The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 17, 1977 Page: 1 of 14
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Homecoming Scenes
MATHIS AND LAKE AREA
Where the Environment Spoils the People'
Welcome Back,
Winter Texans!
Per Copy
(NO TAX)
lire fMItis
More Than 50 Years Of Service To Mathis And The Surrounding Area
Mr. and Mrs. Rey Daniels were among the Ex's who attended the Reception held after the
Homecoming game Friday night for all the ex-students. (Jenie McCraw photo)
Volume LIV Mathis, Texas 78368, Thursday, Nov 17, 1977 14 Pages in 2 Secs. — No. 46^
S&e£c&i*ty
Alex Haley created
, something of a fad with his
* book, Roots. Suddenly most
everyone wanted to know more
about their ancestors. I even
blew a few bucks on a book
' about forebares and even got a
coat of arms in the bargain.
Neither the book nor the coat of
arms was worth what I paid.
Oh, well.
About the time that I
graduated from high school,
dad decided that since it had
been ten years since he and
mom had seen any of their kin,
it was about time. So, after the
crops were “laid by”, we took
. off to Limestone County. We all
knew where we came from-we
just hadn’t been there in
sometime.
Meeting my kinsfolk, many
of whom I had never seen,
proved to be interesting, if not
entertaining in some respects.
Dad’s only brother had bought
himself a drug store, and he let
me have free run of the Soda
Fountain Department. Eating
* ice cream under ceiling fans
was a luxury that a boy
straight from a goose neck hoe
found almost too good to be
4 true. I even donned a white
apron, and learned to concoct a
few cokes, sodas and even-
tually a sundae or so. I surely
< did regret to have to move on to
another part of the county to
see other kinsfolk who did not
own a drug store.
One of my cousins had gone
through three marriages;
gallons of bootleg booze; all of
his inheritance, and according
to his sisters, most of what had
been left to his mother. She
couldn’t mention his name
« without sighing. When she did,
,we glanced at each other,
rolled our eyes skyward, or
ceilingward, and tried to get
the conversation on Hoover or
the weather. At the time,
neither was controversial
enough to merit attention.
Anyway, the lout had con-
„sficated his mother’s biggest
churn, and all other capacity
crockware, and had a home
brew operation going down at
* the barn that rivaled the Bud
Company. It seemed that he
was able to drink every drop
* that he produced. We saw his
bloodshot eyes a time or so
during our short visit. We
heard later that he had
“changed his ways”, and was
living a miserable but sober
life, while he scratched out a
mere existence on a forty acre
sand farm that his mother had
given him.
One of my cousins had fallen
in love with a projectionist at
the local movie. Her parents
’ violently opposed the
* arrangement on the stated
grounds that he was “beneath
See SKETCHING, Page 10
noyany
Rosa Espinoza, senior, was elected by the entire
Mathis High School student body as the 1977-78 Homecoming
Queen. (Jenie McCraw photo)
Jana Bradfute, junior, was elected as the Football
Sweetheart in pregame ceremonies last Friday night at the
Homecoming game against Ingleside. She is escorted by Ty
Winsauer. (Jenie McCraw photo)
Community
Thanksgiving
Worship Service
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, MATHIS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20,1977 —7:30 P.M.
No Constables
PRELUDE
Bonnie Hollon, Organist
Jenie McCraw, Pianist
PROCESSIONAL HYMN NO. 3
“All Creatures of Our God”
Mr. Tom Engler
Hymn Leader
INVOCATION
Rev. John Donaldson
Lagarto Community
WELCOME
Mr. Olan McCraw
First Baptist
ANTHEM “Praise To The Lord”
Chancel Choir
First United Methodist
PSALM 65
Rev. Kurt Wandrey
Grace Lutheran
HYMN NO. 491 “Now Thank We All Our God”
READING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
DEUTERONOMY 8:1-10 Rev. Ivan Donaldson
Lagarto Community
LUKE 17:11-19
Rev. John C. Caruthers
St. Mary Baptist
ANTHEM “The Old Rugged Cross
Made The Difference”
Baptist Mission
Choir
OFFERING
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Ushers
Rev. Dorso Maciel
Baptist Mission
HYMN NO. 11 “We Praise Thee, 0 God”
SERMON “THANKSGIVING: A CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE”
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 Rev. Clif Abshier
First Baptist
ANTHEM “It’s Time To Pray’
BENEDICTION
Youth Choir
First Baptist
Rev. Robert Blackwell
First United Methodist
RECESSIONAL HYMN NO. 54 “God of Our Fathers’
POSTLUDE
Librarian Is Speaker
Arts & Crafts Show
Discussed By Rotary
Members of the Mathis
Rotary Club discussed their
responsibilities Tuesday for
the Mathis Arts and Crafts
Show and Sale to be held
Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Mathis
High School cafetorium.
The event is being co-
sponsored by Rotary Club and
the Mathis Literary Club.
Rotary president Dwayne
Hicks said more than 30 entries
had been received, and more
City Council
Lack Of Quorum Prevents Meeting
The Mathis City Council
could not hold a regular
meeting Tuesday night
because of lack of a quorum.
Three members were
present, and three were ab-
sent.
Present were Mayor J. M.
Edmondson Jr., Pete Zapata
Jr., and James Knight.
Absent were Lupe DeLeon,
Simon Padron, and Sam
Quintana.
Mayor Edmondson said
Padron had phoned him,
saying he would not be able to
attend because his son was in
„ the hospital in critical con-
dition. The mayor said he had
received no word from the
other absent councilmen.
Other persons present for the
aborted meeting were the city
attorney, city secretary, and a
number of city employees.
Members of the council
present, after waiting more
than 35 minutes past the
scheduled starting time of 7:30
p.m., agreed to recess the
meeting until Friday night at
7:30
On the lengthy agenda are
department reports, accounts
payable and action on ten
resolutions.
Mayor Edmondson said the
most important and urgent
item of business is a resolution
authorizing the calling for bids
of Fiscal Year 2 Community
Block Grant Fund Contracts
for extension of sewer lines.
The mayor was also to issue
a proclamation for the “The
Great American Smokeout”
Nov. 17-18, a 24-hour period in
See QUORUM, Page 10
are expected. There are still
more booths available to those
interested. Booths can be set
up starting at 7:30 a.m. on the
show date. The doors will be
open to the public from 9 a.m.
to 5,p.m.
A barbecue chicken plate
lunch will be served at noon,
with advance tickets now on
sale for $3.50 each. Drinks,
coffee, and pie will also be
available during the day.
At this week’s Rotary
program, the guest speaker
was Mrs. Marvel King,
librarian for the Mathis Public
Library.
The library, which is sup-
ported by seven local clubs,
joined the county system Jan.
1. The local library board
allows $50 per month to be used
See SHOW, Page 10
Fourth Annual
Hospitality Night Saturday
For Area’s Winter Visitors
Saturday night (Nov. 19) is
Hospitality and Games Night
for Winter Visitors staying in
the area.
The activities will start at 6
p.m. and last until 9:30 p.m. in
the Mathis Junior High School
Cafeteria, located next to the
City Hall on East San Patricio
Ave.
Refreshments, games and
prizes will be provided by the
local merchants and the Lake
Corpus Christi Area Chamber
of Commerce.
Commissioner Meeting
Monday Mostly Routine
Somewhat to the surprise of
some people, including a
nearby television station which
sent a crew to record the
proceedings, Monday’s regular
meeting of the San Patricio
County Commissioner’s Court
was a comparatively quiet
though lengthy and there was
no mention of the constable
controversy which has bugged
the commisioners for months.
The Court, a few months ago,
ordered suspension of payment
of mileage expenses to con-
stables, pending study by the
court, and a possible in-
vestigation by the grand jury.
Said investigation has been
completed, but no instructions
have been forthcoming from
the grand jury and the com-
missioners’ instructions to
Auditor Ray Harris still stand;
the constables are not being
paid mileage (though they are
drawing their salaries), and no
one is really certain what the
score is.
The constable’s controversy
was not on Monday’s agenda,
but it had been rumored that at
least one constable was going
to appear before the court.
Such an appearance did not
materialize, however, and the
matter still stands where it has
for several weeks.
The commissioners did meet
with architect Needham
Smythe regarding renovation
of the Plymouth Courthouse
Annex, and reviewed plans, set
up priorities for the renovation
schedule and authorized the
advertising for bids for the job.
Bids will be opened at a special
session of the court Dec. 6.
Also on the agenda was a
report presented by Chief
Deputy Leroy Moody regar-
ding the life safety items in the
county jail. A recent notice
from the jail commission in-
sists on better ventilation in
case of a fire. (A recent, out-of-
state jail fire resulted in the
death of several prisoners, all
from smoke inhalation).
Moody pointed out that the
commission calls for some sort
of exhaust system which will
remove the air at least once
every 4 minutes, or 15 times
per hour. Currently the local
jail has no exhaust system.
The commission does not
specify how the exhaust
system is to operate. It does
allow the use of portable
exhaust units, and the court in
general felt this might be the
most feasible route to follow.
They did state, however, that
in conjunction with the por-
table units, some sort of por-
table (probably gasoline
powered) generator he used,
since electricity would
probably be cut off in case of a
fire. Moody also asked that the
exhaust hood over the cooking
range in the jail be repaired,
also at the request of the jail
commission.
The commissioners
suggested Moody contact the
jail commission for further
information on the matter, as
well as the fire marshall to
determine feasibility of the
portable units, and report to
the commissioners at the next
session. Moody also indicated
that representatives of the jail
commission will inspect the
local facility again in
December.
An application was made
earlier this year for a govern-
ment grant to remodel the
courthouse regarding the jail
to meet minimum federal
standards. However, the ap-
See MEETING, Page 10
Like It Here
Iowa Couple Is Spending
Third Winter In Mathis
Wednesday, Nov. 9, was
homecoming day for Arline
and Ralph Grantham of Pacific
Junction, Iowa. For the third
time, in as many years, they
parked their 33-foot Traveler
fifth wheel trailer at the Snow
Bird Travel Trailer Park in
Mathis. The first time was New
Year’s eve three years ago and
they fell in love with the area so
they return each winter.
Both the Granthams say
“The people have been so
doggone good to us, we just
keep coming back.” They like
the facilities available at the
park and the daily activities
such as exercise classes,
shuffleboard, and evenings in
the recreation hall for pot luck
dinners, playing cards or just
shooting the breeze with
friends. “You do whatever it is
you want to do. That is what we
like about it.”
Ralph says they spend two or
three months at home in Iowa
doing chores, three or four
months in Mathis fishing, a
month or so in South Dakota
fishing, and the rest of the year
on vacation. This year they
tried something new. They took
their two grandsons with them
for a trip to Canada, then the
two granddaughters on a
vacation through Yellowstone
National Park over the 4th of
July. While both trips were
enjoyable and well worthwhile,
Arline and Ralph agree that “It
doesn’t take two 10 and 11 year
old girls long to tire out a pair
of grandparents.”
The Granthams have
traveled through the Lower Rio
Grande Valley but prefer this
area because the weather is
just as good and the people are
nicer. Also there is plenty of
fishing available when they
can find time. Ralph carries a
boat on top of the truck while
they are on the road and when
they park for a while he
assembles his modified boat
trailer and heads for the
fishing hole.
Ralph spent 40 years
operating switch engines for
the Burlington-Northern
Railroad. He preferred this
type of operating to the long
haul work because he could
spend his non-working time at
home rather than at the other
end of his run.
Like most Winter Texans,
they are living on a fixed in-
come, but they still can enjoy
life, and travel with the nice
weather.
Welcome home, Winter
Texans, Ralph and Arline
Grantham.
This is the fourth year in a
row the hospitality night has
been held. In addition to being
a lot of fun, the special night is
an excellent opportunity for
local residents to come out and
get acquainted with our winter
visitors.
Ralph and Arline Grantham prefer to spend their winters away from the frozen North.
Y
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Davis, Wilburn. The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 17, 1977, newspaper, November 17, 1977; Mathis, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1059797/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Mathis Public Library.