BREAKING: Stock show committee votes to move event out of San Benito

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com

STYSS pic

File photo

Kathy Rike of the South Texas Youth Stock Show announced on Thursday the STYSS committee’s intentions to move the event held annually in San Benito to another city.

She made the announcement on behalf of the committee, which is comprised of stock show directors and volunteers, via email that included talks with San Benito City Manager Manuel Lara and Assistant City Manager Hector Jalomo. In the correspondence, Lara and Jalomo explained that the City of San Benito fairgrounds property—the unofficial home of the STYSS and where it would have held its 15th annual event in January—is in need of “major” repairs.

Mayor Joe H. Hernandez confirmed Thursday evening that the fairgrounds may have sustained damages of up to $50,000 due to acts of theft and vandalism in which electrical wiring was targeted.

“I heard the damage is pretty close to $50,000,” Hernandez said. “I don’t know how soon they (stock show organizers) wanted to move in. Electrical wires were removed… It was vandalism and theft (that occurred at the fairgrounds) at the same time.”

It wasn’t until Tuesday, however, that Kathy Rike’s husband Glenn Rike and Dick Dorris—STYSS directors—said they found the fairgrounds without power.

“Yesterday, we attempted to enter the fairgrounds to start making plans for a cleanup and work day,” Glenn Rike and Dorris stated in a Nov. 19 email sent to Lara, Jalomo and Assistant City Manager Arturo Rodriguez. “We found that the front gate only had the City of San Benito and AEP lock. We contacted Mr. Jalomo who had someone meet us so we could put yet another lock on the gate to allow us entry.”

“Upon reviewing the grounds,” Glenn Rike and Dorris continued, “we find that there appears to be no electrical service to the fairgrounds. The main panels are disassembled and wires cut, several of the service panels are damaged and all wires cut to them as well. We did not attempt to check the power in the Neumann building (located on the fairgrounds property and where the stock show holds its exhibits) once we saw the condition of the main service panels.”

In addition, Glenn Rike and Dorris indicated that the announcers booth at the arena, which they said was reconstructed after Hurricane Dolly, “has had both plate windows vandalized and is open to weather and nesting birds.”

According to the city officials, the fairgrounds, located on FM 510 near Business 77, has been targeted for theft and vandalism “six or seven times in the past several months.” Jalomo stated in an emailed response to the concerns shared by Glenn Rike and Dorris that the city had already spent $21,000 in repairs after the first case of vandalism. Though the mayor said he was told that recent repairs may cost nearly $50,000, Jalomo explained to Glenn Rike and Dorris that the amount of damages is not currently known.

“…The (fairgrounds) have been hit about six or seven times in the past several months, stealing electrical wire,” Jalomo said in his reply. “The first time the estimate to repair was about $21,000.00 and now we don’t know how much the damage was.”

It was further asserted by Jalomo that the City may not be in a position to repair the damages.

“I do not believe the City can make the repairs until a building is constructed around the electrical service area,” Jalomo said, citing that generators had to be used for recent events held at the fairgrounds. “I do not know what to tell you at this point but I really do not think the City can make the necessary repairs needed between now and the time you will be having your event. To use the grounds now you will need generators. If new electrical wiring is installed it will probably be taken again unless a structure is constructed around the electrical area.”

Lara also acknowledged the STYSS directors’ concerns, stating, “We made one repair after the first hit. It wasn’t long before we were hit again. The last few events have been run with the use of generators. The City will not be installing new electrical wiring until the facilities are approved for major improvements. We have been able to install electrical drops allowing for generator electrical power to run the facilities. I will have Mr. Jalomo meet with you to review your set up and electrical power needs.”

Kathy Rike then made the following announcement on behalf of the STYSS:

“The livestock show directors and volunteers have been working for months on the 15th annual event which was to be held in January 2014, we have waited through the ‘power plant’ plans and in August of this year we were contacted personally by Mr. Lara and told that San Benito wanted the livestock show to go on and to proceed with organizing the event. We have purchased awards, solicited sponsorship from local businesses, made arrangements for judges for the event and have scheduled the 2014 Miss STYSS pageant for this weekend. In light of the current situation, the directors and volunteers have voted to move the livestock show out of San Benito ending a 25-plus year relationship.”

When asked about the stock show moving to another community as a result of the issues reported at the fairgrounds, Hernandez said, “I just found out about it. There was an email forwarded to me by the city manager and it was an email sent by them (STYSS directors) about vandalism at the fairgrounds. But I didn’t know they were moving, because at this point the city is not doing any improvements to the fairgrounds.”

Regarding the vandalism at the fairgrounds, the mayor said, “I’m upset by it. I don’t think there’s very much we can do except sit down and talk to them about it.

“Anything that has to do with the community that brings in people to the community is an asset, and I’d hate to see it go. If there’s any way we can sit down and talk about it with the city manager, if the cost is something the city can afford, let it be that. But at least give us an opportunity to see how much the damage will be.”

Attempts to reach Lara for comment were unsuccessful as of 6 p.m. Thursday.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of the Nov. 24 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/11/21/breaking-stock-show-committee-votes-to-move-event-out-of-san-benito/

15 comments

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    • Juan on November 26, 2013 at 2:48 am
    • Reply

    Well,the city and all our outstanding administrators have been duped yet another time,hehehe.

    • WeThePeople on November 24, 2013 at 8:26 pm
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    Before everyone blames the City…The fate of the STYSS was in their hands…the same as with the old Chamber of Commerce. Both of them relied too much on the City to be their funding agency. Looks like poor planning on the part of their board of directors. STYSS is now looking for some other city to give them money and a place to put their event. Shame on them.

      • Alberto Einstein on November 25, 2013 at 2:27 pm
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      I don’t disagree with you that “The fate of the STYSS or the chamber of commerce was in their hands”.

      However, didn’t the city spent a boat-load, more than $20,000, on security cameras to protect the city property?

      The reason the city did not do the repairs to the stock show location or city airport area is because the fake company that was proposing to build the “power plant” promised the city that they would build the city a nice building or arena to replace the existing barn. We all know what happened with that dream.

      STYSS was not looking for a handout, they were looking for a location to lease from the city. Every other organization in the city is looking for a handout from the city.

      Why don’t you ask the city manager, city commissioner, or the mayor……How much is the NINOS organization paying the city of san benito for the use of the Azteca building?. My source of information tells me they pay $1.00 per year.

      Shame on who? The city administration does not have a good track record as far as “planning”.

        • WeThePeople on November 25, 2013 at 6:59 pm
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        Why is the City getting blamed for poor planning by these two organizations? It appears you know a lot more than I do about the inter-workings of the City than I do, but let’s put the blame where it should be.
        The STYSS’s event is 2 months away and they are just now talking with the City? REALLY?? Give me a break.
        According to one former member of the SB Chamber Board of Directors, a membership-based business organization was totally dependent on the City and dysfunctional at best!
        Blame whatever you like on the City, but these two organizations are private groups with their own agendas.

          • TwoCentsWorth on November 26, 2013 at 11:52 am
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          Time we got our facts straight . . . up to this year, the STYSS was run under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce. As such, the rental fees for the use of the show grounds were waived. Also, the STYSS has never asked the City for any funds to run the show. In addition, the STYSS spends its own money for advertising, awards, etc. As to whether the STYSS waited too long to request the use of the facilities, does it really matter? If they had approached the city six months ago, would the City have the capacity to make all necessary repairs at this point? Nope!! Generators providing power to the facilities is not a reasonable answer. There are too many power demands for the exhibit hall, two barns, the arena, vendor sites and parking lot. It’s unfortunate that the facilities at the show grounds are deteriorating and are being vandalized. The lack of a short and long-range plan for renovating the facilities should be at the forefront of the city’s agenda!! Given the aforementioned information, it makes no sense to blame the STYSS organizers.

      • Alberto Einstein on November 26, 2013 at 2:22 pm
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      I don’t know why you are not as informed as I am. The San Benito News does an excellent job of reporting the inner-workings within the city of San Benito. Most of the information I retain and source of information is from reading the San Benito News. Remember, it was the San Benito News extensive research into the fake power plan company that exposed it.

      The STYSS is a non-profit organization meaning they are not in the business of making a profit from the event. Since I am not privy to their organization, I do not know how much money is left over after expenses, (electricity, security, logistics, etc). If you read prior articles in this newspaper, the STYSS has always begun their planning at about the same time, two months before the actual stock show.

      Let me give you some examples of bad planning on the part of the city as reported on the newspaper (a) the city paid between $4,000 and $5,000 for six months to a non-existent chamber of commerce after Mr. Padilla was released (b) the city spent mucho dinero (not sure how much) in building the swimming pool that became a hole-in-the-ground because of bad plumbing; it would cost more to repair the pool than to just fill up the hole-in-the-ground. (c) two city employees were reported and ultimately fired for stealing (dirt?) from city property. If they had not been reported by another employee, they would never have been caught. (d) Mayor Joe Hernandez was given a permit to allow the operation of a mobile food vendor on his property when it was against an ordinance signed by the Mayor himself. (e) Mayor Joe Hernandez was cleared by an internal investigation conducted by individuals who receive city pay checks with the Mayor’s signature on it. The investigation should have been conducted by an outside or external party.

      All of this information was reported by the San Benito News. In regards to the city, call it lack of planning or lack of accountability, take your pick. I am surprised that you are bothered by the lack of planning comment then the fact the city is leasing the AZTECA building for $1 per year.

      Getting back to work! Happy Thanksgiving to all!>/b>

    • Alberto Einstein on November 23, 2013 at 4:55 pm
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    mayor Joe Hernandez says the city has no money to spare but they give all the employees an automatic increase whether they deserve it or not. Now the parks, water, and street employees have another place to hang out. Drive by the old police station on Reagan street by the railroad tracks and you will see city employees congregating there throughout the day doing nothing except drinking coffee and talking on their cell phones. Any time of the day you can see them driving all over town with the windows rolled up because of the heat but they never stop anywhere to do some real work. Exactly WHO is in charge of running this city and why are they letting the city employees just cruise around town?

    These are your tax dollars at work! Thanks Mayor Joe Hernandez and City Manager Lara, and the City Commission! As was reported last year the city manager received a $10,000 salary raise to increase his salary to $105,000 and an increase to his severance to 12 months or one year if terminated without cause. Mr. Lara also got approval from the city commission for a new administrative assistant at the end of last year and I am still waiting to see any improvements.

    The stock show committee voting to move the event out of San Benito does not surprise me at all. The citizens and the city deserve better!

    • Juan on November 23, 2013 at 3:22 am
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    Its sorta like the city water and sewerage dept.,they’ve been collecting tax money for a long time,they had the same water plant up until recently,the same pipes,everthing hardly nothing has been spent on it. Now they have to raise the rates where nobody can afford them,except those getting govmnt. aid.Our rates are much higher than Las Vegas.Where has all that money gone,the politico’s know,ask them.The same thing for the deprived school system,it has to be propped up by federal aid,yet the school taxes are crazy,yet the board can’t find monies for texts,but they give out incentive bonuses for the para professionals,and still the students can’t read,and write proper Spanish,let alone correct English,wher has all the tax money gone,ask the board,either side will do,the answers the same,they know.

    • Zemmy on November 22, 2013 at 10:32 pm
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    Good one Juan, have to admit I laughed, you hit it on the nail. 30 years and it goes down like a dead dog on the road. Piece by piece a timeline of what San Benito has become. Sad but true. Probecito me has prevailed.

    • Get A Clue on November 22, 2013 at 4:55 pm
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    About over 20 years of operation and no upgrades on the stock shows behalf towards city property. Where has all that money from door entry and fees gone to? You would think that if you have invested this much time and effort into the Cameron County Livestock Show, it would be as big or bigger than Mercedes livestock show. Kinda makes you wonder where the money has gone. Seems to be a case of poor me..help me out with all the money you can give, but I wont help myself to grow.

      • TwoCentsWorth on November 25, 2013 at 5:17 pm
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      The Cameron County Livestock grounds is the property of the city. Just like the pavilion at Stookey, the ball parks, the community building, etc., they are all city property. You want to use them, you pay . . . pay for a facility that is clean and is in good working order. When you rent the community building, for example, you are not expected to fix any repairs needed. Same with the livestock grounds. No one expects the livestock show folks to pay for repairs–in this case, for replacing all of the electrical repairs. It’s the city’s responsibility . . plain and simple.

        • Get A Clue on November 26, 2013 at 8:17 am
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        You are right Two Cents. But if you look over the last twenty or so years, has the youth stock show group done anything to help themselves out…..No. It is the same as any other group…Give Me….Give Me….Give Me…. You are also right about wanted to use them you pay, but has the youth stockshow group ever had to actually pay for rent at a facilty that has over 100 acres. Including several buildings. If I am getting something for FREE, I think I would make some type of expense to build up the organization. But again twenty plus years, and its the same thing every year nothing new. You have tend your fields if you want to eat.

    • Amanda Barrientos on November 22, 2013 at 10:09 am
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    Why would you want to move this event? There is very few events in San Benito that are family friendly. San Benito needs its own identity.

    • Juan on November 22, 2013 at 3:26 am
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    Way to go Clown Town,another Win-Win for thr resaca city,keep it up,everybody’s watching.

      • Brian Powell on November 26, 2013 at 12:12 pm
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      Where is Clown Town? The article clearly says, “San Benito”. Did you misread the article? There is a literacy center, I believe, where you can improve your reading skills. Perhaps your “Clown Town” remark was intended as a pejorative, insulting the city of San Benito as well its hard-working, generally good citizens that choose to call it home. If it was your intention to insult this community and, by extension, its citizens, then you are alienating yourself from this culturally-rich city. Your comment was not helpful and is unwelcome. While you have a right to speak in an open forum such as this one, those who read your intentionally ascetic remarks are justifiably indignant. If this us a manifestation of a character fault, then you might be well advised to conceal this side of you by refraining from bad-mouthing our beloved San Benito. And yes, I choose to comment using my real name.

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