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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, May 2, 2000
Council accepts Worsham Field well repair bids
By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 2, 2000 - The Town of Pecos City Council approved bids this
morning that will set drill bits in motion in the city's Worsham Water
Field, during a special meeting of the council.
Mayor Dot Stafford explained that the special meeting was called so
that no time would be lost on the project.
"Octavio (Garcia, city public works superintendent) wants to start the
new water wells as soon as possible," Stafford said.
Stafford said that the bid deadline for drilling the two wells the council
approved last month just passed, and today was the earliest practical date
the council could meet and award the bids.
Abidur Khan, an engineer with Frank Spencer and Associates, presented
Spencer's recommendations to the council.
Only one company, West Texas Water Well Service out of Odessa, responded
to the advertisements, Khan said.
Khan told the council that Spencer and Associates had worked with the
firm several times in the past and had very good experiences with them.
The council accepted both bids of $76,580.75 for well No. 16A and $79.763.75
for well No. 21.
Khan explained that the bid was less for the No. 16A well because a
pilot hole had already been drilled and the cost of the pilot hole wasn't
in that bid.
The council also followed Spencer and Associate's recommendation to
accept M. and M. Excavating's bid of $257,207 to complete the fourth and
probably final phase of the line replacement project for the 24-inch line
that carries water from the Ward County Water Field to the Worsham Water
Field.
Spencer explained that because of the current volatility of the price
for PVC pipe, the bid is a good bid even though it is about $40,000 higher
than his first estimate.
"In the past six weeks we've seen increases of $3 per foot from the
time bids were advertised until bids were received," Spencer said.
Spencer told the council that to keep the project within the allotted
budget, about 1,000 feet of the proposed 4,000 foot project would have
to be eliminated.
Spencer did not think that the cutback would substantially affect the
overall repairs.
"I don't think there have been any problems with the line in the last
year. Before we started this project the city was experiencing breaks every
few months, so we've been successful so far," he said.
"I think we've fixed most of the problem and by replacing another 3,000
feet we may eliminate 100 percent of the problem," Spencer said.
During the meeting the council also approved Spencer's proposal for
his firm to prepare and submit a grant application to the Texas Economic
Development Agency for developing the South Worsham Water Field. Members
also authorized his firm to subcontract the Environmental Impact Document
required by the Texas Water Development Board before the city can receive
any part of the loan from the Board for developing the South Worsham Water
Field.
The council okayed a five percent fee for Spencer, if the grant application
is successful. If the grant is not awarded, Spencer's firm does not get
paid.
City crew causes hang up for phone users
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 2, 2000 - GTE employees worked throughout the night to fix
a cut cable on the west side of town that left a number of Pecos residents
and businesses without telephone service for over 10 hours.
A 900-pair cable was accidentally cut by Town of Pecos City employees
who were working on a water line, according to GTE Central Office Technician
Jeff Scarbrough.
"This happened between 3:30-4 p.m., and we immediately dispatched employees
to the location on Eddy Street," said Scarbrough.
"They managed to cut 800 of the 900 pairs," he said.
Service was off to several residents and buildings along a big section
of Eddy Street. Homes on Johnson, Park and Wyoming streets were also affected,
while telephone service was also off at the Pecos High School late Thursday
afternoon.
Telephone service was completely restored by 2:30 a.m., according to
Scarbrough, who said several employees worked diligently on repairing the
cable throughout the evening and late into the night.
"The hole hasn't been filled yet. We want to wait to see that nothing
shows up," said Scarbrough.
The city crews were digging out a hole for a 24-inch water line when
the telephone cables were cut. The water line is being extended west from
Eddy Street to serve the expanded needs of the Reeves County Detention
Center on the southwest side of town.
INS staff emigrating to new Pecos facility
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 2, 2000 - Immigration and Naturalization employees are happy
they will have more space to work in, following the completion of their
new building on West Palmer Street, near the Anchor West plant.
"We're very happy we'll be having our own building," said INS Agent
Jeff Weldon. "It'll be so much nicer."
INS employees have been cohabitating with the Border Patrol employees
in their adjacent building for the past several years. The INS staff will
be ready to move to their new facility as soon as the telephone service
is set up, according to Weldon, though a ribbon cutting ceremony was held
last week.
The new building will house offices for all the employees and will include
four holding cells.
"About 10 employees will be here at this office," said Weldon.
The local INS office works closely with the Reeves County Detention
Center, according to Weldon. The prison will soon be holding up to 2,000
inmates from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
"The BOP transfers suspected illegal aliens to the RCDC and we look
at the case to see if they are removable aliens," said Weldon. "If they
are, we set them up with the immigration judge to have a hearing."
INS also picks up aliens released from the U.S. Marshals Service and
makes sure they can return to their own country, according to Weldon.
Weldon stated that the new offices would provide a more comfortable
setting for the employees and make their job a lot easier.
El Paso man IDed as I-10 crash victim
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
May 2, 2000 - An El Paso man was killed, but no one else was injured,
in a three-vehicle accident that occurred at about 8:30 a.m., Monday, on
Interstate 10, about 16 miles east of Balmorhea in southeastern Reeves
County.
Killed in the accident was Michael Damien Galindo of El Paso, who was
driving a 2000 Ford. Initial reports had as many as six other people in
the accident suffering from injuries.
The second vehicle, a 1997 Mazda Pickup was driven by Estevan Edgardo
Chavez, of Los Angeles Calif., which was towing the third vehicle involved
in the accident, a 1991 Toyota.
According to a report by the Department of Public Safety, all three
vehicles were eastbound on Interstate 10, when the vehicle driven by Galindo
approached the other two from the rear.
Galindo attempted to pass the other two vehicles when his car struck
the back of the Toyota being towed and the driver lost control.
Galindo's Ford went into a broadside skid and rolled into the south
barrow ditch. He was ejected from his vehicle and was the only injury in
the accident. His body was taken to Fort Stockton Funeral Home.
The accident was investigated by DPS Trooper Matthew Kasmerski of Balmorhea.
Election training scheduled Friday
PECOS, May 2, 2000 - An election training session will be held at 6 p.m.,
Friday at the Pecos Community Center, 508 S. Oak St.
Election coordinators welcome questions and suggestions.
Elections supplies will be distributed at this time.
Early voting in the May 6 election ends at 5 p.m. today. About 1,000
people had voted early in Pecos for the city, school and hospital district
elections, with almost 150 more having been returned by mail. Another 45
voted early in Barstow's city election, with 16 returned by mail.
Prayer Day event set for Thursday outside courthouse
PECOS, May 2, 2000 - National Day of Prayer will be observed at noon Thursday
in front of the Reeves County Courthouse.
Individuals will gather on the north side steps in front of the courthouse
and everyone is invited to attend.
The Pecos Ministerial Fellowship sponsors the event.
Obituary
Carolyn Agee
Carolyn Sue Agee, 53, of Crane, died Sunday, April 30, 2000, at her residence.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Tabernacle Baptist
Church with the Reverend Lyndel Lee officiating. Burial will follow in
the Crane County Cemetery.
She was born on Jan. 26, 1947, in Randolph County, Ark. and had lived
in Crane County since 1989. She married Michael Paul Agee on Nov. 19, 1990
in Odessa.
She was preceded in death by her father, Gail Jackson, on May 19, 1999
and a sister, Lorene on Jan. 24, 1994.
Survivors include her husband, Michael Paul Agee of Crane; her mother,
Cora Mae Jackson of Pecos; one son, Tracy Worster of Denton; five daughters,
Tina Patterson of Odessa, Karen Quiroz of Milton, Fla., Jennifer Melugin
of Pilot Point, Renee' Agee of Van Nuys, Calif. and Elizabeth Agee of San
Antonio; one brother, Tommy Jackson of Pecos; four sisters, Charlene Shaw
of Phoenix, Ariz., Margie Windham of Pecos, Maxine Garrett of Beaumont
and Elaine Gray of Big Spring; and seven grandchildren.
Shaffer-Nichols Funeral Home of Crane is in charge of arrangements.
Adolfo Escarcega
Services are incomplete for Adolfo Escarcega, 81, of Pecos, who died Monday,
May 1, 2000, at his residence.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Weather
PECOS, May 2, 2000 - High Monday 80. Low this morning 51. Forecast for
tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 50-55. Southeast wind 5-15 mph. Wednesday:
Mostly sunny and breezy. High in the upper 80s. Southeast wind 15-25 mph
and gusty. Wednesday night: Fair. Low in the mid 50s. Thursday: Partly
cloudy. Low 55-60. High in the lower 90s.
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 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
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