The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 4, 1982 Page: 2 of 14
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^ Page 2, The Pharr Press, November 4,1982
PRESS
viewpoints
Wheels of time turn slowly
The wheels of time turn slowly,
especially when the federal
government and the Environ-
mental Protection Agency gets
mixed up with it. That is one
reason responsible city gover-
nments must plan many years
ahead of time for government-
related projects. The Pharr
commission’s approval of Texas
Markets Group’s plan to finance
the construction of a new water
and sewer plant will provide for
projects which will satisfy
water treatment and sewer
treatment needs for Pharr for
the upcoming decade. The
present commission is to be
commended for their com-
prehension of the intracacies of
the financing and for their com-
prehension of what the future
needs of Pharr will be.
Because of the federal gover-
nment’s plan to drop the 75-25
percent financing of sewer plant
expansions and construction in
which the federal government
now pays 75 percent of the cost
and the local city pays 25 per-
cent, the forsight of city staff
and the previous commission to
begin the steps for the sewer
plant, will save the city of Pharr
over $1 million. If Pharr could
not of have had its preliminary
planning finished and its finan-
cing arranged by October 1983,
Pharr would have had to pay 45
percent of the cost of the sewer
plant construction under the to-
be-iniciated 55-45 percent
government funding Dlan.
The importance of the con-
tinuity of city governments from
one elected group to another, is
shown in the planning and now
the approval of financing of the
sewer and water projects. This
continuity is a major part of
Pharr’s progressive growth.
La nueva planta de agua
La rueda del tiempo de la
vuelta lentamente cuando el
gobierno federal y la agencia de
proteccion ambiental se mezcla.
Esta es una de las razones por
las que el gobierno de una
ciudad responsable debe
planear sus proyectos con
muchos anos de anticipacion.
La comision de Pharr aprobo el
plan de “Texas Market group”
para financear la construccion
la planta nueva de agua y
drenaje los cuales seran
suficientes para proveer de
estas necesidades a Pharr en las
proximas decadas.
La presente comision de Pharr
debe ser reconocida por su
comprension a las necesidades
que Pharr tendra en el futuro.
Debido a que el gobierno
federal planea descartar el plan
de 75-25 en el financiamiento de
la expansion y construccion y de
lo cual el gobierno federal
pagaba el 75 por ciento del costo
y la ciudad paga el 25 por cien-
to.
La comision previa y los em-
pleados de la ciudad ahorraran
a Pharr la suma de un millon de
dolares. Si Pharr no hubiera
tenido su plan preliminar ter-
minado y su financiamiento listo
para octubre de 1983, Pharr
hubiera tenido que pagar el 45
por ciento del costo, que es lo
que paga la ciudad, el resto, or
sea el 55 lo paga el gobierno.
La importancia en la con-
tinuidad del gobierno de la
ciudad cuando hay elecciones es
una de las mayores razones por
crecimiento progresivo de
Pharr.
Computer’s have potential
to be important learning aid
The PSJA School District is
moving into the computer age.
The trustees approved a plan
which will include the purchasing
of computers for the high school.
Over a year ago, the PSJA
trustees began studying the
logistics of a computer program
for the school district. Included in
the study was computers for
grade school through high school.
The present plan will only furnish
the high school with computers,
although several trustees made it
clear they intend to pursue the
placement of computers
throughout the schools in the
district.
There could be no plan with
more foresight behind it that the
plan to develop computer classes
throughout all grades, and the
PSJA trustees should move ahead
and begin planning for develop-
ment of computer use in all
grades. The computer has as
many uses as the imagination of
the educators using it. Computers
can be used as an addition to
science and math classes; they
can be used to instruct office
classes on how to use the modern
word-processing computers; they
can be used as special aids for
students with learning difficulties
in the elementary grades, and
they can be used to stimulate the
learning of the above-average
child in elementary grades. In
short, the computer can, if coor-
dinated by teachers experienced
in using it, be a great aid to the
overall learning process of our
students.
La computadora llega a PSJA
El distrito escolar PSJA se cam-
bia a la ora de la computadora.
Los fidecomisarios aprobaron el
" THE PHARR PRESS
P.O.Box 710
203 S. Cage '
Published each Thur-
sday morning in the city
of Pharr, Hidalgo Coun-
ty, in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley of Texas.
Subscription rates:
$7.50 per year in Hidalgo
County and $11.00 per
year outside of the
County.
The PRESS is dedicated
to being a community
newspaper that provides
local, indepth coverage
of news pertaining to the
Pharr, San Juan, and
Alamo Communities.
Editor:
Charles Nelson
Advertising Director
Calvin Hambrick
Production Manager
Chris E. Flores
Composition*Manager
Yolanda M. Martinos *
Translator
Juan Carlos Morales
plan que mcluye la compra de
computadoras para el high
school. Hace un ano los
fidecomisarios de PSJA em-
pezaron a estudiar la logistica del
programa de computadoras para
el distrito escolar.
En este estudio se incluyo com-
putadoras para los primeros
grados y high school. El plan
presente saplira con com-
putadoras al high school aunque
se tiene la intencion de poner
computadoras en todo el distrito
escolar. Este plan tiene mucha
vision, se deben desarrollar
clases para computadoras en
todos los grados y los
fidecomisarios deben seguir con
ese plan adelante. La com-
putadora tiene muchos usos, asi
como la imaginacion de los
educadores que la usan. Las
computadoras se pueden anadir a
las clases de ciencias y
matematicas, se pueden usar
para instruir en las clases de
oficina, para computadoras que
procesan palabras, se pueden
usar como ayuda para los
estudiantes con problemas de
apredizaje en los grados elemen-
tales y se pueden usar para
estimular los estudios de los ninos
en general.
En sintesis, la computadora
puede ser de mucho valor si es
coordinada con la experiencia de
los maestros para la ensenanza
de los ninos.
Pharr Library continues
remarkable growth
The Pharr Memorial Library
continues to grow at a
remarkable rate in services and
community use. What started as a
small library in its own building
for the first time back in 1966
with only two full time employees
and some part time workers has
grown to nine employees with an
annual budget of $170,000,
39,000 books and 96 chairs for
readers’ use. A total of $22,000
will be spent for books. The
library is open seven days a week
for a total of 60 hours and is
second in the county in total hours
open. McAllen is first with 61
hours. The Pharr Library is open
all day Saturday and for three
hours on Sunday afternoon.
One of the most successful
programs of the library is “Dial-
A-Story” program, which was
financed by the Friends of the
Library. The library now has two
numbers for the stories. They are
787-1671, 787-8998. Calls come
from all over the county and some
from out of the Valley, states
David Liu, Head Librarian. In-
cidentally, this is a 24-hour ser-
vice. The stories are changed
from time to time.
To show the use of the library in
July, a total of 18,117 pieces of
library materials were checked
out. This includes books and non-
print materials and 258 new
library cards were issued. In
August, 17,521 pieces were cir-
culated and 157 new cards
issued. In September 14,462
pieces were checked out and 214
new cards issued. One of the
amazing things about these
statistics is that the “Dial-A-
Story” program accounted for
more than half of the total library
services, with 11,560 for July,
12,851 for August and 10,444 for
September.
The Library board of directors
met last week and reviewed the
program and elected officers for
the coming year, as follows: An-
tonio (tony) Garcia, president;
Miss Virginia Polk, vice president;
Mrs. Justin Card, secretary; and
Tony Garcia, treasurer. There
are three “Tony Garcia’s” in
Pharr but the library president is
the post office supervisor, for-
merly here at Pharr but now out
of the McAllen office. Mrs. Irene
Salinas is the outgoing president,
having served two years. Mrs.
Salinas was elected the Library’s
representative to the County
Library Board with this writer an
alternate.
The “rain trees” are now in full
bloom and color around the city
and over the Valley. There ar
e many here in Pharr but
probably the most conspicuous is
the one at City Hall and another
large one at the corner of South
Bluebonnet and West Sam
Houston. (Former Berrie residen-
ce.) One of the unusual things
about this tree is that it blooms
when a very small and never fails
to bloom each year.
Competition for bank depositors
is very keen in some part of the
country. In New York State, some
banks offer a cash bonus of $20
for each new depositor of $10,000
or more. If the depositor gives the
$20 to a charitable organization,
the bank will match it with
another $20. In Texas, many
Savings and Loan companies of-
fer attractive incentives for new
depositors. Banks have not resor-
ted to this type of come on here in
the Valley as of now.
U.S. News and World Report
had an article recently listing the
richest and the poorest counties,
based on per capita income.
Alaska, as you might guess, had
four of the richest in the top 15,
with Juneau, the state capital, the
highest with $12,757.
Texas had three counties listed
among the poorest, with one of
them being Starr here in South
Texas with a per capita income of
$2,668. Two other counties in
Texas listed were Maverick and
Zavala.
Alaska had one county listed
among the poorest. It was the
Wade Hampton area on the
Bering Sea with a population 93
percent Eskimo. Per capita in-
come was listed as $3,203.
Alaskans have to have a high in-
come in order to survive, as that
state has the highest cost of living
of any state. This is due to the
high cost of housing, whether
owned or rental, the excessive
cost of heating in winter time, and
the higher cost of food.
Of superstition, sales tax
and thumbs
Most of us don’t like to believe
we’re superstitious, but some
things happen which can bring it
out in us. The next time you get
the opportunity to see Hector
Villarreal, the owner along with
his wife Alicia, of Graphic, Inc.
in Pharr, drop in and ask him
about the circumstances
surrounding the - cutting of h1s
thumb at the printing shop on
Sunday recently.
His story will chill your bones,
and aptly, just before
Halloween.
The Pharr Chamber of Com-
merce went right to the ladies’
hearts at the annual banquet
Saturday night, as they gave
each woman a long-stemmed red
carnation upon entering. After
that deed, the night was bound
to be a success, which it was.
The latest city one-percent
sales tax results were revealing.
Pharr showed a gain of only a
little over $1,000 over the period
last year, earning $61,066 for
September through October 10,
compared to $60,598 for the
same period in 1981.
This $1,000 isn’t any gain when
inflation and rising prices are
taken into account. However sad
Pharr city government and staff
might feel looking at the latest
results, imagine how McAllen
must feel as they dropped from
$413,739 to $278,921 this
period. That is a dramatic drop.
Or Brownsville which dropped
from $285,500 in 1981 to
$66,024 this period this year.
Some real belt tightening is
taking place in those cities.
When I encountered Hector
Villarreal with his cut thumb, it
brought back the unpleasantries
of when I cut the tip of my left
thumb off when I was in high
school.
The doctor sewed it back on,
and although my left thumb isn’t
exactly a thing of beauty or a
work of art, it is serviceable.
The worst part of the entire or-
deal, was that I wasn’t 18 years
of age at the time, my parents
were one-hundred miles away,
and so no-one in the hospital
emergency room wanted to
touch me until they got my
parents permission.
That and the fact it was a Sun-
day afternoon and my family
doctor had to finish his round of
golf before he came in.
I lay their quite a few hours
before finally being taken care
of.
I think that is when I begin to
see our hospitals and medical
professionals as something less
than the saving angeles they are
often made out to be.
It is a business, just like any
other business, with rules and
regulations most important, and
with people who don’t like to be
bothered on their day off.
And for all the modern medical
techniques, for some reason the
thumb became infected and
caused added problems.
Several years later I witnesses
much the same thing happen
when a friend of mine in Peace
Corps in the mountains of
Guatemala got his thumb caught
in a motorcycle chain and had
his nail and part of the thumb
ripped off.
The onlv medical spot was the
public health clinic-hospital in a
nearby town.
Their the doctor didn’t have
any pain deadener or fancy
equipment. But he cleaned away
the grease and picked off the
remaining pieces of fingernail
and the thumb recovered in
record time.
My friend probably didn’t
recover as quickly, as I can still
remember the look on his face
and the noise he made when the
doctor started washing his
thumb with hydrogen peroxide
or something like that.
Oh yes, I remember the silver
lining in my accident. In the
small AA school where I was at
when I cut my thumb, all football
players were required to go out
for track (our spring training
and also insured enough bodies
on the track team). I wasn’t very
fast but had a long stride so I
was placed as a two-miler much
to my dislike.
My thumb injury and com-
plications kept from running the
two-mile the rest of the year.
Pharr downtown pep rally well attended
Like the quiet before the storm
was the way to describe the
downtown area before the first
pep-rally supporters began to
gather next to the old H.E.B.
Store. Once the rest of the PSJA
Bear supporters gathered in the
streets, traffic was heavy and
cheers from the small groups
began to emerge.
The pep rally was sponsored by
the PHARR DOWNTOWN MER-
CHANTS ASSOCIATION to honor
We fought for and won the right
to go to church anywhere we like
and to vote for the candidate of
our choice. So don’t do as I did
and forget to vote, I didn’t make ti
to church either.
Thank God I wasn’t forced to
vote or not to vote. I’d better get to
church next Sunday and vote for
somebody for something.
DID YOU VOTE?
by Don Adkins
Away back yonder
A long time ago
They came to this country
For a good reason you know.
The reason - religion
And political too
To govern themselves
And to worship you know who.
the Bear’s and to show the down-
town businesses support of PSJA
High School and the Bears.
Kathy Hernandez carried five
foot Bear that would go as a prize
at the platform site. Crossing the
street she would lift the heavy
Bear everytime a car would pass
by and shout “GO BEARS”, or
BEARS ARE NO. 1”.
The platform and the walls of
the sectioned off downtown area
displayed the grafitti of the event.
They fought for their freedom
And won the big fight
Built all kind of churches
And governed things right.
Wrote the constitution
That gives us the right
To have church where we want
And vote for those we like.
We vote guys in office
Each year after year
If they do a bad job
We vote ‘em out on their ear.
On Tuesday’s election
Was that your big loss
Did your guy get in
Or is that dumb guy now boss?
If things went all wrong
Quoth the raven and wrote
Nevermore should you holler
If you don’t bother to vote!!!
Signs such as TYLENOL THE
BOBCATS,” and SKIN THE CATS
lifted the spirits and some of the
cheers of the crowd that grew in-
to an excess of 300.
Finally the familiar Bear
Cheerleaders, and the Pep Squad
began to file into position while
beckoning the crowd to stand
back...but who could stand back
when there were so many people
to look over or under or any which
way just to get glimps of the un-
defeated PSJA BEAR TEAM,
which finally began to file them-
selves to a sitting position on th
e platform.
Camera crews from the PSJA
Closed Circut station, Channel 2
made their way successfully
through the crowd as Rey Mar-
tinez, became master of
ceremonies for the evening.
Downtown merchants began to
unload their raffle ticket filled
boxes into the now familiar cage
from which a winners name
would be read from the voice of
Dora H. Garza.
Mayor Fidencio Barrera had his
turn to speak about the great suc-
cess of the Bear team but only af-
ter 85 year old Rev. Antonio
Riojas gave the prayer of the day.
Bruce Bush, the miracle coach
of the PSJA Bears called out the
team by name introducing them
formally to the cheering crowd.
San Juan Mayor Arturo Guajar-
do and Alamo Mayor Tomas
Villagomez were on hand ter show
their personal support for the
team as well as their overall cities
support.
As the minutes passed by, the
crowd got larger, and louder as it
assisted the cheers of the
cheerleaders and pep squads and
the “No. 34 bear” that was
helping the cheerleaders at cen-
ter court.
The PSJA Band members were
also on hand to add to the festive
mood of the crowd and their
drummers, and musicians proved
why they themselves have been
rated No. 1 over their years with
the band.
After prizes were given away to
the lucky winners, including
the five foot bear that Kathy Her-
nandez had become attached
to...things began to settle down,
the crowd began to dispurse and
the signs on the walls were taken
home as souvenirs.
This was the first time in a long
time that the whole city went out
to a pep-rally for the BEARS.
Their overwhelming support was
probably the only factor of the
BEAR VS. BOBCAT game that
gave the bears incentive to win...
win., win!!
Marine Cpl. Antonio
Pena III, son of Rebecca
M. Pena of 119 W. Santa
Fe, San Juan, Texas,
recently participated in
two major NATO exer-
cises, “Northern Wed-
ding - 82”, and “Bold
Guard - 82.”
He is a; member of
Marine J Medium
Helicopter Squadron
263, 24th Marine Am-
phibious Unit MAU,
Marine Corps Helicop-
ter Air Station, New
River, Jacksonville, N.C.
Did you vote?
by Don Adkins
v
r
*
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Nelson, Charles. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 4, 1982, newspaper, November 4, 1982; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth866536/m1/2/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.