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Top StoriesMarch 31, 1998Financial help available for employee trainingBy RICK L. SMITH Staff Writer PECOS, March 31, 1998 - If you run a small business and have employees who need training, you need to know about the Smart Jobs Fund that can give you as much as $2,500 per employee for training. About 15 people yesterday attended a seminar sponsored by the Pecos Chamber of Commerce aimed at informing small business owners about money available to help train employees. The Texas Department of Economic Development has about $102 million available from unemployment taxes that small businesses can tap into to train their employees, said Peg Callahan, Smart Jobs Coordinator for the Small Business Development Center of The University of Texas at San Antonio. The Smart Jobs Fund is a program designed to assist Texas employers in training the work force of the future, Callahan told those at the seminar. Half of the $102 million available for training is targeted at small businesses (the other half for large businesses) and 20 percent of that is aimed at minority-owned businesses. Any company is eligible to receive training money through the Smart Jobs Fund if it has been in business for at least one year; has at least one employee; is current o state tax obligations; and is financially sound. Callahan told those attending the seminar that the Smart Jobs Fund program is employer-driven, meaning the company receiving the funds decides who to train, when to train and who will do the training. On-the-job training, college courses, seminars and many other types of training are all covered by the program. "We want to help businesses invest in people,"Callahan said. "Because business owners pay unemployment taxes they have already paid to participate in this program." Callahan told the audience that large business has already claimed its 50 percent of available training funds and Texas Department of Economic Development is especially targeting small businesses to make them aware of the program. The 79 counties in West Texas covered by Callahan are mostly rural and funds are available for almost any kind of training, she said. "The training does have to be formal and measured," Callahan said. Employees being trained must take tests before the training and after to ensure the training occurred. To apply for the training funds small businesses must include financial statements indicating that the business is stable and will be around after the training is completed. Businesses who receive Smart Jobs Fund monies can spend as much as $2,500 per trainee. Companies approved for the funding pay for the training up-front and bill the state to be reimbursed. Once the training is completed the state refunds 75 percent of the cost and after the employee has remained with the company for 90 days after the training is completed the employer will receive the final 25 percent of the training cost from the state, Callahan said. "Every small business needs a training plan," she said. "Because if you don't know where you're going, you'll end up some place else." The Smart Jobs Fund program has been in place, in one form or another, for almost four years, Callahan said. She expects the program to remain in place for the foreseeable future. For more information about the program call 1-800-888-0511, or call Callahan at 210-458-2472. Or you can call Michael Levine, Director Big Bend Region Minority & Small Business Development Center at Sul Ross State University, at 915-837-8694. Information about the Smart Jobs Fund is also available on the Internet at www.tded.state.tx.us/smartjobs. Family project becoming a homeBy CARA ALLIGOOD Staff Writer PECOS, March 31, 1998 - Anybody in this country is free to pursue the American dream, but sometimes you have to do a lot of work to make your dream come true. Last year, on June 17, the Pecos Enterprise published part one of a series about a local man who set out to buy a vacant home that had been on the delinquent tax rolls for quite some time. That man, Salvador Carrera III, better known to most Pecos residents as "Howdy," did manage to convince all of the local governing agencies concerned to sell him the abandoned property, and with the help of his family has begun to repair and remodel the house at 310 South Mesquite Street. Only it isn't just a house anymore, it has become Howdy's home. Howdy and his brothers, Monse, Salvador and Pedro made some repairs to the house when he first bought the property, then did inside remodeling jobs as the weather worsened as winter set in. Interior improvements have included fixing holes that had been punched through walls, cleaning graffiti and fire damage left by vandals, replacing broken windows, painting, texturing ceilings, converting a closet into a laundry room and installing new carpet. The house was fixed up enough to be livable within several months, and Howdy and his wife, Mirta, moved in on Jan. 1. Although Howdy didn't remember the exact date, Mirta supplied the information readily, explaining that she had no problem remembering when they moved "because it was a lot of work." In the mean time, Howdy has gone back to working for his former employer and works six days a week, managing Bob's Thriftway on Eddy Street for Fenn Foods. He is also a volunteer fireman. That doesn't leave a lot of spare time, but the Carrera family works together on Howdy's dream house, and despite time and financial constraints, the work is getting done. Howdy said that he has already spent $9,400 beyond the cost of the property on materials for the various repair and remodeling projects. Luckily, his brothers do not charge him for their labor of love. Now that spring has brought warmer weather back to Pecos, Howdy and his brothers are working on the house again, whenever they can find the time and opportunity to get together. The Carrera brothers' current projects include putting new windows on the east side of the building and painting the outside of the house, when the weather allows outside work. Monse, Salvador and Pedro were in town last week and over the weekend helped Howdy and Mirta work on their house, and had most of the front of the house repainted by Friday afternoon. "It's going to be good...once it's painted, it will look nice," said Howdy. "My mom wants us to plant cactus in the front." Tenants protected under Texas lawBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, March 31, 1998 - Holes in the roof would be leaking rain onto your bed -if it ever rained in West Texas -and the electrical outlet in the kitchen has started to smoke. The landlord says there is nothing he can do. What can you, as the tenant, do to get the repairs made so that your family can live in relative safety? According to Attorney General Dan Morales, under Texas law the landlord guarantees that the rental property, whether house or apartment, is a fit place to live. "You have a right," said Morales, "to demand that the landlord repair any condition that materially affects your health and safety. This includes problems caused by normal wear and tear to the building." The landlord may not evict or otherwise punish you for requesting repairs to be made. If he or she refuses your request, one thing you should not do, according to Morales, is refuse to pay your rent. "A landlord is liable for repairs if you are not delinquent in your rent; you have given written notice of a condition needing repair; the condition materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant; and the landlord has not made a diligent effort to fix the problem after a reasonable time has passed," said Morales. After the first written letter is given to the landlord, notifying them of the problem, you should allow seven days for a response. If a week comes and goes without an answer you may need to draft another letter. The tenants options at this point include ending your lease, filing suit against the landlord, or, if the problem demands immediate attention, paying for the repairs yourself and deducting it from your monthly rent. However, if you caused the damage yourself the landlord is not responsible to repair it. Nellie Gomez, executive director of the Pecos Housing Authority, said that a lot of people "settle for what they can get and don't realize the hazards to their health and safety. They just want a roof over their heads." Gomez said that the PHA is required to provide running water, access to heating and cooling, working plumbing, smoke detectors, bolt locks, water heaters and homes free of lead-based paint for tenants in sub-standard housing. She said she suspected the laws concerning private landlords were similar to the guidelines of the PHA. Tenants with persistent problems may contact their local tenant council or Better Business Bureau. Customer complaints may also be filed with the Attorney General's office. Light luminaires to fight cancerPECOS, March 31, 1998 - Orders are now being accepted for luminaries to be lit in Pecos during the American Cancer Society's upcoming "Relay for Life." For a $2 minimum donation per candle, you can dedicate the glowing tribute in honor of, in memory of, or in appreciation of any friend or family member who has survived cancer, has cancer, or has died from cancer. Names of honored individuals will be read throughout the 18-hour event. The "Relay for Life" will be held in Pecos at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena on Highway 285 from 6 p.m. May 15 until noon May 16. All citizens of the community are invited to attend a special ceremony at 9 p.m. on May 15 to see the luminaries come to life. Proceeds from luminary sales will benefit the Reeves-Loving Unit of the American Cancer Society, which is dedicated to cancer research, service and education. Call Marie Cardenas at 447-9041 for a luminary order form. PBT board meets ThursdayPECOS, March 31, 1998 - There will be a special meeting of the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Board of Education at 6 p.m. Thursday, Apr. 2, in the board room at 1304 S. Park Street. The meeting will begin with a closed session for the board to discuss personnel or hear complaints against personnel. When the meeting resumes in open session, the board will consider termination of probationary contracts at the end of the contract period. The board will also discuss/approve professional personnel resignations, retirements, transfers and appointments and discuss/approve amending the cheerleader and mascot constitution. Devil's River Minnow to get federal endangered' labelBy GREG HARMAN Staff Writer PECOS, March 31, 1998 - As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) pushes back the deadline on public comments concerning the possibility of adding the Pecos pupfish to the federal endangered species list, another lesser known fresh-water minnow is also being proposed for the list. According to officials at the USFWS, the Devils River minnow, which is already on the state's threatened species list, is limited to the spring-fed streams in Val Verde and Kinney counties and northern Mexico. Factors in the minnow's demise, USFWS officials state, include declines in water quality and quantity and predation from non-native fish, including the small-mouth bass. Congressman Henry Bonilla has spoken out strongly against the USFWS's move to add the minnow to the federal roster. "This is a classic example of the federal government once again jumping in and ignoring the rights of landowners in Texas," said Bonilla. "The people of South and West Texas have cared for their land and the environment for generations. Bureaucrats in Washington can learn a lot from these folks when it comes to forming a plan that protects wildlife in these areas. According to Bonilla, landowners near the Devils River are working diligently with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to devise a conservation plan for the minnow. The USFWS will accept public comments and information on this proposal until July 27, 1998. Once the comment period is closed officials at USFWS will evaluate all submissions and decide within a year of the date of the proposal whether the species will be added to the federal list of endangered species. But Bonilla warns that the pattern of the USFWS is to conduct surveys, illicit public comments and then "go ahead and push their agenda anyway, without regard for the concerns of private property owners." All comments regarding the proposal should be sent to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnett Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78758. OBITUARIESMarch 31, 1998Maria BarrenoMaria T. Barreno, 61, of Pecos, died Monday, March 30, 1998, at her residence after a lengthy illness. A rosary will be held at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, at Martinez Funeral Home Chapel. Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m., Thursday, at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with burial in Greenwood Cemetery. Barreno was born March 10, 1937, in Juarez, Mexico. She was a lifetime Pecos resident, a convenience store clerk and a Catholic. Barreno was preceded in death by one son, Pedro Luis Barreno. Survivors include: her father, Pedro Estrada of Pecos; four sons, Johnny Estrada of City of Commerce, Calif., and Jesus, Jose and Marco Barreno of Pecos; five daugthers, Laura Gonzales and Ana Barreno of Pecos, Maggie Estrada of Belle, Calif., Tere Gaytan of Rialto, Calif. and Dora Valeriano of Irving; four sisters, Maria Martinez of Juarez, Mexico, Socorro Estrada of El Paso, Genoveva Nuniz and Marta Estrada of California, three brothers, Gilberto and Pedro Estrada of Calif. and Enrique Estrada of Pecos; 32 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Adela MachucaAdela Machuca, 39, died Monday, March 30, 1998, at Reeves County Hospital. A rosary will be held at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, at Martinez Funeral Home Chapel. Mass is scheduled for 2 p.m., Wednesday, at St. Emily Catholic Church in Toyah with burial in Toyah Cemetery. Machuca was born July 11, 1958, in Pecos. She was a lifetime resident of Toyah, a manager at a motel and a Catholic. Survivors include: her husband, Carlos Vasquez of Toyah; six brothers, Guadalupe, Jesus M. and Jose Machuca of Midland, Dulces N. Machuca and Roberto Machuca of San Angelo and Dolores V. Machuca of Toyah; two sisters, Elvira M. Garcia of Monahans and Virginia M. Gomez of Midland. Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
WEATHERPECOS, March 31, 1998 - High Monday, 64, low this morning, 40. Clearing skies will bring pleasant weather to all of Texas on Wednesday. But temperatures tonight will be cooler than the ones recorded for the past several days. It will be fair at night and mostly sunny across West Texas. Lows tonight will be in the 20s in the mountains of Southwest Texas and in the 30s and 40s elsewhere in West Texas, highs Wednesday will be in the 60s and 70s in West Texas, ranging upward into the lower 80s in the Big Bend area. Thunderstorms accompanied by high winds and some hail roared across North Texas on Monday evening. There was some wind damage in northeastern sections, but the activity quickly moved eastward out of the area.
Pecos Enterprise
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