The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 1970 Page: 1 of 6
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Give to The Heart Drive - - So More Will Live
The Weather
New cool front on Friday with
strong northerly winds, diminish-
ing by Saturday. Some showers
possible.
THE PHARR PRESS
VOLUME XXXVII — NO. 8 PHARR, (HIDALGO COUNTY), TEXAS 78577 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1970 5c PER COPY—$2.50 PER YEAR
Cabbage-Carrots
Main Vegetable
Cabbage and carrots were the
big “two” in vegetable shipments
out of the Valley this week, as
they have been for most of 1970.
The Valley is supplying most
of the cabbage for the markets of
the nation, with 50 to 75 carloads
per day, while Florida is second
with 30 to 40 cars and California
is third with 25 to 30 per day.
In carrots, the Valley is the
leader in the nation too, with 25
to 40 cars per day, but California
is running neck and neck with
only a few cars less per day.
Cabbage continues to be a
bright spot in the Valley agri-
cultural picture with market
steady to strong with 1% bu.
crates bringing $3.50, while 50 lb.
mesh sacks are $2.75. Red type
is $5 and savoy type is $3.50 to
$4.
Carrots have been a disap-
pointment, generally, with the
price just a little better than
production. and harvesting costs.
Growers with high tonnage per
acre are making some money on
carrots, however.
Valley lettuce has been very
weak all season long.
Many of the vegetable greens
have been consistent all season,
but the quantities are much less
than cabbage or carrots.
Falcon Has 1.6
Million Acre Feet
Storage in Falcon Reservoir
was 1,603,000 acre feet on Feb. T,
1970, with the United States’
share being 918,000 acres. Also,
220,000 acre feet is stored in
Amistad Reservoir which is avail-
able for Falcon users. The stor-
age in Falcon and Amistad avail-
able for release represents an
increase of 40,000 acre feet over
the previous reporting period, ac-
cording to the Water Master’s re-
port for Feb. 14th.
House-To-House Heart
Canvass Will Be Feb. 22
Since the American Heart As-
sociation initiated their research
program, Heart Fund dollars
have helped develop new meth-
ods to control high blood pres-
sure, to safeguard against re-
peated heart attacks, to treat
heart failure and to prevent
atherosclerosis, the artery-clog-
ed make it possible to save more
babies born with heart defects
and are adding to our knowledge
of how to reduce the risks of
arteriosclerosis, the artery-clog-
ging disease that underlies most
heart attacks and strokes. They
have helped develop techniques
in rehabilitation which are giv-
ing stroke and heart patients
added years of productive life.
One fact may be cited that
brings this history of progress
into focus: Since 1950, the death
Time To Renew
Beef Syndicate
Membership
New and renewal memberships
to the PSJA Beef Syndicate may
be secured by mailing your check
to Box 46, San Juan, Texas, Tom-
my Reichert, president of the
PSJA Beef Syndicate, reminded
this week.
Membership is $12 which en-
titles holder to four tickets to
two barbecues and possibly two
more tickets to a “bonus” bar-
becue.
Whether a bonus barbecue will
be given will "be decided by the
officers after the purchase of the
calves, hogs and chickens at the
Livestock Show.
Another list of members to
date will be printed next week.
rate from heart and circulatory
diseases for people under 65
dropped 180 per cent. Fifty thou-
sand more people are walking
today because of the American
Heart Ass’n.
The greatest need, as in any
$502,000 Contract
Let on Hwy. 281
Ballenger Construction Com-
pany was the low bidder on 15.5
miles of highway improvement
on U.S. 281 in Hidalgo County
from a point 7.0 miles south of
Pharr east to Progreso with a bid
of $502,580, the Texas Highway
Dept, announced Wednesday.
The highway improvement is
reconstructing base and resurfac-
ing of the 15.5 miles of the 281
highway from the curve south of
Pharr east to the town of Pro-
greso.
Wade Barnes, supervising resi-
dent engineer, will be in charge
of the project. One hundred and
twenty working days are allotted
for completion.
Other bidders and their bids
were: Rio Paving Co., $513,000;
Dahlstrom Corp., $522,000; Moth-
eral Contractors, $523,000; Hel-
denfels Bros., $536,000: South
Texas Construction, $566,000.
Volunteers for the Heart As-
sociation house-to-house solici-
tation in Phan- on Sunday, Feb.
22nd, are needed, states Hulcn
Webb, general chairman.
Those who will help in this
drive are asked to come to the
Chamber of Commerce office,
Texan Hotel Bldg., 2 p.m. Sun-
day.
fight against disease, is more
knowledge. Because the greatest
benefit to the individual heait
pjvent will come frorv. fu'thcr
advances in knowledge of the
cardiovascular diseases; the
A.H.A.’s program has always giv-
en highest priority to research
support. At least half of aii funds
received by the National office
are allocated to research. Afi:li
ated Heart Associations, such as
the Valley-wide campaign now
underway, make additional xe-
search awards; about one-third
of their income supports re-
search.
Existing knowledge and new
knowledge gained through re-
search must be put to work. The
A.H.A.’s program of professional
education uses a variety of meth-
ods and channels to relate this
knoweldge to physicians and oth-
er concerned professionals. Re-
cently, the Valley physicians
have undertaken a program of
on the spot heart check-ups
(Continued on Page 6)
Mrs. F. Escobar, Sr.
Dies in Cuero
Mrs. Frank Escobar, Sr., the
mother -of Frank S. Escobar Jr.
of Pharr, died in Cuero Sunday,
Feb. 15th. She was a life long
resident of Cuero and was 79
years of age.
Funeral services were held
Feb. 17th, 9:30 a.m., at Our Lady
of Guadalupe Catholic Church in
Cuero with burial in Hillside
Cemetery.
She is survived by three sons,
Anton Escobar, Corpus Christi.
M. V. Escobar, Los Cerritos,
Calif., and Frank S. Escobar, Jr.,
Pharr; a daughter, Mrs. Alex
Hernandez. Cuero; a brother and
a sister of Cuero; eight grand-
children and seven great grand-
children.
YOUR
HOME
NEWSPAPER
The one newspaper most inter-
ested in Pharr.
★---------★
Pharr Legionnaire Is
Endorsed For Div. Cmdr
Mrs. Patsy Palmquist, a long
time worker, in American Legion
activities in South Texas, and
the only woman who has ever
been commander of the Pharr
Post, has been endorsed by the
Pharr Post 101 for the office of
Division Commander of the
Third Division of the American
Legion.
The Third Division is com-
posed of five Districts — the 9th,
10th, 14th, 15th. and 20th.
The election for commander
will be held in Seguin April 11-
12 when the Third Division will
have its annual convention.
She is the first announced
candidate for this office up to
now.
The resolution adopted by Post
101 endorsing her candidacy is
as follows.
WHEREAS, Patsy Palmquist,
a member of Vermund G. Han-
sen American Legion Post 101,
Pharr, Texas, has rendered dis-
tinguished and extraordinary
service for her Post, District, Di-
Girl Scout Cookie
Sale Will End
Feb. 23rd
Sugar and spice and butter
that’s nice, chocolate and mint
(more than a hint), peanut but-
ter, pecans and persuasion — all
Ground-Breaking For Civic
Center Will Be Feb. 24
Ground-breaking for the new
Pharr Civic Center will be next
Tuesday, Feb. 24th, 10:30 a.m. at
the site on West Kelly St., Mayor
R. S. Bowe announced this week.
Any and all interested citizens
of Pharr are cordially invited to
attend.
The contract for the construc-
tion of the building was officially
signed this week and actual con-
struction is to begin on March
2nd. Work is to be completed in
180 working days.
Weldon Construction Co. of
Harlingen was the low bidder on
the project with a bid of $322,-
540. A total of twelve other con-
tractors subbmitted bids when
they were opened January 23rd.
The Civic Center will be erect-
ed on a 10-acre site in the 1,000
block on West Kelly between
Casa and Sugar Roads. The city
purchased the site three years
ago when the voters approved
the bonds for the project. (How-
ever, the botids will not be issued
now to build the Center, as the
federal grant on this project, and
the money the city has saved
plus the value of the site is suf-
New Candidate Files
For Trustee, Place 2
vision, Department and National
organization, ih various fields of
Legion activity during the past
twenty-five (25) years, and
WHEREAS, her service has in-
cluded active work on both stand-
ing and convention committees,
at all levels in most of the Le-
gion’s programs, and
WHEREAS, she has in addi-
tion specialized in the important
field of youth tyjjbg?ams for many
years serving" As (Post, anct Dis-
trict Boys State Chairman, Divis-
ion Oratorical Chairman and De-
partment Chairman of the Miss
American Legion Beauty Pag-
eant,
WHEREAS, she has served the
Third Division as Adjutant, Ora-
torical Chairman and on the De-
partment Americanism Commis-
sion,
WHEREAS her leadership in
civic, local and State affairs has
signified distinction of being list-
ed in Community Leaders of
America, qualify her for further
and more extensive service in
the American Legion, and
WHEREAS, we feel that the
services of a woman of her prov-
en ability, character, qualifica-
tions and leadership should be
utilized to the fullest extent, and
at the earliest opportunity, there-
fore,
BE IT RESOLVED by Ver-
POST OFFICE CLOSED
NEXT MONDAY, FEB. 23
The Pharr post office will be
closed Monday, Feb. 23rd, in ob-
servance of Washington’s birth-
day, Miss Virginia Polk, post-
master, announces.
this is what Girl Scout outdoor ( G. Hansen American Le-
gion Post 101, Pharr, Texas, as-
sembled in business meeting,
February 16, 1970, that we whole-
heartedly endorse Patsy Palm-
quist for the office of Third Di-
vision Commander and sincerely
urge her to become a candidate
for that office at the next Third
Division Convention to be held
in Seguin, Texas, 1970, and that
a duly authenticated copy of this
resolution be forwarded to the
15th Distrct and Third Division
Conventions.
programs are made of.
This year’s cookie sale is al-
most over foe the PSJA com-
munity, ending Monday, Feb. 23,
with about 5,000 boxes sold by a
sales force of 181 girls. Each
troop in the Tip of Texas Coun-
cil gets to keep a five cent bite
of the price of each box for its
own activities. Each box costs
the council 22 cents and 23 cents
of each box is spent on outdoor
equipment and program, troop
awards, camperships, senior and
adult opportunities and out of
council training.
Feb. 23-28 has been set aside
as clean up week to sell unsold
boxes as the council goal is 7200
cartons.
Pharr Girl Scout leaders are
Mrs. Keith Conquest, Mrs. Ron-
ald Smith, Mrs. Lorenzo Garcia,
and Mrs. Bob Klasmier.
San Juan leaders are- Mrs. Jack
Trammel and Mrs. Dennis Curl.
Alamo leaders are Mrs. David
Finn and Miss Hilda Villanueva.
Ctirus Shipments
Citrus shipments for the week
ending January 31 totaled 314,-
000 boxes of grapefruit and 120,-
000 boxes of early oranges and
770 boxes of late oranges to bring
the season total to 3,867,000 box-
es of grapefruit, 2,341,000 boxes
of early oranges and 770 boxes of
late oranges. This is the first re-
port on late orange shipments.
Grapefruit shipments are 800,-
000 ahead of a year ago, early
oranges 180,000 and late oranges
are 27,000 behind.
Another candidate has filed for
one of the PSJA school trustee of-
fices, which will be filled in the
April 4th election.
The new candidate is Antonio
Jimenez of Pharr, who has filed
for Place No. 2, now held by Jus-
tin R. Card, who has filed for re-
election. Jimenez filed at the
School District tax- office on Feb.
18th.
Jimenez is a PSJA graduate,
class of 1966, has had three years
at Pan American College and has
Studied one year in special
schools , in Monterrey, Mexico. He
has been employed by the Asso-
ciated City County Economic De-
B. F. (Bing) Pellum,
Commander.
Roger H. Palmquist,
Adjutant.
Two Injured In
Accident On
South Cage
Two persons were slightly in-
jured and two cars severely dam-
aged in an accident at the inter-
section of S. Cage and West
Cherokee at about 9 a.m. Satur-
day, Feb. 14th.
A car driven by Margarito Lo-
pez San Juan was going south
on Cage when it coll'ded with a
car crossing the Blvd. going west
driven by Melvin Barnes of High-
more, S. Dak.
Injured were Lidia Lopez, wife
of the driver of one car, and
Mrs. Carrie Barnes, wife of the
driver of the other. They were
taken to hospitals by ambulance.
A third car owned by Israel
Gonzales parked at the side of
Valley Radio & TV, was struck
by the Barnes car. The damage
to the Barnes car, a Buick, was
extehsive.
Barnes was charged with fail-
ure to yield right of way.
Sgt. Sandoval of the Pharr Por
lice Dept, investigated the acci-
dent.
Census Office To
Open Feb. 26
The Valley’s Census Bureau’s
central office for the 1970 census
of population and housing will
have its official opening Thurs-
day, February 26th, 10 a.m.
The office will be located in
the First National Bank Bldg..
McAllen, Room 210.
Jury Selected hr Scamardo Trial
After 17 Days of Questioning
A jury for the murder for hire Jurors for the trial are: Miss
trial of Pete Scamardo was em-
paneled in 92nd District Court on
Feb. 17th on the 17th day after
the jury selection began.
A total of 140 persons were
questioned by prosecution and
defense attorneys and a total of
1 300 persons were called for pos-
sible jury service.
District Attorney Oscar Mcln-
nis is leading the prosecution for
the state and Percy Foreman of
Houston is the leading defense
attorney.
Testimony in the trial began
Thursday, Feb. 19th, with the
widow of the slain man, Mrs.
Ginger Degalia, scheduled to be
the first on the witness stand.
Norma Castro, 25, Pharr; Bema-
dino Bazan, 28, McAllen; Mrs.
Jack Christoffel, Pharr; Mrs. Em-
ma Lopez, 39, Mission; Dr. John
Fucik, 41, Weslaco; E. B. May,
64, Mercedes; W. O. Garren, 64,
McAllen; R. A. Morell, 51, McAl-
len; Mrs. Maria Elena Rodriguz,
22, Weslaco; Miss Magdalena
Cantu, San Juan; Rodolfo Gon-
zalez, 49, Weslaco, and Miss Edel-
mira Martinez, 24, Weslaco.
Scamardo of Hearne is charged
with being an accomplice in the
death of Sam Degelia, Jr., who
was found dead in an abandoned
building southwest of McAllen
on July 11, 1968, five days after
he was last seen.
ficient to pay the city’s share,
Mayor Bowe announced before
the bids were opened.)
The water and sewer lines will
be laid by the city to the site la-
the next two weeks. Some of tbe-
present citrus trees will be left
but most will be removed and.
this will be done in the next two-
weeks also.
Robert V. Buck of Laredo and.
San Antonio is the architect for
the project.
Work on plans and specifica-
tions for this Civic Center began
more than three years ago, with:
numerous consultations with fed-
eral officials held since. The
plans were altered many times
to meet federal requirements for
grants for this type of a com-
munity center.
velopment Corp., and the South-
west Regional Office, OEO Vista,!
as a recruiting specialist. He is
currently employed by Leo Kra-
mer, Inc. of Washington, as field
secretary for Hidalgo Co. He is
a member of the Pharr Jaycees,
the Holy Name Society, St. Mar-
garet’s Church, vice president of
organization for progress of
Pharr and member of the- execu-
tive board and board of directors
of Alianza de Barrios y Colonias,
Inc., San Juan.
Three other places are up for
election. Two others are from
Pharr, Place 1 and Place 3, and
Place 4 in San Juan.
Place 1 is now held by Celerino
Castillo and he has filed for re-
election and Place 3 is now held
by Romeo Escobar. He is not a
candidate for re-election. Dario
Martinez of Pharr has filed for
that place.
No. 4 place at San Juan was
held by the late- A. B. Cantu. No
one had filed for his unexpired
term up to press time this week.
Pharr Teen-Ager
Dies From
Stab Wounds
Homero Matias Franco, 19,
Pharr, died in the McAllen Hos-
pital Friday, Feb. 13th, after he
was found wounded in his car on
16th St. in McAllen. He was ap-
parently stabbed with a knife or
sharp object in the chest near
his heart.
Funeral services were held at
3:30 p.m. Feb. 17th in St. Mar-
garet’s Catholic Church with bur-
ial in Guadalupe Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Rebecca Franco, a son, Hor-
lando Franco; his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Matias Franco; seven
sisters, Elva Rodriguez of Hous-
ton, Rosa Flores of Santa Maria,
Calif., Emelia Franco, Belinda
Martinez of Joliet, 111., Belia San-
chez of San Juan and Gloria and
Celia Franco, of Pharr; four
brothers, Arturo, Mario, Roberto,
and Oscar Franco.
De Leon Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
Stolen Panel
Truck Found
In Orchard
The 1967 model Chevrolet
sports van panel truck owned
by O. E. Avery of 115 East Chero-
kee, which was stolen from a
parking lot in Pharr Feb. 7th,
was found abandoned in an or-
chard south of Pharr just off
Highway 281.
The car was found by Pharr
police on Saturday, the 14th, a
week after it was stolen.
The car had not been damaged
and the $4,000 in merchandise
of various kinds in the truck
had not beerl disturbed. Only
thing stolen was a brief case
containing articles of clothing.
There were no clues as to who
stole the truck.
SEEN ’ROUND
THE TOWN
The TIP-O-TEXAN magazine
published monthly by the Valley
Chamber of Commerce, has a
most excellent feature in the
last issue about Pharr’s JEM
SHAWN, SR. and his “Old Clock
Museum,” with many pictures,
including a cover shot. People
who are interested in things like
that should pay a visit to this
museum. You can spend a couple
of hours there and not miss the.
“time.” The museum, by the way,
is in a separate bldg., at the east
end of Preston St., which is up*
against the Cactus Drive In Thea?
tre. . . . Robins are quite numer-
ous around town and in the rural
areas. And if you want to see
more birds, some of the -rare
kind, like the Kiskamee Fly-
catcher, now is the time to gor
to SANTA ANA GAME REFUGE,
10 miles south of Pharr on Hwy.
281. Watch for the sign on 281
and you can’t miss it. There is a
good variety of ducks there now
especially on the west lake, in-
cluding a number of red-brown
Cinnamon TEAL. . . . Edinburg,
the second largest city in the
Co., didn’t get a single juror on-
the murder trial jury, now un-
derway at the Courthouse. . . .
Sec. Op. 33 in to say that he is
looking forward to reading the
platforms of the various candi- \
dates, and will be interested to
read what any of them say about
well water vs. river water. Water
is one commodity that everyone
in Pharr uses in some way. Good ‘
quality water should be of inter-
est to every purchaser. . . .
FRANK SCHUSTER, vegetable
grower south on 281 Hwy. has
growing, or will harvest an esti-
mated 2 million pounds of SPIN-
ACH. How about that? It appears
the Spinach Capitol of the world
should be moved from Carrizo
Springs to the- Schuster Farm.
. . . The Valley Queen selected
at the Livestock Show in San
Antonio turned out to be a pre-
vious Queen of considerable ex-
perience — the retiring Queen
Citrianna of the Texas Citrus
Fiesta. And that is a reminder
that a beauty from Pharr has
been named the Queen for the ;
1971 Show. She is MISS G1LMA
IRMA LONGORIA. See pix and
story elsewhere. . . . One of the
teams of the famous HARLEM
STARS will play an exhibition
cage game at the PSJA GYM
(OSO DOME) next Monday night.
See story. . . . BOB COMPERE i
remarks that the town is a little •
“dead” with so many business-
men down in Mexico this week
on that “goodwill tour.” It will
be very interesting to hear the
different versions of the tour.
The Pharr Press did not send
a reporter on the trip but we
hope FOY EASLY, BOB CART-
WRIGHT, or SUPT. DEAN
SKILES will give a candid and
reliable summary. . . . You know
that spring is just ’round the
corner when the YUCCAS (Span-
ish Daggers) start to bloom — a
number around the city are- *
showing their colors now. . . .
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Glover, Lloyd H. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 1970, newspaper, February 19, 1970; Pharr, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth715023/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.