The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 1, 1965 Page: 1 of 10
ten pages : ill. ; page 23 x 19 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
The Merce
H.£ R C t D £ S P tf 3 L
^5 36 3RD ST. |
C I TY
CITY ■■ XXX
nterpnse
Way Ahead
Mercedes may be as much
as five to seven years ahead
of the rest of the Valley in
terms of Main Expressway
service. Mayor John Bowe
and City Commissioners an-
nounced Wednesday that the
City and the State Highway
Department have signed all
documents needed for the
Department to complete the
Expressway through Mer-
cedes this year.
Bids will be let soon and
the work should start in
late June or early July.
The job covers the central
strip from the West Levee
through town to Mile 1 East,
including overpasses at Ver-
mont and Texas Avenues and
a main canal bridge.
This is large news for
Mercedes. It had been esti-
mated that the full Valley
expressway project will take
about seven years to com-
plete. The Mercedes portion
will be finished well ahead
of time, waiting for the rest
to join the system.
* * * *
Send Your Ideas
Mercedes business and
professional people should
be able to fill at least one
bus for a scheduled Cham-
ber of Commerce trip to
Austin April 20 for dis-
cussion of problems with
Valley legislators. The
legislators have had visits
from other Valley Chambers
of Commerce and they will
be expecting a Mercedes
group on that day in an ex-
tended Valley C. of C. pro-
ject.
LOCAL PEOPLE will dis-
cuss such legislation as their
interests prompt them, urg-
ing introduction or deletion,
passage or defeat. They also
will be luncheon hosts to
their Senate and House mem-
bers.
The public is invited to
submit to the Chamber its
pro and con ideas about pend-
ing legislation, including
local opinions on horse race
betting, teacher pay raises,
ect. See the C. of C. legis-
lative ballot on another En-
terprise page.
Cost of the bus trip and
the luncheon is $15pertrav-
elor. The local group will
leave at 5 a.m. April 20 and
return at 10 p.m. Reserva-
tions should be recorded as
soon as possible at the
Chamber office, Borderland
Hardware or Mercedes
Drug.
IF YOU HAVE the slightest
interest in state legislation,
proposed or needed for pro-
posal; if you can take a day
off, and if you can scrape
up the $15, you should sign
up for the trip. Best way to
, find out what those lobbyists
do up there in Austin is to
be one for a day.
* * * *
Here We Are
Nobody shudders and
groans any more than the
people down at the newspaper
do when they learn they’ve
missed a news story, left it
out because they didn’t know
about it.
AND THEY can’t help but
wish that the folks who call
on Thursday to say: “Why
didn’t you have such and
such a story in the paper?”
had called Monday or Tues-
day and said: “Do you
have....?”
* * * *
PLANS TO MOVE the
NASA Manned Spacecraft
Center from Houston to Mer-
cedes; a two-week visit from
President Johnson to dedi-
cate a new Urban Renewal
project; erection of a multi-
million-doilar sub-Court-
house in Mercedes, bigger
than the Courthouse in Ed-
inburg; widening of Texas
Avenue to eight lanes...and
several big things are in the
mill for our town. Read all
about it in Sections 3 and 4
of this week’s big Enter-
prise.
Vol. 50 No. 13
Mercedes, Texas, 78570; Thursday, April 1, 1965
Price 10c
Election Contests Face Local Voters
W0M
m ' 11
mmmmmmmmmmfflfflmmmmMmfflMMMfflfflfflmfflfflm
No. J Young
Homemaker
’Excitement* is the key word Nancy Hoffman
uses when she talks about her recent selection
| as the 1965 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomor-
|| row of Texas, and about the trip she will make as
a finalist in the national segment of the home-
|| maker contest.
Nancy's April trip to the east is perhaps
U the best part of the whole honor, but she also
| is pleased about the $1,500 scholarship from
|| General Mills which she received as the number
,J 1 young homemaker in Texas.
The Mercedes high school senior leaves
11 this month for an expense-paid historical tour
: which will include visits in Colonial Williams-
burg, Washington, D. C., and New York City
; and its World Fair. And she will fly. To Nancy
• this is one of the many exciting things, be-
cause she has never flown before.
§f In the national competition, she will compete
II with the 49 other state Winners for scholarships
!: totaling $5,000 for first place, and $4,000 to
$2,000 for second, third and fourth prizes.
She will be judged on her score on the origi-
j nal test, personal observation and interviews
which will be given during the tour. The climax
•. of the week’s journey will come in New York
| City when the All-American Homemaker of
pi T omorrow will be named.
Actually, Nancy has won something for her
11 school and town in addition to her own per-
• sonal winnings. Mercedes schools will receive
a set of Encyclopaedia Britiannica and Mercedes
,. has received the publicity as Nancy’s hometown.
As a homemaker, Nancy thinks cooking, es-
• • pecially yeast breads, fancy pies and cakes,
; is the best part of the many duties involved.
Other accomplishments of
the ’homemaker of tomor-
row’ include her selection as
delegate to Blue Bonnet
Girls’ State last year, semi-
finalist in the National Honor
Society scholarship contest,
and receipt of a letter of
commendation from the Nat-
ional Merit Scholarship
F oundation.
She plans to use her scho-
larship money she has
already earned in studies
next year at Pan American
College in Edinburg. She
plans to major in art or Eng-
lish.
On Saturday
And Tuesday
EXCITEMENT KEY
to Nancy’s new
world.
M
Contests in both the School
Board and City Commission
races will attract vot-
ers to the polls this Saturday,
April 3, and next Tuesday,
April 6. In both elections,
the fire station at City Hall
will be the polling place,
from 7 a,m. until 7 p.m.
Voting machines will re-
cord the ballots.
Six men are campaigning
for three term vacancies
on the Mercedes School
Board in a contest to be
decided Saturday.
They will be listed on the
ballot in this order:
Noa B. Sisk
Amado Garcia
Charles Greenwood
Joe Bono
L. L. Van Berg
Fleet S. Lentz
Mr. Sisk and Mr. Lentz
are asking re-election. Li-
borio Hinojosa, third Board
member whose term expires
this year chose not to run.
In the race for two vacan-
cies on the City Commission,
two incumbents and a third
candidate are competing.
They will be listed on the
Guard Unit to Remain
Nancy is also in state-wide
competition in the Hallmark
Art Contest.
Nancy’s parents are Mr.
and Mrs. Don Hoffman.
The National Guard infan-
try company stationed in
Mercedes may be reduced
in personnel but will con-
tinue to be an integral unit
of the 144th Infantry Divi-
sion, according to a pro-
posed reorganization of the
Texas Army National Guard
and Army Reserve an-
nounced in Austin Tuesday.
The state-wide plan calls
for a 42% reduction in the
number of units and a 17%
cut in personnel. Units will
be de-activated in 20 T exas
cities.
Valley units to be retained,
and their approved personnel
totals, include Mercedes, in-
fantry company of 70 men;
Rio Grande City, infantry
company of 89 men; Pharr,
detachment of infantry head-
quarters and headquarters
company of 69 men; Mission,
armored company of 77 men;
McAllen, headquarters com-
pany of 87 men, armored
headquarters and company
of 77 men; Harlingen, head-
quarters company of infan-
try battalion of 106 men,
detachment of infantry head-
quarters company of 109
men; Edinburg, infantry
wsmmmm
(ENTERPRISE STAFF PHOTO]
SWIMMERS ARE RUSHING THE SEASON
--The Mercedes Aquatic Club looks disorganized in the empty Civic
Center pool, but, by its first 'swim meet in June, the pool will be
filled, the water warm and club members warmer and organized.
Left to right, front row: Gordy Ricke, Eddie Benzenhoefer, Michael
Benzenhoefer, Deanette Harp, Judy Benzenhoefer and Carolyn Cren-
shaw. Second row: Grade Moreno, Noel Ricke, Susan and Jeannie
Wade, Belle Moreno and Vickie Wade. Back row: Joe Ricke, Brad
Jone and Melissa Ricke. The June swim event is the South Texas
Jr. Clympic Short Course Meet. In August the third annual Magic
Valley Cpen Swim Meet will be at the Mercedes pool.
March
H
L
Rain
24
90
69
25
92
70
26
50
42
.05
27
67
50
28
89
64
29
85
72
30
80
70
.22
ballot like this:
Grady Herold
Ray Herandnez
Manuel Garza
Mr. Herold and Mr. Her-
nandez are running for re-
election.
Attend StudSent
Council Session
Yolando Moreno, next
school year’s recently elect-
ed MHS Student Council
president; and Terry Cox,
vice president; are attending
the TASC convention in Mid-
land today through Saturday.
The two student government
leaders will join 2,800 other
young Texans at the meet.
C ENTERPRISE STAFF PHDTD3
MAY GO 2,500 FEET ... straight up, say Fe-
liciano Cuadra and instructor Alford Broden.
Young Rocketeer Aims High
company detachment of 97
men; Donna, armored com-
pany of 50 men; Browns-
ville, infantry company of
134 men, detachment of in-
fantry company of 78 men.
Y-Teens
Convene
Mercedes Y-Teen mem-
bers will attend a spring con-
ference this weekend at Val-
ley Christian Encampment in
San Benito, and will present
the afternoon program Sat-
urday. Program theme is
“Charades of Bibical
Stories.’
Attending the meet will
be Kay Jones, Katy Salmon,
Cheryl Adams, Anne Lawler,
Sylvia Basinger, Elizabeth
Brammer, Linda Adams,
Patricia Ellers, and Leslie
Clubb. Mrs. Goldsby Goza,
sponsor of the high school
girls’ organization, will ac-
company the group.
Theme of the conference
is ’’Christ in the Fine Arts.”
To Open
April 17
La Gloria swim pool will
open April 17, announces
D. R. Givens, president of
La Gloria Pool, Inc.
A family chicken barbe-
cue supper and basket pic-
nic program is planned that
evening at the pool.
Two - year directors,
elected by mail ballot, will
be announced during the
meeting.
WEATHER
by Lee Ross Puckett Jr.
In today’s Space Age, one
just does not go around
shooting up rockets, even
when they are the homemade
variety. First one contacts
the FAA or the CAB or some
such government group, and
then he gets permission to
launch his rocket. This is to
insure that no plane wili be
flying overhead to crash into
the rocket or vice versa.
This was learned Monday
in an interview with Feli-
ciano Cuadra Jr., who has
launched two rockets at
junior high school and ’lots
more’ at home. In fact he
would be launching more at
home if his mother, Mrs.
Maria Cuadra, didn’t get so
upset about her sheets
getting holes burned in them,
the burns on the dining room
table and the coffee table
which got scarred from a
bad burn. Then too, when the
launching pad, a ’beautiful
$12 thing/ blew up, that
didn’t help the situation.
But the old football field
behind the junior high build-
ing is an ideal place to fire
the rockets and everything
has worked out for the best.
The only thing that gets in
the way there is the roof of
the gym, a perfect landing
place for wayward rockets.
Seriously, Feliciano is a
young rocket enthusiast, and
his eighth grade science
teacher, Alford Broden, is
giving a little helping hand.
Mr. Broden says, however,
the work is done by Felici-
ano and all of the credit be-
longs to him,
The rockets which are an
average of 12 inches high
use a fuel mixture of six
grams of zinc and four grams
of sulphur. Sometimes a
small amount of potassium
chloride is needed for a
booster. The fuel produces
75 pounds of thrust and one of
the rockets has climbed,
2,500 feet. It reached a speed
To Name Officers
Officers will be elected
and year-end activities of
the Mercedes Tiger band will
get attention when members
of the Mercedes Band Boos-
ters club meet at 7:30 p.m.
Monday at the MHS Band
Hall.
New officers then will have
a final 1964-65 meeting, on
May 3, to start plans for the
school year which begins in
September.
(ENTERPRISE BTAFF PHOTO]
AN ANNIVERSARY
--Participating on the program at the anni-
versary celebration of the Knights of Col-
umbus Sunday were above, left to right: Ro-
gelio Elizondo, chancellor, Jimmy Fernan-
dez, past Grand Knight, Ramiro Aldape pre-
sen Grand Knight, and Mario Salinas, dis-
trict officer. (See related story on Page 8.)
of 300 miles per hour.
Scheduled for the next
launching is the ‘Lisa,’
named for the daughter of
Feliciano’s boss, Dick Lee.
The time of launching is still
uncertain, depending on when
those government agencies
notify Feliciano when all will
be clear overhead.
One of the big problems
still to be solved before the
next launching takes place
is the problem of protect-
ing the parachute during the
actual shot. The last one,
a plastic specimen, had
burned holes in it.
Another project which
Feliciano is considering is
the formation of a rocket
building and shooting club.
The membership, he says,
will be made up of boys
really interested in rockets
because they must take
seriously the many dangers
involved in the handling of
such things as fuel. Luckily,
Mercedes* young eighth
grade enthusiast has re-
ceived only minor bums.
Another little project is
the nose cone’s payload. It’ll
be an ant, Feliciano said, but
other matters involving the
payload aren’t available yet.
Albright Speaks
At PTA Meeting
Emmett Albright, prin-
cipal of Travis Elementary
School, will speak on modern
math at that school’s PTA
meeting Thursday night. The
meeting begins at 7:30 in the
Travis cafetorium.
All Five
Attend
B.State
Five Mercedes high school
boys, delegate William Rex
Downing and alternates
Ralph Cintron, Stephen
Hager, James Riley and Jose
Flores, will attend Ameri-
can Legion Boys* State in
Austin' June 5 to 12. Their
selection was announced by
the local Legion Post last
week and the acceptance of
all five for attendance, based
on ability to accomodate that
many, was approved by state
Legion officials this week.
Their sponsors are the
Legion Post, Lions, Kiwanis,
and Rotary clubs and the
Mercedes Farm Bureau.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Puckett, Lee Ross, Jr. The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 1, 1965, newspaper, April 1, 1965; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1099085/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.