The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 27, 1986 Page: 1 of 14
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THE RIO GRANDE HERALD
Serving Starr County For Five Decades
H.E.B. Specials,
Pages
8, 9, & 11
Published in Rio Grande City, Texas, Every Thursday By The Rio Grande Publishing Co.
No. 22 THURSDAY, MARCH 27,1986
FIFTEEN CENTS
Patient Transfer Policy
Discussed By Board
Pictured above am some Starr County and Camargo political and business leaders just prior to
Saturday's parade through Caniargo. On the far left is County Commissioner Keynaldo Alaniz. To his righl
are Juan I)e Dios Cuellar, president of the Camargo Chamber of Commerce; Jose Lizandro Ilinojosa,
Presidente Municipal of Camargo; Starr County Judge Bias Chapa; and Rio Chamber President Leonel
Lopez. The individuals on the right are members of the CPN staff in Camargo.
Discussion about a patient trans-
fer policy for transporting of
patients to other hospitals
highlighted Thursday night's regu-
lar meeting of the Board of
Directors of the Hospital District.
Administrator Thalia Munoz said
of the policy, "It's a requirement
we have to comply with." She
added that the 69th Texas
Legislature amended the licensing
law concerning patient transfers,
and this becomes effective April 1.
At an earlier meeting, Munoz said
that the hospital's current pro-
cedure was already close to what is
required.
Munoz said on Feb. 20, "All
hospitals have to have transferring
policies by law. The main thing,
which we've always done, is the
physician calling another physician
or another transferring hospital,
before the transfer is made."
The administrator noted Thurs-
day that each hospital is required
to adopt a patient transfer policy
for approval by the Texas De-
partment of Health, after the okay
Camargo Tourism Day
Proclaimed Big Success
Officials of the Rio Grande City
Chamber of Commerce proclaimed
Saturday's Tourism Day in con-
junction with Camargo to be a big
success in all aspects
The day, officially entitled "Dia
de Comercio y Turismo" was the
first time Camargo has held such
an event. Rio Chamber President
Leone! Lopez said, "It went real
nice. For being the first time, I
think everything went real well."
Lopez added, "We had a turnout
of about 3000 people They
(Camargo officials and busi-
nessmen) were very appreciative
of the response from this area."
Lopez said he hoped more Winter
Texans would be participating next
year as the event becomes more
publicized.
A highlight of the day came at
about 11:30 a.m. when Rio Grande
City Volunteer Fire Chief O.F.
"Speedy" Guffey was presented a
plaque by Juan de Dios Cuellar,
president of the Camargo Chamber
of Commerce, and Presidente
Municipal Jose Lizandro Hinojosa
expressing gratitude and apprecia-
tion for the firefighting efforts in
Camargo over the years by the Rio
Fire Department.
The events of the day began
Bids Opened For Park
Courts And Pavilion
Bids were opened Monday
morning in the County Judge's
office for construction of combina
tion basketball/tennis courts, as
well as the pavilion, at the Fort
Ringgold Parks
F & R Construction was the
apparent low bidder in both
categories, submitting a bid of
$89,900 48 for the basketball/tennis
courts That same firm submitted q
bid of $39,979 for construction of the
pavilion.
Martinez Contractors was the
only other bidder, submitting a bid
of $98,659 for the courts, and one of
$45,100 for the pavilion
Engineer Pablo Pena. Jr., in-
dicated that the first project will be
comprised of the basketball/tennis
courts, an underground lighting
system, a 10-foot high chain-link
fence, topping for all courts, an
asphalt parking lot for curb and
gutter, and sidewalks.
The courts, Pena said, will be 108
by 190 feet, according to current
plans. The combination courts, he
added, will be lit, but the basket-
ball-only court will not be lit
The pavilion, Pena noted, will be
40 by 90 feet, and include a
barbecue pit Federal Program
Coordinator Javier Margo said that
the pavilion "will have a real
high-pitched roof.'' according to
plans.
Pena said that the paved parking
lot will be 500 feet by 66 feet, with
curb and gutter
A consensus was reached by
those present that awarding of the
bids should await the regular
Commissioners Court meeting on
Monday, April 14
when officials of both Starr County
and Camargo met in the middle of
the International Bridge at Rio
Grande City and engaged in an
"abrazo." R.C. Salinas, Jr., of Rio
Grande City observed that-"this
hasn't happened for at least 10
years."
Among the dignitaries present
from Starr County, at both the
"abrazo" and the parade in
Camargo. were: County Judge Bias
Chapa. Precinct Four Commission-
er Reynaldo Alaniz, Veterans Serv-
ice Officer Homero Salmon, Rio
Chamber President Leonel Lopez,
and Arnulfo Garcia of Garcia's
Lumber and a member of the Rio
Chamber board
Among dignitaries present from
Camargo were Jose Lizandro
Hinojosa, Presidente Municipal,
and Juan de Dios Cuellar, presi-
dent of the Camargo Chamber of
Commerce.
After th. "abrazos", the parties
involved in the day's festivities
proceeded the three to four miles
into Camargo to prepare for the
parade.
The parade proceeded through
almost all of Camargo and lasted
for almost an hour. Most of the
streets were jam-packed with
cheering Camargo citizens.
Officials of both Camargo and
Starr County stood together on a
platform in one of the main plazas,
with many of them making
speeches. It was at that tirre that
Chief Guffey of the Rio Fire
Department was presented by the
Camargo Chamber with a plaque of
appreciation and gratitude for
many years of aiding firefighting
efforts in Camargo.
Lopez said that there were about
40 total entries in the parade, with
about five entries, including two
floats, from Rio Grande City.
Rene Montalvo, executive direc-
tor of the Industrial Foundation,
said, "It went real well. All the
streets were packed Personally,
(See. ( t M Pnfv 13)
of that institution's trustees
Munoz said that the prospective
patient transfer plan of Starr
Memorial is very much based on
the sample sent by the state,
adding that "they're very much the
standard policy," for transferring
patients to other physicians and/or
hospitals.
After Munoz noted that attorney
Roger Reed and the medical staff
had given their blessings to the
plan, board member Romeo Alaniz
moved that the policy be okayed,
and the motion passed without
dissent.
Discussion then turned to the
issue of liability. Munoz said that
other hospitals are liable if they
fail to accept a transfer patient
who later dies, and added that
"we're only liable until the time
they get admitted over there "
Alaniz insisted that the hospital's
liability would end "if you call over
there and they won't admit the
patient; they're liable then "
Munoz indicated that "we're
having a very difficult time trans-
ferring patients to McAHen hospi-
tals," in that both are now private
corporations. She added, "They are
really questioning the patient's
ability to pay So far, we have
been able to make the transfers,
but it's getting harder "
Munoz said that cardiac and
orthopedic are the categories of
patients most frequently trans-
ferred
The board then approved the
purchase of a new electrosurgical
unit, or "cauterizer". A cauterizer,
said Munoz, "burns the bleeders''
to stop or control bleeding, and has
become a preferred alternative, in
many cases, to suturing.
Munoz noted that "the ok!er one
had been here five to six years; we
had really been having problems
with it She added that the
general surgeon will be able to use
the device
The instrument, she said, has
been "lent out'' over the past week
Munoz indicated that the price is
$5000. Alaniz then moved suc-
cessfully that the unit be
purchased
Upon a motion by Alaniz, sec-
onded by Ross LaGrange. $4876 73
in board-approved charity was
okayed. Alaniz questioned whether
elective surgery should be covered
by either the hospital or by the
Hill-Burton federal program
Alaniz added. "I think we should
study that " Munoz suggested.
"Maybe we should ask for a bigger
deposit on elective surgery "
Alaniz noted that the administrator
was "talking about 15 to 25
percent" of charity cases Attorney
David Guerrero said that any
changes in Hill-Burton regulations
would have to be announced
publicly, with hearings to be held
beforehand
As accounts payable were
approved, Alaniz stressed that
accounts payable should be
categorized by departments. He
insisted that "you have a buying
system without any checks or
balances "
Munoz later said, "We had been
doing it that way 'by department).
The (new) computer hasn't lent
itself to that We're going to do it
by departments When it's de-
partmentalized. it gives everybody
a better idea "
LaGrange added his agreement
that "we need to break it down
Teachers Continue To Organ
ize
LFI) Furnishings of Rio Grande City held their 27th Annual Anniversary Sale Day
on Saturday. Pictured above, from left to right, are LFI) employees Rosie R. Kazan,
Noemi ('. Martinez, and Iris V. Gonzalez; store manager Rolando A. Salinas. Jr.;
and employees Araceli A. Andrade and Grade F. Kazan. Salinas said that the day
went very successfully , with the crowds especially large in the morning.
By KENNETH ROBERTS
Starr County teachers are con-
tinuing to organize, politically and
through the court system, to defeat
the TECAT test as currently
written, and change other parts of
House Bill 72 that they think are
undesirable as they now stand
Walter N. Watson, president of
the local TSTA, said, "We've
branched out; TECAT was a
catalyst that got teachers started
Splinter groups off various state
groups have combined into larger
groups. Now, these local parts are
combining into area and regional
parts to open doors that were
formerly closed."
Watson added that over 2000
educators were present at the
Villarreal in McAHen Sunday night
to question and hear the positions
of candidates for the State
Legislature.
Watson indicated, that on
Thursday, "we organized the
Mid-Valley PAC" of teachers in the
Weslaco, Mercedes, and Donna
areas.
The reason for all this effort,
Watson said, is that "we're people
who want some answers...We need
some definite commitments by the
Legislature by September Are we
going to have our jobs?"
The spearhead of Valley teach-
ers' efforts, Watson emphasized, is
a Mission-based political action
Trustee
Candidates
Have Unpaid
Taxes
Tax records indicate that three
candidates in the upcoming Rio
Grande City CISD trustee elections
have unpaid taxes, mostly for 1985,
to either the school district or the
county.
The three candidates who owed
late taxes are:
Place Four incumbent Roberto
Gutierrez, $195.27 in 1985 county
taxes and $16 76 in 1983 school
district taxes; Place Five can-
didate Juan M Cantu, $251 59 in
1985 school taxes and $127 47 in 1985
county taxes, and Leonel R Lopez,
who owes the RGCCISD $33 89 in
back taxes dating back to 1978 and
$63 93 to the county dating back to
1980
Both Gutierrez and Cantu said
that as of Wednesday morning, all
(See T 4XK.S. Piiftr I I1
committee called "The Force." In
the past week, this group sponsored
a rally in Mission that drew 1200
Watson added, "There are PACS in
every school district from Roma to
Brownsville. There are members of
'the Force' from Roma to
Brownsville."
Watson lamented that the
TECAT test as currently written
will cause a teacher who fails to
pass by June 30 to temporarily lose
their certificates He added "They
can only work one year without a
certificate."
Watson points to this paragraph
in the Texas Education Code:
"Each teacher must perform
satisfactorily on the applicable
examination on or before June 30.
1986, to teach the subject at a
particular level unless a school
district established to the satisfac-
(Srr ORt.ASlZE. I'ltfir 14)
Water Board
Candidates
James Peterson
James Peterson of Rio Grande
City is a candidate for board
member in the Starr County Water
District election
Peterson. 41. has been a resident
of Rio Grande City since he was
three years old He is presently
farm manager of Starrco Farms of
Starr Produce. Inc He graduated
from Rio Grande City High School
and Texas A&I University, and
then returned to Starr County to
join the family farming operation
Peterson and his wife. Tissa.
have raised their three children.
Kent, 19; Lori, 15, and Guy, 10; in
Rio Grande City, where they have
lived within the Water District for
the past 17 years
Peterson says his experience
with farming and ranching in Starr
County has made him aware of the
needs of the local people for
responsible leadership on the
Water Board and careful con-
servation and utilization of this
vital resource
Peterson is currently serving as
a director of the Starr County Fair
Association, director and past
president of the Rio Grande Valley
Southwest Football Officials
Association, and is an active
member and past president of the
Starr Countv 4-H Adult Leaders
Club.
Peterson actively supports the
Rio Grande City Beef Syndicate
He and his family are members of
First Baptist Church of Rio Grande
City
★ ★ ★
Armando Garcia
and David Porras
Armando "Mando" Garcia and
David Domingo Porras. both of Rio
Grande City, have filed as can
didates for the Starr County Water
District No 2 board
The election for the Water Board
(Vc W 4Th.K, I'tigi' 11)
\
i
Armando Garcia
David Porras
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Roberts, Kenneth. The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 27, 1986, newspaper, March 27, 1986; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth195021/m1/1/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.