Iraan, Fort Stockton blasted

[SHANEA]

From the Fort Stockton Pioneer.

http://www.fortstocktonpioneer.com/articles/2006/06/08/news/news06.txt

Iraan, Fort Stockton blasted in newspaper ad
By Sharon Roosevelt

Pioneer Staff Writer

A wake up call was delivered to the residents of Iraan via a full-page ad in the Iraan newspaper signed by Polly Blanton Brooks.
Brooks is the 88-year-old great granddaughter of Ira and Anne Yates owners of the first oil wells oil in Pecos County. She visits the Iraan community on a regular basis and has in the past expressed an interest in living in the community.

"You are the legal entity of Pecos County," the ad says. It continues, "Without the Yates Oil Field Pecos County would still be sheep country. And the Comanche Springs would still be flowing."

After imploring the citizens of Iraan to "request and demand your rightful requirements," Brooks lists ten "Things not to be seen in Iraan Today."

She includes "a really decent Post Office with new usable news paper dispensers, a really clean, well kept commercial center that would invite others to come in, and a really modern, state of the art hospital."

Brooks cites eighty years of oil production and "millions and millions and millions" of tax dollars as providing many improvements for other parts of the county and not for Iraan. She concludes with the statement, "80 years of wealth and you have a trashed out city. Demand you be paid by the workers coming in here and cleaning, painting, planting and paving. You've worked for years for them, now let them work for you."

County Commissioner Precinct III includes Iraan. Commissioner J. H. Kent was asked about the ad. He replied, "I think it is wonderful that we live in a country where we can express our thoughts, ideas or opinions about the government regardless of their accuracy without fear of reprisal."

"Her ancestors gave the town site to the community and in the past couple of years she has been most generous to the community," said June Heck, the Mayor of Iraan. "She gave the city $70,000 to build an RV park which is just about completed and she has been here more in recent years.

"It seems strange to me that I have heard so little about the advertisement, I guess she really has been upset, but we appreciate what she has done for the community," said the Mayor.

[Vince T]

Thanks for sharing.
I have been through Iraan a number of times...love the climb heading east.