The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 1964 Page: 1 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Mercedes Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.
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3RD st.
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XXX
The Merce
nterprise
Volume XLIX — No. 8
Mercedes, Texas, Thursday, February 20, 1964
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Now & Then
By EDWIN HARVEY
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The observance of George
Washington’s birthday on
February 22 offers a special
occasion for all Americans
to reflect upon the values
they place on their freedom
and to rededicate themselves
to the principles for which
this famous soldier - states-
man fought. Even before he
became our first president,
General Washington es-
tablished a tradition for all
citizens to be proud when
he joined other patriots in
organizing the militia with
citizens who believed their
country was worth fighting
for.
It was an obligation they
assumed without question.
Defending our country has
been an obligation of its
citizens ever since those
days at Lexington, Bunker
Hill and Valley Forge.
In our own community,
our National Guardsmen
carry on this tradition per-
forming a public service di-
gnified by sacrifice and
strengthened by this purpose
for peace and the preserva-
tion of our freedom. Mem-
bers of Company B 4th Bn/
144th Inf. do not claim to be
super patriots serving in any
capacity above and beyond
the call of every citizen’s
obligation to his country.
Rather, these citizens work-
ing for their livelihood in
our midst have assumed this
obligation to be ready to ser-
ve their country if needed.
Many times since that first
band of volunteers stood fast
on the Lexington green have
citizens answered this call
as 20 years ago, the emph-
asis was on marksmanship
our own unit is a part joined
the hundreds of thousands of
Americans who interrupted
their normal pursuits to
serve their country in uni-
form. The Lone Star Divi-
sion helped our nation
through one of the major
crises of the cold war in
1961 and 1962 when they
entered active military duty.
This experience brought
into sharp focus the unique
position of the modern mil-
itiaman — the National
Guard. His predecessors
once were required to do no
more than be proficient with
a “squirrel gun.’’ As recent
as 20 years ago, the emph-
asis was on marksmanship
with a blot action rifle and
discipline under the bark of
a drill sergeant. The nuclear
age and the threat of com-
munist envelopment of free
people brought about a
change in the standards for
citizen soldiers. Hismarks-
(See NOW & THEN Page 4)
_„xt,rri . —Harman Studio
THIS ISN T A CONFEDERATE CANNON but a carbide gun
rigged up to scare off the birds. The contraption is located
in front of the Ken Warden home on Rio Rico Road and
really does the job, according to Warden. Carbide pellets
can be timed to drop at regular intervals. If you don’t
believe it lets out a real BOO M. then you’ve never
tried to sleep late on Sunday morning recently. Apparently
the birds get the idea, too, for they shy away from some
20 acres in the area. They were ripping out newly - planted
corn seed from the soil until the gun was installed. This
also is a good way to break dogs and horses from being
gun-shy.
AN EDITORIAL
Mercedes may be without a foreign exchange student
again next year unless a suitable home can be found within
the next few days.
Rev, Mike Murray, chairman of the Mercedes Chapter,
American Meld Service, reported his committees have not
been successful in finding a home for the coming year.
This was one of the primary reasons Mercedes high school
has no exchange student presently.
Rev.- Murray and his committees would appreciate any
suggestions, either from those who may offer their home,
or from anyone else who might have a suggestion naming
someone who might be interested but might not be aware
of the problem.
The foreign exchange student program has been suc-
cessful thus far. Mercedes has its first student overseas,
and has had two students here — one from Germany and
one from Denmark.
“We certainly will regret it if we have to pass up a
student coming to Mercedes again next year,’’Rev. Murray
said. “We believe there must be a suitable home in Mer-
cedes.
Here are some of the rules:
Parents must be 37 years of age or older. They must
have children of their own.
They must be native American. A family which already
has been host to, an exchange student may not repeat.
The family must have both parents at home to qualify.
The student may not share a room with a member of the
family under 15 years of age.
Anyone interested or desiring more information may con-
tact Rev. Murray or Mrs. Ernest Marchant.
Cub Scout Groups
To Be Organized
An organizational meeting
for Cub Scouts will be held
at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the
F irst Christian Church.
Conrad Kitchell, minister,
urged all boys 7 through 10
years of age to attend the
meeting.
An official of the Rio
Grande Valley Boy Scouts
will be main speaker at the
meeting. Youngsters are
asked to bring one of their
parents to the meeting.
Mothers interested in be-
coming den mothers also are
urged to attend the meeting,
he said.
RGV Gas Company
Sells Bond Issue
Rio Grande Valley Gas
Company has completed the
private sale of $2.5 million
of 4-7/8% First Mortgage
Sinking Fund Bonds, Series
E, due 1989, Lewis O. Vo-
gelsang, President, made
known today. Proceeds will
be used in part to pay off
debt and in part to augment
working capital.
Guard Open House
Set Saturday
Mercedes - Weslaco Na-
tional Guardsmen will hold
open house at the new
Armory in Mercedes Satur-
day night observing George
Washington’s birthday.
Officers and technicians
will be on hand from 8 a.m.
to. 12 noon to explain work-
ings of the guard.
Refreshments also will be
served.
Equipment will be on
special display for visitors.
There are nearly 100 arm-
ories in 79 Texas towns
which also will be marking
the birthday Saturday.
Lumbermen Set
Meet In Mercedes
The Valley Lumberman’s
Association will meet to-
night at 7:30 at the Mer-
cedes Civic Center.
M .C. Engle of San An-
tonio, president of the state
association will be guest
speaker. A barbecue dinner
will precede the program.
City Approves
Completion
Of UR Paving
City commissioners in a
special meeting Friday
passed an ordinance provid-
ing for the completion of
paving of the remaining 10
blocks in the Urban Renewal
Area.
The last 10 blocks have
been held up for some time
because the cost exceeded
the original contract price.
The contractor explained
that extra testing and road-
bed preparation on streets
already paved ran the cost
up and consumed most of the
initial Urban Renewal money
set aside for the work.
Several weeks ago UR of-
ficials explained the matter
to the city, adding that there
was still some $9,000 left
but that $6,900 would be
needed from the city to com-
plete the project. Mayor A. J.
Hagan has objected to the
city’s paying any part. How-
ever, attorneys for Urban
Renewal, the fiscal agents
and the contractor agreed on
a means to provide the city’s
part and the resulting or-
dinance was passed at the
special meeting. Action had
been postponed from the
previous regular meeting by
Mayor Pro Tern Claudio Hin-
ojosa because Mayor Hagan
was not present. Neither the
mayor nor Com. Grady Her-
old attended the special
meeting, but it was explained
the contractor would not
complete the job at the con-
tract rate unless given a go-
ahead immediately because
of the recent delays.
Commissioners also
passed a resolution authori-
zing sale of the Industrial
Site to Tide Chemicals.Tide
already has begun construc-
tion of its chemical plant
just east of Mercedes.
CITY EXPECTED
TO APPROVE
POOL HEATING
City commissioners are
considered certain to ap-
prove heating for the Mer-
cedes Civic Center pool at
an early meeting.
Manager Bill Savarino told
the group in a special meet-
ing Friday afternoon that 300
school students already have
signed up to take swimming
classes this spring.
This will go a long way
toward offseting increased
operational cost of the pool,
he said. Registrations still
are coming in. He presented
estimates for boiler costs
and plumbing and indicated
work could be started almost
immediately. He also said
Mercedes can get some re-
gional and national swimm-
ing meets in the spring in fu-
ture years with a heated pool.
Commissioners took no
formal action Friday since
only three were present but
indicated tentative approval
for the heating.
Work Is Started
On Chamber Office
Work has begun on
cleaning up and remodeling
the building to be occupied
by the Mercedes Chamber
of Commerce.
The building, furnished
rent - free by the First Na-
tional Bank, is just north of
the former O’Shea furniture
store. A partitition is being
completed to separate the
annex from the main build-
ing.
George Wheeler, manager
of the Donna Chamber for
the past two years, has been
employed as local manager
starting March 2. The of-
fice is expected to be com-
pleted by that time, he said.
Chamber directors rec-
ently completed a campaign
for pledges to underwrite
a budget. The chamber has
had no manager since the
resignation of Col. H. G.
Stein early last year.
HHH
CLINT (Cheyenne) WALKER--Rodeo Star
CONTRACTORS MEET
Valley Electrical Con-
tractors held their monthly
meeting at the El Sombrero
in Mercedes Tuesday night.
Inspectors
To Meet Here
Mercedes will play host to
the Valley Building In-
spectors Association Feb.
27.
And it will get a chance
to show off its new civic
center where the dinner
meeting will be held.
The city commission Fri-
day approved a request from
the local inspector, Gran-
ville Gordon, to provide the
building and meals for the
valley inspectors.
ATTEND MEET
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Love
of The El Sombrero left
for Austin Tuesday where
he wifi attend a meeting of
the board of directors of the
Texas Restaurant Associa-
tion. -
WEATHER REPORT
FEB.
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
H.
77
75
63
70
67
78
75
L.
61
61
53
55
40
50
50
FLY FOR
HEART FUND
Wanta take a flight over Mercedes and the
Mid-Valley?
You can do it for a very nominal cost at
the same time help out a worthwhile charity,
the Heart Fund.
Officials of the West Hidalgo drive announced
that Sunday will be Fly Day for Heart Fund at
Rebel Field east of Mercedes. Private flyers
will donate their planes and their time to take
Valleyites and winter residents sky riding
between 1 and 5 p.m.
As long as planes are available, only re-
quirement is a minimum donation of $1.25 to
the heart fund. This may be made on arrival
at Rebel Field.
Officials also invited any other private flyers
not already participating in the event to con-
tact Dr. Jack Ellis of Weslaco or report to
Rebel Field with their planes for “heart duty”
Sunday afternoon.
Price lOc
Clint Walker Will Be Rodeo Star
At Silver Anniversary Stock Show
- E. J. Salinas Photo
PRESENTED WITH THE Armed Forces reserve medal for
completion of ten years of continuous faithful service are
pictured above 1/Sgt. Agripin Valderaz, Sgt. Jesus
Hernandez, and SP5 Israel R. Ramirez.
Clint Walker, star of the
TV Cheyenne series, will be
the star attraction at the Rio
Grande Valley Livestock
'Show this year. He will star
at each of the five rodeo
performances held during
the Livestock Show March
18 - 23 at -Mercedes, re-
ports Steve Gallaway, enter-
tainment chairman.
Announcement was made
Tuesday night at the annual
press banquet in Harlingen
sponsored by the show’s
board.
“Walker is a good all -
round entertainer, and we
know his show will please
our rodeo fans,” Gallaway
said. “‘He will star in a
musical act with the assis-
tance of a popular western
band, and will show his abi-
lity with a pistol and lariat
in some trick numbers.”
Though probably better
known for his role - of
Cheyenne Bodie in the pop-
ular television western
series, Walker has also ap-
peared in several movies,
including “Fort Dobbs,”
“Yellowstone Kelly” and
“Gold of the Seven Saints.”
He is presently nearing
completion of a movie with
Doris Day in Hollywood, to
be released later this year.
Walker stands six feet six
inches, weighs 235 pounds,
and looks every inch a west-
ern hero. He’s an expert
pistol shot and can handle
a lariat with the best of the
cowhands.
It was a long, hard way
from Clint’s home town of
Alton, Illinois to success in
Hollywood. He was a gun-
toting’ deputy sheriff, Tex-
as cowhand, sailor and sil-
ver prospector before he hit
the jackpot as an actor.
Once he decided to give it
a try after urging from sev-
eral friends, things happened
fast. In June, 1955 when War-
ner Brothers was about to
go into the production of
POLICE
REPORTS
The Mercedes Police De
partment report that calls
last week include two break-
ins reported from Ferg’s
Grocery Store and Clark’s
Furniture. There were two
thefts from autos and three
other thefts called in. One
automobile theft, later
cleared, was made.
Other calls to the Police
Department included four
disturbances, three miscel-
laenous, one dog, one miss-
ing person and one hit - and-
run.
The police department re-
ported there were no ac-
cidents in Mercedes last
week.
, E. J. Salinas Photo
BATTALION COMMANDER Lt. Col. Hugh H. Riley is
shown presenting 1/Lt. Juan M. Mata, local National
Guard commander, with a certificate of commendation
awarded by the Adjutant General, State of Texas. Com-
mendation was awarded as a result of the local unit
attaining a high superior on annual state inspection and
inventory.
films for television, Walker
was auditioned. He so im-
pressed studio executives
that he was signed to a long-
term contract and assigned
the starring role in the
“Cheyenne” series, which
was an immediate success.
Now, Walker lives with his
wife, former childhood
sweetheart Vera Lucille
Garver, and daughter Val-
erie Jean in North Holly-
wood. His hobbies include
knife throwing, wood - car-
ving, collecting unusual
stories and -articles and
horseback riding.
Expressway West
May Be Open
For Stock Show
There is a good chance
the U.S. 83 expressway will
be completed from Mission
through Mercedes in time for -
the Rio Grande Valley Live-
stock Show March 18-23.
Steve Gallaway, vice -
president, told newsmen
Tuesday night at a press
dinner given by the show that
work is being rushed from
Weslaco to Mercedes. The
expressway approach roads
already are completed to
Weslaco. The bridges across,
the floodway at the West
edge of Mercedes are vir-
tually complete and paving is
being completed between the
two cities.
Base preparation is un-
derway on the expressway
from Texas Ave. to the
-floodway.
Texas itself is being
widened and prepared for
paving from the Y on North
Texas at the expressway in-
tersection to the " show-
grounds.
“We have been assured
Texas Ave. will be paved by
stock show time,” Mr.Gall-
away said.
If the thoroughfare is com-
pleted from Mercedes west,
traffic flow will be expedited
considerably, he said.
It will be later this sum-
mer before the. section is
completed from Mercedes
to Harlingen, officials indi-
cate.
Western Parade
To Open Show
A western parade will open
the 25th annual Rio Grande
Valley Livestock Show at
Mercedes Wednesday after-
noon, March 18, at 3:30 p.m.
Grover Sapp of Harlingen,
parade chairman, reports
that additional entries are
welcome. He said that any-
one interested in entering
the parade should write dr
call-the Livestock Show Of-
fice in Mercedes for details.
“Though we would like
for as many entries as pos-
sible to carry out a western
theme, this is not a require-
ment of the parade,” Sapp
said.
All non - commercial
floats carrying out a western
theme are eligible to com-
pete for the prizes: First
place - $100; second place -
$75; and third place - $50.
Sapp said that many out-
standing bands will be in the
parade, as-will all Cover
Girl nominees, and floats
representing many Valley
organizations.
Joining the Livestock
Show parade for the third
year will be the Tip - o -
Tex Trail Riders, as they
end their two - day ride
from Port IsaMe, slated to!
begin Monday morning,
March -16. Walter Terry of
Harlingen is chairman of
the Trail Ride activities.
IN WASHINGTON
Dr. R. H. Cintron has been
in Washington, D. C. attend-
ing a meeting of the advisory
committee in the Department
of Agriculture. He is one of
the 11 members of this com-
mittee. Following his trip
in Washington he flew to
Puerto Rico to visit his fam.-
iiy.
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Harvey, J. Edwin. The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 1964, newspaper, February 20, 1964; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1091771/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.