OC names new pavilion

More than a month after Rudy Acosta's death, the Odessa College board has unanimously approved naming its new pavilion after the former student.

Courtney Wardlaw, OC executive director of resource development, said a 2,400-square-foot open-air facility would be named for Acosta, a muscular dystrophy patient who graduated from Odessa College in 1990.

"He was paralyzed, but he was also an intellectual," Wardlaw said. "He could move a finger, and that's about all he could do."

Acosta moved on to the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and Texas Tech University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Acosta was appointed, by then Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, and moved to Austin, where he was an advocate. He died Feb. 18 at 43 years old.

OC President Gregory Williams said the naming of the facility would help memorialize Acosta while giving back to the campus students.

"I think that this is a tremendous step in supporting Mr. Acosta and the work that he did," Williams said. "It's also a wonderful gift to the student body of Odessa College."

Wardlaw said an anonymous source paid to name the facility for Acosta. The pavilion will be located next to the campus' Wi-Fi Java Cyber Café.

Odessa College trustee Ralph McCain said the pavilion's construction cost would be $284,820 and should be completed by August.

Meanwhile, at Tuesday night's board meeting, trustees also approved the reelection of Place 5 trustee Ray Ann Zant and Place 7 trustee Gary Johnson - both are unopposed in the May 10 municipal election.

Place 4 trustee J.E. "Coach" Pressly will be the only board member who's running against an opponent. Pressly will face Roy Hunton in the May 10 election.

The board also approved Murry Fly Elementary, 9500 Westview Ave., Pease Elementary, 1800 E. 22nd St. and Bowie Junior High, 500 W. 21st St., as polling places for the election.