The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 15, 1972 Page: 1 of 6
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Pna**r, Texas
The Weather
Change in weather with more sun-
shine and warmer, with moderate
southeast winds. Less chance of
.rain this week end.
^THE PHARR PRESS
10*
VOLUME XXXX No. 24
PHARR, (HIDALGO COUNTY), I EXAS 78577 THURSDAY JUNE, 15, 1972 10c PER COPY—$3.50 PER YEAR
PER COPY
(Plus Tax)
$3.50 Per Year in Hidalgo Co.
Mail Subscription
PSJA Principal
Assignments Made
The assignment of principals, as-
sistants, part-time principals and
trainees for the 1972-73 school year
were presented by Supt. Dean Skiles
at the regular board of trustees
meeting Monday night and approv-
ed.
There are a number of changes
throughout the system due to retire-
ment of several principals.
J. L. Farmer, who has been High
School principal for 11 years, has
been assigned to the central office
to work with personnel for the next
year. He has been in the PSJA sys-
tem 13 years with the other two
years as ass’t. principal.
Ernesto Alvarado, who has been
ass’t. principal at the High School,
was named the principal, and Les-
lie Whitlock will continue as first
assistant. Eutiquio Elizondo and
John McKeever, both new, were
named part time, assistant princi-
pals. Elizondo has been on leave of
absence to work on a higher degree
and McKeever has been a teacher
in the High School.
Noel Kellar and Heraldo Pena
will continue at Austin as principal
and assistant.
Louis Ray Mang and Jesus Gar-
cia, Jr. will continue at Jefferson as
principal and assistant.
The counselors for this next year
are: High school — Hilda Garza,
Mollie Thomas, Gilbert Gonzalez,
Larry Lusby. (One vacancy).
Austin — Loraine Rydl, Ruben
Lopez, 1-2 time. (One vacancy).
Jefferson — Corinne V. Johnson,
Adonai Gutierrez, Ruben Lopez, 1-2
time.
The following were named princi-
pals at elementary schools:
Lois Derr, Bowie; Ramon Billes-
cas, Jr., Franklin; Jesse Thomas,
Fulton; Elva Hall, Sorensen; Heron
Ramirez, Doedyns; Ruben Solis,
neW Clover. (Teacher, counselor
in PSJA. Formerly principal at Val-
ley View).; Larry Haldiman, Whit-
ney; Joseph Fisher, new, Carna-
han, replacing Roger Larson, who
is leaving school system, Fisher was
ass’t at Buckner last year; Rodolfo
Lopez, new, Buckner, director of
special education two years, re-
placing Max Greenwood, who re-
tired; Jimmy Willey, new, Edison,
coming from Clover, replacing G. P.
McGaughey, who retired this year,
,ass’t. at Edison to be named). Guy
Killian, Napper; Manuel Rivera,
trainee, new; Ray Haldiman, Buell;
Jr., trainee, new.
Excessive Rains Damage
Cotton, Grain Crops
MAYOR
Pharr Unity Ticket
COMMISSIONER
iH
■
m
A. C. (BETO) JAIME
COMMISSIONER
BOB HENDERSON
COMMISSIONER
i
Unity Slate Is Elected With
Record Vote of 3,824
t.
Nearly continuous daily rains
since June 8th, varying from a
shower to a flood, have caused seri-
ous damage and losses to a very
promising cotton crop and has also
damaged the summer grain crop,
some of which was nearing the har-
dest stage-... . . . .......
The rains have been general
throughout the Valley from Port
Isabel to Mission and from Ray-
mondville to McCook and every area
where these crops are planted have
suffered some loss.
Rainfall has varied from 5 to 7
inches in the Pharr, McAllen, Edin-
burg area, to as much as 9 and 10
inches in some localities. .
The continued rains have damag-
ed the cotton two-fold — the larger
bolls causing some to rot, and a
heavy drop off of blooms and small
Salvation Army
Fund Drive To
Start June 27
Lloyd Glover, chairman of the
Pharr Salvation Army Service Unit,
announces the selection of Father
Haynes W. Dugan II and Rev. Jim
Morrow as 1972 Salvation Army
Fund Drive Co-Chairmen for the
Pharr area. Father Dugan is the
pastor of the Trinity Episcopal
Church, a:Texas A&M graduate, and
worked with the Salvation Army in
the Lake Charles, La., area before
coming to Pharr. Rev. Morrow is
the pastor of the Baptist Church,
like Father Dugan a member of the
local Salvation Army Committee,
and was a most helpful worker for
the army while in Freer.
A 1972 campaign kickoff will be
"held at the Texan Hotel on Tues-
day, June 27, at 9 a.m. At that time,
all team captains and workers will
receive their complete instructions
and prospect cards. The 1972 fund
drive hopes to raise $1,500 and will
last two weeks.
Serving with Glover on the local
committee unit, one of some 336
state-wide, are: Miss Mary Virginia
Polk, Ken Callaway, Rev. Lynn Mc-
Aden, Tony Garcia, Charles Ridle-
huber, Chief Alfredo Ramirez,
immature bolls. Also, a massive in-
sect infestation is on the way,
which will require continuous con-
trol measures for the remainder of
the season. The heavy rains have
also caused the cotton to grow ex-
cessively without setting any crop.
Some cotton with standing water in
the rows has died or will die.
The cotton growers will need lots
of sunshine and hot weather for the
remainder of the growing season,
which is now very short, to salvage
any kind of crop that will compare
with the 1971 harvest.
The cotton acreage was the larg-
est this year in several, due to the
change in regulations.
The continuous rains stopped the
harvest of the early grain and has
caused mildew to set in on the ma-
ture grain. Also, new shoots and
sprouts will grow and this will de-
lay the harvest and cause deteri-
oration of the quality.
One of the heaviest rainfall spots
in the Pharr area has been the
Farmers Coop Gin on FM 495 be-
tween Pharr and San Juan, where
they have measured 9.70 inches
since June 5th.
The cotton and grain had not
been “damaged” so severely until
this last week-end ((June 11-12)
when 3 to 3.5 inches fell during the
day and night of those two days.
Here are some rainfall figures
around the Upper Valley since June
8th (most cases — some since June
1st):
Pharr Press rain gauge, 8.10;
Walter Brant Farm, South Jackson
Road, 6.50; Ed Burkhart residence,
San Juan, 6.34; Carl Schuster Farm,
south 281 Hwy., 7.28; McAllen Water
Plant, 6.43; Edinburg Water Plant,
6.15; McCook’s Store, northwest of
Mission, 5.0 inches.
McCook’s Store reported Wednes-
day morning, the 14th, that a deluge
of rain fell Tuesday night about five
miles west of the store, totaling 5
inches.
ROMEO S. ESCOBAR
COMMISSIONER
AUMANDO GOMEZ
11 i NEW COMMISSION
■ TO TAKE OFFICE
■1 JUNE 20
Jill: The newly elected Pharr City
llllll; Commission will he sworn in and
jlM 1 will take the oath-;:/ office next j
)fllfl1 Tuesday, June 20th/at 10 a.m., at j
! the City Hall.
The duties and responsibilities of j
the city will be officially turned j
over to them at that time, along1
with all records, bank accounts, and
all assets of the city, states Mayor
R. S. Bowe.
The Pharr Unity Ticket headed
by A. C. (Beto) Jaime swept the
Pharr city commission election
Tuesday, winning over the Good
Government Ticket led by Joe Pe-
titta by margins of 295 up to 500,
and 650 votes.
An all time record number of vot-
ers went to the polls, a total of 3,-
824. The previous high was two
years ago when 3,606 voted. There
was an estimated 5,300 to 5,400 eli-
gible voters, making a turn-out of
about 70 per cent.
The Jaime ticket victory was in
a way a stunning upset, as most of
the political pros had given the edge
to Petitta and his ticket, primarily
because of his (Petitta’s) long ex-
! perience in Pharr politics, dating
back to the mid 1950s. Also, he had
held a high office with the city and
this gave him and his ticket an ad-
vantage with the city employees
and their relatives and close friends.
Jaime Margin 295
The mayor’s race was the closest
with Jaime receiving 2,032 to 1,736
for Petitta, a margin of 295 votes.
Petitta won the absentee box by 199
votes and Prect. 35 (northwest
Pharr) by 44 votes. Jaime won the
other boxes, winning in Prect. 25,
southeast Pharr, by 385 to 198, in
Prect. 6, southwest Pharr, by 386
to 131 and in Prect. 36, northeast
Pharr, by 656 to 560.
The vote in the Commissioner
races was as follows:
Jaime ticket — Quentin New-
combe, Jr. 2,159; Armando Gomez
2,146; Bob Henderson 2,022; Romeo
S. Escobar 2,206.
Petitta ticket — Joe Salinas 1,-
548; Ruben Rosales 1,539; Leo Pala-
cios 1,641; Lorenzo Garcia 1,506.
Elsewhere on this page is a break-
down of the vote box by box for
each candidate.
Absentee Box Important
The Jaime supporters felt that
the absentee box was an important
factor in the race. The Petitta
ticket carried this box but it was
not overwhelming. Petitta received
372 to 173 for Jaime while the Pe-
titta commissioners received 125 to
140 more votes than Jaime commis-
sioners.
Mayor R. S. Bowe, in commenting
about the election Wednesday morn-
ing, said: “It was good that an en-
tire slate won. They can perform
their duties in harmony and do
much better for the city.” (Mayor
Bowe has had one dissenting mem-
ber on the City Commission for the
last year or more.)
Jaime will be the first Latin-
American to be mayor of Pharr in
its 56 year municipal history.
City Manager No. 1
The mayor-elect said Wednesday
that the first order of business of
the new city commission would be
to select a city manager. We are
getting in touch with the Texas Mu-
nicipal League and advising them
of our needs and asking them to
send applications to us.
The Pharr Press asked the win-
ning ticket and the two campaign
managers what they attributed the
victory to. Here are the replies:
Jaime: The people who partici-
pated actively in our campaign.
Personally, I am deeply grateful to
all the individuals who went out of
their way to help without asking
Busby Retires From Hwy
Dept. After 44 Years
QUENTIN NEWCOMBE, JR.
Alamo Bank May
Join With
Banking Synd.
R. L (Bob) Lyon,
Co. Tax Collector,
Dies Suddenly
Robert L. (Bob) Lyon, Hidalgd
County Tax Assessor-Collector for
25 years, died unexpectedly on
June 12th at the Edinburg Hospital
after a short illness. He was 73.
He had been Tax Assessor—Col-
lector since 1946 and was retiring
The First State Bank of Alamo
and the First National Bank of Ray- from office this year
mondville are joining with two other
banks in Texas in affiliating with
American Capital Corporation to
form a bank holding company.
The other banks involved are the
First State Bank of Willis, Texas,
and the Union State Bank of Car-
rizo Springs, Texas. These two
banks have approved the consolida-
tion.
The shareholders of all the banks
must approve by a two-thirds ma-
jority to form the affiliation.
The American Capital Corn, is a
Houston based investment company
He was a veteran of World War
S. R. (Dick) Busby, Assistant
District Engineer of District 21,
Texas Highway Dept., retired this
month after 44 years of continuous
service with the Dept., with 40 of
those years in District 21.
His retirement was announced
this week by District Engineer Ray-
mond Stotzer.
Busby was born in Kenedy, Texas.
He came to the Valley in 1924 and
worked as an instrument man for
the Hidalgo County engineer, P. S.
(Pat) Devine, He did subdivision
work in the Valley in 1927 laying
out townsites in the Valley, and
worked for Mr. Gibson at Donna.
In 1928, he joined the Texas High-
way Dept, as instrument man and
project engineer at Rockport. In
July of 1932, he went to Laredo,
District 21, from the Corpus Christi
I and II. In WWII, he entered the j district. On Labor Day in Septem-
Army in 1940 as a captain and when j ber of 1933, he came to Pharr and
released in 1946, he was a Lt.-Col.
in the Far Eastern Command of
Gen. Ma6Arthur.
Prior to his WWII Army service,
he was a school principal, County
School Supt., U. S. Customs in-
spector, a Boy Scout executive. He
had a B. A. and M. A. degree from
Texas A & I.
Funeral services were held June
15th, 2 p.m., at the First Methodist
he has been here since. (This was
the day that the hurricane hit the
Valley.) He has held the titles of
ass’t. resident engineer, office en-
gineer, resident engineer and ass’t.
district engineer.
He was named Ass’t. District En-
gineer in 1948 when J. F. Snyder
was named District Engineer, and
he has held that title since.
Busby has seen the District grow
Troop 262 Scouts
To Camp Perry
Sixteen members of Boy Scout
Troop 262 will go to Camp Perry
Sunday, June 25th, for a week of
summer camp. They will be accom-
Father Dugan and Rev. Morrow. All I panied by Scoutmaster Lorenzo
are 100% volunteers and help run [ Garcia. The troop is sponsored by
a 24 hour emergency store for the j the Pharr Kiwanis Club.
Pharr area. No cash is ever given
and all business is taken care of
by using purchase orders. Repeat-
ers are discouraged and all grocery
orders carry the restrictions: “No
Cokes, no cosmetics, no beer and
no cigarettes.” The Salvation Army
Service Unit is not in long term
welfare at all in Pharr, and only
those in truly desperate straits are
taken care of.
A square meal, a night's lodging,
clothing, limited medicine and med-
ical aid are some of the services
always available through this fine
committee.
Scouts going are: Frank Gomez,
Homer Serna, Hector Morin, Jose
Losoya, Victor Rodriguez, Noe Gar-
cia, Jose Barrientes, Eddie Rami-
rez, Edward Ramirez, Eddie Tre-
vino, Mario Ramirez, Ascar Rami-
rez, Pete Garcia, Frank Garcia,
Gerardo Garcia and Joe Vera III.
HEALTH UNIT REPORT
The Hidalgo County Health Unit
reports the following communicable
diseases for the week ending June
9, 1972: Strept throat 229, influenza
70, measles 12, mumps 7, chicken
pox 5, rubella 1.
headed bv Eilliam H Halev Tr I "hurch’ Edinburg, with Rev. John! from a very few' paved roads to
7irf.7.77:_ara.JHV Haley- Jr" [Gilbert officiating. Burial was in j thousands of miles of
Roselawn 7 lausoleum.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Bob Lyon, Edinburg; one son,
Robert L. Lyon, Salt Lake City,
Utah; two daughters, Mrs. Barbara
Thompson, Temple and Miss Jerry
Dean Lyon, Sonora, Calif., and five
grandchildren.
chairman and president.
The formation of the bank hold-
ing company is subject to the ap-
proval of the Federal Reserve
Board. The combined assets after
the reorganizations will be nearly
$30 million.
PHARR RAINFALL
Rainfall measured in Pharr since
last publication has been as follows:
June 8 ......................... i.3o
June 9 .............................
June 10 -........................60
June 11-12 ..................... 3.20
Total ................... 6.70 inches
Total since June 2.....8.10 inches
CITRUS SHIPMENTS
FINAL REPORT - 1971-72
Grapefruit shipments for the
1971-72 season totaled 9,496,589
boxes, compared to 10,163,831 the
previous year.
Early orange shipments were 2,-
837,780 boxes, compared to 3,654,-
527 the previous year.
G.E.D. Tests Will Be
Given June 19-20-21
The G.E.D. tests will be admin-
istered Monday, Tuesday and Wed-
nesday, June 19, 20, 21, at the High
School Library beginning at 5 p.m.,
by Miss Hilda Garza, G.E.D. test
agent.
To be eligible for the tests one
must be 17 years of age or over and
have been out of school for one year
prior to taking the test. Upon suc-
cessful completion of the five tests
the Texas Education Agency will
grant a high school equivalency
certificate. The five tests are Eng-
lish grammar, social studies, social
of miles of roads, and
hundreds of miles of expressways
and four lane highways of various
types. He is probably the most
knowledgeable of any highway em-
ployee on roads in District 21.
He and his wife Ruth live in
Pharr at 130 West Gore. They have
two daughters, Mrs. John Camp-
bell III of La Porte and Mrs. John
S. R. (DICK) BUSBY
Rawlins, Richeyville, Penn.
In retirement, Mr. Busby says he
hopes to catch up on a lot of things,
one of them being hunting and fish-
ing, which he has never had much
time to do.
Wade D. Barnes will assume the
position of Ass’t District Engineer.
He has been District Construction
Engineer. Barnes has been with the
Dept, for 19 years. He and his wife
Pat live in McAllen and have four
children.
WEATHER REPORT
anything in return.
Larry Hofland: No. 1 — the way
we handled the absentee vote. No.
2 — The women all over the city
worked in harmony and got the vote
out.
Bob Henderson: Just a lot of hard
work by a lot of people. The women .s.
really worked and they deserve a?
lot of credit.
Armando Gomez: House to house
soliciting. A good, clean victory. We
didn’t promise a thing. Some say it
was a miracle. If it was, I hope it
is not the last one.
Miss Bridget Sandoval: Hard
work and our ‘confidence in Mr..
Jaime and the entire ticket that we.
could win.
Romeo S. Escobar: Hard work.
We used a different type of strategy
by going to grass roots and talking
to people in homes, in yards, on the
streets. We conducted a simple and
honest campaign and a new style of
politics, free of alcoholic beverages.
We respected the people and they .
respected us.
Quentin Newcombe, Jr.: Dedicat-
ed support on the part of many peo-
ple who had never before been in-
volved in politics. Going to the peo-
ple with numerous meetings in
homes and in our headquarters.
SEEN ’ROUND
THE TOWN
For those who believe in “signs,”
the new moon of June 12th is “dry”
and this rainy, hurricane type
weather should come to an end —
at least for the length of this moon.
And did you see how the EBONY
TREES bloomed last week? Oldtim-
ers all say that is the sign of a
rainy spell that never fails-.. . . .
Election day was a hectic one
’round Pharr. The horn tooting and
parades reminded many of the old
time political tactics used by politi-
cal jefes years ago, and some said
it was kin to Starr Co. politics. . . .
Hidalgo Co. lost a dedicated public
servant in the death of R. L. (BOB)
LYON. Some may have equaled
him and his office but none were
better in giving service. . . . Supt.
DEAN SKILES says the teacher sit-
uation has changed drastically now
from only a few years ago. Today,
there are five Teacher applicants
for every vacancy. There is a short-
age yet in some of the specialties,
like counseling. . . . The ten years
ago col. this week says the first bale
was harvested on the 18th of June.
That won’t happen this year. In
fact, the first bale may not arrive
this year until July 1st. The 1971
winner will be in the race again this
year. He is CRISPIN GAMEZ of
Pharr. He planted one 16-acre tract
on Feb. 1st and a 6-acre tract on
Feb. 2nd. Both had bolls two weeks
ago, but all this rain may have
wrecked most of that bottom crop.
. . . A businessman who has been
here 20 years says this new city
commission elected this week is the
“finest commission ticket I’ve ever
seen in Pharr.” (We hope he can
say the same thing two years from
now.) . . . That was a happy, emo-
June 8 ...........
High
87
Low
68
Rain
.14
tional group of well wishers, work-
ers and plain voters at the JAIME
June 9 ...........
87
70
1.43
Hdq. Tuesday night after the polls
June 10 ..........
..
..
closed. All the Jaime ticket was
June 12 ..........
86
70
.72
present. The crowd didn’t thin out
June 12 ...........
87
70
3.84
until nearly 10 o’clock. . . . There
June 13 ...........
84
70
1.07
was talk that 200 lbs. of barbecue
June 14 ..........
89
73
.08
that was to be served for one of the
Readings taken
from
the
Carl
parties never got served. . . . Ten
Schuster Weather
Reporting
Sta-
years ago, Hidalgo Co. built a new
tion, South 281 Highway, at the Blue
Silo.
Complete Returns — June 13 Special Election
FOR MAYOR
Pret. 25 Prct. 6 Prct. 35 Prct. 36 Absentee Total
Joe Petitta ...............198
A. C. Jaime ..............385
S.E.
S.W.
N.W.
N.E.
Box
131
475
580
372
.385
386
431
656
173
1,736
2,031
FOR COMMISSIONERS
Prct. 25 Prct. 6 Prct. 35 Prct. 36 Absentee Total
Late oranges totaled 1,341,029, j science, literature and mathematics,
compared to 1,466,0228 the previous i For more information call Miss
I Garza at the high school, 787-9963.
season.
S.E.
S.W.
N.W.
N.E.
Box
Joe Salinas ...........
109
394
515
326
1,548
Ruben Rosales ........
100
423
523
337
1,539
Leo Palacios ..........
105
439
596
345
1,641
Lorenzo Garcia .......
....150
no
411
512
323
1,506
Quentin Newcombe, Jr.
...430
418
457
646
208
2,159
Armando Gomez .......
...403
393
484
DOO
200
2,146
Bob Henderson ........
412
424
960
194
2,022
Romeo S. Escobar .....
...421
407
485
694
199
2,206
TOTAL BALLOTS .....
...589
523
922
1,239
551
3,824
courthouse. Cameron Co. was talk-
ing about building one. Today, they
are still talking about it! . . . The
newly elected PHARR CITY COM-
MISSION has some staggering prob-
lems facing them right at the start
— a new budget for 1972-73 year
which starts Oct. 1st, and setting of
a tax rate to support that budget.
Also, they have already started the
ball rolling on hiring a city mana-
ger (one of their platform planks)
and they will have to make a de-
cision on the Police Dept, and key
city personnel. . . . How much
money do you think Pharr will re-
ceive from the sales tax for the
first quarter of 1972? The money
will be coming the last of the
month. The Pharr Press is going to
run a little contest with some prizes
for those who guess the closest.
Watch for rules in next week’s
paper. . . .
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Glover, Lloyd H. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 15, 1972, newspaper, June 15, 1972; Pharr, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth714910/m1/1/: accessed July 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.