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EL UVALDE TIMES
May 1, 1980

Esto Lo Tengo Que Decir!
By Olga Munoz Rodriquez
This I Have To Say!
Por Olga Munoz Rodriquez
About the Civic Center...
Ever since the Civic Center was built in 1965 I have heard people tell me that it was built on the wrong side of town, that according to HUD guidelines it was supposed to be built in an area of the city that needed improvement and economic build up. They tell me some public officials from back then violated the guidelines and left the low income citizens without the Neighborhood Center they were supposed to have received. Contrary to the belief of many business men and especially the Chamber of Commerce, the intended use of the Civic Center was not solely for conventitons or other similar functions.
Before I go on, lets face one fact. Some police officers in our city apply the law with much more pressure and harrassment on Mexican-American citizens. That is why so many times a small insignificant incident at the Civic Center get out of porpor-tion, because- some younger police officers overreact to a situation and use excessive force. I am always hearing complaints of the terrible conduct at western dances, and that sign the city put up at the Civic Center about not spitting on the floors or breaking tables, chaires, doors, ets. is proof of these complaints, because Mexican-American dances are never that disorderly and I have yet to see destruction of property, that is until the police get involved and create a scuffle.
Uvalde policemen have earned the trust of our city council an have managed to be supported by them everytime. I beleive they have overextended this trust and are going too far in their complaints. The council is not getting a true picture of the situation. Two years ago we saw the council raise the rates for commercial dances at the Civic Center to $100 per hour and required three policemen to be paid by the promoter at $35 each per night—a total cost of $505. For non profit organizations the cost was $40 dollars an hour plus the same cost for three policemen, or an average cost of $265. Now we see the council raise the cost of three policemen to $180 or $60 per policemen at $15 an hour. For the commercial promoter the total cost for use of the Civic Center now beéomes $580 and for non profit organizations and private weddings and parties the cost now
Election Day.............
Civil Court of Appeals and we have to choose between incumbent Judge Robert Murray ( an appointee of former Gov. Dolph Briscoe) or Judge Rudy Esquivel of San Antonio. There are several
positions in Uvalde County that will appear on the ballot, such as County Attorney, and County Tax Assessor Collecor but only the incumbents are on
the ballot, since they have no opposition. For Sheriff, incumbent Kenneth Kelley is being challenged by Juan Ayala. Regardless of your preference, please exercise your right to vote this Saturday.
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come to $340. The requirement of three policemen at $60 a night is now more than the use of the Civic Center for non profit organizations for which the rate is $40 an hour!
I believe the source of the problem is not a question of money, but a matter of controlling the consumption of alcohol. The city council is on the right track about obtaining a concessionaire and oreventing glass containers to be taken into the Civic Center. I like the safety the two suggestions imply. But the policemen did not ask for a payraise and I beleive it places a tremendous and unfair hardship a commercial promoter, namely Concha Vasquez, and to non profit organizations who are usually a few people trying to do a lot of good for our community.
Good Going Teachers!
The board had little choice but to listen to the large number of teachers that attended the special meeting held last Thursday. President John Loehr tried at one time to impose the policy that does not permit a person in he audience to be heard until he has requested written request prior to the meeting, but realized how unfair it was and gave up. I have witnessed many an occasion when people that have been sitting in the audience and were going to be directly involved by the action being discussed by the board and were not allowed to comment. As long as I live I will never understand how a group of supposedly intelligent individuals can continue to deny the public the right to speak at a public meeting. It is our children that are directly affected by everything discussed at the board meetings, from teacher salaries, to grades, to class ranking, vocational and other special programs. And yet, parents attending the meetings are never, never given the opportunity to express their concern, their ideas. I enjoyed more than anything else at the meeting, hearing the teachers at last, voice their concern about our educational system directly to the board. In my opinion the board should encourage direct participation such as we had Thursday, before taking action on important items. Dr. Little may or may not present the true opinions of the teachers to the board, as was discovered that night. If the school board ever hopes to improve their public image, they should consider removing the “please let me say something’’ policy and give citizens the right to speak at their meetings. I am so sure the results would be most surprising to them and a lot less dangerous than they think.
Its more than just a Fiesta!
Some people criticize the Mexican-Americans for holding on so much to their native culture. Some say we should not even talk Spanish any more, that other ethnic groups have assimilated quite well and are not so sentimental about their native customs, we must all remember that all the other ethnic groups were uprooted from their native lands and assimilation is thus much easier. That Mexican-Americans are still living in the very land our ancestors discovered, cultivated, developed. Our rivers and towns still bear the names that our ancestors gave them. We are within miles of our mother country, its not sentimentally possible, nor is it socially or economically sound to ignore such binding forces. Besides, its so much fun to be bicultural and bilingual and we feel quite confident and satisfied about being able to speak and function in two languages.
The Uvalde Fiesta Committe endeavors to uphold the dignity of our historical celebration such as the Battle of the Cinco de Mayo. The heroism of Ignacio Zaragosa at that inmortal battle of Puebla in 1862 still lives on and enriches our liK with courage, pride and above all dignity. We cannot permit our youth to lose their pride in their ancestory, because in doing so they lose their identity, their dignity. Thanks to all who support our beliefs and who enjoy gathering together at Jardin de Heroes Park to honor, to celebrate to rejoice in our beautiful heritage.
Tocante el Centro Cívico...
Desde que se construyo el Centro Cívico en 1965 he venido eschuchando a diferentes personas que el edificio se construyo una parte equivoca, que de acuerdo con las regulations de H.U.D., la agencia federal de desarrollo urbano, el edificio debía haberse construido en una area de la ciudad que necesitaba mejoramiento económico. Me dicen que algunos oficiales públicos de aquellos tiempos violaron las reglas y dejaron a la gente pobre de Uvalde sin el edificio vecindario (asi se llama Neighborhood Service Center) que ellos debían haber recibido. Contrario a la creencia popular de muchos personas de negocio y de la Camara de Comercio, el uso intento del Centro Cívico no era para cqnven-ciones o cosas similares.
Antes de seguir, permítanme hacer este punto. Algunos policías aqui aplican la ley con mucha mas fuerza y abuso sobre los Mexico-Americanos. Por eso muchas veces sucede que un incidented insignificante en el Centro Cívico se hace mucho mas grande, porque algunos policías de los mas jovenes reaccionan de mas sobre la situación y usan fuerza exesiva. Siempre escucho quejas de los bailes western de los anglos son muy descontrolados, y ese rotulo (siem) en un lado del stage del Centro Cívico lo comprueba— el que dice que no escupan tabaco en el piso, ni quie bren mesas, sillas, etc.— en los bailes y bodas de Mexicanos nunca he visto comportamiento que haya causado esa clase de desorden y nunca he visto que se quiebre nada, a menos que cuando los polician han hecho el pleito mas grande.
Hasta ahorita los policías han ganado el apoyo y confianza del concilio de la ciudad. Creo que algunos de ellos han abusado de esta confianza en las quejas que ahora ponen. El concilio no esta la verdadera situación. Hace dos anos vimos al concilio sumentar la renta del edificio para bailes comerciales a $100 la hora y el requisito de 3 policías a $35 la noche cada uno— un total de $505 . para las organizaciones oue no trabajan para negocio— como el PTO, LULAC, Legion Americana, etc.,- el costo era de 3 40 la hora, el mismo costo y requisito de policías— un total de $265. Ahora el concilio aumentara el costo de los tres policías a $180 o a $60 la noche por cada uno (a $15 la hora). Para el promotor comercial el costo total ahora sera de $580 y para las organzaciones sociales, las bodas y fiestas privadas el costo ahora es de $340. El requisito de $60 la hora por los policías ahora es mas que la rente del Centro Cívico...para oranizaciones sociales, que es de $40 la hora!
Creo que la causa de el problema no es una cuestión de dinero, sino mas bien el de controlar el consumo del alcohol. El concilio esta en buen camino a) tratar de consequir una sola persona que venda las bebidas alcohólicas y en prohibir que se lleven botellas y envases de vidrio al Centro Cívico. La seguridad que resultaría de estos dos pasos es muy evidente y me gusta. Pero los policías no pidieron el aumento y creo que el concilio a puesto una tremenda injusticia en promoteres de bailes, principalmente a Concha Vasquez, y todas esas organizacines que casi siempre son unas poquitas de personas tratando de hacer mucho bien para la comunidad.
Bien hecho, maestros!
La directiva escolar no tuvo mas remedio mas que escuchar al gran numero de maestros que asistieron a las junta especial el jueves pasado. El Presidente John Loehr trato en una sola vez de imponer la regla que no permite que una persona en la audencia sea escuchada por la directiva a menos de que hay pedido permiso por escrito anteriormente, pero comprendió que seria muy injusto y se rindió. Yo he visto muchas ocasiones cuando la gente que se ha encontrado en estas juntas y quienes hiban a ser dirctamente afectadas por la acción que estaba discutiendo la directiva, no ser permitidas dar comentario. Mientras que yo viva nunca voy a comprender porque este grupo de hombres que se suponen tienen inteligencia, continúan negándole al publico el derecho de hablar en una junta publica. Son nuestros hijos los que serán directamente afectados por todo lo que se discute en las juntas escolares, desde los salarios de los maestros, los grados, el sistema de reconocer los alumnos de honor, programas vocacionales o especiales y otros asuntos. Y sinembargo, los padres que asisten a las juntas, nunca, nunca, se les da la oportunidad de expresar suconcierno, sus ideas. Me gusto mucho la junta del jueves porque escuche por primera vez a las maestras al fin, expresar su preocupación por nuestro systema educacional directamente a la directiva. En mi opinion, la directiva debe animar la directa participación como la tuvimos el jueves, anted de tomar acción en asuntos importantes. El Dr. Little puede o tal vez no puede presentar las verdaderas opiniones de las maestras ante la
directiva, como se descubrió ésa noche. Si la directiva espera algún dia mejorar la imagen que tiene ante el publico, debían de condiderar quitar de una vez esa regla que no hace rogarles “por favor, puede hablar" y devolverles a los ciudadanos el derecho de hablar ante la directiva. Estoy segura que se sorprenderían del resultado y que sabrían que es mucho menos peligroso de lo que se piensan.
Es mas que una Fiesta!
Hay gente quien critica a los Mexico-Americanos por consevar tanto su cultura nativa. Algunos nos dicen que ni debiéramos hablar el español, que otros grupos ethnicos que vivineron a American han sido asimilados muy bien y no son tan sentimentales con sus costumbres nativas. Todos debemos recordar que todos los demas grupos, los alemanos, francés, polacos, fueren desenraisados de su tierra natal (de alia del otro lado del mar) y para ellos la asimiliacion (la revoltura) ha sido mas fácil. Que nosotros los Mexico-Americanos todavía vivimos en las mismas tierras que nuestros antepasados descubrieron, cultivaron, y desarrolloran. Que los ríos y las ciudades todavía llevan los nombres que nuestros antepasados les dieron. Estamos todavía a solamente millas de nuestra Madre Patria, y no es sentimentalmente posible, ni es socialmente o económicamente posible ignorar estas fuerzas tan atadoras. Ademas, es mucho mas divertido ser de dos culturas y hablar dos idiomas y nos sentimos muy agusto y satisfechos de hablar y trabajar en dos lenguas.
El Comité de Fiestas trabaja para mantener la dignidad de nuestras celebraciones histroicas como fue la Batalla de Cinco de Mayo. El heroísmo de Ignacio Zaragosa en aquella batalla inmortal en Puebla en 1862, aun vive y enriqueze nuestras vidas con valor, orgullo y mas que nada, con dignidad. No podemos permitir que nuestra juventud pierda su orgullo en sus antepasados, porque al hacerlo pierden su identidad y su dignidad. Gracias a todos los que nos apoyan en nuestros ideales y que les agrada reunirse en el Parque Jardín de los Heroes para honrar, celebrar y en nuestra hermosa herencia cultural.
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