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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
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Top Stories

Friday, February 4, 2000

Pecos campus construction bids approved

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Feb. 4, 2000 - Bids for construction of the Pecos campus of Odessa College were accepted this morning by the college's board of directors for an amount $40,000 below the budgeted cost for the four-month project.

Dr. Vance Gipson, Odessa College president, said following discussions with construction manager Frank X. Spencer on Thursday, the board approved his recommendations this morning on 16 different bids, at a total cost of $662,164.

"We were looking at $702,000 set aside for the actual construction work itself," Gipson said. "We're very pleased with the bids we received."

Work began last month on removing the existing insides of the former White's Auto building in the Airlawn Shopping Center for use by Odessa College.

Vanco Insulation Abatement of Midland was given three weeks to complete the demolition and cleanup part of the project. That work is now complete, and construction on both the inside and outside of the building can now begin with this morning's vote by the board.

Brick walls will cover the front of the building, with the offices located in that area. Towards the rear of the building there will be six classrooms, a lounge and restrooms, located behind the office space.

The building will accommodate two study rooms, which can be used by any student, a computer lab with 48 computers and one room for interactive courses.

Out of the six classrooms, the building will include one science lab and one computer room, according to OC's Pecos Office Director Michelle Workman.

Gipson said the 16 bids do not include site work in the parking lot area in front of the building. "We hope to be able to use this (the extra $40,000) for the site," he said.

Among the bids approved this morning were for concrete work, masonry and carpentry, doors, storefront glass, gypsum and dry wall work, painting, wire mechanics, along with mechanical and electrical work.

"Our personnel spent considerable time checking out the bids we received," said Gipson. "We had people all over the place calling and checking, and we're very pleased with the quality of the companies that submitted bids."

He added that some companies received more than one contract, including one Pecos company, Aztec Contractors, which was awarded contracts on the wire mechanical partitions, rest rooms and some of the carpentry and masonry for the building.

Six of the companies which won bids were from Midland, two from Fort Stockton, while a Lubbock firm was awarded the roofing contract, Gipson said.

"We expect to have a facility Pecos can be proud of," he added.

The OC project was a combined effort by local officials, the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD officials and the Pecos Economic Development Corp. When interior demolition began last month, PEDC Executive Director Gari Ward said, "The target date for completion has been scheduled for May 15."

Officials had hoped to begin work on the project last fall, but Michelle Workman, director of the Pecos campus, said the reason for the delay is that this the first time that the college is doing something like this so far away from its Odessa campus. OC has held classes in the past in smaller buildings in Pyote, and is currently renting space from the P-B-T school district for spring semester classes.

OC then had to wait for federal grant funds to be approved for the construction, which did not occur until the end of November.

Group sets meeting on wastewater plans

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Feb. 4, 2000 - A committee concerned about the impact of a project planned by the city of Pecos will meet at 7 p.m., Monday at the Santa Rosa Church Hall and are inviting others to join them.

"We want to invite the public, officials and anyone that is interested to come to the meeting," said Eleuterio M. Garcia, chairman of the "Committee to Save East Pecos."

It members have requested and received a contested hearing from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission on the application for a change in the permit of the Town of Pecos City to irrigate the property adjacent to the city limits of Pecos with sewage waste water from the city's treatment plant located east of town. This includes property from the Pecos River West along Highway 80 to the radio tower South along the Eastern boundary of the city limits to the West of the Pecos Rodeo Grounds.

The committee believes that spreading the effluent on such a large disposal area all along the eastern edge of Pecos would cause the air quality to suffer an offense described as putrid, rancid, rank and reeking of rotten eggs. Most of the year, and especially in the summer, the wind is from the easterly direction.

City officials said they have already talked with committee members about the sewage plant, but don't know exactly what changes the group is seeking.

"This committee held a meeting and representatives from the city, including Water Superintendent Octavio Garcia were on hand with facts, figures and maps, but they wouldn't tell us anything," said Town of Pecos City Manager Kenneth Neal.

Neal and city council member Johnny Terrazas were also present at the meeting.

"They said it would be tipping their hand and that they would wait to tell us when the mediation got going," said Neal.

Neal stated that the city has no idea what the committee wanted or what their goal was. "They just won't tell us anything," he said.

The sewage plant, located on the east side of Pecos will undergo some changes, according to Neal. "We were permitted to upgrade the sewage plant," by the TNRCC, said Neal.

Ten years ago, a rain flooded the smaller ponds, located on the sides of the large pond. "And now they're going to upgrade the area, and make two ponds instead of having the four smaller ones," said Neal.

"It's just an upgrade," said Neal. "It will be changed a little bit to make it better for the citizens of Pecos."

"All of us have smelled the air at some time or the other. Think of what it will be when it will be there present all the time," said Garcia.

Other cities have used treated wastewater for non-drinking purposed. The City of Monahans built a holding pond for its wastewater on the southwest side of town 10 years ago, and effluent from there is used to water nearby baseball and softball fields, along with the Ward County Municipal Golf Course.

The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission ordered that the hearing requests by the committee be granted and that by Feb. 9, the Director of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Office may make a determination on the time limits to mediate the dispute with the Town of Pecos City.

On Jan. 12, agenda meeting, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC or Commission) granted all of the hearing requests filed on the application, and referred this matter to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Office (ADRO) for four to six weeks in order to attempt mediation. If this case cannot be resolved through alternative dispute (ADR) methods, then the case will be referred to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) for a hearing.

Platt accepts guilty pleas, gives pair probated terms

PECOS, Feb. 4, 2000 - U.S. Magistrate Stewart Platt gave probated sentences to two people for aiding in illegal entry, and accepted guilty pleas from several others on illegal entry and marijuana possession charges in U.S. District Court in Pecos on Thursday.

Jose Angel Rendon and Lucia Valeriano-De Ramirez both received one year's probation from Judge Platt after pleading guilty to one count of aiding in illegal entry for an incident that occurred on Aug. 29, 1999.

Guilty pleas were accepted by the judge from Vale Contreras-Salazar, on one count of possession of marijuana, for an incident on Dec. 10, 1999, and from Rodolfo Rodriguez-Perez, who plead guilty one count of possession and one count of importation of marijuana. Sentencing dates on both men were set for March 27.

Sentencings also were set for March 27, after guilty pleas were accepted Thursday on:

-Jose Palma, one count of importation of marijuana on Dec. 15, 1999;

- Pedro Tercero-Dominguez, one count of transporting illegal aliens on Nov. 2, 1999;

- Felipe Angeles Saucedo-Torres, one count of illegal re-entry on Nov. 2, 1999;

- Octavio Saucedo Torres and Marco Saucedo Torres, one count each of illegal transportation of aliens on Nov. 3, 1999.

Judge Platt also found Dimas Guillen-Lopez incompetent to stand trial on a charge of illegal entry, following a psychiatric evaluation of Guillen-Lopez, who was charged with entering the United States on Sept. 13, 1999.

Tickets remain available for annual C of C banquet

PECOS, Feb. 4, 2000 - Tickets are still available for the Annual Pecos Chamber of Commerce Banquet and Steak Dinner scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Reeves County Civic Center.

The dinner will be catered by the Pecos Rotary Club, which will be assisted by members of the Pecos Downtown Lions Club.

Proceeds from the catering will benefit Pecos, according to Chamber Director Tom Rivera.

"All the money they make out of the catering will be put into a committee fund," said Rivera. "The committee will then try to come up with plans and ideas to beautify and help Pecos," he said.

Tickets for the event are for sale now at the chamber office or by calling 445-2406. Cost is $15 each.

Odessa College President Dr. Vance Gipson, who has been the president of the school since 1995, will be the guest speaker for the annual event. The school is currently in the process of building a satellite campus in Pecos, in the old White's Auto building in the Airlawn Shopping Center.

K of C hosting area Hoop Shoot Feb. 12

PECOS, Jan. 4, 2000 - The Knights of Columbus will be holding their annual Hoop Shoot free throw contest next Saturday, Feb. 12, starting at 8 a.m. at the old Pecos High School gym.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the Hoop Shoot is open to boys and girls ages 10 through 14, with winners advancing to district competition.

Lotto

AUSTIN (AP) - Results of the Cash 5 drawing Thursday night: Winning numbers drawn: 4-18-20-23-34. Number matching five of five: 1. Prize per winner: $86,157. Winning ticket sold in: Houston. Matching four of five: 246. Prize: $526.

***

AUSTIN (AP) - The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Thursday by the Texas Lottery, in order: 4-9-4 (four, nine, four)

Obituaries

Jose Baeza Dominguez

Funeral services are incomplete for Jose Baeza Dominguez, 51, who died this morning at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.

Services will be under the direction of Martinez Funeral Home.

Inocente Machuca

Inocente "I.B." Machuca, 80, of Pecos, died Wednesday, at his residence.

A rosary will be held at 7:30 p.m., today at the Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.

Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 5, at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with burial in Mt. Evergreen Cemetery.

On Feb. 2, of the year 2000 our beloved father I.B. Machuca was called to join the Lord in his Kingdom. He was a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He had a humble heart and gave to those that needed a helping hand. He will be greatly missed by his family and by those who knew him. He has found rest in the loving arms of Our Lord.

I.B. was a caretaker for 12 years for the Security State Bank and 10 years for First Presbyterian Church and First United Methodist Church.

He was born Dec. 28, 1919, in Shafter, was a lifelong Pecos resident, and was a Catholic.

Survivors include his wife, Paula Machuca of Pecos; two sons, Felix and Crecencio Machuca of Pecos; four daughters, Dulces Martinez and Nicolasa Montoya of Pecos, Alicia Acosta and Manuela Martinez of Odessa; one sister, Natividad Ybarra of Pecos; 22 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.

Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Weather

PECOS, Feb. 4, 2000 - High Thursday 74. Low this morning 33. Forecast for tonight: Increasing cloudiness. Low in the lower 20s. East wind 10 to 15 mph. Saturday: Considerable high cloudiness. High in the lower 60. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Saturday night: Partly cloudy. Low in the upper 20s. Sunday: Partly cloudy. Lows in the 30s. Highs in The 60s.



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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
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