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SIERRA BLANCA, Aug. 7, 1996 - Emotional pleas from mothers fearing for their
children's safety clashed with passionless discourses on the mechanics
of handling irradiated waste as the state opened the final debate on a
proposed radioactive dump.
Concerned citizens from across the state descended on Sierra Blanca on
Tuesday to air their concerns or express their support before state
officials gathering testimony to be used in deciding the facility's
ultimate fate.
``Please give us a chance and please take it somewhere else,'' Sierra
Blanca resident Maria Ramirez told the hearings officers running the
meeting, the first of three planned by the state.
She said she was worried the low-level waste dump planned for Sierra
Blanca, 90 miles east of El Paso, would contaminate her ``great town.''
Meanwhile, George Porter, another resident, called the project a ``good
thing for the community.''
``Not only for the community,'' he added, ``but for the whole state of
Texas.''
The hearings, which will continue next month in El Paso and Alpine, are
part of the licensing procedure for the dump, which would be operated by
Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority.
Two officials from the State Office of Administrative Hearings will use
the public comments and testimony from evidentiary hearings to follow to
arrive at a recommendation on whether the facility should receive a
license.
The matter will then be sent to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission for a final vote.
At least 200 people attended the Sierra Blanca meeting, which was held
in the high school gym, across the street from a library constructed
using state funds given to Hudspeth County because of its designation as
the dump site.
Many cheered anti-dump statements, which dominated large portions of the
meeting.
Activists in the back of the gym held up a banner reading: ``Don't waste
our time with low-down `low-level' lies. No national nuke waste in
Texas.'' The facility has been designed to take in 45,000 to 50,000
cubic feet of waste each year.
Congress is also scheduled to consider a compact that would allow Texas
to accept waste from Maine and Vermont.
Public officials from across the state and across the U.S.-Mexico border
denounced the siting of the depository in isolated Hudspeth County.
``It threatens all of us,'' said Jose Antonio Alba, a state
representative in the Coahuila legislature. The Mexican state borders
Texas.
Alba echoed the concerns of several speakers who said the waste Texas
proposes to bury near Sierra Blanca could contaminate ground water
supplies and eventually run off into the Rio Grande, a source of water
for millions of border residents.
Many local officials support it and the money it would bring into the
community, estimated to be in the millions over the projected 30-year
life of the facility.
Hudspeth County Judge James Peace told the hearings officers that if the
site proves to be scientifically sound, ``I am in full favor of a
license being issued.''
Other officials concurred.
But authorities from neighboring counties protested the prospect of
having the waste shipped through their communities en route to Sierra
Blanca.
County Judge John Conoly of Culberson County, just east of Hudspeth
County, called for a referendum on the issue in the affected areas.
Outside the hearing room, he said the chances of the state calling such
a vote were negligible.
``We've been heard but there's been no consideration,'' Conoly said.
``We feel it's been crammed down our throats.''
Copyright 1996 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
PECOS, Aug. 7, 1996 - Special events, such as the upcoming Mike Tyson heavyweight fight, will soon be available in Pecos, on Classic Cable's local access channel.
Steve Smith, Classic's president, said the events will be offered on a
"pay-per-view" basis as they occur. Customers will call up to order the
special events, which will be descrambled only for homes ordering the
program.
Regular programming on the local access channel (Ch. 6) will continue
when special events are not on.
Classic is also offering a budget package of 12 channels for low-income
residents at $13.99 per month.
That package replaces an "antenna" package offered by the previous cable
owner, United Video, Smith said. That package provided only stations
that could be picked up here by an antenna.
"Our economy basic package is very similar to the package United Video
was offering," Smith said. "It is a different name for the same level of
service. But the antenna service was available to everyone; in ours, you
have to demonstrate low income."
Only a small fraction of the customers subscribe to the antenna service,
he said. They can cut costs by offering a company-wide single package
for all viewers at $24.95 per month, providing channels 3-13, 15-21 and
22-43.
"That helps keep the cost of the full package down," Smith said. "We are
targeting the customer who uses that type package."
Besides boxing, the pay-per-view channel will offer wrestling, music
concerts and special events like the Olympics, which were offered in
1992.
With the addition of pay-per-view, Classic plans to open an office in
Pecos and create the position of chief technician. That person could be
stationed in Pecos or Monahans, Smith said.
The position will replace that of Bob Whitley, former manager in the
Monahans office. Whitley has accepted a position with his former boss at
another cable company, Smith said.
Rowdy Whittington will be the new regional manager, with headquarters in
Brady.
Meanwhile, customers can reach the customer service center in
Plainfield, Kan. by calling 1-800-999-8876.
United Video did away with its Pecos, Crane and Kermit offices three
years ago, consolidating all local businesses in Monahans. Classic also
bought those systems when they purchased UVC's Pecos and Barstow
franchises in 1995.
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Reserve seats will go on sale Thursday at the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school
business office for 1995 Pecos Eagles football season ticket holders
wanting to retain their seats for the 1996 season.
Tickets for the five regular season home games can be purchased weekdays
between 8:15 a.m. and 12 noon and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the business
office, 1302 S. Park St., until Aug. 23. New season ticket holders can
buy their tickets between Aug. 26 and Sept. 6 at the business office.
Season tickets are $25 apiece. Individual tickets can be bought for $5
each until 12 noon the week of each home game.
Home games this season are Sept. 13, Alpine; Sept. 20, Monahans; Sept.
27, Fabens (homecoming); Oct. 18, Andrews; and Nov. 8, Fort Stockton.
PECOS, Aug. 7, 1996 - Mikey is happy and all is well at the Maxey Park Zoo.
A veterinarian with the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspected the zoo
Tuesday and found everything in full compliance, said Armando Gil, parks
superintendent.
This marks the first inspection when nothing was amiss, Gil said. During
the last inspection, a written plan on records of animals was lacking,
but now everything has been brought up to date, Gil said.
One of the female cougars was spayed today, and the other will be spayed
in three days, he said.
"That was recommended by the Alamogordo Zoo who loaned them to us," Gil
added.
Mikey, the Chicago Zoo monkey, is happy in his new cage, and Gil is
hoping to get some spider monkeys to add to the collection.
City crews maintain the zoo, which houses exotic animals of all types,
including buffalo, rhea birds, pea fowl, deer, antelope and water fowl.
Its location near an I-20 exit makes it an excellent rest stop for
travelers.
Reeves County Sheriff Andy Gomez said that matching funds of $10,842
need to be raised in order to keep the local drug education program
active.
Cost of the DARE program for the upcoming year is estimated at $27,073,
and Gomez said he will be petitioning to local entities for donations
and form fundraisers to keep it alive in the community.
The $16,231 awarded last week to the county's DARE program was a
fraction of the $300,000 in grants given out by the governor's office to
14 Permian Basin Crimestoppers and drug prevention programs.
Reeves County's DARE Adviser, Sue Thee-Hooker, was unavailable for
comment, as she is currently in Oklahoma, where she is working with a
related program, said Gomez.
Police Chief Troy Moore said Tuesday that the his department's DARE
Officer position has been done away with. "Because of the increase in
service calls, we needed that position on the street," Moore said.
The police chief added that the DARE position was created at a cost of
$25,000 to the city. "It was a good program," he added, "but it was
hurting us on the streets."
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High Tuesday 97, low last night 73. Tonight, partly cloudy. A 20 percent
chance of thunderstorms. Low around 70. Thursday, partly to mostly
cloudy. A 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. High around 90. East to
southeast wind 5-15 mph.
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_
Copyright 1996 by Pecos Enterprise
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
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