The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1982 Page: 2 of 14
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Page 2, The Pharr Press, June 24,1982
PRESS
viewpoints
Little interest in string
orchestra shown
Two facts emerged from the
last PSJA School District board
meeting which point out a
disturbing aspect of some of our
youth and the parents of some of
our youth.
The burglary and damage
report for May for the school
district was $2,723. Most of the
losses were to theft and broken
windows and lights. It can't be
proven until the people doing the
damage are caught, that they
are from the PSJA area, but
chances are they were. The
want acts of vandalism in our
city parks reinforce that van-
dals and petty theives are here.
And lest anyone think we are
worse off, other cities and
schools are experiencing much
the same problems.
The second disturbing fact,
was a report that only 14
elementary students (and paren-
ts?) said they would be in-
terested in playing in the
proposed string orchestra
program in PSJA. The program
was postponed because of lack
of participation.
It doesn’t take a person trained
in socialogy to take note of the
fact that hardly anyone- studen-
ts or parents seem interested in
a positive activity such as a
string orchestra, while the
statistics for burglaries and
vandalism by our youth continue
to climb.
No hay interes
Se dieron a conocer los hechos
de vandalismo en la ultima
reunion del distrito escolar de
PSJA. El reporte demuestra un
aspecto disturbante de nuestra
juventud y sus padres. Los
reportes de robo y vandalismo
del mes de mayo en nuestro
distrito llego a la cantidad de
$2,723. La mayor parte de los
danos fueron ventanas
quebradas y focos de luz
destruidos. No se puede com-
probar nada hasta que las per-
sonas que hacen el dano o robo
sean capturados en el acto, se
cree que estas personas son del
area de PSJA. Todos estos
actos de vandalismo indican
que los malhechores y ladrones
estan en nuestra area haciendo
males en nuestros parques
publicos y escuelas. Lo mismo
esta sucediendo en las ciudades
circunvecinas. El otro hecho
disturbante es el reporte que in-
dica que solo 14 estudiantes y
padres estan interesados en
participar en el programa de la
orquesta de cuerdas de PSJA. El
programa fue pospuesto por
falta de participation. No es
necesario que un sociologo nos
indique el porque los estudian-
tes y los padres no esten in-
teresados en una actividad
positiva, mientras tanto las
estadisticas del vandalismo y
robo de nuestra juventud van en
aumento.
Another “new system
The USDA put out another
release explaining how a “new
system” is being implemented
which will cut down on food
stamp abuses and save millions
of dollar next year. These
releases come out every year or
more frequently yet, as a
testimony to the ineffectiveness
of the past welfare plan.
The federal government is so
used to dealing with itself, it
thinks we all speak its language,
and buy without thinking, the
inanities it uses to direct its
programs and thinking. For in-
stance, the latest release said a
“new monthly reporting and
budgeting system that reduces
food stamp losses and improves
program administration was
announced today.” It went on to
say “the system changes the
way benefits are computed....”,
ect, ect.
“It is expected to save $280
million in fiscal year 1984.”
Think about it. The system
changes the way benefits are
computed. Now the computer
will be programed to show a
savings of $280 million in 1984.
And the program will be able to
continue to perpetuate itself,
just as the federal govenment
perpetuates itself.
But without any computer
whatsoever, it is easy to see that
in 1984 the food stamp budget
and other welfare budgets will
be greater than this year, and in
real, down-to-earth terms there
won’t have been a $280 million
savings, except on the computer
read-out sheet and in the eyes of
those who want to perpetuate
the system.
Nuevo Sistema
El departamento de
agriculture (USDA) dio a
conocer un reporte explicando
como el “Nuevo Sistema” que se
esta implementando disminuira
el abuso en el uso de los cupones
de comida y ahorrara millones
de dolares en los proximos anos.
Estos reportes se dan a conocer
cada ano y son cada vez mas
The Pharr Press
P.O.Box 710 203 South Cage
The PRESS accepts letters to the Editor as long as
name and address is given.
Pictures and stories from the community are accep-
ted tor publication without charge;
however the editor has the right to choose what
stories and pictures are published.
News tips are welcome; Call 787-2291
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.
Published each Thursday morning in the city of
Pharr. Hidalgo County, in the Lower Rio Grande
Valley of Texas
Subscription rates: $7.50 per year in Hidalgo County
and $11.00 per
year outside of county.
CHARLES L. NELSON YOLANDA MARTINEZ
Editor Production Manager
•PRANK GRAHAM JUAN CARLOS MORALES
Advertising Manager Translator
Seen‘ROUND THE TOWN
Lloyd Glover
Editor Emeritus
frecuentes, es como un
testimonio de la inefectividad
del plan de bienestar (welfare).
El gobierno federal esta tan
acostumbrado a tratarse a si
mismo que piensan que todos
hablamos su idiom'a y que com-
pramos sin pensar. Por ejemplo
en el ultimo reporte se dice lo
siguiente: “Nuevo reporte y
sistema de presupuesto que
reduce perdidas en el uso de los
cupones de comida y mejora la
administracion del programa” y
anade “ El sistema cambia la
manera en que los beneficios
son computados, etc.” Se
espera ahorrar $280 millones de
dolares en el ano fiscal de 1984.
Piense sobre lo dicho: el sistema
cambia la manera en que los
beneficios son computados.
Ahora la computadora va ha ser
programada para mostrar un
ahorro de $280 millones en
1984. El programa continuara
perpetuandose a si mismo, al
igual que el gobierno lo hace.
Sin necesidad de una com-
putadora es facil ver que el
presupuesto de los cupones de
comida del ano 1984 y otros
presupuestos del welfare seran
mayores al de este ano y en
realidad no habra ningun
ahorro de $280 millones de
dolares, excepto en la hoja de la
computadora y en los ojos de los
que quieren perpetuar el
sistema.
(Sixth in a Series About Hawaii)
Haleakala National Park on the
island of Maui has some rarities
that other parks do not have.
Two of those are the rare
silversword, which occurs
nowhere else in the world, and
the nene (goose). The silver-
sword is a plant that grows only
a foot or 18 inches high and
looks like some of the cacti
family that is seen in Arizona. It
blooms only once in its entire
lifetime and it is at that time that
it shows its beauty. The blossom
is like the yucca here in South
Texas and is two to three times
the heighth of the plant itself
and is a bright purple. The
bloom occurs after 12 to 15
years. We saw many of these
silversword in the flower gar-
dens around the park entrance
but none were in bloom. They
are also prevalent on the outer
slopes in the volcanic area.
The nene goose was extinct at
one time on the island and some
trapped on the island of Hawaii
and they have increased in
number. It is frequently called
the Hawaiian goose and
biologists believe it has descen-
ded from one of the species of
Canadian geese. There were
two at the park headquarters
and they were tame. All the
nenes on the island are now in
the park. The nene is the state
bird.
A unique little town is at the
foot of the mountain Kula,
where there are a couple of
cafes, some cottages for
travelers, and a commercial
flower business covering many
acres. We stopped at one of the
cafes for a cup of coffee retur-
ning from the summit. We were
surprised that it was only 50$
with no charge for refills. In
fact, there was never any
charge for refills on coffee on
any of the islands.
We continued our tour by going
north to the coast to the Hana
Highway and drove around the
east side. We went thru miles
and miles of sugar cane fields,
with pineapple fields fropl time
to time. We had been told about
the beautv of this drive and also
about the winding road, but
having just come from
Haleakala summit, we didn’t
think anything could be any
worse. At a little town on the
north coast, we were told it was
42 miles to Hana and that it
required two hours to drive it
because of the winding, twisting
road. So we went 12 miles and
then turned back when a big
sign said: “The next 30 miles of
this road are finding and
twisting. Drive COTefully.” We
concluded we couldn’t drive to
Hana and make it back to our
hotel on the west side before
dark. We didn’t want to be
caught too far from the hotel af-
ter dark.
We can understand now why
Charles Lindbergh chose this
romote island for his burial site.
His grave is located on the
southeast corner of Maui near
the Village of Kipahulu, which is
about 20 miles southwest of
Hana. It is also at the end of the
paved road. The south side of
Maui does not have a paved
road. You have to walk a short
distance to reach a chapel and
the Lindergh tomb.
We re-traced our route all the
way back to Wailiku and then
went to Iae Needle, an unusual
formation in a canyon where
there is a water falls and an ex-
cellent view. The Needle rises
1200 feet from the North Wall of
the canyon. There are many
walking paths where you have
spectacular views. The drive up
this canyon and the high walls at
the end reminded us of Santa
* Helena Canyon in Big Bend
National Park.
Sugar cane growing and har-
vesting is the No. 1 agricultural
industry on Maui and on all the
other islands. Pineapple is No. 2
with Taro No. 3. We did not see
As I see it
CHARLES NELSON
Editor
It is that time of the year when
the heat stiffles activities and
personal energy levels hit bot-
tom. The mid-summer blues are
upon us.
It is especially noticable to
businesses. There is less traffic
in and out of our stores and
restaurants and less traffic on
our streets.
These businesses feel the pin-
ch. To many of us however, the
reduction in traffic, and the
slower pace of life is somewhat
relaxing, if not altogether
welcome.
Mid-summer is time for many to
take vacations. For some, such
as myself, it provides us with a
few moments to collect our
thoughts and reflect upon them.
The pressure of deadlines, the
local issues which consume us,
and our own personal life often
come between us and some im-
portant part of life. It is too easy
to forget everything except the
pressures and pleasures at
hand.
I’m no different. During most of
the year, I can skim over
headlines and news stories
about coups and massacres in
Central American without giving
second thought.
Several days ago, with a little
time to think of what I was
reading, the reports were
disturbing.
Because of the danger of repor-
ting news in Salvador or
Guatemala, and because of the
logistical problems of moving
television cameras to remote
places rapidly, I am always very
skeptical of news reports from
these areas.
I also understand that both
sides fighting, the government
and the terrorists-guerrillas
know how to use the news media
fcr publicity for their own
benefit.
Many of these know how
hungry newsmen are for a story,
aid are clever enough to set
thnm up for propaganda pur-
poses.
So I usually don’t put much
Haleakala
National Park
any figures on the Sugar Cane
acreage on each of the islands,
but the grand total on all is
240,OOG "acres. For comparison,
the acreage here in the Rio
Grande Valley is around 35,000.
There is only one sugar cane
grower in all the islands and
that is C&H Sugar Crop. (The let-
ters stand for California and
Hawaii). There are no individual
cane growers like her in the Rio
Grande Valley.
Cost of growing sugar on all of
the islands is said by the in-
dustry to be 20 cents a pound.
Once you see the terrain, the
methods of harvest, their
elaborate irrigation systems,
you can see why. They grown
sugar cane on stedp slopes and
down in the bottom of canyons
and they irrigate the cane at the
top as well as the bottom. The
heavy rainfall on Maui, the nor-
theast corner of Hawaii, and on
Kuai reduce the demands for
irrigation to some extent, but not
entirely. Rainfall on northeast
Maui totals 100 to 140 inches a
year, which is four or five times
the average here in the Valley.
Needless to say, they don’t have
any shortage of water.
They use bulldozers and
cranes to cut the cane out of the
fields onto the trucks. The sugar
cane grows in clusters and
spreads out all over and we did
not see any conventional har-
vesters, like here in the Valley.
They have a great vareity of
heavy equipment in caterpillar
sytle in the fields for harvest anf
and for preparing the field for
re-stocking. We can see why
raising sugar cane there is so
expensive. We don’t know what
it is here in the Valley but we
would estimate it one-third the
amount in Hawaii or less.
The sugar cane trucks have
their own roads, some of them
paved, all the way to the sugar
mill. Highways were all plainly
marked where the sugar cane
trucks crossed. On Kuaui, there
was one stop and go light at a
major sugar truck route from
the fields to the mill. We reluc-
tantly left this isle of Maui. Next
week we will write about Kauai,
the fourth and last island we
visited.
Two Pharr couples are in Eur-
poe^at this time. Lester and Bar-
bara Miles, residents of this
area since 1948, both retired in
the last 30 days and they are
celebrating with a seisurely two
months tour thru 12 countries of
Europe. Lester owned and
operated a show repair shop in
Pharr from 1950-57 and then
took a job with the Texas High-
way Dept, in the right of way
division, remaining until 1973,
when he went into the real
estate business, operating under
the name of Tropical Realty.
Barbara has worked for Less
Mannering Oldsmobile for mroe
more than 30 years. Lester has
had an interesting career,
having had two hitches in Uncle
Sam’s armed forces, one in
peace time in the mid 1930’s and
again in WWII. Lester will be
seeing all the European coun-
tries which he was in during his
military years.
The other couple is former
Mayor A.C. (Beto) Jaime and
wife Dora. They will be gone for
three weeks and will see all the
major countries of Europe.
D.G. (Dee) Hobbs was in town
recently from Corpus Christ! at-
tending to business and he
reported that his wife Pauline is
slowly showing improvement
from the severe stroke she suf-
fered in early January of this
year. She is in a nursing home in
Corpus Christi next door to
Spohn Hospital and takes
therapy treatments daily at the
Hospital. She is able to use a
walker now for the first time,
friends will be glad to know. She * 1
would be thrilled to receive car-
ds or letters from friends. Her
address is: / Mrs. Loretta Caley,
921 Egyptian, Corpus Christi,
Texas., 78412:
Mid-summer
reflexions
faith in which party was
responsible for the latest
massacre.
A few days ago though it sunk
in once again, that no matter
who might be responsible, the
dead are still dead, the ground is
still soaked with the blood from
brutal massacres of many
people who might have only
been caught in the middle.
From a personal viewpoint,
and a selfish one at that, it is
saddening to think that I can’t
return to many of the beautiful
and peaceful places in
Guatemala that I remember so
well.
Villages and small settlements
with names such as
Totonicapan, Chotacaj, Panquix,
Chi-Carstun, Nebaj, Chajul and
many more are now entered in
the middle of a bloody war.
The peacefulness of a moun-
tain village near dusk, during
raining season, with the cob-
blestone paths glistening wet,
with low clouds settling down
over the near mountain peaks,
with the sounds of the families
bringing home sheep from the
mountain pastures for the night,
all of this is now split in the mid-
dle by bloodshep and a
penetrating fear that the next
blood shed may be ones own.
If I can sense the change in
their peaceful life from several
thousand miles away, I can
imagine what the people living
in these Central American coun-
tries must be going through.
I’m sure it is nothing we can
comprehend.
On an ending note: I thought I
was too old and too serious to be
bothered by, much less enjoy,
my birthday. But wife Marisa
proved me wrong. She planned a
really enjoyable birthday for me
Saturday, including a surprise
party and a birthday cake
decorated like the editorial page
of last week’s PHARR PRESS.
I had a great time due to a
great wife and friends. The only
problem is, I now have to get
used to viewing birthday's as an
enjoyable experience again.
Precautions to take against heat
During periods of very high
temperature, anyone—
especially the elderly and those
with medical problems-may
build up enough body heat to in-
cur heat stroke, heat syncope or
heat exhaustion.
The following are precautions
to take to control the way ex-
treme heat affects us.
Drink plenty of fluids, even if
you don’t feel thirsty. Your body
needs considerably more fluid
than your thirst will indicate.
When the outside temperature
is above 95 degrees, you may
easiy need to drink more than a
gallin of fluids a day. (Before in-
cre^ing your fluid intake,
howiver, consult your doctor if
you lave epilepsy; heart, kidney
or li'er disease; or fluid reten-
tion problems-or if you have
been^laced on a restricted-fluid
diet.)
2. )on’t drink alcoholic
beveflges.
3. Avtid direct sunlight.
4. Stiy in the coolest place
possite. If you don’t have an air
conditioner, try to spend some
time each day in an air-
conditioned place. Other good
ways to cool off are taking
frequent showers or placing ice-
bags or wet towels on your body.
With advancing age, many
people become less able to
resist and recover from stresses
such as exposure to heat. For
this reason, the elderly are par-
ticularly vulnerable to extreme
and prolonged hot weather.
(Reasons may be that older
people sweat less than younger
ones and are more likely to have
underlying diseases or to take
medicines that decrease their
resistance to heat stress.)
Other people at high risk
during hot weather include the
chronically ill or bedfast,
alcoholics, the mentally ill an
d those taking major
tranquilizi^rs or certain drugs
used to treat Parkinson’s
disease, peptic ulcers and
gastrointestinal spasm. Persons
taking such drugs should consult
their doctor about dosages or
special precautions to take
during hot weather.
l
4
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Nelson, Charles. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1982, newspaper, June 24, 1982; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth866918/m1/2/?q=%22~1~1%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.