The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 29, 1990 Page: 1 of 4
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“Established
June 25, 1948”
Volume XXXXI
Thursday, March 29,1990 — 4 Pages — No 13
Odem, Texas 78370
Commissioners' Court
San Pat County Awarded
Water Improvement Grant
*
»
By Cheryl Ketcham
The Commissioners’ Court was
presented Monday with cor-
respondence from the Texas Depart-
ment of Commerce, awarding San
Patricio County with a grant for
$300,000 for water system im-
provements.
The grant will be used for water
system improvements in the Rancho
Chico, Dodd and La Colonia subdivi-
sions in Sinton. The current water
lines in those subdivisions are old
and deteriorated.
Former City Manager Walter Hill
said the county received a partial
grant several years ago. Because
the county did not receive a full
grant, the project had to be scaled
down. The county used the grant for
water lines to the subdivisions, but
the interior water lines in La Colonia
and Chico are still in need of repair.
There is no sewer system in the
areas, which creates a health hazard
and possible contamination of the
water system. Hill said the subdivi-
sions first need adequate water
before a sewer system could be in-
stalled. The grant will cover the
water system improvements, but
another grant is needed for a sewer
system.
In addition, the grant will be used
to install fire hydrants, which the
county was unable to install
previously with the partial grant.
Commissioners also set a public
% hearing for a new proposed animal
control order for April 23 at 1:30
p.m. The new order makes provi-
sions for animals which vandalize
property or bother other animals or
humans. _
Odem Presents
Spring Festival
The Odem Spring Festival will be
held April 7 at Odem City Park from
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The festival will include live enter-
tainment, arts and crafts, games,
food booths, a Miss Bean Queen Con-
test and the Bean Auction.
For more information, call Chair-
man Bobbie Downing at 368-6494,
Booth Chairman Tammie Nunez at
368-2286 or Debbie Holder, bean
cook-off, at 368-2400.
One item in the current order
states that any healthy stray animal
will be impounded for three days,
and any diseased stray animal will
be immediately destroyed. The pro-
posed order states that only healthy
animals with tags will be impounded
for three days, and all animals
without tags will be immediately
destroyed.
Another proposed change in the
order involves the definition of a
stray animal. The current order
states a stray animal is any animal
with no identifiable owner or har-
borer. The proposed change would
make a stray any animal running
free with no physical restraint
beyond the premises of the owner or
keeper.
Commissioners authorized bids to
be received for a vehicle for Animal
Control, and gave the County Health
Department authority to purchase
three cages and three cage/traps to
be used by Animal Control.
In other business, the court was
presented with bids opened March 14
for group hospitalization, medical,
dental and life insurance. After stu-
dying the bids and listening to
presentations by bidders, commis-
sioners chose to stay with their third
party administrator, John Alden
Life Insurance.
The county will also advertise for
bids for gravel, sand and caliche for
county road use, dry aggregates and
asphalt, corrugated galvanized and
reinforced concrete pipe, concrete
and bridge repair materials, hauling
of road materials and gasoline,
diesel fuel, oil, grease, lubes and
supplies for various departments.
In other action, commissioners:
• Approved the request by the
county health director for a part-
time clerical employee to work 20
hours a week at $5 an hour in the
financial section.
• Agreed to pay invoices to
Medical Arts for bills over 90 days
old and to Hub Pharmacy for claims
dating back to 1988 for approximate-
ly $12,000.
• Approved to pay the medical
bills of persons ineligible for the in-
digent health care program from
emergency care funds.
• Approved the agreement with
the State Department of Highways
and Public Transportation to con-
tribute $12,290 for a utility adjust-
ment of Exxon Gas System, Inc. on
the construction project on U.S.
Highway 77 Bypass.
APRIL iST
TURN
CLOCKS
FORWARD
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AWARD WINNERS — The members of "The Rimers of Eldritch" show off their awards from their re-
cent U.I.L. competition. Pictured are: (back) Zonia Garza, Monica Lerma, Jan Higginbotham, Alysin
Thorton, Tricia Soto, Angela Smith, Stephanie Martinez, Melanie Smith, Kelly Parker, Nancy Puga,
(front) Jessie Rodriguez, Kevin Malone, Jeremy Garcia, Tommy Vela, Keeton Lawson and Joe Garcia.
(Photo by James Pease).
SAVING OUR SCHOOLS — Christy Hoffman's seventh-grade journalism students wrote letters to
Representative Robert Earley, Senator Carlos Truan and Governor Bill Clements, asking that schools
not be interrupted because of funding. Pictured are: (back) Julie Ortiz, Ruby Gonzales, Nancy Ruiz,
Freddy Martinez, Rosie Lopez, Annalee Martinez, Carrie Rippstein, (front) Amy Hall, Corrie Kossum,
Michelle Thorton, Sonia Martinez and Susie Lopez. Not shown are Emelda Cantu, Beth Rodriguez, An-
nie Mclver and Amy McWhorter. (Photo by James Pease).
New County Children's Librarian
Makes The Library A Fun Place
By Cheryl Ketcham
A new county children’s librarian
is entertaining intentive children
around the county, telling stories
and getting them interested in the
library.
Maria Luisa Cruz began working
for the county library on March 12,
bringing with her a wealth of
knowledge and background.
Cruz says being the county
children’s librarian is a very busy
job, but she loves it. “It’s actually a
time-consuming party,” she said.
“It’s like planning a birthday party
several times a week.”
Cruz is originally from Indiana,
but she grew up in Sinton at the
Welder Wildlife Refuge where her
father worked. She says she was in-
troduced to many cultures through
the people who researched there,
and it gave her great learning ex-
periences.
Cruz left Sinton for a while, but she
said she came back for the schools.
“I’m really impressed with the
schools here and the community,”
she said.
A bachelor’s degree in education
with a specialty in Spanish and
theatre arts helps her in her new
role.
“I used to do children’s theatre
when I was younger,” Cruz said.
“Mostly I toured two years with Dr.
Joe Rosenberg’s theatre group. We
did numerous children’s theatre. He
was fundamental in helping me
now.”
Cruz added that Rosenberg’s
theatre company, based out of
Kingsville, was bilingual and includ-
ed performing around Mexico. She
said sometimes she throws in
Spanish words during her library
program, because in South Texas
children are surrounded with the
Spanish language. Cruz didn’t learn
Spanish herself until she was out of
high school.
“I have such a varied
background,” Cruz said. “This is the
opportunity I’ve been waiting for.
This is my first love. ”
Cruz has four children of her own,
ages two, four, seven and eight.
“They help me with the show,” she
said. “I rehearse for them before I
do the show for the other children.”
Her rehearsing pays off when she
tells stories to groups of children
who attend her hour-long program.
“The biggest thrill is the kids.
They get so excited. I love to see the
smiles on their faces,” Cruz said. “I
don't-know who gets more out of it,
the children or myself. ’ ’
Cruz said she also likes to see the
parents participate in the program,
which includes the reading of
several stories on one theme, a
movie, music and activities.
A list of themes for each week is
decided on in advance, but each Fri-
day Cruz decides how to incorporate
the week’s theme and what ac-
tivities and books she will use. She
says she gets a lot of resources from
Corpus Christi’s libraries.
“We’re promoting library use,”
Cruz said. “It’s up to us to nurture
every way we can, and to make it
fun. We do anything to try to make
them come to the library. We want
to capture the children’s attention to
books and libraries.”
Cruz says a lot of the show is spon-
taneous, depending on the crowd and
the aee of the crowd. She uses the
same material and develops it to the
age group and the size. The group of
children can vary in size from eight
to 94, she said.
“Hopefully we’ll see greater
numbers of children in the future,”
Cruz said.
Cruz said she loves working with
the children. “Kids are so gracious
and loving,” she said. “I often get
hugs at the end of the program.”
Helping children use the creativity
they have is very important to Cruz.
She feels that many children’s
creativity is suppressed. Cruz’s own
creativity and excitement comes out
when she performs for the children.
“You become a child again. It’s so
much fun,” Cruz said. “The best
piece of advice I have came from a
nurse in Taft. She said, ‘If I like you,
you’re my age.’ There’s no age dif-
ference there. There should be no
age for fun.”
Cruz said, “I hope the children can
benefit from my experience with
them.”
Children can listen to Cruz’s story
hours at Aransas Pass on Tuesdays
at 10 a.m. in the city library, Mathis
on Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m., Taft on
Wednesdays at 10 a.m., Odem on
Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m., Portland
on Thursdays at 10 a.m., Ingleside
on Thursdays at 3 p.m. and Sinton on
Fridays at 10 a.m.
Cruz said in June the libraries will
start a summer reading program to
attract older students.
County ASCS Office
Recognized
A NEW CAFETERIA — The new cafeteria-auditorium for Odem schools is nearing completion, with
(jF plans to finish by the end of April. (Photo by James Pease).
CROP Walk
Tops $2,500
After several weeks of planning
and scheduling, the second annual
Crop Walk was held Saturday with
89 persons participating to collect
$2,586 toward feeding the hungry.
The event began with introduc-
tions of the celebrity walkers and
committee members, after which
Rev. Richard W. Selby of the Sinton
Presbyterian Church led a prayer
opening the effort.
Twenty-five percent of the pledged
amount will be given to the Corpus
Christi Loaves & Fishes and the re-
maining 75 percent will go to world-
wide organizations.
As plans are already being made
Tor next year’s walk, Pastor Bobby
Vitek of the Grace Lutheran Church
said “A stronger awareness of the’
needs of the hungry and powerless is
experienced in every step of the six
mile plus, walk. People CAN make a
difference in this world if we just
take time to care. Eighty-nine peo-
ple and $2,500 is a lot of collective
caring.”
By Cheryl Ketcham
The San Patricio County
Agricultural Stabilization and Con-
servation Service Committee and
County Office employees received
special recognition by the Texas
State ASC Committee on March 22.
Jerry Harris, chairperson of the
State ASC Committee, along with
state committee member D.V.
Guerra, presented the local ASC
employees with a certificate of ap-
preciation for excellence in their ad-
ministration of Federal Farm Pro-
grams. He also said he wanted to
recognize them for their leadership
and the standards they’ve set for the
rest of the nation.
“You are an example of what an
ASC office should be and can be,”
Harris said. “Sometimes you’re
taken for granted. We want to be
sure ranchers and farmers know the
contributions your office makes.”
Harris said the San Patricio Coun-
ty office generated several ideas
which were accepted statewide and
eventually nationwide. One idea
changed the way cotton loans are
handled. A loan used to take 1 month
to process, and now it is reduced to
three days. Using punched cards,
loans can be recorded by a single
person in five minutes with 100 per-
cent accuracy, when it used to take
at least eight hours.
“These people find more in-
novated ways to get the job
done,’’Harris said. “We use this of-
fice to train county executive direc-
tors for other counties in the state.”
County Executive Director Glenn
Drachenberg and Chief Program
Assistant Hattie Fojtik were also
recognized for their support and ser-
vice to the Texas Association of
County Office Employees.
Harris said, “Hattie is known and
appreciated throughout Texas and
the nation as well.”
Members of the San Patricio
County ASC committee are Robert
Barlow, Hilmer Person and David
Miller. Employees of the county
ASCS office are Drachenberg, Fo-
See OFFICE, Page 4
Little League Opens Season
The Odem Little League will have
its opening ceremonies for the 1990
season on Saturday, March 31, at 2
p.m, preceeded by a work party for
all managers and coaches.
Board members for the new
season were recently elected. Tony
Martinez is the president, Melvin
Walker is vice president, Trudy
Walker is secretary, Alice Lee is
treasurer, Janice Laurel is player
agent and senior and big league girls
representative, Ernie Lane is field
manager, Martin Mancias is senior
boys representative, Richard Story
is T-ball representative, Domingo
Lopez is minor league represen-
tative, Danny Emerson is major
boys representative and David Met-
ting is major girls representative.
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Ketcham, Cheryl. The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 29, 1990, newspaper, March 29, 1990; Sinton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1051291/m1/1/?q=slimes: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Odem Public Library.