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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Monday, February 10, 2003
Awards given to Hinojos, Carrasco at banquet
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Feb. 10, 2003 - A local banker who was born in Pecos and moved back to town
from a nearby community a decade ago was named Citizen of the Year
by the Pecos Area Chamber of Commerce this past Thursday
night, during their annual awards banquet.
"I knew something was going on when I saw my parents here,"
said Paul Hinojos, who was born in Pecos and raised in Monahans, but
came to Pecos 10 years ago and now calls it his home.
"This person is very special to me, I have a soft spot for him,"
said Town of Pecos City Mayor Dot Stafford, who works with Hinojos
at West Texas National Bank. She presented the award to him near
the end of Thursday's banquet at the Reeves County Civic Center. It
was one of several awards given out during the banquet.
"This is someone who is involved in many activities
and volunteers for numerous projects," said Stafford. "His interests
and volunteerism range in different areas and I know we couldn't do
without him."
Hinojos a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and is a
past president of the group. He is active with the Tourism Committee and
with the cleanup campaign for Pecos, attended the Leadership Seminar
for Pecos, served on the board of the West of the Pecos
Museum, committee member for the 16th
of September celebration and was guest speaker for Career Day with
the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD.
As past director for the chamber he was active with Night in Old
Pecos and chairperson of the Fall Fair Concert.
Hinojos is a Downtown Lion's Club member, where he has been
past president, past vice-president, past tail twister, past lion tamer and as
past director, and zone chairperson and chairperson of the rose sale. He
also is a member of the Knights of Columbus, where he is
current recorder, co-chairperson of the Annual Golf Tournament,
co-chairperson of the Scholarship Program and active with the
Hoop Shoot for our Youth.
Hinojos is West of the Pecos Rodeo current director, and is
a current committee member of the Reeves County Junior
Livestock Show, chairperson of the buyer's pool and is active with the Reeves
County Recreation Department, a coach for both T-ball and flag football.
"You name it, he does it," said Stafford.
"This is my home," said Hinojos. "When I came here 10 years ago,
I thought I would be moving on, that this would be a stepping stone,
but since then I have changed my mind and want to stay here and raise
my family."
Hinojos thanked his family, especially his wife, Cynthia,
without whom he said he couldn't have done all this. "Or should I
say, without me, because I'm often gone with these other activities and
she puts up with me," he said.
The couple has two children, 6-year-old Paul Anthony
and daughter, Caileigh Rayne, two years old.
Also receiving an award Thursday night was a former
Pecos elementary school principal whose campus received a high score
for several years in a row.
A teary-eyed Mary Lou Carrasco, former principal at
Bessie Haynes Elementary School for several years was named
Educator of the Year by the Chamber. The fourth and fifth grade
campus received a Recognized Campus rating from TEA from 1996 until
last year when it received an Exemplary Campus rating for the year
2000-2001.
She is currently is principal for Balmorhea Independent
School District campus, which serves Kindergarten through
12th grade.
"I feel honored to receive this award and would like to share
this award with every other Pecos educator," said Carrasco.
Carrasco said that she has worked with many of these teachers
and educators and knows the trials and tribulations that they are facing.
"I feel that the campuses at Pecos ISD will be exemplary in the
future," said Carrasco.
Carrasco thanked her family for supporting her throughout the
years. "My blessings, my family has been with him and has been my
main support," she said.
Carrasco graduated from Pecos High School with honors in
May 1959; in August 1975, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Sul
Ross State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education,
Bilingual Certification and Early Childhood Certification; in May 1991,
she graduated from Sul Ross State University with a Masters
in Education in Supervision and Curriculum and in August 1991,
she received her mid-management certification from Sul Ross
State University.
She was the principal at Bessie Haynes Elementary School,
fourth and fifth grades, since 1996, until this past May, and implemented
several programs and wrote several grants that benefited the district.
Other nominees for the Educator of the Year Award include, from
Pecos Kindergarten, Julia Fleming; Austin Elementary School, Eva
Martinez; Bessie Haynes Elementary School, Rhonda Foster, Zavala sixth
grade, Oscar Guerrero; Crockett Middle School, Olivia Herrera; Lamar
AEP, Crissy Zuniga and Pecos High School, Karen Hill.
Gomez defends actions by FLH after fed report
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Feb. 10, 2003 - The Pecos Housing Authority and Farm Labor Housing Board
members questioned executive director Nellie Gomez over problems with the
FLH buildings and budget cited in a federal agency report, during
their meeting Friday at the PHA office on Starley Drive.
The board discussed a letter dated January 15, 2003 from John
Perkins Community Development Specialist with the USDA Rural
Development regarding the Routine Notice of Services Results and Concerns.
According to Gomez, the letter from Perkins to Chairman Frank
Perea stated that the facilities of the Farm Labor Housing had
deferred maintenance of missing shingles need to be replaced, while the
FLH reserved account depository authorization and management
plan were not current. Other problems listed included actual expenses
for 2001 have not been provided on Form 1930-7, 2003 proposed
budget has not been submitted, documentation on how
insurance premiums are divided between the HUD apartments and RHS
financed property has not been provided and documentation on the
local authority's efforts to rent to eligible domestic farm laborers has not
been provided.
Gomez responded to the report by stating that the shingles had
been replaced and that she had sent Perkins a copy of the current
reserved account depository authorization.
"We have current management plan," Gomez said. "However
he never asked for it. This is the first time he has asked for it."
Gomez went on to say that she do not have a budget built because
she did not have the year end figures at that time.
"It would have been impossible to sent the budget within the 15
days he had asked for it," Gomez said.
She informed the board that Perea had a copy of the letter, and that
it would be hard to determine the 2003 budget due to the current low
number of residents.
"We are down to eight residents," Gomez said. "We are not
generating enough income."
On the back of a sheet of paper Gomez said that she had
scribbled down average revenue.
"On an average we are generating $200 per unit," Gomez said. "I
figured it to be $2,000 per month for nine months."
However there would be one month out of the year in which
they would not generate any revenue.
Gomez added that when Anchor Foods closed last May they lost a
lot of tenants. The plant, located just south of the FLH
apartments, employed 700 local residents at one time.
Gomez said the eight current tenants the FLH has would be
moved over to the Pecos Housing Authority facilities.
"We will be moving them to housing as they come up,"
Gomez said. "Of those eight five more will move over here by May 31."
In regards to the maintenance problem Gomez said that in the
month of March they would need a full time maintenance worker to do the
repairs needed.
"One person won't cut it," Gomez said.
The preparations would be done in order to prepare the homes for
the tenants during the six weeks of cantaloupe harvest, Gomez said.
During the year Gomez said that during the month of July is when
they have no vacancies available at the time.
In January of last year they had 38 occupancies and 17 vacancies
where as of the later part of 2002 they had 43 vacancies.
Honor Society holds induction at PHS tonight
PECOS, Feb. 10, 2003 - The Pecos High School National Honor Society will hold
their induction ceremony at 7 p.m., today, at the Pecos High School Auditorium.
Santa Rosa Hall lunch plate sale Friday
PECOS, Feb. 10, 2003 - An enchilada and chile verde con carne plate sale will be held from
10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Friday, at the Santa Rosa Hall, 600 W. Third St.
The enchilada plate consists of three red or green enchiladas,
rice, beans and salad.
The chile verde con carne plate will contain rice, beans and
one tortilla.
All plates are $4 and deliveries will be made on four plates or more.
For deliveries or more information call 445-2302, Friday.
Ignacio Chavez Jr., Paul Condit, John Fernandes
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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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