The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 22, 1972 Page: 1 of 10
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CITY
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The Merce
Mercedes, Texas, 78570 Thursday, June 22, 1972
i
Vol. 57
No. 25
Price 10c
_ _ _ _ _ _ c.i’t i crcrmac. r* n i i_i
WILL LEAD THE TIGER BAND -- Frances Dalton, seated, will serve as drum majorette for
the MHS marching band in 1972-73 and backing her up Will be, left to right, standing, twirlers
Barbara Schwarz, Janice Wood, Aida Saldana and Headtwirler Marisela Lopez.
News Briefing Tells of Mexican Progress
Building Permit Total Increases
Commissioners Hire City Manager
Joe T. Pence, 30 year old city manager of Burnet, Texas, will
become city manager of Mercedes July 1, 1972. Mr. Pence was hired
by the Mercedes City Commission in a called meeting noon Wed-
nesday.
“'We’re keeping a promise made to the people of Mercedes ”
said Mayor Liborio Hinojosa, “we’ve hired a qualified and profes-
sional man to run the affairs of our city.”
Mr. Pence has been employed by the city of Burnet since Sep-
tember, 1971. Prior to that time he served as administrative aide
and administrative assistant in Wichita Falls, Texas. He has a degree
in business administration from Midwestern University at Wichita
Falls and has received graduate level credits in public administra-
tion.
He is married, has three children (six years, two years and
seven months) and is a member of the Methodist Church. He is a
three year veteran with the United States Army with service in Eu-
rope.
Elected Mayor at Girls State
(Editor’s Note: Bill Boykin,
general manager of the Texas
i Press Association, was among
newsmen visiting Mexico City
last week for background brief-
v ings concerning Mexican Presi-
dent Luis Echevierria’s visit
to the United States. This re-
port was written by Mr. Boy-
kin for publication in the Mer-
cedes Enterprise.)
Mexico opened an institution of
higher learning in the United States
this week — in San Antonio, Tex-
as. Why?
The answer to that question lies
in the personality, leadership and
goals of Mexico President Luis Ec-
, hevierria Alvarez. The new dynamic
President of Mexico is visiting the
U.S. this week to discuss a couple
of major problem areas between Me-
xico and this country.
If his track record here comes
close to his achievements in Mexico
since his inauguration December 1,
1970, he will go back home with some
committments about the Mexican la-
borers in California and the salinity
problems of the Mexicali Valley caus-
ed by the Colorado River water.
His visit to Texas gave this state
a clue to his major goals in Mexico.
He dedicated the San Antonio Mexi-
can Cultural Institute -- located in
Hemisfair’s Mexico pavilion. It is
symbolic of the principal changes
} ' Echevierria is attempting in Mex-
ico’s way of life.
His enthusiasm and determination
to solve Mexico’s problems has be-
come contagious among all govern-
ment leaders in his country.
His common workday is 12 to 14
hours — with no complaints from
Mexico’s government leaders and
their staffs.
There is no “siesta” in Mexican
governmental circles these days. The
new leadership in Mexico is deter-
mined also to get rid of the “manana”
image — and turn it to “today and
tomorrow.”
They recognize internal problems
—and have programs to do something
about them.
“Most of Mexico’s problems can
be solved by education,” Echevierria
believes.
His program for educational re-
form in Mexico points out the fact
that he means what he says.
Echevierria anticipated the coun-
try’s education problems before he
Started his six-year term as presi-
dent (a president may not succeed
himself in that country).
“President Echevierria studied
the country’s population statistics and
discovered that 500,000 children per
year will be entering the elementary
education program,” states Mexico’s
Secretary of Education Victor Bra-
vo Ahuja.
“Mexico has a population of 50,
000,000 — half of which is in the
rural areas. One-fourth of the popu-
lation is between six and 14 years of
age. There were no schools for 150,
000 students wanting to enter elemen-
tary school.
Mexico will have 11,000,000 or one-
fifth of its entire population in ele-
mentary school this year. Only 57%
Stockshow Elects,
Sets Show Dates
March 14-18, will be the dates of
the 1973 Rio Grande Valley Livestock
Show and Rodeo. This news was an-
nounced at the annual meeting of the
Board of Directors of the show.
Also announced at the meeting
was the re-election of all officers
and directors of the show.
Returned to office were Mike Clif-
ford, president; Steve Gallaway, J.
Schwarz, Eldon Smith, andW.H.Dra-
we, vice-presidents and W. A.Heller
Secretary-T reasurer.
Named as show directors were
S. H. Collier Sr., Lloyd Bentsen, V.
F. Neuhaus, Robert Eilers, Gerald
MacManus, Tom Mason, Larry
Franks, L. L. Galloway, Carl
Schuster, Felix Till and D. V. Guerra
Jr.
of the elementary school sudents
finish grade school — and this is up
from 45% two years ago. Eche-
vierria’s goal is to get 75% of the
grade school students into high school.
He does not believe all high scho-
ol graduates should go to college.
(There are 133,000 students attending
the University of Mexico this year.)
Echevierria has more than doub-
led the budget for technical insti-
tutes. Although the cost of college
is only $12 to $15 a year tuition in
Mexico, the Mexico President is try-
ing to direct high school graduates
into^ technical and trade institutes.
“We believe that it is a mistake
to send everyone to a university.
The President’s education policy has
three principal points,” the Secre-
tary of Education relates, “giving stu-
dents a chance to accept every edu-
cational opportunity, get into their
working lives without frustration, and
the economic opportunity for everyone
to be educated.”
Here are some other facts and
figures given to newsmen by Mexico’s
Secretary of Education Victor Bravo
Ahuja.
*27% of the national budget (up
23% from last year) goes into educa-
tion.
*66% of the people on Mexico’s
federal government payroll work in
education.
*88% of education in Mexico is
financed now by the Federal govern-
ment.
With all of this interest on educa-
tion — it is easy to see why Presi-
dent Echevierria wanted to open a
Mexican educational institution in
San Antonio.
More buildings will be added later,
classrooms, labs and a library. Op-
erated by the Secretary of Foreign
Affairs Emilio O. Rabasa, the Insti-
tute will feature classes in Spanish
for four levels, also anthropology,
literature and Mexican history.
Exhibits of Mexican arts and cra-
fts, Mexican painting and excavations
of ancient temples will be featured
also.
Six Month Total
Up Half Million
Rapid construction growth in Mer-
cedes was shown this week, when a
comparision of building permits is-
sued in the first six months of 1971
and 1972 was made by City Building
Inspector Isidro Carr.
Spurred by new construction in
both residential and commercial
areas, permits issued between Janu-
ary 1, and June 20, 1972, amounted
to $791,665.00 or more than two and
one-half times the $313,554 issued in
all of the first six months of 1971.
Broken down into new construc-
tion, and additions and rehabilitation
of existing structures, the figures
for 1971 show $67,297 in additions
rehabilitation, and $246,205 in new
construction. In 1972 however, the to-
tals jump to $78,365, in additions and
rehabilitation, and . $713,300 in new
construction.
Citing these figures as evidence,
Inspector Carr predicts a great surge
of growth and construction in Merce-
des for the rest of this year and the
foreseeable future. According to Mr.
Carr, already in the planning stages
are projects both commercial and re-
sidential which, if carried to frui-
tion, will make a great difference to
Mercedes in both appearance and ac-
tual physical growth.
A monthly breakdown of the new
construction figures for 1971 reads as
follows: January $11,375; February,
$6,650; March, $8,600; April, amount
negligible; May $30,974; June, $97,
299.
For 1972, the new construction
figures by the month are: January
$55,100; February $314,950; March
$29,800; April, $216,500, May, $60,
950, and June (up to date), $9,000.
Botello Fund Goal
Nearly Is Reached
Only $45 stands between Miss Vir-
ginia Botello Fund workers, and the
realization of their goal of raising
$300 to buy the air conditioner that
Miss Botello needs.
The latest increase in the fund
is the result of $110 brought in by a
Mexican Dinner last' Saturday, June
17, along with a $10 donation from the
Mercedes Jaycees.
Workers hope to be able to com-
plete the fund raising effort this
Saturday afternoon, June 24, with a
rummage sale at Salinas Food Store.
Beverly Brewer of Mercedes high
school a citizen of the American Le-
gion Auxiliary Bluebonnet Girls State
in Seguin, at Texas Lutheran College,
was elected Mayor of City D. She
is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Howard A. Brewer and was sponsored
to Girls States through the local
American Legion Auxiliary Unit No.
172.
Girls State was organized as a
national Americanism activity in 1937
by the American Legion Auxiliary.
Personnel Changes Are
Made by School Board
Mercedes School Trustees meet-
ing in their regular session Tues-
day night, June 13 voted to accept
the resignation of several Mercedes
teachers. Those resigning were Mrs.
Carmen Escudero, senior high scho-
ol, moving to Monterrey, Mex.; Miss
Beth Zitko, high school homemak-
ing, returning to school to work on
master’s degree; Miss Joyce Hees,
high school homemaking, moving to
Austin area and may work on master’s
degree; James Cuthbertson, elemen-
tary physcial education and coach.
In a related action, the Board
voted to hire Miss Diana Hartzog,
high school English, BA degree from
Pan American University and no ex-
perience; Mrs. Irma Saladana, unas-
signed, BS degree from Texas A&I
and no experience; Mrs. Mary Canty
West Elementary School, BS degree
from Incarnate Word College and
three years experience; Mrs. Dora
Robledo unassigned, BA degree from
Pan American University and 12 years
experience.
Non-partisan and non-political, the
purposes of this Girls State program
are to provide citizenship training
for girls of high school age, to af-
ford them an opportunity to live
together as a self-governing group
and to inform them of the duties,
privileges, rights, and responsibi-
lities which they will assume when
they become adults. They learn the
problems of government by simulat-
ing the duties of city, county, and
state officials. Each year citizens
are selected at local levels from
students who have just completed their
junior year in high school. The se-
lection is based principally on char-
acter, leadership and scholarship.
The 1972 session of the American
Legion Auxiliary Bluebonnet Girls
State has grown from an experimen-
tal conference of ninety-four girls,
held at Baylor University in 1941,
to become the largest single extra-
curricular educational program for
high school girls in Texas. This
year 513 girls are in attendance,
plus two girls from Mexico making
a total of more than 9,725 girls
in Texas who have participated in this
top-level citizenship program.
Former citizens of Girls State and
members of the Texas American Le-
gion Auxiliary comprise the sixty-two
members of the staff and counslors
who volunteer their services to di-
rect and lead this program.
One of the highlights of the ses-
sion which began June 13 and ends
June 23, will be the selection of two
outstanding citizens of 1972 who will
be sent to Girls Nation in Washing-
ton, D.C. by the American Legion
Auxiliary. There the two young re-
presentatives will continue their stu-
dy in responsibilities of the Republic.
SAFETY AWARD PRESENTED — Felipe Espinoza, left above, veteran postal employee, was
cited last week for his 25 year record of safe driving on the job. Making the presentation on
behalf of the United States Postal Service was, third from left, Leonard Hammond, area coun-
selor for the postal service. Others in the picture are postal employees Don Fletcher, Vorgie
Pylant, Mrs. Nadine Crenshaw and Mercedes Postmaster Roger Terry.
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 57, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 22, 1972, newspaper, June 22, 1972; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1110882/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.