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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, October 2, 2001
Rotary hosting pancake breakfast during Fall Fair
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 02, 2001 -- The Pecos Rotary Club will hold its annual
"all you can eat" Pancake Breakfast Saturday morning at the Fall Fair
from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Adult tickets are $5 and kids eat for $3.50. Contact Bill Hubbs at 445-2773
for more information.
Men's flag football meeting Wednesday
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 02, 2001 -- A meeting for coaches of the teams for
the upcoming Pecos men's flag football season will be held on Wednesday at
Maxey Park.
The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the men's softball field at Maxey Park.
Mural becomes new attraction at County Jail
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 02, 2001 -- Eagle spirit is abundant all over town and
now the Reeves County Sheriff's Department has joined in, with their
own mural of an eagle painted on the east side of the 25-year-old facility.
"We looked at other businesses around town and saw the eagles they had
painted on their buildings," said Javier Florez, who worked on the mural
while at the jail.
Florez painted the mural on the outside of the Reeves County Sheriff's
Office, in a very prominent place, so that all can see it as they drive through
town on Cedar Street.
"I just wanted a simple eagle," said Reeves County Sheriff Andy Gomez.
"I told him I wanted something painted on there like other businesses in
town had and I thought he was going to paint a simple eagle," said Gomez.
However, Gomez was pleased with the results of Florez' hard work after
it was completed. "He just took off and it really paid off," said Gomez.
"We were really impressed with the finished product," he said.
Florez said that his love of art began at an early age. "Ever since I
was a child I've always loved drawing and painting," he said.
When Gomez suggested that Florez paint something outside the building,
he saw it as an opportunity to show off his talent.
"It gave me an opportunity to do something that I really like," said Florez.
Florez has never had any classes or formal painting lessons. "It just
comes naturally to me," he said.
Florez said that he has always enjoyed seeing paintings and art and just
got interested in drawing by seeing things others had done. "I've always
loved art, looking at it and that's what got me interested in doing it myself,"
he said.
Florez said he visualizes what he wants to paint and then paints on paper,
the wall or other materials. "I just visualize it in my mind and then it
comes out when I paint," he said.
"Any opportunity that I have to paint, I'll take," said Florez. "Anything,
anybody wants painted, on a building or whatever I can do it."
Florez said that his love of art has just grown as well as his ideas.
"I love to work with colors," he said.
The mural on the Cedar Street wall of the County Jail took about a week
to complete. "I could have finished it sooner, but there were other projects
we were working on," he said.
He has also painted an eagle with a flag behind it at the Trans Pecos
Trans Force. "That other one has a more patriotic look," said Florez, who
added that the mural at the SO was completed on the day of the attacks at
the Pentagon and in Washington.
Gomez said that he would be taking Florez to Zavala Middle School. "They
want something painted in the cafeteria and we'll be going over there this
afternoon," said Gomez.
Florez has passed his talent down to his son, who is a sixth grade student
at Zavala. "He loves to draw and paint also," said Florez. "I can draw or
paint on anything and with any kind of paint."
"It's just something that I really like to do," he said.
Florez also does portraits and can re-create anything. "It's just a matter
of putting what's on my mind on the wall or canvas," he said.
Gomez said that everyone was really pleased with the outcome and that
Florez is currently working on completing some work in the gym at the sheriff's
department.
"I enjoy doing other things like fishing, but art is my favorite thing
to do," said Florez.
Arkansas couple working on Inn's restoration
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 02, 2001 -- Yearly trips to Fort Davis have given an Arkansas
couple a new home and business in Pecos.
John and Bernice Kilough are the new owners of the former Pecos Inn, located
at the intersection of Highway 80 and Balmorhea Highway.
Mrs. Kilough said that she and her husband would travel to Fort Davis
each year by way of Pecos.
She said about two and a half years ago they stopped to look at the abandoned
Inn and liked what they saw.
"It was still in pretty good shape at that time," she said. The motel,
opened originally as a Ramada Inn, has been closed since the mid-1980s, but
an effort was made about six years ago to reopen the motel, and some refurbishing
was down at that time.
Mr. Kilough called the number on the building and inquired about buying
the Inn with no success at that time.
He said that the realtor called him in January saying that she was ready
to make a deal with him over the property.
However, after looking at the property again, Mr. Kilough said that he
was hesitant about purchasing it.
"I was just horrified at how much it had just been trashed out," he said.
But after talking with the city and Chamber of Commerce he said that he
realized the need for apartments in Pecos.
"They said there was a shortage of apartments," he said.
So the Kiloughs decided to restore the Inn and convert the rooms into
one-bedroom apartments as well as a few efficiency apartments.
"There's a real need for quality apartments," he said.
The couple, along with help from Mrs. Kilough's son Billy Tackett, has
now spent three months in Pecos painting and cleaning up the buildings.
Mr. Kilough, a three-time retired engineer of a cable station, said that
he has been involved in renovating businesses before but never with this
type of business.
"I've done this several times in the past but not with apartments," he
said.
"He just loves remodeling," Mrs. Kilough said.
Mr. Kilough said that he could see the potential in the buildings when
he first saw it.
"I can visualize what I can make with things," he said.
Mr. Kilough is working on a proposal to lenders for an improvement loan
so that he and his wife will be able to contract out work for the plumbing,
electrical wiring, windows and carpeting.
He has already received a few bids for some of those projects and plans
to present all that to the lenders.
"Right now I'm putting together a package to take to the lenders," he
said.
Mr. Kilough said that they do not plan to move back to Arkansas, but at
first were not sure they would live in Pecos.
"We wanted to take a few months to feel it out before we decided," he
said.
Mr. Kilough said that he and his wife, who have been married almost 18
years, have enjoyed being in Pecos and have decided that it would be a good
place to live.
"We've been here long enough to find that this would be a good place to
live," he said. "We're just so impressed by the people that we're encouraged
to stay."
Mr. Kilough said that he has had only had a few problems with vandalism
since he has been here, but that it has stopped.
He said that the Pecos Police Department has been very supportive and
has been patrolling the area quite often.
The Kiloughs plan to work on the two buildings behind the main building
first and then move on to the main building. They hope to have all the work
completed by next spring.
There is another building where the Kiloughs plan to place six to eight
washer and dryers for the occupants to use.
Mr. Kilough said that he also plans on adding a few Jacuzzis but does
not plan to restore the swimming pool.
"I got to checking on the state regulations for the pool and decided not
to work on it," he said.
He said that instead he would fill in the pool and put a floor and roof
over it where he would have numerous plants, tables, chairs and a few barbecue
pits.
Mr. Kilough said that they have not decided what they will name the apartments
at this time.
"We've rolled over many names," Mrs. Kilough said.
"We just haven't settled on one," Mr. Kilough said.
But for now all the Kiloughs are worried about is cleaning up the property
and getting an improvement loan so they could start getting down to business.
Weather
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 02, 2001 -- High Monday 76. Low this morning 57. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 55. South winds 5 to 15
mph. Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Highs 85 to 90. South winds 10
to 20 mph. Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy. Lows 55 to 60. Thursday:
Mostly cloudy. Highs around 85. Friday: Mostly cloudy and cooler.
A chance of showers or thunderstorms. Lows around 60. Highs in the
lower 70s.
Obituaries
Simon Granado and Carol Munoz
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 newsdesk@nwol.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 2001 by Pecos Enterprise
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