The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 4, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Page: 1 of 16
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Fhe Merce
erpprise
Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Volume 95
Number 4
Price 50
City/school workshop
results in plan to seek
alternate school site
Tuesday’s joint workshop in-
volving city and school officials
produced a number of surprises and
an agreement on one issue that ba-
sically prompted the meeting in the
first place - the location of a
planned sixth grade school. -
The six discussion items on the
agenda appeared to be aimed at
bridging communications gaps,
without stating that specifically on
the agenda. The issue of that sixth
grade campus is the matter that
most recently indicated a commu-
nications breakdown between the
P bodies.
As The Enterprise reported pre-
viously, several city officials have
privately expressed concerns about
“poor communication” on the
school district’s part in picking the
e location of the school, the site’s
potential need for extensive infra-
structure improvements, and in par-
ticular, what is seen as a massive
problem with traffic flow in the area.
The school district’s plan is to
build a new school, presently called
a sixth grade campus, north ofthe
Catholic Cemetery on Anacuitas
Street. On the west, it would be bor-
dered by the caliche road that runs
past the water tower; on the east
would sit Anacuitas Manor apart-
ments.
School district leaders pur-
chased the property at a favorable
price many months ago. But the item
• came before the city commission
two weeks ago for approval of the
final plat to allow a building permit
to be issued. Approval of the plat
hood.
And with the land purchased,
designs drawn and nothing but the
building permit lacking, it appeared
the project was unstoppable.
But at the workshop, school of-
ficials indicated they are willing to
consider another location.
“We’re not closed minded,” said
School Trustee Monte Churchill. “If
there’s an alternative we can
(choose) without breaking the
bank,” it would be considered, he
said. “I don’t think anyone here is
’ married to this'100 percent.”
Talk focused on the reasons the
proposed site worked well for the
district, as well as touching on how
to alleviate traffic problems, but in
the end, Board President Don Vogel
reiterated to Mayor Joel Quintanilla,
“If you have (options) that are vi-
able, let us know. We are definitely
open to suggestions.”
The mayor then indicated that
City Manager Ricardo Garcia and
City Planner Michelle Leftwich
would visit with Superintendent
Luis Ramos and his staff immedi-
ately to go over possible replace-
ment sites.
And some of those surprises
that came up during the work-
shop...
— Mayor Quintanilla officially
revealed that the city “is definitely
looking at building a (major) sports
complex in this community,” he said,
suggesting that the school officials
bear that in mind if plans for the
future including construction of a
new football stadium. “Maybe if the
WORKSHOP PROVES PRODUCTIVE -- City and school officials shared ideas and
information at a workshop Tuesday. Discussion focussed largely on the location
of a proposed sixth grade campus. City commissioners listening above are,
from left, David Garza, Ruben “Chano” Guajardo, Charles Bertholf, Mayor
Joel Quntanilla and Mayor Pro-tem Leonard Garcia. Their counterparts with
on the school board in photo at right include Daniel Salinas, foreground,
Pete Guajardo and George Cardenas. Other photos show audience members
and officials on hand. (Enterprise Photos.)
was rejected on procedural school and city worked together to
grounds, but it brought to the fore-
front the concerns of city leaders.
The location has been criticized
on an aesthetic basis (the view from
the campus will be either the flood-
way levee, the Catholic Cemetery
or government subsidized housing)
and on a practical one: it would be
nard to imagine a worse place for
he kind of traffic that comes with a
school.
The primary roads, Anacuitas
.nd Tangerineare extremely narrow,
argely without curbs or sidewalks,
’he main feeder road, Vermont, is
construct a multi-purpose stadium
facility” it would be to the benefit
of both bodies. He added that the
city’s plans were still aimed at a
couple of years down the line.
— While the school’s student
population is modestly projected to
grow at a rate of two percent per
year in coming years, dropping out
Little Miss candidates have meeting Monday
Prospective candidates for the title
of Little Miss Mercedes are reminded
of a meeting they must attend next
Monday, January 29, reports
Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce
is still a big problem locally. It was Secretary Donna Jackson.
said that it appeared the largest
portion of those who drop out do The Pageant will be conducted in
so at the ninth or 10th grade level. conjunction with the Miss Mercedes
A J 1 * • ■ Pageant on February 17, starting at 7
— And perhaps most surprising:6
- 1. p.m.in the Graham School Auditorium.
There are 200 to 300 school age chil-
The duties of the Little Miss
Mercedes will include representing
event that will not conflict with school
hours and will be reasonable for the
child’s age.
Winner of the title will receive a
crown, trophy, flowers, sash and a
train. Four princesses will also be cho- turned to the Chamber office at 5:30
sen and each will receive a sash, tro- p.m. on January 29, when contestants
phy and flowers, will attend a session in which photo-
Entry forms will be distributed graphs will be taken for the program
through local school to all first grade book and the newspaper.
girls. Anyone with questions is invited
The completed forms must be re- to call the Chamber office at 565-2221.
BasketsFull board meeting near
ilready over trafficked at peak dren from Mercedes who attend To participate, contestants must
imes, with traffic backing up at the school outside of this community,, be between six and eight years of age
rontage road stop light and no whether in South Texas ISD’s mag- —and must be both in first grade and
ther traffic control devices be- net schools, the IDEA Academy or residents of Mercedes. There is no
ond stop signs in the neighbor- the like. entry.
Mercedes BasketsFull Food
Among topics of discussion will
Pantry’s first quarterly meeting for be the Souper Bowl of Caring and the
2007 will be Monday, January 29 at 6
p.m. in the Pantry Building at Mis-
souri and Sixth Street.
Annual Walk-a-Thon.
The Souper Bowl will take place
on Super Bowl Sunday.
T nose representing local partici-
pating churches, as well as others in-
terested in the pantry’s efforts, are
encouraged to attend the meeting.
Churchill seeks re-election
SNORED FOR SERVICE ON SCHOOL
)ARD -- Recognized for their service
school board members were the
ven citizens shown above. They are,
om left, Board Secretary George
rdenas, Member Pete Guajardo,
President Don Vogel, Vice President
Elvia Sandoval, and members Daniel
Salinas, Monte R. Churchill and Ron
McVey. The group was honored on the
occasion of January being School Board
Appreciation Month. (MISD Photo.)
Announcing his candidacy for re-
election to the Mercedes School
Board in next May’s election, Monte
Churchill says - surprisingly for an
incumbent trustee - that he believes
the school district “needs to get back
to the excellent school system that it
once was.”
“I have been honored to serve as
a member of the Mercedes ISD Board
of Trustees for the past three years,”
the trustee says. “I’m asking the pa-
trons of the district to return me to
Place Six on the board, because while
we have had accomplishments, we
still face many challenges.
“I would like to help find solutions
to those challenges.”
Saying he believes his experience
as a former superintendent is a real
advantage to his service on the board.
Mr. Churchill adds that he has kept
the promise of his first campaign
“never to let political considerations
dictate my vote.”
And then, bucking the trend be-
ing followed by most school district
officials, he allows that all is not per-
fect in MISD.
“I believe our schools need to get
back to the outstanding school sys-
tem that it once was,” Mr. Churchill
says, setting his jaw. “I will do every- served our students well.”
thing I can to ensure success for all The trustee undeniably brings
our students, and I will always place long education in education to the
what is best for Mercedes and its stu-
dents first.”
The former superintendent says
it is unacceptable for any Mercedes
campus to be tagged as low perform-
ing. “That’s not a trait of Mercedes
schools,” he says. “This community
has traditionally boasted a strong
school system, and we have always
MONTE R. CHURCHILL
...offers to continue serving.
table. He’s spent 40 years working in
education, 17 of that as superinten-
dent of Mercedes public schools.
He began his employment as a
high school teacher in MISD in 1964,
after graduating from Sul Ross Uni-
versity. He earned a Master of Edu-
cation Degree from Texas Christian
University in 1970.
He served as principal of Leon R.
Graham Elementary, as director of the
ESAA federal program and as assis-
tant superintendent, before taking
over as superintendent.
Since retiring from MISD, he con-
tinues to work in the field of educa-
tion, serving South Texas College as
campus coordinator for the Mid-Val-
ley campus of the school.
“If the voters will return me to the
board, I will strive to ensure that the
faculty and staff members have the
very best working conditions, to en-
sure that this district is fiscally re-
sponsible to the taxpayers, and most
importantly, to ensure that every ef-
fort is being made to serve all
Mercedes students as well as pos-
sible,” Mr. Churchill says in conclud-
ing.
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 4, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 24, 2007, newspaper, January 24, 2007; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1655649/m1/1/?q=denton+history: 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.