Plenty of action took place in 2009 and most of it impacted the residents either directly or indirectly. Signs of progress are evident with the state of the art facilities will be used for educational purposes in Kingsville and Bishop. Some of the news included health issues, tragedies, and plenty of stories on future plans with the entities. Many people survived the economical situations and many employees working with entities received pay raises. So in the final analysis, more positive happenings occurred this year. These are the top 10 stories selected by the staff of the Kingsville Record and Bishop News.

No.1 - Educational Facilities

Several stories were written about the new educational facilities that have been scheduled to open in the coming year. These new buildings, that are obviously visible, will have a viable impact on students, staff and the community in general.

Therefore, the Kingsville Record and Bishop News staff selected the new educational facilities as the No. 1 story for this year.

The construction of a new elementary school on the site of the old Harvey School campus located on East Kenedy has an anticipated completion date by August 2010. The school which, was one of the oldest structures in the district, was demolished this year.

Work has begun on the site with the preparation of the suspended foundation. Alberto Soto, the architect said Wednesday that the anticipated completion date would be this summer for students to enroll n the school year.

The final design of the building was revealed at regular meeting KISD board meeting in late May. The new primary school, with a cost of about $9.5 million, mirrors the same architecture as that of Gillett Intermediate School. The new school has 66,730 square feet along with 4,000 square feet of covered play area.

The new school will be able to house 600 students from pre-kindergarten 3 to fourth grade. KISD has $26 million in bond money to be used on facilities.

Another educational facility that is making progress is the new Santa Gertrudis School located near the entrance of the King Ranch.

The Santa Gertrudis School is scheduled to be completed early this year and open before the spring break.

The new facility will house 12 classrooms, a science lab and an art room. The building will accommodate 200 students from pre-kindergarten to the eighth grade. Alexandra Feild, president of the Santa Gertrudis ISD school board said at that time: “The school is a great pride for this community, and we hope it reflects and honors the traditions of King Ranch. To us, it serves as a reminder of the support and commitment to education that you have shown to the residents of this community.”

The Santa Gertrudis School serves students who live in the district, the children of King Ranch and Santa Gertrudis employees and transfer students through application.

The new Bishop High School has been described as the “School of the New Century.”

“It is the state of the art school of the future that students will enjoy,” said architect Todd Brendalen Wednesday. The building will house 28 rooms with 115,000 square feet. This innovative school, at a cost of $15.8 million, will be ready for students to attend in 2010.

The new Bishop High School will also have a large cafeteria and gymnasium. The Bishop educational facility features a modern design with a curved medal roof, high vaulted ceilings, and high windows that will allow for natural light in the cafeteria, library, and hall ways, Outdoor patios will be available so students can go outside and eat or study.

Bishop Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Christina Gutierrez said department heads, and teachers had input in the modern design of the building.

Gutierrez believes that 95 percent of construction will be completed in mid-May when they want to use the cafeteria as a museum for the residents to display their old pictures in conjunction with the Bishop Centennial Celebration.

“It took everyone together to design it, and we found the Bishop look,” Gutierrez said Wednesday.

Texas A&M University Kingsville continues with its multi-million dollar beautification plans and is in full swing with upgrades and new state of the art buildings.

The university campus, and the new residence project a real upscale appearance. Many students were able to move into this beautiful building this summer. The new modern housing accommodations contain 210,000 square feet, housing 600 beds in two and four bedroom suites.

“Research shows students really want suite-style living units,” said Dr. Teresa Remelius, vice-president of student affairs.

“Developing campus housing that creates a living and learning environment that supports academic success is paramount to our ability to recruit and retain students,” she said. “We are creating great accommodations on campus in and out of the classroom, and putting students first as we plan for the future.”

The total cost of the building plus furnishings is about $35 million. The architect for the project was the one that designed Texas Stadium home of the Dallas Cowboys.

The new Student Recreation Sports Center is expected to be opened soon. The new Center will have 36,000 square feet and houses two mult-purpose gymnasiums for intramural indoor sports like basketball, volleyball and soccer. Also included, will be a 5,200 square foot cardio fitness and weight room and an elevated jogging track. There will be men’s and women’s locker rooms, and equipment issued and laundry room and department offices.

TAMUK officials stated that national studies have shown recreational centers are one of the best recruitment tools campuses have and students are drawn to campuses that provide extraordinary learning and social environments. The Student Recreation Sport Center building cost was about $12 million.

A dining room that accommodates over 300 students will be constructed this year.

Observers can agree that these educational facilities indicate progress is happening in Kingsville.

No. 2

Kingsville ISD

The Kingsville Independent School District made plenty of news this year that ranged from the continuous search for a new superintendent to building work on a new primary school.

The first story that appeared was in January when KISD sought more input for a superintendent. After Dr. Rudy Lopez Jr, who served as KISD superintendent for five years announced his retirement plans the summer of 2008. His last day on the job was this June.

KISD employed the Texas Association of School Boards to assist with the search. Campus and community meetings were held for input. The applicants would be narrowed down to five candidates and after personal interviews, Emilio Castro, a 38-year-old Dallas ISD administrator, was named the lone finalist in May.

Before making the decision to hire Castro, the interview process included a site visit where three of the KISD board members, Larry E. Garza, Juan Garza, and Jilma Viduarri traveled to Dallas to meet with Castro’s colleagues. All three trustees were impressed with his references and believed they had the right person for he job.

Castro took the helm as KISD Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer on June 1. His first action was hiring Jennifer Kent, also a KISD administrator to oversee the academic aspects and work with work with the principals. Castro began working on improving KISD academic achievements, student and staff accountability, customer service, and parent and community communication.

KISD approved a $30.8 million budget in August with 80 percent of that money spent on salaries. The trustees agreed to give all staff members pay raises. KISD, with about 651 employees, is one of the biggest employers in Kingsville. However, the fund balance of $4.8 million was too low for a school district. Staffing issues and a declining student population are two KISD challenges. Castro said one of KISD’s future goals would to have a balanced budget.

KISD also received some good and bad news in late July. First the good news: the Texas Education Agency rated six of the district’s eight schools as Recognized campuses. This was the first time KISD had six Recognized campuses. They are Kleberg, Lamar, Harrel, Perez and Harvey elementary schools and Gillett Intermediate School. H.M. King High School and Memorial Middle School received an Acceptable Rating.

KISD received for the first time, an Academically Unacceptable rating based on completion rates (graduation) that are used to evaluate high school campuses.

KISD missed being an Acceptable school district by two students from Keys Academy High School, an alternative school. Completion rates for the last two years from both H.M. King High School and Keys Academy High School were combined together to determine the accountability rating. King High School met the completion rates.

Castro and Kent said this was a main challenge and KISD would map programs to assist the students to complete high school. The alternative school has since been closed

Another visible action was the demolishing of Harvey Elementary School and the beginning of a new $10 million primary school scheduled to be completed in 18 months.

Last month, a decision was made to close LASER, a Discipline Alternative Education Program School. Students will return back to their home campuses so they can receive more educational services.

Finally, after years of studies and talk, KISD trustees agreed to transfer the deed of the old H.M. King High School to a foundation that was specifically established for the purpose of restoring the historical landmark. The building has been abandoned since the early 90’s and will cost about $8 million to restore.

One issue that KISD still faces is the ongoing litigation with Rory Minter, a former athletic director, who has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the district. T

This litigation battle continues to be costly, not only, to KISD but the taxpayers.

No. 3

Kleberg County

Kleberg County kicked it up with plenty of news this year but then being in the audience at Commissioners Court meeting can be very educational with the key players involved. The ongoing actions that involved the certificates of obligation sale and projected expenditures produced plenty of dynamics this year.

The Commissioners Court specified the use of the certification of obligations and the $6 million wear earmarked for specific expenditures. The Commissioners Court approved $2 million for the renovation of the Exxon Building; $2 million for the jail expansion; $1 million for the park; $600,000 matching funds for the Courthouse and $400,000 for unrestricted funds.

Contractors and others appeared before the Commissioners Court introducing some of their proposals. The bone of contention here is that not all the commissioners are on the same page with the expenditures.

Precinct 4 Kleberg County Commissioner Romeo Lomas is against spending $2 million for the renovation of the Exxon Building. He asked one of presenters if a new building could be built comparable with the size of Exxon. The presenter said that a new building could be constructed with $1.5 million, but it would just be a metallic building with a slab. End of conversation.

Restoration plans for the Courthouse have been discussed and when this happens and if it happens, then the county staff will have to be relocated to another place that would be the Exxon Building. County Commissioners supporters of this move believe this a good idea except for Lomas. It was also noted at one of the meetings that Kleberg County will not be receiving, if any historical grant money, for restoration anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Lomas had a big surprise when he delivered a petition to Kleberg County Clerk Leo Alarcon with 936 signatures on August 20. The petition called for an election in November so voters could decide whether they wanted to approve a $6 million bond issue to fun a variety of county projects. The petition placed a halt on certificate of obligations. His move surprised many people because they thought the sale of the certificate of obligations was a done deal.

Lomas had said previously he was not going to submit a petition but then changed his mind.

Kleberg County Judge Pete De La Garza said he was not surprised by Lomas move but was disappointed. Lomas also criticized the fee of $130,000 charged by the bond company for the sale of the certificate of obligations. Lomas also criticized extending the repayment of the bond from 20 years to 21 years. De La Garza said Lomas was wrong on their vote because the bond company representative stated the interest rate fluctuates and to play it save they agreed the bond indebtedness would not exceed 21 years.

Then another surprise after checking out the signatures, the petition failed because it was 13 short of the 811 certified signature to call for a special election. Once it was clear the petition had failed, Lomas joined the rest of the Commissioners Court in unanimously authorizing the sale of the $6 million certificate of obligations. He later said he later said he wanted the voters to make the decision.

Political observers are wondering what action will take place in the Commissioners Court this year. One fact for sure the meetings are seldom, if ever, boring.

No. 4

Fire Damages

This year several blazes left families homeless with their possessions destroyed. Fortunately, no lives were lost. A week before Christmas a blaze gutted 10 Bishop Plaza apartments leaving 24 adults and children homeless. The fire victims included 12 adults and 12 children. The fire began the afternoon Dec. 11, and about 30 firefighters extinguished the fire. Smoldering ashes ignited in the early hours the next day and completely destroyed one of the units.

The Bishop Plaza Apartments, located in 900 block east of Oregon, has 36 units. One of the victims said that if one of the fire hydrants had been in good working conditions some of he units could have been saved.

In the Christmas spirit, community residents, such as the Bishop Band Boosters and students organized fundraisers to help the victims. helped the victims.

Another fire that happened Dec. 3 could have turned into a tragedy because if a college student had not found the keys to the burglar bars, he could not have escaped from the burning house.

His dog was not so lucky because it died from smoke inhalation. Kingsville Police Chief Al Lopez warned residents who had burglar bars because there was a real dangerous issue with them. The fire is believed to have been started at an electrical outlet at the house located at 800 block of North First Street.

And yet another fire broke out at the back of Memorial Middle School Dec. 27, damaging one classroom.

Fire officials suspect arson. Fire officials said the fire was ignited in a trash can surrounded by paper, which caused the fire to spread to the top of the filing cabinet on the east wall of the room. Heat damaged some of the computers and smoke permeated through the wings of the school.

A video surveillance revealed one lone male entering the premises. The video was very pixilated which made the image difficult to view.

One of the largest fires in Kingsville torched six structures located in the 600 E. Nettie block in a blaze that displaced four families Feb. 3.

The 12 fire victims ranged in ages from an infant to an 85 year old woman. Flames engulfed three houses destroying them quickly. Several firemen spent over five hours extinguishing the blaze that could be visible miles away. Numerous onlookers congested the traffic. Two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion. The Kingsville Fire Department aerial ladder truck was used for he first time as a major resource to extinguish flames.

Later, fire investigators reported the fire had been started by power line sparks.

The fire raised some heated questions and some Kingsville residents who witnessed the situation have questions why there were so few firefighters on the scene initially to contain such a massive and rapidly spreading fire.

Firefighters themselves continue to ask for more manpower and they cited this catastrophe as an example why the City of Kingsville needs to hire more fire department personnel. Firefighters also stated there was a need for third fire station in Kingsville on the south side. Kingsville officials stated that were only seven people on that shift that day and if they had had more manpower two of the structures could have been saved.

Fiery flames wiped out a Bishop residence when fire spread quickly from the house to the garage in the 700 block of North Hackberry. Family members lost everything but the clothes on the backs. Nobody was home that night on April 14. One of the residents said that some time back an electrical breaker kept tripping and they would continuously reset.

A historical house located in the 700 block of West Henrietta in Kingsville burst into flames Oct. 12, and fortunately the couple and their two children were not at home. The young couple and their brother in law spent two years renovating the two story home. It was believed the fire was ignited by a nearby propane barbecue pit.

No. 5

TAMUK/A&I Name

Change Controversy

Throughout the years the controversy of changing the name of Texas A&M Kingsville back to Texas A&I made plenty of headlines this year. The name change controversy sparked again when State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. and District 43 State Representative Tara Rios Ybarra filed legislation in March that TAMUK revert back to its previous A&I name.

The legislation included the university would still be a part of the Texas A&M University System.

The possibility of TAMUK regaining its traditional name has been the topic of discussion among individuals and organizations for about 16 years, but the name change campaign ignited again when Dr. Mike McKinney, A&M System Chancellor, stated at a public meeting held on the TAMUK campus that A&M didn’t do A&I any favors when it forced the A&M name on the local university.

McKinney stated at that time that he was not opposed to reinstalling the A&I name, but was concerned that current students and TAMUK alumni would be against going back to A&I.

The name change and the university’s attachment to the A&M systems dates back to the late 80’s when State Senator Carlos Truan, himself an A&I graduate, pushed legislation that forged the relationship between A&I and A&M which ultimately led to the name change.

Truan has always stood by his decision to bring A&I into the A&M system as something that would benefit the university in the long run. However, supporters and diehard A&I alumni have maintained that the association with A&M have not really been beneficial to the college. They cite examples of declining enrollment and in recent years obtaining adequate funding.

Even Texas A&M University loyalists were never thrilled with the A&I name change, claiming it diluted the strength and uniqueness of the A&M name and Aggie tradition.

In April of this year the legislation to change the TAMUK name advanced in both houses of the legislature when testimony was taken in higher education committees of the state Senate and the House of Representatives. Five persons testified for the bill and five against.

TAMUK president Dr. Steven Tallant testified before both panels but he remained true to his longtime stated position of neither supporting nor opposing the name change insisting it is a matter for former and present students to decide.

By May the TAMUK name change legislation was dead. After sailing through the Texas Senate under a bill sponsored by Lucio, the legislation was left pending in the House Calendar Committee along with many other bills as Democrats and Republicans waged a big fight over legislation that would have required more voter identification in order to cast a ballot in Texas elections.

Later in October, a group of TAMUK students protested outside the Kingsville Center where a luncheon was held for the Texas A&I Alumni homecoming luncheon. Doug Vannoy, Texas A&I Alumni Association board member wasted no time confronting the student protesters who showed up at the luncheon to voice their opinion about the proper name change for TAMUK. Vannoy criticized TAMUK student president Kenny Nelson for trying to harm their activity. Both expressed their opinions about the name change.

Then a page long editorial was published by with the headline “University name debate reflection of larger issues; An open letter to all stake holders of A&I/ TAMUK. The letter was signed by Vannoy, Dick Watson, Dora Garza, Manny Saenz, Jacinto Garza, Ken Harvey, Lupe and Iona Jaimes, Matthew Cowan, Texas A&I Alumni Association (representing thousands who signed our petition)

One of the statements made in the letter was: “The only way to resolve a mistake is to fix it. Stubbornly, pushing on and ignoring the truth is not a viable strategy. Restoring A&I’s rightful name is only a start to recovering the goodwill of our alumni. The more important consideration is to stop the outright looting of our campus for the benefit of other System members.”

The name change proponents are here to stay and will continue the fight such as Watson, a former Kingsville businessman and star Javelina athlete who has relentlessly been pursuing the efforts to regain the A&I name. He started the Texas A&I University Alumni Association and claims more than 12,000 signatures on petitions to the legislature asking for the A&I name to be reinstated. Watson noted there isn’t much support among TAMUK graduates for the Javelina Alumni Association either when compared to support by A&I graduates for the Texas A&I Alumni Association. The Texas A&I Alumni Association opened headquarters this year located across the TAMUK campus.

No. 6

Romeo Lomas Indictment

One of the big stories this year was the indictment by the Grand Jury of Precinct 4 Kleberg County Commissioner Romeo Lomas and the legal modifications made for the trial. He was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of abuse of official capacity in late September. Specifically, Lomas, 72, is charged with knowingly misusing government property, services or personnel this spring. The complaint alleged that Lomas had used Kleberg County equipment to demolish his East Yoakum Street barbershop on or about March 2 of this year.

The allegations against Lomas stemmed after a complaint filed with the Texas Attorney General’s Office and Assistant Attorney Shane Atttaway will prosecute the case. Lomas appeared before the Grand Jury and was questioned about the allegations and stated that he had not done anything wrong and later said the officials would not tell him who filed the complaint. He said these actions were “politically motivated.” Lomas said he hired a private contractor to demolish the building and another contractor to haul the debris away and has receipts to show the expenses.

“They can’t get me at the polls so they’re going after me this way,” he stated.

Lomas, said he has been in office for 31 years and said he would not do something like this.

He plead not guilty at his arraignment in November. Lomas said Kingsville attorney Frank Alvarez and Rene Rodriguez, a Corpus Christi attorney will represent him in court.

“I’m innocent and let the jury decide,” he said.

Lomas said he has been surprised at all the countywide support he has received since the indictment. “I am happy and grateful for the people who support me and this has pulled everybody together.”

His indictment prompted several modifications in anticipation of his trial set for February. Judge J. Manuel Banales, presiding judge of the 105th District Court here has recused himself from hearing the case. Banales will be replaced by Judge Rose Reyna of the 206th District Court in Hidalgo County, who will travel to Kingsville to hear the case.

Banales, as the lone presiding judge in Kleberg County has oversight authority for the actions of the Kleberg County Commissioners Court.

John Hubert, Kleberg- Kenedy County District Attorney has also recused himself from any involvement because of his relationship with the Kleberg County Commissioners Court.

No. 7

Liquor Elections

This year all of Kleberg County became wet! After canvassing the Nov. 3 election returns for the Local Option Liquor Election for Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 and the Texas Constitutional Amendment the election became official. Kleberg County Clerk Leo Alarcon said the citizens of Kleberg County authorized the legal sale of all beverages including mixed beverages.

“This covers all aspects of sale in Kleberg County ranging from selling wine in restaurants to liquor stores,” Alarcon said.

“I am extremely happy that the liquor option passed because it will help keep our tax money here in the city,” said Rich Miotta, HEB Unit Director.

The campaign for the Local Option Liquor election for Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 was spearheaded by a group of people who called themselves Kleberg County Citizens for Economic Growth. The group included local residents, business and community leaders and many local businesses. John Williams served as treasurer for the group.

“”From 1978 to 1984, three of the four Justice Precincts in Kleberg County approved by overwhelming margins with only JP 1 voting against it,” he said. “This has placed the business in JP 1 at a competitive disadvantage to other county businesses, and it limits the economic growth in that area,” Williams said.

Williams noted that beer was also legal but not wine and the businesses were losing money, which meant less tax revenue for the county and city and less jobs.

Williams and his group also supported the restaurant industry. “In this economy we need to do whatever we can to support our local restaurants so they can compete and keep their doors open. Eliminating the private club requirements will help,” Williams stated.

Numerous petition drives had also failed in past years but not this time because the group gathered about 600 signatures in two weeks.

The petition drive began in late June. The group had to collect 578 signatures from voter residents in JP Precinct 1 for the liquor election to meet the state requirements as outlined by the Election Code and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. After this, the Commissioners Court call for the election.

Only 1,035 ballots were cast in this election. Of those ballots 369 voted for the Local Option Liquor and 81 people voted against it.

No. 8

Drought Disasters

During the spring and summer residents echoed the heat was exhausting and unbearable for all living creatures. Besides being miserable with the heat , many residents realized that sizzling temperatures caused monumental economic distress to this area. The scorching temperatures of 100 plus degrees with a 117 heat index triggered a drought that resulted in major losses of agriculturerelated revenues in South Texas.

The economic impact of the drought in Kleberg County was estimated at a loss of $45 to $55 million, according to John Ford, Kleberg-Kenedy Texas AgriLife Extension agent. He shared this information during an interview in July.

Cash receipts for all agricultural commodities produced in Kleberg County are between $50 to $60 million. The three big agricultural commodities cattle, cotton, grain sorghum account for 85 to 88 percent of the total that are normally marketed in the county. The lack of rain in spring and during summer devastated crop and livestock operations literally affecting everyone in Kleberg County.

Reduced cattle numbers, minimal grain sorghum and non-existing cotton crops hurt the economy.

This year the anticipated cash receipts were 60 to 75 percent less than normal.

Ford stated that this was probably the first year in the history of the county that at least a portion of the cotton crop was not harvested or ginned.

Although, grain sorghum crops fared better than cotton and survived the drought conditions, the economical losses were evident.

The drought had a domino effect on the agriculture related revenues because they are all connected. Coastal Bend had a limited number of cotton gins operating-if any. This means that workers and elevator employees lose wages.

During the 12 week harvest time span, crews and truckers are expected to come to this area. The motel industry saw a reduction in occupancy rates and this results in revenues. The restaurants also feel the economic pinch. Then there is the loss of fuel expenditures because combines and pickers need an assortment of support vehicles and use fuel.

Dave DeLaney, King Ranch Vice-President and General Manager/Livestock and Ranch manager said this summer that financial losses had been horrendous but stated that “Texans are tough and will preserve.”

Delaney noted during the interview in July that the hunting season would be poor because the drought impacted the wildlife, including no quail hatch, poor quality deer, and low fawn buck count.

Kleberg County and area ranchers were also forced to sell their livestock early. One such person was James N. Nix, a long time area rancher. He had to sell his calves early and could not wait any longer. He had been feeding his cattle hay and protein supplements.

Yes, everybody felt the financial impact of the drought especially when buying commodities like milk, meat, and other items. The grocery prices had increased.

No. 9

Swine Flu Precautions

It seems that the topic of the swine flu, later called H1N1, to be politically correctly, inundated the media this year. Every time the news appeared television reporters revealed the statistics of swine flu fatalities locally and nationally Viewers became fearful and a mass health hysteria seemed to increase. Swine flu precautions were immediately implemented by entities such as Kleberg County and the City of Kingsville. Local and area school districts took proactive measures to prevent the spread of the swine flu. In April there were no reported cases of the swine flu; however, later on in the year a few cases were known.

Local medical facilities encouraged health measures for their patients and also curb anxiety levels of recent outbreaks of swine flu nationwide and in other countries.

All the local entities provided information including specific measures to protect people from getting the swine flu. Armando Garcia, a physician’s assistant at the Kingsville Clinic, was helpful in his advice. He said in late April that swine flu and regular flu victims were basically the same. After patients who are examined with flu like symptoms, then if anyone has influenza types A&B, the Kingsville Clinic, obtains a viral culture and sends it to the State Department to be tested for swine flu.

Garcia noted that it was too late for the season for people to have the flu. Last year there fewer cases of he regular flu but the symptoms lingered longer. Some patients spent two weeks recuperating.

Dr. O.J. Rodriguez advised people not to panic and to use their common sense. He had many patients during the flu season but not in the spring. Many of his patients have respiratory infections that are allergy related. “Stay calm and informed, and if you have a high fever, see the doctor,” Rodriguez said.

Christus Spohn Hospital Kleberg established informative precautionary efforts for the swine flu. The hospital placed signs in all the lobbies and emergency departments proactive measures such as covering coughs and preventing the spreads of germs. The hospital provided masks asking people to put them on of they had flu like symptoms.

Area schools sent notification letters to alert parents of the situation. If their children had flu like symptoms, then parents were urged to keep their children home. Area schools also provided plenty of soap and hand sanitizers for the children. Texas A&M University Kingsville provided information on a daily basis and they also provided hand sanitizers

The entities met often during emergency management sessions.

In May school districts continued operating with extra hygiene and cleaning precautions and staff and children who were sick were encouraged to stay home.

All area schools would not close because of he swine flu situation. A recent state mandate was given to school superintendents in early May that stated: “School closures is not advised for a suspected or confirmed case of he novel influenza (H1N1) and in general is not advised unless there is a magnitude of faculty and student absenteeism that interferes with schools’ ability to function.”

This December massive vaccination for the prevention of the H1N1 influenza clinics were conducted by local health workers and also regional state health workers.

No. 10

Deaths of 3 Prominent People

Three prominent people died this year but their contributions will be remembered. They were Ben F. Wilson Jr., Mary Lewis Kleberg and Joe D. Trevino.

Ben F. Wilson Jr., a long time community leader, businessman and member of the a pioneering Kleberg County died Feb. 2 in a Corpus Christi Hospital at the age of 95. Wilson, know as “Beanie” to his friends was described as a dedicated family man, a dignified gentleman who loved his community and county. He was known as a good man who treated every equally. He lived here all of his life and worked at his store for 60 years until his retirement in 1996. He visited the store often. He opened the store in 1946 when he retired from World War II where he fought in combat. One of his highlights in life was celebrating the 60th anniversary of his store and his 93rd birthday on July 4 at his store that was attended by numerous people.

Ben F. Wilson Jr. was proud that his family was one of the original pioneers who moved from Eagle Pass to Kingsville in 1906. His father was the first Kleberg County judge. He graduated from H.M. King High School in 1930 and later received a bachelor and masters degree in business from Texas A&I University.

He was proud of his military experiences and proud of being a member of the Rotary Club over 60 years.

“He was a leader of the family, a dedicated family man and a great American,” said his son Allan Wilson.” He loved the town, the business, his employees and his clientele; His life speaks for itself.”

His other son, Ben Wilson III said his father “had a super, super life.”

Mary Lewis Kleberg, a community leader and benefactor, died Feb. 24, 2009 in San Antonio. She was born on Dec. 21, 1920 in Austin.

Mrs. Kleberg was described as a caring individual and loyal friend who always exhibited style and elegance. Mrs. Kleberg’s support for Kingsville and Kleberg County causes and Texas A&M University spanned her entire life while living here.

In her later years, she divided her time between Kingsville and San Antonio. However, Mrs. Kleberg remained visible in Kingsville where she attended various fund raisers and social function or meeting with friends for lunch in historic downtown Kingsville. People who knew her praised her consistent work for the betterment of the community and stated her presence will be missed.

She was an education and art advocate both in Kingsville, San Antonio, and Austin. She served 24 years on the Board of Directors of the University System of South Texas. She served in many leadership roles as a board member at Texas A&I University and was instrumental in obtaining the first doctoral degree in bilingual education. Other board leadership included being a co-founder of the Epiphany Episcopal School. She also served on the board of Santa Gertrudis Independent School District.

She and her late husband were honored at Texas A&M University-Kingsville when the Agricultural College was renamed the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences.

Mrs. Kleberg served in many Kingsville organizations and in 1995 was honored by the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce with the Otis West Lifetime Service Award.

Beloved Bishop drama and speech teacher Joe D. Trevino died August 10, 2009, from complications from a stroke. He was 60 years old and was looking forward to begin his 29th teaching year at Bishop High School. “T” as his students called him, also taught classes at Bishop Junior High School.

Trevino left behind a legacy and this was evident when numerous former students traveled from throughout Texas and other states to attend his funeral services at the Bishop Auditorium named in his honor in 2007 for 26 years of exemplary work in theatre.

His enthusiasm and passion for his subject matter is reflected in the successes of thousands of students who have become actors, attorneys, teachers, coaches, military personnel, farmers and successful individuals in their chosen occupations. He produced winners in the district, regional and state UIL speech, drama, debate competitions each year that resulted in Bishop High School and Bishop CISD gaining a top notch reputation for having one of the best speech and drama departments in Texas.

Trevino, with his movie star looks, had worked as a professional actor and he was often offered auditions but declined them because of his commitment to be an educator. Trevino chose the teaching profession in the small community of Bishop and he also declined teaching offers at many school districts.

His administrators praised him as being one of the hardest working teachers and a consummate professional who touched the lives of many and taught students skills they could use in their everyday personal and professional lives.

In one of his last interviews Trevino expressed his gratitude for being an educator.

“As I reflect on my own career as an educator, I consider myself extremely lucky. I teach in a rural community in which students are eager to learn and the community and administration are supportive of our quest for excellence. After all is said and done, I have to agree with my mother-teaching is honorable, valuable and worthwhile profession.”