The Monitor from McAllen, Texas • 17

53 Border firsts fTtrst ladies from Mexico, Texas sign pact toward better qnjld health care: 4C SECTION Obituaries: 2C McAIIen Monitor: 3C Weather Data: 8C WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1999 TELEVISION i mmmm VALLEY STATE COMMUNITY McGoll dispute a call to wake up McALLEN A group of angry residents says McColl Road is under urban assault. Although growth generally is welcome, residents of a quiet old neighborhood on the south side of town are upset about a proposal to widen McColl one of McAllen's primary north-south traffic routes Switching channels: lelemundo is moving XRIO-TV Channel 2 will change over to English-language UPN By VILMA MALDONADO The Monitor McALLEN Local Spanish-language television watchers will have to change their channel surfing habits, but won't lose any programming as two stations from two lanes to four, with a turning lane at intersections. Many people living in the South McColl area, between Business 83 and the expressway are angry that the city wants to 9 TECLOJ. GARCIA COMMENTARY John Schmid The Monitor Calm Reflection: Ricardo Ramirez, administrative assistant at South Texas Community College, reviews paperwork Tuesday afternoon in his office. get new network affiliations.

After 13 years, XRIO Channel 2's broadcasting contract with Spanish Network Telemundo expffes May I The station will now be affiliated with UPN (United Paramount Network), which belongs to Paramount Pictures. "Our contract with Telemundo was not renewed because of low ratings," said Eddie Gongora, XRIO's general manager. "And we will be transmitting in English, so we are becoming another option for the Valley." Meanwhile, Telemundo will reappear in June as KTLM-TV Channel 40. Seiifice cretariaJ. Networking: Ron Oliveira, KTLM-TV Channel 40's chief operating officer, said Telemundo will celebrate two cultures.

Today, administrative assistants do a great deal more than type By CHERYL SMITH The Monitor XRIO plans to broadcast a combination of movies and serials, but no soap operas. Some of the movies will have Spanish subtitles. "We are bringing back some oldies shows which have never been seen in the Valley," Gongora said. "We will broadcast something to' keep everybody entertained, especially on Saturday and Sunday, when TV is packed with mostly sporting events." On January 1, 1997 TCI Cablevision dropped Telemundo because of poor reception. "When we lost cable and started losing ratings we had some layoffs, but I will, be refilling these positions." Gongora said.

"We don't feel that the Valley is going to lose anything. Instead, we believe it will gain a full time English station because Telemundo will still be present," Gongora said. Construction of the Telmundo-affiliated KTLM tele-See NETWORKS page 3C are no longer simply pouring coffee, filing reports and buying gifts for the boss' wife. Instead, they are often responsible for critical assignments. As the administrative assistant to South Texas Community College President Shirley Reed, Rick Ramirez's job entails a lot more than typing and answering phones.

Ramirez handles the president's special projects, which include See SECRETARIES page 8C 7r McALLEN In an age of political correctness, job titles are transformed: Janitors became custodians and then maintenance technicians; salesmen have become account executives, and garbage men are now sanitation engineers. Today, secretaries are being honored across the nation. Their title has also evolved. Now called "administrative assistants," they John Schmid The Monitor Reed's Right Hand: Ramirez reviews paperwork with co-worker Janet Hope Tuesday at STCC. LABOR LEGISLATURE Plan ahead on closures, Levi's told Tax-break bill aimed at poor areas wins OK Amendments could dilute effect on Rio Grande Valley transform their narrow country lane into a four-lane business thoroughfare.

The new street design, they say, would transform their dignified, nature-friendly neighborhood, with its stately homes and lush yards, into a choking, congested route unsafe for children who often walk to school. They also say it would destroy a diverse birding community that has developed among the grand, welcoming trees that abound in the area. But city engineers say the street expansion is needed because drivers use McColl as a quick, convenient way to get from Business 83 to shopping districts along the expressway. Drivers probably will want to use it even more when Texas Department of Transportation officials open the McColl underpass, which will provide a direct route to popular stores and restaurants. Homeowners have a right to the quality of life they believed they attained with the purchase of their homes.

And city officials are bound to do what they think is right for the city as a whole. No one knows what will happen over the next few weeks. Both parties are right, and a settlement in this issue may be I difficult to reach. Regardless of the action taken, I this conflict should serve as this 1 warning to residents of McAIIen, one of the fastest-growing cities in the country: Growing pains are inevitable, and residents must be more diligent and actiye in government. Watch the public access channel, read public notices in local newspapers, go to meetings or just call your commissioners and asking what's going on.

TxDOT holds public meetings months, and even years, before almost every major project it undertakes. Trouble is, very few people show up at the meetings. If tHey did, area residents might have voiced their opposition to TxDOT's idea to put an underpass in at McColl and Expressway 83, effectively nullifying the city's need to widen McColl to match traffic demand. At a City Commission meeting Monday night, angry residents seemed to feel TxDOT and the city had not thought through just how much the underpass and the expansion would affect quality of life in the area. For residents, the proposal to widen McColl represents a severe lack of government planning.

They have banded together to try to stop the expansion, but it may be too late. That does not mean they have lost not entirely. The fact that they have bonded on a single issue, have designated leaders and prepared to take action, is a victory and a model for civic interaction, for all neighborhoods. By RICKEY DAILEY The Monitor The Associated Press Change Of Focus: Sen. Bill Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, speaks Tues-.

day on the floor of the Senate against amendments before they were added to a bill by Sen. David Silbey, R-Waco, that will offer tax breaks for research and development in economically distressed areas. By STEV CANNON The Monitor McALLEN City officials are eager to begin plans on how to help 718 workers who will lose their jobs when Levi Strauss Co. closes its local blue jeans plant this tall. At a meeting Tuesday, city administrators told Levi Strauss they do not want to wait until the official notice for the plant closing to start training workers.

"You're talking about waiting for official notice, we've already got official notice of the plant closing," McAIIen City Manager Mike Perez said. "There has got to be a way we can get started on this process sooner, rather than later." Levi Strauss announced Feb. 22 that it would close its Harlingen and McAIIen clothing plants, leaving 1,041 people without jobs. While Harlingen 's plant closed last month, the McAIIen plant will stay open until September. In June or July, Levi Strauss will give McAIIen workers official notice that the plant will close, making workers eligible for eight months of pay and a severance package.

State and local officials should survey Levi Strauss workers now, said Mayor Leo Montalvo, to find out what skills they have and what training they want. "We don't want to be rushing at the last Montalvo said. Levi Strauss officials say that on May 15, they will present a -plan to the Texas rkforceAiliritasion deta'ujg, IwV they WiM4rUnize HIGHLIGHTS OF FRANCHISE TAX-CREDIT BILL More Legislature News 8C San Antonio. Sibley said it's possible firms would remain in the large metropolitan areas instead of moving to the border. Another amendment extended the job-creation and investment tax breaks to agricultural processors, regardless of where they locate.

The amendments added $11 million to the bill's cost. Border senators praised the bill but joined Sibley and Senate Finance Chairman Bill Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, in a losing effort to defeat the amendments. The debate created sparks. Amendment supporters said poor people in urban areas deserved the same help as border residents. But opponents claimed there wasn't enough money in the budget to help everyone in need.

The bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2000, and the incentives would end in 2009 unless reauthorized by the Legislature. The measure goes now to the House for consideration, where state Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, is carrying the legislation. Oliveira, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said his panel will begin discussing the bill today but a vote is not expected for a couple of weeks.

Oliveira had no objection to the Senate amendments. He is, however, fearful that lawmakers might attempt to add additional tax breaks, which he estimated could total "hundreds of millions of dollars." Such a move could kill the measure, according to Oliveira. AUSTIN Companies could earn tax breaks by creating jobs or investing capital in economically distressed areas, including the Texas-Mexico border, under a bill approved Tuesday by the Senate. The $143 million measure by state Sen. David Sibley, R-Waco, creates a research and development tax credit, a targeted job creation tax credit and a targeted investment tax credit.

Although Texas' economy is one of the fastest growing in the nation, Sibley said the economic boom has bypassed some areas of the state: "Some counties, particularly in South Texas, are among the poorest in the nation. These tax breaks should give corporations the incen tive to put new plants, machinery and jobs where they are most needed," he said. Corporations qualify for the credits by creating jobs or investing in a county with unemployment that exceeds the state average and with per capita income that is below the state average. Currently, 92 counties, including all four in the Rio Grande Valley, fit the bill's definition of a "strategic investment area." Although the counties are spread throughout the state, most are concentrated, along Texas' borders with Mexico and Louisiana. The bill's effect along the border could be diluted, however, by an amendment that makes companies eligible for the tax breaks if they invest or create jobs in the inner city areas of Dallas, Houston, Waco and JOB CREATION TAX CREDIT To qualify, corporation would have to create at least 10 permanent, full-time jobs In certain specified industries in a strategic Investment area a county with above-state-average unemployment and below-stateeverage per capita income.

Each Job would haw to pay at least 110 percent of the average county wage and include paid health benefits. A Job transferred from another part of the state wouldn't count as a new Job. Credit would be equal to 25 percent of the total wages and salaries paid by the corporation for qualifying new Jobs. -Would have to be taken in equal Installments over five years. Under amendments, also would apply to federally designated enterprise communities in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Waco; and to agricultural processors.

INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT lb qualify, a corporation would invest a minimum of $500,000 in machinery and equipment hi a strategic investment area; pay an average weekly wage at least 110 percent of the county average; and be engaged in certain industries. Credit would be equal to 7.5 percent of the cost of the machinery and the equipment. Would have to be taken In equal installments over five years. Under amendments, also would apply to federally designated enterprise communities in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Waco; and to agricultural processors. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Corporations would get the break for qualified research expenses.

Credits would be doubled if the corporation spent its money in a strategic investment area. Limited to 25 percent of the corporation's franchise tax liability. The Associates Jss ('- jionv2- Tech J. Garcia is a columnist and reporter for The Monitor. He can be reached at 971-1897 or at tgarciathemonitor.com, LEWS 3C.