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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Friday, November 7, 2003
KOL members to study future goals for Pecos
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Fri., Nov. 7, 2003 -- About 20 individuals have signed up for
the Second Annual Key Opinion Leaders Summit, scheduled for Saturday at
Balmorhea State Park.
Anyone wanting to join the group can contact the chamber, at
445-2406.
The Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) group will meet to help in the
planning process for the next year, according to Nancy Ontiveros.
"This summit we will focus on setting goals and developing
strategies for the coming year that can help revitalize the Pecos
area," said Ontiveros.
This past year the group focused on four issues including: cleanup
of debris, vacant buildings, trash and the general appearance of the
town, according to Ontiveros.
The second issue was facilitating greater cooperation and
communication between the government entities and agencies; third, the
employment opportunities, improving the quality of labor force and
business opportunities for new and existing businesses. The fourth
issue dealt with was increasing the availability of affordable housing
and improving property values.
"There were many successes which included organizing alley cleanups,
establishing a litter campaign and a clean-up campaign for the schools
called Keep Your Community Clean," said Ontiveros.
A successful landscape project was implemented, according to
Ontiveros.
"We will continue quarterly KOL Forums, initiating a dispute
resolution process for agencies," said Ontiveros. "We're also surveying
businesses to identify needs and the initiating of customer service
training."
"We believe that the KOL Summit is very important for the future of
Pecos, because it provides us with a plan that all businesses and
entities can work toward so that Pecos can grow prosper and succeed,"
said Ontiveros. "All ideas generated and goals established from the
summit will have an implementation timeline attached to ensure
completion of these process or goals," she said.
The KOL Summit is being sponsored by the Pecos Area Chamber of
Commerce and West Texas National Bank.
"We appreciate all of the leaders that have responded and are
interested in working toward the better future of Pecos," said
Ontiveros.
Ontiveros will be the facilitator for the event.
Wackenhut payment on commissioners' agenda
PECOS, Fri., Nov. 7, 2003 -- A reimbursal payment to Wackenhut
Correctional Corp., the new management company for the Reeves County
Detention Center, will be on the agenda for Reeves County Commissioners
on Monday, during their regularly scheduled meeting at the Reeves
County Courthouse.
A resolution authorizing payment of Wackenhut reimbursements, on
approval of County Auditor Lynn Owens prior to submittal to
commissioner's court will be discussed by commissioners, when they meet
at 10 a.m., Monday in the third floor courtroom.
Reeves County signed a 10-year agreement with Wackenhut for prison
management services earlier this week, in an effort to avoid default on
bonds for the new RCDC III unit, which has failed to attract inmates to
help fund the $40 million in bond payments.
Under the agreement, the county will pay WCC $333,333 per month to
manage the prison and WCC would pay the county total of $430,000 to
market RCDC III for each month that unit remains un-utilized.
In other action, commissioners will discuss and take action of the
RCDC III security fence addition; LMD architect request for expense
reimbursement, Invoice No. 308 and inmate transportation crew mileage
payments.
The group will meet in executive session under Texas Government Code
Section 551.074-Open Meetings Act to discuss the RCDC Monitor position.
Regular agenda items include: reports from various departments;
budget amendments and line-item transfers; personnel and salary changes
(county clerk's office); minutes from previous meetings and
semi-monthly bills.
Second cold front of season brings rain
PECOS, Fri., Nov. 7, 2003 -- The second major cold front of the season
sent temperatures in the Trans-Pecos region plummeting in the past 24
hours and brought light rain throughout the region, though no areas
reported any snowfall similar to the surprise snow that hit the area
two weeks ago.
The Pecos Valley stayed warm enough at that time to avoid the snow
accumulations that hit Fort Stockton, Alpine and other areas both to
the north and south, and Pecos again reported warmer temperatures than
other area cities overnight. This morning's low was only 44 degrees,
while the thermometer dipped to 37 in the Midland-Odessa area.
The Texas A&M Experiment Station west of Pecos recorded 0.10 of
rainfall over the past 24 hours, bringing the total just over six
inches for the past 11 months, but that is well short of the average
for a year in the region. The area would need to get another five
inches in the next 54 days to reach the average total yearly
precipitation of 10.99 inches.
Late rains last year pushed Pecos' rainfall total for 2002 to just
over 11 inches, the first time in a decade the city had received
above-normal precipitation.
Heavier rains were reported in areas east of Pecos, while to the
north, temperatures fell to just above freezing overnight.
Lamesa saw temperatures drop to 33 last night, but with no
significant rainfall, while Guadalupe Pass saw the low hit 36 and 0.05
of precipitation fall over the darkness hours.
The region is not facing severe weather this weekend according to
forecasters at the National Weather Service Center in Midland, though
it is not predicted to warm-up until Sunday.
The road conditions should be good for any weekend travel with lows
tonight estimated to be around 40 degrees with a 40 percent chance of
rain for the region. Saturday should see overcast skies with a
nighttime low of 45 and a 30 percent chance for precipitation.
Veterans' Day breakfast planned at Civic Center
PECOS, Fri., Nov. 7, 2003 -- Pecos Area Chamber of Commerce will be
hosting a Veterans' Day Appreciation breakfast on Tuesday, November 11
for all veterans in Reeves County.
The event is to be held at the Reeves County Civic Center, with a
flag raising ceremony at 7:30 a.m. and a full breakfast to be served
afterward. Veterans who would like to attend are encouraged to contact
the Chamber at 445-2406 for further details and to let organizers know
how many will be attending.
Weather
PECOS, Fri., Nov. 7, 2003 -- High Thursday 51. Low this morning 44.
Rainfall last 24 hours at Texas A&M Experiment Station .10 inch.
Forecast for tonight: Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain. Areas of
fog and drizzle. Lows near 40. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Saturday:
Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain. Highs near 55. East
winds near 10 mph. Saturday night: Cloudy with a slight chance of rain.
Lows 45 to 50. East winds near 10 mph. Sunday: Partly cloudy with a
slight chance of rain. Highs in the lower 60s. Southeast winds near 10
mph. The chance of rain is less than 20 percent. Sunday night: Partly
cloudy. Lows 45 to 50. Monday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 70s.
Monday night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.
Obituaries
Natividad Gonzales and Harold Williams
Survivors include three sons, Rodney Williams of Sterling City, Tx.,
Jack Williams of Toyah, Timmy Williams of Sterling City; one daughter,
Joyce E. Worley of Midland; one sister, Lucille Clift of Hemmit, Calif;
six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Peaceful Garden Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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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