Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 1977 Page: 1 of 8
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RIO GRANDE
"The Largest Paid
Circulation Going
In Starr County"
VOL XXXV
NO. 50
SEPTEMBER 29,1977
Ten Cents
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Starr County Jail Inmates
File Suit In Federal Court
BROWNSVILLE, Tex.
— Claiming they were
subjected to "cruel and
unusual punishment," two
inmates in the Starr County
jail have filed a class action
suit in federal court seeking.
$30,000 in damages.
One of the suit's plaintiffs,
24-year-old Ricardo Saldana,
said he was placed in
solitary confinement for
"allegedly making excess
noise by banging on the
walls." Saldana said the
isolation cell was so small he
was forced to sleep in a
sitting position and was
denied food and water for a
24-hour period.
"Plaintiff Saldana had to
use a drain in the floor as a
toilet and he was provided no
toilet paper," the suit
claims.
Saldana, a Starr County
resident, is an inmate of the
jail in Rio Grande City
awaiting trial on attempted
burglary charges, according
to the suit.
John A. Biegajski, 32, the
suit's other plaintiff, served
nine months of a one-year
sentence for negligent
homocide in the jail.
Biegajski, also a Starr
County resident, alleges jail
personnel waited four days
before informing his wife
that he needed a prescription
filled causing "serious with-
drawal symptoms including
muscular spasms and
mental disorder."
The suit said at the time of
Biegajski's incarceration he
was under psychiatric care
and taking "various
prescription medicines for
psychotic disorders."
Biegajski was also not
allowed to keep an ap-
pointment with his
psychiatrist, the suit claims.
Saldana and Biegajski are
each seeking $15,000 in dam-
ages.
Defendants in the suit are
Starr County Sheriff
Reymundo Alvarez, county
judge Mario Ramirez and
the five county com-
missioners.
4-H
Leaders
Set Meeting
Officers to serve the Starr
County 4-H Parents and
Leaders Club for 1977-78 will
be elected at a meeting of the
organization's members this
Saturday night at the Lauro
I/opez Ranch. A Pot Luck
Supper will also be enjoyed
during the evening.
The Parents and Leaders
Club held their first meeting
of the year on Tuesday,
September 20, at the San
Juan Plaza Community
Service Center in Rio
Grande City with President
Heberto Barrera presiding.
The budget for the Starr
County 4-H Council for 1977-
78 was approved. It was also
voted to have the 1978 Starr
County Youth Fair the first
weekend in March, Friday
through Sunday, March 3-5.
Ed Koliba, Area 4-H
Specialist, spoke on the
necessity of adult leadership
in the 4-H youth program.
Starr County Extension
Agents Yolanda Scrivner
and David Sandefer an-
nounced the special ap-
preciation award to our 4-
H'ers and their families
from the exchange group
from Matagorda County.
Sheriff Alvarez said
Thursday night he had been
advised to make no com-
ment concerning the suit or
conditions at the jail he
oversees.
The suit also alleges 20
violations of rules set by the
Texas Commission on Jail
Standards ranging from
insufficient "light for
reading and shaving, and
other normal activities" in
inmate living areas to jail
personnel depriving
prisoners of "any in-
tellectual stimulation or
activities for personal
development."
The suit stated that at the
time the Commission on Jail
Standards was formulating
rules, Starr County was in
the process of building a new
jail.
"On November 8, 1976, the
proposed rules were brought
to the attention of the Starr
County Commissioners'
Court at its regular meeting
by attorneys for Texas Rural
Legal Aid, Inc. who urged
that the new jail be con-
structed so as to confonn
with the new jail standards,"
alleges the suit.
"No action was taken by
the Starr County Com-
missioners' Court to make
the new jail facility comply
with the rules of the Texas
Commission on Jail Stan-
dards."
County Hay Show
Receives 33 Entries
Starr County ranchers and
producers have responded
with thirty-three entries for
the first annual Starr County
Hay Show according to show
chairman Rene Munoz. The
show will take place at 3:00
p.m. Wednesday, October 5
at the Rio Livestock Sales
auction in Rio Grande City.
The First National Bank of
Rio Grande City is
sponsoring this educational
event in cooperation with the
Texas Agricultural Ex-
tension Service.
Rodolfo Cantu, Executive
Vice-President of the bank,
recalls, "I remember the
hay shows that were held in
Jim Wells County while I
was working in Alice. They
helped the local producers
by showing them the value of
good hay and how to get this
top quality." The bank is
paying the cost of protein
analysis for each entry in the
show.
Other local businesses are
supporting the show by
contributing prizes for the
top entries. The list of prize
donors includes Valley
Federal Savings and Loan,
Salmon Bros., Rene Munoz,
TIDE, Inc., Border En-
terprizes, E.A. Fox & Son
Feed Store, Saenz Farm &
Ranch Supply and Valley
Mart Shopping Center.
Judging the show will be
Albert Novosad, Forage and
Turfgrass Specialist for the
Texas Agricultural Ex-
tension Service at College
Station. County Extension
Agent, David Sandefer,
reports that Novosad is a
veteran judge of county,
district and state hay shows
having judged at these
events for the past ten years.
Entries will be judged
beginning at 10:00 a.m. on
the day of the show but this
will not be open to the public.
Prior t" r.nnruncing the
winners, Novosad will
discuss factors involved in
producing and retaining high
yields along with improved
hay quality. He will also
explain the basis for judging
the physical appearance of
each hay entry.
The County event will also
serve as a preliminary to
both district and state hay
entry.
The County event will also
serve as a preliminary to
both district and state hay
shows later this year, ac-
cording to Sandefer.
Former Rio Man
To Serve On Board
Elmo Lopez
Elmo Lopez of Laredo
began his third term as a
member of the Board of
Directors of Region One
Education Service Center in
September. He was re-
elected by members of the
Joint Committee of Region
One Superintendents at their
annual meeting.
Board members are
selected from the various
areas including Hidalgo,
Starr, Cameron, Willacy,
Jim Hogg, Zapata, and Webb
counties.
In the same election,
Diego Leal of San Benito was
elected to the board,
replacing charter member
Elliott Pulver of Harlingen,
who had served since Sep-
tember, 1967. Other board
members include Romeo
Chapa of Brownsville,
chairman; Edward G.
Reynolds of McAllen; Mrs.
Dorothy Anderson of Rio
Grande City; , secretary;
Homer F. Faseler of
Raymondville; and Neal
Galloway of Edcouch-Elsa,
vice chairman.
Owner of the Elmo Ixjpez
Music Company since 1967
when he resigned as music
coordinator for the Laredo
Public Schools, Lopez is a
native of Rio Grande City
and was graduated from Rio
Grande City High School. He
served as a paratrooper for
two and a half years, then
attended Trinity University.
He was graduated from the
University of Texas with
bachelor and master's
degrees, then commissioned
as a second lieutenant in the
Air Force. In 1953 he became
band director at Lara Junior
High in Laredo, then
director at Martin High
School, and finally director
at the J.W. Nixon Junior
Senior High School, the
position he held until
becoming coordinator.
Three times while he was at
Martin High, the band was
selected by the Texas Music
Educator's Association
(TMEA) as one of the five
top AAA bands in Texas.
He was band chairman
and Region IX chairman for
TMEA and served three
terms on the board of
directors. He served as a
clinician, judge and ad-
judicator throughout the
state and for two years as
organizer for the all state
band. He served on the state
legislative council of the
University Interscholastic
league, and was a guest
conductor for a number of
bands including armed
forces bands in the U.S. and
official bands in Mexico.
Among his professional
organizations are Pi Mu
Alpha, Phi Beta Mu and
Kappa Psi Honorary
Music Fraternities, the
Texas Bandmaster's
Association, TMEA, the
American School Band
Directors Association, of
which he is state chairman,
Texas State Teacher's
Association and National
Education Association.
He is a member of the
Optimist Club of I a redo
where he has held various
offices.
The next meeting of the
board is set for October 18 at
6 p.m.
Lopez, Nye At'tdhd
Job-Producing Tour
VFW DONATES FLAG—The First National Bank of Rio Grande City last week
received a United States flag to be displayed from their flag pole outdoors in front of
the bank. The donation was made by VFW Post No. 8526. Receiving the flag, which
was presented by Commander Domingo Gonzalez, far right, were Eliseo Smith, Jr.,
Bank Executive Vice-President Rodolfo Cantu, and Raul Gonzalez.
Local Men To Attend State
Directors Meeting
John A. Shuford and
Robert A. Peterson,
directors frorn the Starr
County Soil and Water
Conservation District, will
be in Lubbock October 11-13
to attend the Thirty-seventh
Annual State Meeting of
Texas Soil and Water
Conservation District
Directors.
Accompanying Shuford
and Peterson will be District
Conservationist Silvestre
Gonzalez.
The theme of this year's
meeting is "Changing
Challenges." Approximately
800 are expected to attend.
The purpose of the
meeting is to review
developments effecting
conservation programs and
to plan future conservation
district urograms and ac-
tivities.
Dignitaries to address the
group include: Governor
Dolph Briscoe: former
Tennessee Congressman
Dan Kuykendall, who is now
president of the National
Association of Property
Owners; State Represen-
tative Joe Hubenak,
Rosenberg; Henry Turney,
Dublin, member of the
Texas State Soil and Water
Conservation Board; David
Unger, executive vice-
president of the National
Association of Conservation
Districts, and Kenneth
Kuykendall, Cherokee,
president of the Association
of Texas Soil and Water
Conservation Districts.
Gov. Briscoe will be the
honored guest at an informal
"get acquainted reception"
Tuesday evening.
Former Congressman
Kuykendall is also president
of DK Consultants, Inc., a
firm which provides
Washington representation
for business and professional
groups and associations.
As a member of Congress,
Kuykendall was a defender
of the free enterprise
system. He worked to keep
government interference in
the private sector at a
minimum.
State Representative
Hubenak, who is currently
17th in seniority in the Texas
House of Representatives, is
chairman of the Committee
on Agriculture and
livestock. He is also a
member of the Committee
on Social Services and is
chairman of the Sub-
committee on Correctional
Institutions. He serves on the
Committee on Rules.
Prior to his appointment
as head of the Texas
Department of Agriculture,
Commissioner Brown served
as special assistant to
Govertioi Br: ,joe in the area
of developing rural and
agricultural programs.
Commissioner Brown is
fulfilling the unexpired term
of John C. White who
assumed the position of
Deputy Secretary of
Agriculture in the Carter
administration
Turney, a rancher-farmer
fromDublin, represents State
District V on the Texas State
Soil and Water Conservation
Board. He is also an in-
structor of range
management at Tarleton
State University in
Stephenville
T\irney is a past district
director of the Upper I/eon
Soil and Water Con-
servation District. He is
also a past director of the
Association of Texas Soil and
Water Conservation
Districts.
Unger has been actively
engaged in conservation
programs for over 25 years.
Prior to joining NACD in
1964, he served eight years
as director of the Penn-
sylvania State Soil and
Water Conservation Com-
mission.
Earlier Unger worked for
the Upper Susquehanna
Watershed Association in
New York and the Ohio
Department of Natural
Resources.
Kenneth Kuykendall,
president of the Association
of Texas Soil and Water
Conservation Districts,
ranches near Cherokee,
Texas. He has served as a
director of the San Saba-
Brady Soil and Water
Conservation District since
1961. He is a member of the
Colorado Basin "208"
Planning Advisory Com-
mittee. He is also a member
of the National Association
of G .'.j' .ailun District's
Council and District
Operations Committee.
The Association of Texas
Soil and Water Conservation
Districts will elect three
state directors and alter-
nates during area discussion
sessions on Wednesday,
October 12. The Association
president and vice-president
will be elected at the
business session on Thurs-
day.
Following the ad-
journment 1 of the meeting, a
tour will be conducted on the
Frank Gray farm near
Lubbock. Gray's farming
operation is unique because
it is considered to be the
largest individually
operated and probably the
oldest sewage effluent
irrigated farm in the
country.
Gray and the City of
Lubbock have a contract
whereby he receives all the
city's treated sewage water
which amounts to ap-
proximately 17 million
gallons daily.
Chemical Confab
Will Be Held Oct. 6
An Agricultural Chemical
Conference, similar in
purpose to the highly suc-
cessful events of the last two
years, will be held in
McAllen Thursday, Oct. 6, at
the McAllen Civic Center.
The one-day meeting will
start at 10 a.m. and conclude
in mid-afternoon. An out-
standing cast of speakers
representing agricultural,
agribusiness and federal
regulatory viewpoints is
being assembled, according
to J.D. Selman, Jr., program
coordinator.
As it was at the earlier
meetings which drew 200 or
more each time-the purpose
of this year's conference is to
familiarize federal
regulators with the chemical
needs of Rio Grande Valley
agriculture and at the same
time to provide local
agricultural interests with
an insight into state and
federal intentions as they
relate to these chemicals
"Cross-fertilization of
understanding is what we're
seeking," Selman pointed
out. "We hope to build on the
earlier meetings in creating
an improved climate of
understanding between
production agriculture,
agribusiness and the
regulatory agencies. Each
must be conversant with the
needs and objectives of the
other as they relate to this
vital area of agricultural
chemicals and their use."
With the program nearly
complete, Selman said the
following speakers have
agreed to appear:
Dr Ronald Knutson,
College Station, policy and
marketing specialist for the
Texas Agricultural Ex-
tension Service, wo will
discuss the 1977 farm bill and
its effects.
Also in the legislative
arena will be Harry Whit-
worth, Austin, legal counsel
for he Texas Agricultural
Chemical Assn., who will
explore the legislative
climate for agriculture in
Texas
Pesticide certification will
draw the attention of two
speakers, David Ivie,
Austin, Director of the
Agricultural and En-
vironmental Sciences
Division, Texas Department
of Agriculture, and Dr. Jack
D. Price, project leader in
pesticide chemicals and
agricultural chemist,
Agricultural Extension
Service.
Ray Lozano, Dallas,
director of the Air and
Hazardous Materials
Division, Environmental
Protection Agency.
And Rep. Joe Hubenak,
Rosenberg, chairman of the
house Agriculture Com-
mittee.
Members of the program
committee are Jan Hruska,
Stauffer Chemical Co.; Neal
Lalman, Shell Chemical Co.;
Bill Long, Elanco, and
Selman.
The conference is spon-
sored by the Texas
Agricultural Extension
Service in cooperation with
the South Texas Agricultural
Chemical Assn.
Lauro L. Lopez, Starr
County Vice President of the
Valley Chamber of Com-
merce, and Randall Nye, a
former Starr County Judge,
both of Rio Grande City, are
among thirty-eight in-
dustiral leaders from
thirteen organizations in the
Valley and Texas are in the
California Bay area this
week in search of new job-
producing industries for the
Valley.
H. W. Card, Jr., of
Harlingen is chairman of the
Rio Grande Valley In-
dustrial Committee, and the
tour is being coordinated by
the Valley Chamber of
Commerce.
Card said the San Fran-
cisco ar«a was chosen for the
search because it has a large
concentration of labor-
intensive industries. The
area has a shortage of water,
energy and land for ex-
pansion, making new
production difficult and
expensive.
Prior to choosing this
area, the committee con-
ducted extensive surveys of
several areas in the nation,
directed at first toward
electronics and related in-
dustries. Card said the
results of the survey in-
dicated that the Bay area
offered the greatest
potential for a search tour,
and the list of industries was
expanded to include other
types of manufacturers.
He said the industrial
committee believes that the
Valley offers many op-
portunities for such in-
dustries that want to
establish branch plants or
increase their production
facilities.
Planning for the tour
began in April and details
have been worked out in nine
meetings of the committee,
Card said.
Members of the Valley
group left for San Francisco
on Sunday and Monday, with
the Hyatt Regency Hotel in
downtown San Francisco as
headquarters.
Activities have centered
around two receptions and
luncheons, one in San
Francisco and the other in
Palo Alto. Personal visits
also are being made by
committee members to
firms that were not
represented at the meetings.
The first invitations to
executives of firms that
might be considering ex-
pansion were sent by
Governor Dolph Briscoe,
inviting them to attend the
receptions and luncheons
and secure information on
the industrial advantages of
the State of Texas and the
Rio Grande Valley. The
Governor's letter was
followed by letters from
participating organizations
in the Valley.
Attention was also
directed to the visit by a half-
page ad in the West Coast
edition of the Wall Street
Adult
Classes Set
At Roma
Journal last Monday, also
financed by the cooperating
organizations The edition is
distributed in six western
states.
Under the caption, "A
Bunch of Texans Are on
Their Way to California,"
the ad showed an eye-
catching photograph of a
group of Texans on hor-
seback around a watering
hole in the brush country.
The text invited those
interested in the luncheons
to call a toll-free number,
and those unable to attend to
write for information on the
area's industrial ad-
vantages.
Card said early response
to the ad has been excellent.
The first of the two lun-
cheons was held Tuesday at
the Regency Room of the
Hyatt Regency in San
Francisco, with the Valley
group hosting forty in-
dustiralist from the San
Francisco-Oakland area.
Among firms represented
by their top management
rT'. thxee Kaiser industries,
Chevron Chemical Co.,
Standard Oil of California,
Levi Strauss Co., Soule Steel
Co., Victor Equipment Co.
and others. The Japenese
Trade Center also par-
ticipated.
The second reception and
luncheon was on Wednesday
at Rickeys Hyatt House in
Palo Alto, the center of an
area with a high con-
centration of electronic and
related industries.
Among the thirty in-
dustrialist who accepted
invitations to that meeting
are top executives of such
companies as Ampex Corp.;
the Semicon MIC Division of
Avantek, Inc.; California
Microwave, Inc.; GTE
Sylvania, the Hewlett-
Packard' Co., Tronic Corp ,
and the Stanford Research
Institute.
Card said the same
program was presented at
each meeting An informal
reception beginning at 11:30
a.m. allowed the Valley
hosts to meet all of the
California guests. It was
followed by a noon luncheon.
Following introductory
remarks by the chairman,
the group viewed a 15-
minute slide presentation
about the Valley and its
industrial opportunities. Its
scenic areas, beaches,
pleasant living conditions,
and recreational facilities
also were shown
The presentation is
narrated by Lloyd Hawkins
of Edinburg. outgoing
president of the Valley
Chamber of Commerce.
The Texas Industrial
Commission of Austin sent
two industrial specialists-
James Heath, manager of its
Special Projects Depart-
ment, and R. L. "Bud" Reed
of its Industrial Develop-
ment Division.
The Weslaco Development
Comn-'ttee, Inc., is being
represented by Hank Page,
its executive vice president.
Card said that each of the
participating organi-
zations has con-
tributed $200 to the basic cost
of the luncheons and other
organizational expenses,
plus paying all expenses of
its representatives. Some
will remain in the area for
the remainder of the week to
visit interested business
officials.
Director To
Be Elected
Free classes will be of-
fered by the Roma In-
dependent School District
for adults 17 years of age and
older.
Classes will be offered m
English as a Second
Language, Basic
Educaution, and G. E. D.
Registration will be held in
the school cafeteria
Tuesday, October 4, 1977
beginning at 7:00 P.M.
El districto escolar de
Roma va a iniciar clases
gratuitas para adultos de 17
anos o mayores.
Se van a ofrecer clases en
tres diferentes ramos: El
Idioma Ingles, Educacion
Basica, e instruccion
equivalente a la escuela
superior (G. E. D. )
Personas interesadas en
cualquiera de estos tres
ramos pueden registrarse en
la cafeteria de la escuela de
Roma el martes, 4 de oc-
tubre 1977de las 7:OOP M en
adelante
An election for a director
to serve in Zone 4 on the
Starr County Soil and Water
Conservation District Board
is scheduled for October 6,
1977 at the Civic Center in
San Isidro, Texas, an-
nounced John A. Shuford,
chairman of the board. The
election will be held at 10
a.m.
State law decrees that to
be eligible to vote in a soil
and water conservation
district director's election, a
person must own
agricultural land within the
subdivision where the
election is being held. The
person must also live in a
county all or any part of
which is in the district and
the voter must be 21 years
old.
Legal qualifications state
that a candidate for the
office of a soil and water
conservation district
director must own land in
the zone he represents, be 21
years of age and be actively
engaged in farming or
ranching. He must also live
in a county all or part of
which is in the district.
Zone No. 4 of the district
includes an area from a line
beginning at a point on the
east line of Starr County,
being the northeast corner of
subdivision 3 for the
southeast corner of this
subdivision; thence west
with the north line of sub-
division 3 to its northwest
corner for the southwest
corner of this subdivision;
thence in a northeasterly
direction, with the east line
of subdivision 2 to its -
northeast corner for the
northwest corner of this
subdivision; thence east
with the county line of Starr
County to the northeast
corner of Starr County for
the northeast corner of this
subdivision; thence in south-
westerly direction with the
east line of Starr County to
the place of beginning.
Current members of the
board of directors of the
Starr County Soil and Water
Conservation District are
John A. Shuford, chairman,
Rio Grande City, Romeo
Alaniz, vice-chairman, San
Isidro, Uvaldo Salinas,
secretary. El Sauz, Ramiro
Barrera, member, Roma-
Los Saenz, Robert A.
Peterson, member, Gar-
ciasville.
The purpose of the Starr
County SWCD, with
headquarters in Rio Grande
City is to promote sound soil
and water conservation
programs on farm and ranch
lands within the district and
to serve as a voice for far-
mers and ranchers on
conservation matters and
other issues affecting
private property rights of
landowners.
The district board of
directors coordinates the
conservation efforts of
various local, state and
federal agencies and other
organizations and has
authority to enter into
working agreements with
these governmental agen-
cies and private concerns to
carry out its purposes
All conservation programs
managed by the district are
of a voluntary nature to the
landowner or operator.
Ronia Native Appointed
A Roma High School
graduate has been named
agent-at-large for Zavala,
LaSalle and Frio Counties,
District Extensior agent
Gloria Schwarzlose an-
nounced.
Talma D Benavides, 29 a
native of Roma, holds a
bachelor of scicnce degree
from Texas Woman's
University in Denton and
attended tf.e University of
Alaska at Fairbanks.
She has formerly worked
as a junior high school
science teacher in Roma, a
preschool teacher in the
Head Start program in
Fairbanks; and taught
homemaking and food
science at Fort Bragg, N.C.
She brings expertise and
interest in foods and
nutrition, clothing and
housing to her new role in
three counties Ms
Benavides will be
headquartered at Uvalde
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Solis, Tony. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 1977, newspaper, September 29, 1977; Rio Grande City, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth194630/m1/1/: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.