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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, March 14, 2002
Council approves fixing pool, halts executive session
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
The Town of Pecos City Council faced an objection to a
possible illegal executive session during this morning's regular meeting at City Hall.
Publisher and Editor of the Pecos Enterprise Smokey Briggs made
a formal objection to the executive session during the public
comments portion of the meeting.
He stated that the section of the Public Information Act used to
justify the executive session did not pertain to the subject matter also listed
on the agenda.
"The topic you have listed is, `Status to title to real
property—rifle range," he said. "You have
justified the executive session under Section 551.072 of the Texas
Public Information Act which I believe creates an exception to the
Open Meeting requirement for discussions regarding the transfer, lease or
sale of land. I do not think that your listed topic qualifies."
The council acknowledged Briggs' objection and informed him that
they did not plan to go into executive session today.
"The Counsel has made it aware to me that we'll be tabling that
item," Mayor Ray Ortega said referring to information given the council by
City Attorney Scott Johnson.
Ortega explained that the decision to table was in order for City
Attorney Scott Johnson to research the item more thoroughly.
The council approved a bid for $119,220 from Classic Tile &
Plaster, out of Grapevine, for repairs to the city pool located next to Rocket Park.
City Manager Carlos Yerena said that Classic is the only company
that responded to the request for bids however, that company has been
the lowest bidder on city projects in the past.
"We previously got quotes from other companies, which
were approximately $160,000," he said.
According to Classic's bid, the company would remove all
fiberglass and tile from the pool bed, clean the pool bed, repair the cracks and
cover the bed with a layer of bond coating.
Yerena said that this process would just repair the current pool _
it is not a new pool.
There is a possibility that the surface would crack once again a
few years down the line, Yerena said.
Although that is always a possibility, Yerena said that
the company has never had to come back to repair a job that they had done.
Ortega informed the council that Corplan Corrections President
James Parkey is the one who recommended this company to the city. Corplan
just completed work on the city's new Criminal Justice Center.
Utilities Director Octavio Garcia added that the company would
put in two 18-inch drains in the deep end if the pool instead of one to help
the pool drain better.
Yerena said that the repair work would bring the city pool up
to compliance with the new State regulations.
Repairs should begin by the first or second week of April,
according to Yerena, which would allow the company time to finish the job
before school lets out for the summer. The city pool traditionally
opens Memorial Day weekend.
In other action today, the council has allowed the city to submit a
grant application to the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission for
a regional solid waste grant.
Yerena said that the city has received the same grant for
many years and must reapply for it every year.
The grant is in the amount of $13,000 that the city uses for the
local recycling center located on Second Street.
Councilman Ricky Herrera questioned Yerena on whether or
not the recycling center is still open since he had gone by numerous times
and it is closed.
Yerena said that the center is only open for three days a week since
there is not a great demand for it at this time.
The recycling center is open from 9a.m. to 5p.m., Thursday
through Saturday, Yerena added.
The council also granted a pipeline easement to Pure Resources,
a pipeline company.
Johnson informed the council that the company is requesting
the easement to go through a city owned field.
He said that the company would lay two and seven-eighths
inch temporary steel piping across a section of city land.
"They will pay us $12 a rod which comes out to $2,700 to cross it,"
he said.
Johnson has made some changes to the request including the
company repairing the ground once they are through and a usage clause where
if they do not use it for more than a year it would be
considered abandoned.
Also on the agenda, the council approved the order of election for
the mayor and two councilmen and the central counting station for the
city election. Ortega, along with councilmen Herrera and
Danny Rodriguez, will be up for election on May 4. Ortega and Rodriguez
have already filed for new two-year terms.
The council also approved the financial audit report for the
year 2000-01, the juvenile monthly report, the monthly municipal court
report, accounts payable and the minutes of previous meetings.
Woman indicted for August vehicle accident
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Several individuals were indicted in late February for
various violations by the 143rd grand jury
in Reeves County, including a woman charged in connection with
an accident involving a Pecos teenager last August at the North Side Park.
Suzanne Renee Brizzi, 38, at the time of Arlington, Tex., was
arrested following the Aug. 24 accident at the park and charged with
deadly conduct, a Class A Misdemeanor, after Kimbertly Matta, 15, of
Pecos, fell off the hood of the 1998 green Chevrolet Blazer she was driving.
Brizzi, who now lives in Pecos, was indicted on Feb. 27, by the
grand jury, who handed up their indictment to Judge Bob Parks in
the 143rd District Court.
According to the indictment, on or about Aug. 24, Brizzi did then
and there knowingly, or recklessly cause serious bodily injury to Matta
by driving her 1998 Chevrolet Blazer and allowing Matta to ride on
the hood of the vehicle. Matta then fell from the vehicle while it was
in motion, causing serious head trauma.
At the time of the accident Matta was transported to
Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock with head injuries after falling off the front of
a vehicle and hitting her head on the ground.
The report filed by Sergeant Danny Leos of the Reeves
County Sheriff's Department stated in his report that Matta and Brizzi
were parked at the picnic tables on the south side of the park, located
just north of Pecos on U.S. 285, when Matta climbed on the hood of
the Blazer and Brizzi started to drive around the park.
After speaking with Brizzi, Leos said that she informed him that
Matta told her to go faster, while talking on her cellular phone.
According to the report, when Brizzi was turning to go back
south Matta fell off the hood. After running to where Matta was lying Brizzi
found her to be unresponsive and called for help.
Pecos Ambulance personnel responded to the scene as well as
the Pecos Police Department and the Sheriff's Department.
After arriving on scene and beginning to treat Matta's
injuries, EMS personnel requested AeroCare to fly Matta to Lubbock
for treatment.
Matta is currently at her home in Pecos, but is still under a
physician's care.
Also indicted by the 143rd grand jury was Adan Padilla, who
was charged with possession of a controlled substance, four grams
or more, but less than 200 grams;
Lee Gabriel Arredondo, charged with carrying a prohibited
weapon, a short barrel firearm, 22 caliber Marlin Rifle, serial #23744929;
Esequil Olguin Ornelas, possession of a
controlled substance;
Raul Lujan Barrera, possession of a controlled substance, less
than one gram of heroin, within 1,000 feet of a school, Zavala Middle
School. The indictment also noted that Barrera had previously
been convicted of a felony offense, on Jan. 26, 1990, unauthorized use of
a motor vehicle and on May 5, 2000, for delivery of a
controlled substance;
Conrado Gonzales, Jr., aggravated assault, bodily injury to
Eduardo Fuentes, use or exhibit of a deadly weapon _ a knife;
Rudy Mora Minjarez, theft, a Uniden Portable Scanner, over
$50 and under $500, from Rene Gomez;
Oscar Garcia Archuleta, possession of a controlled
substance, four grams or over, but less than 200 grams of cocaine, within 1,000 feet
of a school, Austin Elementary School, 1501 Veterans Boulevard;
William Bostick, III, possession of marijuana, 50 pounds or less,
but more than five pounds;
Ramin Nicholas Naderi, possession of marijuana, 50
pounds or less, but more than five pounds;
Michael Wayne Hall, possession of marijuana, 50 pounds or less,
but more than five pounds.
Search of Odessa home fails to turn up escapee
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Reeves County Sheriff Andy Gomez and his deputies were
in Odessa yesterday searching for an inmate who escaped from
their custody last Friday. But the search of an Odessa home, in
cooperation with Ector County Sheriff's deputies, came up empty.
Steven Carrasco Perez, 31, of Pecos, escaped from the jail
before 9 a.m. on Friday when he was believed to have been working
in the front portion of the building. However, while Perez was
spotted by several people leaving the area, jail personnel did not notice
his escape until 9½ hours later.
Reeves County Sheriff Arnulfo "Andy" Gomez said that Perez
was a trustee cleaning floors in the office portion of the jail when he decided
to make his escape.
"We had some information that he was staying at the Paradise
Trailer Park in Odessa, where his dad, Adan Perez lives," said Gomez.
Gomez said that their trip proved fruitless. "He wasn't there and
we didn't find any evidence that he had been there," said Gomez.
"We searched the entire house."
Gomez said that they also think Perez might be traveling to Dallas.
"He has a baby in a Dallas hospital who just underwent open heart
surgery," said Gomez. "His wife, Christy Rodriguez, is in Dallas with the
baby and we think he might head up there to see them."
"We notified the Dallas hospital and the Dallas sheriff's
department and they'll be on the lookout for
him," said Gomez.
An eyewitness gave a statement that Perez was seen leaving the
front door of the Sheriff's Department and walking by the Reeves
County Courthouse. He reportedly headed north and east from the jail,
going across Cedar Street and towards the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
The Sheriff's Department has issued an escape warrant for
Perez, which is a felony offense in the third degree.
Perez was awaiting transfer to a Texas Department of
Corrections facility where he would serve two years for parole violation. He
had been an inmate at the Reeves County Jail since January 3, Gomez said.
Jail staff did not realize Perez had run away until later in the day
when the Jailer Bea Wilson noticed he had not shown up for any of his
meals, according to a report made by Sgt. Danny Leos.
"(Wilson) stated that she had seen inmate (Perez) cleaning
around the booking area around 8:30 a.m., (Wilson) further stated that
she passed out meals to the inmates at 12:15 p.m., and as she passed
out meals in tank 2 (Perez) was not in the tank," the report said.
"(Wilson) stated that she thought that inmate (Perez) was still cleaning
down stairs."
As the day went by the staff was still unaware of Perez' escape.
The report continued, "(Wilson) states that she went back up stairs
at 6:40 p.m., to pass out supper to the inmates. (Wilson) states that as
she was passing out the meals in tank two she called out (Perez)' name and
he did not answer, (Wilson) states that she asked the inmates in tank
two where Steven was and no one answered her."
After informing her co-workers, Wilson conducted a head count of
all the inmates and was unable to locate Perez.
Gomez said that he does not believe that Perez is dangerous stating that
he has been arrested mainly on charges of burglary and drugs in the past.
"He's only had one assault charge when he was 17," he said. "In
that case he fought with his cousin."
Pecos Valley Crime Stoppers is asking the communities' help
in locating the escaped inmate.
He is described as a white male, 31 years of age, five feet, two inches
tall, weighs 125 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes.
Perez has a tattoo on his chest, neck, and left arm.
If anyone knows any information on Perez's whereabouts, how
he escaped or if anyone assisted in his escape call Crime Stoppers at
445-9898 and you will remain anonymous.
High Wednesday 93. Low this morning 65. Forecast for
tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph.
Friday: Partly cloudy and cooler. Highs in the upper 60s. West winds 5 to 15
mph: Becoming north late. Friday night: Partly cloudy. Lows 35 to
40. Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs 70 to 75. Sunday: Partly cloudy. Lows
40 to 45. Highs 70 to 75.
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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