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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Top Stories

Tuesday, December 1, 1998

Council affirms Pena as new fire chief


By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
Roy Pena will take the reins of the Pecos Volunteer Fire
Department in the business meeting Thursday night. His
election as chief by the 38-member department was affirmed
this morning by the Pecos City Council.

On motion by Danny Rodriguez, the council voted to confirm
Pena as fire chief on a contract basis for $800 per month.

In that motion, the council directed city attorney Scott
Johnson to draft an ordinance that would require the fire
department to elect officers for two-year terms and to
provide that the fire chief have basic certification by the
Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

The vote was unanimous, with councilman Randy Graham absent.

With the contract, Pena will not be a city employee, said
Mayor Dot Stafford. And he will not be paid for fire calls.
He will be provided a pickup and training, but will not have
employee benefits such as insurance.

Johnson said that because Pena will not be a paid employee
of the city, he can serve as a volunteer fire chief without
certification by the TCFP.

"To be a volunteer, they can't be an employee of the city,"
said Johnson. "This contract will make that clear."

Pena thanked the council for their support, as well as those
in the fire department who voted for him.

"The people of Reeves County can rest assured that the Pecos
Volunteer Fire Department is still, and will be, in good
hands," Pena said after the meeting.

Pena said that he and outgoing chief Jack Brookshire will
work together for the best interest of Reeves County.
Brookshire is fire marshal for the city and county.

"There will be a lot of changes approved by the board and
the assembly," Pena said of the fire department. "We have a
lot to catch up. We are going to work together, and we are
all going to learn. We are going to fight fires."

Pena said he has a good board and "good people behind me. I
have the best first assistant in Lynn Foster, and we are
ready." He added that he plans to begin efforts right away
to earn his basic certification for the fire chief's
position.

Council OKs sewer replacement project


By PEGGY McCRACKEN
Staff Writer
Pecos City Council this morning awarded the construction bid
for replacement of sewer pipe along Third Street, with the
proviso that a change order would cut out about $100,000 of
the planned work.

Holloman Corporation of Odessa was the low bidder at
$395,899.32. However, the city has budgeted only $300,000
for sewer work and was the council was reluctant to transfer
funds from the water department to make up the difference.

Engineer Frank Spencer said he went over options with
utilities director Octavio Garcia and with Holloman before
recommending the cuts, which will shorten the 15-inch main
line replacement by two blocks and require city employees to
replace 10-inch lateral lines.

"Knowing the budget was the biggest hurdle, we recommended
taking out the two blocks. We don't want to do it, but we
have to live within the money we have," Spencer said.

With the changes, replacement of the main line, which runs
underneath Third Street (Business Interstate 20), would
begin at the alley between Palm and Oleander Streets and
continue nine blocks east, to the alley between Cedar and
Ash Street, where a manhole would be added.

Spencer said he has allowed for 12 service connections to
the main line, but "we think there may be three. It is
possible when we go in there, we may have to do only three,
and would save $9,000. But I don't want to mislead the
council, because nobody knows (how many there are).

He estimated the cost for the line after changes would be
$284,000, "but that could vary up or down $10,000. I feel
like it is going to be less."

Spencer said all the bids were much higher than his
engineer's estimate. Key Enterprises Inc. of Odessa bid
$435,750; Scott Thane Ditching Service Inc. of Odessa bid
$509,465; and Rio Grande Valley inc. of El Paso bid $619,222.

Holloman will do all the work underneath the street, because
it is a state highway. City crews can install the smaller
lateral lines outside the highway right-of-way, Spencer said.

Spencer said the Texas Department of Transportation plans to
re-surface BI-20, and the sewer work needs to be completed
before that construction starts next year.

"We were ready to go out for bids in July, but the council
said no, because of the July 4 celebration. Then in
September, they decided not to do it because of the 16th of
September fiesta. That's why the money was not spent last
year," Spencer said.

"The state postponed their bid opening and extended it to
May. They originally were hoping to go out for bids in
September," he said.

"If we could have gotten through in July in time for them to
start their work, we wouldn't have to patch. Now they say
there's going to be too much time, so we have to patch it so
you have the added cost of asphalt," he said.

Spencer said the 15-inch main will replace a 12-inch line
that is too small because of the slight grade.

"The reasons we have problems with it is because the slopes
are not the proper grades, and it is creating a lot of gases
that are eating up the manholes," he said. "We have some
that are 10 years old that are in worse condition than those
60 years old."

That is because the city put in concrete manholes to save
money, Spencer said. They will install fiberglass manholes
in the new project.

"As much as we would like to get this done, I would like to
stay within the budget because we will be compromising other
areas," councilman Ricky Herrera said. "Once they start
digging, there's no telling what they will run into. This
will be continuing work."

Nominees sought for lighting contest


By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Christmas is in the air and activities surrounding the
holiday have already begun.

A Christmas Lighting Contest, sponsored by the Women's
Division of the Pecos Chamber of Commerce will be held
throughout the month of December.

Each Friday a home will be selected as the winner in the
contest. Homes can be nominated by calling the Pecos Chamber
of Commerce office at 445-2406. Once a home is nominated it
does not have to be re-nominated, but will be kept on file.

The winner will be awarded a cash prize and a special plaque
will be placed in their front yard for that week.

Santa Claus will be on hand for picture taking from 4-6
p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10 at the Reeves County Library, 505 S.
Park St. Pictures will be $3 and all children must be
accompanied by an adult.

The Annual Christmas Parade is scheduled for 6 p.m., Friday,
Dec. 11. Lineup for the floats and parade entries will be at
5 p.m., at the Pecos High School Parking lot. The parade
will end at the West of the Pecos Museum.

A Kids of the Museum holiday program will be held this
Saturday at the West of the Pecos Museum. The event which is
for all children in grades kindergarten through fourth will
be from 9:30 a.m. until noon. Parents need to come with
their children to pre-register by Dec. 4 at the museum. For
more information call 445-5076.

`Angel Trees' set up at banks


Angel Trees have been set up at both local banks in an
effort to help underprivileged children this Christmas
season.

The Angel Trees, sponsored by the Community Council of
Reeves County, will be at First National and Security State
Banks starting today and running through Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Individuals are asked to pick a name off the tree, purchase
a gift, place it under the tree with the angel name.

Gifts will be picked up this Friday and on Friday, Dec. 11,
before the final pick up on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Distribution of the gifts will be Thursday, Dec. 17.

This is one way a Christmas gift will be provided for less
fortunate children in the community.

POLICE REPORT


EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police Report is
obtained from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department,
Reeves County Sheriff's Office, or other officers of those
agencies.
The serving of warrants by an officer for outstanding fines
of either traffic citations, animal control violations or
other court costs are considered arrests and will be printed
as such unless indicated that the fines were paid. In such
instances we will indicate payment and release.
***
Enrique T. Cruz, 40, Julio Sanchez, 66, Raul T. Rodriguez,
45, and Luis A.S. Escobar, 34, were arrested at 8:02 p.m.,
on November 24, in the 1200 block of West Fifth Street. Cruz
was charged with a DWI-refusal, while the others were cited
for public intoxication.
***
Jesus Gochicoa, 51, was arrested at 7:15 p.m., on November
25, at 1925 Nebraska Street, on a grand jury indictment
warrant. He was transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Luis Armendariz was arrested at 7:27 p.m., on November 25,
in the 800 block of East Third Street, on DPS warrants. He
paid the fines and was released.
***
Israel Benavides, 29, and Suzan Tobar, 20, were arrested at
2:07 a.m., on November 26, in the 4000 block of South Cedar
Street, for public intoxication. They were transported to
Reeves County Jail.
***
Osvaldo Garcia, 35, was arrested at 9:46 p.m., on November
26, in the 500 block of Mesquite Street, for assault under
the Family Violence Act. He was transported to Reeves County
Jail.
***
Jaime Soto, 19, was arrested at 1 a.m., on November 28, at
the corner of Eighth and Martinez streets, on a warrant for
a motion to revoke. He was transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Sandra Munoz, 33, was arrested at 4:45 p.m., on November 28,
at the corner of Fourth and Locust streets, on capias pro
fine warrants. She was transported to Reeves County Jail.
***
Rigoberto Perez, 21, was arrested at 10:13 p.m., on November
28, in the 7000 block of Arlington Street, for assault
(under Class A) causing bodily injury. He was transported to
Reeves County Jail.
***
A male juvenile was arrested at 12:21 a.m., on November 29,
at the corner of Sixth and Locust streets, for a violation
of conditional terms of release. He was transported to
Juvenile Detention Center.
***
A female juvenile was arrested at 1:03 a.m., on November 29,
at the corner of Eighth and Martinez streets, for a
probation violation. She was transported to Juvenile
Detention Center.
***
A male juvenile was arrested at 1:10 a.m., on November 29,
between Sixth and Seventh streets, for evading detention. He
was transported to Juvenile Detention Center.
***
Jaime C. Soto, 19, was arrested at 1:12 a.m., on November
29, at the corner of Eighth and Martinez streets, on a
Sheriff's Office warrant. He was transported to Reeves
County Jail.
***
Gonzalo Armendariz was arrested at 5:57 p.m., on November
29, in the 500 block of Almond Street, on capias pro fine
warrants. He paid the fines and was released.

WEATHER


High Monday 72, low last night 36. Tonight, increasing
cloudiness. Low in the mid 40s. South to southeast wind
around 10 mph. Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a 20 percent
chance of showers or thunderstorms. High around 70. South
wind 10-15 mph.



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Pecos Enterprise
Ned Cantwell, 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 1998 by Pecos Enterprise