Mr. Jack King, I understand you are a historian of sorts, or is that the other Jack?

As for your statement that I stated that, “southerners became Democrats after the Civil War to spite Lincoln,” I wrote no such thing. Maybe a reading class is in order?

I agree with your argument that a higher percentage of Republicans voted, “yeah,” than did Democrats in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In fact, Sen. Richard Russell (D-GA) said at the time, “We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingle and amalgamation of the races in our southern states.”

The argument was that the Civil Rights proposals were “unconstitutional, unnecessary, unwise and beyond the realm of reason.” Sound familiar?

It is true Jack that as a result of the bill, Democrats ride themselves of racist Democrats who along with their votes moved to your GOP. In fact, they took over the party. These were the same kind of people who like Mr. Taylor, whom you chose to defend and align yourself with, nostalgized for days gone by in America.

Yes, I am indignant over the America Jim Taylor envisions. While you may be perfectly fine with the tone and mood of his fairytale story, I find it repulsive. Secondly, it matters not who you run as a political party, but who you pick to be your candidate.

It was the Democrat Party who voted in our first African American president.

Thirdly, both parties are to blame for the exportation of American jobs.

And, finally, the deportation of 12 million unauthorized residents, if possible, would be devastating to our economy.

Saul Gonzalez

San Benito

In going through the grocery store, I saw bags of “deer corn” for sale. Almost $8 with tax on it while the farmer producing it gets only $3.20 a bushel and it cost them $4 plus a bushel to produce.

Do you know what deer corn is? It’s cracked up corn sweepings of chaff off the floors, dirt and everything else.

Taxes up and up and up every year. When is it going to stop?

And Obum (Barack Obama) took away the farm subsidies from the farmers. I don’t know where this thing is going, do you?

But it doesn’t look good. I guess we don’t need food and the stupid leadership has 10 more months as dictator of our country.

John F. Spatenka

Harlingen

Today, I have invited Trump and all GOP candidates to Harlingen to meet me and understand with Democrat candidate for president. Obviously, you all do not understand what the Pope is trying to tell you.

Trump’s remarks. The Pope is begging any of you candidates to actually do something. The Pope is totally against the Mexican government’s corruption and allowing the “human tragedy that is forced migration.”

“No more deaths! No more exploitation!”

Pope Francis stsated, “we cannot deny the humanitarian crisis which in recent years has meant the migration of thousands of people … whether by train or highway or on foot, crossing hundreds of kilometers through mountains, deserts and inhospitable zones.” “They are our brothers and sisters who are being expelled by poverty and violence, drug trafficking and organized crime.”

How clear can the people be? He is calling for “U.S. intervention to stop the killing and suffering and exploitation of Mexicans by their own corrupt elite government and U.S. corporations inside Mexico exploiting workers by slave wages which contains their poverty.

How can anyone misunderstand what the people is saying?

Francis is calling for some Christian candidate to come forth and actually do something to stop the killing and abuse and the poverty.

These illegals are actually refugees fleeing for their lives into the USA. If we Amercan were to actually take our Army and rescue these millions from the oppressors, then, we become Christian and show love to our neighbors.

If this nation sits on our hands and does nothing to stop the exploitation by Maquiladoras, drug kills and that corrupt government. Then we need to pull Old Glory down and burn her, as a symbol of a lie.

The Pope is talking about love.

Stan Locke

Presidential Candidate

Democrat

Port Aransas

BY NORMAN ROZEFF

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the next installment in an ongoing series on San Benito’s Sam Robertson. To find previous articles, go to www.valleystar.com.

Robertson, upon completion of the Lott line, was still hard-pressed for money. He had however viewed the land and had come to realize its potential should it receive irrigation water pumped from the river and then allowed to flow in canals north by gravity. With a handshake and his good character Robertson was able to acquire 13,000 acres of Valley land at $3.00 an acre. Eventually it would grow into a 68,000 acre project.

He literally got his feet wet after taking a contract to install a modern pumping plant and expand the canal system at Santa Maria. An even larger project he took on was the canal system of the American Rio Grande Land and Irrigation Company at Mercedes. Contracts at Los Fresnos and El Jardin would follow. Now with some cash in his pocket, he could pursue his own project. In December 1906 he began to clear brush from the Resaca de los Fresnos, an ancient dried-up river bed extending from the river through he land he owned east of Harlingen.

Robertson’s scant capital soon dried up. As recounted earlier, he then turned for help to his acquaintances he had known near Beaumont. These were the Heywood Bothers who had made a fortune getting in early on the oil discovery at Spindle Top and later at the first oil field development in Louisiana at Jennings. Col. Elba Heywood was especially taken by the potential of the area. With a new bankroll, Robertson was able to complete the canal of the San Benito Land and Water Company and to found the town of San Benito. The subdivided land sold at first for $25.75 an acre, but with the sale of 4,000 acres in two weeks the price was upped to $50 an acre. Town lots also went for on the market for $50 and upwards. Sales were made for a down payment and 6 percent interest for the balance.

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Robertson soon came to the conclusion that Valley farmers would be severely hindered in getting there produce to the rail heads. The dirt roads were poor, winding, and subject to becoming impassible after rains. Unless this problem was resolved his land sales would suffer. The solution, he believed, was to construct feeder rail lines to the main line. But, of course, his slim finances again came to fore. What he did was go to the large land owners and ask them to mortgage their unsold land for $10 an acre in order to aid his road. This succeeded.

He then approached George M. Dilley & Sons of Palestine, Texas and was able to get this firm to sell him rail on time. He had beforehand (February 14, 1912) incorporated the San Benito, Rio Grande Valley Interurban Railway Company along with the Brownsville Street & Interurban Railroad. With the latter he built two miles of track down Elizabeth Street, around the courthouse and out to West Brownsville. To be more specific, as recounted in “Tidbits” the line began near “the current Gateway Bridge, went up Elizabeth Street, turned left on 10th Street, then right up Levee. A two-way track continued to West Brownsville while a spur turned up 3rd Street to Washington Street and continued past Market Square and the Courthouse.”

The S.B.& R.G.V. advanced $78,l84.99 for the construction of the Brownsville Street Railway Line, which was not taken over but operated independently.

Chartered June 12, 1912, the San Benito and Rio Grande Valley Railway, or as it was affectionately called the “Spider Web” or “Sam Robertson’s Back Door Railroad” changed its name in August 1912 to the San Benito and Rio Grande Valley Railway Company.

Over time it would expand its range to north of Rio Hondo, south to the river and west to a small station south of Mission. Fred Robertson was its superintendent of construction for its first 90 miles of track built. He would later note that as soon as any mileage of track was in position, it would be put into commercial use.

Fred, who moved on in 1914, would go on to serve 21 years working for the San Benito Irrigation District. As innovative and ambitious as Sam Robertson was, he was always strapped for cash for his enterprises. The 1913-14 recession period certainly didn’t help matters. With the Frisco in debt to the Equitable Trust Company of New York, the S. B. & R.G.V. was in receivership. In late l9l4 or early l5 the Equitable Trust Co. of New York who owned $953,735.00, six percent gold bonds issued October, l9l2 and to mature October l942, had purchased all the capital stock from the Frisco. So it was on March 1, 1916 that the San Benito and Rio Grande Railway, the Spider Web, was acquired by the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico, itself emerging from receivership. The latter continued to operate it as a separate company.

Robertson remained as president and chief operating officer until he went into the army during the Great War. By 1925 when the line had been taken over by another railroad entity, it had routes north of Mission extending to Raymondville and beyond. Sam was its president and general manager until he entered the Army in 1917. Later George Winsor occupied these positions for may years.

Old railroad man, Floyd E. Rees of Kingsville, would later recall some dramatic incidents regarding the “Spider Web”. He wrote: “ The S.B.& R.G.V. has had its share of accidents like all Ry. Some of the oddest are: On Feb. 5, l9l5, conductor J.B. Franks was injured in the face while attempting to start a motor car with gun powder. I must say we have come a long way since l9l5 in the method of starting motor cars, auto, etc.

In Feb. l9l7 a section speedster with 6 men was returning to San Benito and when about l and l/2 miles from San Benito and crossing a bridge used by pedestrians, vehicles and the rail road, jumped the track and swerved to the side of the bridge and broke thru the supports and precipited (sic) the men and car in the canal water beneath. Two of the men were drowned, and the rest escaped uninjured. Where would you say this accident occurred – between San Benito and Rio Hondo or the San Benito to Santa Maria end?

From l9l3 thru l9l8 there were quite a few motor cars (gasoline speedsters used by maintenance employees) derailed account [of] striking horses, cows and even dogs but none account [of] striking autos. In most of these derailments one or more employees were injured [and] in one case the employee died.”

Still earlier, Sam had other dreams. His appetite for development, construction and large-scale agriculture had been whetted, in part, by Closner’s success. He became interested in sugarcane from various glowing reports. As early as October 1908, indications were afoot that a sugar mill was in the works. Publicized was the fact that the railroad would put in sidings at San Benito to accommodate a 2,400 ton per day sugar mill and refinery. The San Benito Land and Irrigation Company was forecast to plant 3,000 acres in sugarcane in 1909. On 3/6/09 the headline “San Benito Sugar Enterprise” and the story following revealed the San Benito Land and Water Company’s commitment to a future factory.

One thousand acres for sugarcane culture were to be set side, and the land, which was being cleared north of the railroad track, was to be the site of a 1,000 ton cane/day mill. Those involved included Col. Alba Heywood, president, R. E. Filcher of San Francisco, vice-president, E. H. Cox of Chicago, secretary, S. A. Robertson, treasurer, and Robert Lynn Butts of Austin, director and counsel. At least one grower, B. C. Zuber, living one mile from town, reported his seven month old sugarcane to be flourishing by mid-1909.

Although all the San Benito area cane was to be used for seed, more was needed to plant 1,200 acres and bring the total to 2,000. Farmers such as S. C. Cowgill, formerly of Montezuma, Indiana, would seed 250 of his 700 acres of resaca land in cane while another farm contracted to bring in 800 tons of seed. Roscoe E. Stephens of Indiana was convinced by absentee landowner Augustus A. Street of Indianapolis to come to San Benito to care for his cane land. Other growers were the Watts brothers and T. Y. McGovern.

Another major “sub-disease” of alcohol abuse and alcoholism (as well as the abuse and dependency on substances other than alcohol) among children is the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a diagnosed condition which in recent years has been changed to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs).

These are the disorders that result from a woman consuming alcohol during pregnancy.

The concept of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was conceived and developed by Doctors David W. Smith and Kenneth L. Jones in 1973.

There studies of 55,000 pregnancies in which 32 percent of the resultant births exhibited craniofacial, limb and cardiovascular defects associated with prenatal onset growth deficiency and development delay. Theirs was the first scientific study of the condition, and the first reported association between maternal drinking and child development.

Society has known of the detriment of alcohol consumption by the pregnant woman for millennia however.

The first know record of the warning not to drink alcohol while pregnant can be found in old testament of the Christian Bible, in the Book of Judges: “An angel appeared to Sampson’s Mother, saying, “Behold now, thou art barren…but thou shalt conceive…now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink…” Social reformist Henry Fielding wrote in 1751, “What must become an infant who is conceived in Gin? With the poisonous distillations of which it is nourished, both in the womb and at the breast.”

Also during this period, known as the “Temperance Movement,” temperance leader Ellen G. White wrote, “As a result of parental intemperance children often lack physical strength and mental and moral power…” In 1857, a Doctor Forel of France did a study of children born 9 months after a wine festival, noting an increase in the number of “idiots” born (Idiot was a term once used for persons with a developmental disorder). Dr. Forel stated, “Conception during intoxication produced idiot children.”

We now know the condition of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) not to be one disorder but a number of disorders associated in a causative factor. The five major physical symptoms associated with the syndrome are a baby of shortened length, low birth weight, slow in growth and development, cardiovascular defects, and craniofacial abnormalities, and a smaller head and brain size. We have since discovered that various problems in learning and memory also are noted early in life, sometimes in late childhood; due to physio-neurological deficits of brain development.

Prenatal alcohol consumption creates a spectrum of developmental difficulties impacting neurological and development resulting problematic expressed cognitive abilities and functioning.

In my work with Alcoholics and their families over the years I witnessed first-hand the results of the havoc and destructive nature of the disease. Take the case of Jimmy R. who began counseling with me in his late 20’s having been diagnosed with a Depressive Disorder. Both of Jimmy’s parents were alcoholic, although his mother and father separated when he was a baby. He was the middle child of three children. He and his siblings left home at age 15, and were completely on their own.

His older brother became an alcoholic, and his younger sister an addict to alcohol and other drugs. The parents were non-attentive to the children, never giving them affection. Jimmy and his siblings roamed around without supervision from early childhood on. Jimmy did not do well in school, nor did he socialize with other children. The children were at one point taken away from the mother and placed with foster parents for a few years, then eventually reunited with the mother after she had extensive treatment for her alcoholism.

As an FAS child, Jimmy had one arm shorter than the other, and was taunted and teased by other children. He spent almost all of his time alone, isolating from others. He taught himself to play the guitar, which was the outlet for his stress. He often had a “dead-pan” stare, talked very little, and it took a long time to develop trust with him. Jimmy was previously diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Jimmy stayed away from alcohol until his 20s, relating making a vow to himself he would never drink because of what he had experienced as a child.

Although detesting alcohol, he began drinking and using marijuana, mainly to help him socialize with others; quitting in his mid-twenties as he related the alcohol made him very physically ill and he did not like the feeling of being “stoned” on the marijuana. Despite his obvious disabilities, Jimmy married a childhood sweetheart, the only relationship he ever had, and they had two children. He related that he had previous counseling experiences, but no one had ever talked to him about his parent’s alcohol history or his experiences as a child in an alcoholic family. He decided to come to counseling because he wanted to be able to raise his children without his encumbered problems, and insure his children were raised in a “normal environment.”

In counseling it was extremely difficult for Jimmy to “get in touch” with his feelings, nor share with others in group counseling; especially concerning his childhood experiences with his parents and siblings. Jimmy was a Child of Alcoholism who decided to get help and successfully applied himself to recovery. He went on to own his own business and really enjoyed his time with his family. He was one of the fortunate ones, as many COAs live with their pain and suffering all their life.

Unlike years past, there are many now who speak for the Child of Alcoholism. They are available among the Licensed/Certified Chemical Dependency Counselors in your area. If you desire more information on COA and what you may do to help in their recovery, contact The National Association of Adult Children of Alcoholics (NAACA), ALANON and ALATEEN, or your local Mental Health/Substance Abuse Authority. The children need not suffer. Until next time, stay healthy my friends!

Fiona was a cute little girl with huge brown eyes and a big smile. She was the new girl in the classroom coming late in the school year.

The little girl had been moving a lot over the last several years and her classroom attendance had not been the best. When she entered Room 623, the teacher discovered quickly that the girl did not know her boundaries. She would run and grab whatever she wanted in the classroom. Fiona also was nonverbal and had no comprehension of what letters or numbers even meant.

Plus, Fiona had food allergies and was on a strict diet.

From the very first moment in the room, Fiona was a challenge to both the children and the staff. Because the child was unable to talk either verbally or in pictures, she was becoming easily frustrated. Food became an immediate problem. At breakfast or lunch, Fiona would get a special food tray. More often than not, she didn’t like the food that she was getting from the cafeteria.

That posed a lot of problems.

Fiona’s frustration started in the early morning hours. When the girl finished eating her breakfast, she tried grabbing the other children’s food. If her neighbor was already done eating his food, she would run to another section of the table. Lunch time proved to be even more challenging. During her first days at school, she surprised everyone in the cafeteria by taking a quick run for the kitchen. She began to grab everything in sight that she liked.

That behavior had to stop immediately. The child needed to learn boundaries and to respect other people’s space.

She also had to stay on her strict diet.

The first thing the child required was a way to communicate her wants and needs. The teacher decided to buy a new set of two inch picture icons quickly. So she ordered from Picture Exchange Communication System the most common word icons for Fiona. The icons were made with thick laminating film which would last for a long time.

The teacher wanted to begin working with some of the typical high preference icons like soda, cookie, squishy toy or candy. So she asked the parents which foods were acceptable for the girl to have. They gave permission for certain types of candies and soda but no cookies.

Squishy toys were also highly encouraged for the child to ask for too.

While first learning to communicate, Fiona would start to cry when the teacher didn’t just give her the preferred foods. Because Fiona’s desire for food was so great, she had a powerful motivator to learn what those little pictures meant. She learned quickly that asking for something instead of crying could get her what she wanted.

But not always. When the girl did grab another child’s food, she was immediately removed from the table. Fiona learned that it was better to wait for a reward for good behavior than to be taken away from what she wanted most. In fact, the teacher was surprised on how quickly Fiona grasped that picture icons could be used to her communicate her wants and needs.

Fiona also learned boundaries at the same time, too.

Pamela Gross Downing, a special education teacher can be reached at [email protected].

BY CHUCK MALLOY and Palm Society of South Texas member

When you drive into the Rio Grande Valley on the Texas Tropical Trail, what’s the first thing that makes you think that it’s tropical? The palm trees! Not just any palms, but the Washingtonia robustas (Mexican Fan Palm).

Back in the 80s the Valley was cursed with palm decline and a hard freeze that almost eliminated the Washingtonias and date palms.

This virtually changed the landscape. We now face a new threat to the Washingtonias and queen palms (Cocos plumosas or Syagrus romanzoffiana), by a fungi known as Fusarium Wilt, (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. palmarum). There is no cure at this time! Florida was the first and now Houston and Galveston, to get hit with this fungus/pathogen.

The fungus is located in the xylem tissue and blocks water transportation into the frond. It has an interesting characteristic though. It blocks the nutrients on only one side of the frond from the petiole through the fan/pinnate end of the frond.

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One side of the frond turns yellow to reddish-brown initially, and then the whole frond dies. Usually the lower fronds are first to die.

Then it moves up into the canopy and the center leaf-shoot is the last to die. In three months the entire palm is dead.

Since the palm dies so fast none of the fronds have time to drop off or even droop. The result is a completely dead tree with its brown fronds intact.

Once the fungus is detected and confirmed, the only course to eliminate the spread of the fungus is to cut down the entire palm — including the stump — and dispose of both.

Do not mulch any part of the palm.

To avoid contamination, do not plant other susceptible palms in the same place because once the fungus starts it has a domino effect. It is not known to exist here in the RGV yet, but as happens with most diseases, someone will knowingly or unknowingly transport a plant or a piece of equipment and the fungus could become endemic.

The current belief is that wind-borne spores and contaminated tree equipment are the disease transference mechanism.

What can we do to help prevent the spread of this disease? As with any life form, the palm’s best defense is a strong immune system. Make sure your plants are getting proper watering and nutrients to ward off disease.

Also do not over-prune any palm as this weakens the its ability to photosynthesize or build a strong immune system, and makes the tree more susceptible to pathogens. Pruning should always be limited to dead or dying fronds.

The typical over-pruning of palms that one sees in the RGV puts the palms at risk for many diseases and deficiencies.

Palms should have a full crown and not look like a shaving brush. All pruning devices should be sanitized between the trimming of every tree.

SOURCES:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp278 Monica L. Elliott, Professor Plant Pathology Dept.

University of Florida IFAS Extension Publication #PP278

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

HARLINGEN — “Good job, Alex. Yeah,” someone shouted as Alex Jimenez accepted his medal.

He’d won first place in his age group at the second annual Thin Mint Sprint 5K hosted by the Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas. The event yesterday morning was based at the Girl Scouts service center at 202 E. Madison Ave.

Jimenez was one of about 300 runners who participated in the run in celebration of National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend. This is the third year the Girl Scouts of America is observing the national event and the second year for Harlingen to hold the run.

Last year the weather didn’t cooperate and there weren’t very many runners. Yesterday, male and female runners showed up in droves and ran through the cool, dry morning air.

Upon their return, they found a festive crowd ready to award runners for placing in their division according to age group

Jimenez, 38, was excited about winning the race for the 30 to 39-year-old age group.

“I feel good,” he said, still pumped. “This is the first 5K I’ve run this year.”

He was one of about 20 members of Valley Praise Church who participated in the run at the suggestion of a member of the local Girl Scouts.

“I love to do it for the kids,” Jimenez said. “It’s for a great cause.”

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