Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 1, 2004 Page: 2 of 6
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The Rio Grande Herald-Thursday, July 1, 2004, Page 2
Valley retail sales top $10
billion for first time in 2003
Retail sales in the Rio Grande
Valley for 2003 showed a
whopping 13.3 percent increase
over 2002 sales, topping $10
billion for the first time, according
to a report compiled by the Rio
Grande Valley Partnership/Chamber
of Commerce.
"This shows that the Rio Grande
Valley remains positive and
continues to grow, indicating that
people on both sides of the border
support the businesses of the Rio
Grande Valley," said Eill Summers.
Partnership president/CEO.
The report is based on the four
Quarterly Sales and Use Tax
Reports issued by the Texas
Comptroller's office for 2003.
The four-county area had
$10,012,952,628 in total retail
sales from 14,765 retail outlets,
according to the report.
This was an increase of
$1,179,519,319 over 2002 sales of
$8,833,433,309.
Hidalgo County had
$6,556,541,402 in retail sales
during 2003. Cameron County
showed $3,045,405,002 in 2003
retail sales. Starr County had
$346,041,289, and Willacy County
had $64,964,935 in retail sales for
2003.
The Starr County retail sales
figure showed an increase of more
than $32 million from the 2002
retail sales total of just under $314
million.
Though not counted in the retail
sales total, the Services category
added another $1,194,428,619 to
the 2003 sales and service income
for the Valley.
The Comptroller's office provides
breakdowns by category for
Metropolitan Statistical Areas
(MSAs). The Valley's two MSAs
are Cameron-Harlingen-San Benito
MSA, which takes in all of
Cameron County, and McAllen-
Edinburg-Mission MSA, which
includes all of Hidalgo County. The
figures given below are combined
figures for those two counties.
The Auto Dealers and Gas
category had the highest dollar
amount of sales in the two MSAs,
with $2,349,293,035. For the first
time, automotive sales topped Food
Stores, which showed total 2003
sales of $1,932,217,651.
General Merchandise stores were
next with $1,471,473,744. The
Miscellaneous Retail category
showed the largest number of stores
reporting with 5821 stores for 2003
sales of $931,608,289. Restaurants
showed $836,003,190 in 2003
business, with 2681 restaurants
reporting.
Building Materials had
$645,216,826 in combined two-
county sales; Furniture, Home and
Equipment had $563,330,723. and
Apparel and Accessories stores were
close behind with $556,600,009.
Drug Stores reported 2003 sales
of $279,847,333, and Liquor Stores
showed 2003 sales of $36,355,600.
The Partnership also issues a
more detailed Analysis of Trade in
the Rio Grande Valley Rioplex.,
which includes manufaturing and
other trade categories reported by
the Texas Comptroller's office.
A total of 653 retail outlets from
Starr County reported
$346,041,289 in gross sales in
2003.
The 2003 retail sales figure for
Starr County is a substantial
increase from the $313,970,194 in
.ctail sales recorded in 2002. The
Starr County retail sales figures for
the two years prior to 2002 are as
follows: 2001, $304,209,229;
2000. $271,127,372.
From 1995-1999. the following
retail sales totals were recorded for
Starr County:
• * 1995, $198,265,882.
* 1996. $216,141,509.
* 1997, $212,904,675.
* 1998, $234,254,446.
* 1999. $247,651,301.
Starr County recorded
$94,374,478 in retail sales in 1985
and $141,096,016 in retail sales in
1990.
The entire Valley recorded total
retail sales in the years listed as
follows: 1985. $3,072,660,773:
1990. $4,316,003,189; 1995.
$5,295,100,2 19; 2 0 0 0.
$7,896,233,700.
Starr County rains
lighter than in Valley
Most of Starr County received at
least three-quarters of an inch of
rain during a three-day period last
week, but the rains in most areas
were considerably lighter than
elsewhere in the Valley.
The rains came from
thundershowers that fell in the late
afternoon hours on Tuesday, June
22 and in the evening hours of
Wednesday, June 23 and Friday,
June 25.
The Rio Grande City Fire
Department received an overall total
of .73 inch, and recorded the
following daily rainfall totals:
TUESDAY, JUNE 22- .30 inch:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23- .03
inch: FRIDAY. JUNE 25- .37
inch; SATURDAY. JUNE 26- .03
inch.
Dr. Roberto S. Margo of Rio
Grande City indicated, "We had one
inch here in town (at the clinic).
We had 4 1/2 inches at the ranch (in
northern Starr County) last week.''
NRCS District Conservationist
Arturo Ibarra indicated Tuesday,
"The reports I've gotten from RGC
are from 1 1/2 to 2 inches. The La
Sagunada area, which is about 10
miles north of Rio Grande City,
got 3 1/2 inches."
Ibarra emphasized, "Pastures are
most definitely in good shape. The
pastures were already starting to dry
out until the recent rains."
"The rains did delay some of the
grain harvesting and may hurt the
quality," concluded the
conservationist. "The crops still in
the fields have been helped by these
rains."
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Texas
Department
<.of Transportation
Public Notice
This notice is to adv ise all interested parties of the intent of the Texas department of Transportation
(TxDOT), Pharr District Office, to revise its FY 2004 Rural Transportation Improvement Program
(TIP). The revisions are to the following transit activities.
Starr County
Community Action Council of South T exas - Section 5310 Elderly and Disabled Persons Transporta-
tion Program - Purchase of Service Total Funding $126,469
Service Area: Starr, Zapata and Jim Hogg Counties
For additional information or to present verbal comments, please contact this office at (956) 702-6147
or send written comments no later than July 16, 2004, at 5:00 p.m. to:
Mr. Mario Jorge, P.L.
District Engineer
Texas Department of Transportation
P.O. Drawer 1717
Pharr, Texas 78577-1717
RGCCISD
schedules Exit
Level Test dates
Rio Grande City CISD
Exit Level Test Dates
TAK.S Retest
July 6 ELA
July 7 Math
July 8 Social Studies
July 9 £ ence
TAAS Retest
July 6 Writing
July 7 Math
July 8 Reading
Contact Mrs. Pat Soto at the High
School at 488-6039 for more
information.
Golf driving range
now open at RGC
High School
RGCCISD News Release
The Rio Grande City School golf
driving range is now opened for any
member in the community that is
interested.
The driving range will be opened
Monday through Friday from 7:00-
10:00 p.m. Golf clubs are not avail
able at this time and you must brin;
your own.
If you have additional questions,
please contact the Athletic Office at
716-6756.
Whoever is happy will make oth
ers happy too. He who has
courage and faith will never per-
ish in misery.
—Anne Frank
Coen, Zepeda plan July wedding
Jonathan Dwyer Coen of Katy, Texas and Krisuna Zepeda of Rio Grande
City have announced their engagement and plan to exchange marriage
vows in July 2004 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Austin. Both the bride-elect
and bridegroom-elect are graduates of the University of Texas at Austin.
Coen, Zepeda to
exchange vows in July
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Zepeda, Jr. of
Rio Grande City announce the
engagement of their daughter,
Kristina, to Jonathan Dwyer Coen,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B.
Coen, Jr.
Kristina graduated from Rio
Grande City High School in 1998
and received a B.A. in History from
the University of Texas at Austin.
Jonathan graduated from Katy
High School in 1998 and received a
B.F.A. in Studio Art and a B.A. in
Design from the University ot
Texas at Austin.
A July wedding is planned at St.
Mary's Cathedral in Austin.
Roma High students qualify
for Distinguished Achievement Program •
Roma High School has
announced the students that
qualified for the Distinguished
Achievement Program during the
2003-2004 school year.
In the Distinguished
Achievement Program, students
must follow the advanced high
school program with an additional
credit in foreign language and must
also receive any combination of
four of these advanced measures that
are assessed though an external
review process:
(1) Scores 3 or higher on College
Board Advanced Placement
examination(s).
(2) Grade point of 3.0 or higher
on courses that count for college
credit, including Tech Prep
Programs.
(3) Original research conducted
under a mentor(s) and reported to an
Tax-F ree
Municipal Bonds
3.49"
5.1?
appropriate audience.
The Roma High students
qualifying for the Distinguished
Achievement Program during the
2003-2004 school year are as
follows:
Karina Eliana Alanis, Daisy
Lenelle Alvarez, Alejandro Adan
Barrera, Daniel Eliud Barrera,
Jumara Barrera. Luis Alberto
Barrera, Jr., Leonarda Ernestina
Bcnavides, Jose Antonio Cadena,
Joanna Canales, Janet Cantu.
Ruben Carlos Chapa III. Edmundo
Escobar, Jr.. Anayely Falcon.
Christian Gallegos, Claudia Garcia,
Mario Cesar Garcia, Jr . Oswaldo
Garcia, Sergio Hugo Garcia, Jr .
Daniel Andres Garza, Nidia Marisol
Garza, Raymundo C. Garza. Lucia
Olivia Gomez, Ana Lee Gonzalez,
Eden Gonzalez, Pedro Gonzalez III.
Elliott A. Guerra, Jose Alfredo
Guerra, Jr., Jose Arturo Guerra, Jr..
Rodolfo Hinojosa, Berenice Mares,
Mayra Ofelia Martinez, Raul
Mercado, Jr., Amadeo Moreno III.
Yolin Diliana Muniz, Brenda Edith
Munoz, Yvonne Marie Paulson,
Louis E. Pena, Jose Adan Pena,
Cassandra Perez, David Daniel
Perez. Viviana Perez, Kristina
Marie Recio, Ricardo Robles, Jr..
Yadira A. Rodriguez. Amando G.
Ruiz, Arnulfo Saenz, Jr., Shant i
Marie Salinas, Selma Iris
Tanguma.
Art doesn't want to he familiar.
It wants to astonish us. Or, in
some cases, to enrage us. It
wants to move us. To touch us.
Not accommodate us, make us
comfortable.
—Jamake Highwater
***
You may also send your comments via facsimile to (956) 702-6172
tx.us. . J* . *
or by e-mail to gcantu@dot.state
4>. t*
Yields to maturity effective 06/23/04, subject
to availability and price change. Yield and
market value may fluctuate if sold prior to ma-
turity, and the amount received from the sale of
these secunties may be less that the amount
originally invested May be subject to state
and local taxes May be subject to alternative
minimum tax.
Some of the available issues of bonds are
callable Contact your local Edward Jones
investment representative for more information
about maturity dates and applicable call provi-
sions.
Call or stop by today.
Kristina
Tarot Card Reader
Kristina le garantiza ayuda para todos tus proglemas Te sientes perdido y
confuso? Has perdido !a tranquilidad? Tienes preguntas de tus relaciones
sentimentales o negocio? Si tienes preguntas, Kristina te las contestara
Habla hoy para un mejor manana. Todas tus consultas son privadas y con-
fidenciales. Toda lectura de cartas son de $5.00
202 Sur de la calle "I" Pharr (Detras del H.E.B.)
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The
Rio Grande
Herald
(USPS 466-200)
Pearl Austin Mathis
Publisher
Published weekly for 15 70 per year in Stan
County and 18 75 pes year out-of-counly by Rio
Grande Herald Publishing Co Inc , Pearl Austin
Mathis. President Publisher, fravis A Mathis
and Will N Marli co-owners, 215 I
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 1, 2004, newspaper, July 1, 2004; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196275/m1/2/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.