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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Friday, October 17, 2003
City given OK to open new landfill
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Fri., Oct. 17, 2003 -- Old structures that pose a hazard to
the community will be one of the first things to go into the new
landfill, when it goes into operation in the next few weeks.
"We received verbal authorization to use the new landfill," said
Town of Pecos City Manager Carlos Yerena.
The new landfill is located at the site of the landfill the city
opened 14 years ago, two miles south of Pecos, but whose use was then
limited by state regulations.
Yerena said that Pecos had received the verbal consent from the
Texas Commission of Environmental Quality, the state agency that
governs landfills in Texas.
"They did a final inspection and told us that it had passed and was
ready to be used," said Yerena.
Yerena said that although they did receive verbal consent, the city
had not received the consent in writing. "We don't have any
documentation yet," said Yerena.
Yerena said that the city will first take some of the old buildings
and burned out structures out to the landfill. "That's our first
priority, to demolish those old buildings and take the debris to the
landfill," said Yerena.
Yerena said that after that project the city would open up the
landfill to the public. "We want to do that first, before we open it up
to the public, because we really need to get rid of these old
buildings, they pose a hazard to the community," he said.
Construction of a new landfill became possible when the Town of
Pecos City was able to obtain an arid exemption from the state of Texas
for its construction. When the city attempted to obtain a similar
exemption in the late 1980s, the Texas Commission on Natural Resources,
the forerunner to the current commission, denied its request.
The state denied the permit, saying the site was too close to the
Pecos River, even though the city was able to produce 30-year-old
newspapers from the landfill that showed no water deterioration. As a
result, Pecos had to spend additional funds to build a landfill with a
rubber liner for the trench, a project that ran into construction
problems and came in over is projected $1.2 million budget in 1992.
Faced with similar costs, the council voted against building a
second rubber-lined trench in 1995 and contracted with Charter Waste
Management, now Duncan Disposal, for transportation of the city's waste
to the company's regional landfill near Penwell. Grant funds earmarked
for the landfill at the time were diverted to construction of
transmission lines for the South Worsham water field, which is now
nearing completion.
State approves city's Main St. application bid
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Fri., Oct. 17, 2003 -- Three years after its first application
was turned down, the Town of Pecos has received approval from the Texas
Historical Commission for the city's designation as one of the new
Texas Main Street Cities.
The THC designated the cities of Grand Saline, McKinney, Pecos and
Pharr as the 2004 Official Texas Main Street Cities. The announcement
was made today during the THC's fall quarterly commission meeting in
Amarillo.
"The Texas Main Street Program is one of our most successful and
recognized programs," said THC Chairman John L. Nau, III. "We have seen
tremendous accomplishments in both large and small Main Street
communities in the past 22 years and believe these four cities will be
among our most notable programs," he said.
The newly designated cities join more than 70 other Texas cities in
the downtown revitalization program sponsored by the THC. Each 2004
designated Main Street city will have a kick off for their program with
a visit from the Texas First Lady, Anita Perry. Each city will also
receive free technical assistance, design assistance and training from
the THC's Texas Main Street Program staff.
Pecos first applied for inclusion in the Main Street program in
2000, but was turned down. The THC encouraged the city to reapply the
following year, and commission members held a tour of the downtown area
in February of 2001. But the application again was denied, and another
attempt in 2002 also fell short.
In an effort to increase the city's chances of winning approval,
Pecos City Council members created the new position of Main Street
Coordinator in April of 2002 and named former Pecos Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director Tom Rivera to run the department.
Rivera has been in charge of attempting to get the city the Main
Street designation, and also has sought to attract new businesses to
the downtown area.
"Now that we're an official Main Street city that's going to open
the doors for a lot of things we haven't had in the past," Rivera said,
referring to the state assistance with technical help and financial
aid.
"I think main thing is should bring a sense of pride to community
that the state recognized we're making effort to revitalize the
downtown area and making an effort to preserve history," he added.
The Texas Main Street Program is a revitalization program for
historic downtown and neighborhood commercial districts. It is based on
a four-point approach organization, design, promotion and economic
restructuring, all within the context of historic preservation.
Implemented in 1981, the program has assisted more than 130 communities
throughout the state.
In addition, a Main Street resource team will visit each city and
offer short and long-term recommendations for rehabilitating buildings,
attracting new business and promoting tourism.
Since its inception, the Texas Main Street Program has worked with
more than 130 cities across the state, many of which are now popular
visitor destinations. The program has stimulated more than $900 million
in private sector downtown reinvestment, helped retain, expand or
recruit more than 4,800 businesses and created more than 19,000 new
jobs in Texas.
The Texas Historical Commission is the state agency for historic
preservation. The agency administers a variety of programs to preserve
the archeological, historical and cultural resources of Texas.
Rivera said he would be in Austin first week of November for the
official announcement of the new Main Street cities. City Manager
Carlos Yerena, Mayor Dot Stafford and several members of the Chamber,
including Main Street Porgram Chairwoman Debbie Thomas are also
expected to attend the ceremony.
Sixth grade students arrested
for marijuana found at school
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Fri., Oct. 17, 2003 -- Pecos Police took two sixth grade
students into custody on drug charges on Wednesday, after officers were
sent to Bessie Haynes Elementary School following a call from the
principal at that campus.
"We received a call on Oct. 15 and a request to visit the campus,"
said Pecos Police Chief Clay McKinney.
McKinney said that at 1:07 p.m., Officer Oscar Machuca and his
drug-sniffing dog Nouska responded to the call and visited the school.
"The principal, Ruben Cervantes, received some information that one
of the students had some type of cigarette and was showing it around,"
said McKinney.
Cervantes also requested the canine when he called the police,
according to McKinney.
After the search of two classrooms where the students under
suspicion were located, Nouska alerted to a blue pouch that was on one
of the desk tables, according to the police report.
"After the canine alerted, the students were questioned and one
juvenile did produce a small clear plastic baggy believed to be
marijuana," said McKinney.
McKinney said that after further investigation, a second juvenile
was also taken into custody. "They were both transported over here to
the police department and processed, then they were transferred to the
Reeves County Juvenile Detention Center and released to their staff,"
he said.
The two juveniles were charged with possession of marijuana under
two ounces, in a drug-free zone.
Eagle Band marches Saturday at UIL competition
PECOS, Fri., Oct. 17, 2003 -- The Pecos Eagle Marching Band will be
in Saturday afternoon competing against area schools in the UIL Region
6 Marching Contest.
Pecos will perform at 4:30 p.m., at Ratliff Stadium during the Class
3A portion of the competition. Everyone is invited to attend.
Weather
PECOS, Fri., Oct. 17, 2003 -- High Thursday 96. Low this morning 57.
Forecast for tonight: Clear. Lows near 50. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Highs 85 to 90. Southeast winds near 10 mph.
Saturday night: Clear. Lows 50 to 55. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Sunday:
Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Southeast winds near 10 mph. Sunday night:
Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Monday: Mostly sunny. Highs 85 to
90. Monday night: Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 55.
Obituary
Ruben Guzman
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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