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Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

New Year’s Eve celebrations trash park, Civic Center areas

Some local residents had a good time celebrating New Year’s Eve on Sunday night, but left clean-up crews with a lot of work to do Tuesday morning.

A variety of debris littered both the North Side Park and the area located south of the Reeves County Civic Center, areas used by individuals as a place to display their fireworks. “Every year the county designates an area where they can go to do fireworks,” said Reeves County Emergency Coordinator Ricky Herrera. “I know both of these places have been designated before.”

However, he said that the areas were not officially designated this year for fireworks launching.

“This is something I plan to talk to the new county judge (Sam Contreras) about, because this year the areas were not designated and they used them anyway,” said Herrera.

Herrera said that even if the areas had been designated as appropriate spots for displaying fireworks, people should at least pick up after themselves.

“One year I suggested we put trash barrels in those areas,” said Herrera.

Trash barrels are located at the North Side Park, but not at the empty lot by the civic center, and Herrera said, “They have trash barrels at the North Side Park and they still don’t use them.”

Herrera said that he feels that if they’re going to pop firecrackers, they should at least pick up their own trash.

“To me that’s littering and littering is illegal, they should receive a fine,” he said.

Herrera said that hopefully next year they can get a fresh start and come up with some solutions to this problem.

“It looks terrible the following day and this happens twice a year, once during the Fourth of July and then again on New Year’s Eve,” said Herrera. “And this is the first thing that tourists see, the mess at one end of town and one at the other end.”

“I’m hoping that we can come up with some solutions,” said Herrera.

Herrera said that he knew that Contreras would be talking to all the employees. “When he talks to me, this is one of the items I want to address,” he said.

“I want to look at it in the future and remedy the situation,” said Herrera. “It doesn’t look right for the tourists to see our town like this,” he said.

Oaths taken by new county officials

Three new members of the Reeves County Commissioners Court were sworn into office on Monday, three days after the outgoing group held its final meeting to discuss a legal issue during an executive session at the Reeves County Courthouse.

Former Town of Pecos City Finance Director Sam Contreras was sworn in Monday as Reeves County Judge, replacing Jimmy Galindo, while Gabriel Martinez and Ramiro “Ram” Guerra took the oath as new Precinct 2 and Precinct 4 commissioners. Contreras placed second in the March 11 Democratic primary, then won a controversial runoff in April over Al Gomez and defeated Robert Hanks in November in the race to replace Galindo, who opted against seeking a fourth term in office.

Martinez and Guerra also won April runoff elections, after placing first in the March Democratic primary. Both were unopposed for election in November. Martinez defeated Precinct 2 incumbent Norman Hill, who was seeking a second four-year term, while Guerra defeated and Precinct 4 incumbent Gilberto “Hivi” Rayos, who had sought a third four-year term as commissioner.

The three join Roy Alvarado and Saul Herrera on the court. Alvarado and Herrera were first elected to office in 2004. The first meeting for the new court is scheduled for next Monday, January 8, in the third floor courtroom at the Reeves County Courthouse, where the swearing-in ceremony was held.

The outgoing commissioners court handled a few final issues during their meeting on Friday, including an executive session dealing with possible legal action. No action was taken by commissioners following Friday’s closed door meeting.

Suspect sought after guns, cash, coke found

New Year’s weekend was a lot less fun for at least one local resident, who is being sought by Pecos police following the raid of a Missouri Street home on Friday turned up drugs, cash and weapons, including at least one believed to have been stolen.

According to Police Investigator Paul S. Deishler, the items were found in the raid of a home at 2223 S. Missouri St., at 12:54 p.m. on Friday. The police department’s SWAT team entered the home on a search warrant, and discovered a large amount of cocaine inside the bedroom of the home.

“Also removed from inside the bedroom was a large amount of U.S. currency and several firearms,” Deishler said in a news release. “During the search of the suspect’s vehicle, another large amount of a substance believed to be cocaine which had already been packaged for sale was found hidden inside the vehicle.

“Hidden with the suspected cocaine were several firearms and another large amount of currency. One of the firearms hidden inside the vehicle is believed to be a stolen firearm from another city,” Deishler added, while Investigator Kelly Davis said the total amount of cash came to around $25,000.

Officers did not give a value or total weight of the cocaine seized, but said a possession of a controlled substance charge would be enhanced, since the home is located within 1,000 feet of Austin Elementary School.

Davis said that the suspect was not at home at the time the raid was conducted by officers, and Deishler said charges against the man are still pending as the investigation continues. The drugs, cash and the weapons were taken by officers to the Pecos Criminal Justice Center, to be placed into evidence.

Allen honored for 40th anniversary

A reception was held at the Pecos Valley Country Club honoring Bill Allen on his 40th Anniversary at State Farm Insurance.

Allen, Agent for State Farm Insurance, began serving the Pecos community and Reeves County 40 years ago on Dec. 1, 1966.

Bill and his wife, Betty, are long-time residents of West Texas.

Before starting his State Farm agency in Pecos, Bill was a JC Penny store manager in Marlin. After a few years, Bill and Betty moved to Pecos and took up farming. Later Bill went to work for Chevron.

In his 40 years with State Farm, Bill has been a productive and honored agent. Bill has earned awards for quality business 35 times. He has both qualified for incentive travel and has been in State Farm’s Legion of Honor many times.

Bill is well known in State Farm for going out of his way to help his clients. Pecos is dear to Bill and he shows it through his involvement in the Lions Club and the Rotary Club, and especially the Rodeo.

State Farm insurance is proud to be associated with Bill Allen for 40 years and is looking forward to many more.

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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 432-445-5475, FAX 432-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net

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