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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Fireworks operators stocking stands despite limitations
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., June 25, 2002 -- As the Fourth of July nears, fireworks distributors
are beginning to stock their local stand operators with plenty of supplies,
even with the limits placed on fireworks use due to the dry conditions
created by the area's ongoing drought.
Cory Stevenson, Mr. W's Firework District Supervisor for the Big Bend
area said that they placed ads in area newspapers two weeks before the June
23 start-up date so that people wanting to sell fireworks could call an 800
number to set up an appointment to get interviewed.
"We interview the people that call us," Stevenson said. "We then give
them their inventory and advise them on how to sell and finally we make sure
everything is running in order."
Stevenson said that it varies each year on the amount of people that call
in but that they usually get anywhere from six to seven people.
"During the past few years it has been pretty slow," Stevenson said. "People
keep calling through out the year though. But right now we do not have an
operator on Third Street," where a stand is located on the east side of Pecos.
He also did say that there are several things that they look at when hiring
an operator for their stands.
"The operators must be here 24 hours a day, they must be 18 years or older,
they must want to sell and they must have people skills. It's like selling
cars," Stevenson said.
Stevenson added that people who sell fireworks get paid on a commission
bases of 15 percent starting and if they come back the next year their commission
bases goes to 20 percent.
"If any one wants to run one we have one open," Stevenson said.
There are a total of eight Mr. W stands in this area. Stevenson said that
they have two here in Pecos and Alpine and one in Monahans, Crane, Kermit,
and Ft. Stockton and each stand gets two large shipments.
"They get two large shipments," Stevenson said. "One which is their opening
inventory and then we bring twice as much when they start to sell out on
certain items. It takes us about ten hours to deliver to all these stands."
Though there are two other stands around Mr. W's Fireworks on South Cedar,
Stevenson said that they to well for their location.
"We are cheaper then everybody else," Stevenson said. "The biggest competitor
is Truckload which is out of Odessa. However, we do tend to out sell them
even in this area."
Stevenson said that their biggest sellouts are artillery shells and Texas
Pop Rockers.
Stevenson added that people buying the fireworks must be careful as they
set them off.
"Be careful and clean up after yourself," Stevenson said. "Don't leave
fireworks laying around."
Commissioners vote to restrict use of fireworks
By LEIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., June 25, 2002 -- The Reeves County Commissioners Court approved
banning the use of all fireworks on county property during the regular
meeting yesterday in the Third Floor Courtroom at Reeves County Courthouse.
The Commissioners and County Judge Jimmy Galindo approved a restriction
of fireworks use in unincorporated areas including Martinez Field during
the upcoming holiday.
In an article published last week in the Enterprise, it stated that Reeves,
Culberson, Hudspeth and El Paso counties were the only ones in this area
that did not have a burn ban in place.
During yesterday's meeting, the Commissioners approved a resolution that
bans all outdoor burning along with the fireworks restriction.
The burn ban resolution is set to expire 90 days after adoption unless
the county decides to renew the ban at that time, according to the resolution.
According to the resolution, all outdoor burning activities are banned
unless they are activities approved by the Texas Natural Resources Conservation
Commission, are for firefighter training; public utility, natural gas pipeline,
or mining operations; or planting or harvesting of agriculture crops.
The Commissioners approved transferring county vehicles to the Community
Sports and Recreation Department as well as the use of recreation transportation.
They also approved awarding the bid proposal for inmate work boots to
Desiree's Boutique.
The Commissioners approved several requests of payments including LMD
Architects payment invoices number 240 and 241 for RCDC III; Trinity Engineering
for payment invoice number 27845 for RCDC III.
They also approved change orders from Howard Mechanical, Inc., and Carothers
Construction, Inc., for RCDC III.
Personnel and salary changes included new hires at the Reeves County Detention
Center Kelly Granado as a temporary accountant for budget purposes at an
hourly rate of $13; Terry Halpain and Natalie Evaro as Correctional Officer
I at $19,000 per year. Alva Alvarez was hired under a Harvard University
Federal Work-Study program through Judge Galindo's office at an hourly rate
of $9.30.
Promotions for RCDC include Amy Abila, Maricella Acosta, Debra Brown,
Angel Carrasco, Mary Evaro, Joel Garcia, Frankie Grammer, Arnulfo Granado,
Rodolfo Hernandez, Robert Jensen, Ismael Juarez, Jaime Jurado, Fred Lozano,
Hector Lozano, Felix Machuca, Martina Machuca, Robert Mendoza, Jerri Ornelas,
Javier Ortiz, Francisco Ramirez, Tracy Ramirez, Pete Ramos, Jr., Dulces Rodriguez,
Chrostopher Ryan, James Thomas, Veronica Valerio and Cesar Zermeno as Correctional
Officer III at $26,000 per year; Teresa Lyles and Russell Smith as Case Manager
at $28,000 per year; and Olga Florez as Budget Administrator III at $26,000
per year.
In other business, the Commissioners approved budget amendments and line-item
transfers, minutes from previous meetings and semi-monthly bills.
Appraisal review hearing changed to July this year
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., June 25, 2002 -- Protest of appraisals for local property and
mineral rights owners in Reeves and western Ward County will take place
a little bit later than normal this year.
In years past the Reeves County Appraisal Review board has meet either
the third or forth week in June. This year they are not able to meet till
July 8 and 9.
The loss of an employee set them back, Carol King-Markham, chief appraiser
said.
"We had an employee leave without notice so we had to divide her work,"
King-Markham said. "We have not replaced her and we are not going too."
The appraisal review board will meet on Monday, July 8th and
on Tuesday, July 9th the mineral hearings will begin. Final valuations
for the various taxing entities will be set by the Reeves County Appraisal
Board following the final decisions of the review board, and budgets and
tax rates for the 2003 fiscal year will then be set based on those valuations.
The appraisal review board that handles the real-estate portion consists
of Bob McNutt, Chairman, Charles Mitchell, Vic-Chairman and Trey Miller,
Secretary. They will meet at the office of King-Markham and hear landowners'
protests on proposed appraisals on property for local taxes.
There are nine criteria that allow a property owner to protest in front
of the board. Several of those are the appraised or agricultural value of
the property; denial of a homestead exemption, determination that an Ag land
has had a change of use and is subject to a rollback tax and determination
that then taxpayer is the owner of the property.
Property owners protesting may offer evidence or argument, either in person
or by filing a sworn affidavit with the ARB. A property owner may appoint
another person to present their protest by filing an "Appointment of Agent"
form with the Appraisal District.
Property owners should know that the ARB has authority over tax rates
or the jurisdictions' spending and will not hear protests on these topics.
Though the board does not meet till July 8th King-Markham
did say that they do try to do everything before then.
"We try to handle everything before then," King-Markham said. "What we
can't solve we take to the board."
King-Markham did say that they do not have many problems in 22-years the
office has been open. She added that Austin does audit them twice a year
and that if they do find an oversight they correct it immediately.
Tennis tourney sign-up deadline this Wednesday
PECOS, Tues., June 25, 2002 -- Wednesday is the deadline to sign up for
this weekend's Pecos Cantaloupe Tennis Tournament.
The three-day tournament will be held Friday through Sunday at the Pecos
High School tennis courts and is open to both youth and adult players. Entry
fee is $8 per player for each event.
Divisions for boys and for girls will be split into 10 and under, 12 and
under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under. There will also be men
and women's adult divisions and junior and open divisions for mixed doubles.
Entry fees can be paid by check to Mike Ortiz, 106 W. 13th
St., Pecos, Tx., 79772. For further information, call 631-5349.
City Council to view audit on Thursday
PECOS, Tues., June 25, 2002 -- The Town of Pecos City Council is scheduled
to review the city's financial audit for 2001-02 during their regular meeting
at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday evening at City Hall.
The Council will also discuss Duncan Disposal's request for a rate increase
in their contract with the city.
Duncan Disposal representatives met with the Council during a workshop
in early June to discuss a possible rate increases.
During that meeting the Council expressed their concerns on Duncan's performance
under the same contract.
Duncan responded by suggesting a new system that would allow customers
to call a local number and set up appointments for heavier items to be picked
up.
During Thursday's meeting, the Council will discuss and take action on
whether or not they would give Duncan an increase.
The Council will also discuss appointments to the Economic Development
Corporation as well as discussing the monthly tax collection report, offers
to purchase properties located on East Third Street and South Oak Street
as well as the accounts payable and the minutes from previous meetings.
Interviews scheduled Wednesday for coach applicants
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., June 25, 2002 -- Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD officials are scheduled
to interview candidates for the vacant head football coaching job on
Wednesday, and the P-B-T ISD school board will hold a special meeting
Thursday afternoon to discuss the selection of a new coach, after receiving
recommendations from administrators.
The head coaching job for the high school football team came open earlier
this month when Gary Grubbs announced his resignation in order to accept
the head coach and athletic director positions at Eldorado High School, south
of San Angelo. P-B-T Athletic Director Bubba Williams said about a dozen
people submitted their applications to fill the vacancy, but not all will
be interviewed for the job on Wednesday.
The names of those applications scheduled to be interviewed were not available
this morning.
Both P-B-T Superintendent Don Love and assistant superintendent Gome Olibas
were out of town today at the Texas Association of School Administrators
meeting in Austin, but were scheduled to be back on Wednesday when the interviews
will be conducted. School secretary Jo Allgood said the interviews would
be held Wednesday afternoon, while the closed door session of the school
board will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday in the P-B-T Technology Building,
at Eddy and Adams streets.
Grubbs served three seasons as the Pecos Eagles' head football coach,
going 18-15 during that span while making the playoffs all three seasons.
The new coach will be the fifth head coach for the Eagles in the past 10
seasons.
Weather
PECOS, Tues., June 25, 2002 -- High Monday 99. Low this morning 66. Forecast
for tonight: Mostly clear. Lows 70 to 75. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy with isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Highs
100 to 103. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Wednesday night: Partly cloudy
with isolated thunderstorms. Lows 70 to 75. Thursday: Partly cloudy
with isolated thunderstorms. Highs 95 to 100. Friday: Partly cloudy with
a slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows 70 to 75. Highs near 100.
Obituary
Dr. R.E. Lovett
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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