Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 14, 1987 Page: 3 of 12
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Palacios Beacon, May 14,1987>Page 3
Rating results reveal Palacios public perception
(Continued From Page One]
room for students where 90%
said there was plenty of room,
Of those responding, 87% said
Palacios has an active chamber of
commerce and the same percen-
tage said the local paper pushes
for civic improvements. Placing
eighth in the number of yes
responses was the Palacios libr-
ary with 84% saying h offers a
good collection of recent books.
Eighty-four percent also said
there was an ample supply of
good drinking water in the city
and the same percentage felt the
Palacios school board was re-
sponsive to the needs of the
students and parents.
BOTTOM 10 “NO”
At the opposite end of the
scale, 97% felt that most high
school graduates do not stay in
town. Asked whether all streets
are paved and sidewalks are in
good shape, only three-percent
said they were while 97% felt
Rating results
YES NO
1. Mott high school gradual** stay in town. 3% 97%
2. Getting a loan on a sound business venture
is easy, 39% 61%
3. The local paper pushes civic
improvements. 07% 13%
4. Moat businesses have courteous, helpful
employees. 78% 22%
5. Local Speeders pay the same lines as
out-of-townsrs. 81 % 19%
6. There Is an active Chamber of Commerce. 87% 13%
7. Young couples have little trouble finding
a place, to live. 43% 68%
8. The head of your government is a "get
things done" man. 72% 18%
9. Town entrances are free from junk, shacks,
and billboards. 25% 75%
10. Teachers’ salaries are better than the
state average. 93% 7%
11. There's at least one doctor per 800 people,
23% 77%
12. There's a library with a good collection
of recent books. 84% 18%
13. Newcomers quickly feel they're part of
the town. 70% 30%
14. Schools have plenty of room for students. 90% .10%
15. Fire insurance rates are low for your type
of town.
16. Service, veterans’ and women's clubs
team up on projects.
17. There is an active, well-organized Boy
Scout Troop.
18. A modem hospital is within your trading
area.
19. All streets are paved and sidewalks are
in good shop*.
20. Well-stocked stores keep shoppers in the
town.
41. There's a hotel or motel you’d enjoy if
you were o visitor.
22. It's easy to find parking space in the
business section,
23. At least one restaurant serves outstand-
ing meals.
24. The sewer extension program keeps pace
with new housing.
25. It's easy to get volunteers for any worth-
while project.
26. There are adequate recreational activities In•
the area.
58% 42%
74% 26%
77% 33%
77%. 23%
3% 97%
10% 90%
41% 59%
78% 22%
48% 52%
52% 48%
28% 72%
37% 63%
97% 3%
38% 64%
97% 3%
27. Prompt, reasonably priced ambulance
service is available.
28. Good Zoning keeps factories away from
residential areas.
29. There's an annual Clean-up, Paint-up,
Fix-up Week.
30. Streets throughout the community are well
lighted. 23% 77%
31. More than half the people in church
congregations are younger than 40. 14% 00%
32. The city council Is responsive to Its citizens. 42% 58%
33. There’s an ample supply of good drinking
wa,er- 84% 16%
34. There’s a recreation canter where young
people dance. 13% 37%
35. The business section has a modern
prosperous look. 20% 80%
36. There’s as much interest in local at
national elections. 50% 50%
37. The tax rate is attractive to new industry, 21%
38. The school board Is reponslve to the needs
' of the students and parents. 84% 16%
39. There’s on active PTA. 72% 28%
40. Firemen must take regular training
courses. 90% 10%
Evaluation of City Services
Overall Appearance of City
30%
64%
6%
Maintenance of Paved Streets
63%
36%
1%
Maintenance of Unpeved Streets
75%
25%
Overall drainage system
47%
37%
16%
Garbaga collection
3%
9%
88%
Maintenance of vacant property
65%
32%
3%
Overall Pol lei service
19%
44%
37%
Traffic enforcement
13%
30%
57%
Overall fire service
13%
87%
Overall park and recreation system
10%
48%
42%
Maintenance of Dark system
10%
57%
33%
Overall water system
10%
55%
35%
. Overall sewer system
23%
52%
25%
' Building code enforcement
31%
38%
31%
Information available to public
17%
37%
46%
they were not.
Ninety-percent of those re-
sponding felt that shoppers shop
out-of-town due to the lack of
well-stocked stores. Primarily
because of the recent loss of the
Recreation Center, 87% said
there was not a center where
young people can dance. Eighty-
six percent said that less than
half the people in church con-
gregations are younger than 40
while nearly 80% felt that the
business section of town did not
have a prosperous look.
Asked whether there was at
least one doctor per 800 people,
77% said no. An identical per-
centage also said that streets
throughout the city were not
well-lighted.
Seventy-five percent gave neg-
ative replies when asked whether
entrances to Palacios were free
from junk, shacks and billboards.
Asked if it was easy to get
volunteers for any worthwhile
project, 75% said no.
CITY SERVICES
In the evaluation of city
services only three areas receiv-
ed more than 50% ’•’good”
replies. Eighty-eight percent said
that garbage collection was good
and 87% rated overall fire
service as good. Traffic enforce-
ment received a 57% good
response.
Rated as passable by more
than 50% of the respondents
were: overall appearance of city
(64%); maintenance of park
system (57%); overall water
system (55%); and overall sewer
system (52%).
Rated as inadequate by at least
50% of those taking part in the
survey were: maintenance of
unpaved streets (75%); mainten-
ance of vacant property (65%);
and maintenance of paved streets
(63%).
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Several of those responding to
the survey also included their
own written comments and notes
on certain questions. One asked
“are you kidding?” in regards to
well-stocked stores keeping sho-
ppers in town. Another, howev-
er, observed that stores are
well-stocked now, but "not a
year ago”.
As to whether the city council
is responsive to its citizens, one
individual said “the new one
(council) probably will be" and
another remarked that it was
“not always a positive respon-
se.”
To the question df whether it’s
easy to get volunteers for a
worthwhile project, one person
said the volunteers were the
“same of ones” and another felt
that "non-Anglos are discourag-
ed” from volunteering.
When it came to whether
young couples have trouble find-
ing a place to live in Palacios, one
said that although there were
places available, they “cost too
much". Another agreed with the
availability of housing, but noted
that “old houses rent for too
much” and termed apartments
as "crummy”/
Asked whether the head of city
is a get-things-done man, one
person agreed but added that it
may “not always (be) the right
things” that get done. Another
termed it “mostly show”.
As to whether the local paper
pushes civic improvements, one
person said it did “for Beacon
Buddies” while another said it
did "when asked by city coun-
cil”.
In regards to an active Cham-
ber of Commerce, one said “too
few (members) are active” and
another said only “some of
them” are.
The library’s collection of
recent books drew an “excell-
ent" comment from one respon-
dent while the local hospital was
called “small, but not modern”.
Asked if newcomers quickly
feel they’re part of the town, one
person observed that it “takes a
little bit longer”. Another person
said that adequate recreational
activities in the area were
“poor” while yet another said
the ability of sewer extension
program to keep pace with new
housing “stinks”. A somewhat
similar reply came in regards to
ample supply of good drinking
water which the same person
described as being "only brown,
brown, brown”.
One individual felt that at least
one restaurant serves outstand-
ing meals at "outstanding prices
too!”
In regards to regular training
by firemen, one commented that
it “does not allow non-Anglo
volunteers”.
Under the city evaluation sec-
tion, one described building code
enforcement as "stupid” and
another said enforcement was
only “on some”. One said that
the fire department “should be
mixed races and languages to
avoid misunderstandings”. The
same person described city ser-
vices in general as having “Come
a long way, but we’ve got a way
to go”.
One individual summarized his
rating of Palacios by writing that
“what our town really needs is a
group of people interested in the
‘town’ and not their own personal
show or gain”. The respondent
added that “there is a small
group of our leaders who have
lost sight of this.”
Happy Birthdays
MAY 14
Sylvia Hernandez
MAY 15
Marty Sipes
Darren DuBose
Isidro C. Perez
Ophelia R. Longoria, Blessing
MAY 16
Lawrence Garcia
MAY 17
Danny Wlldebrandt
Oliver Broussard
MAY 18
Joe Rocha
Donna Gonzales
MAY 19
Michael Petrisky
Michael H. Cerda, Bay City
MAY 20
April Morales
Veronica Serna
Kimberly Ripke
ANNIVERSARIES
MAY 14
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West, Nicholas M. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 14, 1987, newspaper, May 14, 1987; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth724827/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.