Colored Rock Map of Texas at I-20 in Pecos, Click for Travel Guide

Pecos Enterprise

Home
Enterprise

ARCHIVE
Pecos Country History
Archive 62
Archive 74
Archive 87
1987 Tornado Photos
Rodeo Photos 88
Archive 95
Archive 96
Archive 97
News Photos 1997
Rodeo Photos 97
Archive 98
News Photos 1998
Rodeo Photos 98
Parade Photos 98
Archive 99
Photos 99


Area Newspapers
Commerce
Classified


|

Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Wednesday, November 10, 1999

New roof going onto State Theater

By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, Nov. 10, 1999 - The State Theater on Oak Street is getting a new roof this week, along with new heating and air conditioning units and new electrical wiring as well.

"We're finally making some noticeable progress on this project and it is very gratifying," Richard Creasy said.

Creasy and his wife Lilian, bought the State in August 1998 and have been working on restoring the 46-year-old building to working order ever since.

The theater was closed in December 1989 when its owner, United Artist Theaters, decided to shut all of its non multi-screen movie houses.

"The roof has been the big hold up," Creasy said. "With a good roof on, things will start falling into place."

Creasy said that the new roof is a polyurethane foam that is blown on and then dries to form a seamless barrier.

"Once the foam cures it is capped with a sealant that protects it from sunlight which is about the only thing that is damaging to it," Creasy said.

Creasy said that the new roof has an almost indefinite lifespan.

"If you take care of it, it will last a long time," he said.

Working alongside the roofers, Pecos Air Conditioning and Sheet Metal is making preparations to set five new rooftop units in place that will supply the heating and cooling for the 900 person capacity building.

R. S. Smith is doing the necessary electrical work on the project, Creasy said.

"None of this would have been possible without the financial support we've received from the Chamber of Commerce and the Pecos City Foundation," Creasy said.

Kevin Duke, chairman for the advertising tourism committee with the Chamber, said that a portion of the bed tax collected from local motels was set aside for community projects and that funding for the project came from those moneys.

"This is a good project and it will be good for Pecos if we can get a movie theater open again. I'm looking forward to it," Duke said.

Creasy said that another block of financial help came from the Pecos City Foundation.

Creasy said that the Foundation was a private foundation dedicated to improving Pecos.

"The are funded through donations and I believe this is the Foundation's first project," Creasy said. "They have really helped us out here."

Creasy said that he was hoping to have the theater open before the Rodeo in 2000.

"I think that is a realistic date," he said. "We still have a lot to do. Plumbing and tile work will be our next big projects but we are making good progress."

Friday fire at storage area ruled arson

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Nov. 10, 1999 - A Friday night fire on the east side of town has been determined to have been set intentionally, according to Town of Pecos City Fire Marshal Jack Brookshire.

The fire occurred at about 8:20 p.m., Friday, at 508 East Third St., in a storage building for Desert Rentals, a furniture rental company.

"It appears that the fire was intentionally set," said Brookshire. "The fire started in a storage shed that was vacant, it just had old potato tow sacks in there."

The fire began in the southeast corner of the building and quickly spread into the storeroom. "There was quite a bit of furniture in the store room, next to the vacant one," said Brookshire.

About $30,000 in damage was estimated on the furniture in the main building, along with the fire damage done to the structure.

"There was an extensive amount of damage," said Brookshire.

The building is located right next door to the old Popular Thriftway, which burned down in September, 1992. The grocery store's owner, Louis Tellez, opened up a check cashing service, next door while retaining the old store's name. That business is still open and didn't sustain any fire damage.

"There's just a wall dividing us, but we didn't get any of the fire," said Tellez. "We are still open for business, a lot of people got the impression that we were closed, but we're not."

Tellez Check Cashing Service, or Popular Thriftway is located at 510 E. Third St.

Brookshire said that officials have gotten a few tips on this and other fires which have seem to have been set intentionally in Pecos. "We're working on that and trying to get the culprits," said Brookshire.

Other fires have plagued a city block and those are under investigation as well.

Pecos Volunteer firemen have visited the 12000 Block of S. Walnut Street, at least three times this month.

"All in all, we've been in that same block at least nine times in the last month and a half," said Pecos Fire Volunteer Fire Chief Roy Pena.

"They've boarded up the house and have been cleaning the yard," said Brookshire.

The homes are owned by Thomas Talamantez, who is also the owner of the Del Rio Bar and Oasis Club, in Pecos.

The code enforcement officer has given Talamantez a certain number of days to clear off the "junk" in the yard to help prevent further fires.

"The yard was a fire hazard, it had a lot of junk inside the yard," said Brookshire. "But they've been taking care of that problem and cleaning up the yard, clearing it of junk, really well."

Schools, groups planning events for Veterans Day

PECOS, Nov. 10, 1999 - Americans will be asked to honor those who have fought for this country over the past 223 years on Thursday, when Veterans Day is observed across the United States.

The holiday will be observed in the area with several special events.

A Veteran's Day Celebration will be held beginning at 11:11 a.m., in Downtown Balmorhea, with a free barbecue set for lunch. The public is invited to attend.

Pecos Elementary will have a special ceremony and has invited all veterans and their families to the school. The celebration at the third grade elementary school will begin at 9 a.m.

Austin Elementary will have a special flag raising and ceremony, beginning at 8:45 a.m., at the first and second grade school. Everyone is invited to attend.

In honor of Veterans Day, the Pecos Post Office and both First National and Security State Banks will be closed in honor of the special day.

Junior high consolidation on  board's agenda

PECOS, Nov. 10, 1999 - Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school board members will discuss consolidating seventh and eighth grades at Crockett Middle School and study a source for financing during their regular monthly meeting on Thursday.

Seventh graders now attend Zavala Middle School, while eighth graders go to Crockett. The current set-up was put in place 11 years ago, when the district went to "neighborhood schools" for grades 1-8. However, due to a decline in students and lower valuations in recent years, P-B-T board members have discussed closing one or two schools in Pecos, after shutting down Barstow Elementary prior to the start of the 1998-99 school year.

Reeves County and the Town of Pecos City officials will also be recognized for helping to rebuild the Pecos High School track at the regular board meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m., in the boardroom at 1304 S. Park St.

The Pecos High School Band and the girls' volleyball team will be recognized during the regular meeting. Both advanced to UIL area competition in October. Members will also discuss amendments to interlocal agreement for community sports and recreation program between Reeves County, Town of Pecos City and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD; discuss request for staff to use district facilities on Wednesday nights for community technology and approve early release day for Friday, for a playoff football game at El Paso Ysleta.

In other business, the board will listen to the second reading and approval of Policy FM (Local) _ student activities; second reading for TASB Policy Update 61 and first reading for Policy EIC _ Academic Achievement Class Ranking.

In addition, board members will once again discuss standardized or uniform dress and take action on steps to successful implementation.

Also on the agenda for discussion and approval are attendance committees, District Improvement Plan, Y2K update, 1999-2000 budget amendments, tobacco compliance grant and ninth grade initiative grant.

During the meeting, the superintendent's evaluation forms will be distributed to board members.

Board members will also discuss and approve:

· Enrollment/attendance reports.

· Tax report.

· Depository securities report.

· Cafeteria report.

· List of commodities received.

· Investment transaction report.

· Reconciled bank balance report.

· Date and time for next regular meeting.

· Calendar of events.

· Request for items for next agenda.

The group will meet in closed session to discuss personnel or hear complaints against personnel and for a private consultation with the board's attorney. In open session, they will take action, if any, on items discussed in closed session.

Lotto

AUSTIN (AP) - Results of the Cash 5 drawing Tuesday night: Winning numbers drawn: 6-7-10-21-34. Number matching five of five: 1. Prize per winner: $77,556. Winning ticket sold in: Conroe. Matching four of five: 224. Prize: $519.

***

AUSTIN (AP) - The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Tuesday by the Texas Lottery, in order: 3-1-9 (three, one, nine)

Weather

PECOS, Nov. 10, 1999 - High Tuesday 85. Low this morning 49. Forecast for tonight: Clear. Low in the upper 40s. Light south wind. Thursday: Sunny. High in the lower 80s. South wind 5 t0 10 mph. Thursday night: Clear. Low 45 to 50.



Search Entire Site:


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 1999 by Pecos Enterprise