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Top Stories

Monday, July 24, 2000

Bugs worked out as State Theater reopens

By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer

PECOS, July 24, 2000 - The State Theater is now up and running.

This weekend marked the first time in 10½ years Pecos has had a movie theater to go to, and things went fairly smoothly for the first paying crowd on Saturday, through theater owner Lillian Creasy said there were some problems the first time out on Friday, during a sneak preview for an invited audience.

"We had bad technical difficulties on Friday night," Creasy said.

The problem turned out to be a faulty bulb. Creasy's husband and co-owner of the State Theater, Richard, had replaced an 11-year-old bulb in the movie projector and the new bulb was faulty. Mr. Creasy placed the old bulb back in and the movie ran perfectly.

Mrs. Creasy said business was better the next day with around 500 people visited the theater.

"Saturday went extremely well," Mrs. Creasy said.

Sunday slowed down a little but the Creasys where pleased none the less.

"We really appreciate the support of the community," Mrs. Creasy said. "Everybody seems to be excited about the theater."

Pecos Police Officer Paul Deishler provided security for the Creasys throughout the weekend. The Creasys said they would have zero tolerance for trouble and misbehavior in the theater.

"We've put a lot of love, blood, sweat and tears into this theater and we expect people to love it just as we love it," Mrs. Creasy said. "On the whole, everybody was cooperative."

They do have some rules people need to follow. They do not want people to place their feet on the seats and no outside food or drink can be brought inside the building

Mrs. Creasy said she believes the theater staff did very well and while she and her husband are still taking applications but will not be hiring right now.

The only other technical problem the Creasys had was the sound.

The surround sound feature was not set up and the movie was hard to understand at times.

Lee Chabarria, the sound advisor for the Creasys, said most of the problem was not the wiring.

"The problem was the English accents," Chabarria said. "If you don't pay attention it is hard to understand."

Mr. Creasy wants the community to understand the levels of the voices can not be adjusted. He said the sound comes directly on the film and "whatever comes out is what you have."

Chabarria said the surround sound is now hooked up and things should sound different.

"Now that we altered the stereo, there will be a change," he said.

The Creasys will have all types of movies and are trying to keep real offensive material out.

"We have searched for some Hispanic movies but are having trouble finding them," Mrs. Creasy said.

The Creasys are also looking for cartoons and kiddie movies for possible matinees for the kids.

They will have rated R movies in the theater and will be checking identification at the ticket booth.

Mr. Creasy said that is a rule made by the motion picture and theater industry and they will follow all rules.

"I don't make the rules and sometimes I might not agree with them but we will follow them," Mr. Creasy said.

Mrs. Creasy said they would have extra butter for the popcorn and lids for the sodas soon. She said they would also have pickles and eventually hot dogs for sale at the concession stand.

She said they were happy for the customers' consideration when leaving the theater.

"We appreciated that a lot of people threw away their trash in the trash cans," she said.

The Creasys said they are pleased with the first weekend open and are looking forward to the weeks to come.

"The main thing that made us happy is that it seemed everyone was excited to have the theater open as we are," Mrs. Creasy said. "We're happy to be in Pecos and happy things are going well."

Revised appraisals cut most local valuations

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer

PECOS, July 24, 2000 - Reeves County and the Reeves County Hospital District will have a little bit less money to work with when setting their Fiscal 2001 tax rates in the upcoming weeks, while the Town of Pecos City and the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD will have a few more dollars on their tax rolls, after final real estate and mineral valuations were approved by the Reeves County Tax Appraisal District.

The revised numbers follow June's hearings before the Reeves County Appraisal Review Board and represent lower numbers than first announced for most of the taxing entities, mainly due to revisions in mineral valuations.

"We lost that valuation in the Appraisal Review Board," said Reeves County Chief Appraiser Carol King Makham. "A lot of times the mineral owners don't turn in their numbers until the appraisal review board, and that happened quite a few times at the appraisal review board this year."

The revised numbers show the county and the hospital district's valuations are down $2,228,790, in contrast to the increase of $1,930,650 initially reported back in May. In that report, mineral valuations within the county were reported up by $3,413,120, which offset a loss of $1.5 million in real estate valuations.

Under the revised figures, the loss in real estate valuations has increased to $2,159,590 while the rise in mineral valuations has turned into a $69,200 loss.

Dale Heiskell, West Texas District Manager for Pritchard and Abbott, the appraisal firm employed by the Reeves County Tax Appraisal District, said state law causes the initial appraisal estimates often to be far off from the final totals.

"The legislature came along and says everybody has to file by April 15, but then they said in they want a 15-day extension to file by April 30 the chief appraiser has to grant the extended time," Heiskell said. "The only thing we've got is last year's numbers or the estimated numbers until we get the renderings in.

"By the time we get them (at the company's office in Fort Worth), we've already sent the notices out, then we start making the corrections based on the renditions," he said.

Mineral valuations changed the least for the Town of Pecos City, which were up $2,646,990 in the initial report and were still up by $2,603,130 following last month's appraisal review hearings. However, property valuations, which were in the black by $480,920 in the preliminary report, are now down by $142,590, which cut the city's overall gain in valuations to $2,460,540.

"The real estate valuations went real well," Markham said. She explained that the changes were "just adjustments _ people coming in with sales adjustments or with interior damage. We had people coming in with pictures or the board went to their houses and figured those people needed a little more depreciation."

The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD's valuations remained on the plus side, but by only one-third of what was originally estimated. The school district's valuations were up by more than $9 million back in May, but following the hearings, the increase was cut to $3,157,280.

All of the increase came in mineral valuations for the school, which covers the Barstow area of western Ward County in addition to the northern part of Reeves County. Mineral valuations rose by $4,350,100, while real estate valuations declined $277,820.

Balmorhea ISD saw just over $1 million cut from its overall valuations, but that actually was an improvement over the initial $1.3 million estimate.

Estimated losses in real estate were up slightly in the revised numbers, from just under $590,000 to just over $618,000, with most of that due to the closing of the four-year-old Brunswick-Roadmaster bicycle shipping warehouse, after the company decided in January it could buy bicycles cheaper in China than it could build them in Ojinaga, Mex., for shipping across the U.S. out of the Balmorhea building.

But the district's losses in mineral valuations were cut by over $300,000 following the ARB hearings. Losses are now put at $395,240, down from $707,450 estimate.

"If we had an additions here like some pipelines or some rendition came in late that could be the reason," for the increase, Heiskell said. He added that state law does not provide for any penalties for late renditions.

The Brunswick warehouse is outside the Balmorhea city limits, so the school district's real estate losses were not reflected in the city's property valuations.

Balmorhea's real estate values were up $155,910, though a $212,590 drop in mineral valuations left the city's overall figures down $56,680.

Toyah was hit hard by the loss of mineral valuations due to property moves by Union Pacific Railroad. An initial estimate of a $935,000 decrease was cut to $846,430, while property values were up $6,430, but the overall $840,000 decline still represents over one third of the city's total net taxable values.

Union Pacific is currently talking about moving its crew-changing site out of Toyah and building a train crew motel in Pecos. The railroad said the city is closer to the midpoint between its other sites in El Paso and Sweetwater.

The other taxing entity within Reeves County, the Reeves County Water Improvement District No. 2, joined the city and school in showing a net increase in valuations in the revised numbers. A $381,130 rise in the mineral values more than offset a drop of $13,720 in real estate, and left the district with a net gain of $367,410.

Net taxable values overall under the revised figures were $369,775,970 for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD; $365,871,960 for both the county and hospital district; $116,744,170 for the Town of Pecos City; $18,414,280 for Balmorhea ISD; $6,181,370 for RCWID No. 2; $3,485,870 for Balmorhea City and $1,430,850 for Toyah.

Rifle Club adds older rifles to competition

By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer

PECOS, July 24, 2000 - The Pecos Rifle and Pistol Club hosted a Service Rifle shooting match on Saturday.

Pecos native Ed Longoria won the match with a score of 440 out of a possible 500 points. Longoria used an AR-15 type rifle.

"We had a very good match," Rifle Club vice president Mike Mason said. "We had two classes of shooters this time _ one for modern semi-automatic rifles and one for older bolt-action service rifles."

Mason said that club hoped to encourage more participants to use older rifles in the matches.

"Right now there are a lot of older military rifles on the market that are very affordable. While everyone might not be willing to pay for a modern service rifle, most people can afford one of the antique service rifles," Mason said.

Mason said that bolt-action service rifles from around the world were currently available for $100 to $200.

Match rules were modified to encourage inexperienced shooters to participate.

"The match is a modified version of the course of fire usually used in high-power and service rifle competition," Mason said.

High-power rifle competition requires shooters to use iron sights and competitors usually shoot an 80 round course of fire, he said. Service rifle competition varies in that competitors must use a rifle that is classified as a "military service rifle." Currently M-1 Garands, M-14 variants and M-16 variants are the only rifles that qualify as service rifles.

"We have relaxed the rules so that any rifle that saw military service and that is equipped with iron sights is eligible," Mason said.

"We are also shooting a modified course of fire. We are shooting at 200 yards and using reduced targets to simulate the 300-yard and 600-yard legs of the match.

Mason said that the club is making plans to renovate the range and build sliding target carriages that would allow matches to be held at the actual 200-600 yard ranges.

Second place in the match went to Smokey Briggs shooting a Model 1896 Swedish Mauser, and third place went to Larry Longoria shooting an AR-15/M-16 variant.

Mason said that the club planned to hold an identical match in late August and was looking at making the match a monthly event.

Interested persons can contact any member of the club or drop by the month club meeting held on the first Tuesday of each month at the Southern Union Gas building on Oak Street.

RCH board to hold budget workshop

PECOS, July 24, 2000 - The Reeves County Hospital Board of Directors will have a budget workshop during a special meeting on Thursday.

The Board of Directors will meet in the hospital classroom at 5 p.m.

Obituaries

Louise Adams

Louise Adams, 92, of Fort Stockton, died Saturday, July 22, 2000.

Graveside services were held at noon today at Balmorhea Cemetery with Rev. Rick Moon officiating.

She was born May 27, 1908, in Mexia, was a former Balmorhea resident who had lived in Fort Stockton for five years, a retired beautician and a Methodist.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Brawley D. Adams on Nov. 1971 and her grandson, Joseph Brown in June 2000.

Survivors include two daughters, Patty Brown of Balmorhea, Margaret Renz of Alpine; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Fort Stockton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Helen Hildreth

Helen Hildreth, 76, of Pecos, died Saturday, July 22, 2000, at Midland Memorial Hospital.

Services were held at 10 a.m., today at First Baptist Church with Rev. Greer Willis officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Evergreen Cemetery.

She was born Feb. 17, 1924, in Center, was a retired federal employee and a Baptist.

Survivors include one daughter, Edith Joyce Thomas of Midland; two brothers, Charles Titus and James Titus of Pecos; two sisters, Elizabeth Schmidt of Pecos, Frances McCasland of Midland; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Jose Herrera

Jose "Pepe" Herrera, of Odessa, died Friday, July 21, 2000, at Odessa Medical Center.

Services will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 25, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Odessa.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Eloy, Juan and Paul Herrera and his father, Francisco Herrera.

Survivors include his mother, Rosa Herrera of Odessa; his wife, Elvia Herrera of Odessa; four sons, Rudy Herrera of Odessa, Frank Vega, Jr., of Dallas, Raymond Vega of Pecos and Lee Vega of Odessa; seven daughters, Sonia Herrera Williams, Elena Herrera Campos of Odessa, Alvessa Herrera Lyles and Margie Navarrete of Midland, Susana Lujan of Pecos, Cecelia Guajardo and Elaine Vega of Pecos; five brothers, Manuel Herrera of Hobbs, N.M., Frank Herrera of Santa Rosa, Calif., Greg and Osbaldo Herrera of Odessa and Robert Herrera of Tulsa, Okla.; three sisters, Gloria Carrasco and Celia Valdez of Odessa and Carolina Ramos of Santa Rosa, Calif.; 39 grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces.

Armando Armendarez

Armando "Mando" Armendarez, 41, of Pecos, died Friday, July 21, 2000, at his residence.

Mass was held at 10 a.m., today, at Santa Rosa Catholic Church with burial in Mt. Evergreen Cemetery.

He was born July 25, 1958, in Pecos, was a laborer-roustabout, a lifetime Pecos resident, and a Catholic.

Survivors include his wife, Diana Lara Armendarez of Pecos; his father, Abel "Wero" Leos of Dallas; three daughters, Elva Armendarez of Midland, Amanda and Alessandra Armendarez of Pecos; two brothers, Arturo Leos and Alvaro Leos of Dallas; one sister, Rosemary A. Urias of Pecos and three grandchildren.

Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Weather

PECOS, July 24, 2000 - High Sunday 102. Low this morning 71. Forecast for tonight: Mostly clear. Low in the lower 70s. Southeast wind 5-10 mph. Tuesday: Mostly sunny and continued hot. High 105-109. South wind 10-15 mph. Tuesday night: Partly cloudy. Low in the lower 70s. Wednesday: Mostly sunny and fair at night. Lows in the lower 70s. Highs 102-107.



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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
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