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PECOS, February 12, 1997 - Golden Gloves laid a golden egg for the Pecos
Chamber of Commerce over the weekend, with a profit nearly $5,000.
"That's a big turnaround from the last two years," President Paul
Hinojos told directors in their Tuesday board meeting. "I will admit I
was wrong not to want to sponsor it."
Reeves County Civic Center had standing room only for the final night of
the two-day tournament on Saturday, and the concession stands were busy
all night long, Hinojos said.
"There were a lot of people there. It is a great opportunity for us to
make even more money," he said. "I want to thank those that helped. Some
were not even directors."
Hinojos said last month's annual chamber banquet went in the hole $542
despite a capacity crowd of 308, and the board needs to decide whether
to raise ticket prices to make a profit or keep them low to encourage
greater attendance.
Tom Rivera said the advertising/tourism committee met last week to work
on the 1997 budget and will meet again Feb. 27 to consider additional
requests for advertising and to put the final touches to the budget.
Linda Gholson said merchants held Groundhog Day sales Feb. 1 and are
hoping to get more merchants involved in special promotions.
She noted that Troy Frasier, former state representative for this area,
is back in the state legislature as a senator from District 24.
Representatives for Pecos are Sen. Frank Madla of San Antonio and Rep.
Gary Walker of Plains.
Rivera handed out the 1997 legislative directory and suggested directors
contact their representatives about bills that will come up this year,
including managed health care and tax abatement - which may be done away
with.
"It is very important that the community gets involved in the process in
Austin," he said.
Via Internet e-mail, the chamber receives a legislative update each
week. Those will be faxed to members who request it, Rivera said.
He invited employers to send representatives to a Texas Business
Conference in San Angelo March 14, where the Fair Labor Standards Act
will be discussed. Registration is $60 each.
Area chamber banquets coming up include Van Horn, 7 p.m. Thursday, with
a ticket charge of $10; and Monahans, 7 p.m. Feb. 24, with tickets $25
each.
Pauline Moore reported for the economic development committee that the
tax incentive committee has completed a proposal to be presented to
taxing entities.
The next economic development committee meeting is 7 a.m. Tuesday in the
Quality Inn, with Chip Bauer, economic consultant, and Tina Heagy of
Sen. Madla's office as special guests.
She reported that the Women's Division met last week to work on the
Golden Girl Pageant. They are seeking to recruit new members.
Hinojos said that Rivera has been working with a podiatrist who plans to
open a practice here. The doctor will be in town Feb. 17 to meet with
hospital CEO Terri Andris, and chamber officials plan to take him to
lunch.
"This doctor is coming in on his own," he said. "He has not been drawn
in like the hospital usually does, with an incentive package."
April Villanueva, junior director, and Carriz Nicole Carrasco, senior,
were introduced and gave their reasons for wanting to serve on the
chamber board.
"This was the perfect opportunity, because everyone always says students
need their voice heard," Villanueva said. "I thought this would be a
perfect way to be heard and be their voice."
Hinojos said he wants to have a membership drive and suggested a weekend
telemarketing approach to contact prospects and sign them up; then to
assign teams to contact prospects and give a reward to the team that
signs up the most new members.
Rivera said, "There is no reason why we shouldn't be able to double our
membership if we all work at it."
The staff will put together a membership packet to help new members know
what they will get out of it, he said.
Kevin Duke said he would like to continue the cleanup started last year
along U.S. Highway 285 and to extend it down Walthall Street, a popular
crosstown route for out-of-town traffic.
Hinojos said they will get together to plan a cleanup weekend to burn
piles of rubbish along U.S. 285 and clean up Walthall in one day.
"I drove around Saturday and Sunday and saw beer bottles scattered all
over town, and that's just a shame," he said. "They could take a couple
of minutes to throw them in a dumpster."
PECOS, February 12, 1997 - Directors for the Community Council of Reeves
County will meet at 902 E. 10th St. at 6 p.m. today in emergency session
to accept the resignation of executive director Yvonne Martin and to
appoint an interim director.
Board president Linda Clark said an interim director is needed to ensure
that deficiencies in the Head Start program are corrected before April
26.
Little progress has been made to correct the six problem areas since the
monitoring report was made last spring, Clark said.
Earl Richardson, acting assistant regional administrator for the office
of community programs, Department of Health and Human Services, said in
a letter to Clark that efforts so far to correct the areas of
non-compliance are insufficient to ensure minimal compliance with
federal standards.
"Failure to meet full compliance in all areas identified may warrant
imposing an adverse action against your Head Start program," Richardson
said.
Ward County Precinct 1 Commissioner Julian Florez, who has served on the
CCRC board and Head Start policy council for about two months, said he
is concerned about keeping the programs going, and he has no desire to
move them to Ward County.
"As an elected official, I feel like we have to dedicate time to our
constituents and our community, and I think we have an obligation to do
what's best for the whole council," Florez said this morning.
"To me, it is one of the challenges to be on the board and try to have
positive input.
"I can see where there has been a lack of communication between Reeves
County and Ward County, because of some of the actions that have been
taken - like the meals on wheels."
Ward County Judge Sam Massey took over operation of the Ward County
meals on wheels program, and funding goes directly to the county instead
of CCRC.
CCRC continues to administer other programs in Ward County, such as
weatherization, utility subsidy, commodities distribution and Head Start.
Massey said Ward County has not received all the assistance its
citizens are due.
"I felt like I could be a liaison - mend bridges and try to get on a
positive track with the whole program," said Florez, whose precinct
includes the Barstow area. "Find out why it is running like it is. It is
not because I want to take it to Ward County."
In fact, Florez asked Massey to hold off trying to take over the
Monahans Head Start center until he could try to get the program
straightened out.
As a Barstow resident and Pecos business owner, Florez feels a tie to
both communities.
"I feel like if Massey would try to take over Head Start, that would be
something we (Ward County) would have to answer to the federals and the
Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission.
"If we can satisfy everybody and get a positive feeling that everything
is being done to help the whole community council, it would have a
better impact instead of trying to divide it up," he said.
PECOS, February 12, 1997 - Students attending Balmorhea schools have
another reason to take pride in them, with the completion of the
district's newest classrooms after just six months of work.
Superintendent James Haynes said, "(Balmorhea) students are very proud
of their school," and the recent addition is just another reason to,
"enhance that pride."
He said Cooper Construction of Odessa began working on the plans to
attach a science and home economics lab, two classrooms and a learning
center to the west side of the old structure in August of 1996.
Haynes said on Tuesday that equipment and materials will start to fill
the school's new learning center as of next Monday.
"An open house," for the new wing is tentatively scheduled for the near
future, the superintendent added.
The addition was funded by monies awarded to the school district from
the state, explained Haynes, and from the Balmorhea ISD fund balance,
"to finish up the project."
"I feel the (new wing) is going to be extremely useful for the students
at Balmorhea," he said.
School board member Raymond Carrasco said, "we're really pleased...
very satisfied, with the work."
He added that the school board is very dedicated to enhancing the
district and to its students, and all trustees have enthusiastically
been in agreement with all the recent additions.
"We work really well together," he said.
"A unique feature to this structure, is that it can also serve as a
storm shelter for all the students attending the school," Haynes said.
PECOS, February 12, 1997 - A group of Pecos High School students
travelled to Odessa College on Monday to meet for the first time
face-to-face with other Permian Basin students who are taking video
courses through a new OC program.
The college now offers concurrent enrollment courses, which give high
school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take interactive video
classes through a partnership with Odessa College, McCamey ISD and Wink
ISD. They earn both high school and college credits at the same time.
Tuesday morning, the government students took some time during their
pre-class study hall to comment on the previous day's trip, and on their
interactive class.
All agreed that Monday's excursion had been fun, interesting and
informative.
The Pecos teens hadn't met their counterparts from Wink and McCamey
before, and although they have all been looking at each other courtesy
of modern video technology since the beginning of the semester, the
other students looked "different - bigger, smaller, wider..." Nick
Manriquez joked.
The government class that met Tuesday was a mixture of juniors and
seniors, some of whom were taking their first concurrent enrollment
course, and some who took part in last semester's offerings. The
students who made the trip received OC identification cards and
participated in their respective classes. The English students had their
usual course as a group, while the Government Class went to the nearby
Presidential Museum.
All of the students in attendance Tuesday morning plan to go on to
college, and are very positive about the concurrent courses they are
taking part in.
"I think it will help us in the future; it will help us along because we
may already have enough credits to be considered sophomores, and we'll
be that much ahead of other students our age" says Gabi Bafidis.
The concurrent courses are somewhat different from regular high school
courses, but the students enjoy the differences. They feel that they are
getting more information, and they learn more because the method of
presentation is different than in a traditional classroom setting.
Christi Breiten, the only English class student in the room, said,
"tests are harder, but we have less homework" in explaining why she
believes she is benefiting form this method of instruction. "You have to
pay more attention in class because the teacher is in Odessa, and we
have more discussion in class."
"We think this is an opportunity that everyone should take advantage of,
because of the lower cost (than full tuition for the same course at OC)
and because of the chance to get ahead on credits," Bafidis added.
Commenting on the relationship between PHS teens and other area
students, Jessi Ortiz says, "We're the quiet group, but we're pretty
much all on the same train of thought."
In addition to their studies, members of this group are preparing for
the future by holding part-time jobs and participating in various
activities such as student council, the student newspaper, yearbook and
sports teams.
The group of PHS students who went to OC includes Bafidis, Breiten,
Manriquez, Ortiz, Alessandra Aguilar, Joseph Alvardo, Shirhonda Bell,
Kimberly Clark, Sarah Lam, and Pasqual Sanchez. They were accompanied by
their facilitator, Christi Waldrip.
Because of scheduling differences between the three school districts,
PHS students begin their sessions about 30 minutes before Wink and
McCamey.
"Diverse times," is a phrase that best explains the current term for
Balmorhea ISD's Board of Education.
"Balmorhea ISD has a very dedicated group of trustees who have focused
on the improvement of the school district," Superintendent James Haynes
explained. "The district has seen many changes over the past few years."
He points out that at the secondary level Balmorhea ISD adopted block
scheduling to allow an expanded course content and flexibility for the
student scheduling.
"TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills) scores district-wide are
showing steady improvement and the use of technology to enhance
instruction has grown tremendously," Haynes added.
"The district was just awarded a TIF (Technology Infrastructure Fund)
grant in the amount of $113,000 which will allow all computers in the
district to have access to the Internet," Haynes said.
"Under the board's leadership," said the superintendent, giant steps
have been taken toward improving the physical facilities, including
renovations to the gym and cafeteria and the construction of a new
feeding facility for the Agricultural Department. Also completed within
the past few days was the addition of two classrooms, a Home Economics
and Science Laboratory and a Learning Center to the school itself.
Haynes credits the boards with having a vision for the future and
keeping children as their, "number one priority."
"They (trustees) are truly a board that exemplifies the true spirit of
local officials making good decisions for their community," expressed
Haynes and publicly asserts his gratitude for their dedication and
support.
Felix Valenzuela, 64, died Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Medical Center Hospital
in Odessa.
A rosary will be held today at 7:30 p.m. at Martinez Funeral Home Chapel.
Mass is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. at Santa Rosa Catholic Church
with burial at Greenwood Cemetery.
He was born Jan. 1, 1933 in Mulato, Chih., Mex., was a lifetime Pecos
resident and a Catholic.
Survivors include his wife, Manuela Valenzuela; two sons, Felix
Valenzuela of Odessa, Javier Valenzuela of Pecos; four daughters, Marta
Valles, Araceli Martinez and Rosa Barreno of Pecos, Tomasita Gomez of
Midland; four brothers, Santos and Felipe Valenzuela of Artesia, N.M.,
Catarino Valenzuela of Roswell, N.M., Manuel Valenzuela of Mexico; two
sisters, Patricia Montoya of Lake Arthur, N.M., Lala Armendariz of
Mexico and 15 grandchildren.
Martinez Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Services for Refugia "Cuca" Tarango, 92, will be Feb. 13, 11 a.m., at
the Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.
A burial will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery.
She was born July 4, 1904 in Balmorhea, was a homemaker and member of
the Church of Christ.
Survivors include one daughter, Gloria Fuentez of Fort Worth; five
grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
Services for Refugia "Cuca" Tarango, 92, will be Feb. 13, 11 a.m., at
the Pecos Funeral Home Chapel.
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Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
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