Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 9, 1982 Page: 1 of 10
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Community
Roundup
Sheriffs Money Cut
Commissioners Am mend Budget
Need Help?
Call SBA
If you could not attend the meeting with
representatives of the Small Business
Administration, (SBA) held at the. Starr
County Industrial Foundation earlier this
week, you can call this Foundation for in-
formation or call Jay Francis of the SBA in
Harlingen, 423-8934.
Deputy Attends
School
Starr County Deputy Sheriff Joel Pena
attended a 20 hour course, Sept. 1-3, at the
Texas Center for Juvenile Delinquency
Prevention at Southwest Texas State
University in San Marcos.
The course taught how to to deal with
family matters.
Check Pick-Up
Announced
Pan American University students
receiving financial aid may pick their
checks Sept. 20 or 21, according to financial
aid director Clementine Cantu.
Students whose names begin with A
through L may pick up their checks Sept. 20
and others on the 21st, she said.
Trustees
To Meet
The Board of Trustees of the Rio Grande
City Independent School District will meet
Thursday, Sept. 9, at 5 P.M. in the Multi-
purpose Center.
Topics of discussion will include the
request by the Garden Club for the use of the
abandoned house by the Transportation
Department, gasoline bids, the appointment
of team physicians, the adult education
program and a request by the Chamber of
Commerce.
The public is invited to attend.
Fireladies
To Meet
The I-adies Auxiliary of the Rio Grande
City Volunteer Fire Department will meet
Thursday Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. at the Fire
Department.
President l.upita Guzman invites anyone
who would like to volunteer to attend.
An emergency situation was declared and
the county budget amended during a brief
meeting of the Starr County Com-
missioner's Court, Sept. 1.
Commissioner Arnoldo Gonzalez moved
for the budget to be amended.
The majority of the money, moved from
specified accounts into a fund to pay claims
and fix deficits, was taken from the Sheriff's
Department.
Sheriff Gene Falcon, attending the
meeting to defend his budget, asked the
court, "Was my budget tampered with?"
"Yes -it was," answered County Judge Bias
Chapa.
The Sheriff's Department had $16,000
removed from it's care, mostly from money
allotted for food consumption for the jail and
Workmens' Compensation.
"We've been running a tight budget so we
can stay within our budget," said the
sheriff. "I feel that the Sheriff's Depart-
ment needs that money. We've been taking
care of the taxpayers."
Commissioner Amando Pena asked
Falcon how many deputies he had to cover
the entire county, and Falcon replied that he
employed 18.
"That's alot," remarked Pena, to which
Falcon replied that his depaatinent had
incarcerated over 2000 criminals.
In defense of his budget, Falcon said that
the judge had not raised salaries, and that
he needed money to use on car repairs.
Pena remarked that the department had
purchased new cars recently. "Those new
cars have 70,000 miles," said the sheriff.
"And the cars purchased from the DPS have
90,000."
"What happens if I run out of gas money,"
said Falcon trying once again to plead with
the court to leave his budget intact. "I can't
park my cars!"
"We won't let you down.'said Chapa.
"Even if I have to give my salary to pay a
deputy's salary. I pledge my salary for the
rest of the year."
Falcon then protested the cut in the jail
food allotment money. "We can't project
how many people we'll have iri jail
tomorrow."
"We're going to have to start
somewhere," said Chapa. "We're going to
try to get the county out of this situation."
One reason for the financial problem the
county is facing is that anticipated revenues
did not tome in from the gas company or
the International Bridge.
The gas company sold only 47 percent of
the gas they bought, losing a whopping 53
percent to leakage. The problem with the
bridge was unforeseeable, having to do -
with the Mexican money devaluations of
this year.
In other court business they agreed to pay
Coastal Engineers the $4584.31 owed, so that
they would fix the air conditioning in the
courthouse. They also agreed to pay them
the cost of fixing the units on the second and
third floors.
They agreed to pay July's insurance
premium, and discussed changing the start
of the fiscal year to October.
They tabled the motion to support and
participate in the South Texas Development
Council and name two members to the
board of directors, saying that the com-
missioners wanted to go to Austin and first
be sure that "programs would not come to
the county that they (STDC) could handle."
VOL. XXXVI
No. 47 Thursday, September 9, 1982
FIFTEEN CENTS
Suspects
Arrested At
Twin Palms
Two suspects were charged with criminal
attempt after Sheriff's Department deputies
R. Saenz and J. Pena found them at the
Twin Palms Grocery Store, 1:47 a.m., Sept.
4.
One of the suspects was found on the root
of the grocery, while the other was caught
b;- ' " "H" or. the si-' • -aiding t ths
ahey
Arrested were Juan .'ose I,opcz. and
Ismael Alonzo Marroquto, both of Rio
Grande City.
The pair was arraigned by Justice ot the
Peace Francis T. "Sonny" Howard. Bond
was set at $1000 each. Both men are still
incarcerated in the Starr County Jail in lieu
of bond.
Other weekend arrests by deputies in-
cluded Angel i is Valentin, DWI and no
driver's license: Ernesto Villela Coronado,
public intoxication; Mark Anthony Ho..ard,
disorderly conduct and Ramon Cervantes,
ficticious license plates.
Bank Nationalization Affects County
The newest decrease of the Mexican peso,
and the nationalization of Mexican banks
will have an increassed effect on the
economy of .Starr County, but according to
local banker, Rodolfo "Roy" Cantu, Starr
County will not feel the "magnitude the
larger cities will."
Cantu, president of the First National
Bank of Rio Grande City, has been able to
directly view the effects the peso
devaluation has had on local businesses, and
he feels the latest move by the Mexican
government will have a tremendous effect
throughout the area.
Although the peso is now worth half of
what it was a month ago, he feels that the
*1>; an i. ;tuens will continue to shop in the
Texas border area. "The border Mexican
citizen will be allowed to convert one-third
of his monthly salary to dollars," he said.
And, the border business will help, some."
Shoppers prior to the devaluation, would
come from as far away as Mexico City to
shop in the Starr County area. Now, the
Mexican interior citizen must have pre-
approval to travel in the United States, and
must convert their money to dollars before
they leave.
South Padre Island and the McAllen area
will feel a greater effect from the bank
nationalization, because they had sold a
good deal of real estate to Mexican in-
vestors. According to Cantu, that situation
does not exist in Starr County.
Representatives of the Small Business
Administration were in Rio Grande City and
Roma this week taking applications for
loans to help the businesses in trouble from
the devaluation Cantu feels that this
will help, but it is a short term solution.
"The SBA is urging people to apply for
loans," he said. "But this is just for im-
mediate relief. They will still have
problems further down the line. '
Cantu feels that it is too early to tell if all
the local businesses will make it through
this current situation.
We're in a recession-type situation This
will add to unemployment," he said. "The
local people will suffer from all sides. This
will be a ripple effect, and they will have to
lay people off."
Cantu said that currently, his bank is not
exchanging pesos, because they have no
definite idea as to the rate of exchange, but
that border merchants in Mexico are taking
dollars.
He also warns that if you are traveling
into the Mexican interior, the government
wants you to declare how much money you
are taking, and change it into pesos. U.S.
Customs also asks you to declare any
amount in excess of $5000.
Health Officials Checking
Water Supply
PAU Foundation
Established
Horn ecom ing Com ing
Members of the Class of '73 of Rio Grande
City High School are busy planning their
Oct. 26 homecoming and their Dec. 26
reunion.
The Planning Committee is meeting every
Sunday. They have planned activities for
the homecoming to include a pep rally at the
gym, a coffee and a get-together at the home
of Maria Gonzalez Garza, and the football
game.
The
Dec. 26 reunion will be held at the
Knights of Columbus Convention Center.
Awards will be presented to the person who
has traveled the farthest, in addition to
other awards.
i/etters informing class members of the
reunion will be mailed early in September.
Committee members are: Carmen
Garcia De La Garza, Maria Elena
Rodriguez Cantu, Billie Diaz Simo, Alicia
Guerrero, Madio Gonzalez Garza, Mario
Lopze and Vangie Cortez Alvarez.
Texas Traffic Deaths Down
By The Associated Press
At least 41 people died in traffic accidents
in Texas during the Labor Day weekend,
and law enforcement officials said the grim
toll probably would rise as travelers headed
home.
The counting period for the holiday death
toll runs from 6 p.m. Friday to midnight
Monday. The Department of Public Safety
had predicted that 47 people would be killed
in motor vehicle accidents in the state
during that time.
Fifty people died in accidents last year
during the labor Day weekend, and eight
more died later from injuries suffered
during the holiday period
The DPS said the deaths this year in-
cluded.
—Fred Wall, 17, of Piano, killed when the
car he was driving rolled over in Piano at
1.15 a.m. Monday.
William Strozier Routh, 50, of Houston,
killed when the car he was driving ran oif
the road at 5:40 a.m. Monday about one mile
south of Boerne on Interstate 10 in Kendall
County.
Burl I-ee McNew, 17, of Kennett, Mo.,
killed when the car he was driving was
involved in a three-vehicle crash at 8 a.m.
Monday five miles south of Carthage on U.S.
59 in Panola County.
- Roberta B. Rosenberg, 43, of Miami,
Fla.. killed when her station wagon rolled
over at 9:10 a.m. Monday about 11 miles
east of Sheffield on 1-10 in Pecos County.
—Mamie B. Turpin, 75, of Dalhart, killed
when her car struck two other vehicles on a
city street in Dalhart at 2:34 p.m. Monday.
Lawrence Stanley Medlock, 2, of
Houston, who died when the car he was
riding in turned over on an unmarked
county road about 3 miles south of Groveton
in Trinity County at 3:55 p.m. Monday.
Pan American University officials today
announced the launching of the university's
first institution-wide fundraising campaign
and the establishment of a tax-exempt
foundation to assist in the effort.
"The establishment of a foundation and
the launching of the Greater University
Fund are steps we are taking to make Pan
American a greater university," said Pan
. American president Dr Migeul A. Nevarez.
Pan American's earlier fundraising ef-
forts were limited to particular activities,
such as the alumni association and
athletics.
"We will continue to seek support for
particular activities, but we also want to
build a general fund and endowment to
support the university as a whole," Nevarez
said.
"The time has arrived for Pan American
University to demonstrate its real potential,
its real maturity. Private support is the key
to doing it."
"Greatness in a university does not come
from the state alone. It comes from private
support, from those who believe in it. The
nation's best public universities, including
the University of Texas rely upon private
sources for almost one-fourth of their
budgets," said Nevarez.
Nevarez said the fundraising effort will be
headed by Pan American vice president for
institutional advancement Ed Mercer and
the trustees of the newly chartered Pan
American University Foundation.
Mercer said the fir^t group he will contact
for support of the Greater University Fund
is the university's faculty and staff.
"We also plan to contact alumni and area
businesses and industries," said Mercer
"We want to reach everyone who benefits
further from its growth and improvement "
"Pan American has come a long way in its
brief history, and has the potential of
becoming one of the state's truly great in-
stitutions."
Mercer said the foundation's first three
board members helped incorporate the
foundation and will help in the selection of 15
more trustees.
The board members are unpaid volun-
teers and will serve two-year terms.
The foundation's sole legal purpose is to
oversee the raising, investment,
management, and disbursement of the
foundation's funds for the benefit of Pan
American University.
The three trustees are Mrs. Margaret
McAllen, Weslaco; Fausto Yturria Jr,
Brownsville; and Victor Neuhaus, Houston.
Mercer said the foundation's board
members would appoint an advisory
Council whose members would assist the
Board in raising funds for the university.
Advisory council members will be
selected on the basis of their expertise in
such areas as business, accounting, and law
and their association with the university,
Mercer said.
The annual fund drive will be conducted
through the university's adacemic year,
September 1 through August 31, Mercer
said.
The goal for its first year is $100,000.
. Health officials stance founded in tbi?
city's drinking supply to determine if it
posed a hazard to residents, who were ad-
vised not to drink their water.
About 30,000 people here and in the neigh-
boring community of Rancho Allgra may be
able to resume use of the water supplies
later today or Thursday if city workers are
able to flush out the lines, said assistant
utilities director Richard Garza.
"The water system has been shut down
for drinking purposes," he said Tuesday
night. "We are still delivering water. People
can go ahead and water their lawns."
Potable water was being delivered
throughout Alice and Rancho Allegra by a
dozen tank trucks, Garza said.
At least one illness was reported after
residents began noticing a strong odor
emanating from the water One person was
treated for diarrhea that was attributed to
the water contamination, said a spokesman
at Physicians and Surgeons Hospital
Assistant city director Bill McCumber
said the problem may have been caused by
an illegal cross-connection between a water
main and a stoic*. - .-an* w ■ « jj a;, ui
related industry The pollutant appeared to
be oil well drilling mud, officials said.
An oily black liquid flowed from fire
hydrants Tuesday when workers tried to
flush out water pipes.
Garza said residents were informed of the
problem after the water treatment plant one
mile north of the city received complaints
about an odor in the drinking supply.
He said water samples were sent to
Corpus Christi for analysis, and more
samples would be sent today to state health
officials in Austin.
The treatment plant has a capacity of 9
million gallons per day, but Garza said peak
load is about 8 million gallons He said that
technically, all residents were affected by
the water problem.
"It is hard to sa\ how many calls were
coming in." he said. "Some called the plant,
some called city hall and councilmen."
Garza said chlorine levels in the water
were increased at health officials'
suggestion.
Rotary To Hear
Asst. Secretary Of Commerce
The Assistant Secretary of Commerce
from Washington, D.C. will be in Rio
Grande City, Sept. 17 to speak to the Rotary
Club. The meeting will be a joint meeting
of the Rotary Club and the Industrial
Foundation.
The Rotary Club has been the scene of
many interesting and influential speakers in
recent weeks. Rotary District Governor
Gerald Robins and hi« wife Fay, from
Kingsville, were recent guests of the club.
Robins spoke of the effects each Rotarian
can have on his community.
Last week's speakers included
representatives of the Mexican towns of
Camargo and Miguel Aleman.
They were at the meeting to clarify and
make statements in relation to the Mexican
economic situation and the nationalization
of Mexican banks.
Secretaries Set Seminar
The Magic Valley Chapter of Professional
Secretaries International has set the date
and program for its Eighth Annual
Educational Seminar, according to Ijnda
Ellsworth, Chapter Seminar Chairman.
The seminar date has been announced for
Saturday, Oct. 2, at the La Posada Motor
Hotel, McAllen.
Preliminary announcements are being
mailed to all Valley School Systems and
educational entitles, Valley city mayors,
Texas-l/ouisiana Division PSI Chapters and
interested Valley businesses. Registration
forms will Ik- mailed as soon as printed.
The theme for tlus year's seminar is
"Today's Professional Woman" and will
include on the program three outstanding
speakers: Dr. Luis M. Rios, Plastic
Surgeon, McAllen; Paul Brown, MCallen,
who has lastructed in Self Defense tactics;
and Dr. Don Sealamogna, University of
Houston, a business educator. Acutal titles
of their talks have not yet been set, but each
u ill speak in their area of xpertise Ten-
tative additional plans for the day's
program inclu le a luncheon and style show
and exhibits of the latest in business
machines.
The registration fee for the PSI Seminars
in kept to an easily affordable minimum due
to a sponsorship program by many
cooperative and supportive Upper Valley
businesses.
For further information on the seminar or
the sponsorship program, call Nan Bishop,
Magic Valley Chapter President, at 383-
0101; Linda Ellsworth, Seminar Chairman,
at 686-8162, or Dee Decker, CPS, Publicity
Chairman, at 383-5661.
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GO RATTLF.RS-The Rio Grande City High school cheerleaders and band were ready?
last Friday night. (Herald Photo)
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Mathis, Dora Barrera. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 9, 1982, newspaper, September 9, 1982; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth194888/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.