The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 12, 2002 Page: 1 of 14
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Mercedes Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
2
lerc
prise
Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Volume 90
Number 24
Price 50c
Citizens form local
‘Alliance for Progress
THANKED FOR DEVOTED SERVICE - Appreciation was shown recently
to retiring members of the Mercedes City Commission. Retiring Mayor
Miguel Castillo, Jr., at right in photo above, accepts a memento of
appreciation from Interim City Manager Ricardo Garcia, as does
out-going Commissioner Diana Serna, in photo below. Mr. Castillo
was thanked for his service as mayor from 1993 to 2002, and from
1984 to 1990 as a city commissioner, while Mrs. Serna was recognized
for her service from 1997 to 2002 as Commissioner. Also show
appreciation earlier was outgoing Commissioner Jaime Garza, who
served from 1996 to 2002. Adding an editorial opinion, we’d like to
say to all three performed tremendously on behalf of this community
and its citizens. (Enterprise Photos.)
Involving people from every
corner of Mercedes, a newly formed
civic and political organization
attracted over two dozen citizens to
its organizational meeting on June 6,
reports member Mario “Tex” Garcia.
The “Mercedes Alliance for
Progress” (MAP) will have as its
mission the promotion of any and all
projects that mean progress for
Mercedes, “La Reina del Valle,” Mr.
Garcia says.
He lists among MAP’s projects
the providing of a volunteer base for
functions and activities such as
community beautification, fund-
raising for community-wide needs,
and providing volunteers for city,
school and church based community
projects.
“Our political agenda is topped by
an effort to increase the number of
local registered voters through voter
registration drives, and to encourage
the actual participation in the election
process through ‘Get out the Vote’
drives,” Mr. Garcia continues.
He says the group also intends to
work hard in the area of education on
civic, political, social and economic
issues.
Among those who attended the
organizational meeting were: Dalia de
la 0 Carr, Armando G. Saldana, Dub
Lauder, Mr. Garcia, Ruben “Chano”
Guajardo, Cecilia Ramirez and Blanca
Delia Garza.
Also, Lynda York, Beshka York,
Jose Luis Sauceda, Mimi Sauceda,
Jose Luis Muniz, Jaime E. Garza,
Juanita Casas, Arturo Casas, Arturo
E. Casas and Juan Valdivia.
Others were Blanca 0. Lopez,
Alejandro Lopez, Maria Cano, Roy
Hernandez and Jesus Vega.
Offering his support and
encouragement was newly elected
Mayor Joel Quintanilla.
“We want this to be an ‘inclusive’
organization, and not an ‘exclusive’
one,” the organizers say. “We would
like for everyone in this community
to be a part, from every segment of
the business community and from
every neighborhood in the town.”
All are invited to the group’s next
meeting, set to begin at 7 p.m. on
Thursday, June 20, in El Fenix Cafe,
located at 126 North Texas.
Flag Day ceremony
features special rites
MICHAEL R. SALINAS
...author shows his first novel.
Boxer Barrientes returns
to ring in local face-off
e Joe Valle Sports Promotions, Inc.
will soon be bringing professional
boxing back to Mercedes.
With a main event featuring
Mercedes’ own Tomas Barrientes, the
fights will take place at the Rio Grande
Livestock Show grounds on Friday,
June 28.
Barrientes brings a 22-6-0 record
and 14 knockouts to take on
McAllen’s Jose Angel Perez, who is
14-5-0 with four knockouts. Tomas is
coming off a four-year lay-off and is
anxious to get back into the limelight,
Promoter Valle says.
In the co-main event, former WBA
champion Nestor Garza, who stands
with a 39-3-0 record and 31 knock outs,
will be fighting Javier Melgarejo, who
has a record of 18-6-1 and two knock
outs. This will be Nestor’s first fight
after almost a year lay-off.
The rest of the card features three
more fights made up of local fighters
from Harlingen, Brownsville and
Mission in four round matches.
Tickets for the fight are selling at
$20 ringside and $10 general
admission. For more ticket
information, one can call 1-800-708-
2829. The fights will begin at 8 p.m.
with the doors opening at 7 p.m.
An approaching Flag Day
ceremony will be marked by special
services to retire used American
Anti-crime
talk stated
Crime prevention is the topic of a
I free seminar to be hosted this
1 Thursday, June 13, by the Mercedes
I Area Chamber of Commerce.
I The Crime Prevention Seminar will
I feature Mercedes Police Department
I Investigator/Crime Prevention Officer
I Sophie Garza, who will speak on “How
1 to Safeguard Your Business or
I Home.”
The seminar will run from 5:30 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m. in the Mercedes Chamber
meeting room, located at 320 South
1 Ohio.
I Those planning on attending are
asked to call the Chamber office at
I 565-2221.
Presbyterians
will host VBS
Members of the First Presbyterian
Church of Mercedes will host a
Vacation Bible School the week of
June 24 -28, featuring the theme,
“People on the Move.”
Covering the stories of Moses,
Miriam, Aaron and the Hebrew people
in the wilderness, the sessions will
run from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. each day.
There is no fee to attend, and the n
school is open to children age four H
and older. Participants will be
collecting aluminum cans, with t
proceeds from their sale to be donated
to the Mercedes BasketsFull Food d
Pantry.
Anyone wanting more information 9
is invited to call Mary Bunton at 565- M
2473 or 797-1658.
Flags, reports Alonzo Calvillo,
Commander of the Mercedes
Squadron of the Sons of the
American Legion.
Members of the public are invited
to bring their worn flags, “those that
have served their duty, becoming torn
or tattered,” the official says.
Tradition calls for those banners to
be retired in a “dignified” manner,
most often by burning.
The ceremony is to be conducted
by members of the Mercedes
American Legion J.A. Garcia Post 172,
ladies of the Post Auxiliary, members
of the Junior Auxiliary, and the Sons
of the American Legion.
The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m.
on Friday, June 14, on Ohio Avenue
just in front of Legion Hall.
Anyone wanting more information
is invited to call City Hall at 565-3114,
Legion Hall at 565-2362, Post
Commander Jose Saenz, Jr. at 565-
8436, Auxiliary President Teresa
Castaneda at 565-5191 or SAL
Commander Calvillo at 565-4285.
In addition, anyone wanting to
have their own flags retired can call
one of the numbers above for pick-
up.
City meeting times, date changed
Mercedes City Commissioners
have set new meeting times and
postponed next week’s regular
meeting, reports City Secretary Arcie
Michael Salinas has
first novel published
Mercedes lawyer Michael Salinas has had a first novel published,
and perhaps not surprisingly, it’s set in the South Texas border
region.
The Mercedes High School graduate is author of “White Lies,”
which he says should satisfy the reader’s appetite for character
development, mystery and culture in this reflection of life along the
Texas-Mexico border.
In the book, John Abrams returns after law school to his family’s
home in Dulce, a tiny Texas border town. The furthest thing on his
mind was remaining longer than the summer.
But when his uncle, George Abrams, is killed, and John’s father,
William Abrams is arrested for the murder, John finds he must delay
his anxiously awaited departure 'so that he can work on his father’s
case. As John soon realizes, defending his father, who he never got
along with, isn’t an easy task.
As the investigation progresses, John learns his family’s past is
filled with lies, and that nothing in the small town of Dulce is quite
what it appears.
Salinas grew up in Mercedes, and after high school graduation,
he earned a degree in psychology from Princeton University in 1994.
He received his law degree in 1997 from Baylor Law School. The
writer is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rodolfo Salinas.
The book is available in paperback for $13.95 and as an e-book
for $6.95. The 183-page novel is available for purchase at http://
www.booklocker.com/bookpages/white.html, or at Hastings in
McAllen.
Felix.
Meetings will now begin at 6 p.m.,
normally taking place on the first and
third Tuesdays of each month.
Next week’s regular meeting,
however, will be pushed back one
week, to June 25.
Fifth graders present scholarships
Fifth grade students at Graham
Elementary School have worked very
Grd this past year to raise funds for
two $250 scholarships that were
awarded to Mercedes High School
graduates at recent graduation
ceremonies, reports their instructor
Juanita Casas.
The students conducted bake
sales, pizza sales, and lemonade and
candy sales throughout the second
gamester. Students have organized,
panned and coordinated all of their
sales, the instructor says.
A Scholarship Committee
consisting of Chairman Amanda
Trevino, Ashley Desiga, Joseph
Trevino and Treasurer Mandy Garza
headed this project.
All the students from the team
participated in donating goods and
their time in making the project a
success.
“After the September 11th tragedy,
students wanted to do their share in
helping,” Ms. Casas says. “They
conducted two bake sales and raised
over $100, which were donated to the
relief fund of a local television station.
“But they wanted to continue
helping the community, and during a
History lesson, the idea of creating a
scholarship to help high school
seniors was born,” she explains. “All
the students were excited in being
able to contribute. They were
involved in various activities from I
raising the funds, manning the
booths, writing the application form
and selecting the two recipients.
“It was a rewarding year and the
students can’t wait to do it all over
again next year in sixth grade.”
The two $250 scholarships were
presented to Melissa Ann Rincon and
Benisa Canas.
STUDENTS HELP STUDENTS - Shown above are
committee members of the “Students
Helping Students” campaign handing their
funds over to MHS Counselor Gloria Rincon,
at right. Shown from left are Teacher Juanita
Casas, students Mandy Garza, Ashley
Desiga, Principal Sylvia Flores, Amanda
Trevino and Joseph Trevino. The two $250
scholarships were awarded to Melissa Ann
Rincon and Benisa Canas. (Enterprise Photo.)
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View three places within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 12, 2002, newspaper, June 12, 2002; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1653007/m1/1/?q=Amanda+Montgomery: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.