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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Thursday, March 28, 2002
FLH to keep apartments for migrants
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., March 28, 2002 -- Plans for converting the Pecos Farm
Labor Housing (FLH) to Multi-Family Housing have been postponed for the
time being in order to provide housing for migrant workers during this
year's harvest season, the FLH Board of Commissioners decided at the regular
meeting on Tuesday.
"We are going to have the apartments available to migrant workers this
season," Executive Director Nellie Gomez said today, following Tuesday
evening's vote.
The commissioners have been discussing the possibility of converting
the current FLH to Multi-Family Housing because there is a demand for housing
throughout the year, not just the harvest season.
"That housing is in demand but not by farm workers," Gomez said.
However, Gomez and the commissioners discussed the need of housing for
farm laborers this season after many farmers called explaining that they
did not have their own housing anymore because they were not up to code.
The commissioners decided to go ahead and postpone the conversion for
now.
"We'll continue the conversion after this season," Gomez said.
During the Pecos Housing Authority (PHA) portion of the meeting, the
commissioners approved the first payment to Master Builders, out of Midland,
for construction of new sidewalks and additional parking on 10th
and 11th Streets, at the PHA's East Side apartment complex.
Gomez said that the Master Builders crew started construction of the
sidewalks and parking on March 11.
"They're doing a good job," she said.
The construction should be completed by June 11 if not sooner, according
to Gomez.
Gomez also gave the commissioners a report on the progress of the new
fencing being constructed on Orange Street.
Gomez said that a PHA crew has been working on constructing the fence
for some time and should be finished by the end of July.
"It's already looking nice," she said.
Gomez passed out applications to the commissioners for the Texas NAHRO
26th Annual Conference that would be held on April 21-25 in
San Antonio.
In other business, the commissioners approved the monthly reports for
both PHA and FLH along with the minutes of the previous meeting.
Area pioneer family head Joplin dies
PECOS, Thurs., March 28, 2002 -- Funeral services were scheduled today
for a longtime Pecos resident, who had been honored along with his family
as the Reeves County Pioneer Family in 2000, who died this past Sunday
just 2½ months shy of his 100th birthday.
Curtis Frank Joplin, 99, died Sunday, March 24, at Odessa Medical Center.
Joplin had been a resident of Pecos for the past 92 years, and his family
was honored as the Reeves County Pioneer Family during a reception held
in July 2000 at the West of the Pecos Museum.
Frank's father, Frank Joplin and his wife, Anna, moved to Pecos in March
1909. They brought with them four children: Margaret Elizabeth, Raymond
Ellis, Curtis Frank and Anna Loraine.
The Joplin family was a part of the construction of the First Baptist
Church and has their name on the corner stone.
Joplin's father was responsible for sprinkling the dirt streets everyday
for the downtown merchants. His sprinkling truck is now on display at the
museum.
Frank Joplin was married for 60 years to Beulah Joplin, who died in
1998. The couple eloped on June 1, 1938, while Frank owned the Conoco Station
on the corner of U.S 80 and Carlsbad Highway (Third and Cedar streets).
Later he worked at the Leader Hardware and Brownlee Hardware.
Beaulah was a homemaker and a talented seamstress and artist.
Joplin was honored in 1997 with a huge party in honor of his 95th
birthday given to him by his daughter, Loyce Brown, of Rochester, Minn.
The happy event was held at the West of the Pecos Museum. Guests signed
a special notebook, put together by his daughter and filled with many memories.
The tables in the courtyard were decorated with windmills, Joplin's profession
of many years.
Murder indictments returned against Ramon by grand jury
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., March 28, 2002 -- A man involved in a shoot-out with
police after killing his wife in Odessa in January has been indicted on
two counts, one for first degree and one attempted capital murder.
Joe Albert Ramon, 41, was formally charged with first-degree murder
and attempted capital murder, according to Ector County District Attorney
John Smith.
Bond was set at $250,000 on each count and Ramon is facing from 5-99
years or life and up to a $10,000 fine, according to Smith.
"I expect that at the arraignment, which will take place in 2-3 weeks,
he will plead not guilty," said Smith. "That's what most defendants usually
plead."
At the time of the arraignment, the judge will set a schedule for a
trial, according to Smith.
The January 17 shootout involved three former Pecos residents, all of
whom were living in Odessa. Ramon shot and killed his estranged wife, Estela
Cadena Ramon, 36, before trading gunfire with Cpl. Greg Travland, an officer
with the Odessa Police Department.
Estela Cadena Ramon was shot and killed by Joe Albert Ramon at her place
of employment in downtown Odessa. Joe Ramon then wounded Travland in the
leg, but the officer was able to shoot Ramon several times in the chest,
according to a report released by the Odessa Police Department.
Ramon used a .375-caliber revolver in the shooting and reports indicate
Travland returned fire with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
At the time of the incident, Travland was taking a report from Estela
Ramon, office manager for Drug Screen Compliance and Consortium of the
Southwest, at that office in regards to a domestic problem. He was at the
office for about 30 minutes when Joe Albert Ramon, entered the building
and began firing at Estela Ramon.
Ramon spent over a month at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa undergoing
treatment for his wounds before being transferred to the Ector County Jail.
Travland remains off duty right now while recovering from his gunshot wound
to the leg.
Schools, local government offices planning to close
PECOS, Thurs., March 28, 2002 -- With many offices and businesses closed
tomorrow in observance of Good Friday, some will continue to work.
The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD schools will be closed along with the Town
of Pecos City and Reeves County offices. Both the Security State and West
Texas National Bank plan to close early on Friday for the holdiay
However, the U.S. Post Office will be open during their regular hours,
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the U.S. District Courthouse and other federal
offices in Pecos also are scheduled to remain open.
The Pecos Enterprise will also be open and will be publishing a paper.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., March 28, 2002 -- High Wed. 85. Low this morning 54. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 55. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Fri.:
Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Highs 75 to 80. South winds 10 to 20 mph. The chance of rain is 20 percent.
Fri. night: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Lows around 50. Sat.: Mostly cloudy and cooler with a 50 percent chance
of showers and thunderstorms. Highs 55 to 60. Sun.: Mostly cloudy. A slight
chance of showers early. Lows 40 to 45. Highs around 65.
Obituaries
Frank Joplin and Ynez Patino
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
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Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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