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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Thursday, February 27, 2003
Valenzuela second incumbent to seek board term
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Feb. 27, 2003 -- The second incumbent whose term expires this
year has filed for another three years on the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
board in the May elections.
Steve Valenzuela filed to run for another term on the board, joining incumbent
David Flores. Both were first elected to the school board in May of 2000.
The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD race now has three candidates seeking the
two available three-year terms. Randy Baeza filed to run for the school board,
joining incumbent Flores, who is seeking his second term on the board and
Valenzuela who currently holds the other seat up for election.
The school board election is the first to be assured of a contested race
in the May 3 voting. In the Town of Pecos City election, two of the three
council members whose terms are up have filed to run again, and have been
joined by a former council member seeking to regain a spot on the council.
Mayor Pro-tem Gerald Tellez filed to retain his seat on the council last
week, as did councilman Frank Sanchez. Tellez has been a council member for
the past decade, while Sanchez was elected in 2001, after serving as Town
of Pecos City mayor in the mid-1980s.
The third candidate is former councilman Danny Rodriguez, who was defeated
for re-election last May after serving four terms on the council. The other
council member whose term is up in May is Johnny Terrazas.
In the Reeves County Hospital District board election, Precinct 2 incumbent
and current RCH Board president Linda Gholson filed for a new two-year term
on the board. Gholson's seat is one of two up for election this May, the
other being the seat in Precinct 4, currently held by Hugh Box, who cannot
run for re-election after redistricting moved his residence into a different
precinct.
Deadline to file an application for a place on the ballot in all local
elections is 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 19.
Tuesday, March 4, will be the first day to accept applications to vote
by mail, and early voting by personal appearance will be held at the Pecos
Community Center, 508 S. Oak St., from April 16-29.
The last day a person may register to vote in the elections is April 3,
and the last day to receive applications for early voting ballots to be voted
by mail is April 25.
City council elections will also be held in Barstow, Toyah and Balmorhea
on May 3, as will elections for the Balmorhea ISD board.
`High-octane' engine additive gets man jailed
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Feb. 27, 2003 -- More was in the engine block of a Jeep Cherokee
than just truck parts, local law enforcement officers found after they
stopped the vehicle for traffic violations Wednesday morning in Reeves
County.
At about 10:53 a.m., Wednesday, Trans Pecos Drug Task Force officer Joe
Gonzales stopped the 1997 red Cherokee at mile marker 33 on Interstate 20,
about seven miles west of Pecos.
The driver of the Cherokee was identified as Alzono Olivas, 29, of Fabens,
who was traveling eastbound on I-20. "I stopped him for traffic violations
and he gave me verbal consent to search the vehicle," said Gonzales.
"I observed tampering inside the engine," he added.
The officer took a closer look and discovered 11.6 pounds of cocaine,
hidden inside a metal box. The cocaine has a street value of $473,550.
Gonzales was assisted by Trans Pecos Drug Task Force Officer Kevin Roberts,
who helped uncover the hidden cocaine.
Olivas was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance,
a first-degree felony.
"There has been almost $2 million of drugs taken off the streets within
the last eight months," said Trans Pecos Drug Task Force Commander Gary Richards.
"The interdiction officers have seized close to $160,00 in cash off vehicles
since June of last year," he said.
Richards said he was proud of the work the interdiction officers do. "They
are very well trained and the community is lucky to have them on our side,"
he said.
Richards added that about 1.8 million in drugs has been taken off the
streets in the last eight months and 16 "major" seizures have been on the
highways.
Junell to make first Pecos trip in early March
From Staff and Wire Reports
The new federal judge for the Pecos Division of the Western District
of Texas has taken the oath of office, and will be making his first visit
to town for court business in two weeks.
Rob Junell took the oath of office as the newest judge in the Western
District of Texas on Feb. 13, and held his first court session earlier this
week in Midland. Junell, a San Angelo Democrat and former state legislator,
was nominated for the federal bench in March of 2002 by President Bush and
approved by the Senate at the beginning of February.
Junell is replacing Royal Furgeson, who is moving to San Antonio to fill
an open judicial position in that division of the Western District. Furgeson
announced his plan to move to San Antonio to replace the late U.S. District
Judge Hipolito F. "Hippo" Garcia in January of 2002. At the recommendation
of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Sen. Phil Gramm, Bush then nominated
Junell, who supported him in the 2000 presidential election, for the now-open
seat in Midland and Pecos.
Furgeson will continue hearing cases in the Midland and Pecos federal
courts through April, while Junell is scheduled to make his first trip to
the Lucius D. Bunton Federal Courthouse in Pecos on March 10 to meet the
staff, look around and get acquainted.
According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, the 56-year-old Junell will
be moving to Midland, but will maintain his ranch in the San Angelo area.
He handled a hearing this week in his first appearance on the bench in Midland,
and will gradually take over the caseload from Furgeson over the next two
months.
Skateboard park request on agenda for Council
PECOS, Thurs., Feb. 27, 2003 -- The Town of Pecos City Council will hold
a lengthy meeting this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at
City Hall.
Council members will hear several presentations during the meeting, including
one during the public comments section of the meeting from parents seeking
the city's help in creating a skateboarding park. Several hundred people
have signed a petition seeking creation of a park for skateboarders and Town
of Pecos City Manager Carlos Yerena said last week that the council is aware
of the issue regarding the skateboarders and that there were possible locations
available for the park.
"There is an area over by Maxey Park," Yerena said. "Across from it that
could be a potential site."
Other presentations will consist of updates on the dairies by Gari Ward,
director of the Pecos Economic Development Corporation, and a presentation
on the city's new landfill construction by Jeff Lindsay.
Appointments by Mayor Dot Stafford will be made in reference to the plumbing
board and to the electrical board. A discussion and consideration on the
appointment of a new finance director by the city manager will also be made.
Other discussions and considerations will be made on the offers to purchase
properties located at 512 S. Walnut St. and 1320 S. Oak St.
The council will also discuss and consider the closure of Cothran, Massey
and Kerr Streets in the Maxey Park area on March 22 for the Family Health
Day.
Discussion and consideration on a resolution for the ambulance service
to purchase an ambulance and a resolution relating to the distribution or
selling of glass bottles beverages will also be heard.
A second reading on the amending ordinance relating to the city's drought
contingency plan will also be given along with a recommendation by zoning
and planning commission on property located at 2003 S. Eddy St.
The council will approve the minutes of its regular council meeting held
on February 13, the accounts payable report, the municipal court report and
the tax collection report both for January.
Other discussion and considerations will be made in regards to the agreement
with the Trans Pecos Drug Task Force, the approval of the departmental racial
profiling statistics for 2002, the repairs for water tanks at Worsham Field
and the amendment to award contract to BRB Contractors, Inc. for the Town
of Pecos City development of the South Warsham Well Field Project Part C
_ Water Transmission Line, latarals and well tie-ins.
Two groups to play Riverside Ballroom
A dance is scheduled for 8 p.m. until 2 a.m., Friday at the Riverside
Ballroom.
Conjunto Amanecer and Grupo Cumbre will provide the musical entertainment
for the evening.
Advance tickets can be purchased at Beer Depot #1.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., Feb. 27, 2003 -- High Wednesday 59. Low this morning 44.
Forecast for tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows 35 to 40. Southwest winds
5 to 15 mph. Friday: Partly cloudy. Highs 65 to 70. Southwest winds
10 to 20 mph. Friday night: Partly cloudy. Lows 35 to 40. Saturday:
Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s. Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Lows
35 to 40. Highs 60 to 65.
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 news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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