City commissioners began planning our 4th of July celebration at their meeting Tues. evening.

Commissioners voted to spend $3,500 for a fireworks show, the same amount as last year and another $150 for tables and chair rentals.

Chamber of Commerce manager Elma Chavez said her group will provide music, probably a disc jockey and maybe local bands. Chavez said she plans to make another try at a patriotic parade.

"Everybody says we need one but then no one wants to be in it because it's too hot," she said.

As far as the food menu, there will be ice cold watermelon, fajita tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers and various food booths. There will be no cookoff this year, but vendors will be preparing and selling their wares. Snow cones and ice cream will be available.

"The July 4 celebration has gotten pretty big, we get compliments on our fireworks every year," Chavez said.

The city will close off 4th and 5th streets at Riggs for the annual event. SWIMMING POOL TO OPEN

The city swimming pool will open for business on Sat., June 6. Head lifeguard this summer will be R.J. Rodriguez. Asst. head lifeguards are Fidencio Cervantes and J.T. Cortez, according to city manager Eleazar "Yogi" Garcia.

Lifeguards are Jonathan Salinas, Nicole Garcia, Jake Garcia, Adrian Maldonado, Waylon Cortez, Ramiro Huerta, Roberto de la Paz, Skylore Janes, Frank Ledesma, Joshua David Cantu, Miranda Trevino, Jasmine Ramirez and Samanda Cervantes.

All of the lifeguards are certified, Garcia said.

Head lifeguard will be paid $7.70 an hour, asst. lifeguards will earn $6.95 hour and lifeguards $6.70 an hour.

All will get a .70 cent raise during the summer when the minimum wage rate increases.

Pool parties will again be available. A two hour party is $55 and a three-hour party costs $82.50.

City commissioners passed a motion by Mary Gutierrez to provide a free family day for all city employees and volunteer firemen on Friday, June 5, the day before the pool opens to the public. They will be feted with cold drinks, hot dogs, hamburgers and potato chips.

Garcia said the annual cost of running the pool is $32,000. Admission prices this year will again be .50 for kids and $1.00 for adults, he said.

Begining next week by informal agreement, because the item was not on the agenda, the Willacy County Little League will set up a temporary T-Ball field in Smiley Park, where the concrete picnic tables now sit.

Five adult board members of Little League told commissioners they have 32 teams playing, with 160 more kids than last year. At present Little League games are played seven days a week Mon.-Fri. 6- 9:45pm, Sat. 8am-10pm, Sun. 1-9:30pm.

T-Ball games played on the new temporary field will be for kids 4-6 years old, in the mornings from 8 until 11 because the park will have no lights and it is too hot for the younger kids in the afternoons.

Meanwhile some girls softball games and Major League Boys games will be moved to the high school diamond with the approval of Superintendent Johnny Pineda.

The season has about three weeks to go and the picnic tables will be replaced at the end of the season.

"We appreciate everything that you do for the kids," said Commissioner Yolanda Alexandre.

In OTHER BUSINESS:

Commissioners agreed to apply for a $130,000 federal grant through the State of Texas to pay for a new police car, laptop computers, video cameras for police cars, radar units, and over head lighting for police cars.

Grantsman Carlos Mondragon said he will file the grant application by June 1 and the city should have the money by Sept.

"Thank you Carlos, you always do a good job," said Alexandre.

The city will waive the rental fee for the pavilion for the annual employee family picnic for the Willacy Detention Center.

The Ramondville Police Dept. will sign a memorandum of understanding with the United States Marshals Service perta-ining to law enforcement activ-ities.

Police Chief Uvaldo Zamora explained that the agreement requires that the RPD provide two officers, one-or-two days a week to the Marshals Service.

"In return the Marshals Service can provide 28 to 30 guys to us at any time we have an emergency," said the chief.

Zamora said he will send officers Andy Maldonado and Daniel Duran to the marshals service. Concerning Duran, he added, "He is making arrests left and right and we're proud of him."

Officers Dan Cavazos and Maldonado will attend training on homicide investigation at Denton, TX in June. Cost of the training is $495 each.