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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Top Stories
Monday, May 4, 1998
Shaw, Matta, Bates win terms
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
The newest member elected to the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
board is looking forward to working with the board
members and school administration.
"I just want to thank everyone who came out and
voted, my supporters and especially my family,"
said Brent Shaw, who was elected along with a former
member, Louis Matta, and incumbent Earl Bates to three-
year terms following Saturday's election.
"We've got a tough situation ahead of us, but we've
got good people on the board and in the community and
together we can make the right decisions," said
Shaw, who netted 900 votes to earn a spot on the school
board for the next three years. "I think we'll
work well together and improve our school system and
make it into a good situation."
Shaw stated that he was pleased with the turnout.
"We had good weather, it was a beautiful day which
encouraged more people to come out and vote."
"I'm just looking forward to doing the best I can to
help out my community and I think that together all
things are possible," he said.
Matta is not new to the school board, having served five
terms beginning in 1974. His 904 votes topped all vote-
getters on Saturday.
"I'm looking forward to again serve on that
board,; said Matta. "I'm appreciative of all the
support I got, calls from people urging me to get back
on the school board."
Matta stated that his primary concern is the financial
difficulties the school is experiencing. "I feel
there has to be major restructuring on how money is
spent."
"I know most of the board members personally and
have been involved with them in other projects and I'm
anxious to work with them," said Matta.
Shaw and Matta won the positions currently held by Frank
Perea and Linda Gholson on the school board. Gholson,
the former P-B-T school board president, decided not to
run for a new three-year term, while Perea, who replaced
Gholson as president last year, received 722 votes. The
other candidate in the school board race, Frank
Rodriguez, picked up 750 votes.
Bates, who has served on the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
board since 1986, received 852 votes on Saturday and
said that he is very excited about being re-elected to
serve his fifth term.
"I'm just here to serve the people and the school
district and I'm happy to have been re-elected,"
said Bates. "I'd like to thank all the voters that
supported me and I plan to do all I can for them."
Stafford elected to third term as mayor
By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer
Dot Stafford was re-elected to a third two-year term as
Town of Pecos City mayor on Saturday, defeating former
city councilman Robert Hernandez.
Early voting results showed Stafford leading Hernandez,
principal at Lamar Middle School, by nearly 200 votes,
and after all election day ballot boxes were opened and
counted Saturday evening, Stafford widened that to a
final 278 vote margin.
"I want to thank all my supporters," the newly-
re-elected mayor said from the Reeves County Courthouse
after the results were announced over the radio. "
I shall continue to work for the city to the best of my
abilities."
Stafford, who received 917 votes to 639 for Hernandez,
said she appreciated all who toughed it out in such a
hot day and got out and voted.
Across the street at Hernandez's campaign headquarters,
the challenger said that although he had lost, he was
pleased with the support he had received.
"I was facing a tough incumbent. I wish Dot Stafford
the best of luck." Hernandez said he could not
speculate as to whether he would seek the seat again
next election.
Both incumbents on the Pecos City Council were voted back
into office without opposition. Danny Rodriguez, who
serves as Mayor Pro Tem, secured 955 votes, and
Councilman Ricky Herrera received 867 votes. They will
also serve two-year terms.
Incumbent members retain postions
There were no surprises in the election for Reeves County
Hospital District Board of Directors on Saturday as all
three incumbents, only one of whom was challenged, were
returned to their seats by area voters.
Incumbent from Precinct 3, Jesus "Jesse"
Prieto, edged out his challenger, Mike Stallard, by 44
votes, garnering 51.54 percent of the total ballot count.
Chel Flores, unchallenged for Precinct 1, was returned to
office with 305 votes, and Greg Luna, also unchallenged,
was returned to his at-large seat on the hospital board
with 993 votes.
It will be the second two-year term for Luna, while
Flores and Prieto will be serving their third two-year
terms on the RCH board.
Officials hunt cash to build new water field
By GREG HARMAN
Staff Writer
Town of Pecos City officials returned from the state
capital last week with more options in mind for
gathering the funds to secure the city's water supply
into the next century.
The city is seeking to develop a new water field within
the next 10 years, and Mayor Dot Stafford, City Manager
Kenneth Neal, City Councilman Johnny Terrazas and County
Surveyor Frank Spencer spent two full days gathering
grant and loan information and meeting with various
governmental agencies in Austin.
That included a meeting with the Texas Water Development
Board (TWDB), which recently turned Pecos down for a
grant after several years of working with the city.
However, Stafford said the latest meeting with TWDB
failed to result in any new information.
"It was about the same as they presented us with
last time," said Stafford.
The officials again suggested that Pecos apply for a low-
interest loan, and the group accepted an application
from the board but has not filled it out.
City officials have expressed concern over entering into
a loan agreement, stating that Pecos simply did not have
the resources to pay off a loan.
Neal said that the group also met with the Economic
Development Administration, the Texas Capital Fund and
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Between the three, Neal said, there was about $2.3
million available. The city had been seeking $18 million
from the TWDB for the development of a new water field,
repairs to the current water transfer line and local
sewer repair. The city is now pursuing a leaner sum of
$8 million for the development of the new water field.
City officials were first warned in 1994 that a new water
field needed to be developed. The current supply from
the Ward County Well Field has been estimated to have 10
years of life left.
"In West Texas, water is our number one
priority," Neal said on Friday. "We have to
have it to survive."
Neal added that grant monies are getting difficult to
find as more agencies prefer to offer low-interest loans
only.
"Right now, we don't have a dime from anybody, but
we got everyone thinking and talking," he said.
Openings filled on Balmorhea, Toyah councils
Incumbents were winners in Saturday's local elections in
both Balmorhea and Toyah, though newcomers were able to
pick-up a couple of spots thanks to open seats on both
city councils.
Incumbent Rosendo Galindo was re-elected to the Balmorhea
City Council, and will be joined by newcomer Danny
Reynolds. Galindo received 83 votes to 50 for Reynolds
and 44 for Tami Marmillion. Reynolds will take the seat
held by Rosendo Carrasco, who was nominated for Precinct
3 Justice of the Peace in last month's Democratic Party
primary.
Incumbent Mayor Ismael Rodriguez was unopposed in his bid
for a new two-year term, and received 64 votes.
In Toyah, Paul Budlong will be the new mayor. He was
elected to the post, receiving 28 votes to his
opponents, Jack Osborn, 22 votes.
In the city council elections there were two seats up for
election, which were won by Clara McConnell, who netted
36 votes, and incumbent Howard Dennett, who got 34. Both
will serve two-year terms.
The other candidates in that race, Bart F. Sanchez netted
27 votes, and Jana McHorse, 13.
In the Balmorhea ISD election, the two incumbents, Paul
Ward and Armando Mondragon, won new three-year terms on
Saturday. Mondragon picked up 106 votes to 97 for Ward
and 61 for challenger Virgil Ray Gage.
No voting was held for the Barstow city positions, since
both the council and mayoral candidates were unopposed.
Salvador Villalobos will serve as the city's new mayor,
while incumbents Robert Ortega and Benny Avila will
start new two-year terms as Barstow aldermen.
OBITUARY
Karine Talley
Karine Talley, 91, of Pecos, died Saturday, May 2, 1998,
at her residence.
Graveside services were held this morning at 10:30 a.m.,
at Mount Evergreen Cemetery with Reverend Monty Huffman
officiating.
She was born May 18, 1906, in Dallas, had lived in Pecos
since 1950 and was a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include three grandchildren.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
WEATHER
High Sunday 92. Low this morning 54. Forcast for tonight:
It will be partly cloudy through Tuesday across West
Texas with a chance of showers and thunderstorms over
the Panhandle, low rolling plains and Concho Valley
through tonight. North Texas will have partly cloudy
skies tonight with a chance of thunderstorms in
northeast sections and a slight chance of evening
thunderstorms over most areas through tonight. The
showers and thunderstorms in South Texas should
primarily be confined to the Hill Country tonight. Lows
tonight will be in the 40s and 50s in West Texas, the
60s across North Texas and in the 50s and 60s in South
Texas. Highs Tuesday will be in the 80s and 90s in West
Texas, ranging upward to near 102 in the Big Bend area
and in the 80s across the rest of the state.
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, 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 1998 by Pecos Enterprise
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Pecos Enterprise