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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Wednesday, May 17,2000
Top Stories
Pecos given OK for water field loan
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 17, 2000 - The Town of Pecos City received notice this morning
that Texas Water Development Board announced has approved a loan for more
than $8 million to allow development of the South Worsham Water Field over
the next several years.
In addition, the TWDB said the $8,375,000 loan would be repayable at
only a 1 percent interest rate, and the city would also receive an additional
$460,000 loan from the Texas Water Development Funds to help with the project,
which the city has been working on for the past six years.
The TWDB said the city qualified for the low interest loan because it
is a disadvantaged community. The money will be used to construct 18 new
water wells, a groundwater storage tank and a new transmission line from
the South Worsham Field, which is located approximately 20 miles southeast
of Pecos.
City officials were told in 1994 that the current Worsham and Ward County
Water Fields would only be able to provide Pecos with useable drinking
water through the year 2008. The city then began seeking a new well field
in the area, settling on the South Worsham Field site, before applying
for the funds to proceed with the next step of the project.
Development of the new water field and transmission lines is expected
to provide the Pecos with adequate drinking water supplies though the middle
of the 21st Century.
City Council members just recently approved work in drilling two new
water wells in the Worsham Field, at a cost of approximately $155,000.
Council members also approved a recommendation by Frank Spencer and Associates
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.
It was at that May 2 meeting that 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 approved 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.
Scholarships handed out to PHS students
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 17, 2000 - Pecos High School students received lots of money
and recognition at the senior scholarship and awards ceremony held Tuesday
night at the PHS auditorium.
"It was so fulfilling watching the kids' faces as they went up to receive
their award," Pecos High School counselor Eva Arriola said.
The Bill Dean Memorial Award was given to junior Daniel Terrazas for
his athletic abilities and sportsmanship. The Dorothy Curfman Award was
given to Stephanie Camacho and the Letha Prewit Basketball Memorial Award
went to Amy Salgado. Ms. Crissy Dominguez gave the second Erica Dominguez
Memorial Award to senior volleyball player, Lily Payen. Senior Frank Dominguez
received the John Phillip Sousa Band Award.
Scholarship winner and graduating senior John Granado was surprised
at the scholarships he received.
"I just got a letter saying to be there," Granado said.
Junior Jack Armstrong received the Xerox Award along with fellow junior
Grant Holland, who received the Kodak Young Leaders Award.
The U.S. Marine Corps gave three scholarship awards. The Distinguished
Athlete Awards went to Katrina Quiroz and Orlando Lara. Brandi Harrison
was given the Scholastic Excellence Award and the Music Award was given
to Frank Dominguez. The U.S. Army Reserve Scholar Athletic Awards went
to Amy Chabarria and Craig Wein.
Wein also received the Academic All-American Swimming Award, a Rotary
Club Citizen Award and Scholarship, the Twentieth Century Scholarship,
a Texas State Teachers Association scholarship, a Youth Developmental Foundation
scholarship, a Presidential Award for Educational Excellence and an UIL
Scholar Award.
Kevin Bates received the Pecos Aquatic Club scholarship, the Evelyn
Turpin Dowling scholarship, a PHS Band Booster scholarship, the PHS Student
Council scholarship, a Presidential Award for Educational Excellence, a
National Honors Society scholarship and an UIL Scholar Award.
A UIL Scholar Award was also given to Ibefel Ramirez along with a Presidential
Award for Educational Excellence and a Rotary Club Citizen Award and Scholarship.
Marissa Salgado received the Business Professionals of America scholarship,
the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Educational Secretaries Association scholarship,
a Midland College scholarship and a UIL Scholar Award.
Many other students received UIL Scholar Awards, including Harrison,
Lindsay Olibas, Erin Paz, Natalie Nazaroff, Suzanne Carrasco, Kristen Evans,
Rickey Martinez, Lara, Amanda Stickels, Chabarria and Vanessa Miranda.
Harrison, Nazaroff, Olibas, Paz and Stickels also received Presidential
Awards for Educational Excellence.
In addition, Stickels took home an Oklahoma State University scholarship,
a Texas State Teachers Association scholarship and the Pecos Women's Golf
Association scholarship.
Harrison received a Classic Cable Scholarship, a Committee 88 scholarship,
an Editorial Leadership Scholarship, the 4-H Gold Star Award, the Sam Walton
Community Scholarship, the Texas High School Rodeo Association scholarship,
a Youth Development Foundation scholarship and three West Texas A&M
University scholarships.
Omar Salgado, Jason Payne, Jaime Machuca, Olibas, Monica Meza and Dominguez
received Committee 88 scholarships.
Dominguez also received a Knights of Columbus scholarship and a PHS
Band Booster Scholarship.
Paz received a Classic Cable Scholarship, a Golden Girl Scholarship,
a Texas State Teachers Association scholarship, the Modern Study Club scholarship
and an Angelo State University scholarship.
Jessica Caballero received the Delta Kappa Gamma scholarship, the Reeves
County Detention Center Executive Staff Scholarship, a Youth Development
Foundation scholarship and a Sul Ross State University scholarship.
The Downtown Lions Frank Delly Memorial Scholarships were given to Olibas
and John Granado, who also received the Ollie Springfield Nunn Scholarship.
Olibas received an Earl Bell Alumni Scholarship, an Editorial Leadership
Scholarship along with Rosie Natividad, the Herrera Scholarship, a PHS
Band Booster Scholarship, the Texas New Mexico Power Company Scholarship,
and an Our Lady of the Lake University scholarship and a National Honor
Society Award.
Anthony Casillas and Ian Dominguez received an Earl Bell Alumni Scholarship,
and Dominguez also was given a Texas State Teachers Association scholarship,
along with Teresa Minjarez and Eric Cervantes.
The Pecos Evening Optimist Club scholarships were given to Rebecca Carrasco,
Maria Hernandez and Griselda Muniz.
Golden Girl Scholarships were given to Sara Matta, Leslie Valeriano
and Dana Warren.
Warren along with Clay McKinney received the Reeves County Sheriff's
Posse scholarships.
Nazaroff received a St. Thomas University scholarship and a Knights
of Columbus scholarship along with Payne.
Chabarria received the First National Bank of Pecos scholarship and
a University of Texas at Permian Basin scholarship.
Midland College also gave Jennifer Fuentes a scholarship. Amy Salgado
received a scholarship from Career Colleges and Schools of Texas.
The McDonald's Scholarship went to Leslie Rodriguez.
The scholarship announcements are an annual event held prior to graduation
at Pecos High School. This year's graduation is scheduled for Friday, May
26, at Eagle Stadium.
Notices sent out on appraisals for 2000
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 17, 2000 - Appraisal notices for 2000 have been mailed out
to residents in Reeves and western Ward County by the Reeves County Tax
Appraisal office, to allow land and property owners time to appeal their
valuations.
State law requires county appraisal districts to notify property owners
about changes in their property's value, and Chief Appraiser Carole King-Markham
mailed the notices out on May 8 to real estate and mineral property owners.
The notices only show 2000 proposed appraised value and are not for
payment purposes. "Please do not pay - this is not a tax bill," said Markham.
She emphasized the importance of this letter and the key information
that it contains. "A property owner has the right to appeal to the Reeves
County Appraisal Review Board on any disagreement with the property's value,
exemptions, ownership and other areas," she said.
The appraisal review board, more commonly called the "ARB," is an independent
panel of citizens responsible for hearing and settling protests from property
owners who disagree with some action by the appraisal district.
The Appraisal Review Board will hold hearings on mineral appeals on
June 20 at its offices on South Cypress Street, while real estate appeals
will be heard on June 22-23. Final valuations will be set after that.
The notice sent out last week includes instructions on how and when
to file a protest and a protest form.
What should a property owner carefully review? "Look at the proposed
value for 2000," Markham said. "The letter states the land's value and
any improvement value for the property for the current year."
An improvement is a building, structure, fence or any other type of
fixture to the land.
The appraisal letter also includes current year information on exemptions
granted on the property. It provides last year's value, too.
Homeowners that qualify for property tax homestead exemptions have a
limitation on their homes' appraised value, beginning with the second year
that they qualify their home for homestead exemptions. The appraisal district
may not increase their home value by more than 10 percent for each year
since the last reappraisal year. A homeowner's letter goes both the market
value for the home and the limited home value.
Letters to property owners whose values went up or changed also will
include "estimated" taxes. These "estimated" taxes are based on the new
taxable value and estimated tax rates if the taxing units set tax rates
for the same amount of operating dollars as last year.
Taxing units, which include city and county governments along with school
and hospital districts, will set final 2000 tax rates in August and September.
Final tax amounts may vary from these "estimated" amounts.
Markham asks property owners to check the legal description and mailing
address to be sure that there are no mistakes. "If the letter has an old
address, please let the appraisal district know. The post office forwards
mail to a new address for a short time, and tax bills do not go out until
October," she said.
A property owner is responsible for informing the appraisal district
of the correct mailing address. A property owner is liable for additional
penalties and interest on a tax bill that is not paid on time.
Property owners are encouraged to contact the appraisal district with
any questions.
"If you did not get a letter and want 2000 information about your property,
please call the appraisal district at 445-5122," said Markham. "The general
deadline for protesting to the ARB is May 31 for this year," she said.
Event to benefit St. Jude's seeks riders, sponsors
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, May 17, 2000 - Beverly Thomas is calling on all Pecos residents
to join the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Wheels-For-Life event
slated for Saturday, June 27, at the Pecos High School football stadium
parking lot.
Volunteer workers and participants are needed for this event to raise
funds for the world-famous research center in its battle against childhood
cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.
"We're looking for participants and helpers who will contribute their
time and talent to help children live. We really need lots of participants,
since they are the ones who can make this event successful," said Thomas,
who is coordinating the local event, which involves bicycling to raise
funds for the center.
In the Wheels-For-Life event, participants ask sponsors to make a donation
based on each mile completed by the riders. All participants turning in
money will receive a certificate. Those who raise $35 or more will receive
a certificate and a special St. Jude T-shirt. When $75 or more is raised,
the participants receive a sports bag in addition to the certificate and
T-shirt.
"The real prize, though, is the pride everyone can take in giving children
a chance to live a normal life," said Thomas.
For details on participating or becoming a sponsor, contact Thomas,
at 447-2810.
St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., was founded by entertainer Danny
Thomas and operates primarily from public support.
Schools asking for parents' input on improvements
PECOS, May 17, 2000 - The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District
is conducting a survey to know the parents' opinion about where improvements
in the district's schools are most needed.
A questionnaire is being sent home with every student in this school
district. It is encouraged that parents take time to fill out this questionnaire
and return it to their child's school.
Police Report
EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in
the Police Report is obtained from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department,
Reeves County Sheriff's Office, or other officers of those agencies.
The serving of warrants by an officer for outstanding fines of either traffic
citations, animal control violations or other court costs are considered
arrests and will be printed as such unless indicated that the fines were
paid. In such instanced we will indication payment and release.
***
Sarah Gayle Varela, 18, was charged with deadly conduct with a vehicle
on Friday, April 14.
***
Juanilta Ovalle, 49, was charged with assault on a peace officer and
resisting arrest on April 21.
***
On April 22, Dwight Fahey, 54, was charged with criminal trespass.
***
James Walter Kimmons, 37, was charged with theft under $50, on April
23.
***
On April 24, Hal Pratt, 58 was charged with criminal trespass.
***
Michael Pena, 17, of 111 S. Plum, was arrested at 3:30 p.m., on May
5 at 300 W. 12th Street for criminal trespass.
***
Davis Gregory Kent, 40, of Mitchell, S.D. was arrested on May 10 at
mile marker 30 on I-20, on a traffic stop after a records check showed
three outstanding warrants for forgery were issued out of South Dakota.
***
Jaime Lozoya, 17, of 1231 E. Fourth Street, was arrested on May 12 in
the 1500 block of Cedar for disorderly conduct.
***
Veronica Rodriguez, 37, was arrested on May 15 at 907 S. Hickory for
terroristic threat.
***
Felix H. Leyva, 33, and Gilbert Flores, 30, were arrested at 1:38 a.m.,
on May 14, at La Oficina Club. Leyva was arrested for public intoxication
and disorderly conduct and Flores for public intoxication.
***
Rafael Martinez, 62, was arrested on Fourth and Locust Streets at 2:02
a.m., on May 14, for public intoxication.
***
Ismael Valeriano, 20, Margarita Munoz, 22, and Martina A. Urias, 23,
were arrested at 12:34 a.m., on May 13, on a traffic stop at Third and
Willow streets. Valeriano was arrested for minor in possession and drug
paraphernalia. Munoz and Urias were arrested for making alcohol available
to a minor.
***
Jose Mendoza Jr., 52, Pedro M. Morales, 62, Rachel Natividad, 42, and
Imelda J. Garcia, 42, were arrested at 1:55 a.m., on May 13, at La Oficina
Club for public intoxication.
Obituary
Courtney Bryan
Courtney Michelle Bryan, 20, died in a one-car crash May 10, 2000, in San
Antonio.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 13, in Boerne's
First United Methodist Church with burial in Boerne Cemetery.
She was born May 28, 1980, in Germany and was a 1998 graduate of Boerne
High School.
Survivors include her father, Clay Bryan and wife Jennifer Bryan of
Ohio; mother, Kim Pegram and husband, Michael Pegram of Boerne; grandfather
Buddy Bryan and wife Sue Bryan of Pecos; grandmother, Linda Armentraut
of Ohio; grandmother, Sheila Stone of San Antonio; and relatives Clarence
and Debbie Bryan of Alvin, Dale and Chris Bryan of Whitney, Tom and Deana
Bryan of San Angelo, Jerry and Joann Bryan of Pecos, Elaine Bryan Wilson
and husband, Patrick Wilson of Albuquerque, N.M. and Courtney's fiance,
Greg Venable of Boerne.
Donations in Courtney's name may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Weather
PECOS, May 17, 2000 - High Tuesday 107. Low this morning 71. Forecast for
tonight: Mostly clear. Low around 60. West wind 10-20 mph. Thursday: Mostly
sunny. High in the mid 90s. Southwest wind 10-20 mph. Thursday night: Partly
cloudy. Low around 60. Friday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers
or thunderstorms. 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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