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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Thursday, June 27, 2002
County begins work on additions to golf course
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., June 27, 2002 -- Land that has lain dormant along Interstate
20 in Pecos for nearly two decades is in the process of being reshaped
right now, as workers prepare the site of the old Airbase Apartments to
become two new holes of the Reeves County Golf Course.
Workers have been at the site for the past several weeks, and County
Judge Jimmy B. Galindo said a laser leveler has been smoothing out the
surface of the area adjacent to the golf course since Monday.
"The unique thing is it's been the combined partnership between the
county, the Pecos Housing Authority and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service with their high-tech equipment. They did the laser-leveling service
for us," Galindo said.
In 1984 the Pecos Housing Authority tore down the apartments located
on the south side of Interstate 20 that were built as part of the Pecos
Army Airbase during World War II, and provided low-income housing over
the following 38 years. Those apartments were isolated from the rest of
the Airbase Apartments when I-20 was built in the 1960s, and the remaining
apartments north of the highway were closed in 1989 and torn down the following
year.
Under the agreement between the county and the PHA, the land south of
the Interstate was given to the county for two holes of a planned seven-hole
expansion of the golf course. It was also built as part of the Airbase
during World War II, but only has 11 holes, seven less than other area
courses.
County crews removed the apartments' old water and sewer connections
last year, and began working earlier this month to remove other obstructions
so that the leveler could be brought in.
"We want it (the leveling) to be accomplished as soon as possible, because
it's a contract job," Galindo said. "A lot of it depends on the ability
to clean the site. There are still a lot of concrete foundations that need
to be excavated."
Aside from the laser leveler, the other work involving clearing dirt
and concrete has been done by Reeves County Road and Bridge Department
crews and workers from the golf course, along with summer workers hired
by the county.
"Peter Mora and the golf course crew essentially install the water system,
and over the last two years we've been growing over 1,500 trees at the
tree farm at the prison (Reeves County Detention Center), and a lot are
ready to be transferred onto the land," Galindo said. "It's a multi-faceted
process that's beginning to come together."
Local residents can still drive through the construction site along
Starley and Teague drives, the two main streets through the old Airbase
site that still provide access to the golf course and the Pecos Valley
Country Club from the I-20 south access road. Galindo said eventually a
fence will be built along the access road to include the area in the golf
course layout, but the roads themselves won't be removed.
"We're going to keep the roads as cart paths," he said. Starley Drive
will run between the two new holes, while Teague will cross the hole nearest
the interstate about midway between the tee box and the green.
"The distance is about right. That's where you probably would want the
carts to cross," Galindo said.
The current fence that separates the Airbase site from the golf course
won't be removed until the two new holes are ready to be opened, he added.
Those holes could be ready by 2003, and will increase the number of
holes at the golf to 13. Eventually, plans are to add on another hole between
the second and fourth holes of the current course, and build four new holes
on the southeast side of the course to bring the facility up to a full
18-hole layout.
The county also plans to work with the Pecos Housing Authority to develop
the vacant Airbase Apartments land on the north side of I-20 for other
recreational purposes.
Lubbock firm gets contract for prison's health services
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., June 27, 2002 -- Reeves County Commissioners Court decided
to negotiate the terms of an agreement with a health services management
company for services at the Reeves County Detention Center during the regular
meeting on Monday at the courthouse.
County Judge Jimmy Galindo said that the Court decided to go into negotiations
with Physicians Network Association (PNA) out of Lubbock, who would provide
physicians and medical staff for the RCDC.
"We approved going into contract with a network of physicians who would
provide a firm price for all medical services," he said.
"We're essentially privatizing the health care," he said.
Galindo explained that once the company is under contract with the county
they would bring in physicians and medical staff that would work full time
at the RCDC to provide constant health care.
"They'll provide services for each inmate within the facility," he said.
By privatizing the health care, Galindo said that the county would be
able to save thousands of dollars on transporting inmates to doctor visits
and to the hospital.
However, he added that RCDC would continue to use Reeves County Hospital
for emergency services and specialized doctor visits.
The physicians with PNA would mainly provide basic health care to the
inmates including dental services and psychological services.
Galindo explained that PNA would recruit physicians with a correction
background to come to Pecos and work for the prison.
He said that it is hard enough to recruit physicians into the community
much less RCDC therefore PNA would be able to help the county by recruiting
for them.
"It is much harder to recruit medical advisors with correction background,"
he said.
During this week's meeting, the Court did not approve a contract with
PNA; they just approved starting negotiations.
"We haven't completely contracted them yet," Galindo said.
He explained that the Court would review the contract within the next
month.
Once the contract is approved PNA would recruit medical staff to move
to Pecos and work, which are what the RCDC needs.
"The need is tremendous right now with 2,000 inmates," Galindo said.
The medical staff would be able to come into the prison prepared since
there is already an infirmary portion of the prison with examining rooms,
laboratory areas and a pharmacy, which Galindo said is essentially a "mini-hospital."
Galindo said that the current medical staff at the RCDC has done very
well over the years however, the Bureau of Prisons is demanding more services.
"The medical department is doing an outstanding job with the resources
they have," he said. "However, the Bureau of Prisons is requiring that
we provide a higher level of care."
Galindo said that those members of the current medical staff who are
licensed medical service providers would be able to stay on staff.
Local businesses seek boost from visitors on rodeo week
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., June 27, 2002 -- As the week of the West of the Pecos
Rodeo nears, businesses around the city are expecting a rise in activity.
Local events begin Friday night, but slack competition, which will bring
in out-of-town cowboys and other rodeo officials to town, won't get underway
until 7:30 a.m. on Monday.
Restaurant owner Alfredo Gomez hopes that his business along with all
the other businesses in Pecos will be seeing a rise in business sales.
"We the businesses of Pecos have to welcome the guests and provide them
with a service so that they can come back next year," Gomez said. "We are
hoping the town of Pecos to be busy."
Gomez believes that by providing the guests of the rodeo with good services
the people attending the events will want to keep coming back.
"The idea is to bring people to Pecos," Gomez said.
However, Gomez does hope to see a rise in profit compared to last year.
"Last year we had less then usual," Gomez said. "We are expecting business
to be up at least 7 to 10 percent for the week."
Jackie Tollett an employee at the Pecos Senior Citizens office, said
that the events scheduled for next week are what people look forward too.
"That is the biggest time in Pecos," Tollett said. "Everyone come home
and there are a lot of class reunions."
Armando Guzman, volunteer at the Senior Citizen office also said that
these events bring people together.
"The Night in Old Pecos brings in entertainment and people," Guzman
said. "Pecos is also famous for the cantoulopes."
However, with rodeo entries down this year by 200, Tollett believes
that the businesses of Pecos will be hurt by it.
"Rodeo time is the biggest money making point in Pecos," Tollett said.
"I am sure that if entries are down it will hurt them."
In contrast, Pecos' Quality Inn is fully booked and will not be affected
by the lower number of entries this year, according to front desk supervisor,
Judy Perkins.
"We are fully booked with people coming in for the rodeo or class reunions,"
Perkins said. "People start calling in for reservations in early June and
I even had one calling me this morning.
Perkins also believes that those coming in are people that have been
here before and know how close the Quality Inn is to the rodeo grounds.
Storm brings lots of wind, little rain to city overnight
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., June 27, 2002 -- Pecos residents were awakened during
the night by high winds blowing through the area and lightning from a thunderstorm
that produced little rain locally, but did bring some relief to areas to
the east.
The storm blew through the area after 2 a.m., early this morning causing
power outages in several areas including the Pecos Municipal Airport.
Airport Manager Isabel Blanchard said the power to the weather monitor
located at the airport was knocked out so an accurate reading of the wind's
speed was not taken. However she was able to make an estimate of how fast
the wind was blowing.
"I would say it was close to 50 knots (over 50 mph)," she said.
Even though the conditions seemed perfect for a good shower, Bill Randall
Cole of KIUN radio reported that Pecos received .03 inches of rain.
Most of the rain from the line of thunderstorms that passed through
West Texas fell in the Big Spring and Colorado City, according to the National
Weather Service in Midland.
"Some areas up around Big Spring and Colorado City received from a half
inch to an inch of rain," Meteorologist Cody Lindsey said.
Rains were heavier to the east of Pecos, where showers struck the Monahans
and Imperial areas between 3 and 4 a.m. Other areas east of town saw a
quarter inch of rain while Midland and Odessa received a half-inch.
Lindsey said that the storm system started in Eastern New Mexico and
pushed southeast into the Permian Basin area overnight.
He also said that there would be a slight chance of thunderstorms today
and tonight as well as Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
However, the weather is expected to dry up on Tuesday and continue to
stay dry throughout next week.
"Next week it'll be partly cloudy with highs in the upper 90s," Lindsey
said.
He said that that kind of weather should be good for the West of the
Pecos Rodeo.
As for last night's storm, the Pecos Police Department and the Reeves
County Sheriff's Department did not receive any reports of damage due to
the high winds.
The police department did however report power lines down at the Budget
Inn and a few security systems going off but no accidents or injuries occurred
as a result of the weather.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., June 27, 2002 -- High Thursday 104. Low this morning 71.
Rainfall last 24 hours at Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Station
.10 inch. Forecast for tonight: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance
of thunderstorms. Lows 65 to 70. East winds 5 to 15 mph. Friday: Partly
cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs near 95. Southeast
winds 10 to 15 mph. Friday night: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance
of thunderstorms. Lows 65 to 70. Saturday: Partly cloudy with isolated
thunderstorms. Highs near 95. Sunday and monday: Partly cloudy with a slight
chance of thunderstorms. Lows near 70. Highs around 95.
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 newsdesk@nwol.net
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Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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