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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Monday, December 16, 2002
City's tax rebates drop for December
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Dec. 16, 2002 -- For the second month in a row sales tax receipts
for the Town of Pecos City dropped by 10 percent, according to figures
released on Friday by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander's office.
The drop left Pecos' sales tax rebate total for all of 2002 down about
three-quarters of a percent from 2001's total, while tax rebates for Balmorhea
and Toyah were up for the year and the county overall saw its rebates remain
virtually unchanged.
According to Rylander's office, Pecos got back $53,576 from Austin this
month, based on their 1½-cent share of the state's 8¼-cent
sales tax. Collected during the month of October. That's down 10.25 percent
from December of 2001, and for the year, the city got back $760,563, down
0.64 percent from the $765,521 total last year.
Of the city's total, one-sixth goes to the Pecos Economic Development
Corp. For December, the PEDC received $8,929 in sales tax rebate funds.
The drop came during a year in which 10 percent of the city's workforce
lost their jobs due to the closing of the Anchor Foods plant at the end of
May. About 30 percent of the 700 workers laid off have since been rehired
by TransPecos Foods, which reopened the plant this fall, but the local unemployment
rate remains near the 20 percent level.
Balmorhea's tax rebate for December was $526, up 3.12 percent from a year
ago, when the city got back $510. But for all 12 months of 2002, Balmorhea's
rebates have totaled, $11,959, which is up over 37 percent from a year ago,
when the city got back $8,704.
Toyah's rebate check for December was $270, a drop of nearly 30 percent
from the $382 check of a year ago. However, overall Toyah's sales tax rebates
for 2002 are up 5.17 percent, from $6,468 to $6,802.
Also dropping sharply in December but up for the year as a whole was the
Reeves County Hospital District. It collected $24,494 this month for its
½-cent sales tax, a drop of 34.96 percent from last years' $37,661
total. For all 12 months of 2002, the hospital has gotten back $356,717,
up 6.45 percent from last year's $335,088.
Across the area, tax rebate results for December were mixed, though several
towns did see sharp increases in their rebate checks after approving increases
in their tax rates that went into effect in October. Marfa's rebate check
went up 74 percent after their tax rate went up from 1½ to 1¾
cents while Fort Stockton raised its tax rate by one-third, from 1½
to two cents, and saw its rebate check increase by the exact same amount
this month.
Andrews continued to show the largest increases in the area for 2002,
with its rebate check rising 23 percent from last year, while Midland and
Odessa's rebate checks continued in opposite directions. Midland's $1.44
million check was up 18.4 percent from a year ago, while Odessa's check came
in at just under $1 million, which was down 7 percent from a year ago.
Statewide, tax rebates to cities and counties in December were down 1.88
percent, to $196.83 million. Houston's check for just under $25 million was
the state's largest, but was down 0.87 percent from a year ago, while Dallas
came in at No. 2 with a $13.83 million check, which was an 8.89 percent drop
from a year ago.
Women's Division selects winners of lighting contest
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Dec. 16, 2002 -- Members of the Women's Division of the Pecos
Area Chamber of Commerce were out last Friday night judging homes on
their Christmas décor, as part of the group's annual Christmas
Lighting Contest.
The contest, which in the past had been done over a three-week period
in December, was changed this year, with judging in five categories taking
placing all on Friday night.
After dividing Pecos into six sections, several ladies from the Women's
Division along with Jon Cook and Jim Workman set out at 7 p.m. in groups
of two or three to evaluate the homes in their section.
According to Michelle Workman, Chairwomen of the Christmas Lighting Contest,
the groups were to write down the addresses of the homes that would fit one
of the three categories of `Best Christmas Theme,' `Most use of Lights,'
`Most Elegant,' `Best Decorated Block' and `Best Decorated Business.'
Once the groups had chosen the homes, they were to narrow their list down
two, Workman said.
With each group narrowing their list down to two homes or businesses,
they then created one group and set out to judge the finalists.
As one group the judges voted on the following homes for `Best Christmas
Theme,' Raymundo Martinez and family on Country Club won first place, Teresa
Rodriguez on Plum won second place and Larry and Gloria Windham on Jefferson
won third place.
Winners in the `Most use of Lights' category were Jose Luis and Rosa Munoz
on East Ninth Street, first place, Tito Gabaldon and family on 119 North
Alamo St., second place and the Dominguez family on Orange Street won third.
`Most Elegant' winners were Donald and Cheryl Bippes on Missouri Street
won first place, Sally Orona and family on Missouri won second place and
Guadalupe Marruffo on Locust Street won third place.
First place winners in each of the categories won a $25 gift certificate,
second place winners won a $20 gift certificate and third place winners won
a $15 gift certificate.
The winner in the `Best decorated block' category was the 2000 block of
South Alamo Street, and the `Best Decorated Business' winner was Best Western
Swiss Clock Inn in the 900 block of West Palmer Street.
The winners in the `Best Decorated Block' and the `Best Decorated Business'
category won Christmas ornaments.
Both the gift certificates and ornaments will be delivered to the home
of the winners or to the place of business by Workman today.
For more information call 445-5535 and ask for Michelle Workman.
Making a list, checking it twice…
`Christmas for the Kids' finds duplicate names while preparing to distribute
toys
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Mon., Dec. 16, 2002 -- Elves are almost ready to deliver gifts on
Wednesday to children in the community that would otherwise not receive
anything on this joyful holiday.
"We've been really busy and have even been working on weekends getting
things ready," said Christmas for the Kids organizer Sofia Baeza.
Baeza said that this year the program would help out 492 children. "We
had 516 kids that applied, but 24 are not registered in our Pecos-Barstow-Toyah
ISD schools," said Baeza. "We're still checking on them, but they may be
disqualified."
Baeza said that this year and next year the group would be screening the
applications more closely, after using a computer for the first time to match
up all the names submitted to the program and finding some duplicate names.
Only one application is allowed per household. "We had a lot of double
applications, we may still do eight of these that are not qualified, but
we're checking it out," she said.
If three adults live in a household, only one adult is allowed to complete
and turn in an application. The applications will also be screened to see
if the children really do exist and that the names are not fictitious, and
family household income will also be taken into consideration.
"At least 24 are questionable, so we don't know yet if we will provide
for them," said Baeza, who added they will also begin checking household
income next year, to limit the program only to those with the greatest needs.
Baeza said that most of their applications come from the schools, but
that they are available in some city and county offices, as well as the sheriff's
department. "We will help 167 families and raised $7,740, which is really
close to our goal of $8,000," said Baeza.
"We still have some donations that are supposed to come in and are looking
forward to them," said Baeza. "It's never to late to accept donations," she
said.
Deliveries of the gifts will be made on Wednesday, Baeza said, "But we
will help in an emergency situation. If anybody knows of a family that is
in dire need, we will help them up until the 24th.
"We want to thank the community for all their help," said Baeza.
"We always have a lot of good help and a lot of volunteers," said elf
Linda Clark. "We want them to know that we really do appreciate all their
help."
Clark said that Reeves County sheriff's deputies, along with Pecos High
School and Crockett Middle School student council members and Crockett cheerleaders,
would help out with the deliveries this Wednesday afternoon.
"Jesse (Baeza with the sheriff's department) decorates the truck for us,
and the kids ride on the truck door-to-door to deliver presents," Clark said
earlier this month. "The deputies are real good about taking presents to
Balmorhea and Saragosa in the outlying areas, because the truck does the
deliveries only here in Pecos."
Clark said that anyone who wanted to help out with the deliveries could
do so at the sheriff's department office on Wednesday, beginning about 4
p.m.
"I want to thank the community for their good response year in and year
out," said Baeza. "I'm most thankful to anybody in any way, shape or form
who has helped me or who is helping me at this moment."
She said anyone wanting more information on Christmas for the Kids could
call the Reeves County Sheriff's Department, at 445-4901.
Weather
PECOS, Mon., Dec. 16, 2002 -- High Sunday 72. Low this morning 53. Forecast
for tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows near 40. Southwest winds 5 to 15
mph. Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Becoming windy. Highs in the upper 70s.
Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph: Increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday night: Partly cloudy. Lows near 40. Wednesday: Mostly cloudy.
Highs 60 to 65. Thursday: Partly cloudy. Lows near 30. Highs 55 to
60.
Obituaries
Maniben Bhakta, Bill Bonilla, Maxine Borcherding and Paula Ornelas
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 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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