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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Board to discuss pact for district's electric services
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 11, 2003 -- Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school board member
will discuss an electrical power contract, and get updates on construction
and renovation projects this evening, during the board's regular monthly
meeting.
The group will meet at 6 p.m. today at the Technology Center, 1301 S.
Eddy St., and will weigh either the option of a one-year contract renewal
with First Choice Power, purchase of electricity through the State Power
Program (General Land Office) or request proposals for retail electric provider
for the district's schools and other facilities.
This will be the third year that the school district has had the option
to choose its electric power provider, since electric utilities in Texas
were deregulated. The board has voted the past two years to remain with
First Choice Power, in part due to the number of local jobs it provides
in the Pecos area compared with other out-of-town providers.
Board members will also listen to a report on the Pecos High School mold
remediation and Austin Elementary HVAC projects and get an update on the
PHS softball field construction.
Board members will also get a report on vending machine sales, service
and products from the area's Pepsi-Cola distributor, AbTex of Abilene. The
board voted to give Pepsi rights to place vending machines in P-B-T schools
this summer, but then sought to nullify that agreement.
In other action, board members will discuss and take action on Reading
FIRST Grant; Reading Academy K-5; update on Summary of Finance for 2002-03
(near final) and 2003-4; enrollment report; tax roll errors and corrections
for 2002 and prior years; 2003-2004 budget amendments and requests to purchase
foreclosed properties.
Board members will listen to the Second reading and consider and possible
action on changes for TASB Policy DEC Local: Compensation and Benefits:
Leaves and Absences and Second Reading: TASB Policy FMG Local; student activities:
travel and TASB Policy DEE Local: Compensation and benefits, travel with
students - expense reimbursement.
The group will also discuss and take action on Regional Day School Program
for the Deaf Shared Services Agreement.
Board members will meet behind closed doors, in closed session as authorized
by the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Section 551.101 et.
Seq., Section 551.074: Discuss personnel or hear complaints against personnel.
The group will return to open session and take action, if any, on items
discussed in closed session.
Regular agenda items include:
Tax report.
Cafeteria report and commodities received.
Depository securities report.
Current bills and financial report.
Investment transaction report.
Reconciled bank balance report.
Reeves County Community Recreation Department report.
Pecosite offered encore performance at Fair
By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 11, 2003 -- A Pecos newcomer has been asked to perform
for the second Friday in a row at the Permian Basin Fair in Odessa.
Jennifer Matthews Reeves has been asked by representatives of KOSA TV
(CBS 7) to perform on Friday at the station's exhibit at the Fair, which
is located next to the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa.
A CBS 7 employee wrote Reeves: "you were a big hit last Friday" and asked
if she would come back to perform on the last weekend of the Fair.
Reeves will be performing at 7 p.m., Friday on the CBS 7 stage, directly
behind the main entrance of the fair.
"I sing a variety of songs," said Reeves. They include new country songs,
old country, Christian songs and oldies.
"I like to sing different styles of music," said Reeves, who moved to
Pecos from Austin about a year ago with her husband, Brad Reeves, when he
took over as the new Game Warden for Reeves County.
"I performed at the Permian Basin fair in Odessa last Friday and they
asked me if I wanted to go back and do it again and I was thrilled," said
Reeves. "I wasn't even the winner of that talent contest."
She was in a Lone Star Idol Contest and was one of the finalist in the
competition. "I'm trying to pursue singing as a career," said Reeves, who
has been singing since she was a little girl.
"I always knew I wanted to act or sing and did a lot of musicals and
independent films," said Reeves, who added that living in Pecos hasn't
deterred her from pursuing her dream.
"I found that there is a lot of things I can do in Odessa, which is close
by," said Reeves, who is currently working on a film, in a lead part, entitled,
"The Mind's Eye." The independently produced effort is being filmed in Odessa.
"We've been doing it all summer," said Reeves.
To find out more about the film individuals can visit the website at
www.elevatedfilms.com.
Reeves is also trying to get a band together. "It takes time, but I'm
always looking for something," she said.
The young singer/actress was born in Dayton, Ohio, and attended college
at Southwest Texas University in San Marcos.
"This is a small town, but there are still opportunities out there," she
said.
C.A.S.A. adds new local reps for child cases
By BRENDEN BRIGGS
Staff writer
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 11, 2003 -- On Wednesday, three new recruits were sworn
in at the county court house to fight in the war for child welfare.
Frontier C.A.S.A., a nonprofit organization, welcomed three residents
of Reeves County into their fold. These volunteers were trained locally
to be special advocates for children going through child protective services
courts.
Associate judge of the child protective courts, Sylvia Chavez, swore
in Gloria Rodriguez, Jean Olson, and Anita Balog as the final step towards
their commitment to child welfare.
After 30 hours of training, with space donated by Reeves County Hospital,
these three individuals are now ready to be of service to the courts, specifically
those in Reeves County. If needed they could be asked to lend a hand to
neighboring counties, but the hope is that they will be able to help local
children as much as possible.
The C.A.S.A volunteers give the courts a more in-depth look into a particular
child's case. To begin with, the volunteer speaks with all parties involved
to get to know the child's case and circumstances. Unlike the appointed
attorney in the case who must plea for the child's wishes, the volunteer,
or guardian ad litem, recommends to the court what they believe is in the
child's best interest.
This allow one person to be constant through out the life of the case,
keeping an eye on any progress or new circumstances that the judge may not
be aware of. The court listens to the guardian's suggestions concerning
all matters in the case, visitation rights, birth parents efforts and child's
wishes. This gives the judge in the case a much more objective view as
to what might be the best interest.
Council OKs tighter budget, keeps tax rate
By BRENDEN BRIGGS
Staff Writer
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 11, 2003 -- Town of Pecos City Council members voted
to approve a 2003 budget based on the same property tax level of last year
during their meeting this morning at City Hall.
The budget, which was adjusted during workshop sessions to stretch the
most out of every dollar, is balanced using the current property tax rate
of .6967 cents per $100 in valuations. The action comes despite sagging
property values within the city during the past year.
Overall the tax base in Pecos has dropped approximately $9 million in
the past year according to figures from the city's Tax Assessor Collector,
Lydia Prieto. Because of that, the council was told before the meeting that
a tax rate of .75677 cents per $100 in valuations would be needed to bring
in the same amount of tax revenues as a year ago.
The.75677 cent figure is the rollback rate, which Prieto's report said
is the maximum allowable tax increase that does not require a vote from
the public. However, the council chose to make the needed cuts and reallocate
programs to departments that could handle them more cost efficiently.
"Every effort was made to balance the budget without any raise in property
taxes," City Manager Carlos Yerena said.
However, both the tax rate and budget depend on Reeves County coming
through with its payment of the $422,320 for the South Worsham water construction
project. The original date of payment was Aug. 31, but due to its financial
problems related to the Reeves County Detention Center, the county delayed
payment, while saying on Monday it would set Oct. 15 as the new payment
date.
If not paid by then, the city would face a shortfall that could require
an increase of up to 36 cents in local property taxes.
"If the county does not make this payment, then we will be faced with
even tougher choices than what we faced building this budget," Mayor Dot
Stafford said.
"In that event we will have to raise taxes and probably have to cut services
and personnel as well," she said
In other business, council members were told the financial return to
the city from ambulance services has not been below projections. Though
better than it has been, the current rate of return is still 6 percent short
of the hoped for 50 percent return.
To improve that figure, the council approved contracting out of the collection
of ambulance fees by National Reimbursement, a collection agency. The company
would go after the $700,000 owed to the city for a 10 percent share of the
return.
Also today the council approved a change order for construction on the
South Worsham water field. The change order is to fit the pumps with filters,
and the total percentage of change orders accounts for less than one percent
of the total cost of the project.
The council also approved advertising for bids on the replacement of
one currently existing tank and the refurbishment of two others tanks at
the Ward County water field. The money for the projects is coming from
the funds allocated specifically for water improvement, funds that can only
be used for that purpose.
The council also reappointed former mayor Bill Hubbs to the Permian Basin
Airport Board, as per the recommendation of the airport board.
Schools schedule early release day before grid game
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 11, 2003 -- All Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD students
will be released from school at 1 p.m., Friday.
Parents/Guardians should make arrangements for their students to be picked
up at this time. The early release is coinciding with Pecos' Friday night
football game in Lamesa.
Weather
PECOS, Thurs., Sept. 11, 2003 -- High Wed. 102. Low this morning 71. Rainfall
past 24 hours: Trace. Forecast for tonight: Partly cloudy with a 30 percent
chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s. North winds 10 to 20 mph.
Fri.: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 80s. NE winds 10 to 15 mph. Fri. night:
Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. East winds near 10 mph. Sat.: Partly
cloudy. Highs near 90. SE winds 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Sat. night:
Partly cloudy. Lows near 60. Sun.: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of
rain. Highs in the lower 80s. Sun. night: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance
of rain. Lows in the mid 50s.
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
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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