The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 22, 1974 Page: 1 of 10
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Mercedes, Texas 78570 Thursday, August 22, 1974
Vol. 59
No. 34
Price 10
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Mercedes Water
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Tigers to be tested Friday at Los Fresnos scrimmage
Armando
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I REMEMBER MERCEDES WHEN
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MISS MARIA LARA...still working in same office.
behind with irrigation and the demand
on water for citrus is pretty heavy. Some
canals are lacking in capacity but, all in
fall
said,
little
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Tackles — Danny Savarino, Sr. and
Eloy Garcia.
Ends - Joe Valle and Ernesto Garza.
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[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the tenth of a planned series of interviews
with local citizens by Mercedes Enterprise staff member Peggy
Bradford. It is hoped that these recollections of ‘the way things were’
will serve not only to provide accurate historical information, bat also
as a reminder to readers of the rich and varied heritage that belongs to
the people of Mercedes Today.]
Mr. Madrigal had served as first
assistant to the Fire Chief.
Mr. Moddle had served as Fire Chief
for 20 years. He and his family will be
moving to Austin where he will be
employed as supervisor of a construction
company.
The fire department will elect officers
at its annual meeting in December.
Boosters will
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us to get the cotton crop
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SCHOOL STARTED MONDAY for the 250 professional personnel of the Mercedes Independent School District with a general
staff meeting. Above, the speakers’ table as administrators spoke to the 230 faculty members of the district. From left to right in
the picture are Mrs. Dolores Garcia, director of bi-lingual education; Superintendent of Schools Lauro Guerra; Jesus de Leon,
special education director; Monte Churchill, director of E.S.A.A. [Emergency School Aid Act] programs and Harvey Broyles,
director of special services. [Mercedes Enterprise Photo.]
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all, the farmers
keeping up.”
Chuck Dillon,
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are doing well in
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is getting a
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'The water came right to the eaves of the house’
School to open Monday
for 3,500 youngsters
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meet Monday
The first meeting of the
Mercedes Band Boosters will
be Monday, August 26, at 8
p.m. at the Band Hall.
Membership cards can be
picked up then.
Agripin Valderas is presi-
dent of the organization; Eddie
Lopez, vice president; Mrs.
Robert Lieck, secretary; Arturo
Olivarez, treasurer; and Mrs.
Billie Williams, reporter.
Meetings will be every first
Monday at 8 p.m.
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OFFENSE
Center - Elmo Martinez, Jr. or David
Vasquez, Jr.
Guards - Greg Fuentes Sr., David
. Vasquez.
‛ Tackles - Roy Saenz, Jr. and Eloy
Garcia, Jr.
Tight-end -- Joe Valle, Sr. or Ernesto
Garza, Sr.
Split-end - David Prado, Jr. with
Ubaldo de Leon, Sr., Danny Pena,
George Pena, Jrs. and Gilbert Delgado,
So. also set for play at the spot.
Quarterback - Gilbert Moreno, Jr.
Fullback -- Rey ‘Pee Wee’ Trevino,
Sr.
Halfback - Mark Torres, Sr.
Tailback — Armando Cadena, Sr.
Rick Vela and Ubaldo de Leon are
also expected to see backfield action.
DEFENSE
Noseman - Dennis Imel, Sr.
Name new chief
Greg Madrigal has taken over as the
new Fire Chief of the Elsa Fire
Department following the resignation of
Lawrence Moddle.
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is enabling
out...it is
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Dry weather
not hurting
say experts
Hot, dry weather this summer has
been a big break to the usually rain
plagued Valley cotton farmers...and the
dry weather doesn’t seem to be hurting
the other crops, either.
Raymond Cowley, director of Re-
search at Texas A&M Experiment
Station in Weslaco, said, ‘‘The dry spell
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School begins Monday for an
expected 3,500 students of the Mercedes
district, “and we are expecting an
exceptionally fine year,” says Superin-
tendent of Schools Lauro Guerra.
Mr. Guerra cites new and expanded
curriculum offerings plus enrichment
programs and additional teaching aids
made possible by federal funds as two
reasons for the optimistic outlook.
“We’ll be able to offer more to more
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EMPLOYEE CITED -- Named as ‘Employee of the Month’ by members of the
Employee Review Board of the City of Mercedes is Detective Enrique Escalon, left
above, of the Mercedes Police Department. Detective Escalon was praised by the
board as ‘being responsible for the solving of at least three major residential
burglaries and the recovery of stolen merchandise, including the recovery of $4000
of stolen goods from Tampico, Mexico’. Escalon is one of four brothers in the law
enforcement field and is a veteran of the United States Army. Making the
presentation is Dick Brown, city manager, right above. [Mercedes Enterprise
Photo.]
students than ever before,” says the
superintendent, “and we have every
reason to believe the quality of education
in the district will be at the highest level
yet.”
Greeting the students will be 230
classroom teachers, 20 administrators
and 147 supporting personnel who will
serve in teacher aide, office, cafeteria
and maintenance positions.
Almost all teacher positions have
been filled says Mr. Guerra, “all we
need now is three elementary classroom
teachers, two elementary physical
education teachers and three secondary
math teachers.” The only administrative
position to be filled is the principal’s
post at West Elementary School, says
the superintendent.
All students will register Thursday,
August 22 at the schools they will attend
Monday. Students should have up to
date immunization records and, if new to
the district, report cards from the
previous school attended. As was the
assignment schedule last year, pre-
kindergarten and kindergarten students
will attend West, grades one and two
will go to Kennedy, three and fpur will
be at Travis, five at Taylor, six at
Graham, seven and eight at the junior
high and nine through 12 at the high
school.
Pre-kindergarten through grade two
will attend school from 8:30 a.m. until
2:30 p.m., grades three through, six from
8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., junior high
school students will go to classes from 8
a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and high school
students will be in school from 8 a.m.
until 3:45 p.m.
Mercedes school enrollment is
expected to peak later in the year at
4,100.
Bus runs will begin Monday with
routes and schedules the same as last
year.
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District 9, said that presently there are
no allotments on water and “farmers can
irrigate as much as they want.”
According to the Lower Rio Grande
Valley National Weather Service 30 Day
Outlook for August, Mercedes received
1.09 inches of rain in July and the
cumulative inches from January to July
was 9.46, only 82 percent of the normal
January to July rainfall. Mercedes has
not received any rain since early July.
Marvin Schwarz, Mercedes farmer,
said, “we’ve got plenty of water. None
of the citrus people have told me they’re
having any problem with water.” He
said that there has been no problem
getting water, not even for the sugar
cane.
Archie Taylor, representative of the
Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers Inc.,
said, “The growers are needing to
irrigate more, but I haven’t heard of
anyone that is having a shortage of
water.”
The 30 day outlook called for near
normal temperatures with the highs
averaging in the low 90s near the coast
to near 100 degrees in Starr County and
the lows averaging in the mid 70s
Valleywide.
The report said the long-term
averages for August rainfall show a
seasonal increase during the month and
reach an annual peak in September.
According to the rainfall summary
cumulative inches from January to July
range from 5.18 inches in Rio Grande
City to 11.43 inches in McAllen.
vegetable planting
“The sugar cane
When the City of Mercedes was first founded pioneers and land seekers
came down here to settle, but some families were already in the area and had
been here for years.
Miss Maria Lara and her family have lived in Mercedes since 1909. However,
they had lived in an area Northwest of Raymondville earlier. Her mother was
born on Relampago Ranch (South of Mercedes) on February 24, 1868. Miss Lara
has worked here in an office since 1926.
Her story:
“My family and I have lived in Mercedes since January, 1909. My mother
and five of us girls moved to where we are now living. We came to Mercedes
from northwest of Raymondville just north of what was known as “La Sal
Vieja”. At the time the land belonged to my mother’s cousin, Amelia C.
Rhodes, but at the insistance of friends we moved to Mercedes where we could
attend school.
“Our house was where it is now...my mother had bought a lot from Fred
Johnson and we have been living there since. When we came in 1909 there was
a big flood and the water came right up to the very eaves of the house. We had
to stay with friends for four or five days until the water went down. Water just
rushed in there...we had fun wading in the water.
“My sister Sofia and I started school in a two-room frame building on North
Indiana Avenue. Mr. Fred L. Johnston was the teacher. By September, 1909,
they had built a four-room brick building on Hidalgo Street and Indiana Avenue.
“Nuns from Our Lady of Mercy Convent of Laredo taught in this school until
May, 1915. It was quite a task for us to attend school during the rainy season,
and I mean we had some rainy seasons back in those years. There were no
paved streets or sidewalks, we just took short-cuts whichever which way and
tried to get there on time the best we knew how.
“Mercedes was a thriving town then, new families were coming in all the
time and there was plenty of work for everyone. There were two hotels, one was
the Mercedes Hotel on Main Street, and the American Hotel on the corner of
Virginia and what is now Old Highway 83; there were several small grocery
stores and one big general store owned by a Mr. Murray...he built a fairly large
house for his family right across from our house; later on the general store was
taken over by a Mr. Buckley and years later by John P. Sewell.
“A big attraction for us kids was the passenger train...it would get here from
Mission at 4 o’clock, about the time all the children were getting out of school,
and we would always find some excuse to come downtown and stop by the depot
to see who was going on the train or who was getting off, as that was the only
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means of transportation.
“Our only amusement was the school programs that the Sisters would put on
ever so often, and once in a while a tent show or circus would come into
town...we were small and that was good enough for us.
“When the soldiers came to Mercedes about 1916-1918, the town was a little
livelier then as some of them brought their wives and children. They had a
pretty good size orchestra and they would play once a week at the City Park,
and most people would gather there to hear them play and have a chance to
meet old friends.
“After the soldiers left in 1918 many people came to start businesses in
Mercedes...it was a thriving town then in the 20’s.
“After high school I started working for Judge Gause...he helped me get my
training in their office. When Judge Gause died Mr. Kirkpatrick said, “Maria,
just keep on as you’re doing.” I’m working for Jean Lauder now...I have worked
for them since 1926.”
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The 1974 edition of the Mercedes
Tiger football team will get their first
action test Friday in a controlled
scrimmage against Los Fresnos and
Mercedes coaches are eagrly waiting to
see how the team is shaping up.
“We’re trying to field two teams this
year,” reports Coach ‘Chipper’ Zamora.
“Our object is to allow as many boys as
possible the opportunity to play varsity
football. The entire staff is encouraging
participation by all the members of the
team...the rest will be up to the boys
themselves.”
Zamora and his staff would like to be
able, by the time of the first district
game, to have only two or three players
going both offensively and defensively,
and will begin the two-team approach
this Friday. Listed as scrimmage starters
by Zamora are:
MERCEDES PUBLC LIBRARY
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Outside linebackers - Gilbert Moreno T * A * g
and Mark Torres. IO InVeSTISOTe
Secondary - Ubaldo de Leon and Mercedes City Manager Dick Brown
Juan de los Santos, Sr. conducted a five hour hearing Monday in
Safety — David Prado. an effort to determine the facts
Coaches are generally pleased with concerning an alleged case of ‘false
workouts so far. “We’ve worked harder arrest and police brutality’.
this year than ever before,” says Mr. Brown said that the complainant,
Zamora. “We should be in better shape represented by attorney David Hall,
than in previous years. We’re stated that the incident took place about
inexperienced as a team, but these boys 9 Pp.m., July 22 and involved four officers
are capable of doing the job...they have from the Mercedes Police Department,
the potential ” He says that both sides in the matter
have agreed to abide by his decision,
The first test of that potential will and that a decision would be made ‘in
begin at 6:30 p.m., Friday, at Los the near future’ after a complete
Fresnos. investigation of the facts.
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 22, 1974, newspaper, August 22, 1974; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1466694/m1/1/: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.