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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Red Cross account at WTNB receives $1,821 for victims
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 1, 2001 -- A fund to raise money for the American
Red Cross to help victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New
York and Washington, D.C. received $1,821 in donations from local residents,
according to Melanie Ikeler of West Texas National Bank.
Ikeler said the fund was opened on Sept. 12 at WTNB and was closed out
on Wednesday. "We'd like to thank all the people who contributed to the fund,"
Ikeler said.
Senior fix-up loans from USDA funds has income cut-off
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 1, 2001 -- Home repair loans for senior citizens through
the U.S. Department of Agriculture are for households based on income levels,
said Jesse Stephens of the Pecos Housing Association, a not-for-profit group
established through the Pecos Chamber of Commerce.
Stephens said an article in Wednesday's Enterprise stated a person 62
years old with two people in the household and an annual income of $14,300
would qualify for this loan. However, Stephens said those who qualify who
are in a two-person household must have an annual income of $14,300 or less
in order to qualify.
Those who do meet the income qualifications can pick up application forms
for the one-percent USDA loans at the Chamber of Commerce office, 111 S.
Cedar St.
Amendment early voting going slowly
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 1, 2001 -- Voting for or against a number of proposed
constitutional amendments does not seem to be what registered voters
in Reeves County want to do this week.
Election officials said that only 71 people have cast ballots during early
voting for the constitutional amendment election, in which 19 amendments
have been proposed.
"During the ten days that we have been here we have voted 71 people,"
Election Official Nora Briceno said.
Even though that number is low for the election, Briceno said that it
is about average compared to the elections in other counties.
"It's okay because we've heard in Ector County it is going slow," she
said. With few candidates on this year's ballot, turnout statewide is expected
to be low this year, except in certain areas like Houston, which will be
holding its mayoral election next Tuesday.
Election Official Marian Clark said she thought more teachers, retired
teachers, firefighters and travel trailer owners would be interested in voting
in this election, because some of the propositions would effect those people.
Clark pointed out the propositions that deal with those groups of people
including Proposition 11, which deals with current and retired teachers.
Proposition 11 states "the constitutional amendment to allow current and
retired public school teachers and retired public school administrators to
receive compensation for serving on the governing bodies of school districts,
cities, towns, or other local governmental districts, including water districts."
Of the 19 propositions, two deal with fire fighters and fire fighting
equipment.
Proposition four states, "the constitutional amendment providing for a
four-year term of office for the fire fighters' pension commissioner."
Proposition five states, "the constitutional amendment authorizing municipalities
to donate outdated or surplus fire fighting equipment or supplies to underdeveloped
countries."
"So firemen may be interested in voting," Clark said.
Proposition 14, dealing with travel trailer taxes, states, "the constitutional
amendment to authorize the legislature to authorize taxing units other than
school districts to exempt from ad valorem taxation travel trailers that
are not held or used for the production of income."
Meanwhile, voters who will be casting ballots in next year's Democratic
primary election in Reeves County will find themselves going to new locations
in four of the 12 precincts, if a proposal submitted to the U.S. Justice
Department last week is approved.
Reeves County Democratic Executive Committee Chairman Bobby Dean plans
to submit changes in polling locations for the March 12, 2002 Democratic
Primary Elections to the Justice Department for pre-clearance.
According to a list of the polling location changes, voters in Precinct
2 would go to Odessa College, Pecos Center on Eddy Street to vote since the
normal site, Pecos Elementary, has been closed.
Voting at Precinct 10 would be changed from the Meals on Wheels kitchen
to the Community Council room at the Reeves County Annex, but the site would
still be located at 700 W. Daggett Street, while Precinct 11 would be changed
from Bessie Haynes Elementary to the Sadler-Haynes Center, approximately
500 feet west of the school.
The biggest change would come for voters in Precinct 9 in the Orla area.
That box would be consolidated into Precinct 8 at Lamar School, 40 miles
to the south in Pecos.
These proposed polling sites must now go before the Justice Department
for pre-clearance before officially becoming the new sites.
For the current election, voters have one day left to vote for these and
many other propositions during early voting with the polls opening from 7:30
a.m. to 5 p.m., tomorrow in the Reeves County Courthouse lobby.
Election Day is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 6, with polls open from 7
a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Reeves County Civic Center.
`Christmas for Kids' beginning fundraisers
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 1, 2001 -- Plans are already underway to make this Christmas
a special one for a lot of children in the community.
Christmas for Kids organization is planning a fundraiser Saturday to help
provide gifts for the children in the community this holiday season.
Christmas for Kids raises money each year to provide gifts for children
who otherwise would not receive anything for Christmas.
"We want to make sure that all the children in this community have a wonderful
Christmas," said Sofia Baeza, one of the organizers of the group.
Baeza said that they started the organization in 1996. "We made 186 children
very happy at Christmas time and every year we have added at least 100 more
children," she said.
This Saturday, the group will be selling barbecue plates from 11 a.m.
until 3 p.m., at the Reeves County Sheriff's Posse Barn. Plates will be $4
and to order individuals can call the posse at 445-3400.
"This is one of the fundraisers we do each year to raise money for our
kids," said Baeza.
This year Christmas for Kids has a goal of raising $6,000 to help as many
children and families as possible.
"We try to help as many families as we can," said Baeza. "Last year we
helped 173 families and 511 children."
She said that she believes the group will have the opportunity to help
that many families and children this year, if not more. "We'll probably have
more this year, because of the economy," she said.
Applications to be recipients of the Christmas for Kids funds can be picked
at the Reeves County Sheriff's Office beginning today through Dec. 3.
"We want to provide the essentials for as many children as possible, this
Christmas season," said Baeza. "We want to help as many families as we can."
"We provide the essential items such as shoes, clothes, jackets and we
want to help every child that is on our list every year," said Baeza. "We
want to make it a `Happy Holiday,' for these less fortunate children in our
community."
The group will also be going door-to-door asking for donations for the
worthy cause on Saturday, Nov. 10.
"Our thanks go to the community, who has made it possible for this program
to be a success," said Baeza. "We the volunteers get our `thank you' by seeing
the smiling faces when we deliver the gifts in December," she said.
For more information on the program call the Reeves County Sheriff's Office
at 445-4901
Sales taxes fell by $42 million due to attacks
AUSTIN (AP) - Fallout from the terrorist attacks coupled with a slow economy
has caused a $42 million hole in the state coffers, Comptroller Carole Keeton
Rylander said Thursday.
Rylander said September sales tax receipts were $1.15 billion, or $42
million less than expected.
"For a few days in September people stayed home and watched TV and worried
about the world situation," Rylander said.
Rylander reiterated her belief that the state would not go into an economic
recession.
"One month is not a trend," she said. "I fully expect our economy to recover
in the latter months of next year and I believe our very conservative estimates
will hold."
Because Texas has a two-year budget cycle, there is time to recover without
a deficit, she said.
Originally, Rylander had predicted the September loss to be $113 million.
"We bounced back," Rylander said. "Texans are a defiant, confident and
resilient bunch."
The 2002-2003 $114 billion budget spends almost all incoming state revenue.
Any sudden drop in tax collections could force changes to the budget by either
the 10-member Legislative Budget Board or the full Legislature.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 1, 2001 -- High Wed. 91. Low this morning 60. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s. Light and variable
winds. Fri.: Partly cloudy. Highs near 80. Southeast winds 5 to 15
mph. Fri. night: Mostly cloudy. Lows 50 to 55. Sat.: Partly cloudy.
Highs in the upper 70s. Sun.: Partly cloudy. Lows 45 to 50. Highs 70
to 75.
Obituary
Lonie Kelly
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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