The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 3, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 20, 1999 Page: 4 of 16
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Pages from the Past
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VOLUME No. XLV No. 20
Mercedes, Texas. Thursday, May 19. 1960
$3. 00 Per Year in the Valley
-Enterprise Staff Photo
GOODBYE METERS--City Policeman Arturo Saenz, right, applies
a wrench to the head of a parking meter for removal. All meters
now have been removed from Mercedes streets for a 60 day test
period on orders of the city commission.
erprise To Give Away Unlimited
iber of Bikes to Young Salesmen
1 whereby almost any boy
girl may earn a bicycle ab-
solutely free is announced this
week in a full page ad of The
Mercedes Enterprise. An unlimi-
tednumber of bikes will be awar-
ded.
The plan is simple, and is not
a contest. Any boy or girl selling
the required number of new sub-
scriptions to The Enterprise will
receive the bicycle. Those not
meeting this quota will be paid a
generous cash commission on all
their sales. Youngsters also may
take renewal subscriptions, with
two renewals being equal to one
new subscription for earning the
bike. Or, a two-year renewal
equals a one-year new subscrip-
tion.
Subscription prices of The Enter-
prise remain unchanged at $3. 00
per year in Hidalgo County and
$4 elsewhere.
While there is no age limit on
the boys or girls who may partic-
ipate in this campaign, it is sug-
gested none younger than 10 nor
past public school age apply.
The campaign opens this week
and will continue through July
30. Publisher Edwin Harvey urged,
however, that youngsters get
started early by calling for of-
ficial receipt books now and be-
ginning solicitation the minute
school is out. That means they
are more likely to approach their
friends before some of their class-
mates sell them.
And the drive is not limited to
Mercedes youngsters. Edcouch,
Elsa, Progreso, La Villa and those
from any surrounding towns are
invited to participate. A number
of residents of outlying commun-
ities shop at Mercedes stores and
might like to receive The Enter-
- prise to guide them in their pur-
- chases.
It also was pointed out that The
- Mercedes Enterprise is the only
paper which devotes a full page
each week exclusively to news and
photographs about the Delta Area.
"This should be an easy, pleas-
ant way for a number of youths to
receive a bicycle, " Publisher Har-
vey said.
"While the Enterprise has a good
reader list already established,
there are a number of new res-
idents and some other families
in this area who are not regular
subscribers—who borrow the neigh-
bor's paper or buy one at the news-
stand, " he added.
When a potential subscriber is
approached, he will be given a
receipt signed by the young sales-
man. A carbon copy of that re-
ceipt will be given to The Enter-
? prise circulation department for
records and making of mailing
% machine stencils.
"We know these youngsters will
meet a warm reception every-
where they go, " Mr. Harvey sta-
ted. "In no other medium can
you get the complete local news
coverage of Mercedes and the
Delta area as thorough as in The
Enterprise- - and the thrifty shopper
can make back his annual sub-
scription price in a few weeks in
savings alone by shopping the ads
in The Enterprise. "
One newspaper in a northern
community which has completed
a similar campaign reports that
over 100 youngsters signed up and
that more than half of them re-
ceived their free bikes.
The plan has been under study
for some time, Mr. Harvey said,
but The Enterprise did not want
to put it into effect until the end
of school so that the youngsters
would have no conflict.
Mercedes
Sweeps
32AA Events
Mercedes has been named win-
ner of the athletic trophy, the li-
terary trophy and the all-around
trophy given in District 32-AA
for the spring meets.
Points toward the trophies are
won in all athletic events, track,
tennis, volleyball and softball
and the over-all trophy is given
to the high point school for both
literary and athletic events.
Mercedes was winner of all three
trophies in 1959 also.
Kenneth Barth Named
To Head Lions Club
Kenneth Barth will succeed Shel-
ley Collier, Jr., as president of
the Lions Club.
Other officers include Dennis
Clifford, first vice- president;
Howard Sparrow, 2nd vice pres-
ident; Bill Savarino, 3rd vice pres-
ident; W. B. Lauder, Jr., treas-
Lee Firm Appears,
At Low Kidner :
I#1 LUT SPWUWT t
On Sewer Work
The T. 11 Lee Construction Co.
of Corpus Christi was the apparcut
low bidder on the second majo, 1
Urban Renewal project for Mer |
cedes.
Bids were opened last Thursday
for the sanitary sewer project with
figures ranging from a base com
tract price of $234, 355, 10 for
the Lee firm to $391, 684. 19 from
others.
A Mercedes concern, Marchant
Bros., was only some $3,000 above
the lowest bids in the base bid to-
tal.
Engineers are tabulating the bids
item by item and will recommend 1
the lowest bid at a special meet- 1
ing of the Urban Renewal Cem- |
mission Thursday night.
Chairman E. A. DeJong said !
the commission was pleased with 1
interest shown in the bidding and 1
thanked those contractors present 1
at the bid opening.
Marchant Bros. was awarded the 1
contract several months ago for 1
storm sewer work on a low bid. 1
Construction on the second pro- 1
ject is expected to begin within |
a few weeks after the contract 1_
is officially awarded.
METHODISTS PLAN
TO ATTEND MEET
OF CONFERENCE
Rev. Wayne Smith, pastor of
First Methodist Church, and F,
E. Marchant, lay delegate of the
church, will be in San Antonio
next week attending sessions of
the Southwest Texas Conference
of The Methodist Church. The
conference will be meeting in
Travis Park Methodist Church
there.
Mrs. Marchant is also planning
to attend.
The conference sessions will be-
gin on Monday evening and end
Friday. Appointment for next
year, the climax of the confer-
ence, will be read over radio sta-
tion WOAI Friday evening.
Rev. Smith was sent to the local
church at last year's annual con-
ference, succeeding Rev. Bruce
Medford who has served in Browns-
ville this year.
Ave-Enterprise Staff Photo
BOYS STATE DELEGATES and alternates from Mercedes were selected this week bv a committee
from the American Legion, overall sponsor, and from cooperating service clubs and other groups
Front row, left to right are Kenneth Barth, alternate; Charles Ripley, delegate: Jaime Hinojosa,
delegate; second row Jiminy Hinojosa, delegate; Dionicio Loredo, alternate; back row, Harold
Halcom, delegate; Joe Trevino delegate; Alfonso Sierra, alternate.
Junior High Honor Awards Made
An awards assembly was held on
May 13 for the junior high and
elementary grade students. UIL
and other awards were made.
Janie Bowe, president of the
Junior High Student Council, in-
troduced Miss Frances Sory who
presented Larry Tankersley, win-
Salazar, Matilde Serna, Frances
Jackson, Anna Maria Fernandez,
Nita Vega, Sayaria Ramirez and
San Juana Diaz.
Junior softball team members
received red ribbons from Mrs.
Olivia Hahn. Team members are:
Emelda Canas, Odilia Molina,
Delia Lozano, Irene Loredo, Alma
Marroquin, Maria Marroquin,
Elina Reyna, Carlota Cantu, Mar-
garet Solis, Anita Gonzales, Pau-
line Howell, Antonia Gonzales,
Minerva Gomez. The junior vol-
leyball team members alsoreceiv-
ed red ribbons: Carlota
Emelda Canas,
Cantu,
Odilia Molina,
Willie Miller, the presentation of
certificates made by Supt. S. F.
Cernosek, Rev. Wayne Smith
will deliver the invocation and
Rev. Oliver Sumerlin the benedic-
tion.
In former years, before the
Mercedes First Census Figure
Set At 10,749 By District Head
The official preliminary census
figure for Mercedes is 10, 749.
That is the figure given to city
officials by Comer C. Kidd of
McAllen, district census supervi-
sor.
This is only 51 less than the pre-
diction made by The Mercedes
Enterprise is last week's issue of
10, 800.
Mercedes1 1950 total was 10,-
081.
City officials and others point
out that several other Valley
towns which recorded substantial
gains also have annexed consider-
able adjoining areas, taking in
housing developments and subdivi-
sions.
Records indicate Mercedes has
not enlarged its city limits in a
number of years.
Of other Hidalgo County towns
for which preliminary figures were
released, Weslaco showed the lar-
gest gain--about double-from
7,514 in 1950 to 15, 334 at pres-
ent.
Mission from 10, 765 to 14, 013;
Edinburg from 12, 382 to 16, 749;
Pharr from 8, 690 to 12, 386.
The census official added that
these figures are preliminary and
that official totals will be given
out from Washington later this
year.
Mercedes residents who were out
of town on temporary employ-
ment when the census count was
made will be added to the total
as reports are tabulated from over
the country.
Meanwhile, a move is under
way in Mercedes to make sure
every local family was counted
in the census. Reports have been
made that some were missed, and
blanks have been distributed to
all school children from checking
by those missed. The Mercedes
ment and school officials all are
cooperating to distribute and tab-
ulate these blanks.
Results, showing what persons
were missed, will be turned over
to census officials for further
checking.
Baccalaureate
Service Set
For Sunday
Baccalaureate services for some
70 graduating seniors of Mercedes
High School will be held Sunday
afternoon at S: 30 in the School
Auditorium with Mr. Emmit Hub-
ble, of the Church of Christ as
speaker.
Dr. and Mrs. R. H. Johnston
will play the processional and re-
cessional. Father Edwin Krzewin-
ski of Our Lady of Mercy Church
will give the invocation, a Sen-
ior Ensemble will play and the
Senior Class will sing.
On Tuesday evening, May 24,
Commencement will be held at
Tiger Stadium at 8 o'clock.
The program, as is traditional,
will be given by the honor stu-
dents ofthis year's class. Dorothy
Lee Pope, third ranking student;
Cassandra Haddox, second rank-
ing student; and Carolyn Cernosek,
first ranking student, will speak.
Diplomas will be presented by
John R. Wade, Jr. , president,
Mercedes Board of Education.
Special awards will be given by
local service clubs.
Theme of the program will be
"One Nation Under God. "
PRI
stu
Moi
wer
Cue
Riv
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Jaz
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FIRE DEPARTMENT
ELECTS OFFICERS j ner of the District Number Sense
J. v. Adams was re-elected fire ^^ “hwnon - resented
chief for the coming year by Mer- blue ribbons to Janie Bowe and
cedes firemen at their Wednesday Fleet Lentz, winners of the Dis-
Feningh ay ’ meeting at the trict Declamation contest.
OtheToff' elected wprp Gar. Minerva Barbosa and Rene Vega
sand iaxLlf, sn^ entei, jaequzsfhe flosuencna a amax or
alaxnddson; CaptainNo. 12.Prm second place in the spelling com-
Lyons, secretary-treasurer; Char- test, and red ribbons for second
les Borchelt, fire marshal; Hardin place in the sub-junior declama-
Ervin, reporter; and Howard Wade, tion contest were presented to
sergeant-at-arms. Allen Reeves FernandoChimely and San Juanita
was elected to the board of trus- Naja by Mrs. Elsie Bailey,
tees for a three year term. Robert Wisner, Ricardo Flores,
Appointed to represent the Mer- Margarita Torres, Enoelia Mar-
cedes Volunteer Fire Department tinez, Romel Quintanilla, Ramon
at the State convention in Gal- Gonzales and Varcedalia Uribe,
vest on, June 13-16, were Mr. picture memory contestants, re-
Adams, Mr. Leavell, Mr. Bor- ceived white ribbons from Mrs.
chelt and Finis Morris. Alternates Minerva Olivarez,
are A. H. Loworn, Bill Basinger, Band Director Richard Crain
Mr. Reeves and Mr. Ervin, madethe fol lowing presentations:
| Joan Wilt, 1st division flute solo;
I Chip Sparrow and Cecil Marchant
j 2nd division sax quartet; Layne
Atteberry and Sidney Mitchell,
I French horn quartet, second divi-
I sion; Janie Bowe, flute solo, sec-
I ond division; Wally Bunton, sec-
Walter Bazar will open the end division brass quartet; and
meeting of the Retail Credit As- I Janie Bowe, Joan Wilt and Jann
sociation of Mercedes Friday noon I Whitlock, second division flute
at the El Sombrero in the absence I trio.
Retail Credit Meet
Scheduled Friday
urer; Jack Cowden, secretary; port?" which has been arranged by
Charles Ricke, tail twister; Char-
les Reynolds, Dr. Howard Roberts,
Rigoberto Salinas, Oscar Torrez,
directors.
BULLETIN
A vacuum plant has chosen Mer-
cedes as site to build a mid- Val-
ley plant, it has been learned.
Land already has been contracted
for on newly- paved First Avenue
to built the plant which will pro-
cess fresh produce.
JANIE BOWE
VALEDICTORIAN
of President Shelley Collier, Jr. | The Junior High Boys Chorus
The more than 20 merchants I was introduced by Mrs. Willie
present at last month's meeting Miller. The chorus had placed
requested a program on "How to "good" in choral singing and "ex-
read and evaluate a credit re- cellent" in sight reading.
. * Athletic awards were presented
Gordon Wood who is acting as by sponsors. Kermit Natho present-'
Secretary, led a blue ribbon to Ricky Lea-
, , , | vell, boys singles tennis winner,
Membership in the association redribbonsto Mike Schneider and
has not yet been established and Billy Winston, the boys doubles
all meetings are open to mer-team, and a blue ribbon to Alice
chants and any business man inter- Wisner, first place winner in girls
ested in credit information and singles.
operation. I Mrs. Carlton McQueen presented
In addition to the regular pro- white ribbons to her sub-junior
gram, instructions on filing infor-softball team members, Becky
mation with the local Credit Bu- Trevino, Mary Lou Garza, Olga
reau will be explained. Gomez, Oralia Elizondo, Sofia
| Irene Loredo, Antonia Gonzales,
Maria Marroquin, Jann Whitlock,
‘ Betsy Kennedy and Oralia Vasquez.
Girlstrack winners were: 50 yard
dash, Paula Pemelton first, Claire
Adam second, Carlota Cantu third.
Shotput throw, Kathleen Jones
first, Anita Gonzales second,
Odilia Ramirez, third. Softball
throw, Maria Marroquin first,
Pauline Howell second, and Bertha
Vargas third.
Coach Robert Fernandez presen-
ted track awards: Cruz Gonzales
first place on the chinning bar -
56 times; Rosalio Cano 4th place
on the chinning bar - 39 times;
David Gonzales 4th place in broad
jump- 17'3"; Ruben de la Rosa
3rd place in broad jump- 17'5";
James Pemelton first and 2nd in
the high jump- 4'10", Mike
Morava 3rd and 4th in high jump-
4'6"; James Pemelton first in 120
yd. low hurdles - time 17. 1;
David Gonzales 4th in 120 yd.
low hurdles; Ruben de la Rosa,
4th in 50 yd. dash; David Vallejo
first in shotput - 41'; Mateo Ca-
dena 2nd in shotput - 39'11";
Randy Smith 1st and 2nd in pole
vault - 8'10"; and a relay team
which took 2nd in both the 440
and 880 yard relays, David Gon-
zales, Cruz Gonzales, James Pem-
elton and Ramiro Cuellar.
Four trophies were won by the
athletes directed by Coach Fer-
nandez and these were presented
to Janie Bowe, Student Council
President. Co- Captain James
Pemelton presented the football
co- championship trophy. Mateo
Cadena presented the basketball
district co- championship trophy.
Darius Herold made the presenta-
tion of the junior high basketball
tournament trophy, and David
Gonzales presented, the first place
trophy which was won in the San
Perlita relays. All trophies have
been placed on display in the jun-
ior high school building.
Supt. Cernosek was the final
speaker of the assembly. He an-
nounced the top honor students in
the eighth grade graduating class:
Janie Bowe, Valedictorian with
an average of 96; Larry Tankers-
ley, Salutatorian, withanaverage
of 95; Brian Schwarz, 94. 29,
Charles Riggs, 92. 21; Randy
Smith, 92; Steve Goza, 91.13;
Oscar Castillo, 90. 25.
This year for the first time a
graduation exercise will be held
for Junior High Graduates at Mer-
cedes. The program is scheduled
for 2:30 p. m. on May 20 in the
auditorium.
Music will be furnished by Mrs.
' Enterprise, the Chamber of Com-
merce and Board of City Develop-
DOROTHY LEE POPE
WINS JOURNALISM
MEDAL AT STATE
Dorothy Lee Pope, listed "Most
| Creative Girl" of the 1960 grad-
j uating class, won third place in
I the State UIL Journalism Contest
I held in Austin at the University
1 of Texas on May 6 and 7.
I She competed in five divisions
against about 600 Texas students
LARRY TANKERSLEY
SA LUTATORIAN
school system was divided into its
present units, a graduation exer-
cise was held for sixth grade stu-
dents'. The class now entering
high school is the first which was
not honored in this manner, ac-
cording toH. B. Browning, school
principal.
ABSENTEE VOTING
OFFERED FIRST TIME
Absentee voting for the Second
Democratic Primary Election to
be held on June 4th started on
May 16 and ends on May 31, in-
clusive.
Qualified voters expecting to
be absent from the County on
Election Day, June 4th, may
make application and cast their
ballotatthe office of R. L Year-
wood in Mercedes.
This is the first year absentee
balloting has been offered in the
second primary.
and won a bronze medal. Indivi-
dual scores in the five divisions
have not been announced, but the
divisions included feature writing,
headline writing, copy reading,
news writing and editorial writ-
ing.
First and second place winners
from the four Texas regions were
entered in the competition, for
which Miss Alma Whatley, class
sponsor accompanied Dorothy Lee
to Austin.
"I am glad I took Journalism, "
said Di.cthy Lee, "and studying
with Miss Whatley has been a re-
warding experience. She has un-
derstood that through experiment
and error we would gain confi-
dence. I hope more people enter
the journalism class next year and
enjoy the sense of accomplishment
that comes from working on the
school paper. "
A. J. Wilson
Joins Police
A new policeman has been em-
ployed by the Mercedes Police
Department.
He is A. J. Wilson.
Mr. Wilson attended the State
Highway Department School in
Austin, according to city officials.
He also worked for the patrol for
atime, as well as for the Hidalgo
County Patrol later.
A former businessman of Elsa,
Mr. Wilson opened an appliance
store in Mercedes several months
ago.
He fills a vacancy created by the
resignation of Bob Bray, who has
joined the county patrol.
Benefit Show Set
For Retarded Children
The' State Theater and sponsors
of the Retarded Children's pro-
gram in this area will present a
benefit morning movie at the
theater Saturday, May 21.
All proceeds will go to the ben-
efit of Retarded Children of this
area.
Admission will be 15c and 50€.
Tickets will be on sale in ad-
vance or may be purchased at the
box office.
Little League Play
Continues At Park
Medical Officer
To Address Kiwanians
Donald M. Anderson, assistant
executive secretary of the Texas
Medical Association, Austin will
be speaker at today's meeting of
the Mercedes Kiwanis Club.
He will be introduced by Dr.
M. R. Lawler, who arranged for
the program. The speaker will
compare medical care costs with
general living costs of today.
Valley Temperatures
May 11
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 17
High
92
82
86
90
92
91
89
Low Prec.
61
64
57
72
71
71
75
Little League games are con-
tinuing each week on Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
evenings at Walter Collier Park
in North Mercedes.
Games played last week and the
results included:
Wednesday; White Sox 12, Car-
dinals 8; Cubs vs. Yankees,no
game.
Thursday; Cardinals 14; Red
Sox 2; Dodgers 7 White Sox 2.
Friday: Cubs 7; Red Sox 4; Dod-
gers 7, Yankees 2.
Saturday: Giants 8, Senators 2;
Rose Buds 7, Missions 6.
First game begins at 6:30 on
game nights.
Mercedes Chamber of Commerce
Mercedes, Texas
I WANT MERCEDES TO GROW
I HAVE NOT BEEN COUNTED
Please send an enumerator to
(Address)
so that this family will be included in
the important 1960 Census of Population and Housing.
FREE PARING EVERY DAY DM MMERCEDES-E FREENDLY CITY
(Signed)
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 3, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 20, 1999, newspaper, January 20, 1999; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1632244/m1/4/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.