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Archive 2002

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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Wednesday, May 8, 2002

Cigarette blamed for Daggett Street house fire

By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer

PECOS, Wed., May 8, 2002 -- A Pecos family was left homeless Tuesday after a fire destroyed  the inside of their house i n the 200 block of Daggett Street.

All seven units for the Pecos Volunteer Fire Department plus Pecos Emergency Medical Service personnel responded to the fire call at approximately 7:40 p.m., last night, and arrived to find that the fire had spread throughout the home, with flames shooting out onto the front porch.

Pecos Fire Marshall Jack Brookshire said that the fire seemed to have been started by a cigarette that had fallen onto a bed in one of the bedrooms.

"It started in the east back bedroom," he said. "The entire structure on the inside was pretty much gutted."

As a result of the fire the home received major fire, heat, smoke and water damage.

The owner of the home, Ralph Orozco, was home with his wife, Lupe and their seven-year-old granddaughter when the fire started.

Pecos EMS transported Mrs. Orozco to Reeves County Hospital where she was treated for smoke inhalation.

"She just breathed in a lot of smoke," Brookshire said. He added that Mrs. Orozco was still being held at RCH as of this morning.

Brookshire said the fire spread from the bedroom quickly once Orozco and his family realized there was a fire.

He explained that after seeing the fire Orozco went out the front door to get a water hose and once the door was opened it created a vent allowing the fire to spread.

"It went up in a hurry," he said.

The fire is ruled as an accidental fire. The fire caused no other injuries.

The volunteer firemen were also called out to the same location of the structure fire that occurred early Sunday morning.

A fire had rekindled in the 100 block of South Plum Street at approximately 2 p.m., yesterday.

Brookshire said that the debris from the burnt structure had been smoldering since the department had originally put out the fire causing it to catch fire again.

Nobody has come forward to provide any more leads to those persons responsible for causing that fire, which was ruled as arson.

Brookshire is still investigating that fire.

New council to take oaths on Thursday

PECOS, Wed., May 8, 2002 -- Newly elected Town of Pecos City Mayor Dot Stafford will be sworn in along with two new Council members during the regular meeting of the city council at 7 a.m. Thursday at City Hall.

Stafford will start her first official day as mayor after her swearing in and will replace Mayor Ray Ortega, who defeated her for election two years ago.

Michael Benavides and Angelica Valenzuela will also be sworn into duty after they were elected to the Council in last Saturday's election.

Benavides and Valenzuela are replacing current Council members Ricky Herrera and Danny Rodriguez.

Before the new Council members and Mayor are sworn into office, Ortega and current Council members will discuss and approve a resolution canvassing the elections.

The Council is also scheduled to appoint a Mayor Pro Tem to replace Rodriguez, who has held the office in recent years.

Also on the agenda is the discussion of a status report for the Pecos Municipal Criminal Justice Center, accounts payable, the municipal court report and the juvenile court report.

Board to swear in members, recognize students

The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school board will swear in one current member and one former one to new three-year terms on Thursday, and recognize several school groups and individuals during the board's regular monthly meeting.

The group will meet at 6 p.m. at the Technology Center, 1301 S. Eddy St.

Board members will first hold a special meeting to canvass election returns and then follow with their regular scheduled meeting after Billie Sadler and Paul Deishler are sworn into office. Sadler is beginning a new three-year term while Deishler is returning to the board after a one-year absence, after winning back a seat in last Saturday's school board election.

The board will recognize Zavala Elementary Regional Science Fair students, Crockett Middle School state science fair students, fifth grade UIL science fair regional students, Business Professionals of America state qualifiers, Distributive Education Clubs of America state qualifiers, UIL District winners _ regional qualifiers, softball champions, baseball champions, golf champions, tennis champions, track champions and District powerlifting champions.

Board members will recognize district teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week and a presentation of candidates and announcement of Teacher of the Year will be made.

Under correspondence: OMC properties lab equipment donation and under old business the board will listen to a report on renovations at Pecos High School, Crockett Middle School, Bessie Haynes Elementary, Zavala Elementary, Lamar AEP and Pecos Kindergarten.

Under new business, board members will discuss and approve: custodian/maintenance personnel paid holidays and total days worked for the 2002-2003 school year as compared to non-professional/auxiliary P-B-T ISD employees; proposals for asbestos removal and general renovations at Pecos Kindergarten, Austin Elementary, Bessie Haynes Elementary, Zavala Elementary, Lamar AEP and Crockett Middle School; offers to purchase foreclosed properties; summer recreation program; payday schedule; 2001-2002 budget amendments; 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 Summary of Finance; cost for Run Out claims for R.H. administrators and Pecos High School summer school.

The group will meet behind closed doors in closed session section 551.101 et seq., Section 551.074: discuss personnel or hear complaints against personnel. They will return to open session and take action, if any, on items discussed in closed session.

Board members will discuss and approve PEIMS and Student Accounting Supervisor, compensation for the 2002-2003 school year and number of days for contract; recommendation regarding future operations of the DAEP/AAEP, including location, staffing, compensation for employees, funding sources, projected costs and student enrollment; curriculum director/special program director, classification for pay scale and number of days for contract for 2002-2003.

Regular items on the agenda include:

Professional personnel: resignations, retirements, appointments, change of contract.

Tax report.

Cafeteria report and commodities received.

Depository securities report.

Investment transactions report.

Reconciled bank balance report.

Current bills and financial report.

Community Recreation Department report.

Attendance/enrollment report.

Date and time for next regular meeting.

Pecos High School graduation at Eagle Stadium (weather permitting) May 31, 2002- 8 p.m. (board member receiving line).

Calendar of events.

Request for items for next agenda.

Summer swimming sign-ups scheduled for later this month

PECOS, Wed., May 8, 2002 -- Pecos High School will be offering summer swimming lessons and registration has been set for Monday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 22, at the Pecos High School Swimming Pool.

Registration will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m., and cost will be $25 per session, per child.

Session I will take place from June 3-14 and will run from Monday through Friday and session II will be from June 17-28, (Monday through Friday).

For more information contact Terri Morse at 447-7242.

Weather

PECOS, Wed., May 8, 2002 -- High Tuesday 101. Low this morning 66. Forecast for  tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 5 to 15  mph. Thursday: Partly cloudy: Cooler and becoming breezy. Highs near  80. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph becoming northeast 15 to 25  mph. Thursday night: Increasing clouds. Lows in the mid 50s. Friday:  Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the mid  80s. Saturday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in  the mid 60s. Highs in the mid 90s.



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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
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Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise