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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Wednesday, May 5, 1999
Gil says residents should plan for storms
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 5, 1999 -- Oklahoma's devastating tornado is a reminder
that disaster can strike anywhere and any time.
Those who survived the mile-wide windstorm that traveled on the ground
for four hours had taken shelter in the best way they knew how.
Reeves County residents, mindful of the May 22, 1987 tornado that wiped
out most of Saragosa, know the heartbreak that follows such a disaster.
Knowing how to spot clouds that may spawn a tornado, hail or flash flood
is one way to prepare, said Armando Gil, emergency management coordinator.
Another is to designate a sturdy closet, bathtub or other location away
from windows where family members can flee during a storm.
Gil said that advice on how to prepare is listed on the emergency management
service's web site at Disaster.
In the event of a disaster, Gil said that information will be posted
to the site to keep family members and news agencies up-to-the-minute on
victims, damages and recovery efforts.
Links to other sites with preparedness information are also listed.
One such link is to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, www.fema.gov.
Another is the Humanitarian Resource Institute, www.humanitarian.net/prepare.html.
"Every family needs to think of what they would do if basic services
— water, gas, electricity or telephone were cut off," said Stephen M. Apatow,
executive director for HRI. "In the case of potential catastrophic events,
families must be ready to respond to warnings and immediate evacuation."
HRI's web site has links to National Weather Service preparedness guides,
family disaster plan, disaster planning for pets, livestock and wildlife,
and Y2K preparedness information.
Civic Center work to follow end of rodeo
By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 5, 1999 -- New restrooms at the Reeves County Civic Center
may have to wait until after the July 4 rodeo, said City Manager Kenneth
Neal this morning.
That's because sewer lines would have to be upgraded, and the city water
and sewer department may not have time to complete the job before the rodeo
gets underway.
"We are so near rodeo time. We don't want to get under construction
and have a big mess when that happens," Neal said. "I talked to Octavio
Garcia (utilities director) and told him if we can't do it in a few weeks
to hold off and fix it for next year."
Tom Rivera, executive director for the Pecos Chamber of Commerce, said
the proposal for additional restrooms came in a joint meeting Monday of
entities who use or operate the civic center.
Representatives from the West of the Pecos Rodeo Committee, livestock
committee, chamber, city and county are "trying to come up with money for
major repairs," Rivera said. "Commitments were made in trying to find a
solution on upkeep."
Daily maintenance has been a problem since Reeves County re-assigned
the center's full-time custodian to the courthouse. But Rivera said that
a part-time custodian before and after events would be sufficient.
"We may go two weeks without an event," he said.
Restrooms in the civic center are not adequate for large events, Rivera
said, and the group proposed adding facilities in the rear portion of the
building, where livestock shows are held.
"I am very optimistic about the long-term outcome of these meetings,"
he said. "Especially when they start talking about putting in new bathrooms."
County crews have recently installed ceramic tile in the restrooms and
hallway leading to them, Rivera said. That has improved their looks considerably.
Galindo adds second job to pay son's treatment
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 5, 1999 -- The after-effects of a January, 1997 accident
involving his wife and infant son, and the costs involved since then, have
led Reeves County Judge Jimmy B. Galindo to take a second job as manager/consultant
for Ward County Irrigation District No. 1 in Barstow.
Galindo said he took the second job in an effort to defray medical bills
incurred by his son, John, after the 1-year-old and his mother, Michele,
were involved in a vehicle pedestrian accident that left Galindo's son
with severe bruises and a fractured skull.
"Since the accident, John's speech and language development has been
severely stunted and delayed," said Galindo. "He is now three years old
and does not speak or utter a single word. This causes us great concern
because at this age, John should already have a vocabulary of over 1,000
words by now."
"My dilemma is that we need to find the right medical and educational
professionals to help John develop to his appropriate age level," said
Galindo. "And, I need to make enough money to provide the necessary care
for our son," he said.
Galindo was first approached about the employment opportunity by water
district board president, Manuel Lujan Sr. in late November of 1998.
"He requested my assistance and analysis of the various aspects of the
water district and at that point I went to Lynn Owens and asked him how
I should go about it," said Galindo. "He then gave me his opinion and told
me to also request the opinion of the district attorney, which I did,"
he said.
Before accepting the employment position of manager/consultant for the
WCID #1, Galindo sought the opinion of both District Attorney Randy Reynolds
and Reeves County Auditor Lynn Owens.
Reynolds responded to Galindo's request with a legal opinion, stating
in part that, "It is my opinion that holding the office of Reeves County
Judge simultaneously with being employed as a manger/consultant of a water
irrigation district would not be prohibited by Article XVI, Section 40
of the Texas Constitution as the position of manager/consultant is not
a public office. It is also my opinion that the two positions of Reeves
County Judge and manager/consultant of a water irrigation district are
not incompatible if one is not subordinate to the other, there is not any
present nor reasonably foreseeable any future relationships between the
two positions are wholly unrelated."
Owens agreed that the Texas Constitutional prohibition of dual office
holding did not apply in Galindo's case.
"The position of Ward County Water Irrigation District manager/consultant
is a position of employment and would not be considered an office," Owens
wrote. "Although the Ward County Water Irrigation District is a quasi-governmental
entity as a special district, your employment would be subject to the oversight
of the district board of directors."
Galindo said the driving motive in accepting the responsibility is to
meet the special needs of his son and essentially to provide the best services
for the district and the public.
"There may be those that criticize me, but I have to look out for the
best interests of my family, my son and at the same time do what's in the
best interest of the public in everything that I do," he said.
Galindo works at the water district in mornings, from 6:30 a.m. until
8:30 a.m. or 7-9 a.m., and in the afternoons from either 4:30-6:30 or 5-7
p.m.
Galindo said he and Michelle have taken him to be examined by a number
of doctors in Texas in an effort to help him recover from his brain injury.
Over the last year, John's recovery has been guided by Dr. Stephanie Ried,
M.D., Director of Rehabilitative Medicine for Driskoll Children's Hospital
in Corpus Christi.
Dr. Ried specializes in rehabilitative medicine practices and was a
clinical speech pathologist for 10 years before becoming a medical doctor.
"Dr. Ried has been very helpful in assisting us to find the appropriate
methods to help John," said Galindo. "She and the staff at Driskoll Children's
Hospital introduced us to the Picture Exchange Communication System. This
method of communication has helped John to better communicate what he wants
or needs," he said.
Galindo also said that they have begun a treatment called Sensory Integration
Therapy under Dr. A. Jean Ayres, which focuses on the way in which sensory
processing and motor planning are organized and interpreted by the brain.
According to Dr. Ayres, this is the foundation for more complete learning
and behavioral development.
"Three weeks ago, we took John to Austin to receive therapy," said Galindo.
"But in both of these instances the professional care providers are 400-500
miles away.
"The closest certified Sensory Interpretation Therapist is either in
Albuquerque or Austin and Dr. Ried is in Corpus Christi," he said, adding
that Ried prescribed that John receive speech development therapy four
times per week and sensory integration therapy twice per week."
"The problem is that P-B-T ISD has a limited number of professionals
available to provide these services," said Galindo. "It has been determined
that the best the district can do is provide speech development therapy
twice per week and there is no one who is certified to provide sensory
integration therapy available in West Texas."
"So, we are left with making a crucial decision which will affect John's
life tremendously," said Galindo. "Over the last year and a half, the Early
Childhood Intervention program based out of Texas Education Agency Region
18, has provided traditional speech development therapy services for John
and we have made very little progress."
Obituary
Concha Ramirez Villescas
Concha Ramirez Villescas, 71, died this morning in Odessa Medical Center
Hospital. Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) — Results of the Cash 5 drawing Tuesday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 5-12-30-34-39. Number matching five of five: 2. Prize per winner:
$44,376. Winning tickets sold in: Arlington, Conroe. Matching four of five:
198. Prize: $673.
***
AUSTIN (AP) — The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Tuesday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 8-2-8 (eight, two, eight)
Weather
PECOS, May 5, 1999 -- High Tuesday 89; low last night 51. Tonight, clear.
Low in the mid 40s. Northwest wind 10-15 mph. Thursday, mostly sunny. High
near 80. North wind 10-15 mph.
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 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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