|
Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Wednesday, December 8, 1999
Rail replacement to shut U.S. 285 crossing
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Dec. 8, 1999 - Traffic along U.S. 285 through Pecos will be
detoured next Tuesday, while Union Pacific work crews replace the railroad
tracks at the Cedar Street crossing.
The track replacement is part of the current project Union Pacific is
working on over a 30-mile stretch of track, from east of Barstow to Toyah.
"They're installing high speed rail, and it takes time to install the long
joints," said Larry Levario of the Texas Department of Transportation.
Levario said Union Pacific would be handling the traffic control and
detours around the work area. Drivers headed north on U.S. 285 will either
have to detour along Second Street to the west, and cross at Elm Street
before returning to Cedar along `C' Street, or go east on Second to the
Locust Street crossing, and from there back to Cedar along `A' Street.
Southbound traffic would have to turn off Cedar either at `A' or `C'
streets to get around the track work.
Crews closed the FM 516 cross at Barstow two weeks ago, and other crossings
in Pecos will also be closed over the next several days while new high
speed rails are put in place.
Ferguson sentences three for smuggling
PECOS, Dec. 8, 1999 - Concurrent sentences were handed down on three men
during Tuesday's federal court session by U.S. District Judge Royal Ferguson.
Ferguson sentences Alfredo Tejada-Ornelas to 51 months in prison on
counts of possession of marijuana over 50 kilograms and under 100 kg. A
jury convicted tejada-Ornelas on Oct. 4 of attempting to smuggle the marijuana
in truck-tractor tires through the Presidio border crossing on June 10,
1999. It was recommended he serve the concurrent sentences at the federal
correctional institution in Big Spring.
Incarceration in Big Spring was also recommended for Jesus Ortiz-Ortiz,
who pled guilty on Oct. 13 to counts of importation of marijuana and possession
with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 15 months in prison by Judge
Ferguson. Ortiz-Ortiz and a second suspect were stopped at the Presidio
checkpoint on March 27, where customs officials found 27.3 kilograms of
marijuana in their vehicle's tires.
Isaias Govez-Florez received concurrent six-month terms from Judge Ferguson,
after being found guilty by a jury on Oct. 6 of two counts of transporting
illegal aliens into the United States on July 2. It was recommended Govez-Florez
be sent to the federal prison in Seagoville to serve out his term.
School board to study Jr. high consolidation
PECOS, Dec. 8, 1999 - Design documents for consolidation of seventh and
eighth grade campuses, along with Monte Hunter's report on input from Pecos-Barstow-Toyah
ISD personnel concerning consolidation of the campuses will be the topic
of discussion at the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD board meeting scheduled for
6 p.m., Thursday.
The group will meet in the boardroom, 1304 S. Park St., and the public
is invited to attend.
The school board wants to consolidate both grades at Crockett Middle
School, while moving sixth grade classes currently at Lamar Middle School
to the seventh grade campus at Zavala. In conjunction, board members will
discuss and approve solicitation of competitive sealed proposals for middle
school lab and physical education additions to Crockett Middle School.
In other business, board members will discuss and approve a letter to
parents concerning implementation of uniforms; discuss and take possible
action on Level III grievance of Brenilda Bauer and hold a public hearing
on AEIS report/School Report Card for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD.
The group will discuss and approve audit for 1998-1999; Xerox copier
contracts; Crisis Management Plan; renting up to 10 classrooms to Odessa
College for spring 2000 semester; elementary/secondary administrators'
evaluation document or amend current evaluation document and budget amendments.
Other items for discussion and approval include:
· Y2K report.
· Professional personnel: resignations, assignments, reassignments,
change of contract.
· Community Recreation Department report.
· Tax report.
· Depository securities report.
· Cafeteria report.
· Commodities received report.
· Current bills and financial reports.
· Investment transaction report.
· Reconciled bank statement report.
· Date and time next regular meeting
· Calendar of events
· Request for items for next agenda.
Board members will meet in closed session to discuss personnel and hear
complaints of personnel; private consultation with the board's attorney
and discuss extending superintendent's contract.
Council to vote on closing alley for Post Office
PECOS, Dec. 8, 1999 - Town of Pecos City County members will have the second
reading of an ordinance to close the alley between Lots 1 and 2, Blocks
23 and 24, College Addition, Town of Pecos, where the new U.S. Post Office
will be located, at their regular meeting scheduled for 7:30 a.m., Thursday.
The Postal Service announced this summer it planned to built a new facility
in the 800 block of South Cedar Street. The new site would cover the full
block, allowing more public parking than is available at the current 63-year-old
building at Fourth and Oak streets. The resolution would close off the
alley between Cedar and Ash streets, and construction of the post office
is scheduled to begin early next year.
Council members will also discuss and consider contingency drought ordinance;
2000 Census; setting next council meeting date and setting Christmas and
New Year's holidays for city employees.
The council will consider employee recognition and items to be placed
on the next agenda.
The group will meet in closed session to discuss/consider purchase,
exchange of and/or lease of real property-Rifle Range and additional sections
in South Worsham for water field; possible litigation with Reeves County
over the Reeves County Detention Center Water Rate case and evaluation
of city employees, including the fire chief and the city secretary.
The items will be discussed in Open Session in the council chambers
at City Hall.
Tarin files to retain Precinct 3 seat
PECOS, Dec. 8, 1999 - One of two Reeves County Commissioner up for re-election
next year has filed to retain his seat on the commissioners court in next
March's Democratic primary.
Reeves County Commissioner Precinct 3 Herman Tarin has filed his treasurer's
designation with Reeves County Clerk Dianne Florez and filed his candidate
petition Monday with Democratic Chairman Bobby Dean.
Tarin is seeking his third term on the court and hopes to continue in
that capacity. "One of my main goals is to provide the best services for
our citizens," said Tarin.
He said he represents everyone equally with respect and integrity.
"I would also like in the future to try to establish a good relationship,
better than what we have, with the other entities to work towards the better
of our community," said Tarin. "I believe that Reeves County can move forward
with the dedicated commissioners court and the future looks good for Reeves
County."
Tarin stated that he would like to thank everyone for giving him the
opportunity to serve as Reeves County Commissioner for the last seven years.
"One of the most important responsibilities I was given when I became
a commissioner in 1993 was serving on the Reeves County Detention center
expansion committee," said Tarin. "We began our plans to expand the prison
immediately and the first expansion was completed in 1995."
Tarin stated that Reeves County will have increased the number of jobs
at the prison from 130 when he began serving, to 411 by the end of the
year 2000. "Gross revenue projections will have increased from $6 million
when I began serving to $32 million dollars a year when the expansion is
complete," he said.
"Even though we have had great success at the prison, our local economy
has been struggling," said Tarin. "We have done our best to help by cutting
our budget and lowering property taxes three years in a row."
Some of the achievements commissioner Tarin has worked to bring about
include the expansion of the prison, lowering property taxes in 1996, 1997
and 1998, the creation of a recreation program for Pecos and Balmorhea,
and most recently Tarin secured $150,000 in funding to build a community
center in Balmorhea.
During the time Tarin has served as commissioner, the court has been
successful in opposing environmental threats to the community like sludge
and hazardous waste dumping in Reeves County, according to Tarin.
"I believe we can make Reeves County a better place to live and raise
a family," said Tarin.
If re-elected, Tarin said, "I would like to help the prison continue
to grow and make sure that the recreation programs we have already started
in Pecos and Balmorhea are completed.
"I would like to begin construction on the community center in Balmorhea
as soon as a site is selected," he said.
Tarin resides in Balmorhea, where he has lived for the past 31 years,
with his wife, Diana and their five children, Cynthia, 27, Kimberly, 21,
Duane 16, Aaron, 14 and James, 12.
Men's basketball league being set up
PECOS, Dec. 8, 1999 - The Reeves County Community Sports and Recreation
Department is forming a men's basketball league, which will begin play
early next year.
Registration forms can be picked up at the RCCRD office in the old Pecos
High School gym weekdays between 5 and 9 p.m. Registration will continue
through January 7, 2000.
For further information, call the recreation department at 447-9776.
Lotto
AUSTIN (AP) - Results of the Cash 5 drawing Tuesday night: Winning numbers
drawn: 39-05-27-16-24. Number matching five of five: 1. Prize per winner:
$78,650. Winning ticket(s) sold in: San Antonio. Matching four of five:
214. Prize: $552.
***
AUSTIN (AP) - The winning Pick 3 numbers drawn Tuesday by the Texas
Lottery, in order: 3-0-4 (three, zero, four)
Obituary
James Exum
Services are incomplete for James B. Exum, 80, of Ruidoso, N.M., who died
Tuesday, Dec. 7 in Lubbock.
Exum had been a longtime Pecos resident.
LaGrone Funeral Home in Ruidoso, N.M., is in charge of arrangements.
Weather
High Tuesday 76. Low this morning 30. Forecast for tonight: Mostly clear
and breezy. Low near 30. West wind 15-25 mph and gusty: Becoming northwest
and decreasing to 10-20 mph. Thursday: Sunny and cooler. High 50-55. North
wind 10-20 mph. Thursday night: Clear and cold. Low in the mid 20s.
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
|
