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Archive 2002

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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

City to hold Sept. 11 memorial at federal courthouse

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer

PECOS, Tues., Sept. 10, 2002 -- Community members are asked to don their red, white and blue and  join in the commemoration ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 11.

"We Will Never Forget It; In Remembrance of 9-11" a commemoration ceremony will be held in front of the Lucius Bunton Federal Courthouse located at Fourth and Cedar streets.

Events will begin at 9:15 with a welcome and introduction by the Pecos Downtown Lions Club.

An opening prayer led by John Grant of the Lions Club will follow, along with the reading of a proclamation by Town of Pecos City Mayor Dot Stafford.

At 9:30 a.m., "a period of remembrance" sponsored by the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD District Counselors will be held. At this time the sirens will sound and everyone, wherever they may be are asked to join with the Pledge of Allegiance and followed by a moment of silence.

The lowering of the flag to half-staff by the federal courthouse staff will take place at 9:35 a.m. and at 9:40 a.m. the Catholic War Veterans will participate in a 21-gun salute.

"Taps" will be played by a Pecos High School band member and at the end of the ceremony the federal courthouse staff will present certificates of appreciation.

"We want to invite everyone to come out here and join us to pay tribute to all those who were killed last year," said Lions' Club and Pecos City Council member Michael Benavides.

County's above par water bill blamed on new meter

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer

PECOS, Tues., Sept. 10, 2002 -- A dispute over a water bill submitted to Reeves County by the Town  of Pecos City will have to be settled with a meeting between city and  county officials.

The Reeves County Auditor's Office clarified that the bill the county was disputing, for $12,310, was for one meter only _ a meter that was placed at the driving range.

"That's a new meter that the county put there when they took over the driving range," said Town of Pecos City Utilities Director Octavio Garcia.

The issue was brought up during the reports from various departments at the regular Reeves County Commissioners Court meeting held Monday morning. Commissioners questioned the amount of the bill and noted that it was for four months.

At that time, county auditor Lynn Owens said that the bill was averaging about $3,000 per month. It was later clarified that this was for one meter only and not for the entire golf course.

Garcia said that an outside contractor had previously operated the driving range and that person took care of that meter and the water bill that came with it. "But then the county took over and that meter was not included in (the existing) contract with the city."

The contract is renewed every 10 years and states that the county will only pay $5 for water from each meter each month. "It's supposed to be a separate meter, so we sent them a regular bill for the new meter," said Garcia.

Garcia said that the county has been flooding the driving range with city water, instead of using the well water. "That's why their bill is so high," he said.

"That contract is renewed every 10 years and this year is a renewal year," said Garcia. "We need to negotiate to see if it is going to stay the same or not."

Garcia said that city officials have been trying to meet with the county officials to discuss the contract and this matter, but have been unable to do so.

"We haven't been able to get a hold of him for us to get together and work this out," he said.

The driving range at the Reeves County Golf Course has been redone over the past year by the county, which installed lights at the facility this summer to allow the range to remain open at night.

Board told new round of salt cedar spraying to begin

By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer

PECOS, Tues., Sept. 10, 2002 -- The fourth year of spraying to eradicate salt cedars along the  Pecos River is about to begin, though some areas may not be included in  the upcoming effort, Red Bluff Water Power Control Board members  were told during their regular monthly meeting in Pecos this morning.

According to Managing Director Randall Hartman, the spraying of the salt cedar was to begin this week in the area east of Pecos on the Pecos River. However, when a group of people went out to look at the trees a portion of them had leaves that were limp.

Hartman said that because the leaves were limp they were not able to spray the trees. According to him, the leaves must be alive so that the spraying could work. Hartman also added that people would be brought in to determine why the leaves are limp.

However, the spraying procedure did take place near Coyanosa and up the Monahans highway for two to three miles.

"They are going to send me a print out of what they have already sprayed," Hartman said.

A total of 13,000 acres, from the state line to Santa Rosa, have already been sprayed, according to Hartman.

"That is where we are at spraying," Hartman said.

The salt cedar project was one item covered by the board during their monthly meeting, which began with the board approving the agenda and the minutes of the August 13, meeting.

After welcoming their visitors, the board moved on to discuss and approve the financial reports of the August disbursements with Director Manuel Lujan making the motion and Director Charlotte Wilcox seconding it.

The August Receipts were also reviewed with Director Theresa Walker making the motion and Lujan seconding it.

In reviewing the accounts payable, Office Manager Robin Prewit informed the board that the general liability insurance with Texas Municipal League was paid up for six months so that it would then expire at the same time as the directors liability insurance.

The board moved on to the next time on the agenda, the reservoir operations report of the month of August.

"As you can see we are not gaining or losing," Hartman said. "We are setting where we were."

The board then moved on to new business of repaying a loan given to them by the Ward County Irrigation District No.1 as soon as they receive a check from the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission.

"We should receive the check this week," Hartman said. "As soon as we get it, we can give it to Tom (Nance of Ward County WID #1)."

Director Lujan made the motion to accept the distribution of the money once they receive the check with Vice-President Jay Lee seconding the motion.

Along with the salt cedar project, another item taken up again by the board with morning was cloud seeding.

Director Richard Slack informed the board that Reeves County Judge Jimmy Galindo and the district that he represents (Reeves County WID #2), are in favor of the cloud seeding project. And because of that, they have asked that the board not oppose the decision to support the project.

"We did not oppose it," Hartman said.

Reading from the minutes of last month's meeting, Hartman said that the board approved not to contribute to the project with Wilcox making the motion and Lujan seconding it.

"We weren't interested because we did not have any figures to look at," Walker said. "We may change our minds if we get some figures."

District Secretary Lloyd Goodrich told Nance that they were not interested in the project because they did not know how the money would be used. The discussion was a continuation of a similar one from August's board meeting.

"We do not know how the money will be spent," Goodrich said. "Will you spend it on personnel and equipment."

Nance said the money would be used in purchasing radars and airplanes.

Slack advised Nance to make a better presentation by providing the board with more details.

Nance informed the board that he was just seeking their blessing and hoped that they would be willing to participate at some level.

According to Nance, though the project is in the organization process it has already received money from their district, from Loving County as well as from other places.

"We are not seeking actual money but participation," he said.

Nance informed the board that the state would pay for 50 percent of the project and that after the year 2003 if the state did not fund the project, the project would either be ended, or area residents and taxing entities would have to fund it themselves.

Nance ended by saying that he felt that there had been a consensus among the board that they would not participate in the project at any level.

"I knew that they did not want to participate at any level," he said

Hartman told Nance that maybe he could be wrong and any involvement in the water modification program was up to the board.

Alzheimer's group meeting at RCH

The Alzheimer's Association STAR Chapter _ West Texas Region will sponsor the Pecos Daytime Support Group meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Thursday at the Reeves County Hospital classroom.

Topic for this month is: "Behavior Problems" and everyone is invited to attend and learn more about Alzheimer's disease.

Weather

PECOS, Tues., Sept. 10, 2002 -- High Monday 89. Low this morning 68. Forecast for tonight:   Mostly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms.  Lows around 65. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Wednesday:   Mostly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms. Highs 85 to 90.  East winds 5 to 15 mph. Wednesday night:  Partly cloudy. Lows 65 to  70. Thursday:  Partly cloudy with isolated showers  and thunderstorms. Highs around 90. Friday:  Partly cloudy with a  slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows 65 to  70. Highs 90 to 95.

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 instances we will indicate payment and release.

***

Defino Lujan, 50 was arrested at 7:45 p.m. on September 9, in the 500 block of East 12th Street, for Public intoxication.

***

Joel Fuentez, 35, and Geronimo Hignojos, 58, were arrested at 9:34 p.m. on September 9, in the 400 block of Mulberry street. Joel Fuentez was arrested for failure to show identification, resisting arrest and on a warrant for a parole violation. Geronimo Hignojos was arrested for public intoxication.



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