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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Thursday, August 8, 2002
Head Start happy to get Pecos Elementary camps
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., August 8, 2002 -- A new playground, a library and more space
are just some of the "perks" that Pecos Head Start employees and students
will be enjoying this new school year.
"Right now we're still busy trying to move in and cleaning up," said Head
Start Director Linda Briceno this morning at the former Pecos Elementary
campus, 901 S. Willow St., where the preschool program will be moving this
year.
Head Start had been holding their classes for the past two years at the
old Carver Center, 300 W. 12th and before that had been situated
in Barstow and in a smaller building on East Fifth Street in Pecos.
Head Start has moved into Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD buildings as the school
district has consolidated their elementary school campuses. The program moved
to Barstow Elementary after it was closed by the school district four years
ago, then relocated to the smaller Carver Center in 2000 when the district's
Alternative Education Program moved to the old Lamar Middle School campus.
The move to Carver made travel easier for most Head Start parents, but
the building was smaller than the Barstow Elementary campus. That problem
will be solved this year with the move to Pecos Elementary, which the school
district shut down following the 2000-2001 school year.
"We're all excited, because now we will have more space," said Briceno.
Registration is being held in an office, located in the East side of the
building, with classrooms scattered throughout that hall.
"We'll be using this entire hall and also the library, which is just great,"
said Briceno.
Early registration began this past Monday and will continue until the
facility is ready to open its doors to the students. "They can still register
throughout the year," said Briceno.
The facility will be ready for the students the day after Labor Day, Sept.
3, and classes will begin then.
Individuals wanting to register their children need to bring the child's
birth certificate, social security card and shot records. "We go by income
guidelines and as long as they bring all the appropriate documents we can
register the child," said Briceno.
Briceno said that right now they have enough children registered to open
up two new classrooms. "We have 94 currently enrolled and five classrooms
to accommodate them," she said.
"With the amount of children interested in attending, we could probably
open up two more class rooms," said Briceno. "And because we now have more
space," she said.
Briceno said that now each office staff will have their own office, when
before there were two individuals to an office. "We were really crowded,
but now they'll have their own privacy, their own space," she said.
Briceno said that the facility would now have a library, a resource room,
and a parent room. "We plan to do activities with the parents at least once
a month," she said.
Parent orientation, which will include a tour of the facility, will be
held sometime during the week of Aug. 19. "We'll know for sure on which date
and let everybody know, so they can come out and look at our new classrooms,"
she said.
At this time, parents are also coming in to pick up school supplies. "These
school supplies are for the children who will be making the transition to
the kindergarten," said Briceno. "Next week we'll be closed Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday for staff orientation, but they can pick up school supplies Friday,
Monday and Tuesday," she said.
Most of the equipment that was being used at the Carver school has been
moved to the new location, according to Briceno.
"We just need to bring in our fence, to fence in our playground and some
other pieces of large equipment that will be moved in next week," she said.
Briceno said that the staff and teachers are excited about the move. "It's
been a lot of hard work, but they love it," she said. "The only thing is,
some air conditioners are not working, but hopefully they will be by the
time the children come in," she said.
"The sheriff (Andy Gomez) and his trusties have been very helpful in helping
us move in, along with the staff and their spouses," Briceno said. "We have
a group of very devoted staff that has been helping us out all summer."
Briceno said that the executive director Betty Carter has worked up a
proposal, which she has turned in to accept even younger children at the
facility. "She went to some training and has worked up the proposal and maybe
next year we'll be allowed to accept even younger children," she said.
If the proposal is approved the facility will be allowed to accept children
0-4 years of age. "There's a great need for child care and we've been approached
about that," said Briceno. "If the proposal goes through, we'll be able to
help them out and we do have the space now."
Right now, Head Start is for pre-school children ages 3-4. "Once they
turn three they can transfer to the three-year olds and when they turn four
transfer to the four-year old classrooms and after that they are ready for
kindergarten," Briceno said.
Pecos Head Start is operated under Greater Opportunities of the Permian
Basin.
Police interview suspects, victim in shooting
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., August 8, 2002 -- Pecos Police are following some leads on
a shooting that occurred on the 1200 block of South Cherry four days
ago, but as of this morning have still not made an arrest in the early
Sunday morning incident.
"We are following some leads on a possible suspect," Pecos Police Department
Lt. Kelly Davis said.
Davis said they have interviewed seven witnesses, but the four boys that
were arrested still refuse to give statements in connection with the shooting
of a 16-year old boy, later identified as Ysidro Acosta, who remains in the
Intensive Care Unit at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.
Acosta was shot in the head with a small-caliber weapon following an incident
around 2:50 a.m. on Sunday.
"The victim seems to be doing better," Davis said, and police were able
to interview Acosta in connection with the shooting.
According to Davis the incident started because of a problem between two
people.
"We don't know what actually started it (the fight)," Lt. Davis said.
"We just know that there was a problem between two people."
Police on Monday said of the four boys who were arrested, three were charged
with disorderly conduct and the fourth was charged with evading arrest and
disorderly conduct.
However, no further charges have been filed on the boys, Davis said, and
three of the four have been released, while the other remains at the Criminal
Justice Center.
As of now no information on the gun that was used in the incident has
been provided by the four or any others police have talked to, Davis said,
and the gun used in the shooting is still missing.
"I sure would like to find the gun," Lt. Davis said.
Though the incident involved three Brown Pride Gang (BPG) members, Davis
does not believe that this was a gang on gang incident. He said police do
not believe that the victim is a member of a gang.
City seeks bids for new landfill, housing projects
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., August 8, 2002 -- The Town of Pecos City Council approved
advertising for bids for two major projects this morning, during their
regularly scheduled meeting in Council Chambers at City Hall.
They approved advertising for bids for the construction of two trenches
at the Pecos Landfill and for advertising for bids for the FY2001 Pecos Subdivision
Housing infrastructure improvement projects.
Action of the landfill bids was motioned by Councilman Johnny Terrazas
and seconded by Councilman Michael Benavides.
According to Askek Rana, a representative of Frank Spencer and Associates,
a Type I trench will have a life span of 2½ years. While the Type
IV trench will have a life span of nine years.
Councilmen Frank Sanchez made the motion to approve the authorization
for bids for the FY2001 Pecos Subdivision, with Terrazas seconding the motion.
According to Rana, the project is with in the $4,000 budget.
Council members also looked at two 2002 planning calendars, and opted
to approve the 2002 No Tax Increase Planning Calendar. The council will
follow its procedures for upcoming city council meetings, leading up to the
approval of the FY 2003 budget.
The motion was passed with Councilmen Frank Sanchez approving the calendar
and Councilmen Terrazas seconding the motion.
The council also approved the Texas Property tax code 26.04-Submission
of roll to governing body. The motion involves presenting the tax roll to
be used for the upcoming year, and according to Lydia Prieto, the estimated
collection rate for the current year is 88 percent.
Council members read for the second time the ordinance of the Town of
Pecos City designating certain areas of the city as the Town of Pecos City
Historical District.
"Being designated as historic goes hand in hand with the Main Street Program,"
the program's coordinator, Tom Rivera, told the council during a meeting
on July 23.
The section of Pecos included in the historic declaration covers approximately
18 blocks in the original portion of the city from Seventh Street to First
Street and from Ash Street to Elm Street. It will consist of all blocks 5,
6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 30, 31, 32, 42, 43, 44, 65, 81 and lots 7 thru 18
of block 64, lots 7 thru 18 of block 82, lots 1 thru 12 of block 80, lots
1 thru 14 and 17, 18 of block 66, lots 1, 2 of block 67 lots 1 thru 6 of
block 41 lots 1, 2, 11, 12, of block 33, original addition /Pecos, Town of
Pecos City and Reeves County, Texas.
Councilmen Benavides approved the motion with Councilwomen Angelica Valenzuela
seconding the motion.
Rivera said last month that the historical designation would help qualify
property owners for grant funding and tax incentives as well as give property
owners access to technical assistance from the THC staff.
The designation would also help assist government and private groups in
planning new development and recognizing properties of local, state and national
significance.
Council members today also approved the minutes of the regular council
meeting of July 23, and the accounts payable report.
The council members then went into an executive session in which Councilmen
Sanchez made a motion to raise the salary of city secretary Connie Levario
to $25,000 a year, effective immediately. Councilwomen Valenzuela second
the motion.
The council's next meeting was set for August 22, at 5:30 p.m.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., August 8, 2002 -- High Wednesday 95-. Low this morning
70. Forecast for tonight: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of
thunderstorms. Lows 70 to 75. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph. Friday:
Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs 90 to
95. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph. Friday night: Partly cloudy with a
20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows 70 to 75. Saturday: Partly
cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 90.
Sunday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows around
70. Highs 90 to 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 news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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