the position of Justice of the Peace for
Precinct 2 (Toyah) for more than 20 years. He was appointed
to fill an unexpired term in 1977 by then County Judge
Darryl Glover and has held the position continuously since
that time.

Marsh announced previously that he would not seek reelection
due to health reasons. His medical condition has since been
corrected. He is now running for another term with the full
support of his physicians.

"I've had a lot of people ask me to run," he said.

"I have enjoyed serving you in the past and hope to have
your support in the future," is Marsh's message to the
people of his district.

Before becoming a Justice of the Peace, Marsh was a foreman
at Automotive Proving Grounds (now Smithers Test Track) for
17 years. He also was involved with the ambulance service in
Toyah for 13 years.

Pecos Ambulance Service brings ER to homes

By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - Since doctors no longer make
house calls, the hospital emergency room has become a
necessity for those late-night accidents and illnesses that
require immediate attention.

Now the Pecos Ambulance Service can deliver that emergency
room to your doorstep, said Chief Bill Cole.

"We are a basic ambulance service with mobile intensive care
unit capabilities," Cole said. "We are able to provide
cardiac monitoring and, in the event of cardiac arrest, are
capable of administering cardiac drugs and defibrillation."

Paramedics have been able to start intravenous injections
for some time now.

"We can basically bring to your doorstep a lot of care
traditionally found in a medical center," Cole said.

County officials faced with large ambulance bills for the
Reeves County Detention Center and the county jail question
whether that much service is really needed.

Auditor Lynn Owens said a recent increase in fees has hit
the county budget hard. A basic call was increased from $75
to $300, and advanced life support calls increased from $125
to $400.

In their last meeting, Reeves County Commissioners discussed
purchasing an ambulance to transport inmates from the two
county lockups.

Owens said they would not need a fully outfitted ambulance,
but could use a van with a cot so the patient could lie down
en route to the emergency room.

"It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if they got a Suburban
to take inmates out there," said Dennis Thorp, one of six
paramedics on the volunteer ambulance service.

Besides the paramedics, six emergency medical technicians
have intermediate certification, and four have basic
certification to provide around-the-clock service to Reeves
County and the western edge of Ward County.

Many hours of training has transformed the service.

"The old days of rolling up to a scene, putting the patient
on the gurney and taking them to the hospital are long
gone," Cole said.

"The thinking in emergency medicine has turned to taking the
ER to the patient, trying to give faster, more definitive
care at the scene," Thorp said.

Paramedics are trained to do endo-tracheal intubations to
keep a patient breathing; to read a cardiac monitor and
treat people who have abnormal rhythms with appropriate
drugs - all under standing orders from a licensed physician.

Treatment in the first 10 minutes of a emergency can give
the patient a much greater chance of recovery, Thorp said.

Although the 500 hours of initial training and the required
continuing education are time consuming, Thorp said it is
all worthwhile when he is able to save a life or speed a
patient's recovery.

"I have been in the service almost six years, and I plan to
stay in at least the next four years of my certification. I
have no desire to get out," Thorp said. "I really enjoy it."

Thorp believes the $2 per hour paid to volunteers while they
are on call is a bargain for the city and hospital district,
who fund the service and pay for ambulances with the help of
an occasional grant.

"I feel like, with us having MICU capabilities, our chief
probably should be a full-time employee of the city," Thorp
said. "They need to have more control over that."

As it stands, the city controls the ambulance service budget
and banks revenues collected by the volunteers.

Cole said prices were increased after a survey of
surrounding areas showed the fees way below the average.

"We are still under what most of the rest of the world is
charging, but we felt like with our collection crisis...it
has been so long since we had any kind of a change. We have
had the same fee for eight or 10 years. We probably should
have had some adjustments along the way."

Even at the new prices, Cole believes the service is a
bargain.

"I will put our capabilities, personnel and training up
against anybody else in this country," he said. "We have the
same kind of skills the big cities have."

Dr. Orville Cerna provides medical direction for the
ambulance staff.

"He is the one that really is legally responsible for us
being able to do what we are able to do," Cole said. "Your
skill level is only as good as your medical director allows
you to use them. He has been fantastic. We are very very
thankful that he sees the need for this kind of service."

"I think we have made a difference in a lot of situations -
wrecks, medical type calls," Cole said. "There have been
calls we didn't have a good outcome, and that's very sad and
unfortunate. We hurt when a patient doesn't make it,
especially when it is a young person. That stays with you
for awhile. There's emotions we deal with just like anybody
else deals with."

Outside help is available when ambulance volunteers need
counseling, but mostly they support one another by talking
over the tragedies. "We have a good support system among
ourselves and stay in touch with each other pretty well,"
Cole said.

What keeps Cole and others on the job despite long hours and
tragic situations?

"I think the satisfaction of trying to make a difference and
feeling like we have made a difference," he said.

Pecos Ambulance Service Paramedics are: Terri Cason, John
Cravey, Judy Foster, Andy Hannah, Mike Stallard, Dennis
Thorp.

Pecos Ambulance Service EMT-Intermediates are: Roy Cason,
Robin Land, Tony Lujan, Uvaldo Munoz, Oscar Rodriguez,
Richard Thorp.

Pecos Ambulance Service EMT-Basics are: Mario Salgado, Randy
Lozano, Blaine Hannah, Bill Cole.

Fees collected not enough for budget

By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - Fees for service would have paid
most of the Pecos Ambulance Service budget in the fiscal
year ended Sept. 31, had they all been collected.

Revenues collected by ambulance service volunteers go into
the city's ambulance budget, along with the $57,924
contributed by Reeves County Hospital District and $3,000
paid by Ward County.

But only $9,000 out of $104,473 billed was collected,
according to Steve McCormick, controller for the City of
Pecos.

Ambulance chief Bill Cole said that the low collections
prompted the service in September to increase basic fees
from $75 per call to $300. Advanced life support fees were
increased from $125 to $400 per call.

Billings are estimated at $66,000 in the 1997-98 budget.

Expenses in 1996-97 were $164,975. Of that, $70,930 was paid
from the city's general fund.

Expenses include $14,400 in salaries for the chief ($9,600)
and billing secretary ($4,800); $1,127 for unemployment
insurance and $130 for worker's compensation insurance.

Volunteers drew $89,936 expense allowance ($2 per hour while
on call during the week and $3 per hour on weekends). Their
retirement cost $4,670, and travel and training $1,705.

Supplies cost $13,822, vehicle $2,300, radio and vehicle
repairs, $4,258; bad debt expense $6,163; vehicles, tools
and equipment purchases, $5,441.

Depreciation expense, accrued against the ambulances but not
paid out, was $17,532.

Balmorhea school board meets tomorrow

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - The Balmorhea ISD Board of
Trustees will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow
in the board room at First and El Paso streets.

There will be an R.N. progress report by Carol Hoffmeyer, a
student/teacher day report by the student council, and a
SEDL report on enhancing student success through
comprehensive action teams.

Sheriff Andy Gomez will discuss the proposed juvenile
officer for Reeves County with the school board.

Action items include:

*Addition of black as an accent color

*Student council request for additional dances

*Update 57 - first reading

*Approve minutes of Oct. 14

*Finance - accounts payable.

There will be a closed meeting, then the board will
reconvene in open session to take any action based upon
discussion in the closed meeting. Before adjournment, there
will be time for future agenda items and announcements.

P. H. A. plans major renovations

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - More than $1 million in
renovations will begin in January at the South-side Pecos
Housing Authority Apartments and the apartments for the
elderly located on Second St., according to a Master
Builder's Construction representative.

Louie Caravello updated Pecos Housing Authority board
members at their regular meeting held Friday afternoon on
plans for the major renovations that are financed through a
grant awarded to PHA.

Master Builder's of Midland was the low bidder for
construction on the major project, which was bid at
$1,099,954.

"Vaughn (Architects Plus) recommended that the board approve
Master Builder's construction bid and plans for the
renovation," said PHA Director Nellie Gomez.

Vaughn Architects Plus are the architects for the project
and have been involved in other projects with PHA.

"We stated that we would complete this project in 300 days,
but hopefully we can get through quicker," said Caravello.

The board decided to go with Caravello's suggestion that
they wait until after the holidays to begin the project.

"This way we won't inconvenience the tenants during the
holidays," said Caravello.

Caravello stated that the company would employ local
personnel to help with the project, would provide Gomez with
a chart detailing the procedure of the project and would be
in contact constantly updating the board on the project.

In addition, the board agreed to hire Rigo Rubio, as
inspector for the project. Rubio is already a PHA employee.

Gomez recommended Rubio, stating, "I think he's good at
this, has very good knowledge of the project and knows what
needs to be done."

Rubio will receive a raise in accordance with his new
duties, a raise he would have received this year anyway,
according to Gomez.

Gramm aide to explain highway plan

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - U.S. Senator Phil Gramm's
Regional Director, Margarita Velez, will be in Pecos
tomorrow to outline a new Gramm proposal to local business
leaders and Pecos Chamber of Commerce members.

The proposal would make an additional $2 billion dollars in
federal funds available to rebuild Texas highways. The
project, if enacted, would be funded by money collected from
the 1993 gasoline tax increase

Velez will outline this bi-partisan plan to rebuild
crumbling Texas highways at 11:00 in the Texas-New Mexico
Power Community Room, 1126 Stafford.

Hospital board meets tomorrow

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - Reeves County Hospital District
Board of Directors will meet tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. in
the hospital classroom to review the 1997 tax rolls, monthly
collection report and accounts payable.

The board will consider approval of elements of the
compliance plan not implemented as yet, discuss the
renovation of properties, review the continued efforts in
certification of the Home Health Service and be updated on
the recruiting efforts for registered nurses and an LVN.

A letter from the ambulance selection committee is to be
reviewed and its recommendations discussed. The hospital's
Methodist contract, do to expire on Dec. 16, is up for
review - if no action is taken it will automatically be
renewed.

Other items on the agenda include examining the emergency
room agreement, hospital Christmas party, outpatient
registration and reduction of licensed beds.

Center to hold Christmas open house

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - The Pecos Learning Center will be
holding a Christmas Open House and fund-raiser from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at the center, located at 2024 S.
Eddy.

The open house will include booths, good food, live
entertainment by WWJD (What Would Jesus Do - a musical
group), pictures with Santa Claus, Christmas present
wrapping, face painting and much more, according to Pecos
Learning Center Director Kim Ewing. There will be a charge
for the gift wrapping that will be determined by the size of
the box.

Also, there will be a drawing for a quilt made by Roy
Prewit. In addition to the hand-made quilt, $150 worth of
gas from Desert Distributors will be awarded. Tickets for
the raffle are $1 each and may be purchased from Pecos
Learning Center employees.

Hispanics turned back at border

BY PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - Failure to speak English is not a
reason to deny entry to a U.S. citizen, but it may
contribute to a problem along the border, said a lawyer for
the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project.

Mary Kenney of San Antonio is one of two attorneys
representing Carmen Quiroz of Kermit in a suit filed in
Pecos against the United States of America for refusing to
allow him back in his own country.

Quiroz, 24, claims he was denied re-entry into the United
States at the Presidio Port of Entry in April 1995 after
deciding not to proceed into Mexico to visit relatives.

"We know of a number of examples - to a variety of people,"
Kenney said of the incident. "We filed an administrative
complaint and there was a denial."

A spokesman for the INS in El Paso said he could find no
record of Quiroz's claim and had not received a copy of the
suit. INS policy is to make no comment on pending
litigation, he said.

Kenney said that U.S. citizens are not required to carry a
birth certificate or any proof of U.S. citizenship, but
Hispanics along the border feel they need that protection,
"because this does happen."

In the petition, Quiroz said he was born in Presidio but is
not fluent in the English language because his parents spoke
only Spanish and he received very little formal education.

On April 28, 1995, Quiroz was enroute to Ojinaga, Mex. with
some machine parts, but turned back when Mexican Customs
wanted him to pay $100 tax on the parts.

At the Presidio port of entry, Quiroz declared in English
that he was an American citizen. However, he was un able to
understand several questions the agent asked in English.

Questioned by a second agent about his family, Quiroz showed
a copy of his birth certificate, Texas driver's license and
Social Security card, but the agent refused to believe he
was an American citizen, the suit alleges.

The agent took Quiroz's driver's license and told him he
would have to return to Mexico - refusing him access to the
telphone to call his family. Quiroz said the agent
threatened to take his truck if he did not return to Mexico
immediately.

Forced to go to Mexico, Quiroz had to pay the $100 tax on
the machinery parts and spent the night in Mexico. He
telephoned his wife, who traveled to Ojinaga with other
family members.

Two days later, Quiroz returned to the Presidio port of
entry and was allowed to pass through with no difficulty.
However, when he asked other agents for his driver's
license, they returned the license but confiscated his birth
certificate and told him he was not allowed to enter the
United States.

Quiroz said he had to enter because he would lose his job if
he did not show up for work the next day. The agent then
gave Quiroz a "permit" to enter on the condition he would
return to the port of entry on June 3 with a new copy of his
birth certificate.

When he returned on June 3 with his spouse and mother,
another agent returned his birth certificate and told Quiroz
he was free to leave.

The experience caused Quiroz great humiliation, emotional
distress, anxiety and fear at the time that he was
interrogated and denied entrance, the suit alleges. Now he
is afraid to leave the United States without his spouse, who
is fluent in English.

Quiroz alleges in the suit that the Immigration and
Naturalization Service was negligent and reckless in the
investigation of his citizenship status and is responsible
for his distress. He seeks an unspecified amount of
compensatory damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

OBITUARY

Emiliana Galindo

Emiliana C. Galindo, 60, of Odessa, died Friday, Nov. 14,
1997, at her residence.

Services were held at 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 17, at Christ
the King Catholic Church in Balmorhea, with Father Antonio
Mena officiating. Burial was in Balmorhea Cemetery.

Galindo was born Aug. 8, 1937, in Balmorhea. She was a high
school graduate with two years of business school and a
former Pecos Enterprise employee.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Chano and Luz
Galindo, brothers, Marcos, Domingo and Juan Galindo.

Survivors include: three brothers, Rosendo Galindo of
Balmorhea, Julian and Reynaldo Galindo of Odessa; one
sister, Maria Villarreal of Odessa; 16 nephews; and 14
nieces.

The family suggests memorials be made to Family Hospice of
Odessa.

WEATHER

PECOS, November 17, 1997 - High Sunday, 46, low this
morning, 37. Rainfall Saturday morning totaled 0.12 of an
inch bringing the total precipitation for the month to 0.41
of an inch and the year-to-date total precipitation to
9.24. Cloudy skies and warmer temperatures are expected
today after a weekend that began with snow, sleet and rain.
Monday is expected to be partly cloudy and warmer with highs
in the 60s. Lows are expected to be close to 45.

Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Peggy McCracken, Webmaster
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

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