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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, November 6, 2003
Wackenhut's VP says RCDC will keep current management
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 6, 2003 -- The Reeves County Detention Center is
not the largest facility that Wackenhut Corrections Corporation will be
managing - at least as of now - but the group is happy to be coming to
Pecos to help out the county and plans no immediate changes in the
prison's top management.
"It's not the largest facility that we manage. The largest is a
3,024 bed facility in South Africa," said Don Houston, Central Region
Vice President for the Boca Raton-based company. "Our Taft facility in
California is just over 2,400 inmates and Reeves County currently has a
little more than 2,000," he said.
Wackenhut, whose U.S. operations are based in Boca Raton, Fla., with
a parent company based in Europe, signed a 10-year management contract
with Reeves County on Monday to operate the detention center. The move
was made after Reeves County was unable to find prisoners to fill the
new 960-bed RCDC III unit, and was faced with a possible default on
bonds for the $40 million facility.
County Judge Jimmy B. Galindo said in July that because the three
units are cross collateralized, a default on RCDC III's bonds would
affect the entire $89 million facility.
While the prison currently has only a little over 2,000 inmates,
according to terms of the contract, the three units contain
approximately 3,025 beds, with 1,105 beds in RCDC I and 960 each in the
RCDC II and III units.
Houston said that he would be in Pecos next week to visit with the
management team and county officials.
Under the terms of the agreement, Wackenhut is now responsible for
finding inmates to fill RCDC III. The contract calls for the company to
pay Reeves County a total of $430,000 each month RCDC III remains
un-utilized.
That part of the contract will go into effect as of Dec. 1, or at
the start of the first month after Reeves County reduces the workforce
at the prison to no more than 344 employees. The reduction will mean
the loss of about 91 jobs from the current staffing level.
"We have not visited with BOP about bringing in new inmates, because
we haven't started to manage the facility yet," said Houston.
He said that one of the provisions is to provide assistance for the
IGA (Intergovernmental Assistance Agreement). "We'll be working with
the county on that and after that, we will began to manage it, we will
become more involved," said Houston.
There were three parts to the contract, the Intergovernmental
Assistance Agreement, the Management Services Agreement and R3
Utilization Availability Agreement. It's the third part of the contract
that requires Wackenhut to work on bringing in new inmates for RCDC
III.
"I really appreciate what Judge Galindo did Tuesday, he went through
the whole contract," said Houston. "He shared all the contract and that
usually doesn't happen," he said.
"We will bring some people in to provide assistance, but the current
managing team and will continue to provide support," said Houston.
Houston said that Warden Rudy Franco would continue to be the warden
at the facility. "Only now, if he has a problem or question, he'll have
12 other wardens (at other facilities) that he can count on," said
Houston.
Houston said that he really appreciated the professional way that
the commissioners and county auditor handled the agreement and "talk"
sessions.
"I'm looking forward to being there, you'll be seeing more of me,"
he said.
Gabaldon turns travels into new idea for new store
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 6, 2003 -- Picture frames, ceramics, clocks and
more are what a shop owner is offering to the community at her
boutique's new location.
"I've always wanted to open my own shop," said Emma Gabaldon, who
just opened her shop at 311 S. Cedar St., after starting it up at 1221
S. Eddy St. She stayed at that location for about five months before
making the move to Downtown Pecos.
"I needed a little bit more room and I liked this location, so I
moved over here," said Gabaldon.
"Emma's" offers a wide variety of house wares and knick-knacks, and
Gabaldon first got the idea of opening her own shop when she traveled
with her husband, Agustin Gonzales, to Los Angeles and saw the many
items there.
"I thought, Pecos needs a store like this, that will offer a little
bit of everything for the home," she said.
Her store holds canister sets for the kitchen, pots and pans,
ceramic items, blankets and some furniture. If you can't find it in her
store, just let her know.
"I will try to find whatever item the customer wants, I still travel
with my husband to California," said Gabaldon, who added that she is
always in search of new items. Her husband, a longtime truck driver,
has taken her on many trips and she still enjoys going with him when
she gets the chance.
"I love going with him to different places, but now that I have the
store, now I just do it to find things for my store," she said.
Before she opened her own novelty store, Gabaldon worked as a cook
in different restaurants including Speedy's and at the Pecos Valley
Country Club. "I always wanted something of my own and my husband has
been very supportive, in fact, it was his idea," she said.
Gabaldon has lived in Pecos all her life and enjoys the small town
lifestyle. "I knew I wanted to stay here, but at that same time, wanted
to do my own thing," said Gabaldon. "I didn't have that opportunity
until I met my husband," she said.
The store is open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
"But I will stay open later, if anybody wants to come in and browse
after they get off work," she said.
Gabaldon said she welcomes everyone to just "come in and look." She
will be adding new "items" to her store and is always open to new
ideas.
"Maybe they'll see something they like and if they don't they can
always tell me what they are looking for and I will try to get it for
them," she said.
When she's not busy at her new store, Gabaldon enjoys spending time
with her husband, Agustin; her two sons, Raul and Guillermo, Jr.; her
five granddaughters and her grandson.
Amigos' owners shut one store, eye expansion
By BRENDEN BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 6, 2003 --The new owners of the Amigos Texaco
stores in Pecos have shut down one store and are weighing a possible
remodeling of the remaining store, along with a pending brand name
change that already has taken place in other parts of Texas.
The sale of the Amigos Texaco stations on South Cedar Street, at
Interstate 20 and East 14th Street, were finalized between the former
owner, Rio Grande Distributing and the new owner, Bohica Investment LTD
of Del Rio, this past Saturday.
The sale includes a total of 13 Amigos in West Texas, 10 of which
will remain open. The station located on East 14th Street will close
and the station on Interstate 20 will remain open and undergo
renovations.
The company said the three stores are being closed down to focus
resources on those 10 stores that are to remain open.
"We hope to maintain the current employees' throughout the
conversion from Rio Grande's ownership to ours," Bohica Investments
General Manager Jacob Kusenberger said, "any employees affected by the
shut down of those three stores will try and be utilized at the
remaining stores."
The store located on I-20 will remain open and undergo some
remodeling to facilitate the conversion. The Amigo's name will remain,
but the logo will change and the station's brand affiliation will
change from Texaco to Shell.
That change is part of a nationwide change of 1,300 Texaco stations
to Shell. The change was made following the merger of Chevron and
Texaco four years ago, and stations in other parts of Texas already
have undergone the brand name conversion.
Shell last had a presence in Pecos about 15 years ago, when the lone
local station across I-20 from the current Amigos location shut down.
It is now home to Hector's Tire Service.
The current Amigos site was formerly a full-service Texaco station
that was later converted into a self-service station with a small
convenience store. Kusenberger said they were looking to expand that
facility.
"We are only looking to add services to the existing facilities of
the station, underway are plans to add hot foods to the items available
for sale, but more importantly none of the services currently available
will be removed," he said.
"There is the possibility that the old station might have to be
bulldozed and start over with the construction of completely new
facilities; it all depends on whether the current site will accommodate
all that we would like to bring into the store," Kusenberger said.
Bohica Investments itself is a new entity based out of Del Rio, with
these 13 stores being currently its only interests.
"Our main interest at this point is convenience stores, the Amigo
stores purchase is one of our first," Kusenberger added.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 6, 2003 --High Wednesday 80. Low this morning
50. Forecast for tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of
rain. Areas of fog after midnight. Lows 45 to 50. Northeast winds near
10 mph. Friday: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. Highs
55 to 60. Light and variable winds becoming northeast near 10 mph in
the afternoon. Friday night: Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of
rain.Lows in the mid 40s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Saturday: Mostly
cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. Highs near 60. East winds near
10 mph. Saturday night: Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. Lows
near 50. Sunday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain. Highs near
70. The chance of rain is less than 20 percent. Sunday night: Partly
cloudy. Lows near 50.
Crockett hosting "Reading Night" for kids, parents
PECOS, Thurs., Nov. 6, 2003 --Crockett Middle School is sponsoring
"Family Reading Night" for all 7th and 8th grade students and parents.
Interested individuals will meet next Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 6-7
p.m., in Room 107 at the school.
Everyone is invited to come and read an AR book with their student.
The Scholastic Book Fair will also be open in the front hallway.
Come by and see the great selection of books for the entire family.
Refreshments will be served.
Obituaries
Natividad Gonzales and Rebecca Crouch
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
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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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