The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 18, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 6, 1998 Page: 7 of 26
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Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, May 6, 1998
The Mercedes Enterprise -- Page 7
H
STANDING OUT IN MARCH — Students from
Kennedy Elementary shown here were recognized
as “Students of the Month” for March. First grade
honorees included, above, in front from left,
Samantha Ramirez, Cassandra Ayala, Ernesto
Alvarez, Bonnie Ramon, Alberto Anciso,
Stephanie Toscano and Sulema Torres. Middle
rowshows, i n same order, Leslie Villanueva, Mindy
Aguilera, Judith Hernandez, Karen Quiroz, Carlos
de la Cerda, Alyssa Gonzalez, Travis Trevino and
Noe Hernandez. In back are James Shawn, Leidi
Villanueva, Freddy Gonzalez, Contessa Martinez,
Eliseo Villanueva, Andrea Ramirez, Byanca
Cervantez, Carlos Guerra and K’lyn Flores. Not
pictured is Kendrick Robinson. Second grade
honorees are, below, in front, Guadalupe Vega,
Norma Hernandez, David Martinez, Stacy
Hinojosa, Nelly Cardenas and Leana Vallejo. In
second row are Wendy Alvarado, Vicente Serrano,
Nina Alaniz, Lorena Cermeno, Ubaldo Hernandez,
Ruben Limon, Amanda Rodriguez and Gerardo
Palomarez. Third row shows Victoria Quintanilla,
Cassandra Alaniz, Melvin Valles, Erika Garcia,
Erika Valdez, Crystal Izaguirre, Mayra Gutierrez
and Telma de los Santos. In back are Valerie
Zamora, Crystal Estrada, Guillermo Zavala, Jose
Rodriguez and Aaron Perez. Not pictured are
Fernando Corral and Samantha Rincon.
(Enterprise Photos.)
STUDENTS RECOGNIZED IN MARCH — West
Elementary kindergarten students above were
recognized as “Students of the Month” for March.
Among the honorees were, in front from left,
Johnny Albert Islas, Victoria Nicole Ayala, Joanna
Castro, Yajaira Samaniego, Benito Cruz, Osiel
Reyes and Ruben Daniel de Leon. Middle row
shows, in same order, Nicole J. Rodriguez,
LETTERS ...to the editor
Raymond Moya Jr., Christopher Bustamante,
Kristen Nicole Castillo, Michelle Ynette Valderas,
Elisa Garza and Ignacio de Jesus Parra. In back
are Iris Lamar Gracia, Eduardo Bravo, Maria
Felicitas Cabrera, Emily Lopez, Monica Limon,
Guillermo Romero, Jose Ruben Soto Jr., Dales
Zuniga and Camila G. Hernandez. Not pictured is
Casandra Beltran. (Enterprise Photo.)
D
Editor,
The Enterprise;
I write in response to the piece in
last week’s paper by Frank A.
Arguelles.
First of all, Mr. Arguelles is wrong
with his assertion that I wrote my letter
on behalf of “the Slate.” My opinions
were formed when the Kennedy School
fiasco occurred three and a half years
ago, before anybody made known their
intentions to run for school trustee.
I don’t know where Mr. Arguelles
has been hiding with regard to his
question of how I know that Mercedes
taxpayers lost a million dollars (on the
project). My opinions were based on
what has already been reported by the
Valley newspapers, including The
Enterprise.
God governs in the
affairs of Men...
Christian Church to open doors
after meal for continued prayer
Longtime
educator
dies at 80
The Mercedes Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast will be held in the Parish Hall at
the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Thursday, May 7. It is held on the first
Thursday in May to combine the event with the National Day of Prayer.
The inspiration for our Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast comes from the Presi-
dential Prayer Breakfast that is held yearly in Washington D.C. and began in
1953 when President Dwight Eisenhower was in the Oval Office. At that first
Prayer Breakfast he said, “Our purpose is to acknowledge that we are one
Nation Under God. That all power derives from Him, and to pray for His
divine guidance.” Abraham Lincoln said, “I have been driven many times to
my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”
Civic prayers and national days of prayer have a long history. Since the
Continental Congress first declared a Day of Prayer in 1775, these events
have become an American tradition. In the summer of 1787, Representatives
were meeting in Philadelphia to write the Constitution of the United States.
They had been meeting for about five weeks and little progress had been made
until Eighty One year old Benjamin Franklin spoke. It was Thursday, June 28.
What he said was a turning point in the Convention.
“The small progress we have made...is me thinks proof of the imperfec-
tion of the Human Understanding. In this situation, groping as it were in the
dark to find political truth, and scarceable to distinguish it when presented to
us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not once thought of humbly
applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding? In the
beginning of the contest with great Britain, when we were sensible of danger,
we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were
heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the
struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending Provi-
dence in our favor. Have we now forgotten this powerful friend? Or do we
imagine we no longer need His assistance?
“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing
proofs I see of this truth — that God Governs in the affairs of Men. And if a
Sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an
empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred
writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build
it..."I therefore move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of
Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations be held in this Assembly every
morning before we proceed to business.”
Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey, reported that the “words of Franklin fell
upon our ears with a weight and authority.” The motion was seconded and
agreed upon. It was further decided that the entire convention would gather
in a Church on July 4th to hear a Sermon and have prayer on the anniversary
of the Declaration of Independence. Dayton continued to report that “When
we assembled again on July 2,...every unfriendly feeling had been expelled,
and a spirit of conciliation had been cultivated.”
God was present to help our forefathers lay the foundation of what has
become the greatest Nation in the world. We need Him today to renew us, to
unite us and to sustain us. We need a renewal of faith in God and moral values.
The Mercedes Christian Church will open its doors to the community for
prayer after the Prayer Breakfast until 9:00 p.m. in the evening. Visitors are
welcome to come any time during those hours for prayer and meditation. Pray
at home. Have special prayer in your place of business. Have a moment of
prayer or silent prayer in your school or classroom. Let’s join perhaps
millions across our Country on the Day of Prayer to give thanks, to confess
our sin and in the words of Benjamin Franklin to seek the “assistance of
Heaven and Heaven’s blessings” on our city and nation.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear
from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 11
Chronicles 7:14
Catholic funeral mass was con-
ducted April 29 for retired educator
Willa Dean Krueger-Lynch, who died
April 23 at the age 80.
Born August 18,1917 in Wichita,
Kansas to Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
Nodurfth, Mrs.. Lynch was a longtime
educator in La Villa, Mercedes and
Weslaco, instrumental in migrant stu-
dent education.
She had membership with Delta
Delta Delta Society, Delta Kappa
Gamma Teachers Society, the Altar
Society at Our Lady of Mercy Catho-
lic Church, Teacher’s Retirement and
American Legion Auxiliary.
Survivors include a son, Anthony
(and wife, Micki) Krueger Jr. of Hunt,
Texas; and five grandchildren, Capt.
Daniel (Rhonda) S. Costello of Colo-
rado, Elisabeth (Paul) Silvestri of San
Antonio, Katherine (Pasquel)
Valesquez of Dickinson and David A.
Krueger and Dustin M. Krueger, both
of Hunt.
She was preceded in death by her
first husband, Anthony F. Krueger, in
1984; her second husband, William
Michael Lynch, in 1992; and a brother,
Martin Nodurfth.
Rosary services took place April
28.
A Mass of Christian Burial was
celebrated Wednesday, April 29 at Our
Lady of Mercy Church. Burial fol-
lowed at Ebony Grove Cemetery in
Mercedes.
Pallbearers were J.R. Wade, Danny
Costello, David Krueger, Dustin
Krueger, Tony Krueger and Marty
Nodurfth.
Funeral arrangements were under
the direction of Sagmiller Funeral
Home of Mercedes.
In lieu of flowers, memorial dona-
tions may be made to the Juvenile
Diabetes Research or the American
Diabetes Association.
Mercedes taxpayers lost a million
dollars because: (1) It cost MISD a
million dollars to build a substandard
facility; (2) it cost MISD to have the
substandard facility demolished; (3)
MISD will have to hire an attorney to
file a lawsuit against the architectural
firm that hired the questionable con-
struction company, and we all know,
as should Mr. Arguelles, that attor-
neys don’t come cheap; and (4) we
will not find out whether we will ever
recover the money because I Have
Been Told that the result of the lawsuit
will be sealed. That means MISD, by
law, will not be in a legal position to
tell Mercedes taxpayers, including Mr.
Arguelles, what the outcome of the
lawsuit is or will be. It’s Your Money.
Ron Unz, passes, all public schools in
California will teach in English. The
exception will be one year of transi-
tional English for the non-English
speaking children.
In Mercedes, before the bilingual
program, there was a year of English
taught by a very fine teacher, Mrs.
Archer. She taught English the whole
year and did a very great job. She had
the children to say and do, so far as was
possible. Examples: “I stand up,” “I sit
down,” “I walk to the door.” etc. Her
children were competent in English
when I got them. They understood
English and could speak it.
I don’t know whether the program
is still in use in the Valley or not. But
after 20 years, people should begin to
see that the bilingual program should
be on its way out.
I taught school for 33 years, with
more than 25 years in the first grade. I
never could see any reason for install-
ing the bilingual program.
• • •
And on another matter...
May 10 through 16 is Police Ap-
preciation Week. It is a time to show
the officers that we appreciate all they
do to make our community safe.
The National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial in Washington,
D.C. has 14,064 names of fallen law
enforcement officers engraved on the
walls.
Each year during National Police
Week, thousands attend the annual
candlelight vigil to honor those offic-
ers on the wall and to hear the newly
engraved names read.
The least we can do is remember
our officers by offering some home-
baked cookies, finger sandwiches, or
chips and dip, or even just a word of
thanks.
Florine Perry
Jasper
Congratulations to our daughter!
Pastor Don Brynteson
Mercedes Christian Church
Gonzalez
wins boots
Just like we have “Blue Books”
that give us an idea as to the monetary
value of used cars, there is a similar
guide that school districts can use in
evaluating bids when building or reno-
vating schools. The $90,000 figure
could be more and it could be less, but
the latter only if you do away with the
middleman (architectural firm).
It is true that Ramiro Ramirez was
on the board when the Kennedy School
fiasco occurred. My padrino, Alfredo
Hinojosa, was there, as were Oscar
Gonzales, Hector Garza, Amado
Garcia, Rey Sandoval and Leo
Ramirez, Jr. i
Mr. Arguelles’ snide remarks about
“the Slate” and his denied but obvious
affiliation with “the other Slate” re-
minds me of the old saying, “if it looks
like a skunk and if it smells like a
skunk, then it must be a skunk!”
Congratulations to the winners
from Both Slates.
Ramiro Gomez
Editor,
The Enterprise;
The bilingual program is in ill-
repute in California, according to an
article in the May issue of the Readers
Digest, which says a generation of
children have received a second-rate
education.
Some of the parents in California
are rebelling and picketing against the
bilingual program, in which, origi-
nally, the non-English speaking chil-
dren were to be taught in Spanish in
the first three grades. Those parents
who are against this want their chil-
dren to be taught in English.
Mercedes Band Booster officials In a national poll, it was discov-
have announced the winner of a recent ered that 81 percent of such parents
fund-raising Boot Raffle. wanted their children to be taught in
Estela Gonzalez of Mercedes had English, not Spanish. And to think that
her name drawn to take the prize. Texas has paid $300 million a year on
Selling the winning ticket was this program!
Tiffany Cavazos, the spokesman says. If proposition 227, proposed by
Alexandria Gonzalez
...who placed second in spelling at the District Elementary UIL
meet in Los Fresnos. She was also named an Accelerated Reading
Program Star Reader and was named Student of the Month in
January. We're proud of you!
Proudly sponsored by:
Connie Alejandro Gonzalez
Texas Farmers Insurance Agent
Life • Auto • Home
FARMERS s,
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Farmers Insurance Group
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(956) 565-6997
Jose T. Sandoval, M.D.
Family Practice Clinic
Announcing the opening of our Night Clinic
Starting May 18th from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday -- Saturday
Services provided:
• Women’s Health Care • Pediatric Services
• Complete Family Care
Staff on call:
Dr. Jose T. Sandoval
Rosalinda Gonzalez, RN, MSN,
Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Leonor Ellis, RN, Certified Nurse Practitioner
* Most insurances accepted, Medicare and Medicaid
300 S. 10th Street • Donna, Texas
Phone: (956) 464-4406
Fax: (956) 464-0136
Regular hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. open 8-5
Thurs. and Sat. 8-12
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 18, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 6, 1998, newspaper, May 6, 1998; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1632209/m1/7/: 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.