Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 2, 1998 Page: 1 of 8
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Fireworks banned in Rio Grande City: pf£rt
n Book Bindery
Hoag Bo°%d
121 Rail Rd 4920 4
SpringPort'
(Zone 6)
july 2, 1998
85th Year, No. 27
25 cents
Herald
A Newspaper Serving the People of South Texas
*
m
Computer displayed in summer program
* Rio Grande City High School computer maintenance instructor Ismael Gam (second from left) shows
sophomores Patricia Garcia, Luciano Vencgas and Evaristo Sandoval parts of the computer during the JTPA
Summer Program. Students learn a skill for wages plus take TA AS tutorials during the program. (RGCCISD
photo)
RGC students learn, earn
, with JTPA summer program
RGCCISD Report
Rio Grande City teen-agers are
getting a chance to improve their
TAAS scores and earn a little
money doing it.
Ninety loca! students arc taking
part of the JTPA Summer Program
at Rio Grande City High School.
% The students take tutoring to
improve TAAS scores and also get
involved in a part-time job that
requires training.
For example, Rio Grande City
High School computer
maintenance teacher Ismael Gar/a
has a group of 15 students. His
students take TAAS tutorials in
reading, writing or math each
morning Monday-Thursday for an
hour, then work the remainder of
the eight-hour day being given on-
the-job training in maintaining
computers.
"The students do just about
anything that concerns the upkeep
and maintenance of computers,"
Garza said. "They not only learn
how to maintain computers, but
^ they also get involved with
programming, cleaning, setting
them up and networking."
Arturo Menchaca, director for the
Rio Grande City Consolidated
Independent School District's
Career and Technology
Department, said the school district
is trying to make the community a
better place by employing
youngsters and giving them job
training and TAAS help.
"We want the community to
know that we are here to serve
them and help in way we can,"
Menchaca said.
"We are pleased to be able to
provide facilities and teachers to
help our students. We are here for
the community and we'll do
whateveris necessary for it." said
Menchaca, w ho served as assistant
principal at Rio GrandeCity High
School before assuming his present
position in March.
As part of the JTPA program,
the students receive minimum
wage for their efforts.
"This is a nice incentive for
them, plus they are improving
their writing skills on the Internet
and learning all about Macs, PCs
Paul Hobby brings State
Comptroller campaign to RGC
^ Democratic State Comproller
nominee Paul Hobby visited Rio
Grande City Tuesday morning, June
23 in an effort to persuade Stan-
County voters to elect him as the
state's most important financial
officcr.
Hobby visited with a number of
local dignitaries and citizens at
Che's Restaurant. In introducing
* Margo, Rio Grande City Alderman
Fred Margo emphasized, "The
Hobby name has a long and
illustrious history in Texas. I think
Mr. Hobby is a rising star in
Texas. 1 think he has a true desire
for public service."
Margo noted that Hobby is the
son of Bill Hobby, who served as
Lieutenant Governor from 1973-
^ 1991, and the grandson of Ovcta
Culp Hobby, who became the first
woman to serve in the President's
Cabinet when she was appointed by
President Eisenhower in the 1950's.
Hobby began his remarks by
saying, "I love Texas history.
South Texas is an important part of
Texas history. Multicultural is who
we arc in Texas. The diversity of
* Texas is displayed in Rio Grande
City and the Rio Grande Valley."
Hobby contended, "I am qualified
Paul Hobby
to be State Comptroller. I am
familiar with the art of the
possible. There has io be a
partnership between the
Comptroller and local governments.
The Comptroller is the chief
financial officcr of the state of
Texas."
He commented, "Our biggest
problem (in Texas) is an
underskillcd work force. It's time to
pay teachers like the professionals
they arc. We need to make sure our
RGCCISD TAAS scores
show steady increase
and IBMs," Gar/a said
Garza hopes to incite the students
to taking more formal and advanced
computer maintenance classes al
the high school later in their
educational careers
"Hopefully, they'll learn a little
bit more about computers and learn
not to be afraid of them, and will
be able to take these classes when
they are juniors and seniors at the
high school."
Garza said learning computer
maintenance could lead the students
to full-time careers when they
become adults.
"I'd like to see them further their
education and get themselves an
associate degree at any of the local
colleges, such as South Texas
Community College or Texas
State Technical College in
Harlingen," he said.
"If they do that they can get their
certificates and be certified in about
two y ears. Then they will be able
to get a job in Dallas or some
other big city like San Antonio and
make about $30,000 a year
(See SUMMER, Page 4)
young people have the best
education possible."
Hobby insisted, "South Texas
has been slighted in the past. I want
the slate and federal governments to
start investing in South Texas like
never before."
Hobby concluded, '1 don't think
the Democratic Party is dead in this
state, but we need the Valley
counties in a big way."
Hobby is former Chairman of
Columbine JDS Systems, Inc, a
leading software and system
provider to the global media
industry. Hobby was a principal in
H & C Communications, Inc., a
closely held media concern which
owned seven network affiliated
television stations and one radio
station prior to its sale in 1994.
Hobby's professional background
extends to a variety of business,
public service and community
boards. He served as chairman of
the Texas General Services
Commission in 1994-1995 and was
chairman of the Texas Business
Hall of Fame in 1995.
Until recently, Hobby was Vice-
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
of Houston's Hermann Hospital,
(See IIOBHY, Page 4)
At their-regular monthly meeting
on Tuesday night, the Rio Grande
City CISD board of trustees were
given a detailed review of TAAS
results from tests administered in
the spring, with at least small
increases being die norm on most
campuses and in most grades.
Leticia Villarreal, Director of
Guidance and Testing, told the
trustes, "We're still considerably
above the thrcshhold. More students
are being tested and few are being
exempted. Fourth and eighth grade
are for accountability."
Villarreal gave the districtwide
TAAS comparisons from 1997 to
1998 in Mathematics as follows:
THIRD GRADE- 90 percent
passing (in 1997) to 72 percent (in
1998); FOURTH GRADE- 88 to
84 percent (in 1998); FIFTH
GRADE- 81 to 90 percent; SIXTH
GRADE- 66 to 71 percent;
SEVENTH GRADE- 64 to 63
percent; EIGHTH GRADE- 52 to
72 percenL
The following numbers of
students were tested in Reading in
English in each grade: Third Grade,
279; Fourth Grade, 288; Fifth
Grade, 417; Sixth Grade, 420;
Seventh Grade, 434; Eighth Grade,
417.
The Reading comparative results
were reported as follows by
Villarreal: THIRD GRADE- 80 to
75 percent; FOURTH GRADE- 79
to 86 percent; FIFTH GRADE- 76
to 71 percent; SIXTH GRADE- 60
to 61 percent; SEVENTH GRADE-
68 to 64 percent; EIGHTH
Arts & Culture
committee vital
in Rio 2020
At a recent Rio 2020 meeting,
the Art and Culture committee
drafted several goals and activities
that will be major components in
Rio Grande City's forthcoming
strategic plan.
The committee, headed by
Alberto Barrera, envisions "a
cultural center that would act as a
catalyst to develop and promote the
arts of established local and
international residents."
This is the kind of foresight,
according to Rio 2020 planners,
that could thrust Rio Grande City
from its infancy to a competitive
mecca of arts and entertainment.
The possibilities in this city arc
endless. With its endowment of
historical richness and sufficiency
of local artists, this community has
the potential to reap huge benefits,
and plans such as Rio 2020 can
help make it happen.
GRADE- 62 to 69 percent.
The following numbers of
students were tested in Reading in
English in each grade Third Grade,
279; Fourth Grade, 263; Fifth
Grade, 413; Sixth Grade, 422;
Seventh Grade, 436; Eighth Grade,
421.
The Writing Test comparisons
are as follows: FOURTH GRADE-
86 to 88 percent; EIGHTH
GRADE- 60 ot 66 percent. The
totals of students tested in Writing
were 274 fourth graders and 446
eighth graders.
Concerning the Spanish TAAS
results, Enrique Gonzalez
emphasized, "We all p ulled
together, and I think there were
substantial improvements. More
students are being tested in English.
I'm very proud of what was
accomplished this year." Board
President Basilio "Bacho"
Villarreal, Jr., commented, "I think
you all did an excellent job in the
Spanish test."
For the district as a whole, the
Spanish results were as follows:
THIRD GRADE READING- 27 to
47 percent (in 1998); THIRD
GRADE MATHEMATICS- 40 to
51 percent. A total of 204 third
graders took the Spanish test in
both Reading and Mathematics.
FOURTH GRADE READING
19 to 29 percent; FOURTH
GRADE MATHEMATICS- 37 to
58 percent. A total of 194 fourth
graders were tested in Writing, and
173 took the Mathematics test
FIFTH GRADE READING- 25
to 43 percent; FIFFH GRADE
MATHEMATICS- 25 to 68
percent. Forty four fifth graders
were tested in Reading, and 41 were
tested in Mathematics. This is a
sharp decrease from the 134 fifth
graders taking the Spanish version
of the Reading test in May 1977,
and also from the 133 tested in
Mathematics in May 1997.
SIXTH GRADE READING- 25
to 35 percent; SIXTH GRADE
MATHEMATICS- 29 to 44
percent.
Principals from each campus
(See TAAS, Page 4)
THIRD GRADE READING- 27 to (See TAAS, Page 4)
Fireworks prohibited
within RGC city limits
Under a city ordinance, fireworks
are prohibited within the city limits
of Rio Grande City.
Under Section 9-302 of the Code
Book of the City of Rio Grande
City, it is unlawful to manufacture,
possess, sell or use fireworks of
any description within the corporate
limits of the city.
This is especially important this
year because se\er !r : -h!
conditions have greatly inc.-^u.^d
the chances of fire hazards relating
to the use of fireworks. Such
material will be confiscated and
citations issued by the Fire M .• h
and/or Police Department.
A city spokesperson emphasized
that the cooperation of everyone is
greatly appreciated in order to
protect citizens and their property.
Deputy faces charges
of theft, tampering
A deputy of the Starr County
Sheriffs Department faces charges
of possession of stolen proprty and
tampering with evidence in the
wake of a June 19 incident.
Ismael Sandoval, Jr., 28, was
arrested by the Rio Grande City
Police Department on Friday, June
19. Police Chief Guadalupe
Marquez declared, "A radio was
reported stolen from the courthouse
from a burglary there. The radio
was turned over to its owners;
that's how we found it had
(allegedly) been in his possession."
Interim Sheriff Reymundo Gucrra
indicated Tuesday that Sandoval has
been suspended without pay
pending the resolution of the
charges against him.
Sandoval was arraigned before
Municipal Judge Samuel Ramos.
Bond was set at $50,000 for the
tampering charge, a felony, and at
S5000 for the charge of theft-
possession of stolen property, a
misdemeanor.
Marquez indicated on Friday, June
26 that Sandoval "has since been
released on bond." He added that the
episode was investigated by the
RGCPD's Juvenile Officer.
Marquez stated that the case will
probably be presented to the grand
jury in the near future.
Arts and Culture Committee meets
Members of the Arts and Culture committee are pictured above at a recent meeting as they discuss greater arts
and entertainment possibilities for Rio Grande City residents in the upcoming years This committee am! many
others arc meeting as part of the Rio 2020 undertaking.
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 2, 1998, newspaper, July 2, 1998; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth195659/m1/1/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.