The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 35, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 27, 2003 Page: 1 of 34
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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Fhe Merce
iter prise
Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Volume 91
Number 35
Price 50c
llflll V
Student numbers show growth
a ItttU
guunene|
tab
g Student enrollment is higher this
I year over last, and all indications
I point to a “good start” on a new
school year, reports Eduardo Infante,
Assistant Superintendent of
Personnel and Student Services.
Mr. Infante says the district’s
enrollment as of Friday was 5,093, up
by 135 over last year’s first week
figure of 4,958.
A breakdown by campus shows
1,166 students at high school, 739 at
Mercedes Junior High, 751 at Graham
middle school, just under 540 at each
of the elementary schools, just over
700 at the early childhood center and
about 80 at the Alternative Academy.
"We're pleased with the turnout
we’ve gotten, and everyone seems to
be off to a good start,” Mr. Infante
says.
"We
had positive teacher
Ladies win
PI trophy
once again
orientation sessions and everyone’s
working hard, so we’re looking
forward to having a great year,” he
concludes.
VFD GETS NEW RESCUE GEAR - The Mercedes
Volunteer Fire Department has recently received
valuable rescue equipment, with more firefighting
gear on the way. Firefighter Joe Trevino, left, and
Firefighter/Driver Robert Edwards, show new “Jaws
of Life” equipment, a cutter and a spreader,
respectively. Among the other items shown are
“rescue air bags.” These are to be placed under
an object needing to be lifted, then inflated.
Looking like rubber pillows, the bags can lift as
much as 34 tons. On order for the force is over 2400
feet of new water hose, “pro packs,” which are
chemical and foam type fire extinguishers,
ventilation saws and new hose nozzles. Paid for with
Urban County funding, the equipment totals nearly
$50,000 in value. The force also has a new
American LaFrance pumper truck on order - that’s
expected by mid-September. Cost of that is
$297,000. (Enterprise Photo.)
It’s a tradition now - Lady Tigers !
took the championship at the Port |
Isabel Tournament for the fourth
straight year.
“One of the deciding factors for
us was the level of confidence our
ladies brought into the tournament,”
says Coach Diana Alaniz. “It was a
long day (three matches in all) but the
first place trophy made it worthwhile
for everyone.”
Sheila Shotwell was named
Mission Eagles visit Tigers Friday
Football season opens Friday for
MHS Tigers, and their coaches are
expecting good things from their team -
this year.
“These young men have worked
hard in practice, and they do what we
ask them to do,” says Head Coach
Hector Martinez. “There’s no doubt
in my mind that the players who take
the field will have earned the right to
be there through their hard work and
desire.”
Players were able to take
advantage this summer of new UIL
rules that allowed them to work with
coaches in the off-season. A two-
week summer conditioning program
in late June and early July proved
highly beneficial.
“When we opened practice with
Midnight Madness, the team overall
was in the best condition of any we’ve
seen,” the coach continues. “We
looked pretty good in the early
practices, but we were disappointed
we didn’t get to play our first
scrimmage against Hidalgo.” Tropical
Storm Erica had forced cancellation
of that match-up.
Last week against Port Isabel, the -
scrimmage brought some downsides.
“I thought we would be farther along
than we seemed to be,”, he continues,
“and we lostTackleArtHemandezto
injury, probably for the season. Our
first two running backs also went
down, but they should be able to play
soon.”
In retrospect, he says, his team
“held its own” against state-ranked
Port Isabel, which had nine defensive
and eight offensive starters back from
last year.
concludes. “We have high
expectations for this team.”
Gametime is 7:30 p.m. Friday at
Tiger Stadium.
It’s your last
chance for
flag sign-up
There will be one more chance to
“We were forced to try our register for the coming season of the
passing game, and saw some good Mercedes Youth Flag Football
things. We had some receivers who League, announces League Director
did good jobs. In the game situation, Jesse Trevino, Jr.
we moved the ball well, but ran out of
Late registration will take place this
downs,” he adds. “There were Saturday, August 23, from 10 a.m. to
mistakes and our experience showed, noon at the Mercedes Knights of
but the scrimmage could well have Columbus Hall.
been 3-3 instead of 3-1.” The registration will be for boys
Now the team gets to face Mission who are in the first through sixth
in the first pre-season game, and that grades. A $25 fee must be paid during
is another tough team, the coach says, late registration, and a parent must
“They tied Harlingen High (in accompany the youngster,
scrimmage). With a wide-open There will be a cut-off once a limit
offense and a similar defense to PI, of 48 boys is reached in each of the
we’ll have our work cut out for us. three divisions: first and second, third
“But we’ve made some and fourth, fifth and sixth grades,
adjustments and we’re optimistic Registration will be done on a first
about what we’ll see this season,” he, come, first served basis.
tournament MVP, while Ystzel
Trinidad and Dalia de Leon were also
named to the All-Tournament team
The one-day tourney saw Lady
Tigers beat Rio Hondo 25-9, 25-13;
Raymondville 25-13, 25-18; and Port
Isabel in the championship game 26-
24 and 25-12.
Freshman and JV teams played in
the Progreso tournament, with JV
winning the consolation match.
On Tuesday night, the varsity
team played La Feria at home and lost
in four games. They won the first
game 36-34, but lost the next three 18-
25, 22-25 and 18-25. “It was a matter
of who could stay mentally focused
the longest,” the coach says. “It’s
early in the season so this is helping
us push ourselves and learn on things
we need to work on, such as
maintaining our mental focus. This
was a two-hour match, which was
played in spurts and just being able
to keep our momentum was an
accomplishment.
Highlighting play were Sheila
Shotwell with 10 service aces and 13
kills; Mireya Gutierrez, playing very
well at the net with four blocks, two
kills, and two service aces; and Ytzsel
Trinidad consistently did an excellent
job of setting.
The Freshman team travel to the
Port Isabel tournament on Saturday,
August 30, where they will face
Raymondville at 11 a.m., and the JV-B
team will be at the Raymondville
tournament.
The Varsity team will be going to
the Gregory Portland Tournament on
sounnsen AM
PHOTOS SHOW THAT HIS WORK PAID OFF
...Karl Neuman with Science Academy Principal Edward Argueta.
Member of solar car team
returns to visit old school
[Continued on Page 10.]
Twenty-one year old Karl Neuman
of Mercedes did not want to head
back to college before giving the
Science Academy of South Texas, his
former high school, photographs and
posters of the Solar Miner IV, a solar-
powered car that took the national
championship title in the 2003
American Solar Challenge Cross-
Country Race in July.
Neuman, who will be a junior at
the University of Missouri - Rolla this
year, was part of the 20-man team that
built the Solar Miner IV:
Our Lady of Mercy to revive Fiestas Patrias tradition
Our Lady of Mercy Church
parishioners are extending an
invitation to the public to join them in
bringing back a popular tradition: The
Fiestas Patrias, which long brought
fellowship among the parishioners
and community.
The Fiestas Patrias will be
celebrated on Saturday, September 13,
and Sunday, September 14, at Our
Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in
Mercedes, organizers report.
“Come and enjoy great food,
rides, games, entertainment and the
company of our friends and
parishioners,” says Organizing
Committee President Miguel Castillo,
Jr. “Your support of this event will
assure Our Lady of Mercy Church to
achieve its short and long-term goals
that will accommodate the needs of
our parishioners.”
Our Lady of Mercy Church
provides religious services to over 700
families in the Mercedes community,
and caters to over 450 CCD students.
Our Lady of Mercy Church relies
the community who are committed to
help the church. Everyone is invited
to partnership with Our Lady of
Mercy’s Fiestas Patrias and make this
event a success.
One may contact the church at
on the financial contributions, in-kind . 956-565-1141 for further information,
donations and volunteer efforts of Sponsorship levels include Gold
individuals and companies around ($300) includes a full-page ad in the
CANDIDATES FOR QUEEN OF FIESTAS PATRIAS
...nominees are now involved in fund-raising toward winning the crown. Parents named below.
Program Book and recognition ai the
event. In addition, the company will
be allowed promotional items.
Silver ($150) includes a half page
ad in the program book and
recognition at the event. Bronze ($75)
includes % page ad in the program
book and recognition at the event.
The Fiestas Patrias Program Book
will be distributed at the Fiestas
Patrias Ball, which will'take place
October 18.
RITA CANO
...Mr. and Mrs. Amadeo Cano
BONNIE DE LA O
...Mr. and Mrs. Victor de la O
JOVETTE LOPEZ
...Mr. and Mrs. Armando Lopez
RACHEL SALDANA
...Joseph Saldana & Helen Rhodes
TAMMY SIERRA
...Mr. and Mrs. Reymundo Sierra
For the Solar Challenge
competition, conducted July 13-23,
the Solar Miner IV was driven 2,300
miles from Chicago to Los Angeles
along old U.S. Route 66. The car came
in first place, with a time of 51 hours,
47 minutes and 39 seconds.
According to Neuman, it took the
UM-Rolla Solar Car Team two years
to make the car, one to design it and
one to build it. He joined the solar car
team, composed of mostly
engineering majors like himself, his
freshman year in college when the
Solar Miner IV was still in conception.
The automobile is made up of a
high-efficiency electric motor and a
body of foam to hold the solar panels.
The one-passenger vehicle is about
as long as a typical sedan, but not as
wide. It also sits very low, so low it
can fit underneath an average car.
Not surprisingly, the eccentric
appearance of the vehicle catches a
lot of attention on the streets and
highways.
“We have a lot of people on the
interstate that pace us closely and
take pictures of us,” Neuman said. “It
makes us really nervous sometimes
knowing that your car can easily go
under their car and the only thing
protecting you is a shell of foam.”
Though it is meant to run on
power from the sun, the car does have
a battery pack for cloudy days. The
Solar Miner IV can also go up to 70
miles per hour, but it was not allowed
to go past 65 for the Solar Challenge
race.
Neuman made it a point to drop
off some of his own professional
photographs and posters of the Solar
Miner IV to the Science Academy on
August 21, the day before he left for
college.
“A lot of teachers and
administrators want to know what
their students are doing after high
school,” Neuman said. “I just wanted
them to know that I learned some
things from high school and helped
build a solar-powered car in college.”
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 35, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 27, 2003, newspaper, August 27, 2003; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1653080/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.