The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 29, 1982 Page: 1 of 16
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Pharr Press and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Pharr Memorial Library.
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Pharr Ucsjrial Library
130 E. Caffery
Pharr, Texas
Vol 50/ No. 13
Su periodico biljngue
the Pharr Press
USPS429-660
April 29,1982
787-2291
20C
New Pharr city commission sworn in
Promises of working together
for the betterment of Pharr
filled the air Tuesday night as
Fidencio Barrera and the six
city commissioners were sworn
into office.
Close to 400 people attended
the swearing ceremonies at the
Pharr Civic Center.
Pharr CPA Oscar Gonzalez an-
nounced the final tally after he
and CPA’s Oscar Elizondo and
Carlos Canales checked the
votes and Barerra had 1857
votes while Alton Moore, Jr., had
1728 votes.
Moore carried the absentee
votes, 234 to 80; he also carried
Precinct 6 with 378 votes to 151;
and Moore carried Precinct 25
with 341 votes to 258 for
Barrera.
Barrera carried the remaining
four precincts: No. 35 with 276
to 182 for Moore; No. 36 with
316 to 177; No. 60 with 464 to
274 for Moore; and No. 61 with
312 to 142 for Moore.
City Manager Reyes Vela spoke
first and told the crowd of his
feelings after working with the
outgoing Newcombe ad-
ministration for four years.
“I have come to appreciate
what the words “public service”
means because of the service of
the outgoing commission,” Vela
said.
Vela then thanked the outgoing
commission for its unselfish
work, for the respectibility it
had given to the office, for the
personal sacrifice and for the
“inspiration and high standard
you have set for the commission
of Pharr.”
Mayor Newcombe spoke of his
years as a commissioner and
mayor.
“It has been the highest honor
Justice of the Peace Teresa
Palacios swears in the six mem-
bers of the Pharr City Com-
mission at Tuesday night’s
ceremonies. Pictured (L-R) are:
Victor Garcia, Julian Avendano,
Porfirio Rodriguez, Hector
Villarreal and Jim Brewster. Not
shown in photo is Commissioner
Roberto Ramirez. Ramirez, Gar-
cia and Brewster, an incumbent,
will serve four-year terms.
Avendano, Rodriguez and
Villarreal will serve two-year
terms.
of my life to have served as an
elected official of Pharr,”
Newcombe said, “and to have
served with the present com-
mission and with others such as
A.C. Jaime, Armando Gomez and
Bob Henderson.”
Newcombe also thanked his
wife Louise, who appeared just
as the mayor was speaking, for
her giving of her time to the
business so he might serve,
“It is important that the past
and present city administration
serve together,” Newcombe said
and he said he and the outgoing
commission pledged to work
with the present administration
for the continued accelerated
growth of Pharr.
Outgoing Commissioner Keith
Conquest said he viewed the
large crowd as iniciative for
enlarging city hall.
Commissioner Lilie Briones told
the incoming commission she
prayed they would work
together in Christian spirit.
Commission Jim Brewster,
introduced as outgoing and in-
coming commissioner thanked
the commission with whom he
Maggie Salinas eyes 3rd state 800-meter title
Although her natural ability-
speed, grace and stamina have
carried Maggie .Salinas to the
top, it is her determination and
discipline that have kept her
there.
Since Salinas’ sophomore year
no other girl in the state has ran
a better 800-meter than Salinas.
Next Saturday Salinas will
defend her state title in the 800-
meter run. She has won the title
the last two years.
PSJA people who have followed
the career of Salinas, have seen
her break into the Valley track
scene as a sophomore, when as
a thin, almost frail-looking girl,
she went to state in the cross-
country.
Salinas has won the state
cross-country title, has been th
e star of Valley girls for three
years as she won almost any
middle distance and distance
event she entered.
Salinas has also excelled in
classes and in school activities,
having participated in several
“Queen’s Contests”.
Not surprising, when Salinas
choses where she will go to
.
-
a
*' as? «■ s;: si
a-
* a 1
Maggie Salinas (Left) works out
Tuesday with running partner
Diana Flores in preparation for
the upcoming Texas State Track
Meet in Austin. Salinas is q two-
time state champion in the 800-
meter run and will be competing
for her third straight title.
college, she will decide not only
based on the college’s track
program, but also on the
academic programs offered.
Salinas who has had inquiries
from many major colleges, is in-
terested in special education.
See MAGGIE, page 6
This week
Inside
Viewpoints, page 2
Minta Riddle’s column, page 4
Cooking with Michelle, page 5
Agriculture, page 8
Sports, pages 10-12
Horoscope, page 13
10- 45 years ago. page 15
The PSJA School Board met as
the three new members got their
feet wet, but came out with drier
feet and more experience. See
page 3.
In sports, the Bears baseball
team continued its hot streak by
downing McAllen High 9-0 to go
6-0 in 2nd half district play. See
page 12.
Offbeat
The emotions of a young high
school baseball player got the
best of him. The player hit a
home run in a crucial game with
two men on base. In his
jubilation he passed one of his
teammates on the basepath and
one run was subtracted.
However, the 9-0 score proved
it didn’t hurt the team.
The weather
The 28th through the 30th will
have showers in the east, locally
it will be warm with clouds. May
1st through the 4th will be warm
with showers.
Goof fishing through the seven-
th of May, and it is time to do
any fruit grafting that is
necessary.
Today
On the 29th, Alfred Hitchcock
died in 1980, and Duke Ellington
was born in 1899. The 30th is
Arbor Day, so make your dog
happy and plant a tree. Adolph
Hitler died on this day in 1945.
May 1st is May Dat in Europe, a
traditional custom stemming
from pre-Christian fertility rites,
and it is Sts. Philip and James
Day on the Catholic calender. It
is also Kentucky Derby Day, so
place your bets early.
Saying for
definition is a
surrounding a
ideas.
the Week: A
wall of words
wilderness of
had worked four years and then
told the people gathered he
hoped they would give help
when asked for it.
Then Justice of the Peace
Teresa Palacios swore in the six
commissioners. Mrs. Oscar
Gonzalez then swore in Mayor
Fidencio Barrera.
Barrera then assumed the
podium and told Newcome “you
will always be mayor” and
thanked him for his good words.
“I hope we follow your exam-
See CITY, page 6
Outgoing Pharr Mayor Quentin
Newdombe, Jr. welcomes in
coming Mayor Fidencio Barrera
as mayor of Pharr at Tuesday
night’s ceremonies in which the
new mayor and city com-
missioners were s worn in.
Drainage bond issue May 18
Delays caused need for $30 million more
The Hidalgo County Com-
missioners’ Court approved a
request by the Hidalgo County
Drainage committee to call a
$30 million bond issue election
to complete the master plan for
the storm water disposal.
The election is called for May
18.
A series of delays and ob-
stacles coupled with inflation
and higher interest rates, have
more than reduced in half the
amount of money necessary to
complete the project as com-
pared to the original $26 million
bond issue passed in 1975.
At the time of the bond issue in
1975, the $26 million bond issue
was estimated sufficient to
cover the entire cost of building
the drainage canal and
tributaries.
But the two projects presently
under construction will require
spending the majority of the
remaining bond money.
These two projects will only
take the drainage canal from the
Laguna Madre west about 10
miles.
This is a view of the drainage
canal being constructed near
^Laguna Madre as the first step
in the Hidalgo County Master
Drainage Plan. Ten miles
are
being excavated presently. A
bond issue has been called for
May 18 to vote on $30 million to
continue the project.
In order to complete the plan
approved by voters in 1975, the
commissioners and drainage
committee are calling for an ad-
ditional $30 million.
In order for people to vote in
the May 18 election, they must
reside within the boundries of
Hidalgo County District Number
One. A two-thirds majority will
be required for approval of the
See DRAINAGE, page 3
Services today for M.R. “Jumbo” Smith
Former Hidalgo County
Superintendent of Schools
Morris Rudolph (Jumbo) Smith
died Monday in an El Paso
Hospital.
Mr. Smith, 76, had lived in
Pharr since 1937 and served as
Hidalgo County School Superin-
tendent for almost 20 years. He
was active in the education
profession for 45 years.
Mr. Smith began his career in
education in San Marcos as a
teacher and coach. He also
played semi-pro baseball in Cen-
tral Texas in the late 1920s.
In 1931 he went to Lytle,
Texas, where he continued as a
teacher and coach. His teams
won zone championships in
football, basketball and track.
He moved to P.S.J.A. in 1937 as
junior high and assistant Hieh
School coach and math teacher.
He was a school principal in
1942-43 and the joined the Army
Air Force, serving for three
years during World War II. He
was released from the services
as a captain in 1946.
Mr. Smith returned to
education and in 1955 was elec-
ted County Superintendent of
Schools, a position he held until
he retired in 1974.
He served as lieutenant gover-
nor of Kiwanis International in
1959. He also was past
president and district governor
of Kiwanis and was awarded a
certificate for his services to
Division 26 of Kiwanis. In 1973,
he was listed in Who’s Who of
Education Administrators, Per-
sonalities of the South and
Who’s Who in the South and
West.
He was a member of the First
United Methodist Church of
Pharr, American Legion Post
101 in Pharr and a 25 year
member of the Masonic Lodge.
Mr. Smith is survived by a son,
Jack Morris Smith of El Paso; a
daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Ann
Goodall of El Paso; a sister,
Tommie Fowler of Uvalde; and
eight grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held
Thursday morning at 10:00 at
the 1st United Methodist Chur-
ch, Pharr with Rev. Thom Elliot
Pastor afficiating. Following
services he will be taken to Lytle
for graveside services at 3:30
with Rev. Thom Elliot officiating.
Pallbearers will be Dwight
Robertson. Ben Egly. Glenn R.
See JUMBO, page 6
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Nelson, Charles. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 29, 1982, newspaper, April 29, 1982; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth866994/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.