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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Stafford enters race for mayor against Ortega
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Feb. 26, 2002 -- A former Town of Pecos City mayor has
thrown her hat in the ring for the May elections in an effort to regain
a position she held for six years, before losing her bid for a fourth term
in office two years ago.
Dot Stafford filed with the city secretary Connie Levario on Monday
to run for mayor against incumbent Ray Ortega, who filed for a new two-year
term at the start of the one-month filing period last week.
Ortega won the election to become mayor in 2000 over Stafford by a 1,140
to 1,034 vote margin. Stafford had previously served on the Pecos City
Council before being elected mayor in 1994, while Ortega's win came in
his first bid for elective office.
Along with the Pecos city elections, which also include two council
seats that will be contested on May 4, voters will be casting ballots for
two spots on the Pecos-Barstow-ISD board and three on the Reeves County
Hospital board. Other city and school races will take place in Barstow,
Balmorhea and Toyah.
In the hospital district race, Leo Hung is the first incumbent to file
to retain his position on the Reeves County Hospital board. Hung filed
for the at-large position, which he was elected to in 2000.
All county voters are eligible to go to the polls to cast ballots for
the at-large seat, while voters in Precinct 1 will cast ballots for the
seat currently held by Chel Flores, and Precinct 3 voters will be voting
on the two-year term where Jesse Prieto is the incumbent.
In the Pecos city council race, the terms held by incumbents Danny Rodriguez
and Ricky Herrera are up in May. Rodriguez has filed to retain his position
and will be challenged by Angelica Valenzuela and Michael Benavides.
Individuals wanting to file for a position in the Town of Pecos City
election can pick up an application at city hall with Levario. The deadline
to file in the election is March 20, according to Levario.
In the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD board election, Billie Sadler has filed
to retain her seat. She is seeking a new three-year term on the school
board. The other seat up for election on May 4 is currently held by Michele
Galindo, who was elected last year to fill out an unexpired term on the
board.
March 5 is the first day to accept applications to vote by mail and
March 17 if a candidate dies on or before this date, his or her name is
not placed on the ballot.
The deadline to file to run in the May elections for all local races
is 5 p.m. on March 20, while the last day a person may register to vote
in the May 4, election is April 4.
Early voting by personal appearance begins on April 17, at the Pecos
Community Center, 508 S. Oak and April 26, is the last day to receive applications
for early voting ballots to be voted by mail.
The last day to vote early by personal appearance is April 30.
Rifle club, county work out RCDC range pact
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Feb. 26, 2002 -- A contract with the Pecos Rifle, Pistol
and Trap Club, Inc., for range use by the Reeves County Detention Center
and an interagency agreement between the Trans Pecos Drug Task Force and
Andrews County were approved during the regular Reeves County Commissioners
Court meeting held Monday morning.
Commissioners approved a contract for employees at the Reeves County
Detention Center to use the range, located south of the Reeves County Golf
Course, during training.
Reeves County Detention Center employee Eric Holt told commissioners
that they were in the process of contracting with the pistol club that
owns the range, for RCDC employees to use during training. "They require
that we enter into an annual contract," said Holt.
"The new president (Smokey Briggs) is going to charge $15 per officer
to each of the law enforcement agencies," said Holt.
Holt said he had spoken to Briggs and asked if they could just have
a flat rate.
"We believe we would use the range about 50 days per year at $100 per
day for a minimum of 50 days," said Holt. "This would come out to $5,000
per year."
The group approved the contract and approved an interagency agreement
between the Trans Pecos Drug Task Force and Andrews County, which has been
a participating county with the Pecos-based task force for the past several
years.
"Andrews donates a position to the task force as well," under the agreement,
said Reeves County Judge Jimmy B. Galindo.
In other business, members of the Reeves County Library Board were
reappointed. Those serving on the board include who were reappointed include,
Jesse Prieto, Mike Mason and Neddie Molinar.
Commissioners approved inmate transportation crew mileage payment and
a payment to Frank X. Spencer and Associates.
"The payment to Spencer is reimbursement for his services," said county
auditor Lynn Owens.
A bid for property located at 305 S. Sycamore was approved. Armando
Rodriguez bid $2,500 for the property and the bid had already been approved
by the city, hospital and school.
New hires at the Reeves County Detention Center include Benito Chabarria,
as a Correctional Officer I at $19,000 per year; Renee Blackman as Administrative
Assistant III at $26,000 per year; Debra Chacon was promoted to COII at
$24,000 per year; Isaac Chabarria was promoted to COII at $24,000 per year;
Ernesto Gonzales was promoted to COII at $24,000 pear year and Rene Guerra
was promoted to shift lieutenant at $31,500 per year. Jerry Millan was
hired as a correctional officer at the Reeves County Sheriff's Office at
$19,000 per year and Bernardo Martinez was hired at the sheriff's office
on a part-time basis as a jailer at $7 per hour.
RCH board plans to discuss buying transfer ambulance
PECOS, Tues., Feb. 26, 2002 -- The Reeves County Hospital District Board
of Directors are scheduled to discuss the purchase of a new transfer ambulance
during the regular meeting at 6 p.m., tonight in the Reeves County Hospital
classroom.
The Board has been discussing the need of another ambulance in the past
few months and will continue those discussions tonight.
The Board will also discuss the purchase of ultrasound equipment and
an up-date on the facility master plan.
Also on the agenda is the order of election for the May 4, 2002 elections,
the monthly tax reports, financial statements, budget amendments and payment
of bills.
Weather
PECOS, Tues., Feb. 26, 2002 -- High Monday 79. Low this morning 23. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly clear with record low temperatures in the mid teens.
Light southeast winds. Wednesday: Partly cloudy: Breezy: And warmer. Highs
50 to 55. South winds 15 to 25 mph. Wednesday night: Mostly clear. Lows
near 25. Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs 55 to 60. Friday: Partly cloudy
and windy. Lows near 30. Highs 55 to 60.
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 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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