The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 6, 1990 Page: 1 of 8
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Valley Mart
Inserts
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THE RIO GRANDE HERALD
Pufftihr d weekly In Rio Grand* Oty. Ten*. every Thursday by The Rio Grande Publishing Co.
H.E.B.
Inserts
Inside
USPS 466-200
Vol. 80, No. 41, Thursday, September 6, 1990
25 Cents
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Ringgold Elementary Principal Irma Pena adds her personal touch to the office and
to the position of principal of (he Rio Grande City CISD's largest elementary
school,
Irma Pena Takes Reins As
Ringgold Elementary Principal
By TISSA PETERSON
"Mi casa cs su casa" is (he slogan
on a decoralivc wreath in the of I ice
of Irma Pcna, new principal at
Ringgold Elementary School iri
Fori Ringgold.
This slogan and the demeanor of
this school's new leader as she deals
4 with both students and adults seems
to set the tone for this, the largest
elementary school in the Rio
Grande City CISD. She has
decorated her office in the
Southwest style so popular
currently anil has already cut fabric
to sew curtains for all the offices at
Ringgold Elementary. "A personal
touch is what this principal seems
to give.
(his energetic, enthusiastic
educator is a highly skilled
seamstress who sews and decorates
for herself, her home, and her
Starr Football Teams
Open Season Friday
All three varsity high school
™ football teams will launching their
19^0 football seasons on the road
Friday night.
The Rio Grande City Rattlers,
hopeful of high achievements in
District .31 5A after a 7-3 season in
1989, will tangle with the Laredo
United Longhorns on the road
Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The
_ Rattlers defeated the Longhorns
16-6 in the 1989 season opener in
Rio Grande City
The Rattlers tuned up for the
season opener with a scrimmage
Friday night at Rattler Stadium
against a highly regarded Harlingen
Cardinal team. The Cardinals scored
three touchdowns to none for the
Rattlers under game conditions that
featured solid defense by both
teams.
Head Coach Jorge Luis Pena
expressed confidence that his team
was in good health and emotionally
eager lor the regular season.
The San Isidro Tigers will open
their season on the road Friday at
7:30 p.m. against La Villa. Head
(See FOOTBALL, Page 5)
family, which consists of husband
Apolonio Pena, a Math teacher at
Rio Grande City High School, and
children Mary, Fernando, and Jorge
Her handmade and crafted items arc-
also enjoyed by many friends with
whom she loves to share tier
talents.
Most of her energies have been
spent in the past few weeks,
however, on getting the 1990-91
school year off to a smooth start at
Ringgold Elementary. "There is
much to be done, including a
campus plan to be made this year,
she says, but adds that ok lization
is the key. Within one hour on the
first day, all of the almost 700
students were in their classrooms
and ready to begin their school
year."
Mrs. Pena credits the smooth
start to a strong and supportive
faculty and staff. Guadalupe
Amador, formerly a fifth grade
teacher at Ringgold Elementary, is
now serving as Assistant Principal.
"Although Mr. Amador, my
secretary, Rosie Salinas Garcia, and
I arc all new at our positions here,
we are all eager to learn and work
together to do whatever it lakes to
(See PENA, Page 3)
Whitewing Hunting Results
Better Than Predicted
The only whitewing hunting
weekend of the 1990 season during
the Labor Day weekend resulted in
considerably better hunting than had
been predicted in advance.
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department Game Warden
Guillermo Gonzalez commented.
The area from the bridge in Rio
^ Grande City to Los Barreras had
excellent shooting I'hose were the
areas where grain, sunflowers, and
other cover and Uxxl for birds were
avajlable."
Gonzalez continued, That area
was very good, there were
numerous hunters in that area and at
least hall of them reached their
limits within the first hour."
£ Gonzalez noted that the area
ak ,g the river behind Roma had
some birds due to planting of cover
for birds. Most importantly, il the
birds had something to cat, the
birds were around."
The game warden stressed, "The
whitewmgs were concentrated in
certain areas, making for excellent
hunting .1 was very pleased It was
a better than last year, which
surprised me I felt that ihe hunters
had a gotxl hunt
He noted that the area from I.on
Barreras to Escobares was very
slow. There were few birds and few
hunters." Gonzalez indicated that
hunting was also sluggish from
Roma northward to Falcon Heights
Gonzalez said that Sundav s
9 hunting was not as good as
Saturday, due to scattered
rains...The weather conditions were
ideal, especially on Saturday. The
temperatures were not too hot."
Gonzalez indicated, I would say
that 90 percent of hunters were
local There were quite a lew
hunters from Houston, but not
many compared to previous years."
Gonzalez took satislaction in the
fact that "we found very good
shooting m the brush country for
mourning doves, especially around
stock tanks More and more
mourning doves should be coming
down from the north due lo ciK>ler
wcalhei
The game warden emphasized,
"More rain means more cover, more
food and better nesting conditions,
which are all the requirements
needed for a plentiful dove-
population...Adequate cover and
plenty of food arc equally
important.'
Gonzalez contended, It we keep
planting and providing habitat and
expand the wildlife corridor, ihmgs
will gel belter lor ihe birds
Gonzalez also expressed
satisfaction that "interest by local
citizens in whitewing hunting is on
the rise. Starr County is a good
hunting county."
MDA Telethon
Considered Successful
The Labor Day telethon to raise
funds against muscular dystrophy
was considered a solid success in
Starr County, with well over $4000
being raised.
Starr County Pledge Center
Coordinator Cynthia Molina
indicated that a total of $4635.30 in
pledges was raised at the Pledge
Center She commented, "I think u
went very well I his w as only
pledges Other efforts, including b>
4 H and the Fire Department, had
raised a good amount of funds prior
to this,"
The Starr County pledge effort
took place di the I aBorde House
Hotel in Rio Grande City
Molina told Ihe Rio Grande
Herald at noon Monday, "We did
real well last night. The Customs
Private Detention Center
Moves Closer To Reality
By KENNETH ROBER TS
The planned new private
detention facility west of Rio
Grande City moved closer to reality
Thursday as the County
Commissioners authorized the
formation ol a non-profit
corporation to finance ihe
acquisition, design and construction
of the facilities
Pat Graham of N-Group, the
Houston investment firm
masterminding ihe project, led off
the proceedings by telling the
commissioners, "It looks like we're
one slep closer. We'd like for the
court to authorize the formation of
a non-profit corporation, which
would be presented relevant
documents
Graham added, I he president of
ihe new non profit corporation
would engage in a placement
agreement with the investment
bank."
He noted, 'We have identified the
bond buyers and sec their
willingness to proceed with the
financing."
Graham indicated, "These
agreements would be effective as of
the funding dau- Sept. 25, or 15
days alter that, to allow counsel to
review the documents. We are not
asking for anything binding today."
County Attorney Romero Molina
questioned, "1 don't know if the
language in the documents
coincides with what was said."
Graham responded, "Paragraph
number one has been deleted for ihe
lime being. The attorneys will
bring ihe document." Precinct Two
Commissioner Amando Pena asked,
"You say this is not binding?"
The commissioners ihcn
proceeded to name the members of
the non-profit corporation. County
Judge J.M. Martinez, Jr., said, "It
is urgent that we take care of this
today."
For this reason, the court voted
to name Precinct Four
Commissioner Reynaldo ' Moreno"
Alaniz to replace the absent
Precinct One Commissioner Jose
Maria "Chema" Alvarez. At a
previous meeting, Alvarez, Pena
and Martinez had been named to ihe
corporation.
The commissioners voted
Thursday that the non-profit
corporation be sei up as follows:
President- Judge Martinez;
V ice-President- Commissioner
Pena; Secretary Treasurer-
Comm i ssioner Alan i z.
A 40-minute recess then took
place to allow time for the bond
attorneys to arrive. When the
attorneys arrived, Graham said,
"Johnson and Gibbs of Dallas is the
bond counsel. They brought lo the
County Attorney the corrected
document: this morning. In the
next 30 days, ihert will be a
massive number of documents and
some changes."
Ed Toles, a bond attorney wilh
ihe Dallas-based Johnson and Gibbs
law firm, told the commissioners,
"There are three categories of tilings
we're looking at. We're asking you
to approve the private placement
agreement with Kirshner-Moorc,
the bond investment firm. The
non-profit corporation needs lo
meet also and act on the private
placement agreement and ihe private
memorandum.
Toles continued, "The cover page
contains the certification of the
resolution. This authorizes the
circulation of the private placement
agreement by Kirshner-Moorc.'
Kirshner-Moore, the designated
bond investment firm for the
project, is based in New York City
and Denver, Colorado.
Pena ihen moved that a
resolution authorizing the issuance
and sale by the Starr County
Criminal Justice Facilities
Corporation of Criminal Justice
Center Lease Revenue Bonds,
Series 1990, to finance the
(See DETENTION, Page 2)
RGCCISD Enrollment Shows
Tremendous Increase
The first week ol the 1990-91
school year showed a tremendous
increase of almost 1000 students in
total Rio Grande City CISD
enrollment, compared to the same
period in 1989-90.
Superintendent Dr. Leobardo
Cano indicated that the total
enrollment alier the first week of
the 1990-91 school year totaled
6267, compared lo 5298 a year
earlier. Cano commented. I Ins is a
trem e ndou s mc rease.
Most of the increases came at
three schools, Cano said. The high
school increased in enrollment from
' 393 students to 1760, and Grulla
elementary rose from 364 to 501
Significantly, Cano noted that
Ringgold Llementary's enrollment
totaled 707 compared to 716 in
1989 He stressed, "You have to
consider that 250 kids have been
moved to Hinojosa Elementary. It
(the Ringgold Elementary
enrollment) is already almost up to
the level it was before Hinojosa
opened."
Cano stressed, The district
continues to grow ai a very last
rale. The kids are coming from out
of state, within Texas, and many of
the migrants are returning a little
bit early. I see a peak ol around
7500 students
The superiniendeni commented,
[his is good news in figuring
Average Daily Attendance on a
year-round basis, but it is bad news
as far as facilities are concerned.
Right now, the district is handling
the situation pretty well, due to
Hinojosa Elementary and the new
portable buildings."
The first week enrollments at
other RGCCISD schools, compared
to 1989, are 1 isled as follows: Early
Childhood- 287 in 1990, 219 in
1989: Roque Guerra Elemcntary-
572 in 1990, 676 in 1989, John
and Olive Hinojosa Elementary,
477 in 1990; North Grammar
Elementary, 267 in 1990, 362 in
1989; La Union Elementary, 319 in
1990, 306 in 1989; Ringgold
(See INCREASE, Page 4)
Com m issioners Okay
Tax Rate Hearing
At their emergency meeting
Thursday afternoon, the County
Commissioners voted to hold a
public hearing to recommend that
the count) maintain the same tax
rate this coming year.
County Judge J.M. Martinez, Jr.,
said, II we keep the same lax rale
as this year, it would result in a
five [)crceni increase in revenue."
The lax rale for 1989 was .5884
per SHX) valuation. 1 he incrca.se in
valuations county wide resulted in
the effective lax rate, the rate that
would bring the same amount of
revenue, being lowered to .5603
Precinct Two Commissioner
Amando Pena moved that a hearing
be held on Sept 10 concerning the
1990 tax rale. The commissioners
arc recommending thai the lax rate
be maintained at .5884.
Christopher Kuechmann, the
Starr County Public Library
Director, recommended that Norma
Gomez Full/ be selected as
Assistant Library Director.
Kucchmann said of Full/, "Her
background and experience will be a
strong asset for this library." He
noted that the Library Board had
voted to approve her appointment
on Aug. 20.
Kuechmann said that "grant funds
(from the state) will pay her salary
in September, and local funds will
pay her salary from October on."
The commissioners then
approved the appointment of Full/
as Assistant Library Director.
Explorers were here last night and
helped with the telephone. Jolync
the Clown was here last night, and
Channel 4 was here filming."
She added, "People from some ol
the Head Start centers have been
helping with some of the
telephoning. The firemen are
selling tickets for a drawing for
which the proceeds are going to
MDA
Molina said Wednesday lhai two
contributors-- the Starr County
Head Start Parents and Pcna
Rivervicw Enterprises received
Gold Stars for donations of $300.
She indicated that Lee Roy Ccpeda
received a Silver Star for a SI50
donation
$<
I hese volunteers pictured above carried out Ihe Slarr County effort in
the Labor Day telethon to raise funds against Muscular Dystrophy. I he
Starr County pledge effort resulted in $4635.30 in promised pledges.
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Roberts, Kenneth. The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 6, 1990, newspaper, September 6, 1990; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth195253/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.