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Monday, November 11, 1996

Concerns remain over city's waste pact

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By PEGGY McCRACKEN

Staff Writer


Town of Pecos City Councilman Ricky Herrera cites last week's newspaper
recycling foulup as one reason he wants to extend the trial period for
Wes Tex Waste picking up and disposing of solid waste in the city of
Pecos.

Newspapers were overflowing recycling dumpsters placed around town
because city crews and equipment that had been picking them up are now
being operated by WTW. And apparently nobody at City Hall told WTW they
should pick up the newspapers.

Once the five-year contract is in force, WTW will buy the city's
equipment and it would take a big capital investment to start up waste
collection again, Herrera said.

Herrera and fellow councilman Gerald Tellez Jr. voted against the WTW
contract.

"I voted against it because there is one more option we could have
looked at," Herrera said. That would be for the city to continue to do
collection and hauling the waste to the Charter Waste landfill near
Penwell.

"I was against selling our equipment at the landfill and trucks,"
Herrera said. "That is in the contract."

Herrera said the five-year contract will take effect automatically if
the Pecos City Council fails to notify them 30 days before the end of
the three-month trial period that the deal is off.

That's why the council will hold a public comment session along with the
council's WTW contract deliberations Tuesday.

"I would like to have some input from the public," said Mayor Dot
Stafford. "I had considered having a Town Hall meeting, but we decided
it would be better to have it on the agenda. All the council can be
there and give their answers, and the public will feel freer to ask
questions."

Wes Tex Waste officials will also be present, said Lawrence Kennedy,
vice president of operations.

Stafford said WTW's waste pickup seems to be working pretty well, "since
we got the recycling bit solved."

Herrera said there may be other "snags" that need to be addressed before
the city gives up its equipment and control over waste disposal.

"When we first talked about Wes Tex Waste, we talked about giving them
six months or even a year contract, versus three months, because I feel
like something like privitization - you want to make sure you are doing
the right thing. I didn't want to feel like we were rushing into
something," Herrera said.

Kennedy said last week that nobody from the city had mentioned extending
the trial period, and WTW is anxious to put the five-year contract into
effect so they can build a transfer station and purchase additional
equipment.

Without the contract, they cannot obtain financing to build the transfer
station and purchase a long-haul truck and two trailers for the transfer
to Penwell.

Stafford said that truck drivers who are still on the city payroll
during the trial period would also like to get the matter settled. WTW
has agreed to consider them for permanent employees once the contract is
in effect.

"The only thing I worry about is the fact we are obligating future
councils," Stafford said. "At one time I couldn't make up my mind, but I
have heard from different parties throughout town that they like it, and
it would be better for the city.

"I don't want people to feel like they are being pushed into it. But I
have talked to other municipalities that have gone that way, and they
seem to think it is the only way. I feel more confortable now."

Herrera said he wants to make sure everything is "pretty well taken care
of" before the city obligates itself to a five-year contract. "To me it
is a big commitment for the city. It is prudent to take six months to
make sure that we are doing the right thing."

He admits the city staff failed to sit down with WTW and formulate a
plan to help them get started.

"They were kind of on their own," he said. "We talked about it during
one of the meetings that they would work with Butts Recycling and help
them out as much as they could, so I guess everybody assumed they would
work with Butts on picking up newspapers."

Another three months would give the city and WTW time to work out such
snags, he said.

Herrera said he would like for WTW to provide roll-away bins for Type IV
trash, such as tree limbs and commercial debris and haul it to Charter
Waste.

At the present, WTW is picking up such debris from alleys with a
rear-loading garbage truck and placing it in the city's Type I landfill.

Looking to the future, Herrera said WTW's collection charges can be
re-negotiated every year under the proposed contract.

"If they recommend going up on the rates and we don't go along with it,
what do we do then?" he asked.

"There's always things that come up that we seem to overlook. I don't
want to get into a situation where we have overlooked something and it
will come back and bite us," he said.

Students find use for items by recycling

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By ROSIE FLORES

Staff Writer


Two Bessie Haynes Elementary students have been busy putting recyclable
materials to good use last week, as part of the school's recycling week
events.

Bessie Haynes teachers have planned various activities in conjunction
with Texas Recycle Week, which begins today and concludes with Texas
Recycle Day this Friday.

Antonio Gonzales, the inventor of these items, is a fifth grade student
at Bessie Haynes.

"I was just bored one day, with nothing to do," said Gonzales, who
gathered material he found around his home such as, old cardboard,
wires, discarded toys and put them together to invent his own brand of
toys.

By trying out the different wires, Gonzales found out which ones can be
connected to make things light up or make toys go forward.

"For instance," Gonzales explains, "If I put this two wires together I
can make this toy go forward."

The toy trucks and airplanes actually have lights that work, after
Gonzales found old small Christmas decorations to install as headlights.

"I just find things in the alleys or around the house that people no
longer want and put them together to make these toys," said the fifth
grader.

Helping Gonzales is Robert Muro, who collector some of the discarded
items and helps Gonzales find out which wires, light bulbs, and other
accessories really work.

"I like helping him find all these items, because it keeps us busy and
it's neat," said Muro.

Muro said this new hobby of theirs is really fun, because it isn't
boring and keeps them busy.

"I don't like to be bored," he said.

The two young inventors said they are going to try and make Christmas
gifts for their friends and families, using their newly acquired talents.

"We're going to try to make the gifts better, work more closely on
them," said Muro. "We're going to make them really great."

"This is just something you don't learn from a book, it's something that
comes from their minds," said teacher Cynthia Armbruster.

"I'm just very pleased with these two, using their ideas and talents
like this," she added. "We're trying to make these students more aware
of recycling and the different things that can be done."

Other Bessie Haynes students have filled out recycling pledge cards and
mailed them to Austin.

On Tuesday, the school will hold an art contest utilizing the theme,
"Take Care of Texas."

Special prizes will be awarded to the winners.

Pecos Valley Recyclers will be on hand for an assembly set at the school
on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Kevin Butts will be the guest speaker.

Classes will be making different items (3-D), out of recyclable
materials to display in the cafeteria.

Throughout the week, the fourth and fifth graders will engage in a
friendly battle to see who can collect the most recyclable items.

Cans, paper, plastic will be collected throughout the week.

Pecos Valley Recyclers Center will provide bins for the school to use in
their endeavors.

"This will be a fun learning experience for all the students," said
Armbruster.

Midland officals awaiting cause of Pecos man's death

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By MARI MALDONADO

Staff Writer


No official ruling has been released as of this morning on the cause of
death of a Pecos man, whose body was discovered early Saturday morning
in Midland.

"At this point and time, the cause of death is pure speculation," said
investigator Detective Sheldon Johnson, of the Midland Police
Department, about Manuel P. Rodriguez, 27. His body was discovered in
the front driver's seat of his 1991 Ford sedan, the detective said.

Johnson said he was called to the corner of Bluebird Park and Bluebird
Lane, on the north end of town, just after midnight. Patrolman Ed Hiner
checked out the parked vehicle and was the first to discover Rodriguez,
said Johnson.

Midland County Justice of the Peace Keith Jobe pronounced Rodriguez
dead and ordered an autopsy. Results of the autopsy were unavailable as
of press time.

Rodriguez's body was transferred to the Lubbock Medical Examiners
Office in Lubbock from Thomas Funeral Home in Midland to determine the
time and cause of death.

Pecos Funeral Home is handling his services.

OBITUARIES

Nellie Ballard

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Nellie Ballard, 97, died Friday, Nov. 8 at the Reeves County Hospital.

Graveside services are scheduled for Tuesday, at 10 a.m. at Fairview
Cemetery with Billy Foster officiating.

She was born Oct. 9, 1899, in Newberg, Mo., was a Baptist and a
homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her husband, L.W. Ballard.

Survivors include one daughter, Bette Rowland of Pecos; four
grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The family requests that memorials be made to the West of the Pecos
Museum, 120 E. First, Pecos, Tx., 79772 or Calvary Baptist Church.

Manuel P. Rodriguez

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Manuel P. Rodriguez III, 27, died Saturday, Nov. 9 in Midland.

Rosaries are scheduled for today at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
at the Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.

Mass will be held Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with
burial at Greenwood Cemetery.

He was born Aug. 27, 1969 in Pecos, was an oilfield worker, a Catholic
and an Army veteran.

Survivors include one son, John Paul Gonzales of Pecos; one daughter,
Taryn Rodriguez of Pecos; his parents, Manuel and Teresa Rodriguez of
Pecos; his grandmother, Angelita Rodriguez of Pearsall, Tx.; two
brothers, Rick Rodriguez of Austin, Mark Rodriguez of Midland and one
sister Jo Ann Carrera of Midland.

Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

WEATHER

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High Sunday 78, low last night 33. Tonight, fair. Low 40 45. Southeast
wind 5-10 mph. Tuesday, partly cloudy. High in the lower 70s. South to
southeast wind 10-15 mph.



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