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Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Friday, June 9, 2006
City Council sells land to developers
By SMOKEY BRIGGS
Staff Writer
The Pecos City Council sold two tracts of land to separate developers at Thursday morning’s regularly scheduled, 7 a.m. meeting at City Hall.
Councilman Frank Sanchez was absent from the meeting along with City Attorney Scott Johnson.
The city sold ANG Texas Hospitality LLC eight acres fronting the south side of Interstate 20 west of Country Club Drive. The property was sold for $1,500 for a total of $12,000.
As part of its bid, ANG said that it planned to build “two upscale, franchised hotels and two franchised restaurants” on the property.
The sale hinges on ANG actually developing the land in the next two years.
If ANG does not develop the land ownership will revert back to the city with no refund to ANG.
Mayor Dick Alligood said that the city was including this kind of provision in all of its land sales to prevent land being purchased to simply keep out a competitor or on speculation.
The city also sold the old Woolworth building at 301 S. Oak to Ram Kunwar for his bid of $15,000.
Kunwar told the council that he planned to renovate the property for the purpose of marketing it to a new business.
According to the terms of the sale Kunwar has one year to renovate the building and comply with the proposal or the property will revert back to the city.
In other business the council joined the school district in an interlocal agreement regarding the demolition of condemned buildings.
Alligood said that under the new agreement the school district will reimburse the city for a portion of the costs of demolition and disposal of condemned buildings that have been foreclosed on for non-payment of taxes.
“If properties that have been foreclosed on are deemed unsafe then the city will use city equipment to demolish the structure. The school district will reimburse the city for a portion of the associated cost,” Alligood said.
Three city officials have the power to condemn a building as unsafe: Ordinance Enforcement Officer Julio Quinones, Fire Marshall Jack Brookshire and Health and Sanitation Inspector Alfredo Gomez.
The agreement between city and school district will be in effect for five years.
The council tabled approval of the city’s application to become a Certified Retirement Community until it can be determined what the renewal fee for the certification will be.
The filing fee for the application is $5,000.
According to Alligood, the city has applied to the Texas Department of Agriculture to be named a certified retirement community. Under House Bill 1982 the Department is then charged with encouraging retirees to locate to certified communities.
“Pecos met all the guidelines set out by the Department of Agriculture,” Alligood said.
The council held back approving the request until the cost of renewing the certification is known.
The council also tabled requests from Municipal Airport Manager Isabel Blanchard to spend between $150,000 and $450,000 in Texas Department of Transportation funds for improvements at the airport.
While the money is available the city will have to come up with a 10 percent match.
Blanchard could not tell the council an exact figure for the proposed projects leaving the needed matching figure at somewhere between $15,000 and $45,000.
The council requested that Blanchard return at the next council meeting with a proposed amount so that a decision could be made.
Former jailer sentenced to 21 months for weapons charge
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
A former Ector County jailer has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced that 33-year-old Anthony Moya of Odessa, a former jailer who worked for the Ector County Sheriff’s Department, will spend 21 months in federal prison for possession of an illegal sawed-off shotgun.
Appearing before United States District Judge Robert Junell, late Tuesday afternoon, Moya was sentenced to the 21-month prison term followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched Moya’s residence in Midland on Feb. 13, after they obtained a search warrant alleging Moya was involved in smuggling contraband into the Ector County Jail. During the search, agents found the illegal sawed-off shotgun. Moya pleaded guilty to the charge on March 22.
“As a law enforcement officer, Moya took an oath to uphold the law; instead, he broke it. No one is above the law in America,” said Sutton.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ector County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Roque-Jackson prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
No injuries reported as fire fighters extinguish separate blazes
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
Firefighters were kept busy this week with two separate incidents that occurred, but luckily no one was injured in either fire.
On Tuesday afternoon, at 2:45 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to the 500 block of Hackberry, where a storage shed or carport was on fire.
Four fire trucks responded to the incident and it took about 45 minutes to extinguish.
“There was also some damage to the electrical pole and cable lines,” said Pecos Volunteer Fire Chief Freddy Contreras.
Contreras said that there was one person in the home at the time of the fire, but that the fire did not reach the house.
“It didn’t actually get near the house and nobody was injured,” said Contreras.
However, two cars that were in the carport burned completely.
“We were unable to get to the cars before they burned completely,” said Contreras.
The second fire occurred on Duval Road on Wednesday morning.
“This was a small grass fire and it took about 10 minutes to extinguish,” said Contreras.
Both fires are still under investigation.
Links announce birth of daughter
Scott and Misti Link announce the birth of their daughter, Talyssa Rae Ann Link.
She was born May 19 at Royal Air Force Lacken Heath Hospital in England.
Little Talyssa weighed eight pounds, eight ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long at birth.
She has one sister, Christi Link and great-great grandmother is Louise Cranfill of Barstow.
Abila re-deployed to serve in Iraq
Sgt. Alvaro Abila Jr., son of Sofia and Mark Zuniga and the late Alvaro Abila, is currently in Fort Campbell, Ky., where he will be re-deploying to Iraq on June 30.
He joined the Army on Feb. 12, 2003, was deployed to Korea in June of 2003, stayed in Korea for 1 1/2 years, then deployed straight to Al Ramadi, Iraq for one year and then re-deployed to Fort Carson.
He has served IW OIF II and OIF III and has earned several awards and Army commendation medals, including the Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Iraqi Campaign medal, Global War and Terrorism, Global War on Expedition Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon National Defense Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge.
He has been assigned to the 594th Transportation on Company in Fort Campbell, Ky., home of the 101st Airborne Division.
Sgt. Abila was recently promoted from SPC to Sergeant and is still attending military training to proceed in his military career.
School district to have a Federal Program Title Meeting
This meeting will be held Monday, June 12 at 2 p.m., at the Technology Center, at1301 S. Eddy.
Teachers, parents, and community members are all invited to attend this meeting.
For more information, contact Juanita C. Davila, Curriculum/Special Programs Director at 447-7263.
Barbecue fundraiser Saturday
A fundraiser will be held beginning at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 10 at the Reeves County Sheriff’s Posse.
The fundraiser will consist of barbecue plates, with the meal cooked by John Burkholder.
Delivery will be made on two or more plates and will cost $6 per plate.
To place an order call 448-3822.
Proceeds will benefit Josie Boyles, JoAnn and Fred Tucker, who lost their home in a fire this week.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 432-445-5475, FAX 432-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2003-04 by Pecos Enterprise
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