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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Monday, August 14, 2000
OC's new campus ready for registration
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, August 14, 2000 - All prospective students of the Pecos Technical
Training Center of Odessa College can register for classes for the school's
first fall semester on Tuesday, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.,
at the OC center on Eddy Street.
This is the first full semester registration for the new OC center here.
Some summer classes were held in the building, while the official grand
opening took place two weeks ago.
Director of OC's Pecos campus, Michelle Workman, said the registration
is for every kind of student from high school concurrent students to the
continuing education students.
"That's including everyone," she said. "Every student we can think of."
Workman said they would take on additional staff members to help with
the needs of the students.
"There are 20 people coming to join us tomorrow for registration," she
said.
Robert Munoz, Dean of Workforce for Continuing and Distance Education
will be on hand to help with the registration along with the others.
Students will have access to advisors and counselors that would help
them choose the courses they need and plan out what the students need to
do.
In addition to the advisors and counselors, staff from OC's bookstore,
financial aid and business offices will be here to take payments, help
students apply for grants and financial aid and purchase books.
Advisors are available for students who want to get ahead today at the
Pecos Center.
Workman said the staff would help the students step-by-step in the registering
process so they would not get lost.
"They'll hand them a checklist of what to do before they walk out the
door," she said.
Students who do not have financial aid or grant money right now will
be required to make a payment on the tuition and fees tomorrow.
Returning students with good grade point averages or new students will
be required to pay 10 percent of the total payment and students with a
low GPA will be required to pay 50 percent.
Payment plans are offered on tuition as well as books.
The staff at the Pecos Center, which has been open since the last week
of May, has helped about 300 people get situated and advised for the fall
semester.
Workman said they are gathering information of what the people of Pecos
want to take if offered at the center.
She said there has been interested expressed for cake decorating, stained
glass, flower arranging and Spanish as a second language.
Workman said they hope for a big crowd at the registration and would
like to encourage all new students to come at 9 a.m.
"We'd like all the new people get a head start with advisement," she
said.
Being a first generation college graduate in his family, Munoz said
this is a good opportunity for Pecos to have the OC extension and believes
all the citizens should take advantage it.
"We want to assure the folks of Pecos we are a presence and are committed
to the community," he said.
Munoz said he is willing to speak to any organization in Pecos and would
be happy to visit with anyone who has questions. He can be reached at 915-335-6685.
Classes being offered this fall include courses ranging from history,
public speaking, English, mathematics, science, drawing, art and music
appreciation to introduction to computer systems, welding, psychology,
child guidance and medical terminology.
Late registration for the OC center in Pecos has been scheduled for
August 22-25 with a $5 late charge fee.
For more information call 445-5535.
Brown wins third vote for 83rd DA's position
PECOS, August 14, 2000 - The results of a contested race for district attorney
in six Trans-Pecos and Big Bend counties was reversed on Saturday, with
Alpine attorney Frank Brown defeating Marfa lawyer Steve Spurgin in an
election ordered by a visiting district judge.
Brown, who had finished second to Spurgin in the March Democratic primary
election and in the ensuing April runoff, won by a 3,270-to-3,229 margin
in the race for 83rd District Attorney, after Spurgin's two-vote victory
in April was voided due to accusations of voter fraud.
Although the election was close again, Spurgin said he sees no reason
at this point to ask for another recount.
"It was hard-fought from the beginning," said Spurgin, who congratulated
Brown on his victory. "It looks like this one just wasn't meant to be."
Brown is sure to get the job in the 83rd District race, because he and
Spurgin are both Democrats and there is no Republican candidate.
"We're pleased - we worked real hard," said Brown, who credited higher
voter turnout in Brewster County, for which Alpine is the county seat.
"I think this is probably going to settle it."
To make the race, the 45-year-old Spurgin resigned as assistant prosecutor
to current District Attorney Albert Valadez, who wasn't seeking re-election.
Spurgin aggressively sought the Hispanic vote, especially in Pecos County,
the most populous county in the district and emerged from the April 11
runoff with a one-vote victory, 2,448-to-2,447. After a recount, Spurgin
had two more votes than Brown.
However, reports immeidately circulated about possible illegal voting
in the runoff election, and State District Judge Murray Jordan of Brady
voided six ballots and said an undetermined number of illegal mail-in ballots
tainted the April 11 vote.
"Illegal votes equal to or greater than the number necessary to change
the outcome of the election were counted but the court cannot ascertain
the true outcome of the election," Jordan declared.
Brown, 41, filed a lawsuit challenging the election. He alleged voter
fraud in connection with ballots cast early by elderly and disabled Hispanic
voters, many of whom could not read or write.
Spurgin argued that any
City's tax rebate check shows slight drop
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, August 14, 2000 - Sales tax rebate figures for Pecos were down
slightly in June from a year ago, according to figures released Friday
by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander's office, while results around
the Permian Basin overall were mixed for the month.
Pecos' check was down 5½ percent from 1999, Rylander's office
said. The city got back $75,859 from Austin as its 1½ cent share
of the state's 8 ¼ cent sales tax, down from $80,290 sent back in
August of last year, based on June, 1999 sales.
Part of the decline may have been due to a later start this year for
the West of the Pecos Rodeo. The first rodeo performance this year was
July 5 instead of on July 1, meaning that almost all pre-rodeo events,
along with the cowboys and other rodeo workers involved in slack competition,
did not start up until after July 1 this year.
For the first eight months of 2000, the city's tax rebates remain virtually
unchanged from a year ago. Pecos has gotten $523,447 back from the comptroller's
office, up .79 percent from the $519,322 the city had gotten by this time
last year.
Balmorhea's tax rebate check for August showed a 4.82 percent rise,
to $1,559, while Toyah's check for $661 was down 73.68 percent from last
year's $2,513 total. Toyah's checks for 2000 have been down sharply from
a year ago, after spiking up from their normal levels in 1999, while Balmorhea's
check was affected by an increase in the city's sales tax since last year.
For the year, Balmorhea's rebate checks total $5,967, up 38.41 percent
from a year ago, while Toyah has gotten $3,277 back, down 72.57 percent.
Midland also benefited from a ¼-cent sales tax rise in the past
year, which helped their rebate check jump over 30 percent. The city got
back the biggest single check for the Permian Basin, $1,615,783, while
Odessa got back $1,280,219 from Rylander's office, up .75 percent.
Other cities showing single-digit increases this month were Andrews,
Big Spring and Presidio, while Fort Stockton and Marfa joined Pecos with
single digit declines and Alpine, Monahans and Kermit saw their rebate
checks drop by double digits compared to 1999.
The Reeves County Hospital District's August check for $36,096 was up
7 ½ percent from last year's $33,572 total. Overall, the hospital's
eight-month total, like Pecos' figure, is almost unchanged from a year
ago, at $208,444, up .88 percent from 1999.
Statewide, Rylander sent out just under $255 million in tax rebate checks
to cities and counties in Texas this month, a 1.2 percent rise from a year
ago. Houston again received the state's biggest check, for $32.5 million,
though that was down 3.6 percent from last year, while Dallas got back
$21.3 million, down 3.1 percent from a year ago.
Pee Wee football sign-up deadline Friday
PECOS, August 14, 2000 - This is the final week to sign up players for
the Pecos Eagle Pee Wee football program.
Players in Grades 3 through 6 can sign up today through Friday at the
Reeves County Community Sports and Recreation Department office in the
West Pecos gym.
Registration is $20 per player, with a player draft of players set for
Saturday. Teams will be divided into two divisions, for Grades 3-4 and
5-6 with workouts set for three weeks before the first games on Saturday,
Sept. 9 at the Pecos High School practice field.
For further information, call the RCCRD office at 447-9776.
Obituaries
Maria F. Martinez
Funeral Services for Maria P. Martinez, 67, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday
at St. Catherine's Catholic Church, under the direction of Martinez Funeral
Home, with Fr. Mike Alcunio officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Evergreen
Cemetery.
Viewing is today and Tuesday morning, with a rosary tonight at 7:30
p.m. at Martinez Funeral Home Chapel.
Martinez was born April 19, 1933 in Presidio and died Saturday, Aug.
12, 2000, at St. Luke's Hospital in Houston after a long illness. She was
a longtime resident of Pecos, was retired from the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah
ISD and was a Catholic.
Survivors include her husband, Salvador C. Martinez of Pecos; four sons,
Dan P. Martinez of Kingsville, Sam P. Martinez of Midland, Joey Martinez
of San Marcos and Rick Martinez of Denver, Colo.; four daughters, Estella
Rodriguez, Elida Rodriguez and Anna M. Madrid of Pecos and Isabel M. Falcon
of Odessa; five brothers, Monico M. Pisana of San Antonio, Manuel M. Pisana
of El Paso, Eusebio M. Pisana of Grand Prairie, Domingo M. Pisana of Roswell,
N.M. and Billy M. Pisana of Austin; six sisters, Pola Rubio and Gabina
Hernandez of Pecos; Juanita Acosta of Carlsbad, N.M., Linda Minjarez of
Mesquite and Cecila Garcia and Candida Chavez of Odessa;24 grandchildren
and nine great-grandchildren.
Maria Felix Reyes
Funeral Services for Maria Felix "Fela" Reyes, 68, of Pecos will be at
1 p.m. Tuesday at Santa Rosa Catholic Church, with burial at Santa Rosa
Cemetery under the direction of Pecos Funeral Home. A rosary will be held
at 7:30 p.m. today at the Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.
She was born on July 12, 1932 in Presidio and died Friday, Aug. 11,
2000 at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa. She was a homemaker, had lived
in Pecos since 1949 and was a Catholic.
Survivors include her husband, Pedro "Pete" Reyes of Pecos; one son,
Alfredo Reyes of Pecos; two daughters, Ann Herrera of San Diego, Calif.,
and Manuela Reyes of Pecos; two brothers, Willie Alaniz and Manuel Alaniz,
both of Pecos; four sisters, Macaria A. Huertas, Alibina A. Lara, Carmen
A. Dominquez and Prisciliana a Rede, all of Pecos, and six grandchildren.
Weather
PECOS, August 14, 2000 - High Sunday 101. Low this morning 69. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms.
Low 70-75. South wind 5-15 mph. Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent
chance of showers or thunderstorms. High around 100. South wind 10-20 mph.
Tuesday night: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms.
Low around 70. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Low around 70. High 98-102.
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
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Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
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