The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 17, 1982 Page: 1 of 11
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Pharr Memorial Library
130 S. Caffery
Pharrf Texas
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the Pharr Press
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Vol 50 No. 20
USPS429-660
June 17 1982
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Annua! Convention is June 17-19
Pharr hosts State Eagles
The annual convention of state
Eagles will be held in Pharr/M-
cAllen, on June 17, 18, 19, ac-
cording to state secretary Tom
Allmond, Odessa. Headquarters
will be on the local Eagles Club.
National officers, who will be
guest speakers at the convention
are: Michael T. Gaffney,
Milwaukee, Wi., past grand
worthy president; A1 T.
Williams, Bethlehem, Pa., past
grand worthy president; B.J.
Sims, Odessa, grand trustee.
Ms. Marcella James, Leaven-
worth, Ks., grand madam con-
ductor.
Workshops will be held during
the meetings in addition to
business sessions. Highlight of
the convention will be the elec-
tion of new officers.
The convention banquet will be
held on Saturday night. At the
dinner an Eagles Art Ehrmann
Cancer Fund grant will be made
to the Rio Grande Radiation
Treatment Center, McAllen. An
Eagles Kidney Fund grant will go
to the Kidney Foundation of
South Texas, San Antonio.
Texas Eagles have strongly
supported Eagledom’s Big Four-
Max Baer Heart Fund, Jimmy
Durante Children’s Fund, Art
Ehrmann Cancer Fund and the
Golden Eagle Fund. The funds
make possible grants of a million
dollars annually.
Chairman of the convention is
Herschel Hanshaw, Secretary,
Aerie No. 3109.
Schedule of Events For 1982
Texas State Eagle Convention
WEDNESDAY - June 16
8:00 a.m. - Aux. Ritual Com-
petition - Holidome - McAllen;
8:00 a.m. Aerie Golf Tournament
- Golf Course - McAllen; 2-5:00
p.m. - Registration Aerie &
Visitors - Hilton - McAllen; 2-
5:00 p.m. Registration Auz. &
Visitors - Holidome - McAllen; 2-
6:00 p.m. Bowling Tournament -
McAllen Bowl - McAllen;5-6:00
p.m. Border Buttermilk Party -
Holidome - McAllen; 8-Midnight
- Early Bird Dance - Citrus Aerie
- South Cage - Pharr.
THURSDAY-JUNE 17
8:00 a.m. - Registration Resumes
- McAllen; 8:00 a.m. - Aerie
See EAGLES, page9
3 new and one old
4 PSJA schools given names
Names were given to three new
buildings and a new name to an
old building at the PSJA School
board meeting Monday night.
PSJA Ninth will now be called
PSJA Ninth Memorial. The new
addition being built at Memorial
Ninth will be named after for-
mer Principal J. L. Stambaugh.
The new High School Physical
Education Complex will be
named after Santos Salinas.
The new elementary school in
Pharr will carry the name
“Pharr Elementary School”..
Trustee Gabe Avendano moved
the schools be named as such
and all six trustees attending,
voted in favor of the motion.
The question of whether to
raise the passing scores was
settled for another year. Trustee
Rene Lizcano moved to raise the
passing score to 65 percent from
60 percent.
Trustee Abel Guajardo secon-
ded.
Trustees Lizcano, Avendano
and Guajardo voted in favor of
raising the score to 65 Trustees
Rudy Contreras, Octaviano Gon-
zalez and Trustee Dan Ramirez
voted against the
motion.
With Board President Rudy
Canche absent, the motion
failed.
This Week
In other action the trustees:
Aprroved a pay period change
which will only affect a period in
January.
Approved new teachers- Fran-
ces Quintanilla, BA PAU; Elva
Cano, BS PAU; Petra Cantu, BS
PAU; Melva Gonzalez, BS PAU;
Thelma Gonzalez, BA PAU; Ber-
ta Palacios, MA A&I; Domingo
Porras, BA PAU; Sharon Pena,
BA PAU; Edurado Segovia, BA
PAU; Jose Ray Solis, BA PAU;
Sylvia Sanchez, BS PAU; Jose '
Ramirez III, BS A&I; Robert
Wolk, BS Univ. of Arizona;
Ricardo Esparza, BS A&I.
Yolanda Light’s retirement as
Ninth Reading Dept. Head was
also approved.
Approved the delinquent tax
report which showed 86.05 per-
cent collections to date, com-
pared to 87.74 percent last year.
Approved the ordering of four
new buses- one 35 passenger
bus with handicap lift (gas); one
35 passenger diesel powered
bus and two 71 passenger diesel
powered bus.
Heard a report from Engineer
Pete Garza on a computer
system to control temperature
control at the High School. The
cost would be approximately
$5,400.
Heard a report on the proposed
string orchestra program. In a
survey to elementary school
parents, only 14 students said
they would be interested in
playing in the orchestra. The
program was not scheduled this
year for lack of participation.
The burglary and damage
report for May was heavy again.
A total of $2,723.47 in losses
were reported. The largest loss
wasas a result of theft at LBJ Jr.
High May 19. Two security
lights were broken and a router,
belt sander, jig saw and hand
drill was stolen.
At PSJA Ninth $710 in a stolen
typewriter. A TV Monitor worth
$400 was discovered missing
during inventory and was repor-
ted stolen.
David Cantu,Pharr 4-H,honored
as top South Texas leader
Also active community leader
Inside
Press viewpoints, page 2
Agriculture, page 3
Socials, page 5
Alamo Police Chief released,
page 6
Mujeres Unidas releases abuse
reports, page 7
Sports- World Soccer Cup ex-
clusive, page 8
Twin Palms Plaza
The PRESS has a special 12
page insert inside this issue to
familiarize readers with the
beautiful, new shops available
now in Pharr.
Disease report
Communicable disease as
reported to Hidalgo County
Health department week ending:
June 11, 1982:
Typhus - 2; Influenza & flu-like
illness - 5; Strep, sore throat, in-
cl, scarlet fever - 190; Chicken
pox -10.
Tropical Texas Center for
Mental Health Retardation:
(TTCMHMRJ will sponsor a
workshop for the community en-
titled: “STRESS AND DAILY
LIVING.”
The workshop will focus on
See THIS WEEK, page 8
David Cantu of San Juan was
recognized as the top adult
volunteer leader in the South
District of the Texas
Agricultural Extension Service.
Cantu, a rancher, serves the
Pharr 4-H Club and its 40 mem-
bers by providing leadership for
livestock and recreation projec-
ts. He also works hard for the
total 4-H program in Hidalgo
County.
Under his leadership 4-H mem-
bers have reaped numberous
awards and recognitions. Cantu
helped train 4-H’ers from his
club that have won top awards
in vegetable judging.
Cantu also helped train the
team that won second in the
natural resources method
demonstration and the team that
placed third in the safety
demonstration at the 1980 State
4-H Roundup.
Last year he trained the third
place team at State 4-H Roundup
in the promoting 4-H contest.
Cantu also worked closely with
a number of 4-H’ers who had
award-winning record books
last year, and has helped mem-
bers with lambs at the South
Texas Lamb and Sheep Ex-
position. He helped train the fir-
st place sheep blocking team
from the Pharr 4-H Club at the
Exposition in 1979.
David Cantu
The leader also operates the 4-
H consession stand at the Pharr
baseball park each summer. He
has devoted a lot of time and ef-
fort to such activities as building
4-H floats and helping with
achievement programs, tractor
pulls, county and district roun-
dups and exchange trips.
He was named the Outstanding
4-H Adult Leader in the Pharr 4-
H Club last year.
Cantu is active in the county
and district adult leaders
associations, the Pharr Youth
Baseball League, Boy Scouts and
with the PSJA Beef Syndicate.
Robert Harrison
Local contractor's
work leaves trail
through history
Mr. Robert Harrison of Pharr
was painting the federal
building in Brownsville before
Pharr was more than a few scat-
tered houses.
The same Mr. Harrison just
recently finished working on a
bank in Weslaco and remodeling
work at McAllen Hospital.
Harrison’s 59 years as painting
contractor in the Valley have
left his mark on many of the
, most important buildings during
those years. But the most im-
pressive thing about Harrison is
his current understanding of the
new techniques of painting and
his grasp of business aspects of
a contractor today.
Harrison said he has always
bid every job rather than work
at cost-plus.
He smiled upon telling of
several coliege-educated young
contractors he knows who bid
big jobs and found out there was
a lot of things the book couldn’t
tell you.
Harrison said years of ex-
perience, his years spent
working with some of the best
contractors in Texas provided
the basis for his working
knowledge.
Harrison said he worked with
top contractors out of Dallas
Louis. He worked with
Marshall Bros. Construction
Company, one of the biggest
" i «y;
Mr. Robert Harrison, long-time
painting contractor of Pharr, can
as easily remember events of the
bank and courthouse builders.
While working with these con-
tractors, Harrison learned not
only to paint, but the decorative
trade, such as gold-leaf paint,
emblems and other intricate
designing techniques he has
used in banks, wealthy homes
and fancy shopping buildings.
Harrison and his wife Mrs.
Teatsy Harrison, came to the
Valley out of Dallas in March
1923 to “see what was going
on”.
Harrison was 24 years old and
gave up everything to come to
the Valley.
The Harrisons stayed at the old
Miller Hotel in Brownsville
which was only a small town at
the time. He immediately got
work on the federal courthouse
and post office.
“judge Dancy insisted I stay
and finish the courthouse,”
Harrison said, even though he
wanted to check out other parts
of the Valley.
Harrison said he could residen-
1920's and 1930's as he can give a
bid on a modern building today.
tial painting for 33 cents a
square foot, against the $1.10 or
so a sq. ft. today.
The wage for workers was 75
cents an hour.
Harrison also painted the first
Gulf Coast Railroad Station for
the W.T. Liston Cont. Co. at this
time.
Harrison started to move west
from Brownsville much like the
population development was
moving. He worked in Raymon-
dville on the first bank building
there. Then he painted and
decorated the El Jardin Hotel in
Brownsville.
By about 1925-26 Harrison and
the winds of progress had moved
to Mercedes where because of
people coming in, there was a lot
of work on the first schools and
churchs being built.
It was at this time that the land
was being cleared of brush and
orchards were being developed
along with’sugar cane.
The first big land companies
See HARRISON, page 9
Re-zoning ordinance effects
felt by Pharr property owners
Effects of the recently adopted
zoning ordinance are still
trickling in to the Pharr city
commission as property owners
request zoning changes to what
their property was zoned
previously.
Mr. Encarnacion Sanchez
requested a change of zone from
residential to multifamily on
land off Jones and Bluebonnet
Streets. His land was zone for
multifamily before the new
zoning ordinance changed it to
single family.
Sanchez told the commission he
bought the land when it was R-3
with idea of building 13 aprat-
apart-
ment units. Now he is unable to
because of zbning.
A nearby homeowner, Mr.
Shelby Crosby, spoke against the
rezoning to permit apartments.
“I have a nice home, there are
many nice homes,” Crosby said.
Crosby said he the homes would
lose up to $10,000 in value if
apartment units were built on
the land.
“I think you should consider
what you already have in the
area,” Crosby said.
The commission denied the
request for rezoning.
Another zoning case wasn’t as
clearcut. Mr. Virgil Paul
requested a change of zone from
residential to multifamily (R-3J.
The commission denied the
request, but several people from
the neighborhood said building
was going on anyway.
Mr. Steven Matland, a nearby
property owner, said there is
building of apartments going on
inside a three car tin garage
building. Matland wanted to
know why the building was
allowed to continue.
Pharr city planner Oscar
Cuellar said he had heard
building was going on but the
city inspectors had been unable
to catch him.
“He won’t get gas or electric
meters or another water
meter,” Cuellar said.
Matland said Paul had already
tapped an existing water line to
run water inside the building.
He said the building goes on at
night and on weekends with the
doors to the tin building closed.
, City Attorney Katie Klein
agreed the man had to be caught
before legal action could be
taken.
In other zoning action:
A change of zone to limited in-
dustrial was granted on 14
acres of Lot 7, Block 6 of the
McColl subdivision.
A change of zone from AO to
See CITY OF PHARR, page 8
Friends of Pharr Library elects
Board members for 1982-83
The Friends of the Pharr
Memorial Library met on Thur-
sday, June 3 to review their
projects of the past year and to
elect new officers. In attendan-
ce were members of the Friends
and their guests, a guest
speaker, and the recipients of
the Friends’ scholarships.
Mrs. Martha Knies, President,
opened the meeting with a few
words about the background of
the Friends of the Library. This
was followed by a reading of the
minutes by Mary Ann Moore.
Eugene Strait gave the
treasurer’s report. During the
fiscal year ending May 31, 1982
the Friends had received
$2611.61 through membership
dues, donations, and book sales.
During this same year, $2555.73
had been expended on various
projects, leaving a bank balance
of $1232.03 as of May 31.
A report on the summer
reading program was requested
of Karen Baker, Assistant
Librarian. Miss Baker said that
the program had begun on June
1, but story hours would not
begin until June 7. Many volun-
teers had offered their assistan-
ce during the story hours, but
more volunteers would probably
be needed during July.
The nominating committee in-
troduced the main item of
business next. The committee
consisted of the outgoing Board
members - Victor Garcia, Bernie
Bessire, and Louis Seitzinger.
The proposed slate of officers
was the same as the current
slate: Martha Knies, President;
Margaret Frymire, 1st Vice-
President; Vicky Riley, 2nd
Vice-President; Mary Ann
Moore, Secretary; and Eugene
Strait, Treasurer. New Board
members nominated were
Charles Nelson, Linda Walters,
and Estela Ramos.
Since no nominations from the
floor were entertained, Mr.
Garcia moved that the proposed
slate be accepted. Mr. George
McCullough seconded the
motion, which passed
See FRIENDS, page 9
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Nelson, Charles. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 17, 1982, newspaper, June 17, 1982; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth866404/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.