Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 93, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 11, 2006 Page: 1 of 6
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THURSDAY
WEEKLY
EDITION
Rio Grande
May 11,2006
93rd YEAR No. 19
It 215
HOAG BOOK BINDERY
127 RAIL ROAD
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HERA
A Newspaper Serving the People of South Texas
New Escobares officials sworn in at county meeting
JROTC Military Ball Court named
'Hie Rio Grande City High School JROTC Military Ball Court was named during the 2005-2006
Military Ball held on April 22, 2006 at the Multipurpose Center. JROTC seniors and their parents
were presented along with all award and scholarship recipients during this event Pictured left to right
are the Military Ball King and Queen: Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Jessica Martinez and Cadet 1st
Lieutenant Francisco Reyes. Jr. (RGCC1SD photo).
Gen. Sanchez to speak at STC
evening graduation eeremony
South Texas College
uinounces the speakers for its
graduation ceremonies to be
held it he Dodge Arena in
Hidalgo. I X on Saturday. May
13, 2006.
i ieutenant General Ricardo
S. Sanchez, V Corps
Commanding General, a Rio
Grande City native and national
hero, will be the speaker for the
^College's Division of Liberal
Arts and Social Sciences
ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
Prior to the lieutenant general
nomination, Lt. Gen. Sanchez
was Commanding General of
the 1st Armored Division,
America's lank Division, in
Wiesbaden, Germany, and held
that position for two years,
including deploying the division
to combat for Operation Iraqi
Freedom I in April 2003. The
General's awards and badges
include the Defense
Distinguished Service Medal,
the Distinguished Service
Medal, Defense Superior
Service Medal, the Legion of
STC Starr Campus hosts
annual graduate recognition
South Texas College's Starr
County Campus hosted its 7th
annual Recognition Celebration
honoring spring 2006 graduates.
The event was held at the
amphitheater at STC's Starr
County C ampus in Rio Grande
City on l-riday. May 5, 2006.
"We are so pleased to have
170 students from the Starr
County Campus graduating this
year." said Manuel Benavidez,
Jr, Member of the Board of
Trustees for STC and Director
of Transportation for the Rio
Grande City ISD. "The campus
fills a vital need in the area to
assist students in continuing
their education and gaining
essential skills to help them
succeed in a competitive job
market. We are seeing
increasing attendance at classes
at this facility every year and we
believe this is because residents
now understand and are feeling
the benefits that STC can
provide for a better life."
Dr. Antonio Falcon, a
(See CAMPUS, Page 6)
Merit, as well as numerous other
awards and commendations.
More than 2000 students will
be graduating from STC this
year, with 170 of those
participating from the College's
Starr County Campus.
Other speakers for the event
include Dr. Blanca Rosa Garcia
RN, interim Vice President of
Instruction at Del Mar College
in Corpus Christi, TX and
member of the Board of Nurse
Examiners in the State of Texas,
who will be the speaker at the
graduation ceremony for STC's
Division of Nursing and Allied
Health at 10:00 a.m. that day.
She began her practice in public
health at the Texas State Health
Department and has excelled as
a nurse at the Texas Youth
Commission at The University
of Texas Medical Branch in
Galveston, TX and the Gabbard
Health Clinic and the Driscoll
Children's Hospital in Corpus
Christi. She has also served as a
consultant for a legal/insurance
liability agency, and has
volunteered her services to
Metro Ministry Health Room in
Corpus Christi as a founding
nurse, and a rural Health Clinic
(See SANCHEZ, Page 6)
STC contractor wins national
award for Starr County campus
The buildings aren't the only-
new thing at the South Texas
College Starr County Campus in
Rio Grande City. The campus
now has a beautiful new trophy
to display. •
Pat Williams, vice president
of SpawGlass Contractors, Inc.,
visited the campus recently to
present SIC officials with the
trophy his company received
from the Associated Building
Contractors of America.
SpawGlass received the trophy
when it was selected for a
national Excellence in
Construction award for their
work at the campus.
Joining him for the
presentation was Rene
Capistran, project manager.
The company received
recognition for the Starr County
Campus on the state level before
advancing to the national
competition.
Winning the award was no
easy task according to Capistran
He said the project competed ii
"one of the hardest divisions io
By KENNETH ROBERTS
The regular monthly meeting
of the County Commissioners
on Monday morning, May 8
was highlighted by the
swearing-in of the first mayor
and the first group of five
aldermen for the newly
incorporated city of Escobares.
Elections Administrator Rudy
Montalvo noted three items on
the agenda involving the first
mayor and five aldermen for the
city of Escobares. The first
agenda item involved approving
the cancellation of the Escobares
city election. Montalvo
explained, "These three items are
related since there are no
opposing candidates."
Another item involved
"allowing the County Judge to
sign a certification of unopposed
candidates for the election in the
City of Escobares. Montalvo
noted, "After that (the election
cancellation), the unopposed
candidates have to be certified."
The third agenda item called
for "approval by appointment
and oath of office on, or after
date of election (May 13,
2006)." Montalvo declared.
"This will allow you to
administer the oath."
The commissioners quickly
approved the first two items in
separate actions. County Judge
Eloy Vera emphasized, "I
congratulate the people of
Escobares for taking this action
(incorporation). We are eager to
help in any way we can."
An Escobares official declared,
"I was under the understanding
we would be sworn in today.
That's why we are here in
masse." County Attorney Victor
Canales indicated that the mayor
and aldermen could legally be
sworn in at the meeting. Vera
responded, "In that case, we can
do it today in just a few
minutes."
After the officials were sworn
in, the new Escobares mayor,
Noel Escobar, emphasized. "We
wish to express our most sincere
thanks to the Commissioners
Court and others that have
helped us in this endeavor.
Ultimately, the beneficiaries
will be our future generations."
Escobar added, "This process
started in October 2004. This
(incorporation of Escobares) was
talked about 30 years ago. We
intend to forge ahead; we have
high goals."
Judge Vera commented, "This
is a proud moment in the
county; it's history in the
making."
The first mayor of Escobares
is Noel Escobar. The first
aldermen in the new city's
history are as follows: Ruperto
Escobar, Place Cue Alderman;
Roberto L. Naranjo, Place Two
Alderman; Delma Trevino. Place
Three Alderman; Ricardo Pena,
Place Four Alderman; Gloria
Alvarez, Place Five Alderman.
In another action, the
commissioners voted to adopt a
new order that will be in effect
for 90 days prohibiting and
restricting outdoor burning in
any part of Starr County.
Judge Vera explained, "The
90-day order banning outdoor
burning has expired. We need to
approve a new one for another
90 days." Precinct One
Commissioner Jaime Alvarez
stressed. "The ban is still very
much needed."
Concerning the International
Bridge, Precinct Two
Commissioner Raul "Roy"
Pena, Jr. told the court, "There
(See MEETING, Page 4)
Agencies conduct crackdown
on underage drinking at park
The Rio Grande City Police
Department, the Texas
Alcoholic Beverage
Commission, and numerous
other law enforcement agencies
conducted an operation near the
Fort Ringgold County Park
Friday evening to crack down on
underage drinking, resulting in
33 citations or arrests.
Assistant RGCPD Chief Noe
Castillo explained, "There have
been a number of problems with
underage drinking recently.
Among those episodes was an
instance when shots were fired
in the park; no one was hurt. A
stolen car caused considerable
damage in the park when its
driver tried to escape police.
These two episodes happened
about three weeks ago."
Castillo indicated that the
operation began at 9 p.m. on
Friday evening. May 5 at Fort
Ringgold County Park in Rio
Grande City and continued until
1 a.m. the following morning.
The Assistant Chief noted, "In
the process of the operation, six
minors were cited for being in
possession of alcohol, 1 I
citations were issued for no
driver's license, one was arrested
for possession of cocaine, and
one was arrested for unlawfully
carrying a weapon."
Castillo added, "Two were
cited for possession of drug
paraphenalia There were six
cited for violating the open
container law, and four were
cited for vehicle violations. Two
individuals were cited for public
intoxication...Two arrests were
made; the rest were citations."
"Everyone arrested or cited
was age 20 or younger," he
noted. "Many of these
individuals were under age 18."
Castillo stated "Members of
the RGCPD. TABC, a District
Attorney's Office investigator,
members of the HIDTA Task
Force and Border Coalition Task
Force, and two Sheriff's
(See DRINKING. Page 6)
win.
Ruben Saenz, site
coordinator for the STC Starr
County Campus, said the entire
community can be proud of the
new buildings.
Saenz recalls the days when
STC classes were held at Roma
and Rio Grande City High
Schools. Now all classes are
housed at the 142 FM 3167 site
in Rio Grande City.
In accepting the trophy from
SpawGlass, STC Trustee
(See NATIONAL, Page 6)
fA . *. v \
<!
-A
STC contractor honored for Starr campus work
SpawGlass Contractors received a national award from the Associated Building Contractors of America
tor their work on the South Texas College Starr County Campus SpawGlass Contractors are pictured
presenting their award to STC officials. Shown, from the left, are Site Coordinator Ruben Saenz.
STC President Shirley A. Reed, STC Trustees Jesse Villarreal, Dr Alejo Salinas. Jr. and Manuel
Benavidez, Jr., SpawGlass Vice President Pat Williams, Trustee Irene Garcia, Project Manager Rene
Capistran, Trustee Gary Gurwitz. and Hector Garcia, architect for Mata. Villarreal and Garcia
Architects.
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 93, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 11, 2006, newspaper, May 11, 2006; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196012/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.