The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 85, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 25, 1991 Page: 1 of 8
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The Rio Grande Herald
Published weekly in Rio Grande City, Texas every Thursday by The Rio Grande Publishing Co.
Inserts
Inside
USPS 466-200
Vol. 80, No. 85, Thursday, July 25,1991
25 cents
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Trustees amend budget;
okay gym roofing bid
By KENNETH ROBERTS
The Rio Grande City CISD board
of trustees considered a full plate of
issues at their regular monthly
meeting Tuesday night, including
the approval of a budget amendment
and the approval of a bid for the
re-roofing of the Ringgold Jr. High
Gym.
Concerning the budget
amendment. Business Manager
Romeo Lopez said, "Hopefully,
this is the last amendment. There
are usually four amendments
during the year."
Lopez continued, "There are a
total of $741,(XX) additional dollars
from January to June. This is a
consequence of a 290-student
increase in ADA (Average Daily
Attendance). These are new
revenues from the state. We plan
for these new revenues, but we do
not spend these revenues until we
rcceive them."
Lopez indicated that $305,(XX) of
the additional revenues would be
placed in payroll, to help balance
out the school year. A total of
$26,(XX) will be allocated for carcer
ladder. Other categories that will be
allocated additional funds are as
follows: Transportation, $62,000;
Water, $40,000; Electricity,
$50,000; Telephone, $50,000; Gas,
$10,000; Maintenance, $100,000.
Lopez concluded, "This is about
2.5 percent of our total budget,
which totals about $32 million for
the year. This is a minor
adjustment," The budget
amendment was approved on a
notion by Dr. Roberto Gonzalez
f\nd seconded by Dr. Antonio
Falcon.
Discussing the bid for re-roofing
of the Ringgold Jr. High Gym,
Lopez said, "There was only one
bid last lime. What bothered you
(the board) was the contractor's lack
of a performance bond. The bid
specified that a performance bond
was required. I hadn't remembered
how explicit it was."
Lopez indicated, "This is a
re-roofing project. We wanted to
address the problem to prevent
damage to the floor. The guarantee
is eight years in case anything
happens."
The bid of $27,000 by Rio
Roofing was then approved by the
trustees without dissent.
Concerning the TASB (Texas
Association of School Boards)
health insurance plan,
Superintendent Dr. Leobardo Cano
said, "It looks like TASB insurance
will go up."
Sheriff's Dept Acquires
800 Number
The Starr County Sheriffs
Department has acquired a new
telephone number to give concerned
citizens easier access to the
Department.
When calling from prefixes other
than 849 or 487, this number will
better serve those people who live
in rural areas of Starr County.
Anyone from these areas should call
1-800-880-5571 to reach assistance
c6untywide.
Sheriff Gene Falcon said, "We
strongly urge people calling with
tips to use this number and help the
Sheriffs Department fight crime. It
is also very important not to abuse
this number as operators will be
manning it 24 ours, apart from the
other six lines at the Sheriffs
Department."
The sheriff concluded, "This has
been in effect for about two
months. This will really be helpful
to people in the surrounding rural
communities."
Lopez indicated, "We're having
no problems with life and dental.
We're having problems with TASB
Health. For employees, the low
option is being increased from $95
to $129. The figure for employees
and family is being increased from
$287 to $391."
Lopez added, "We (the Insurance
Committee) are trying to
renegotiate with TASB, but they're
still firm. The Insurance
Committee feels we should go out
on bids again. Blue Cross-Blue
Shield appears to be interested in us
again."
Trustee Jose Adan "Coche"
Garcia commented, "Perhaps the
district should think of increasing
its share from the budget." Lopez
noted that the district's share is $54.
Lopez told board president Eloy
R. Garcia, "You can look at self
funding if you want to. For this
year, we turned in $776,000 usage
and premiums were $990,000. The
figure is 77 percent usage with two
months to go."
Lopez stressed to the trustees,
"We will be going out on bids on
both full and sell Possibly, the
budget can be looked at."
The trustees voted to approve a
total of $155,000 in low bids for
10 categories for two school
buildings. Engineer Eloy Vera
noted that the low bids totaled
$155,000 for both buildings. The
two school buildings arc located in
the Grulla area and the Fort
Ringgold complex, and each
building contains two classrooms.
Urging approval of the bids, Vera
noted, "All the contractors are local.
We are familiar with all them." The
trustees then proceeded to
unanimously approve the bids.
Lopez requested the board to
consider the hiring of a professional
Risk Manager. He indicated, "This
would be a professional person well
versed in accounting, computers and
insurance, especially workmen's
(See TRUSTEES, Page 4)
Commissioners discuss
status of jail expansion
At their special meeting Tuesday
morning, the County
Commissioners evaluated the
progress of the planned Phase II and
III expansion of the County Jail.
County Attorney Romero Molina
told the commissioners, "Mr.
(Albert) Keller has asked us to
execute an agreement specifying his
obligations. No county funds will
be obligated."
Keller is the president of A.P.
Keller, Inc. the Houston
investment-development firm
approved by the commissioners in
February to carry out the project.
Precinct Two Commissioner
Amando Pcna moved that the
agreement be approved, pending the
approval of the County Attorney.
The motion passed without dissent.
However, Precinct One
Commissioner Jose Maria "Chema"
Alvarez insisted, "I'm still
dissatisfied with his work. I think
he's too slow. We need for him to
either get to work, or be fired."
Molina said, "I'm going to ask
him for a deadline of some kind. I'll
tell him that we need something
concrete."
County Judge J.M. Martinez, Jr.,
rRACK
commented, "I agree with you, but
enough advance work has been
done."
The commissioners voted to
approve a prisoner custody
agreement between Starr County
and the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice, Pardons, and
Parole.
About the redistricting process,
Judge Martinez said, "I asked the
two local surveyors to submit a
proposal. Neither has submitted a
proposal."
Pena recommended that the
county continue trying to solicit
proposals from local surveyors.
Molina indicated, "I can't go with
any of my final work (on preparing
and submitting redistricting plans
until the surveyor is approved...Mr.
(See JAIL, Page 5)
ft'
Mm
i mum
I his youngster pictured above
was
in
-r j . „ . . one or many who was presented a certificate
luesday by Commissioner Jose Maria "Chema" Alvarez and "Nei
the Friends of the Library group. These youngsters successfully completed the ( .imp
Wanna Read summer program carried out by the Starr County Public Librurv
certificates were presented during a
Pavilion.
party at the Fort Ringgold County
The
Park
Carlos Lopez accepts job
as Freer superintendent
The San Isidro ISD is in the
process of searching for a new
school superintendent as a result of
Carlos Lopez's decision to accept
the position as superintendent of
the Freer ISD.
Lopez will assume the position
of Freer ISD superintendent on
Aug. 1. The current Freer
superintendent is James Doty.
Lopez, a native of San Isidro, has
served as superintendent of the San
Isidro ISD since May 1985. Lopez
served 11 years with the San Isidro
ISD, including his years as
superintendent. He was previously
principal of San Isidro High
School.
Lopez declared, "We (the San
Isidro school district) are searching
for a superintendent. The deadline
for receiving applications is Friday,
July 26. However, the deadline
could be extended."
He commented, "I love the San
Isidro area. The people there have
been very good to me. There's been
a lot of support from the board
members and the community. It's
just that a belter opportunity came
along."
About his service with the San
Isidro school district, Lopez
concluded, "I feel that our acadcmic
standards and student achievement
went up. I feel that we prepared the
students very well to achieve
success after graduauon.
He proudly noted the success of
San Isidro students at regional and
state U.I.L. acadcmic competition
Herald Has New Policy
Concerning Deadlines
The Rio Grande Herald has a new
policy concerning deadlines for
advertising and news copy.
The deadline for legal notices for
the coming Wednesday edition of
The Herald is Monday at noon.
Classified advertisements must be
submitted by 5 p.m. Monday.
All businesses or individuals
wishing to submit display
advertisements for the coming
Herald edition need to reserve space
by Monday at noon. Copy for
display ads must be submitted by 5
p.m. Monday.
The deadline for news copy is 5
p.m. Monday.
This new policy becomes
effective for the Aug. 1 eduion of
The Herald.
All readers and advertisers should
be aware that this new policy will
enable the staff of The Herald to
provide more efficient and more
timely service by speeding up the
composition and printing of the
paper. The Herald urges all readers
and advertisers to be coopcrauvc and
helpful in enabling the paper to
make these changes.
5 Rio tracksters advance
to national AAU competition
Five youths from Rio Grande
City have earned the right to
advance to the national Amateur
Athletic Union national finals in
Tallahassee, Florida from July
30-Aug. 2.
Two other youths have qualified
to compete in the Texas Amateur
Athletic Federation Pepsi Games in
Dallas from Aug. 1-3.
In the national competition. Vale
De La Garza, Josuc Prcza, Eddie
Gonzalez, and Tony Cantu will be
running the mile relay in the Senior
Division. Carlos Vela will be
competing in the 400-meter hurdles
in the Intermediate Division.
The mile relay foursome of Dc
Carlos Vela qualifies
for nationals
Carlos Vela, soon to be a junior il Rio Grande City
High Srhool, will compete in the national AAU track
meet, or the 25th annual Amateur Athletic Junior
Olympics in Tallahassee, Florida from July 30-Aug. 2.
Carlos is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Krnesto Vela.
At the South Texas
Championships Games in
McAllcn, Carlos placed first in the
400-mcicr hurdles and third in the
110-mctcr hurdles.
At the Region 9 AAU Interstate
Meet in San Antonio, Carlos placed
first in the 400-meter hurdles and
fourth in the 110-mcter hurdles. By
placing first in the 400-meter
hurdles, Carlos will be participating
at the national level with athletes
from all 50 states.
Carlos Vela is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ernesto V. Vela.
Carlos Vela who will be a junior
at Rio Grande City High School
this fall, will compete in the 25th
Amateur Athletic Junior Olympic
Games in Tallahassee, Florida from
July 30-Aug. 2.
Carlos, 15, qualified for the
national track meet by winning top
honors at three track meets in June
and July. He won two first place
ribbons at the Rio Grande Valley
AAU Qualifier Track Meet in
McAllcn. He placed first in the
110-meter hurdles and won first
place in the 400-meter hurdles.
La Garza, Preza, Gonzalez and
Cantu achieved a third place finish
with a time of 3:35 at the Region 9
meet in San Antonio on July 6.
The quartet's third place finish
enabled them to advance to national
AAU competition.
At the Region 9 meet in San
Antonio, Carlos Vela finished first
in the 400-meter hurdles in the
Intermediate Division with a time
of 56.0
Coach Ronald Pratt noted, "We
took 11 kids to San Antonio." The
other six that advanced to Region 9
competition were Edgar Solis, Jesse
Tamez, Ramiro Lopez, Celso
Garza, Alberto Pena, and Henry
Cantu.
Solis, Tamez, Lopez, and Cantu
ran the mile relay in the Junior
Division in San Antonio. Cantu
also ran in the 200-mcters.
Celso Garza threw the shotput in
the Intermediate Division, and
Alberto Pcna ran the two-mile relay
in the Senior Division with the
Mission team.
PraU noted that the five national
finalists will be departing to Florida
on Sunday, July 28. The athletes
will be accompanied by Coaches
Rolando Mancha and Jesus Lozano
Coach Pratt will accompany
Margarito Cruz and Alexis Solis to
Dallas for competition on Aug
1-3. Cruz will be competing in the
300-hurdlcs in the Intermediate
Division, and Alexis Solis will be
competing in the long jump in the
Midget Division
In the TAAF Qualifying Meet in
Mission on July 13, Margarito
Cruz finished second in the
300-hurdlcs in the Intermediate
Division with a time of 42.5.
Solis finished first in the !ong
jump in the Midget Division with a
jump of 11 feet, 2 inches.
The road to the national
competition began with a meet in
Edinburg in mid-June. A qualifier
meet was held later in McAlien,
with the South Texas
Championship meet also taking
place in McAllen The Regit"'' 9
meet look place in San Antonio on
(See ADVANCE, Page
Free Screening
Scheduled
Tuesday
The Project Vision Eye Care
Program, a community service
program of Thurmond Eye
Associates, will h' hoUli ig free
screening and g'aucoma chcck open
to the public on Tuesday, July 30
The free screening will take place
from 9 a.m to 5pm on Tuesday,
July 30 at H.E.B in Rio Grande
City
Anyone seeking further
information should con:act the
Thurmond Eye Associate* office in
Rio Grande City at 487 170
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Roberts, Kenneth. The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 85, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 25, 1991, newspaper, July 25, 1991; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth195299/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.