Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 53, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 3, 1999 Page: 1 of 27
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Levelland And
Hockley County
News-Press
5(K
' l Ml ’I M MIHH A l M*S I 'HO Drawer l<»’H Le>elland.Te«as 1628 Phone (806) H‘> * S I 2 1 Sunday October 1 «W‘) I (> Page c In 1 Section A Supplement
Building activity
remaining strong
COSTLY FIRE — Frank Zapata is shown outside the remains of the
construction supply warehouse where he worked. The bulking was owned
by his employer, Alan Eller. The structure and most of its contents were
destroyed by fire overnight Tuesday. The facility at Fcst Street and Avenue
E caught fire shortly before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. Eighteen city firefighters
responded to the blaze fend were on the scene until 4:40 a.m. Wednesday.
The fire destroyed lumber, paint, saws and other materials. Its cause is
under investigation. (Staff Photo)
A continuing flow of budding
permit requests gave Levelland
another solid showing last month m
the area of construction activity.
The city issued 241 permits worth
SI.399,498 in September.
"I can’t believe it," Sharon
Boggs, a building official with the
city, said of the onslaught of
requests.
It was the second best September
on record for the budding trades in
Levelland
A record for the month was set
in 1991. w hen $2,001,952 w orth of
permits were granted
However, the latest figures from
the city moved year-to-date totals
to a new record level.
A total of 1.534 building permits
w orth S9.097.615 has been granted
by City of Levelland officials for
die first nine months of this year.
The old record was set m 1998.
at that tune permits tallying nearly
S7.5 million were issued m the
county seat.
The bulk of the permits awarded
in the city in the last four months
were for roof replacements. Level-
land sustained mdhons of dollars m
damage in May when a major hail-
storm rolled through the city.
Of the permits approved last
month, 236 of them were m the
subcategory of other. That area,
consisting mostly of rooting
permits, was valued at 5989.998
The roofing permits ranged from
as little as $500 to as much as
520.000. according to a report.
A total of 1,488 permits valued
at $6.8 million has been approved
by the city m the subcategory of
other this year.
No permits were made for new
housing starts in September
However, three permits were
granted for mobile homes. They
tallied 57.5.500
The single largest permit for the
period was one for 5329,000. It was
granted for construction of a new-
dental office in the 900 block of
12th Street
McGee Construction is the con-
tractor for the project.
See Bl’lLDING Page 2
Colorful mailboxes
popular with many
They come in a variety of
shapes and sizes, although most of
them are rectangular and rounded
off with a curved top.
Mailboxes, a familiar sight on
American.streets and highways for
decades, are generally utilitarian in
appearance.
Levelland residents can buy them
for as little as 57.59 in local stores.
Some citizens, though, opt to spend
hundreds of dollars encasing them
in brick.
Others prefer to be more creative
• and colorful - when it comes to
their mailboxes.
Some containers are surrounded
with miniature bams or houses, or
made into tractors and birdhouses.
Some are adorned with the legs and
tails of farm animals.
The supports and bases that keep
the boxes at least 36 inches from
the surface of streets also come in
a variety of configurations.
Oilfield drill bits are popular
supports with some local residents.
Other people like to mount their
mailboxes on car or truck axles.
One mailbox even has a home atop
an old hand plow. Flower pots and
concrete bases anchor some of the
supports.
A number of rural residents are
now
be
outside his Levelland home reflects
his love of antique and classic cars.
Five years ago, Merriman fin-
ished building a 1929 Ford Model
-A pickup.
"scrounger"
a variety of
cover part
The redred Amoco employer then
built a miniature Model A from
wood and other components and
installed it around his mailbox.
Michael Stueatt crafted a rustic-
looking miniature house and placed
it around his mailbox a year ago.
His wife, Dianna, draped it with a
plastic grapevine and flowers.
"I’m die decorator," Mrs. Stueart
said, adding that her spouse is the
craftsman in die family.
Levelland residents Hess and Ola
See MAILBOXES Page 2
Jack A Barbara McMiBaa
228 Redwaad Lane
117 Saa Jaciata
Longer class periods
slated for Lobo High
Levelland High School students
will soon be spending more time m
class.
Starting Oct. 18, class periods for
the alternating block schedule will
increase from 85 to 90 mmutes.
And die class day, which had
been endmg at 3:05 p.m., will now
stop at 3:25 pjn.
School administrators decided to
revert to the old 90-mmute class
schedules after learning that the 85-
mmute classes would adversely
affect state funds that the school
district receives, said Supt. Bob
Martin.
"It would have cost us 575,000
in ADA (averagedaily attendance)"
money, Martin said.
A change in rules by the Texas
Education Agency meant that the
district would have to offer 90-
mmute periods for its vocational
courses m aider to receive full ADA
funding, he said.
See SCHOOL Page 2
Michael A Duma Stueart
216 WBow Waad La at
Jack A Bern Isaacks
111
Higher oil prices prompt
optimism in Oil Patch
With the recent rebound in oil
prices, some optmnsm is returning
to the Oil Patch,
It is tempered with caution,
though, as local oil field firms wait
for the majors and independents to
spend more on workovers and new
drilling projects.
Finding enough experienced
workers to fill new job openings
could be the biggest challenge for
companies m the coming months.
Crude od prices, wfaefa fell below
S10 a barrel m 1998 and stayed low
earlier this year, led to widespread
layoffs m West Texas.
Those layoff* have led to a
this time. There’s far less to pick
from than before ”
He said activity m the Oil Patch
has picked up enough that his com-
pany is realizing "a little backlog.”
While oil field activity has
increased m the past few months,
it b not m a boom phase. Stahl
said.
He said the major od companies
appear to be biding thru tune,
waiting until they are comfortable
enough with prices before under-
taking more workover and drilling
projects.
Some companies arc still dealing
with
In July.
Operating, agreed that the big oil
conpwH may become more active
m the oil field as dm year draws to
a close.
"I dunk they’re waiting maybe
the last ipaner.” W ilson said "They
might be looking at something No-
body's really saying.”
He said h» company was "real
busy” two months ago. but the pace
b slower now.
Actmty s increasing m local oil
fields, but it nay be hampered by
a shortage of experienced workers,
said Jack PnuU. area manager wuh
"It's gong to be abide tut rough
“ Print! said
part of the
O O H- OCO 1-0)0) O)
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Rigg, John. Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 53, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 3, 1999, newspaper, October 3, 1999; Levelland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1168845/m1/1/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting South Plains College.