Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 11, 2002 Page: 1 of 6
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THURSDAY
WEEKLY EDITION
April 11, 2002
89th Year, No. 15
#215
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Herald
A Newspaper Serving the People of South Texas
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Ringgold cheerleaders, drill team win trophies
The Ringgold Elementary cheerleaders and drill team arc pictured above posing proudly after all their victories
in the American Dance and Drill Team competition. This competition was held under the auspices of the 21st
Century School Community Learning Centers. Posing with the team are Ms. Ana Lisa Solis (Sponsor), Mrs
Erica Canales (Assistant Principal), Mrs. Maria Elena Olivares (Principal), and Ms. Jessica Teran (Sponsor).
(RGCCISD photo).
Sheriff's Dept. continues to
probe three assault cases
The Sheriff's Department is
W continuing to investigate three
alleged assaults that purportedly
occurred over a four-day period that
included the Easter weekend, with
one episode involving a home
invasion and shooting north of Alto
Bonito.
Captain Homer Flores indicated,
"On Friday, March 29, we were told
w of an assault with injuries at
roughly 7 a.m." The incident took
place in the Escobares area.
Jaime Cortez, an Escobares
resident in his mid-twenties, "was
involved in a fight and was sent to
the hospital with severe head
trauma," said Flores on Monday,
April 3. "He has shown significant
improvement since then. He has
since been released from the
• hospital."
Flores added, "He was beaten
with fists out on the street. The
fight was over a young female. The
alleged assailant surrendered that
morning...The two had been
involved in a fistfight."
Flores indicated that Julio Cesar
Martinez, 26, was charged in that
episode with assault causing bodily
injury, which is a felony.
In referring to another incident,
Flores stated, "On Saturday, March
30 at 2:30 a.m., a home invasion
took place in the La Victoria area
north of Alto Bonito. Several
gunmen invade* the home. The
homeowner was shot at; he
sustained a bullet wound to his left
arm. He was hospitalized until
Wednesday, April 3."
"We have no suspects in
custody," indicated the captain. "We
have some promising leads. There
were four or five gunmen, all in
their twenties or thirties."
Flores declared, "The victim was
injured with a shot fired from a .45
calibcr handgun. The gunmen were
carrying assault rifles. The gunmen
broke down the front door of the
home. Nothing was taken from the
home."
Aldermen discuss status
of ongoing water projects
By KENNETH ROBERTS
At their regular monthly meeting
Thursday night, the Rio Grande
City Board of Aldermen received
updates concerning the status of a
A number of projects, including
™ several applications intended to
improve the city's water and sewage
capacity.
Engineer Duke Levy of Kyle
Engineering reported, "The elevated
water tower is proceeding nicely.
We should be finished with the
concrete portion soon. We're pretty
close to being ready to advertise for
four miles of pipe."
"We're about ready to move with
the B.E.C.C. (Border
Environmental Cooperation
Commission) projects," declared
City Administrator Leonardo
Olivares. "The engineer will need to
OM teams headed tor
* state competition
'
(KOCCISD News Release)
The Rio Grande City CISD Odys-
sey of the Mind teams head for Deer
Park High School in Houston, Texas
on April 13, 2002 for State Competi-
tion.
This year the district has nine teams
^ that will participate in Houston. The
® teams are as follows:
Kio Grande City High School
Center Stage- Adam Silva, Jessica
Gonzalez, Karina Gonzalez, Nallely
Olivarez, Basilio Villarreal, and
Robby Klein. Coaches- Lisa Silva
and Cynthia Alaniz.
The Chameleon Danny Flores,
a Alyssa Pena, Julissa Garza,
Cassandra Guzman, Joey Lopez,
l ernie Salinas, and Isabel Silva.
Coaches- L T Guzman and Esther
Guerra.
Environmental Change- Amanda
Vela, Loralee Guerra, Jordan Hiles,
Belinda Nunez. Jennifer Vasquez,
Lilly Flores, and Daniel Gonzalez.
Coaches- Rosa Veia and Petra
Guerra.
Grulla Middle School
Center Stage- David Leal, Jose M.
Longoria, Alexandra Marroquin.
Domingo Montalvo, Elizabeth Solis.
David G. Loyola, and Lesly Lopez.
Coaches- Rosalva Rodriguez and
Gina Gonzalez.
Ringgold Middle School
Center Stage- Jessica L. Chapa, Jus-
tin Guzman, Ashley Escobar, Leo
Lopez, III, Armando Vela. Valerie
M. Villarreal. and Karah L Hiles
(See TEAMS, Page 6)
Starr County vote lifts
Guillen to victory
An overwhelming margin of
almost 4400 votes in Starr County
carried native son Ryan Guillen to a
decisive victory over Webb County
native Adolfo Campero, Jr. in
Tuesday's runoff election and
guaranteed him a scat in the Texas
House of Representatives as the
new District 31 Stale
Representative.
Guillen, who faces no
Republican opponent in November,
will take office in January 2003 at
the beginning of the biennial
legislative session. District 31
covers all of Starr, Zapata and
Duval Counties, and part of Webb
County.
Also in Tuesday's runoff,
incumbent Justices of the Peace
Abel Cantu. Homero Garcia and
Eloy Flores were re-elected by
voters in their Starr County
precincts.
In addition to his massive Starr
County landslide, Guillen also
carried Duval and Zapata Counties
by decisive margins. Campero won
Webb County's balloting by a
margin of almost 2100 votes.
In Starr County, Guillen trounced
Campero by a margin of 5679 to
1300, receiving over 81 percent of
the vote. Guillen won the early
vote by a margin of 3224 to 800.
Guillen carried Zapata County by
a margin of 588 to 371, and
outpaced Campero in Duval County
by a margin of 1255-759. He won
both Zapata and Duval Counties
with more than 60 percent of the
vote.
In Webb County, Campero
received 80.94 percent of the overall
vote, garnering 2718 votes to 640.
Campero won the early vote by a
count of 1581-479.
(See GUILLEN, Page 6)
RGCCISD sets May 25 as bond
election date for state funding
In another incident, an illegal
alien from Honduras remains
hospitalized in San Antonio in
stable condition after a shooting
episode north of La Rosita on
Monday night, April 1.
Flores indicated that the victim
"wa:; injured as he was shot in each
foot...He was shot once in each
foot. The injury is not life-
threatening"
As of Monday afternoon, April 8,
Arturo Juarez, 33, was still
hospitalized in stable condition at a
San Antonio hospital.
"The incident occurred in the yard
of a home north of La Rosita,"
stated Captain Flores. "Four
individuals were arrested. Others are
expected to be arrested. We haven't
determined a motive. A dispute
broke out and shots were fired." The
shooting took place at
approximately 10 p.m. on Monday,
April 1.
He added, "Apparently, over 10
(See PROBE, Page 6)
l$y KENNETH ROBERTS
At their special meeting during
the noon hour on Friday, the Rio
Grande City CISD board of trustees
voted to set May 2.5 as the date for
a bond election to help bring about
a state financing package of
approximately $27-28 million for
new facilities construction and
assumption of the debt for the new
high school.
Chief Financial Officer Lourdes
Martinez told the trustees, 'We
have had two individuals, Dr.
Miguel De Los Santos and Dr.
Andy Noriega, prepare assessments
of facilities in recent months. A
Board (members) Facilities
Committee meeting was held on
March 5."
Martinez added, "You have an
item in your packet calling for an
election on May 25, 2002. The
order is in English and Spanish."
Board President Basilio Bacho"
Villarreal, Jr. stated, "We had a
meeting on the Grulla campus. At
that time, Mr. De Los Santos and
Mr. Noriega made presentations. If
we can encompass the high school,
the state would encumber the debt
of S13 million for the high school.
We would get the initial deposit
back for the high school."
"This is a tremendous
opportunity for the school district
to continue with this building
program," emphasized
Superintendent Roel R. Smith.
" This is probably the last year this
type of facilities funding will be
available from the state."
Villarreal contended, "State
budgets are shrinking. After this
year, this type of state funding may
not be available for some time to
come. It is a tremendous
opportunity that will enable the
DPS sets up fund to help
trooper and f amily
do preliminary design work. The
water plant will cost S60 million
and the sewer plant will be S30
million."
Levy indicated, "We have gotten
$800,000 in f unding for the water
plant upgrade Phase One from the
South Texas Development Council.
That should make it easier to get
Phase Two funding from Rural
Development." Olivares stated,
"We're waiting for S2.2 million
from Rural Development."
Director of Sponsored Projects
Claudia Alcazar told the aldermen,
"We have completed the asbestos
abatement for the new library.
We're ready to move into
environmental assessment. Time is
of the essence."
She added, "I met with the
Empowerment Zone (Sub-Zone)
yesterday, and they said they will
recommend that the full board
approve the $500,000 for the water
lines on April 17." Alderman
Ricardo Gutierrez emphasized, "I
want to commend Claudia. One
board member said she made a very
good presentation to uic juu-
Zonc."
After some discussion, the
aldermen approved a resolution
authorizing submission of a grant
application for $50,000 to the
Small Community Grant Program
of the Texas Department of Parks
(See ALDERMEN, Page 6)
The Department of Public Safety
(DPS) has set up a benefit fund to
provide help to Trooper Benito
Reyes and his family, who have
been left homeless by a severe fire
at their residence in the Remolino
area early Sunday morning.
The fund has been set up at Elsa
State Bank & Trust. For those
wishing to contribute, the account
number is 2014250 1.
A DPS officer indicated that
Reyes, his wife, and their two-year-
old son were left homeless by the
fire. Mrs. Reyes is also expecting
the couple's second child. The
officer noted that the fire "happened
early Sunday morning."
The officer emphasized that
"some benefit events arc planned for
the future." Anyone seeking further
information should contact the DPS
office in Rio Grande City at (956)
487-5411.
state to pay 85 percent." He also
indicated that the district would not
have to raise taxes in any form or
fashion for the first year.
Martinez noted, "The deadline to
apply with the state is June 15,
2002."
Trustee Silvina Hinojosa moved,
seconded by Roberto "Bobby"
Gutierrez, that the board approve an
order calling for an election on May
25 for issuance of unlimited tax
(See RGCCISD, Page 6)
New RGC
postmaster to be
sworn in at
ceremony Tuesday
The U.S. Postal Service will
hold a ceremony on Tuesday
morning, April 16 at 9:30 a.m. to
officially swear in Gustavo
Escobar, Jr. as the Rio Grande City
Postmaster.
Escobar indicated Tuesday that he
officially assumed the job as Rio
Grande City Postmaster on
Saturday, April 6.
A number of Postal Service
dignitaries, including past Rio
Grande City postmasters, arc
expected to be present at the
ceremony. Escobares will be the
first Rio Grande City native in
many years to serve as the local
postmaster.
Anyone seeking further
information about the ceremony
should call 487-3315.
y
MBHmL
Ringgold Elementary Dance Team wins honors
The Ringgold Elementary Dance Team 2001-2002 won Festival Double Division I and Academic Champion
Spirit honors. The dance team competed in the American Dance/Drill Team Competition at the South Padre
Island Convention Center on Feb. 16 2002. They also placed third in the first annual Spirit Fest sponsored
by the San Juan Boys and Girls Club. The dance team is organized as part of the 21st Century TO.D O S
(Taking Opportunities; Developing Our Strength) program. Pictured l-r are: (First row) Mrs Erica Canales
(Assistant Principal), Justin Ortega, Skylenc Garcia, Jesse Solis, Marlen Gutierrez, Jeremy Mcndoza and Mrs
Maria Elena Olivarez (Principal). (Second row) Priscilla Cantu, Jessica Guerrero, Jessica Morin, Juamta
Morin, Ariadne Abcrin. Brittany De "au. Bcatriz Garza and Miss Ana Lisa Solis (Sponsor* (Third row.
Zunny Sandoval, Lamar Rodriguez, Karina Alan is, Carolina Garcia, Gaby Gonzalez and Christina Amador
(RGCCISD photo).
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 11, 2002, newspaper, April 11, 2002; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196159/m1/1/?q=technical+manual: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.