The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 12, 1964 Page: 1 of 8
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The Merce
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53b 3RD ST .
C I T Y
XXX
nterprise
Volume XLIX — No. 11
•••
Mercedes, Texas, Thursday, March 12, 1964
WELCOME PODNER, proclaim the Mercedes city commission shown here as Mayor
A J. Hagan, seated, signs a RGV Livestock Show week proclamation. Others left to
right are Com Grady Herold, Com. Ray Hernandez, City Sec. Aaron Garcia and Mayor
Pro Tern Claudio Hinojosa. Com. Howard Sparrow was reported out of town.
Little League Tryouts Planned
This Weekend; Officials Named
Charles Greenwood was
elected president of the Mer-
cedes Little League Associ-
ation at an orginzational
meeting recently at the Mer-
cedes Civic Center.
Other officers are J. R.
Western Week
Proclaimed
For Big Show
City and Chamber of Com-
merce officials have urged
local businessmen and their
clerks to don western wear
next week during the Rio
Grande Valley Livestock
Show and Rodeo.
“We want to give all our
visitors a big Western Wel-
come,” said Chamber Man-
ager George Wheeler.
“We hope all will join in
the spirit of the occasion,
including local townspeople
who may be in the business
district, by going Western.”
Mayor A. J. Hagan issued
the following proclamation
designating March 18-23 as
Livestock Show Week:
WHEREAS, theAnnualEx-
position of the Rio Grande
Valley Livestock Show will
be held at the Show Grounds
in the City of Mercedes, Tex-
as, March 18th. through
March 23rd., 1964;
AND WHEREAS, this
annual event is the official
Valley Livestock Show and
includes the official Valley
4-H and F.F.A. Boys and
Girls Show;
AND WHEREAS, each
year’s attendance is of ap-
proximately 125,000 people
who enthusiastically parti-
cipate in the activities of the
Show, with an ever-increas-
ing interest in the raising
of livestock;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, A.
J. Hagan, Mayor of the City
of Mercedes, Texas, do
hereby proclaim the week
of March 16th. through
March 23rd. 1964, RIO
GRANDE VALLEY LIVE-
STOCK SHOW WEEK, and
earnestly urge all residents
of our City to extend to all
our visitors the gracious
hospitality traditional to
Mercedes; and I further re-
quest that all persons wear
Western-type clothing dur-
ing that period.
SIGNED:
A. J. Hagan, Mayor of
the City of Mercedes,
Texas
The Chamber manager
further suggested that those
who have not already done
so decorate their stores and
windows along similar lines.
CIVIC CENTER SCHEDULE
Thurs. March 12 — Lit-
tle League at 7:30.
Fri. March 13 -- Knapp
Memorial Methodist Hos-
pital Auxiliary Style Show
Rehersal.
Sat. March 14 — KMMH
Auxiliary Style Show.
Sun. March 15 — Wedding
Reception.
Sun. March 15 — Sunday
night dance at 8:00 p.m.
Wed. March 18 — Police
Department dinner meeting.
Wade, Jim Kidd and R. G.
(Tiny) Perez, vice - presi-
dents, Johnny Gutierrez,
secretary, and Alex Moreno,
treasurer.
The League will consist
of six major teams and six
minor teams. Players reg-
istered la.st Saturday. Ages
are 8 to 12. However, any
youngster who did not reg-
ister may contact Walter
Collier or Bill Savarino.
This year the league will be
under the city recreational
program directed by Mr.
Savarino.
There will be a meeting
of present and prospective
minor league managers at
7:30 p.m. tonight attheCivic
Center. Officials urged those
parents and youngsters who
did not register may do so
at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the
Civic Center.
The Little League pro-
gram was suspended last
year because there was no
park. The old park had been
deeded to the expressway
project.
This year, plans are being
rushed to build a park in the
Urban Renewal area, which
will include softball dia-
monds and other recrea-
tional facilities. Plans al-
ready have been approved
and bids have been adver-
tised.
Tryouts for Little League
will be held Saturday, March
14, 10 a.m., for ages 11
and 12; Sunday, 2 p.m. ages
8 - 10. Prospects will meet
at the T ravis School ball
park. All managers and
players are requested to be
present, Mr. Savarino said.
Major league team man-
agers will include:
Clyde Benzenhofer - Dar-
ius Herold - Priate; Mike
Gonzalez - White Sox; Tom
Freeman - Colts; Baido
Garcia, Joe Sauceda - Dod-
gers; Buster McClendon ~
Yankees; George Wheeler-
Red Sox.
Some of the costs that will
occur with the forming of the
Little League are:
30 doz. balls at a cost of
$19.00 per doz. - $570.00;
90 uniforms at $15.00 ea.
$1,350.00; 8 doz. bats at $2.
85 ea. - $273.60; 5 helmets
at $6.95 ea. - $29.75; bases-
$13.45; insurance -$ 100.00-
lights for two months-$140.
00.
CONTRACT RENEWA
POLICY REVISED
BY SCHOOL BOARD
The Mercedes School
Board has changed its policy
of renewing or extending ad-
ministrative contracts each
year.
At its last meeting the
board changed its general
policy. In the future, re-
newals or extensions will be
considered only during the
final contract year and not
in advance.
In other action the board
adopted textbooks for next
year recommended by the
textbook committee. There
were few controversial
books, the major one being
an economics text. The one
which created such an issue
in Harlingen was adopted
here. The American College
Dictrionary was not adopted.
The board also approved
having the county school
board election at the same
time and place with the local
trustee election.
The board also officially
placed the maintenance de-
partment under W. J. Mize,
administrative assistant,
and decided no new personnel
would be employed at this
time.
Also approved was bur-
glary and theft insurance on
office equipment in the
schools. The board author-
ized Supt. N. K. Fitzgerald
to purchase a quantity of
typewriters from Tullis Of-
fice Equipment for office and
classroom use.
The board also moved up
the date for acceptance of
teacher resignations after
annual contracts have been
signed. Teachers have been
permitted to resign as late
as Aug. 1, but the board
set a new deadline of July
1 for the future.
They also approved re-
tirement and calling of $15,
000 in Series 45B bonds.
When these were issued, no
retirement schedule was set
up. On recommendation of
the fiscal agent, the school
now is beginning to call and
retire some of these bonds.
The architect committee
reported on its interviews
concerning the proposed
building program but no dec-
ision was reached.
RODEO OFFICE
DUE TO OPEN
Boxoffice for the five
rodeo performance of the
RGV Livestock Show opening
Thursday, March 19, will
open in the downtown area
this week.
Mrs. Frances Mitchell,
executive secretary, said the
boxoffice would be placed on
the north side of U.S. Hwy.
83 near Texas between An-
thony’s and Ferg’s Drive-
In.
Star of this year’s rodeo
will be Clint Walker, fea-
tured in the TV series
“Cheyenne.”
Dates of performances,
prices and other data may
be found elsewhere in this
issue in a rodeo ad.
Band Members
Go To Contest
Members of the Mercedes
High School Band will be a-
mong students from other
schools in the Valley parti-
cipating in the Solos and
Ensembles Contest this Sat-
urday at Edinburg.
Approximately 50 students
will be entering ten solos
and 17 ensembles in the con-
test. Students will be judged
for their playing ability and
will not be in competition
with other students.
Judges for this event are
Eddie Galvan, band director
at Corpus Christi Miller
High School; Tommy
Fielder, band director of Al-
amo Heights near San An-
tonio; and Joe Ballemah,
band director of Texas A&I
College at Kingsville.
Water Pipe
Break Floods
Bank Building
Total damage still has
not been determined from an
accidental flooding of the
new First National Bank
Building last Friday, S.H.
Collier, Jr., president said.
The damage occurred
early Friday when a water
supply pipe to a water heater
in a rest room on the second
floor came loose.. Water
poured over the second floor
and down onto fixtures, car-
pets and other furniture of
the main floor.
Police were first to dis-
cover the break when they
saw water coming out the
front doors. Management
was notified and the damage
discovered.
The all - new carpeting in
the accounting department
was damaged by several
inches of water and had to be
removed. Some bookkeeping
supplies were damaged along
with carpeting in the ex-
ecutive section of the bank.
As soon as Mr. Collier
was notified, he opened up
the doors and the break was
located. Employees of the
bank were called and went to
work in the early hours in
dungarees and slacks to
move supplies and mop up
around the damaged areas.
It took until noon to get back
where business could be
handled in a near - normal
manner.
No permanent records,
valuable papers or customer
property were damaged by
the water, Mr. Collier said.
Accoustical insulation in
the ceiling was damaged and
may need to be replaced.
Some sections still have to
dry out completely before
repair work can proceed.
However, some re-plaster-
ing is expected to begin later
this week. Workmen already
have rugs being cleaned or
replaced.
ROTARY CLUB
GIVEN REPORT
ON STOCK SHOW
The Mercedes Rotary Club
was told Tuesday that the
primary value of the Rio
Grande Valley Livestock
Show is in the training it
gives the 4-H Club and F FA
boys and girls in livestock
production and business.
Speaker was A. H. Kar-
cher, Hidalgo County farm
agent, and a key officer in
the livestock show.
Karcher said the 1,000
boys and girls who partici-
pate in the poultry, swine and
beef cattle contests learn
how much work goes into the
production of a prize animal.
They gain experience in re-
cord keeping, and learn
sportmanship. It keeps many
of them busy.
In a question and answer
period after Karcher’s talk
to the Mercedes Rotary Club,
one inquiry was “what is
the finest crop grown in the
Valley.”
L. W. (Mike) Clifford,
livestock show president,
said the crop of boys and
girls in the Valley is the
finest.
Karcher informed the
Rotarians that Hidalgo
County is first in the United
States in cabbage production
and in 1959 was second in
tomato production. Hidalgo
County led the nation in
grapefruit production in
1959, Karcher said. Hidalgo
had the largest gross farm
income in Texas in 1960.
In the matter of beef pro-
duction, Karcher said the
Valley must grow hogs
to supplement beef produc-
tion that will attract a major
packing plant to the area.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS - The ne^fh^mlS'of cfmme?c°e
manager, George Wheeler, confers with BobEilers acting
O^She^BWg111 the newly"°Pened offices in the former
School Tax Running
82% Of 1963 Rolls
School tax collections total
some 82 per cent of the 1963
tax roll, Assessor - Col-
lector Adan Cantu reported
to the board recently.
He said collections total
$ 172,998 so far.
CAF Receives
Bids To Appear
In 2 Big Shows
Air show requests were
received by the Confederate
Air Force recently from two
of the nation’s most promi-
net Air Force and Naval
Bases, according to Colonel
Bob Kenny, public inform-
ation officer,
“If acceptable arrange-
ments can be made for these
shows” Kenny added, “the
flying Colonels will fly a
show for these bases similar
to the big C.A.F. show last
Sunday at the Harlingen Air
Force Base.”
The- first request was
received from Captain Bun-
ton, Wright - Patterson Air
Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.
The C.A.F. was requested
to provide a static display
as well as share the flying
program with the U.S. Air
Force’s world famous
“Thunderbird Team” on Air
Force Day. Wright - Patter-
son Air Force Base is the
home of the U.S. Air Force
Air Museum and also head-
quarters for aerospace re-
search. An interesting side-
light to this invitation is the
fact that the curator of the
Air Museum has, in corres-
pondence with the C.A.F.,
made the statement that the
Air Museum still does not
have many of the aircraft
which the C.A.F. has in its
proud fleet.
The second invitation fol-
lowed the first by two days
and was received from Pen-
sacola Naval Air Station,
Florida, through Comman-
der A. C. Pearce. The flying
Confederates will be pri-
vileged for the third time to
be on the same program with
the Navy’s crack precision
flying team, “The Blue
Angels.” The Pensacola
Naval Air Station was the
birthplace or Naval aviation
and is presently the site of
advanced training for Naval
aviators.
“The combination of these
two air show requests is a
high point in the history of
the Confederate Air Force,”
Kenny said, and added,
“some of the world’s finest
pilots, the world’s most
colorful history, and great-
est technological advances
have been made by the per-
sonnel of these two bases.
The Confederate Air Force
is extremely flattered to
have these invitations and
will make every effort to
participate in these air
shows this summer.”
POLICE REPORTS
The Mercedes Police De-
partment Investigated three
breakins during the past
week. Breakins were re-
ported from the residence of
Charlie Newson, A. G. Gar-
cia Bros. Grocery Store and
the Agui Me Quida Cafe. One
attempted breakin was at
Leal’s Electric but was later
cleared. There were two
thefts from vehicles and one
theft under $5.
Other calls made to the
police include two runa-
ways -later cleared, three
dog calls, five prowlers, four
mischievous juveniles, three
disturbances, four minor ac-
cidents and ten miscel-
laneous.
NO NEW NAMES
ON SCHOOL LIST
AS PLACES DRAWN
Deadline for filing on the
school board passed last
Wednesday night with no new
candidates.
Those who had filed met
Tuesday and drew for places
on the ballot in the election
to be held April 4.
Terms of two board mem-
bers expire, Dr. Lawrence
Cox and Rudy Salinas. Both
have filed for re-election.
Order of names appear-
ing on the ballot will be:
Dr. Lawrence cox
Alex Yriarte
Charles W. Ricke
Rudy Salinas
Amado Garcia
Also to be elected at the
same polling place will be
county and Pan American
board members.
NO BIRTHDAY
FOR 4 YEARS *
Feb. 29 was really a red
letter day in the lives of
three Mercedes residents —
new residents, that is...
For it Was on This Leap
Year day in February that
three youngsters were born
in this year 1964.
Which all means that each
for them will have to wait
four years before they can
have their first official
birthday.
One of the‘babies was born
in Mercedes, a daughter to
Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Ma-
querio.
Another was a son born to
Mr. and Mrs, Ruben Es-
pinosa at Knapp Memorial
Methodist Hospital.
Still a third was Charles
Weston Cain, born to Mrs.
Ima Cain at Valley Baptist
Hospital.
Also born in Johnston
Clinic Feb. 29 was a daugh-
ter, Maria Elva, to Mr. and
Mrs. Jose Bernabe Munoz
of La Villa and a son, Ped-
ro, born to Mr. and Mrs.
Emilio Yanez of Santa Maria.
lOc
Big Western Parade To Open
25th Annual Stock Show
A colorful western parade
will wind its way down the
main street of Mercedes
Wednesday afternoon, March
18, to officially open the 25th
annual Rio Grande Valley
Livestopk Show. The parade
will start at 3:30 p.m.
Grover Sapp of Harlingen,
parade chairman, reports
that many of the parade fav-
orites from previous years
will be back, along with some
excellent additions.
The Naval Air Station Band
from Corpus Christi will be
on hand, with thirteen Rio
Grande Valley High School
bands including Mercedes
helping them provide music
for the big parade. Mercedes
schools will be dismissed
at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday to
enable faculty and students
to participate in or view the
parade.
Tommy Steiner, rodeo
producer, will be the parade
marshal, and the colorful
Steiner color guard and
beautiful horses will be
among the paraders.
The TipO’ Tex trail riders
will complete their third an-
nual trail ride from Port
Isabel to Mercedes to join
the parade to the Show-
grounds.
The winner of the March
14th Cover Girl competition
will be on hand, as
well as all of the Cover
Girl nominees.
In the competitive float
division, FFA, FHA, 4-H and
other groups will vie for cash
prizes of $100, $75, and$50,
for first, second and third
places.
The celebrated Lone Star
Pony Hitch, guided by Fuzz
Plunkett, and fearuting his
trained dog and chimpanzee,
will add its entertainment
to the afternoon.
The first units of the par-
ade are expected to reach
the main gate of the Show-
grounds about 4:00 p.m.,
Sapp said. There, two special
guests of honor, Texas FFA
President Benny Mays and
Texas 4-H Council Chairman
Lanny Dreesen will cut the
rope- to open the main gate
of the Showgrounds for the
Silver Anniversary celebra-
tion of the state’s ag-
ricultural youth show.
Cover Girl Show First Event
Of Silver Anniversary Exposition
SCHOOL OKAYS
SWIMMING CLASSES
AT CIVIC CENTER
The Mercedes School
Board has approved a plan
for offering swimming
classes for the first time in
the system.
The classes will be held
at the Mercedes Civic Cen-
ter Pool after regular class
hours, Supt. N.. K. Fitz-
gerald said. The city agreed
to furnish supervision and
instructors with the school
furnishing transportation,
organizing the classes and
collecting the fees.
The program will not get
into full swing this spring
due- to the short time left,
but one or two trail classes
are expected to be set up
during this school term.
Civic Center Manager Bill
Savarino has requested city
commission permission to
heat the pool so that classes
may be started earlier in the
year in the future.
Saturday, March 14, is the
date for the Rio Grande Val-
ley Livestock Show’s annual
Cover Girl Show. It will be-
gin at 7:30 p.m. at the Live-
stock Show Coliseum on the
Mercedes showgrounds.
This colorful show is the
first event of the area’s big
livestock exposition, which
celebrates its Silver An-
niversary this year.
Twenty - nine contestants
will vie for the coveted Cover
Girl title now held by Miss
Kay Davis of McAllen. Last
Saturday, the contestants
toured most Valley towns in
an automobile caravan, in-
viting people all along the
route to visit the livestock
show during its six - day
run March 18 - 23.
Staged under the direction
of Dr. Loern Winship, head
of the Drama Department
of the University of Texas,
the show is expected to at-
tract capacity crowds. Each
girl wears an original wes-
tern costume, which is worn
for the first time at the show.
No admission will be
charged to enter the grounds.
Admission to the show will be
75d, according to Mrs. Steve
Gallaway of the Cover Girl
Committee.
Girls competing for the
Cover Girl title are all jun-
iors in high school and must
be sponsored by an FFA
Chapter or 4-H Club.
FFA nominees include:
Sandra Barkey, McAllen;
Tenna Bolen, Donna; Gwen
Callais, Brownsville; Connie
Cannon, Weslaco; Brenda
Cook, Harlingen; Sandra
Lucille Gorena, Edinburg;
Cindy Jones, Mercedes;
Cherie Moller, Los Fres-
nos; Libby Perez, Mission;
Noyola Perez, Santa Rosa;
Judy Potter, Sharyland;
Maria Alida Salinas, La
Joya; Lisa Smith, Pharr -
San Juan - Alamo; Vilma
Esther Trevino, Rio Grande
City; Carolyn Sue Turber-
ville, Edcouch - Elsa.
4-H nominees include:
Patty Badillo, McAllen;
Lynda Bowers, Edcouch; De-
borah Lou Callaway, Wes-
laco; Lynda Cox, Donna;
Ardeen Farris, Donna; Tena
Gerdes, La Sara; Noelia Hin-
ojosa, Linn; Lynee Hough,
Edingurg; Charoltte Me
Minn, La Feria; Patsy Pate,
McAllen; Sharron Pinson,
Lyford; Joyce Ann Smith,
Raymondville; Sherry Ann
Stafford, Edinburg; Rosa
Mae Wheeler, Mercedes.
SCHOOLS TO CLOSE
Mercedes classes will be
dismissed for the day Fri-
day, March 20, so that teach-
ers may attend a meeting of
Dist. Ill, Texas State
Teachers Association in Me
Allen.
City Council
Candidates
Draw Posts
The stage was all set this
week for the city election
April 7.
Despite rumors of addi-
tional candidates, no others
filed by the Saturday dead-
line except Mayor A. J. Ha-
gan, who already had
announced he would seek re-
election.
Filing was. opened by two
newcomers, Manuel Garza
and Ignacio Guerra for the
two city commission posts.
Terms of Claudio Hinojosa
and Howard Sparrow expire.
Mr. Sparrow did not seek
re-election.
They were followed by
John W. Bowe, attorney, fil-
ing for mayor. Others filing
for the two commission posts
include Mr. Hinojosa for re-
election and George Irby, an-
other newcomer.
Places were drawn Mon-
day in the City Hall and can-
didates will appear in this
order:
FOR MAYOR
A. J. Hagan
John W. Bowe
COMMISSIONER
Manuel Garza
George Irby
Ignacio Guerra
Claudio Hinojosa, Jr.
The commission earlier
had ordered county machines
for use in the election.
SPECIAL ISSUE DEADLINE
The special Rio Grande
Valley Livestock Show edi-
tion of the Mercedes Enter-
prise will be delivered on
Wednesday next week. All
advertising and society news
must be turned in no later
than noon Monday, March
-16. Publication^ the Enter-
prise will be Tuesday night.
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CRASH SCENE — The P63 Kingcobra which was to have
been used in last Sunday’s big Confederate Air Force
show at the Harlingen Air Base caught fire and crash
landed Friday, just two days before the show. The Pilot,
Col. Dick Disney, brought the craft down and walked
away from the burning wreckage with only minor injuries
and burns reported. The plane was owned by Rufus
Shackelford. The same week of the crash the owner had
installed a new radio on the plane and renewed its license.
It was valued at some $12,000. —Enterprise Staff Photo
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Harvey, J. Edwin. The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 12, 1964, newspaper, March 12, 1964; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1091826/m1/1/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.