The Valley Times – November 22, 2017

VOL. I, NO. 17

MUSEUM OF SOUTH TEXAS HISTORY JOINS THE GLOBAL #GIVINGTUESDAY MOVEMENT

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017

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Students Geared Up For Massive

Pledges will support “Try On History Project” The Museum of South Texas History has joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Occurring this year on Nov. 28, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the US).

“Giving Tuesday” coincides with the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday giving season and inspires people to collaborate on improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

Last year, the Museum of South Texas History encouraged the community to donate to the “Try On History Project.” The effort raised $1,000, and the museum has since purchased a reproduction outfit that was used for an educational outreach with more than 1,000 IDEA students.

This year, the museum invites the community to donate once again to the “Try On History Project” and reach a new goal of $1,500. The reproduction clothing collection at the museum is a vital part of bringing history to life.

“Trying on reproduction clothing, or visiting with a docent dressed to represent a particular time period, truly sparks a child’s imagination,” said Shan Rankin, executive director at the Museum of South Texas History.

“Touching, experiencing and feeling the materials and the way clothing works makes an abstract idea real. It helps children to imagine themselves in that clothing, that time period and stimulates curiosity that is key to a lifelong love of learning.”

PG.6

EVENT WILL BE AT NIKKI ROWE HIGH DEC. 3

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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

OPINION

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TRUMP TRADE: A DEAD END?

By ROBERT J. SAMUELSON WASHINGTON -- Most Americans likely think that our trade policies have been largely the same since the Republic’s earliest days. The assumptions are that we’re free traders now and always have been; also, that we’ve long been a manufacturing power, boosting exports. If we some-

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times lose in global competition, the main cause is that other countries don’t play fair.

The truth is more complicated, as economist Douglas Irwin of Dartmouth College shows in his monumental study of U.S. trade policy since the Revolution, “Clashing over Commerce.” Just published, it is an essential companion to the debate over President Trump’s trade agenda.

Irwin quickly dispels the notion that manufacturing has traditionally characterized U.S. exports. To the contrary, the United States initially resembled what would today be called a “developing country.” He writes: “Prior to the Civil War, food and raw materials (wheat and cotton) comprised about two-thirds of exports, and manufactured goods (clothing and metal goods) comprised about two-thirds of imports.” Only toward the end of the 1800s did the United States emerge as a true industrial powerhouse.

Similarly, tariffs -- taxes on imports -- were high in the 19th century by modern standards, routinely varying from 30 percent to 50 percent; the steepest average tariff was 62 percent in 1830. In those days, they served as the government’s main source of revenue. Later in the century, they were defended as protecting American firms and workers against foreign competition.

Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, has cited this history as justifying more protectionism to promote American industry. Irwin and many economists disagree.

A number of factors favored U.S. manufacturing, they say: the growing size of the U.S. market; relatively stable government; the ability of U.S. firms to buy or steal new technologies from foreigners -- and their own capacity to innovate. The eminent trade economist Frank Taussig (1859-1940) called this “the ingenuity and inventiveness” of American workers. Tariffs were cut before the Civil War; if protectionism was so critical to U.S. industry, manufacturing’s expansion would have stalled. It didn’t.

The death of high tariffs occurred during the Great Depression and World War II. The infamous Smoot-Hawley tariff, enacted in 1930, raised rates on 890 products. This was widely seen as aggravating the Depression. After the war, U.S. industry dominated the world economy and there was little fear of imports.

Meanwhile, Europe and Japan were largely destroyed, and in Western Europe, there was a real possibility of communist takeovers of government.

Trade liberalization helped Europe and Japan restart their economies by exporting. This enabled them to earn scarce dollars to buy food, fuel and machinery, mostly from the United States.

What made America great in the 1950s and 1960s were the strength of its economy and the recognition that freer trade was a powerful political force promoting prosperity and cementing Western alliances.

It is this system that Trump is repudiating on the grounds that it has backfired on American workers and firms. “We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore,” he said in his trade speech last week. Poor trade agreements and abuses by our trading partners have caused U.S. trade deficits, the president said.

To be sure, the United States should be more aggressive in pursuing trade complaints against countries that steal intellectual property (patents) or engage in dumping and illegal subsidization of exports.

Still, these are not the major sourc-

es of our trade deficits. That distinction belongs to the dollar’s status as the major global currency, used to conduct trade and cross-border investment.

This drives the dollar’s value higher, making U.S. exports more expensive and U.S. imports cheaper. Given the nature of the resulting trade deficits -and as is obvious from the economy’s present state -- the United States can achieve “full employment” and run trade deficits simultaneously.

Having misdiagnosed the problem, Trump has embraced protectionist solutions. He withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an agreement with 11 other countries, thereby antagonizing these nations and weakening American influence over the region’s trading practices.

China is the obvious alternative.

Now Trump is offending Canada and Mexico by demanding major changes in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). If the talks fail, who knows how the more than $1 trillion in trade among the three countries will fare?

Naturally, Trump appears late in Irwin’s story. A harsh judgment is possible: Trump trade leads to a dead end. But Irwin is more judicious, writing: “Whether the Trump administration marks a turning point in U.S. trade policy, or just one with strong posturing on trade issues, remains to be seen. ... [At the least, Trump] portended a loss of U.S. international economic leadership.” Time will tell. (c) 2017, The Washington Post Writers Group

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

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Small Goals Lead To Big Gains

By Arnoldo Mata We’re getting to the end of the year, and we’re starting to look forward to the next year. We also start thinking about changes, big changes. New job, new degree, lower weight, bigger muscles, slimmer body, and so on. We have grand visions with grand goals about where we want to be by the end of next year. Rather than these grand goals, you may want to consider a smaller goal. Maybe even just a couple of small goals.

When we worked as migrant farmworkers, one of the most dispiriting things was starting at one end of a field and looking off at the other end a half-mile away. Rather than think about the endless day of going back and forth mile after mile, I tended to focus on a point about halfway down the field.

I would start, keep working and not look up until I hit that point. I would turn and look back at my starting point and see how far I had come.

I felt a certain amount of self-satisfaction that I had gotten that far. Then I would look at the other end, put my head down and keep working until I hit the end. Again, I felt a certain amount to success.

That kept me going all day. That mental hack – which I didn’t know was a hack back then – helped me get through all those summers of heatplagued, dust-covered work. After all those years of doing that, I didn’t realize that I kept using that hack over

and over again. I did it with homework, deciding that I was going to read three chapters of a long book at a time rather than trying to read it all at once. A friend taught me to do the same with jogging/running. We’d set an easy goal, say jogging three blocks then walk. Then we’d set another goal, maybe four blocks, and so on.

Now, research from a variety of sources, including Harvard University, point to the greater success of setting a series of smaller goals while still keeping an eye on a bigger vision. For example, the overarching vision may be to be healthier. That is a great vision for anyone.

The challenge is that setting such a large vision can become overwhelming. By only looking at the big vision on a daily basis, the work becomes overwhelming, pushing some toward failure.

Instead, for example, one might set a goal to sign up for the gym and attend for at least a month. Don’t focus on the year-long contract. Look only at the first month. At the end of the month, look at how hard you’ve worked, how your body has changed and how much weight you’ve lost.

Celebrate that; then, commit for another month. Keep doing that month after month.

At some point, you’ll start thinking about setting a two- or three-month goal until you get to the end of the year.

By setting smaller goals, you get to measure and celebrate your success on a regular basis. You get to look back and make any adjustments you need to make. All of this boosts your confidence and keeps adding to your success.

This is an approach major companies are now using to keep their staff motivated in the face of rising competition and market changes. It is being applied to how students learn. It is used by the military in training new recruits.

After a while, your mental approach will change toward repeated, smaller successes that combine into a larger vision. You will turn it into a habit, a habit of success.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

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Pharr Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Eldora Elevated Storage Water Tank

Weslaco Chamber President/CEO Doug Croft, left, delivers “Small Business Saturday” materials to Marty Masso, owner of Boots ‘n Jeans, located along Expressway 83 in Weslaco.

Weslaco Chamber Helps Local Merchants Prepare For ‘Small Business Saturday’ The Weslaco Chamber of Commerce is participating as a designated “neighborhood champion” for the upcoming Small Business Saturday on November 25. Small Business Saturday is a holiday shopping tradition that happens every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Founded by American Express in 2010, this nationwide movement helps bring attention to the importance of supporting small businesses in communities across America.

Participating as a neighborhood champion with the Shop Small program includes distributing Shop Small tote bags, posters and more to local small businesses, compliments of American Express. Weslaco Chamber President/ CEO Doug Croft picked a day to set out and deliver the items to some of the small member businesses in Weslaco, including Boots ‘n Jeans, Lionel’s, Wells

of Weslaco, Extreme Nutrition, Borderland Hardware and others.

“We are encouraging Weslaco residents to shop local this holiday season,” remarked Croft. “If all of Weslaco’s adult population did half of their Christmas spending local, it would keep $1.5 million in the local economy.”

The Weslaco Chamber of Commerce encourages shoppers to participate in Shop Small Saturday by going out and supporting local businesses in whatever community they’re in.

“The single most effective way to grow an economy is to spend locally,” Croft adds. “Small, locally-owned stores, create jobs, provide payroll, pay local taxes, and support local causes.

They are investing in the local economy each and every day.”

For more information on the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce, visit www. weslaco.com.

Pharr city officials hosted a ribbon cutting for a new, elevated storage water tank. At center, Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D., holds the scissors during the ribbon cutting as other city officials and staff look on.

City of Pharr officials and the Greater Pharr Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the new Eldora Elevated Storage Water Tank. The new water tower will strengthen the city’s long-term storage capacity and water pressure for the north Pharr area.

“The City of Pharr is making improvements to our water distribution system to address system deficiencies and low pressure concerns, and will prepare our city for future growth,” said Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. “This critical project will increase our capacity to add 10,000 new connections as we plan and prepare for an increase in population and residents in the next few years,” he continued.

According to city staff, the area has experienced new residential growth as new subdivisions are being developed. The installation of this new one-million gallon elevated storage tank is part of the City

of Pharr’s efforts to increase water capacity and accommodate current and future growth in the northern part of the city.

The project was made possible through the Texas Water Development Board’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), which provided funding for this $2.7 million dollar renovation. The project, in combination with the ongoing water Transmission Main Improvements Project, will address system pressure deficiencies and provide additional storage to meet state requirements.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, authorized by the Safe Drinking Water Act, provides low-cost financial assistance for planning, acquisition, design, and construction of water infrastructure. Pharr currently has approximately 20,000 connections and an elevated storage of 2.25-million gallons. With this new tank, residents can expect an added 20 years of additional capacity to accommodate future growth.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

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More Than 100 Pieces From The Warmbold Collection Donated To The International Museum of Art & Science

VSO Opens Chamber Concert Series

The critics’ praise has been consistently high: “Impeccable technique, virtuosity of the highest level, every single phrase was thought throughsimply fantastic!”

Those words of praise are for Dzmitry Ulasiuk, the pianist who will help kickoff the The Valley Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Concert Series with “A Chopin Affair,” on Tuesday, December 5 at the Sky Tower Club located inside the 17th floor of the Chase Neuhaus Tower in McAllen. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a wine and heavy hor d’oeuvres reception followed by the evening’s performance starting promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Born and raised in the city of Minsk, Belarus, Dzmitry started his piano studies professionally at age 16. Within one year he made his solo debut

with an all-Chopin program in his hometown. Since then, he has had considerable success in competitions including Second Prize in the 2011 Chopin International Piano Competition, USA and won First Prize in the 25th Fryderyck Chopin International Piano Competition held in Corpus Christi, Texas this January. He is currently a Doctoral student of Dr. Pamela Mia Paul at the University of North Texas in Denton, where he also holds a teaching fellowship.

The Valley Symphony Orchestra season holds two chamber concerts in addition to their six-concert symphonic season. Tickets for the Chamber Concert are currently on sale through www.valleyorchestra.org or by calling the VSO Box Office at 956-6611615.

The International Museum of Art & Science last week announced a gift of 113 objects of Mexican folk art from Carolyn Warmbold, a long-time resident of San Antonio, who now lives in Florida.

Mrs. Warmbold first donated to IMAS in 1990 after the death of her husband Ted. He and Carolyn became prominent collectors of Mexican and Central American folk art after living in San Antonio where Ted, former editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, was an editor for the San Antonio Light. Starting in the early 1980s and up until his death, Ted would travel to Mexico and Central America purchasing folk art directly from artists. At home in San Antonio, Ted also helped establish the Austin Friends of Folk Art, after being president of the San Antonio Friends of Folk Art, a well-established organization that serves as a fund-raising arm of the San Antonio Museum of Art. In 1990, at the bequest of the Estate of Ted Warmbold, the majority of his collection was divided between the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, and IMAS. Of the 411 pieces of folk art given to IMAS were Mexican masks, textiles, costume pieces, sculptures, ceramics, and figurines.

In late 2016, Carolyn Warmbold proposed a second gift to IMAS as she was prepared for retirement. The 113 items newly acquired by IMAS complement the previous donation, filling gaps in the collection and rounding out areas by major Mexican folk artists such as the Oaxcan ceramicists in the Aguilar family and the wood carver Manual Jimenez along with papier-mâché works by David Linares of Mexico City. The vi-

David Linares, Baby Alibrije (Chameleon), ca. 1987, papier-mâché. Gift of Carolyn Warmbold to IMAS.

brant papier-mâché sculpture in the accompanying picture, in Spanish called an alebrije, was made by the grandson of the most famous of the alebrije artists, Pedro Linares.

This baby chameleon was purchased by Ted Warmbold from Felipe Linares in 1987, and Ted believed that he was the subject of the work.

The objects most recently donated by Carolyn Warmbold include textiles, ceramics, figurines, sculptures, masks, and some religious objects. As part of the process of documenting incoming works to the permanent collection, objects are cataloged and photographed and assigned a permanent location in the vault. The IMAS folk art collection, now reaching over 1,000 objects, has from its founding has been one of the museum’s strongest assets and continues to grow.

The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is a Smithsonian Affiliated

Museum. The mission of the International Museum of Art & Science is to create an environment that inspires, educates and entertains the public through the arts and sciences.

The museum is located at the intersection of Bicentennial Way and Nolana Avenue at 1900 W. Nolana in McAllen, Texas. Hours of operation are: Closed Mondays, Tuesday to Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Friday: 9:00 am to 5 pm; Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. On the first Thursday of each month, IMAS is open until 8 pm. Log onto http:// www.theimasonline.org or call (956) 681-2800 for more information.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

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Students Geared Up For Massive TUBACHRISTMAS Show From -- PG.1

It’s the largest concert of its kind in Texas and one of the largest in the world.

Hundreds of performers will take part in the 29th Annual Rio Grande Valley TUBACHRISTMAS Concert set for 2 p.m.

Sunday, December 3, in McAllen. This concert is free and all are encouraged to attend this truly unique and entertaining concert of Christmas music.

The Rio Grande Valley TUBACHRISTMAS Concert has grown in the recent years to become the largest TUBACHRISTMAS event in the state and one of the largest worldwide. The event will be at the Nikki Rowe High gym, located at 2101 N. Ware Road in McAllen.

TUBACHRISTMAS is an ensemble of more than 350 Tuba and Euphonium players from throughout the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. This ensemble will include members of the Rio Grande Valley Symphony Orchestra, the McAllen Symphonic Band, Valley band directors, and the finest High School and Middle School students from many Valley schools.

Last year’s Concert featured students from McAllen, Mission, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Donna, La Joya, Edinburg, Rio Grande City, Mercedes, Sharyland, Edcouch-Elsa, Weslaco, Harlingen, Los Fresnos, Hidalgo, Santa Rosa, Brownsville and Port Isabel.

This year’s guest artist will be Deanna Swoboda, Associate Professor of Tuba/Euphonium at Arizona State University. Prior to joining the ASU music faculty, Swoboda was Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Western Michigan University where she was a full time member of the Western Brass Quintet. Prior to WMU, she was tubist of the Dallas Brass, a 6-piece ensemble that travels the United States

and Europe presenting hundreds of concerts each year and working extensively in the public schools and at colleges and universities. She is also the creator and performer of a motivational recruiting video and music workshop called “Band Blast Off.” Her performance is made possible by a grant from Melhart’s Music.

One of the most popular features of the RGV TUBACHRISTMAS Concert is the tuba-decorating contest. Several of the performers have very extensive decorations for their instruments. This is one of the reasons that this concert is unlike any other Christmas Concert.

TUBASCHRISTMAS is a nationwide concert event that begins each year after Thanksgiving and continues until Christmas Day. There are more than 150 concerts in 46 different states plus Canada and Switzerland. These groups include from four to 500 members.

The first TUBACHRISTMAS was December 22, 1974, on the Ice Rink Stage of New York City’s Rockefeller Center. More than 300 tuba and euphonium players gathered to honor the memory of William Bell (born Christmas Day, 1902) and to celebrate his considerable achievements as a performer and teacher. Bell was a member of John Phillip Sousa’s Band, the Goldman Band, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and was on the faculty of the Julliard School of Music, Manhattan School of Music and Indiana University. Arturo Toscanini, conductor of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, considered Bill Bell to be the world’s greatest tubist.

Anyone who has heard a TUBACHRISTMAS Concert will never forget the experience. It is no wonder that since 1974, TUBACHRISTMAS has become a tradition in cities throughout the world.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

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Hidalgo County Partners With South Texas College To Expand County Employees’ Educational Opportunities

McAllen Public Library director Kate P. Horan, center, poses with a copy of the book, “World´s Leading National, Public, Monastery and Royal Library Directors,” in which she is featured. Along with her are City Manager Roy Rodriguez, and McAllen Library Advisory Board President Irma Garza.

McAllen Librarian Takes The Spotlight In New Book McAllen Public Library (MPL) director Kate P. Horan is in the spotlight on a global scale. Horan is one of only 28 librarians that are featured in a prominent international publication.

“Kate is enthusiastic, innovative and devoted to her job. She is passionate about providing library services to children and youth and she is an asset to our community,” McAllen Mayor Jim Darling said at a ceremony for the local launch of the book.

“It is a well-deserved recognition.”

“I’m blessed to be able to do what I love every day. I’m honored and proud to have McAllen Public Library in such prestigious company as the Vatican Library and the Library of Congress,” Horan said.

Horan, who has been at the helm of the MPL for four years now, is highlighted in chapter 21 of the book entitled: World´s Leading National, Public, Monastery and Royal Library Directors written by Dr. Patrick Lo, Allan Cho and Dr. Dickson Chiu and published by De Gruyter in Germany.

“I was surprised -- no, stunned is more like it -- when I received the invitation to interview for Dr. Lo’s book. At first, I thought it might be a hoax, but after some quick research, I discovered the project and publisher were in earnest,”Horan continued.

Horan joins prominent librarians in the book such as David Mao, Deputy Librarian of the Library of Congress and Austrian National Library Director Dr. Johanna Rachinger to name a few.

Jorge Gonzalez, systems supervisor at MPL, said the organization was thrilled to learn of Horan’s selection for the book, and

that the library is fortunate to have her.

“We were excited to hear that our director, Ms. Horan was chosen for this honor. In the years that I have worked at MPL, I have witnessed her unique vision of library services in action. Her leadership has changed how libraries interact with their patrons, not only here in McAllen, but also across South Texas. I believe that through this book, she will inspire many to transform their libraries,” Gonzalez said.

Part of the reason Horan says she was hand-picked for the publication is because of the publicity received by the McAllen library for its beautiful architecture and inviting design of user space.

“In a way, it’s not so surprising to be a part of this book. MPL has been in national and international news since we opened in 2011 and is famous for having been transformed from a big box store into a beautiful, modern world-class library,” she said.

Once a deserted Wal-Mart, the warehouse structure was repurposed into the country’s largest single-story public library.

Since Horan become director, the library has blossomed under Horan. In 2013, the library had 63,894 borrowers, and that number has now risen to more than 97,000 and about 2,100 visitors frequent the library daily. MPL has a collection that features 323,822 physical items; more than 10,000 e-books, and now, with Freegal, access to millions of downloadable songs.

Horan says she hopes more people take advantage of the dynamic civic resource in their community.

Dr. Ruben G. Flores, professor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership at South Texas College, said the college is promoting baccalaureate programs to non-traditional students.

South Texas College received the go-ahead from Hidalgo County Commissioners Court to schedule presentations with county departments about baccalaureate degrees in areas that may benefit employees.

Dr. Ruben G. Flores, Professor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership at South Texas College, said he and his colleagues would like the

opportunity to share information with county staff as part of the college’s 60x30TX strategic plan.

“By 2030, we’d like to see at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 have a certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree,” Flores said. For Hidalgo County, STC will focus on expanding access to baccalaureate degrees.

“We would like to provide access to non-traditional students to bachelor’s degree programs,” Flores said.

Commissioners Court Executive Officer Valde Guerra said he will work with Public Affairs Director Julia Benitez Sullivan to coordinate with STC on scheduling presentations.

Flores said he would like the presentations to be scheduled after STC’s winter break in late January.

“There are 22 states that allow community colleges to provide Baccalaureate Programs, and Texas is one of them,” said Flores.

Baccalaureate degrees help meet the needs for highly skilled workers and are affordable; the cost to attend a community college is approximately half as much as a public university.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

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Rep. Bobby Guerra Appointed Edinburg CISD Leader To Border Health Task Force Delivers State Of District Address

State Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra

Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, announced the appointment of McAllen Rep. R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra to serve on the newly-established Task Force of Border Health Officials.

The task force, created in response to a bill that was passed earlier this year, is made up of public health officials from along the Texas-Mexico border; they are tasked with studying important health issues affecting the region and identifying policy priorities to improve the well-being of all border Texans.

Along with the regional health officials that make up the working group are two members of the Texas Legislature: Rep. Bobby Guerra and Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., both representing the Rio Grande Valley.

The task force is charged with identifying public health issues that disproportionately affect the border region--including obesity, diabetes, and communicable diseases such as the Zika virus--and making recommendations to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) commissioner to address these issues. The border health task force is also encouraged to work collaboratively with Mexican border counterparts in developing solutions for certain health concerns.

“I’m truly honored to be appointed to the Task Force of Border Health Officials by Speaker Straus. As a member of the House Public Health committee and lifelong border resident, I know very well the unique health issues that our region faces. Last session, I passed legislation that will provide more resources to aid DSHS in tracking, studying, and preventing the spread of the Zika virus. I look forward to working with Texas border health officials in finding solutions to improve the livelihood of our communities,” Rep. Guerra stated.

State Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra has represented District 41 since 2012. He currently serves on the House Committees on Public Health and Energy Resources. He represents the cities of McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Palmhurst, Palmview, Alton and Pharr.

Superintendent Dr. René Gutiérrez recently highlighted the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District’s academic accomplishments during his State of the District address to members of the Edinburg Rotary and school administrators.

“We are proud to have been selected, based on our performances and our students’ academic scores, for four National Blue Ribbon Schools,” Gutiérrez said.

“That’s a tremendous accomplishment and something that we can be proud of as a community.”

Gutierrez spoke to approximately 80 people, who attended the Edinburg Rotary luncheon meeting at the Echo Hotel.

He said that Edinburg CISD is rated one of the best school districts in the state by the Texas Education Agency.

“Being an Edinburg resident for many years, I’ve just known about all of the wonderful potential and the capabilities of our school system, and we are so blessed,” said Nario Cantu, a member of the Edinburg Rotary.

Edinburg CISD Superintendent Dr. René Gutiérrez delivers his State of the District address during the Edinburg Rotary luncheon meeting at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg.

Cantu said that the partnership between ECISD and the Edinburg community was essential to shaping the future leaders of tomorrow.

Gutierrez also echoed the importance of community involvement, especially with regards to the District’s student recruitment efforts.

“We think now from diapers to diploma,” said Gutierrez. “We have to start networking, talking and communicating with children that are in daycare centers and learning centers, because we want to keep these kids in our community and in our schools.”

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WorkForce Solutions Recognizes Local Employers With Awards Doctors Hospital at Renaissance and Spectrum empower communities The WorkForce Solutions (WFS) Lower Rio Grande Valley Workforce Development Board (WFS) last week announced the recipients of the 2017 Employer of the Year and the 2017 Employer of Excellence awards, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance (DHR) and Spectrum.

Through their efforts and initiatives, both employers have worked to make a positive impact in the Rio Grande Valley’s communities and job ecosystem, a WFS statement said.

“Since 1997, DHR has helped over 1.3 million residents resolve limited health care access challenges in a community that lacked public and county hospitals.

The past year, DHR worked with WFS and secured funding for workforce training through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Skills Development Fund to increase the education and training offered to over 4,800 employees,” the announcement said.

In addition, DHR partners with WFS to recruit employees using Work In Tex-

as online jobs database, hiring events and job fairs throughout the year to fill open positions. One of the most notable innovative initiatives was the partnership with PSJA ISD and South Texas College (STC) to create a first-of-its-kind program providing a pathway for high school students into concurrent enrollment in the Associates Degree Nursing program at STC and employment with DHR. In April, 2017 Spectrum opened the company’s first bilingual state-of-the-art call center in McAllen, TX and partnered with WorkForce Solutions to recruit and hire 600 employees. Throughout the year, the partnership continued to strengthen with the collaboration of hiring events, job fairs, and coordination for the use of the Interview Streaming technology for online screening potential candidates.

“WorkForce Solutions is grateful for our partnership and looks forward to supporting the continued leadership from both Spectrum and DHR,” says Francisco Almaraz, WorkForce Solutions CEO. Both employers were presented with awards at the 2017 RGV LEAD Conference: Education and Workforce Summit held November 16, at the Hilton Garden Inn, South Padre Island.

Sen. Hinojosa Helps Open New Edinburg Driver License Mega Center Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, joined the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the community of Edinburg for the grand opening ceremony of the new Driver License Mega Center.

The new driver license center will feature advanced technology that provides driver license customers with the option of reserving a spot in line before arriving at the driver license office using their smart phone, landline, or computer.

Reserving a spot in line before arriving significantly reduces the time customers have to spend in the office to receive services.

“Last session, we worked with the Legislature and DPS to ensure funding for a driver license mega center in Edinburg.

For years, the Driver License Division lacked sufficient office capacity in Hidalgo County to meet today’s demand for driver license services,” Hinojosa said.

Hinojosa added, “The new facility will significantly increase our capacity in the Rio Grande Valley by 60,000 transactions per year and will decrease wait times at all our locations in the Valley. I thank our community leaders, local public officials, and DPS, who all had a strong commitment on working together to shorten waiting periods for driver license applicants. I am happy to have been part of these efforts to improve services to the public.”

The new facility also will include space for class C driver license skills testing as well as two testing lanes for commercial driver license skills testing – a true asset for commercial motor vehicle drivers across the entire Rio Grande Valley. Commercial driver license applicants will be able to submit their application, take the written test and the road test all at this one new location.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

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