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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Early voting slows down for city, school elections
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., April 24, 2003 -- Early voting for the upcoming area elections
has slowed down, but individuals still have until next Tuesday to cast their
ballots prior to the actual Election Day, on May 3.
"It's really slowed down, but everything is coming along fine," said
early voting clerk Debbie Thomas.
Thomas said that 276 people have cast their ballots early and 163 ballots
have been mailed in.
"They're not great numbers, but we still have until Tuesday," said Thomas.
Thomas said that tomorrow the number of early voters would probably surge.
"People think that Friday is the last day to vote early and they'll come
in then," said Thomas. "That's happened to us in the past, where they think
Friday is the last day."
Thomas said that individuals who would like to cast their ballots early
should come in Friday, Monday or Tuesday.
"That way they won't have to wait in line on Saturday, May 3," she said.
Polls opened on April 16, at the Pecos Community Center, located on Oak
Street for the Town of Pecos City and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD elections
and will be open daily from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. through next Tuesday.
The city and school board races are the only ones in Pecos that are contested
in the May 3 election. Balmorhea ISD voters will also be casting ballots
in their election on May 3, and early voting there also runs through Tuesday,
April 29.
Polls on Election Day will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. in Pecos for
the city and school elections and in Toyah, Balmorhea and Saragosa for the
school races. Barstow voters will also be casting ballots in the P-B-T ISD
race, along with the special election to fill the vacant seat in the 19th
Congressional District.
Four candidates are seeking two three-year terms in the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah
ISD race, while four candidates are seeking the three available two-year
seats on the Town of Pecos City Council.
Incumbents David Flores and Steve Valenzuela are seeking new terms on
the school board and are challenged by Randy Baeza and Amy Montgomery Miller.
In the city race incumbents Gerald Tellez and Frank Sanchez are seeking
new terms, along with Danny Rodriguez and Mark Bragg.
In Balmorhea, Abel Baeza, Paul Matta, Courtney Ballard, Sharon Oates
and Tommy Rey Dominguez are vying for the two seats on the Balmorhea School
Board.
Loving County voters will also be casting ballots in the 19th Congressional
District race on May 3. A total of 17 candidates are running in the race
to succeed Republican Larry Combest.
Early voting in that race is being conducted in Mentone for Loving County
voters and in Monahans for Ward County voters, including those from the
Barstow area.
Council to vote on TransPecos tax abatement
PECOS, Thurs., April 24, 2003 -- The Town of Pecos City will discuss and
consider the approval of the tax abatement agreement with TransPecos Foods
during their regular meeting, at 5:30 p.m. today at City Hall
During its last meeting the council approved the five-year tax abatement
with about 100 percent abatement on all new capital improvement for the
company, which took over operations of the plant from McCain Foods late
last summer.
McCain closed the plant last May after buying out Anchor Foods in September
2001. The closing left 700 people out of work. TransPecos Foods currently
employs about one-fifth of that total, and the abatement is designed to
help with future expansion of the facility.
Also on this evening's agenda is discussion and consideration by the
council on the approval of the preliminary plans for water improvement systems
project Part I - the replacement of the 250,000 gallon tank at Ward County
Well Field and Part II - the refurbishment of the two, three million gallon
ground storage tanks amendment number two of the South Worsham Project has
been placed on the agenda.
Other items to be discussed are the offers to purchase property located
at 1411 S. Oak St. and 913 N. Elm St.
The council will also discuss and consider a resolution to participate
in the Cooperative Purchase Program of the Texas Building and Procurement
Commission.
A member of the Pecos Housing Association will present the council with
a presentation/update during the afternoon meeting.
The minutes of it regular council meeting on April 10, the accounts payable
report, the municipal court report for March 2003 and the monthly tax collection
report for March 2003 will also be presented to the council for approval.
JL, SL baseball meeting tonight
PECOS, Thurs., April 24, 2003 -- The Pecos Junior and Senior League coaches
and managers will have a meeting this evening at 6 p.m. at the Sunday House
Motel on Interstate 20. Anyone interested in participating as a coach or
manager in the 2003 season is urged to attend the meeting.
Tryouts for the leagues also have been scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday
at the Senior League Field in Maxey Park, according to Ray Palomino. Tryouts
are open to players ages 13 through 16 years of age.
Parenting session scheduled at PHS
PECOS, Thurs., April 24, 2003 -- A Parenting Session is scheduled for
6 p.m. next Tuesday, April 29, at the Pecos High School, Room #2.
The event is sponsored by the District Counselors and the topic will
be "The Prevention Program" for runaway, truant and at-risk youth.
The session will be presented by Stay Together Program, Scholastica Hernandez.
Refreshments will be served and everyone is invited to attend.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., April 24, 2003 -- High Wednesday 85. Low this morning 58.
Forecast for tonight: Clear. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds 10 to 20 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. West winds 10 to 20 mph.
Friday night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Saturday: Mostly clear.
Highs in the mid 90s. Sunday: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Highs
in the lower 90s.
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
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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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