Duval County Picture (San Diego, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 17, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 1, 1991 Page: 1 of 30
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Suual fflounty iPirtur?
Vol.6 No. 17
Wednesday, May 1,1991
San Diego, Texas
J
Major Garza waives at bystander during arrival in San Diego.
War was family
affair for Garzas
SDISD deficit reduction
on schedule say trustees
SAN DIEGO - Desert Storm
was a family affair for the Jesus
Conrado Garza family of Benav-
ides. Garza and two of his chil-
dren saw duty in the Gulf War,
and one is still in Saudi Arabia.
Garza, a Major with the Third
Armor Calvary Regiment, re-
turned home to a rousing wel-
come on Friday, April 26. He first
was greeted by the Paisiano Day
Care children in San Diego who
planted a tree in his honor.
Although he is from Benav-
ides, Major Garza has ties to San
Diego having done his student
teaching here in 1964 under Leo
Saavedra and M.J. Friesenhahn.
Garza’s unit was involved in
the invasion of Iraq, cutting ac-
cross all the way to the Euphrates
Valley. From there, the Third
Armor turned towards the Gulf
and trapped the Republican Guard
outside of Kuwait near the port
City of Basra in eastern Iraq.
"Had we been allowed to take
Basra we could have destroyed
the Republican Guard," said
Major Garza.
The American government,
however "did not want to destroy
the Iraqi army completely," be-
cause it would have left a void in
the Middle East, added Major
Garza. The possibility that Iran or
some other country would take
advantage of this situation,
stopped the war when it did.
Garza said his unit met only
minimal resistance along the way.
He said the Iraqis had been beaten
by the extended air war.
When Major Garza wa^- ui „ te
thick of the ground war, two of
his children were in rear support
units.
His son, Sgt. J.C. Garza was
with the 77th EOD which spe-
cializes in disarming explosives.
He was among those who went
into Kuwait "to clean-up".
Mqjor Garza's daughter, Sp4
Rose M. Title is the secretary to
Brig. General Guest who is the
Assistant Commander for Logis-
tics in the Saudi Arabian port of
Damam. She is still stationed
Saudi Arabia.
Major Garza’s son-in-law Jack
Smith was also one of the first
troops deployed to the Gulf to set
up Air Force munitions. He re-
turned to Guam before hostilities
began. He is married to Major
Garza's daughter Veronica.
Major Garza and his wife Rose
and their youngest daughter
Criselda call Fort Bliss in El Paso
home. He is the son of Mrs.
Conrado Garza of Benavides and
his wife's parents are Mr. and
Mrs. Lazaro Garza, also of Be-
navides.
The San Diego Independent School Dis-
trict Bodrd of Trustees took another step at
reducing the near one million dollar debt
which had mounted under previous boards.
They adopted, at their meeting of April 25, a
deficit reduction plan which they
hope will satisfy the Texas Edu-
cation Agency.
TEA told the district, in a letter
dated March 27, that their August
31,1990 audit showed a deficit of
$821,804. They pointed out that
"this should be of grave concern
to all parties involved."
"School districts with the
types of audit disclosures dis-
cussed above tend to be those with
serious accreditation problems," said Ruben
D. Olivarez, TEA'S Acting Deputy Commis-
sioner for Operations and Services.
In their response td Olivarez, the school
board reminded TEA that the board had
adopted a plan to retire the debt over a three
year period. That plan, say board members, is
on schedule.
Projections by the district's business of-
fice indicate that at year-end the deficit will
stand at $566,907.50, $254,896.50 less than
at the beginning of the year. This amounts to
a reduction of 31 per cent for the first year of
the district's plan. If the figures hold, it will
mark the first year in recent memory that the
district will finish the current year in the
black.
Still the deficit presents the school with a
constant cash-flow problem. As of March the
district's overdraft stood at $43,495. Esti-
mates, prepared by an independent auditor,
point to an overdraft of $300,105 by the end
of June, a full two months before the end of
the fiscal year.
The board took action to address this prob-
lem as well. They approved a master note with
^ssssssssgsss.
not redi
tional p,
I!!!:.: '
not reduced funding for the instruc-
tional programs,» said school board
President Libby Vela.
the First State Bank of San Diego not to
exceed $700,000. Advances on the note will
be made as needed.
Board President Libby Vela was quick to
point out that this amount mirrored the
$639,000 in notes paid earlier in the year.
That debt, said Vela, was incurred by the pre-
vious board but had been paid-off early to
save interest.
In order to assure compliance with their
projections, the board adopted additional cost
savings measures which went into effect
immediately. These measures include:
• all classified employees will be placed on
a 4-day work week;
• freeze hiring of classified employees;
• close school campuses for the summer,
• close summer recreational program un-
less alternate binding becomes available;
• close summer school programs except
those funded by Federal programs;
eliminate substitutes for custodians,
maintenance and cafeteria;
• continue implementing the energy con-
servation program on all campuses;
• approve employment attrition plan;
• reduce employee travel
(only as required);
• reduce student travel (only
as needed and required);
• place capital improvements,
such as the baseball lights proj-
ect, on hold; and
• monitor continuously all ex-
penditures and revenues.
While the district has devel-
oped a three-year plan to retire
the deficit, it also holds some ace
cards if luck is with them.
The district is owed $3,070,672 in delin-
quent taxes. The district's tax attorneys, on the
authorization of the board, has 32 taxsuits
pending involving $791,173. In addition 10
other lawsuits are being prepared totaling
$102,674.
The district also has a lawsuit pending
against the Benavides ISD from which they
hope to realize $424,897.33. That lawsuit is
expected to be heard on May 23 of this year.
Finally, the newly enacted Texas School
Finance Reform Law could infuse additional
cash into the school's budget. Those figures
are not yet known.
"Even though we currently have in opera-
tion a barebones budget, we have not reduced
funding for the instructional programs," said
school board President Libby Vela.
Manges taxes closer to being paid
Under a new plan submitted
by a Seattle bank to a Corpus
Christi Bankruptcy Court, local
taxing entities could begin seeing
some payments of Clinton
Manges'delinquent taxes. Money
could be disbursed as early as 60
days say delingquent tax attor-
neys.
Oil production payments, to-
taling $750,000 due Clinton
Manges have been deposited in
an escrow account by Coastal
States and Riata Oil Company.
Under the bank's plan Duval
County would receive 46 percent
or $345,000 of this fund.
The Freer school district could
receive as much as $372,000 and
Benavides ISD $33,000.
This is only about a third of
what is owed in delinquent taxes
by Manges. The current proposal
is seen only as an "interim pay-
ment" and the taxing entities can
expect "quite a bit more" say
delinquent tax attorneys.
"We’ll have to wait and see
whether the bank will continue to
fight over taxes," said Kent Rider
an attorney with Calame, Lin-
barger and Graham.
In other business, at its April
23 meeting, Duval County Com-
missioners opted to keep the
county's group health insurance
with Metropolitan Life. They did,
however, extract from the com-
pany an agreement to charge 8.1
percent in administrative fees
instead of the 9.3 percent it had
proposed.
Metropolitan Life will also
introduce a PPO (Preferred Par-
ticipant Organization) Program
in July which will decrease the
county's rates, said County Judge
Gilberto Uresti.
"The whole intent in review-
ing this matter was to contain
escalating costs," said Uresti.
Metropolitan will also intro-
duce a "wellness" program which
will help in cost-containment,
added the judge.
The court also approved:
• bid notices for auto and build-
ing insurances;
• Fair Housing Resolution;
• $800 housing repair loans to
Basilio Perez; Diego Pena, Sr.
and Orlando Morin; and
• the implementation of a
9-1-1 emergency addressing sys-
tem.
Burglars burn little girls facility
Rabies confirmed
in Duval ranch dog
SAN DIEGO - An early morn-
ing fire on Tuesday, April 23,
gutted the concession stand at the
local kickball fields. Fire Marshall
Gilbert Perez said the fire was
started by burglars.
This is the second fire started
by burglars during the month. An
earlier burglary-related fire oc-
curred on April 6 at the Kings
Pizza Parlor.
Unlike the pizza fire where
burglars went away empty
handed, some $4,000 of equip-
ment and merchandise was taken
or destroyed at the kickball stand,
according to San Diego Little
Miss Kickball Treasurer Esper-
anza Torres.
Torres said county officials,
including County Judge Gilberto
Uresti and Commissioner Alejo
Garcia, had made commitments
to rebuild the facility. The county
had built the original concession
stand.
This is not the first time the
kickball stand has been burglar-
ized. Because it is in a secluded
place, said Torres, it is the subject
of frequent vandalism.
The kickball program, which
involves several hundred girls, is
now operating "under a tree" said
Torres. A fund has been estab-
lished to help the league replace
theirlost supplies and equipment.
Individuals wishing to contribute
should send their checks to: First
State Bank of San Diego, Attn:
Sarita Perez, P.O. Box 487, San
Diego,,Texas 78384 or to
SDLMK, c/o Esperanza Torres,
P.O. Box 559, San Diego, Texas
78384.
Fire Marshall Perez expressed
concern with the recent rise in
arson. He added that he intended
to solve these cases and will seek
the maximum punishment.
Arson, when no injury or death
occurs, is considered a second
degree felony, said a spokesman
with the State Fire Marshall's
office in Austin. It is punishable
by from two to 20 years in prison
and a fine up to $10,000.
If an injury or death occurs it
becomes a first degree felony
punishable by a sentence of five
to 99 years.
Burglaries and vandalism arc
commonly associated with arson,
said Joey Porter with the Arson
Division of the State Fire
Marshall's Office.
"A large number of fires don't
get classified as arson because of
a lack of training of local investi-
gators," said Porter.
The conviction rate for arson
is only 30 to 35 preccnt because
there usually isn't an eyewitness
to the crime. Prosecutors have to
build their case on circumstantial
evidence.
The best defense against ar-
son. says Porter, is public aware-
ness. If you see a suspicious indi-
vidual around a vacant, aban-
doned or secluded building, call
the police. In San Diego the
number to call is 279-3351.
A confirmed case of rabies in
a dog in the Cruz Calle commu-
nity in Southern Duval County
has prompted state public health
officials to issue a rabies alert.
The health agency is urging all
residents to vaccinate their pets
from the deadly disease.
At least three individuals in
the ranch where the rabid dog
was found have begun to take a
series of shots to prevent rabies.
Two peopole supposedly placed
their hand inside the dogs mouth
in an attempt to determine what
was ailing it.
"Nowadays these shots are a
lot safer and less painful," said
Dr. George McKirahan, a veti-
narian with Public Health Region
8 in Harlingen.
The series consists of five shots
taken at one week intervals. The
antibodies vaccine is much like
taking a tetanus shot said Dr.
McKirahan.
The shots are very safe and
very effective," added Dr.
McKirahan," they are not to be
feared like it used to be."
Still, the best thing is not to be
exposed to the disease. Once ra-
bies sets-in, there is no known
See RABIES Page 6
Ballots impounded
in school election
BENAVIDES - State District
Judge Ricardo H. Garcia has
impounded election materials of
the Benavides Independent
School District Trustee Election.
The impoundment order was,
signed on Tuesday, April 23.
According to the Texas Elec-
tion Code, Section 273.003, elec-
tion records can be impounded at
the request of the county or dis-
trict attorney or the attorney gen-
eral when they are conducting an '
investigation of an election.
The application to impound
the ballots was made by District
Attorney Heriberto Silva.
Allegations of criminal mis-
conduct were filed last week by a
poll watcher against the election's
presiding officer Pete Carvajal.
For his part, Carvajal has denied
the allegation and has said he
"welcomes an investigation."
According to the judges or-
der, election materials are to be
turned over to the sheriff or one ol
his deputies at the end of each
day. The sheriff.accompanied by
poll watchers for each candidate
will transport the records to the
county clerk.
As of Monday, 858 ballot*
had been cast in the election tc
name two trustees. Four hundred
thirty two people have voted ir
person and anothcr426 have voted
by mail.
Absentee voting concluded or
Tuesday but mail ballots will b<
received until election day. Sat
urday. May 4.
T
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Cardenas, Alfredo E. Duval County Picture (San Diego, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 17, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 1, 1991, newspaper, May 1, 1991; San Diego, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1009663/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .