Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 24, 1978 Page: 1 of 8
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"The Largest Paid
Circulation Going
In Starr County "
RIO GRANDE
m
l OC I ATI ONI
VOL XXXV
No. 45
August 24,1978
F1FTEEK CENTS
0
Joe Hinojosa Named
Rotarian Of Week
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EDITORS NOTE-The Rio
Grande City Rotary Club has
initiated a program to honor
one of their members every
Friday during their luncheon
meetings. Joe A. Hinojosa is
the first member honored.
Rotarian Joe A. Hinojosa
was born at Ijl Grulla June
27, 1940. He attended La
Grulla Elementary and La
Joya High School.
Graduated from Pan
Ameican College 1963 with a
degree in Accounting. At-
tended USAF Officers
Training School in San
Antonio, Texas and upon
graduation was com-
missioned 2nd Lt. in the
. V
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USAF. Served in the USAF
for seven years attaining the
rank of Captain.
In 1970 he was certified a
CPA by the Texas State
Board of Certified Public
accountancy.
Hinojosa is currently
resident partner of the
Accounting Firm of Johnson,
Smith, Honojosa & Cron in
RGC.
He is married to the for-
mer Elda Marie Garza and
they have three daughters
Lisa, Lara, & Leah.
Besides being the Rotary
President, Hinojosa is very
active with the local
Chamber of Commerce and
the PTO.
Budget Of Seven Million
Approved For RGC Schools
The Rio Grande City
Consolidated Independent
School District board of
trustees last week approved
a $7 million budget for the
1978-1979 school year. The
larger increases over the
1977-1978 school year are in
the area of administration.
The new budget, $7,001,694
is an increase of about five
per cent over the previous
school year, $6,641,142.
The function approved the
largest increase is ad-
ministration, which went
from $453,120 for the 1977-
1978 school year to $601,954
for the coming year, a 25 per
cent increase.
Jorge I. Guerra, school
district business manager,
explained that one of the
reasons for the large budget
increase in administration is
due to school insurance
policies coming due this
coming year.
The second largest in-
crease approved was in the
function of instruction ad-
ministration (curriculum
supervisors, etc.), $172,104
compared to $136,260, an
increase of 21 per cent.
The function of plant
maintenance received the
third largest increase over
last school year. This func-
tion was approved for
$658,160 for the coming
school year compared to
$537,752 in 1977-1978, an
increase of 18 per cent
Instruction resources and
media was approved a seven
per cent increase over last
school year, $100,643 com-
Joe Hinojosa
Deputies Petition Commissioners Court
Villarreal Plays Large Part
In 'Escuela De Los Bomberos'
Texas A&M's Spanish
Firemen's Training School
at College Station might
Ix'tter be named Escuela de
los Bomberos Internacional
i International Firefighters'
School).
Taught entirely in Spanish,
the school for improving
firemen's technical skills
and knowledge has almost
300 trainees from nine
countries hugging fire hoses
and spewing nozzels this
week.
From Argentina to Spain
and Venezuela, the Spanish-
speaking bomberos become
better firefighters, but take
home much (lore
"The total friendship and
comradeship are out-
standing," commented Elias
Serra Monfort, chief of tech-
nical resources for Spain's
Barcelona province.
It is the largest one I
have visited," the wiry fire
service specialist said. "It
has more realistic props to
set up more fire suppression
problems than any I've
seen."
Serra has traveled over
most of Europe, including
socialist countries, on
mutual exchange programs.
Among other duties, the 12th
Spanish FTS instructor sites
fire prevention teams and
helps arrange training for
c ity fire units in the Spanish
province bordered by
France and the
Mediterranean.
Serra came to the Texas
A&M school first in 1977, "to
gather knowledge of its
operations to take to Spain
and distribute to firemen
there. Once you've come to
this sc hool, you want to come
back."
Part of its mystique, aside
from the exhilaration of
dominating huge fires that
shoot flame hundreds of feet
into the air over Brayton
Field, is recognizing and
dealing with the danger
element in efficient, no
nonsense style.
Brayton projects are set
up by Chief Henry D. Smith
and his staff of the Firp
Prevention training Div-
ision with safety of
trainees uppermost, and
learning close behind.
Another factor is training
supervision by people like
Roger Zuniga, Arizona
deputy state fire marshal
and Joe Villarreal, Rio
Grande City fire chief and
field operations director 27
years.
No less important is the
"can do" attitude of
students, instructors and
divison staff. The spiritt is
reflected in hustle of
students to unkink a hose, or
get nose to nose with the
roaring flames and smoke.
Zuniga said two women
trainees from Mexico typify
the attitude. "They weigh
maybe 105 pounds each, but
are right in there working.
Both got experience on the
nozzle," he said.
The school's international
aspect shows through the
efforts of students like
Ramon Morales of Argen-
tina and Japanese student
I.auro Takaura from Buenos
Aires.
Other countries repre-
sented among 88 instructors
and 290 students, up 20
percent from 1977, are
VILLARREAL
Colombia, Costa Rica, the
Dominican Republic,
Nicaragua and the U.S. The
school has grown frorn 90
students in 1967.
"From what we hear,"
Zuniga said, "we'll probably
have more next year."
"I heard about it from a
co-worker," chimed in
Serra. "The Texas A&M
school has high visibility in
spain."
Quarterback Club Elects Officers
"The Rattlers look ex-
tremely big this year and
look very promising," says
the new Quarterback Club
President, J.M. "Chema"
Alvarez Jr.
Alvarez became president
after an election at the
Quarterback Club meeting
last Thursday.
Other officers elected are
Ovidio Pena, vice-president;
Benito Saenz Jr., secretary;
J.R. "Coche" Garcia,
treasurer; Romeo Ortiz,
Simon Garza and Abel
Gonzalez, directors.
Alvarez said color night
will be today at 8 p.m. at the
stadium. The players,
coaches, band,
cheerleaders, and twirlers
will be presented to the
public.
"It is of great importance
that the parents of these
young atheletes attend
Quarterback Club meetings.
Please show these kids that
you really care about their
achievements," Alvarez
said.
"We have re-organized all
the committees with the
respective chairmen, and
the different fund-raising
activities are well under
way.
"I urge all the parents,
teachers, and adult leaders
to please support our
children on the gridiron by
attending all of their football
games. Also, it is of utmost
importance that this same
people, parents, teachers
and concerned citizens,
attend the Quarterback Club
meetings and hear what the
coaching staff have to say
about our young competitors
and their progress on and ofi
the field," the new president
concluded.
The first scrimage is
tomorrow, Friday, at 7;30
against Port Isabel at
Rattler Stadium.
EDITORS NOTE--A
delegation of Sheriff's
deputies went before the
county commissioners
Friday. The deputies gave
the Herald a copy of the
petition before the meeting.
The court went into
executive session with the
deputies. It is not known
what they agreed. The
following is the deputies
statement in its entirety,
edited for spelling only.
Honorable Judge Mario
Ramirez and Honorable
County Commissioners. We
have come to you to give you
a state of the Sheriff Office
message and with all due
respect inform you of
several obstacles that exist
within the sheriff's dept. and
ask for your utmost con-
sideration and attention to
our dilerna. We have con-
tinn"'-^" t-ir-d inform our
Immediate Superior, Sheriff
Remundo Alvarez, of our
dilema but he either cannot
or will not respond to our
reasonable Peition to im-
prove I^aw Enforcement in
Starr County. We are not
here for ourselves alone, we
are here for the welfare and
benefit of the employees of
the sheriffs dept. and for
improved Law Enforcement
in Starr County.
Our first and for-most
need is improved equipment
and better communication
equipment for the sheriff's
dept. In order for any law
enforcement agency to be
effective in its duties, it
should have the latest and
best equipment and
adaquate and trained per-
sonel.
The Starr County sheriff's
dept. has for its use three
patrol cars that are now
three and a half years old
and average 90,000 miles.
Two of the three units are in
constant use and need
constant repairs and new
parts. As a matter of fact,one
patrol car, due to its faulty
equipment, does not meet
the standards to be an
emergency vehicle. At the
present time one of the
patrol cars is broken down.
The patrol cars have radios
that sometimes work and
most of the time don't work.
The dept. has eight or less
walkie-talkies and of those
only 3 may be 4 are in semi-
working order. The patrol
cars are not equipped with
rot r;iinc Hue to h?rirrs
policy not to use said guns.
As a matter of fact if the
occasion ever arose for the
use of a riot gun the dept nas
only one shot gun and it is
stored in the sheriff's vault
along with some 8 riot sticks,
2 megaphones gas masks, 1
infra-red scope some tear
gar. canisters that are now
out dated and no longer
effc. ctive
The officers are
reasonable men and only ask
for the minimal new
equipment necessary to
effectively perform their
official duties.
The
E.S.P. Stimulates
Economy
Homa Registration Set For August 25
f *
Eleuterio Garza Jr., new
superintendent of schools for
the Roma Independent
School District, has an-
nounced that the 1978-79
school year began Monday.
August 21, at 9 a.m. with a
general faculty meeting at
the high school.
Registration will be on
Friday, August 25, at 8.15
a.m. Students will report to
their respective campuses
pre-school to fourth grade,
F.J. Scott Elementary; fifth
and sixth grade, Roma In-
termediate: seventh and
eighth-grade, junior high;
and ninth to 12th grade, high
school.
Students who attended
Roma schools last year,
except pre-school and kin-
dergarten, should bring last
year's report cards and book
cards.
Starr County Students
Graduate At Texas A&I
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Seventy-nine Texas towns
were represented by Texas
A&I University students
graduating Friday, August
18. in Kingsville.
Dr Duane M. Leach
presented diplomas to 408
students, including one
double degree winner. Of the
total, 193 master's degrees.
No doctorates were con-
ferred although there are
candidates for the December
ceremony
Diplomas were also
handed students from Idaho,
Canal Zone and Puerto Rico
%dS well as from nine foreign
nations-Egypt. Ghana,
Hong King, India, Iran,
Nigeria, Thailand, Taiwan
and Venezuela.
Tim Oliver Cook of
Kingsville completed two
bachelor of arts degree-one
in political science and
sociology and another in
history and Egnlish
Receiving degrees from
the Starr County area were
Ramiro Alcazar, B.A.; Jose
Jaime Trevino, B.B.A.;
Anabelle Guerra, B.M.;
Alfredo Garcia, B.S.; and
Noemi Garza B.S., all of Rio
Grande City; James Edw ard
Donnelly, Jr., B.A., and Ana
Maria Perez, B.S., both of
Zapata
All students new to the
district will need to bring
immunization record, birth
certificate, passport, Silva
letter, proof of residency in
the district, name and ad-
dress of the last school at-
tended and last year's report
card.
Kindergarten and new
elementary students may
pre-register anytime on
August, 22, 23, or 24 between
8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the
principal's office of F.J.
Scott Elementary.
There will be two
programs for children who
will be four years old by
Sept. 1, 1978. They are
Headstart (Entry into this
program is dependent on the
family income. Proof of
income is required for
registration) and Four-Year
Old Migrant Program (This
program is for children who
will be four years old by
Sept. 1,1978, and who qualify
as migrants.)
Approximately 200
children will be served by
these two programs.
Lunch will be served on
Friday, August 25, and buses
will run regular routes on the
same time schedule as last
year. Am parent who needs
additional information or
has any questions is asked
to call the superintendent's
office, 849-1377
The Community Action
Council of South Texas
(CACST) has undertaken
another new program
designed to stimulate the
local economy in Starr and
Zapata counties.
According to Noel E.
Gonzalez, program coor-
dinator for the new program
titled Economic Stimulus
Program (ESP I, em-
ployment opportunities are
being made available for
economically disad-
vantaged, unemployed, and
underemployed migrants
and seasonal farmworkers.
The goal is to use local
economic development
activities to train the in-
dividuals, to "maximize
their opportunities for self-
sufficiency," according to
Gonzalez.
In Starr County, par-
ticipants are assisting the
Rio Grande City Con-
solidated Independent
School District in the
demolition and pre-
construition in the recycle
project of Fort Ringgold
buildings.
In Zapata the participants
are receiving training in the
construction and street
paving project, including
heavy equipment operation.
"High unemployment has
always been prevalent in the
two county areas, therefore,
programs of this sort are
essential to stimulate the
economy," Gonzalez said.
The executive director of
the CACST is Francisco
"Paco" Zarate.
equipment consists of new
police patrol cars that are
fully equipped to serve and
protect your well being.
Sheriff's officers should
also be protected at all times
with proper body armor and
head gear and other
necessary equipment for
emergency situations.
Sheriff officers realize the
need for further training and
schooling to better them-
selves as peace officers to
promote better community
relations and community
awareness in crime
prevention.
The sheriff office has an
investigative branch that
needs to be supplied with the
proper and necessary
materials and tools to ef-
fectively perform its duties
and record its investigations
and findings.
We need better working
conditions to improve
mira>e All Starr County
employees work Monday-
through Friday from 8 to 5
with Holidays off Sheriff's
officers are working days
and nights weekdays,
weekends and holidays and
average of 185 hours or more
a month. Also most of the
sheriff's officers put in extra
time on special in-
vestigations and cases. We
consider ourselves
nrnf cciQf, ' • c,|_
forcement people and un-
derstand that criminals
never take holidays but as
American citizens we have
the right to ask why our
sheriff doesn't prepare a
schedule which reflects time
spent and provision made for
overtime to include holidays.
Also it is a well known fact
that the Starr County
sheriff's officers are the
lowest paid in the entire Rio
Grande Valley and that
includes city police as well.
Officers agree that the
sheriff's officers should be
one of the highest paid
county employees and have
the best benefits because of
the type of work thev do.
This job is the ony job where
its employees put their lives
on the line every minute.
We strongly recommend a
schedule which reflect
holidays and extra time put
in. A 25 increase in salary
and work on holidays should
be compensated.
Almost all careers have
good retirement plans and
adequate disability benefits.
How can we attract top
quality people to law
enforcement especially in an
area like ours without the
proper equipment and at
low wages with no in-
centives??'' Because of this,
we are having problems
retaining our officers here in
Starr County.
We appeal to you the
elected representatives of
the people of Starr County to
hear this petition. We un-
derstand that the sheriff also
is an elected representative
of the people. But gen-
tlemen, you are the ones that
control the money. Without
your interest and
cooperation then the sheriff
can always say that you just
aren't coming through with
what he needs. He cannot
provide us with what is
needed by the Sheriff's
r>epartrr."-t because, we do
want to say in his defense,
that he cannot give what he
does not have in the first
place. We would be satisfied
to have him show some
sensitivity to the needs and
requests of (lis officers. A
standard practice in any
management situation, but
the real answer to the
problem is to show that you
care. That you are in-
terested. That law
enforcement is a top priority
with you as public officials.
THANK
HAVING
HEAR US.
YOU FOR
AGREED TO
pared to $93,300
Also receiving a seven per
cent boost was the area of
school administration
(school principals offices),
from $286,990 last school
year to $307,854 for the- 1978-
1979 school year.
Instruction i teachers) has
been budgeted a five per
cent increase, from
$2,670,913 to $2,801,035
The function of guidance
i counselors) has been cut
from $71,720 last school year
to $60,916 for the 1978-"l979
school year, a 15 per cent
decrease.
Attendance services
received a one per cent in-
crease, from $14,200 to
$14,330.
Health services went up 14
per cent in the amount
budgeted, from $42,720 last
year to $49,460 for the
coming school year.
Regular transportation
went up five per cent, from
$166,720 to 175,328. Another
function of transportation
remained the same, at
$6,800.
Special athletics function
received a two per cent
budget increase over last
school year. Last year the
amount budgeted was
$73,694. For the 1978-1979
school year the amount is
$75,000
The band function lost
budget funds approved by
about six per cent. This area
was budgeted $21,198 in 1977-
1978. For 1978-1979 it goes
down to $20,000.
The U.I.L. fvnetion
received a 14 per cent boost
over the last school year,
from $7,000 to $8,100.
Food was allowed ten per
cent more than for 1977-1978.
This function has been ap-
proved for $705,000 this
coming year compared to
$633,755 last year.
Debt service went up five
per cent, from $420,000 to
$440,000.
The construction budget
went down eight per cent,
from $1 million to $800,000
this year.
Community services
remained the same, at
$5,000
The three areas of ad-
ministration instruction
administration, school
administration, and ad-
ministration i went up from
13 per cent of the whole
budget in 1977-1978 to 15 per
cent of the entire budget this
coming year. The three
areas combined average a 19
per cent increase ver last
vear.
Zeke Rodriguez Deputy Regional
Director Of ACTION Agency
STDC Plans Open Meet
A meeting of the Jim Hogg
Overall Economic Dev.
Prog. Committee of the
South Texas Development
Council will be held on
Tuesday, August 29, at
Bond Sales
July sales of Series E and
H United States Savings
Bonds in Starr County were
reported today by County
Bond Chairman Rene G.
Smith. Sales for the seventh-
month period totaled $7,226
for 47SS of the 1978 sales goal
of $120,000 Cumulative sales
for 1978 total $56,592.
Texas sales during the
month amounted to
$24,238,097, while sales for
the first seven months of 1978
total $181,170,687 w ith 59 ft if
the yearly sales goal of 306.6
million achieved.
County Courthouse Court-
room, Hebbronville, Texas
beginning at 2:30 p.m.
The meeting will be held in
accordance with the
provisions of Article 6252-17,
Texas Civil Statutes. Ad-
ditional information con-
cerning this meeting may be
obtained from Juan Vargas,
P.O. Box 2187, Laredo,
Texas 78041, (512 ) 722-3995.
The proposed Agenda is as
follows: Introduction by
H T Martinez, D V M.
Chairman; Review of
Potential Projects Ijst and
New Federal Grant
Programs, Juan Vargas,
Director of Planning;
Community Questions and
Identification of - v
Potential Programs by
Committee Members; and
Adjournment by the
Chairman
Zeke Rodriguez has been
deputy regional director of
ACTION in Dallas since 1975.
Rodriguez began working
for the federal volunteer
agency in 1972 as a state
program director for Texas.
As deputy regional
director, he helps to manage
70 ACTION employees and
20,000 volunteers at 185 sites
in Regional VI, en-
compassing Texas,
Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico and Oklahoma
Nationwide, ACTION
coordinates more than
260,000 volunteers - among
them 7,000 Peace Corps
volunteers in 64 developing
nations - and has a budget of
$200 million
Rodriguez, 38. was born in
Monterrey, Mexico He went
to high school in Rio Grande
City, Tex,, then attended
Highlands University in Las
Vegas, N M He received his
bachelor's degree in
education from the
University of the Pacific in
Stockton, Calif , in 1963.
Rodriguez received a
graduate F 'owship in
administration from Sam
Houston University in
Huntsville, Tex He did
graduate work at the
University of Texas at
Austin between 1968 and
1970.
Zeke Rodriguez was a
science teacher and coach
from 1965 to 1967. The
following year, he was the
director of manpower
program in Robstown, Tex.
He worked as a training
specialist at the University
of Texas at Austin between
1968 and 1970.
In June 1970, Rodriguez
went to Washington, D. C. as
an education specialist with
the U.S. Office of Education
and a year later became the
deputy director of Equal
Employment Opportunity
Office at the Office of
Education.
He was on the National
Association of In-
tercollegiate Athletics Ail-
American Baseball Team in
1962
Among many community
activities, Mr Rodriguez
singles out his membership
in Phi Delta Kappa at
University of Texas Chapter
in Austin, He is also a
member of Masonic l-odge
No. 471 in Rio Grande City
and Member of Scottish Rite
Temple, Ben Jur Shriner
Temple in Austin
SPEAKER FOR ACTION-Zeke Rodriguez, deputy
regional director of ACTION Agency, was a guest
speaker Friday at the Texas Housing Association
annual meeting at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg
Rodriguez discussed volunteer programs to help the
area's elderly. Rodriguez is the son of the late Dr
Hesiquio Rodriguez and Mrs Rodriguez of Rio Grande
City. *v t ♦
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Silva, Marcelo. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 24, 1978, newspaper, August 24, 1978; Rio Grande City, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth194677/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.