Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 5, 1982 Page: 1 of 8
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Delinquent Rents Put Housing Authority In The Red
Even though over $3,000 in delinquent
rents have been collected from tenants in
the past two weeks, the Housing Authority is
still over $12,000 in the red. This was
revealed during a special meeting of the
A board of directors, July ?8.
Since being named sc. ng director of the
Authority, Noel Gonzalez has collected
$3330.50 in delinquent rents, a figure well
over the amount deposited in the bank
during the entire month of May.
Even with this intensive collection efforts,
the projects are still in arrears. The Section
23 project has $6172 in past due accounts,
while t e Turnkey Project is behind
$6,010.60.
m There is a 70 percent delinquency rate in
the Authority projects. The board agreed
Community
ft-
Roundup
Counterfeit
Bill Passed
ROMA - Roma police are investigating a
counterfeit $20 bill passed July 28 at the
Riverview Family Center. The bill was
passed by a Mexican national female from
Miguel Aleman.
No charges have been brought against the
woman.
A 1979 Ford pick-up, stolen from a
Houston owner was recovered by Roma
police July 29.
According to Roma Police Chief Romeo
Alvarez, Donato Gonzalez of Roma was
arrested and charged with theft. He was
arraigned by Justice of the Peace Arnoldo
Gonzalez.
Willi School
Schedules Heady
Rio Grande City High School Principal
Ruben Saenz asks that all students come in
and look at their schedules on designated
days beginning Aug. 11.
This is to insure the least amount of
problems for students and faculty on the
first day of school. He explains this is
necessary to straighten out schedule con-
flicts, computer errors and satisfy those
students who had a change of mind over the
summer months.
Seniors are asked to report AUg. 11 at 9:30
a.m. to the Multi-Purpose Center to see their
schedules. Juniors will be seen Aug. 12 at
9:30 a.m. with sophomores and freshmen
being seen Aug. 13, also at 9:30 a.m.
Quarterback
( hi! *lects
The Rio Grande High School Quarterback
Club will hold a net-ting at 7:30 tonight at
the high school cafeteria, according to
Humberto Garci.i, treasurer.
The club will elect new officers and will
hear a financial report. All members and
persons wishing to become members are
urged to attend.
/Ml I Susffect Rolls (,ar
Noe Guadalupe Rodriguez of La Grulla
was arrested and charged with driving
while intoxicated (DWI) after lie was in-
volved in a one car accident on F.M. 2360.
Rodriguez was traveling southbound,
when he rolled the vehicle over once. It
came to rest on a .small hill DPS troopers
said he was intoxicated.
During the last week of July, the Highwaj
Patrol arrested seven DWI cases and two
public intoxication cases.
Troopers gave a total of 83 tickets and 29
warnings 42 tickets were for speeding, four
no driver's license, arid 13 no motor vehicle
insurance.
Sheriff's I'osse Meets
The Sheriff's Posse will meet Aug. 5, 8:00
p.m in the County Commissioner's Cour-
troom. All members are urged to attend
and hand in money from the recent fun-
draiser.
Iloiisiiifi i iilliorit >
(hi (ourl iiieiula
The regular meeting of the Starr County
Commissioner's Court will be held Aug. 9 at
10 a.m. Among items on the agenda will be
the appointment to fill a vacancy on the
Housing Authority Board.
Housing Authority practices will also be
discussed and members of the community
are invited to attend
I I t to Mt'f't
The Rio Grande City FFA will hold a
meeting Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Ag.
Building. Sponsor Mario A. Guillen invites
all members their parents, and anyone
interested in having a steer, hog or lamb
entered in the next livestock show.
\li*lriul Declared
District Judge Ricardo Garcia declared a
mistrial Aug. 2 in the trial of Felipe
Gutierrez, and ordered a psychiatric
examination for the defendant.
Gutierrez was being tried for rape of a
1 child, and if found competent, will be retried
Aug. 16.
that tfie current massive collections were
due strictly to Gonzalez's efforts.
The reasons for the high delinquency rate
are many, but, according to Gonzalez, they
are mostly due to the fact that under prior
management, the Authority was "not being
selective" in tenants they chose for the
projects.
He also said they were not communicating
with tenants as to when and where tenants
should pay their rent. The former director
went to each person to collect.
Payments range from $35.00 to $165.00 per
month. Tenants are charged 25 percent of
their annual income for rent, yet there are
tenants as much as 10 months behind on
their rents. Out of the 44 unls in the turnkey
project, only 13 of those are current with
their rent.
Eviction proceedings are currently un-
derway with two of the tenants.
This talk led to a complaint by Section 23
tenant Carlos Perez. Perez was approached
last week, and told that he owed $600 in back
rents. He told the board that he had made
payments to Dr. Bruno Trevino, former
director of the authority.
Perez produced receipts, written by
Trevino, on various types of paper. Perez
said he had paid to Trevino, personally, his
rent, at Trevino's home. Perez produced
receipts for all but $150 of his back rent.
"He (Trevino) gave receipts on any type
of paper," Perez said. "Once he gave me a
receipt on the back of a food stamp coupon."
Perez said the missing receipt was for the
month of March.
The board asked Authority bookkeeper,
Hortensia Rodriguez, how Trevino let
know who to credit and who not to credit.
She said that he would call her and tell her to
write a receipt for the money he had
collected.
Board President Noel Benavides asked
her if she led the bank statements and
balanced them with the deposits. Rodriguez
replied that was not the system her previous
boss made her work under, but since
Gonzalez's takeover, that she was balancing
the books daily.
Going over the receipts and deposit slips
for the month of May, Benavides noted that
there were seven deposits made by someone
other than Rodriguez, presumably Trevino.
"I'm not accusing anybody of anything,"
Benavides said. He then pointed out that
they were in the process of hiring a Certified
Public Accountant to audit the books.
Perez still awaited an answer to his
dilemma. Board member Rafael C'arrera
told him. "If you want credit, (for the $150)
you're going to have to produce a receipt."
"We're going to have to work something
out," said Benavides, asking Perez to talk to
Trevino and get another receiot or find the
lost one.
"This is not the first time this has hap-
pened, nor will it be the last," he said. He
then urged Perez and the other tenants to
pay their rents only at the office, and not to
leave without an official receipt. Paying by
check or money order would also offer proof
of payment.
Benavides said "we need to remind tenant
that we don't have to go out to collect their
rents. They are to come to us."
Discussion of unit vacancies appeared
next. Gonzalez reported that there were two
vacancies; one in each project. In the
Section 8 subsidized housing, he reported
that he had confirmed that four families had
left (migrated) without informing the
Authority and getting their permission.
The board suggested that these families'
contracts be revoked since they were in
violation of the agreement.
"We can't subsidize rent for people not
living here," Benavidez said, "unless they
have permission. We've got a lot of people
here who need the housing."
Gonzalez brought forth a letter from a
famiiy renting one of the Section 8 houses.
They had migrated to Camagie, Okla.,
(See AUTHORITY Page 4)
VOL. XXXVI
No. 42 Thursday, August 5, 1982
FIFTEEN CENTS
iOperation Crime Watch
Lets You Be Sheriffs Eyes
Vandalism and burglary-these two words
have been on the minds of most Stan-
County residents in recent months. But
what can be done about it?
Operation Crime Watch is an answer.
Citizens got together July 29 to initiate the
program into action. Led by County Ex-
tension Agents Yolanda Scriver and David
Sandefer, the group listened to Chief
Deputy J.C. Gomez of the Sheriff's
Department and watched a film about
starting the program.
"We are asking the public to initiate a
program of Operation Identification,"' said
Gomez. He explained that the Sheriff's
Department is doing everything '' ; ,ai.,
but without the help of the citizens they
cannot solve the problem.
"If we get a description or call from
neighbor or anyone wanting to tai.e ai i.-
terest, then we are able to stop it The
ficer is only as good as the information he
gets. Fingerprints are no good uithout a
suspect," he said.
Operation identification has worked m
many comma uies, and it only tak s a little
effort from the community.
" Make an inventory of your most . aluable
a- -ts, " said Gomez This inch;'es
jewelry, hubcaps, television sets, ,,uns and
any other item of value.
If you make a record, you know what you
have, what its value is, and whether or not
you have marked it with identification.
On the record, be sure and list the serial
numbers, brand name, model numbers, cost
and any identifying marks.
Gomez suggests you mark the object with
an engraver. "We suggest you put your
Texas Driver's License number on it. This
is your private number, assigned to no other
person.
By marking your valuables, it will help
you identify it, if it is stolen and recovered.
The markings will as also act as a deterrent
to the criminal who sees it.
This helps both the court system and the
Sheriff's Department to distinguish the
items," said Gomez.
The engravers are relatively inexpensive
to purchase. The Sheriff's Department has
two of them. "If anyone wants to use the
engraver, go by the Sheriff's Department
and we will be more than glad to let you use
one," said Gomez.
The Department also has window stickers
to place on your home and car after
(See WATCH Page 4)
Riaz Attends
White House Briefings
' '"'X' !r
Pete Diaz, Jr. and his wife Rainona have
returned from Wasnington D.C. where they
met with President Ronald Reagan, Vice
President Bush and other high government
esf'? ir July 20.
"1 ieel very proud and honor ed to be asked
as one of the members of the Hispanic
community," said Diaz about his visit. This
was his tb" ' "'cif ,r> tb white House
(bounty Wants Receipt
For Missing Money
Where is the missing $2,224.39 from a bank
loan made to Starr County in June, and why
won't the bank give the county a receipt?
These questions have been left unanswered
since the loan was made June 18.
The loan from First National Bank of Rio
Grande City was for $11,556.59 to be applied
to the Falcon Trailer Park account. But
according to Jose D. Villarreal, County
Treasurer, the receipt from the bank was
made out for $9,332.20, posing the question,
where did the other $2,224.39 go?
Villarreal has asked the bank five times
for a written receipt for the remainder of the
loan, but the bank has yet to produce one.
The bank verbally explained that the
remainder of the loan had been applied to
another account, but they gave no name or
account number.
By law, county monies can be distributed
only by order of the county commissioner's
court, but according to Villarreal, the "bank
was doing it by themselves."
Repayment is currently due on the loan,
but County Auditor Jose G. Villarreal
refuses to repay more than the money which
was receipted, until the county gets a
receipt for the full amount.
Villarreal has four times reported the
unaccounted for money to the com-
missioner's court, and they have moved to
officially ask the bank for an explanation.
Jose A. Hinojosa, Certified Public Ac-
countant for Starr County has audited the
books and made an adjustment for the
money, but Villarreal still cannot balance
the account for the trailer park without the
receipt.
First National Bank President Rodolfo
Cantu declined to comment to The Rio
Grande Herald on two separate occasions
about the uncredited money.
V'
* t
& i
VIIJLARREAL ACCEPTS CERTIFICATE—County Treasurer Jose I) Villarreal
accepts from County Agent David Sandefer a certificate for completion of a .iar
for county treasurers, held at Texas A and M. Villarnv 1 has been county treasurer
for 20 years. He is also Starr County Fire Chief and l«\s been an instructor at the
Texas Fireman's Training School for 30 years
Mr. and Mrs. Diaz attended briefings not
only by Reagan, but also by some of his top
advisors including Elizabeth Dole,
Mac Lovell of the department of Labor,
Deputy Attorney General Ed Schultz, Rich
ond of the Republican National Com-
mittee, Rober Porter, deputy director of the
office of policy development and United
Nations Ambassador Jean Kirkpatrck.
This was the first time Mrs. Diaz had been
invited to attend a briefing with her
husband, although she had met and cam-
paigned with the Reagans. "I like to have
my spouse at the White House," Diaz said.
During Reagan's speech, he spoke of the
importance of the Hispanics. "I hope that
your presence here today assures you that
we do not take the Hispanic community for
granted, " Reagan said.
Reagan also announced the appointment
of Henry Zuniga as Special Assistant to the
President for Public liaison, the outreach
poerson to the Hispanic community. Diaz
said Zuniga is a person anyone can contact
to direct their messages to the President.
"I'm very glad Henry Zuniga is there," he
said.
This meeting was a continuation of the
President's efforts to involve the Hispanic
communities in national affairs. Diaz says
that he plans others.
(See DIAZ Page 4)
Garceno's Water
Still Trickling
The community of Garceno is still without
water, but according to Roma City Manager
Antioco "Andy" Canales, help will be there
soon.
Two long-awaited booster pumps have
been installed, and Canales says they are
"waiting on CPL to get the electrical wires
in." Work on the 20 and 30 horsepower
pumps has been a little slower than an-
ticipated, and Canales admits that they
have "run into problems trying to do a good
job,"
Those problems enraged the citizens over
the weekend, when in the midst of din-
nertime cooking and cleaning, the water
went off, and according to resident, the
water stayed off a full 24 hours.
Upset residents called the water office
complaining that they were not notified of
the shut-off in advance. Canales explained
that the cut-off "wasn't planned."
The installers encountered problems in
the water line, and shut off the water for a
short period of time. But, in th^t short time
the reserve tanks were drained by the water
customers and it took time to refill the
tanks.
Canales expects the Garceno water
problem to be over, soon, as crews have
been working ovetime to remedy the
situation.
V.P. ATTENDS RECEPTION-While in Washington for a briefing with President
Reagan, Pete Diaz, Jr. and his wife Ramona are joined by Vice President George
Bush.
Vandalism, Ambulance
Concern Board
Vandalism and tlie impending lacK ot
ambulance service were the major points of
discussion during the meeting of the Board
of Directors of the Starr County Memorial
Hospital District July 29.
Night shift employees were surprised July
21 when they entered the parking lot to find
their batteries missing car windows broken
and their cars scratched and dented.
The group of victims, lead b\ Registered
Nurse Beatriz V. Barrera, had petitioned
the hospital to reimburse employees for the
loss, which they felt happened because the
hospital was providing no security. Losses
totaled $1,700.00
Barrera also presented a petition to the
board, signed by all the hospital employees,
asking for security officers to be returned to
the hospital. Security has been dismissed,
recently as a cost efficient measure.
The board did not officially act on the
employees' petition, because they said it
was not on the agenda, although the agenda
did read: Discussion on Security Service
(RE:Vandalism).
Board member Emma Reilly said that
she "can sympathize" with the victims, but
she did not feel the board should pay for
their damages.
Starr Plaza
To Expand
Soon there will be 250,000 more reasons to
shop in Rio Grande City. The Starr Plaza
shoooimz center will be expanding soon, a
full 250,000 square feet, on the west side of
the current building.
According to developer Pete Diaz, Jr. the
shopping center will be renovated into a
mall. Two major national chain stores have
already committed themselves to the center
when completed
Diaz says that the mall should not only
offer convenient shopping to the local
resident, but shoppers from out of town as
well. The mall will be adjacent to the Fort
Ringgold Motel, and Golf Course, offering
family members a chance to swum and play
golf while other family members shop,
A master plan has been started and Diaz
hopes construction can start sometime
early next year. The mall should offer at
least 400 new jobs for the community
hospital attorney David Guerrero agreed,
saying that legally it would leave the
hospital open to other suits.
Also damaged during the vandalism spree
were the chairs were stolen from the chapel
and a bug-killing light worth over $100 was
stolen.
The board did agree to hire off-duty
sheriff's deputies to act as security for the
hospital. Deputies would work in two shifts,
covering the 12 hour period between 6 p.m.
and 6 a.m.
Sheriff Gene Falcon said that his deputies
would carry walkie-talkies and be in con-
stant contact with the depa-tment. They
might also wear their uniforms if Guerrero
determmes it is legal.
During the time they are at the hospital,
the deputies will be answerable to the
hospital, and not the sheriff's department.
The decision by Ceballos Funeral Home to
discontinue ambulance sen ice Sept 1 was
discussed. Hospital Administrator Bill Watt
related that he has had been in contact with
various agencies in the state, trying to find
an immediate solution.
Health Systems Agency HSA) of
Kmgsville said that it would take 60 to 90
days for an emergency certificate of need to
be given to a group wanting to take over the
sen-ice.
HSA suggested the county subsidize the
service, but when Watt met with the com-
missioners' court two months ago the did
not agree.
"This is a problem of the hospital district,
the county commissioners and the city
commissioners of Roma, La Grulla and
possibly San Isidro," said Watt.
Board member Gustavo Garza remarked
that San Isidro did own an ambulance,
parked on the school grounds, manned by
teachers at the school.
Running an ambulance service, "would
create all kinds of problems for the hospital
to get into," Watt remarked. But he insists
that something needs to be done soon.
We're 30 days away from a very bad
situation," he said. "The problem needs to
be addressed, and it needs to be addressed
fast."
Watt then asked the board for perrrussiont
to file a pre-apphcation certificate the'
hospital to anything, but help them be
.prepared in case of an emergency did arise.,
to file a pre-apphcation certificate of need
with the state. He explaii.cd that this would
(See HOSPfTAI Page 4)
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Mathis, Dora Barrera. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 5, 1982, newspaper, August 5, 1982; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth194883/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.