Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 2004 Page: 1 of 6
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THURSDAY
WEEKLY
EDITION
February 19, 2004
91st YEAR No. 8
#215
IIOACJ B<X)K BINDERY
127 RAIL ROAD
SPRINGPORT, Ml 92(M
Zone U
Rio Grande
HERALD
A Newspaper Serving the People of South Texas
EDC board okays executive director contract with Porras
Local officials receive fingerprint training
Four officials of the Rio Grande City Police Department and one officer from the RGC Fire Department
participated in training 111 Youngsville, North Carolina on Monday, Feb. 9. The training was provided by
Sirchie Fingerprint Laboratories, with the local officers receiving training in the use of new and modern
fingerprinting equipment. Pictured left to right are Roberto Ramirez. RGCPD Sergeant Detective; Chris
Harris, Sales and Training Representative for Sirchie; Benjamin Gonz.lez, RGCPD Detective; Mary Ann
Be Tyhill, Crime Scene Technician for Guilford County N.C. Sheriff's Department; F.li Gonzalez. RGCPD
Assistant Chief; John H. Carrington, Sirchie President and CEO and North Carolina state senator; Jaime
Longoria, RGCPD Detective; L A. (Roy) Lindell, Sergeant for Guilford County N.C. Sheriffs Department;
and Desi Olivarez, RGC Fire Department Arson Investigator.
RGCPD receives training in
modern fingerprint equipment
Four Officials of the Rio Grande
City Police Department and one
Rio Grande City Fire Department
investigator received special
training in modern fingerprint
technology last week in North
Carolina from one of America's
largest forensic facilities.
RGCPD Assistant Chief Eli
Gonzalez, Sergeant Detective
Roberto Ramirez, Detective
Benjamin Gonzalez, and Detective
Jaime Longoria represented the Rio
Grande City Police Department at
the training. Rio Grande City Fire
Department Investigator Desi
Olivare/ also attended the training.
The training on Monday, Feb. 9
was carried out by Sirchie
Fingerprint Laboratories, Inc.,
located in Youngsville, North
Carolina. John H. Carrington, who
ts also a North Carolina state
senator, is the President and CEO
of Sirchie. Gonzalez, indicated that
Sirchie is one of the largest and
most modern facilities of its type in
the entire country.
Gonzalez noted that the five local
officers "received training in new
equipment that the RGCPD
purchased through u local law
enforcement block grant. The
equipment is called 'Reflective
Ultra Violet Imaging System.'"
"This technology focuses on
fingerprint evidence," explained
Gonzalez. "This is an excellent
fingerprinting investigation tool
that will assist us in solving
crimes. This is among the most
modern equipment available to law
enforcement today."
The Assistant Chief stressed.
"This is a giant step forward in
technology for our department. This
will be tremendously helpful to the
department and the community as a
Sheriff Guerra announces
re-election candidacy
Sheriff Reymundo "Rey" Guerra
has announced his re-election
candidacy for Starr County Sheriff
in the upcoming Democratic Party
primary elections on March 9,
2004.
Sheriff Reymundo Guerra has
been serving as Sheriff since March
25, 1998, when he was appointed
as Interim Sheriff by the Starr
County Commissioners Court.
Sheriff Guerra was then elected as
Sheriff on Nov. 2, 1998 when he
ran in the general election.
Sheriff Reymundo Guerra is the
son of Roberto Guerra and the late
Armandina Guerra of Fronton. He
has four brothers and four sisters.
He is married to Sevcrita Garcia-
Guerra and they have four
daughters.
Sheriff Guerra graduated from
Soma High School in May 1976.
h> then attended Laredo Junior
College, where he obtained his
license as a Texas Peace Officer.
Sheriff Guerra began his career in
law enforcement in 1978 as a
Correctional Officer for the Texas
Department of Corrections in
Huntsville, Texas, where he was
assigned to the Wails Unit.
In 1981 Sherill Guerra was hired
as a Deputy Sheriff and Warrant
Officer with the Starr County
Reymundo Guerra
Sheriff's Department. In 1982 he
was promoted to Chief Jailer for the
Starr County Detention Center,
which at the time had a capacity of
24 beds. It was under Sheriff
Gucrra's authority that the
Detention Center was certified and
found to be in compliance by the
Texas Minimum Jail Standards
Commission each year increasing
the bed capacity tc 117 beds. At the
present date, the capacity for the
Starr County Jail is 275 beds
(Sec GUERRA, Page 6)
w hole."
"I thank our local Law
Enforcement Block Grant Advisory
Committee for their role in making
this happen," emphasized Gonzalez
"I thank the mayor and board of
aldermen for supporting the
purchase of this modern
equipment."
Gonzalez concluded, "We had an
excellent visit with the Sirchie
staff." He noted that Youngsville is
located in the Raleigh-Durham area
of North Carolina. Chris Harris,
Sales and Training Representative
for Sirchie, helped direct and carry
out the training.
Among North Carolina law
officers participating in the training
were Mary Ann Berryhill, Crime
Scene Technician for the Guilford
County Sheriffs Department; and
Sergeant L A. (Roy) Lindell of the
Guilford County Sheriff's
Department.
Wild Game
Dinner & Silent
Auction scheduled
Feb. 28
The annual fundraiser Wild
Game Dinner and Silent Auction of
the Starr County Youth Fair has
been set for Saturday, February 28,
at 6:00 p.m. The event will
officially kick off the 39lh annual
fair. A silent auction will again
be featured, with bidding to begin at
6:30 and close at 8:30. The Rio
Grande City Rotary Club will
coordinate the event again this year,
with Billy Canales serving as chair.
They invite the public to make plans
to attend and help make this event a
success.
T ickets for the meal will be $10
per person, purchasable at the door
or in advance at Rio Motor Co. or
from Rotary Club or Starr County
Fair Association board members.
Rio Motor Co. sponsored the
printing of the tickets.
Donations to the Starr County
Fair Association will also be
accepted. Proceeds from the
fundraiser are used to provide
scholarships to up to eight Starr
County seniors.
Also available at the door will be
advance tickets for the 2004 fair. At
(See AUCTION. Page 6)
At their special meeting during
the noon hour on Thursday, Feb.
12, the Board of Directors of the
Rio Grande City 4-B Economic
Development Corporation (EDC)
voted to approve a contract for
David Porras to serve as the entity 's
new Executive Director.
At their Jan. 29 meeting, the
EDC Board voted by a 4-2 margin
to select Porras as Executive
Director. Another vote approved the
appointment of a three-member
committee to negotiate terms of
employment with Porras.
Following an executive session
on Feb. 12, City Administrator
Leonardo Olivares declared, "In
executive session, terms of the
contract were discussed. A
negotiating committee was
established and met last week.
There were some good discussions."
Olivares added, "He (Porras) did
not get everything he wanted. We
did not get everything we wanted. I
feel it was a good compromise."
EDC Secretary Lauro Lopez
offered a motion, seconded by
member Ruben D. Saenz, that the
contract be approved as per the
terms discussed in executive
session. The motion was approved
without dissent. At the Feb. 12
meeting, six board members were
present and board member Hernan
R. Garza III was absent.
Olivares told The Rio Grande
Herald on Tuesday that a two-year
contract was awarded to Porras,
conditioned on the successful
completion of a six-month
evaluation period. If the six-month
evaluation period is successfully
completed, the two-year contract
will come into effect.
Olivares indicated, "The parties
agreed to a base (annual) salary of
roughly $45,000. He's not eligible
for EDC health benefits. We are
paying mandatory taxes such as
Social Security and workers
compensation."
He noted that Porras "began
serving in the position on Friday,
Feb. 13."
At the Jan 29 EDC meeting,
Olivares noted, "We have advertised
for an executive director for several
months." Saenz declared, "I
recommend David Porras."
Saenz moved and Lauro Lopez
seconded that Porras be selected as
Executive Director. The motion
was approved by a 4-2 margin, with
members Ruben O. Villarreal and
Hernan R. Garza 111 voting no.
Six EDC board members were
present at the Jan. 29 meeting, with
Vice President Rudy Montalvo
being absent.
Saenz offered a motion that Rudy
Montalvo, Ruben D. Saenz and
Lauro Lopez be named to a three-
member committee to negotiate
contract terms with Porras. That
particular motion received
unanimous approval.
Later in the meeting, Porras told
the EDC members. "I thank you for
(See CONTRACT, Page 6)
2004 County Fair to feature
many new attractions
The annual Wild Game Dinner of
the Starr County Youth Fair has been
set for Saturday, February 28, at 6:30
p.m. at the fairgrounds coliseum. The
event will officially kick off the 39th
annual fair. Honored guests will be
2004 Starr County Fair Parade
Marshals, Billy and Dolores Canales.
The Rio Grande City Rotary
Club will coordinate the Wild Game
Dinner again this year, with Billy
Canales serving as chair. They invite
the public to make plans to attend and
help make this event a success.
Music will be provided for listening
or dancing pleasure.
Tickets for the meal will be $10
per person, purchasable at the door or
in advance at Rio Motor Co. or from
Rotary Club or Starr County Fair
Association board members. A silent
auction will be held, and donations to
the Starr County Fair Association will
be accepted. Proceeds from the fund
raiser are used to provide scholarships
to up to eight Starr County seniors.
Canales stated that many
enthusiastic cooking teams have
signed up to prepare and serve their
specialties at the dinner. Some of the
taste tempters prepared in previous
years are fried catfish and shrimp,
chicken fried venison, shrimp
cocktail, turkey chili, quail on wild
rice, eland (wild elk) shish kabobs and
pan de campo, handmade corn
tortillas, Japanese quail, pork and
venison chili, cabrito guisado, venison
burgers, puerco guisado, venison
sausage and venison guisado, and
delicious desserts. Beer, wine, water.
(See ATTRACTIONS, Page 6l
RGC High JROTC leads
Parade of Oranges in Mission
RGCC1SD News Release
I'he Rio Grande City High School
JROTC 12th Cav airy recently led the
Parade of Oranges as part of the
Texas Citrus Fiesta. The parade is a
tradition that started over 65 years
ago in celebration of the citrus indus-
try in the Rio Grande Valley. The
event features Queen Citrianna and
her Court, National and International
Diplomats, Valley Queens and Duch-
esses, as well as, high school bands
from throughout the Valley. This is
the first year that the 12th Cavalry
participates in leading this event
"The cadets felt honored to lead the
parade, it was a great opportunity
that not everyone gets." said Master
Sergeant Marco Pena (JROTC In-
structor). "This was great exposure
for the battalion. There were over
100,000 spectators at this event "
According to the cadets they all had
mixed emotions in getting ready for
this presentation which was like no
other they had done. It was evident
that the three weeks of practicing dif-
ferent formations paid off. Each for-
mation was executed perfectly and
w ith precision.
"We were excited to do it, a little
afraid; We had to show everyone that
we could do it and that we were ca-
pable of leading the parade," said
Cadet 2nd Lt. Dhilendv Garcia. Ca-
det Commander Sgt. Major Jose De
La Rosa said that they were nervous
at first but it was a chance that not
many people get. De La Rosa wanted
to show the spectators the talent the
12th Cavalry has acquired through
hard work and dedication. "The
things we can do, what the whole bat-
talion can do," he said.
The 12th Cavalry made a lasting
impression on the spectators present
that day. As the Hag detail rode on
their horses the sense of pride was
soaring through the air as everyone
stood at attention for the red, white,
and blue.
"All the Winter Texans stood up as
we walked by and their reaction was
a surprising one." said Cadet 1st Lt.
Dario Marquez. "I think after seeing
us. many of them, w ill come to Rio
Grande City to learn more about the
city and the JROTC."
The JROTC is actively involved
w ithin their school and community.
They participate in various competi-
tions. camps, community projects,
and parades.
"The Parade of Oranges was a
great opportunity. It served as a prac-
tice for the upcoming parade in San
Antonio." said Cadet Major Isabel
Zunta.
The Rio Grande City High School
JROTC has a couple of upcoming pa-
rades that they will participate in. On
February 21, 2004, they will be in
Laredo. Texas for the George Wash-
ington Parade. They will also travel
(See ORANGES, Page 6)
.<7 0-' "y"
i./ il. k -t
JROTC 12th Cavalry leads Parade of Oranges
The Rio Grande City High School JROTC 12th Cavalry recently led the Parade of Oranges in Mission. This
event on Jan. 31. 2004 attracted over 100.000 people Spectators were impressed with the 12th Cavalry's
sabre skills and marching formations The cadets are preparing for several upcoming parades in Laredo and San
Antonio. (RGCC1SD photo).
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 2004, newspaper, February 19, 2004; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196256/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.