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Wednesday, September 4, 1996

Attendance for schools up & down

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By MARI MALDONADO
Staff Writer

PECOS, September 4, 1996 - Following the normal trend, enrollment totals
for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school district rose by almost five percent
over the first day totals this year, following this past weekend's Labor
Day holiday, with an increase in the student numbers for almost all the
campuses.

However, the number is still down from the 167 students who checked in
for class following the 1995 Labor Day holiday weekend, and the total
enrollment for the district is down 148 from early September of last
year and over 200 fewer than at the same time in 1994.

District wide, the total number of students attending classes Tuesday
was 3008, up by 134 from the 2874 that reported August 19.

Balmorhea ISD reported no increase, nor decrease, to their first-day
enrollment figures, following the national holiday.

There were six less Pecos High School students registered at the end of
the day Tuesday from the first day of school's totals. It reflected a
drop in the number of sophomores by one student, juniors by four
students and seniors by six students. There were three more special
education students for the PHS program and two more freshmen enrolled.

The number was far less than the 66 student drop detected after last
year's Labor Day holiday.

Compared to Aug. 19 totals, 18 more seventh graders have checked in for
classes at Zavala Middle School Seventh Grade, while Crockett Middle
School Eighth Grade had an added 14 on their enrollment tally.

These numbers are not much different from last year's after-Labor Day
figures of 14 and six, respectively.

Barstow Elementary reported eight more students in the past two weeks,
while Lamar Elementary figures indicated that seven more sixth graders
are attending school and Bessie Haynes had an extra 13 fourth and fifth
graders show up for class.

Last year, these numbers were plus-seven for Barstow Elementary;
plus-nine for Lamar Elementary and plus-12 for Bessie Haynes Elementary.

Twelve more third graders were listed on Pecos Elementary's enrollment
sheets, while Austin Elementary showed the largest increase of all the
campuses, with 49 more first and second graders reporting for class
Tuesday morning.

Fourteen more third grade students checked into class at Pecos
Elementary after the Labor Day weekend last year, while 16 more first
and second graders were added to Austin's totals in 1995.

Pecos Kindergarten had 19 more pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
enrollees from its first day sum. This is compared to the 23 additional
pre-elementary students reporting in for class after last year's first
school year holiday.

Howard says P-B-T having no problems with menu regulations

Some schools can't digest feds' lunch menu

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From Staff and Wire Reports

America's school children are supposed to get lower-fat lunches this
year, but loopholes in new federal regulations mean there's a chance
some kids will get the same old grease, a consumer group said today.

Public Voice said many school districts in populous states like
California, Florida, Massachusetts and New York were seeking delays of
up to two years in meeting the standards.

Also, the federal rules have been so weakened and oversight will be so
rare that it may be years before many schools serve up healthful meals,
the group added.

``Schools are opening this week with a mandate to meet new nutrition
guidelines,'' said Mark S. Epstein, president of the group. ``But
changing the standards on the books is not the same as changing the
meals themselves.''

The rules intend for school lunches to follow the government's
nutritional guidelines for all Americans: Limit fat to 30 percent of
calories and saturated fat to 10 percent. Eat plenty of vegetables,
fruits and grains. Eat salt and sodium in moderation.

The rules also require that the lunches provide one-third of daily
calories, protein, calcium, iron and Vitamins A and C.

"It's really not that different from what we've been doing," said
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Food Service Director Calvin Howard of the newly
implemented USDA program.

"If you stick to the food base," which Howard said the school district's
cafeterias have been doing, "it's very easy to comply," with USDA
regulations.

The local food service director, a retired army sergeant, said he knew,
"this (regulatory standards) was coming four years ago."

Mary Pat Fortson, a food service official in the Florida Department of
Education, said schools would work to improve their lunches during the
extra two years they would have to meet the guidelines.

She said the extension was needed because of troubles finding computer
programs to check compliance and trouble getting such basics as the
right-sized muffin to meet the requirement for serving more grains.

In the two-year waiver period, she said, cafeteria workers are being
trained and children will be better fed.

``They're getting even more nutritious food than they did last year,''
she said.

Cindy Schneider, child nutrition consultant for California public
schools, said most districts are seeking one-year waivers to work out
the kinks or get the computers, software, standardized recipes and
information from suppliers.

``There is no question that already millions of children across the
country are eating healthier meals,'' said Ellen Haas, the agriculture
undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services.

``What we're managing is an enormous, congressionally mandated rapid
implementation of the policy changes,'' she said, noting that the
original plan called for a 1998 start.

Many schools are seeking brief extensions to work out the kinks in their
plans, Haas said.

The National School Lunch Program feeds some 25 million students in
92,000 districts, costing federal taxpayers $5 billion a year. Many poor
students rely on a free school lunch as their main meal of the day.

Legislation that Congress passed and President Clinton signed in May,
however, weakened earlier rules by letting schools use ``any reasonable
approach'' to meeting the standards, the group complained.

That includes serving the basic school lunch of the past five decades,
with set portions of milk, meat, bread, fruits and vegetables, but
changing the way foods are typically prepared to cut the fat content -
such as cooking chicken without the skin and baking it instead of frying
it.

The Public Voice survey of more than 900 school food service directors
found that only 15 percent knew the percentage of total calories that
come from fat and only 9 percent claimed to know the saturated fat
content.

``This suggests that food service directors that continue to use the old
meal pattern need better tools to help them estimate the fat and
saturated fat content of their lunches,'' the report said.

When the Agriculture Department first proposed an overhaul of school
lunches in June 1994, it wanted schools to rely on a computer analysis
of menus to show that children were getting the right nutrients.

After school officials complained that the shift was too burdensome,
Congress intervened, telling the department to modify the plan. The
department responded in January 1995 with an alternative based on the
old meal pattern but requiring schools to serve more grains, fruits and
vegetables. Many schools complained that they would have to spend more
on food, especially grains, as a result.

The department also shortened the deadline for compliance to this school
year rather than 1998-1999, but allowed for waivers.

The department also said schools would be audited by the state every
five years instead of every four to make sure the meals being served
meet the guidelines.

Even so, nearly three-quarters of the food-service directors found the
regulations difficult to understand. The confusion led many to seek
waivers.

Copyright 1996 Pecos Enterprise. All rights reserved. AP contributed to
this report.

Bell error blamed for loss of phone lines

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PECOS, September 4, 1996 - Last week's glitch on the Internet hookup in
Pecos was due to a switching error in the Southwestern Bell Telephone
system in Midland, said Dick Alligood of Oilfield Phone Service.

Oilfield Phone is the local representative for BitStreet, the Internet
link that allows Pecos citizens to surf the World Wide Web without
paying long-distance charges.

When the link was broken last week, surfers were left high and dry.
Alligood said he reported the problem to GTE, the telephone company
serving Pecos. But when the problem was located, it was not in GTE's
lines.

Jimmy Castro, GTE area manager, reported the broken link was repaired by
mid-afternoon Friday.

Alligood said that Southwestern Bell employees had taken the cross
connects down to work on it and forgot to put it back up.

Police Report

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police Report is obtained
from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department, Reeves County
Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, or other agencies;
and from interviews with officers of those agencies.

On August 15, Joe Luis Garibaldi was arrested on a warrant service out
of the Reeves County Sheriff's Office at the corner of Fifth and Oak
streets. He was charged with drug possession. Garibaldi's age and
address were not indicated.

On August 16, Alberto Urquida Aguilar, 32, 925 Hickory St., was arrested
in the 1800 block of West Fourth Street for driving with a suspended
license and a revocation warrant for a DWI charge from Ward County.

On August 18, Police arrested Frank S. Abila, 32, on a warrant for
assault causing bodily injury at his residence, in the 1600 block of
Morris Street.

Fernando Ruiz, 21, was arrested for outstanding DPS warrants by police
on August 19, about 3:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of Eddy Street.

Ruben Tarango reported to police that someone had taken a license plate
from his vehicle while parked at his residence at 113 S. Orange St. The
crime occurred sometime between August 17, 8 p.m., and 6:30 p.m., August
19.

Federico Caballero, 33, was arrested for failing to identify himself to
a peace officer responding to a call of criminal trespass at 2214 S.
Park St., on August 20.

John Natividad was arrested on warrant for aggravated assault and
possession of aerosol paint at the Flying J Truck Stop on August 20,
just after 1 a.m. His age and address were not given.

Police received a report of a stolen bicycle from Robert Munoz, 722 Bois
D'Arc St., on August 22. Munoz reported that the bike was taken from his
front yard sometime between 5 p.m., August 21, and 10 a.m., August 22.

Police arrested Robert Minjares, 45, for probation revocation at his
residence, 305 S. Oleander St., on the night of August 22.

Sandy Flores Hernandez, 36, 420 S. Walnut, was arrested during a warrant
service conducted by police following a grand jury indictment for
burglary of a habitation. The arrest was made on August 23 in the 1000
block of East Fifth Street.

Police arrested Fred Lara about 5 a.m., August 23, at Uncle's
Convenience Store at Third and Cedar streets on a charge of criminal
trespass. Lara's age and address were not indicated.

On August 23, police arrested Joe Arthur Salas for failing to identify
himself to a peace officer at the corner of Fifth and Mulberry streets.
The arrest took place about 11 p.m. Salas' age and address were not
available.

Having no driver's license and possession of marijuana were the charges
filed by police against Jesus Martinez the night of August 23. He was
taken into custody at the vehicle he was driving was stopped, about
11:30 p.m. in the 300 block of Plum Street.

On August 23, police arrested Santos C. Lopez, 38, in the 300 block of
South Pecan Street, for drug possession.

Manuel Martinez Salcido, 45, was arrested at 515 S. Almond by police on
a warrant for drug possession on August 23.

A man identified by police as L. Fuentes reported an act of criminal
mischief at 505 E. Third, that resulted a broken driver's side window of
his vehicle and damage to the front windshield.

On August 26, Camina Anchondo Jimenez, 27, was cited for backing without
safety after police investigated a two-vehicle collision in the 900
block of Willow Street. Police said Jimenez, who was driving a 1983
Chevrolet Cavalier, struck a 1986 Chevrolet suburban, driven by Yolanda
Martinez Ybarra, 34.

Police arrested Hector Rodriguez for assault under the Family Violence
Act on the evening of August 26 at 2015 S. Park St. Rodriguez's age was
not indicated.

Mike M. Rayos, 38, 1205 S. Willow, was arrested by police for probation
revocation on an original charge of theft at Gibson's True Value store,
810 W. Walthall St. Rayos was taken into custody on August 28 at 4:45
p.m.

Daniel Armendariz, 23, 1316 S. Oak St., was arrested for outstanding
municipal court fines during a warrant service conducted at his
residence on August 28, about 6:30 p.m.

The morning of August 27, Hector Rodriguez was arrested for outstanding
municipal fines at the Town of Pecos City Municipal Court. His age and
address were not given.

Police arrested Tracy Windham in the 1700 block of West Fourth Street
for assault under the Family Violence Act. The arrest was made after
police discovered a disturbance after checking out a 9-1-1 hang-up call
about 4 a.m., August 28. Windham's age and address were not available.

Patricia Tapia was arrested on a warrant for outstanding fines about
12:30 a.m., Thursday, in the 900 block of North Elm Street. Tapia's age
and address were not given.

Saturday evening, police arrested Jesus Hernandez for public
intoxication in the alley located in the 700 block of Cedar and Ash
Streets. His age and address were given.

A Pecos Autoplex representative reported a stolen vehicle from the car
dealership's lot, at the Airlawn Shopping Center in the 1000 block of
South Eddy Street. The vehicle was described as a 1993 Chevrolet
extended-cab, Silverado 1500. The incident occurred sometime between
Sunday and Monday.

Police took two female juveniles into custody in the 800 block of South
Pecan Street, about 11 p.m. on Sunday, after investigating a report a
criminal mischief.

Jose Alfredo R. Munoz was arrested for public intoxication by police in
the 2000 block of Eddy Street just before 1 a.m., Sunday.

Roberto Hernandez was arrested by police for public intoxication near
the North Side Park on U.S. Highway 285 about 3:47 a.m. Hernandez's age
and address were not available.

Police arrested Oscar Rubio for public intoxication at the Illusion
nightclub in the 600 block of East Second Street about 1:30 a.m. His age
and address were not indicated.

Obituary

George W. Reynolds

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Services for George W. Reynolds, 82, of Lake Coleman, were at 11 a.m.
Monday in Stevens Funeral Home Chapel in Coleman. Burial with Masonic
graveside rites followed at Coleman Cemetery. He died Saturday Aug. 31,
1996, at his residence.

Mr. Reynolds was born Dec. 23, 1913, in Hughes Springs. He grew up in
Daingerfield and later in Dallas and attended school in both places. He
was employed by Foxworth-Galbraith and Galbraith Steel for 19 years as a
sales representative and for 11 years with GAF/Rubberoid and retired
with them in 1975. He lived in many cities, including San Angelo,
Oklahoma City, Tyler, Alpine, Pecos, Lubbock and El Paso. He moved to
Lake Coleman in 1981. He was a Baptist and a member of Oak Cliff Masonic
Lodge #705 for over 50 years.

Survivors include his wife, Anna Mae Reynolds of Lake Coleman; two sons,
Fred Reynolds of Sayre, Okla. and Rick Reynolds of Pismo Beach, Calif.;
three daughters, Anna Long of San Angelo, Donna Smith of Lubbock and
Jane Chapman of Plano; two sisters, Anna Myrle Zook of Delphi, Ind. and
Winnie Lou Zook of Irving; and 10 grandchildren.

The family requests memorials be made to Masonic Home, 3600 Wichita,
Fort Worth, TX 76119.

Weather

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PECOS, September 4, 1996 - High Tuesday 93, low last night 68. Rainfall
.03 inch. September rainfall .03 inch. Year-to-date 7.97 inches.
Tonight, partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Low around
65. Southeast wind 5-15 mph. Thursday, partly cloudy. High 90-95.
Southeast wind 10-20 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
e-mail news@bitstreet.com
http://www.pecos.net/news
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