The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985 Page: 2 of 11
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Pharr Press and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Pharr Memorial Library.
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P$ge 2,The Pharr Press,August 8,1985
ATPE Will “Accept The Challenge” On Teacher Tests,
Will Work With Members On Preparation
FOR THE
RECORD
Sen. Hector
Uribe
STUDY SHOWS VALLEY WATER IN SHORT SUPPLY
AUSTIN—The Association of
Texas Professional Educators
(ATPE), Texas’ second-largest
teacher group, announced to-
day that it plans to prepare its
members for the mandatory
teacher competency test and
will not oppose the exam.
ATPE officials announced the
decision at the group’s annual
Leadership Workshop, held Ju-
ly 21-23 in Austin, and attend-
ed by more than 250 educators
from throughout Texas.
At a special meeting July 21,
the ATPE Board of Directors
agreed that the association
would not attempt to thwart the
competency test but would in-
stead accept the challenge
posed by the examination,
scheduled to be administered
next March.
The teacher competency test
was one of the school reforms
mandated by House Bill 72, the
education reform bill passed
last year. Teachers must pass
the test in order to remain
employed as public school
teachers in Texas under the
law.
AUSTIN — Experts report water
shortages in the Valley may soon be
a way of life for residents if steps
aren’t taken soon to increase our
supply.
The sobering news comes in the
form of a four-year study released
in November by the Texas Depart-
ment of Water Resources. In it, Dr.
Gerald Higgins, who conducted the
‘.‘Water for Texas” survey, predicts 1
significant water shortages will
occur along the lower Gulf Coast
region and South Texas before
1990. He predicts increasing short-
ages from then on.
Needless to say, it sounds scary,
but all the facts are there.
The groups considered most seri-
ously affected by the forecasted
shortage will be Valley farmers.
Predictions in the study indicate
their water supplies will be threat-
ened within the next six to seven
years. Higgins warns that most
farmers will need to practice
conservation methods such as drip
irrigation and the monitoring of
equipment leaks to better their
water efficiency rating from 60
percent to near 100 percent if they
are to overcome their water woes.
Even worse is speculation that by
the year 2000, farmers who buy
water from municipalities may end
up paying as much as $700 per acre
foot of water to irrigate their crops.
Farmers are currently paying an
average of $30 per acre foot - a
price they consider to be at a break-
even level.
Closer to home, the Texas study
compares to one conducted recent-
ly by Brownsville’s Public Utilities
Board. The PUB study shows
shortages could start springing up in
Brownsville as early as 1986 under
a formula that figures both future
population growth and moderate
water usage.
Another factor which could speed
up the threat of a water shortage is
the ongoing decrease in rainfall
across Central Texas. Although
rainfall increased in some parts of
the Valley, many local cities take
their water from the Falcon Reser-
voir. The water supply from the
Reservoir can be directly affected
by droughts in other parts of the
state.
This next year, the Legislature
will consider a comprehensive water
plan to increase Texas’ water
supply leading into major areas. It
should be pointed out that the
Valley is not directly included in
the plan, which leaves efforts to
find new water supplies directly in
the hands of the Rio Grande Munic-
ipal Water Authority.
The authority is currently looking
at plans to increase the water stor-
age capacity at the existing Retamal
Dam near Donna. However, there
is a $25 million dollar price tag
attached to the project that needs
approval from the federal govern-
ment.
If the authority can beat the pro-
jected red tape attached to the
project, the Valley’s water needs
could be met as far as the year
2005. But, even then, planners say
the project won’t gef underway
until 1986 - one of the years ex-
perts predict the water shortage will
begin.
This leaves the Valley’s water ,
problems directly on the shoulders
of Valleyites. The possibility of
water rationing, stifled industrial
growth, and shrinking acreage for
agricultural production are very real
possibilities that lead to the same
conclusion. . . .
In the near future, Valleyites will
have to practice some sort of water
conservation if they are to ovegy
come projected water shortages)
PUZZLIN
ABOUT
IT.
WMk
j&m
mm
DRINKING^^"'
AND DRIVING
DON'T FIT TOGETHER
PLEASE, DON'T DRINK IF
YOU PLAN TO DRIVE.
A MESSAGE FROM THE TEXAS
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Senator
Lloyd Bentsen
Watching
Washington
The Texas Gulf Coast, and other areas of the United States
that depend on refining and petrochemical industries, are paying
dearly for this country’s lack of an aggressive trade policy.
Failure to develop a trade strategy has forced these industries
to compete with unfairly subsidized competitors abroad.
Because of this, the United States has lost a third—about 106
—of its gasoline refineries in the past five years. Most of them
were driven out of business by OPEC refineries with access to
cheap, subsidized Oil. Those that remain are operating below
capacity.
Along the Texas Coast, more than 54,000 jobs, virtually all
related to petroleum, have been lost since 1980, according to a
report by the John Gray Institute of Lamar University in
Beaumont.
This report was released at a hearing of the Joint Economic
Committee, the third hearing on U.S. trade policy over which I
have presided this year.
Testimony at the hearing confirmed that refineries are staring
depression in the face. Petrochemical producers are also under
the gun.
The number of ammonia plants, for example, is down 40 per-
cent since 1978. The Chemical Manufacturers Association reports
the loss of 43,000 jobs nationwide.
Petrochemical imports are soaring. Ammonia and urea imports
this year will double 1981 levels and methanol imports will be up
an estimated seven-fold.
The major factor responsible for the grim refining and petro-
chemical outlook is major new state-controlled refining capacity
in the OPEC nations of the Middle East and Africa.
These refining and petrochemical projects are able to undercut
any competition by using state-owned oil and gas. OPEC coun-
tries provide crude oil to their refineries at $2.50 a barrel or more
below world prices. The cheap final products enter a world mar-
ket already glutted by excess capacity.
The Amoco oil company has estimated that 20 percent of the
world refining capacity—some 12 million barrels a day—is idle.
Demand is expected to grow only 600,000 barrels a year. And
by 1987, world petroleum demand is projected to be three million
barrels a day below what it was back in 1979.
Yet, OPEC nations, with 5.1 million barrels of refining
capacity already on line, are now adding a further 2.5 million
barrels to their capacity.
Other nations have reacted to this market glut by limiting
imports.
Japan, for example, permits no gasoline or middle distillate
imports. Countries as diverse as Italy and Sweden have imposed
quotas.
But the U.S. market remains almost wide open, with areas like
the Texas Gulf Coast paying the price.
The Senate Democratic Working Group on Trade Policy, of
which I am chairman, recently outlined a tough trade strategy
for the U.S. Although this is a Democratic effort, we have not
taken a partisan approach in our recommendations, for we will
need bipartisan support to translate them into a program of
action.
The United States must develop a comprehensive, aggressive
trade strategy, one that will stop unfair foreign competition in its
tracks.
; I
by
Jim Mattox
Attorney General
BUYING A
MOBILE HOME
Consumers shopping for mobile
homes should be particularly careful
about selecting a dealer at this time.
Attorneys in my Consumer Protection
Division tell me that a large number
of manufactured housing retailers are
going out of business these days. If you
buy a home from a dealer who later
closes his doors, you will have a lot
more difficulty getting warranty work
done.
_Bonding_
In Tfexas, manufactured housing
brokers, dealers and manufacturers are
all required to post a bond with the
state Department of Labor and Stan-
dards. Retailers must post a $50,000
bond to protect consumers in case the
dealer goes out of business or becomes
insolvent, and a manufacturer must
put up a $100,000 bond. If you plan to
buy your mobile home in a nearby
state, you should know that some
dealers in Louisiana and New Mexico
are bonded so that they can sell to
Tfexas consumers. Others are not.
Remember, your protection in those
states is likely to be less tha> e in
Tfexas.
_Where to Ask_
If you plan to buy a mobile home,
it is wise to first check with your local
Better Business Bureau and my Con-
sumer Protection-Housing Section to
find out whether there have been con-
sumer complaints against the retailer
you are interested in. You can also call
the Department of Labor and Stan-
dards to see if the retailer has posted
the $50,000 bond (call the Austin of-
fice at 512/475-5712, or any of their 14
regional offices).
_More Tips_
If the dealer is not bonded, or has
an insufficient bond at the time of a
sale, then the sale may be voided at the
discretion of the consumer. However,
it is always better to buy from a bond-
ed dealer, because even a consumer
who is legally entitled to a refund won’t
be able to get one if the dealer has in-
sufficient funds.
Of course, you should always make
sure all guarantees and promises are
made in writing. Remember, anything
the salesman promises to you orally
will have no effect if it’s not in writing.
For Help
If you are having problems with
your mobile home or your dealer, you
can get help from the Attorney
General’s Consumer Protection
Division- Housing Section (P.O. Box
12548, Austin, Tfexas 78711) or the
nearest regional office of Consumer
Protection (Austin, Dallas, El Paso,
Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, and San
Antonio). We also have a free brochure
on manufactured housing, and on
other common consumer complaints.
Write for your copy. The Attorney
General’s office is here to help you.
"We will support the compet-
ency test although we do not
believe that it is a true evalua-
tion of a teacher’s teaching
ability,” said ATPE State Presi-
dent Sue McGarvey, a Halls-
ville High School government
teacher. ’’But, ATPE has al-
ways acted in a positive man-
ner. Competency testing is the
law, and we have always
obeyed the law.”
’’Students must abid by no-
pass, no-play and the exit level
test,” McGarvey said, mention-
ing other HB 72 reforms to
which students must adhere..
”How can we give tests to our
students when we ourselves
refuse to take them?”
In announcing its decision to
support the test, ATPE elected
not to follow the rival Texas
State Teachers Association
(TSTA), which has said it will
go to court to fight administra-
tion of the test.
Instead, ATPE will take steps
to help its members prepare for
the first phase of the test, a
reading and writing skills exam
which will be given to 212,000
Texas educators in March
1986. ATPE representatives
will conduct local meetings and
workshops for members to of-
fer information and advice and
answer questions about the
test after the state distributes
study guides for the exam in
November.
In addition to announcing its
position on the competency
exam, ATPE also held numer-
ous workshops for members
attending the Leadership
Workshop. The sessions includ-
ed one on parliamentary proce-
dure conducted by representa-
tives of the Texas PTA, and a
Center Assertive Discipline
Workshop for classroom
teachers. ATPE sponsors the
Assertive Discipline Work-
shops for’teachers and parents
in response to Gallup polls
which reveal that discipline is
the top concern of parents
questioned about their chil-
dren’s education.
With approximately 42,000
members statewide, ATPE is
Texas’ fastest growing teacher
association. In addition to
McGarvey, the group is led by
Vice President Jann
Bogenschutz, White Oak; Se-
cretary Marion Wagamon,
Huntsville; Treasurer Tony Di-
az, Corpus Christi; and Past
President Mike Hardin, Hurst-
Euless-Bedford.
-Looking At It Sideways
Tough Question Can
Keep Out Riff-Raff
By Joe Jimmy Jettson
This is a great job. A great
job. I love it. I just love it.
I’ve only been on this job two
weeks, and I already got my
first vacation. I go two weeks
off. I wonder if that’s way it’s
going to be from now on, two
weeks on, two weeks off.
I was kind of disappointed.
The people here said they
didn’t even know I had gone on
vacation.
But, you know, a lot can
happen in two weeks. At least
they didn’t move the office
while I was gone.
I wanted to tell you about my
vacation. I kind of went around
the Valley. I couldn’t find
anybody around. I guess ever-
yone else is also on vacation.
Any way, I went to this big
dance a couple of weeks ago.
But I had some trouble getting
in.
You see, it was a big, fancy
affair put on by some very high
brow people. Only the very
select of society were invited.
That’s how I got invited.
As it turns out, there were
some fake invitations floating
around. It seems everyone
wanted to be invited. So they
had a guard at the door to
check people to make sure they
belonged.
I had to answer some ques-
tions. They asked if I knew who
was putting on the shindig.
They asked me if I knew where
they lived. They asked me if I
knew what they did for a living.
But, then there was a killer of
a question.
The guard looked me straight
in the eye. He gritted his teeth
and asked me if I knew how old
the guest of honor was on that
occasion.
This was for a QUINCENIERA.
The Pharr Press
31U South Cugo
P.O. liux 710
Pharr, l x. 76577
Phono: (512)787-2291
JUSTS 121MJC0 v
Serving |b« Huirr-Snn Juan-Aiauio area ;
Single copy rale: 259
Mui! Subscription
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Juuu Curlou Moruluu
Publisher
Arnoldo Mulu
Munuging Editor
Arnoldo Mulu
Business Munnger
Alma Lop ok
Sulas Manager
Aida Garza
Production Munugur
Torasu Cortez
Freelance Writer
Abruhura B. Choy
Circulation Manager
rho Pharr Press dedicates itself to report tho items of intorost to the Pharr-San
Juan-Alumo areas as wall as tha surrounding communities of Las Milpas, Hidalgo
and portions of McAllen und Edinburg. Our niuin guul js to muko our reporting
accurute in the spirit of fairness end truth. We are dedicated to a well roundod
newspaper including.Editorial ten merits, news of interest to men and women, the
old und the young, Sports, Hislo- /, entertainment, Community and School ovonts.
(ho Pharr Press is published ouch Thursday morning in Pharr. Hidalgo Co. Taxus
in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
All items must be turned in by Tuesday noon.
Postmaster
Send form 3579 for change of address
Pharr Press
P.O. Box 710
Pharr, Texas 78577
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Mata, Arnoldo. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985, newspaper, August 8, 1985; Pharr, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth867288/m1/2/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.