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TOP STORIESDecember 2, 1997Group organizing for economic developmentBy RICK L. SMITH Staff Writer PECOS, December 2, 1997 - Pecos Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) members approved articles of incorporation for the organization during a general membership meeting last night but questions about wording held up approval of the by-laws. Because the by-laws were not approved, the group decided to postpone electing officers until members are in agreement with the wording. Reeves County Judge Jimmy Galindo raised questions about wording in the PEDC by-laws concerning liability and indemnification for board members. "We need to get with Scott (Johnson, Pecos City Attorney) and get his concerns about this," said PEDC Board President Pauline Moore. "We cannot go on to the appointment and election of the board until we get this finalized." According to the articles of incorporation, the PEDC is being formed for the promotion and development of new and expanded business enterprises in Reeves County to encourage employment and the public welfare. This non-profit organization will be headed by a 10-member board of directors with one member each appointed from the Pecos City Council, the Reeves County Commissioners' Court, the Reeves County Hospital District, the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD and five elected from the membership of the corporation. During the first meeting of the five elected directors they will draw by lot for places one through five on the board. Places one and two will be for an initial term of three years, places three and four will hold two year terms and place five will be for one year. Appointed directors will hold terms of one year. Each PEDC director has to be a Reeves County resident, according to the group's by-laws. Each director has to conform to at least one of the qualifications listed in the by-laws, experience in executive management of a company, experience in a professional capacity, or experience equivalent to the previous qualifications. Directors of the corporation are limited to seven consecutive years. One of the first duties of the PEDC board will be to develop an overall economic development plan for the city and county, according to the by-laws. The plan will set short- and intermittent-term goals to accomplish the plan. The PEDC board hopes to develop an economic strategy that will permanently bolster the business climate in the county and city by fully utilizing all assets available to the city and county to enhance economic development, short of improving any private property. The PEDC plans to hire a full-time Economic Development Coordinator who will also serve as the Secretary for the group. The coordinator will be responsible for the management of the daily affairs of the PEDC by carrying out the policies setup by the PEDC board of directors. The next PEDC meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Pecos Community Center.
Filing for March primaries begins tomorrowBy ROSIE FLORES Staff Writer PECOS, December 2, 1997 - Individuals wanting to file for a place on the ballot in the March primary elections can do so beginning Dec. 3. "They can come in and file their treasurer's designation with me and then file with either Democratic Chairman Bobby Dean or Republican Chairman Michael Wyles," said Reeves County Clerk Dianne Florez. The last day to file for a place on the ballot is Jan. 3. Offices that will be up for election include Reeves County Judge, county court-at-law judge, commissioners for precincts 2 and 4, all four justice of the peace offices, county surveyor, county clerk, district clerk and county treasurer. Several individuals have already filed their treasurer's designation with the county clerk, according to Florez. Candidates wanting to file to run as an independent can file a declaration of intent begining Dec. 3 through Jan. 3, 1998, according to Florez. For county and precinct offices, the declaration to seek the office must be filed with the county judge no later than 6 p.m. on Jan. 3, 1998. In order to qualify to have their names placed on the ballot, the independent candidates must file an application together with a petition no later than 5 p.m. on May 14, 1998. The petition must contain signatures of registered voters. Independent candidates may not file a filing fee instead of the required peition. The first day individuals may collect signatures for an independent candidate is March 11, 1998, unless a runoff election is to be held for the same office sought by the independent candidate. In that instance, an independent candidate may not collect signatures until April 15. Voters are disqualified from signing the petition if they voted in a party primary (general primary election or runoff primary election) and the party made a nomination for the same office as the one sought by the independent candidate at either the primary election or runoff election. The county clerk office advises indpendent candidates who file with them to wait until April 15, to gather signatures. This is to avoid obtaining signatures of voters who did not vote on March 20, but may in fact vote April 14. Pecos unemployment rate dropsBy GREG HARMANStaff Writer PECOS, December 2, 1997 - Unemployment numbers in Reeves County and the Town of Pecos City are decreasing, coming ever closer to those reported in cities such as Monahans, Midland and Odessa. According to a Texas Workforce Commission report, unemployment in Reeves County has declined from 645 unemployed workers in a labor force of 6,654 in October, 1996, to 461 unemployed in a labor force of 6,610. The county's unemployment rate has gone from 9.7 percent to an even 7.0 percent in the last year. The Town of Pecos City, whose total civilian labor force has dropped by 50 since last October, is showing a drop in unemployment levels-from 577 in October, 1996, to 413 reported last month. That constitutes a decrease from the 11.1 percent unemployment a year ago, to an even 8.0 percent recorded last month. So, how does this stack up with our neighbors to the east? Monahans is sporting an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent (a tenth of a point decrease since October, 1996), Odessa is moving closer to a 5 percent unemployment rate (from 5.8 percent about a year ago, to 5.1 percent reported last month), and Midland, even with a rising labor force has kept its unemployment levels low. Midland, according to the TWC study, has seen a decrease in its unemployment levels-from 3.8 percent in October of 1996, to 3.7 percent reported last October. The civilian labor force in Midland has increased from 50,877 in October, 1996, to 51,388 just last month. State unemployment averages remain close to the 5 percent mark. Decreasing from 5.2 percent in September this year to 4.9 percent unemployment reported last month. The civilian labor force has increased in the state this year, from 9,800,304 in October of '96 to 10,007,711 in October of '97.
TABC preparing cases in alcohol stingBy CARA ALLIGOOD Staff Writer PECOS, December 2, 1997 - Odessa area Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) agents are currently working on paperwork necessary to bring criminal charges against store clerks and administrative cases against stores caught selling alcohol to minors in a sting operation that took place in Pecos recently. TABC agent Lieutenant Dyer Lightfoot said that in the sting, an 18-year-old minor, working in conjunction with law enforcement officers, attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages at 19 Pecos area stores, and was successful 12 times. The minor had only money and his own drivers license and did not attempt to deceive the store clerks, Lightfoot said. "If the clerks asked him how old he was he told them that he was 18, and if they asked him for ID, he showed them his driver's license," said Lightfoot. "Every one of the transactions was witnesses by at least five police officers and video and audio taped," Lightfoot said. Those five officers included three TABC agents and two Pecos police officers. Lightfoot said that the cases against the stores and the 12 clerks will be presented to the county attorney, Walter Holcombe, next week. Stores face either a seven-day suspension of their license to sell alcohol or a $1,050 civil penalty, and Lightfoot said that the stores may choose which punishment they wish to face. Lightfoot said that the clerks caught selling alcohol to minors are facing a class "A" misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine not to exceed $4,000, or a combination of both. Pecos Police Chief Troy Moore said that similar stings are planned for the future.
Green, red lights to line streetsBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, December 2, 1997 - With Christmas and all the related festivities approaching fast, city employees will start stringing Christmas lights around Pecos lamp posts tomorrow. That is, if the weather favorable, said buildings department employee Conrado Saldana. Saldana and Macario Martinez, who also works for the buildings department, will be aided in the project by employees of Classic Cable. The city had planned on putting up the lights yesterday, but conflicting schedules with Classic Cable employees set the date back. Tom Rivera, Pecos Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, said the chamber has raised more than $9,000 to repair and replace the city's Christmas decorations. "The ideal amount would be about $25,000," he said. This would enable the city to run lights all the way up S. H. 285 from I-20, and down Third St. Reeves County officials are also getting into the holiday spirit. According to County Judge Jimmy Galindo, the county courthouse should be decked out in Christmas lights by the end of this week. The county purchased $1,800 worth of lights that will outline the courthouse and decorate every other tree and shrub on the lawn. Some security lights will be turned off to better enhance the effect of the lights.
Get more than mail at post officePECOS, December 2, 1997 - You can get a lot more than stamps at the Pecos U.S. Post Office. In fact, the local office looks more like a little gift shop, filled with Christmas cards, ornaments, Christmas T-shirts, phone cards and "Looney Tune" items, such as keychains, caps, T-shirts, earrings and pens. "We have an assortment of items for sale, not only Christmas items," said Postal Supervisor Herman Armendariz. Armendariz said the office also carries collector stamps, along with the usual postal items. During this holiday season, patrons of the post office can also make gift item purchases, according to Armendariz. "We also want to encourage anyone who is mailing packages during this holiday season, to do so early, to ensure that the recipient gets his item in time," said Armendarez. Because of the season, postal employees have been very busy and will be until after the holidays. "So far, we have had a steady stream of customers, but it gets really hectic towards the end," he said. The post office will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 25, and will re-open on Friday, Dec. 26.
OBITUARYDecember 2, 1997Lola AcostaLola Acosta, 79, died Friday, Nov. 29, 1997, at Reeves County Hospital. A rosary is sceduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Pecos Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 4, at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with Father Antonio Mena officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery. Acosta was born Oct. 16, 1918, in Presidio, Tx. She was a life-long Pecos resident, a homemaker and a Catholic. She was preceded in death by one son, Robert Acosta. Survivors include: three sons, Simon Acosta of Pecos and Jesse and Henry Acosta of Bakersfield, Calif.; two daughters, Isabel Jurado of Pecos, Lolita Luna of Bakersfield, Calif.; 25 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren. Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. WEATHERPECOS, December 2, 1997 - High Monday, 63, low this morning, 44. Low-level moisture blew into Texas from the Gulf of Mexico today while a Pacific cold front over extreme West Texas brought mid-level and upper-level moisture into the state. A winter storm watch will be in effect this afternoon and evening in the Texas Panhandle. The National Weather Service said snow is likely in the northern Panhandle by late-afternoon, with up to 5 inches of snow possible. A large area of light to occasionally moderate rain extended early today from the southern Panhandle through the south Plains and into the northern Permian Basin. Temperatures early today across West Texas ranged from 37 at Dalhart and the Guadalupe Pass to 49 degrees at Sanderson. Lows tonight will range from the 20s north to the 30s and 40s elsewhere. San Angelo Standard Times Abilene Reporter News Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dallas Morning News Texas Press Association Weather National News
Pecos Enterprise
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