LOCALLY OWNED
The key to truly rebuilding our central city on a vital and sustainable foundation is people.” – Alan Autry A JOURNAL OF THE BORDERLANDS JUNE 2013
Est. 1994
Vol. XVIII No. 6 64 PAGES
@lareDOSnews
LareDOS Newspaper
2 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 3
Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
At Flag Day commemoration Members of the Knights of Columbus, law enforcement officers, students from St. Peter’s Academy, and members of Boy Scout Troop 192 are pictured with Mayor Raul Salinas and Msgr. James Harris at Flag Day ceremonies on June 14 at City Hall.
PUBLISHER
María Eugenia Guerra
meg@laredosnews.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Mariela Rodriguez STAFF WRITERS
Mariela Rodriguez Xenia Martinez Maxima Montano Celia Villarreal SALES
María Eugenia Guerra
ads@laredosnews.com
Circulation, Billing & Subscriptions
meg@laredosnews.com LAYOUT/DESIGN
Vantage Graphics
vantagegraphics@yahoo.com
CONTRIBUTORS Juan Alanis
Randy Koch
Nancy Black Sagafi-Nejad
Lem Londos Railsback
Melissa del Bosque
José Antonio López
Bebe Fenstermaker
Xenia Martinez
Sissy Fenstermaker Monica McGettrick Walters Denise Ferguson
Salo Otero
Neo Gutierrez
Richard Renner
Steve Harmon
Itiel Valdez
Henri Kahn
Write a Letter to the Editor meg@laredosnews.com
4 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Celia Villarreal/LareDOS
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Sister city hosts International 5k Silvia, Vicente and Vicente Rodriguez Jr. were among the participants in Nuevo Laredo’s 165th Anniversary Founders Day International 5k athletic race on Sunday, June 16. The race began at San Agustín Plaza in Laredo and ended along the route of Esteban Baca Calderon in Nuevo Laredo.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
Guadalupe-Chihuahua overpass inaugurated Anderson Colombia Inc. vice president Barry O’Bryan, Mayor Raul Salinas, Council member Alex Perez, Council member Cindy Liendo, Abigail Martinez of Rep. Richard Raymond’s office, and TxDOT district administrator Melissa D. Montemayor cut the ribbon for the $11.2 million overpass project that provides increased mobility and enhanced public safety.
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 5
Courtesy Photo
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Unity Bowl benefits Aranda family
Korean War Veterans honored Valentin Cuellar of the Catholic War Veterans read the invocation at ceremonies honoring Korean War veterans on June 14 in County Court at Law II.
6 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
On Saturday, June 15 the Unity Bowl, a friendly full contact football game, took place at Shirley Field. The game was between team Aranda — composed of off-duty firefighters and police officers playing in honor of local firefighter Marcos Aranda, who passed away earlier this year, — and team Brushdogs —composed of off-duty Border Patrol agents and Office of Field Operation Customs. Prior to the game Brushdogs Arturo Sandoval presented the Aranda family with a jersey with Marcos’ number.
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
Great nursery stock at Farmers Market Lourdes de la Garza and friends enjoyed a morning at the Laredo Farmers Market. She is pictured at the booth operated by Gil’s Nursery.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
WBCA names Mr. South Texas Pictured at the June 12 announcement for 2014 Mr. South Texas — Renato Ramirez — are (left to right) Bob Weathers; Texas Community Bank (TCB) president Douglas G. Macdonald; and WBCA president Patricia Guajardo.
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 7
Interview
Meet Renato Ramirez, 2014 Mr. South Texas
Z
apatan Renato Ramirez — banker, rancher, philanthropist, humanitarian, honed intellect, environmental steward, and a rare, committed, one-of-a-kind trailblazer who is not known for ambivalence on any topic — has been named Mr. South Texas 2014 by the Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association. Ramirez, the CEO of IBC-Zapata has created an indelible legacy of commitment to his community, to education, to the welfare of children, and to Tejano culture and history. He is erudite, articulate, wellread, curious about human nature, a lover of history and poetry, and far ahead of economic trends before they become the news. He is kind in ways out of the public eye — buying the floor (all the unsold livestock projects) at the Zapata County Fair and delivering them to Sacred Heart Children’s Home. He has changed the lives of many children and created opportunities for their access to higher education. We congratulate Renato Ramirez for this most-deserved award. As well, we congratulate the WBCA’s Mr. South Texas selection committee for so apt and meaningful a choice. – María Eugenia Guerra LareDOS: The recognition as Mr. South Texas — what do you believe this says about you RR: First of all, I am overwhelmed by the honor that the selection as Mr. South Texas gives me. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would be sharing such an honor with the 63 distinguished recipients of the award. I think the se-
8 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
Renato Ramirez lection recognizes the commitment I have made to our community. If one looks objectively at the last 30 years, one sees a very successful financial institution serving eight counties and many customers in Mexico. This institution, without a doubt, represents a commitment of the Sanchez family, the Nixon family, and the IBC family; however, I have been the CEO of the Zapata operation since 1984. In 1985, my family donated 70 acres of land for an airport. In 1985, I organized a corporation, raised money, built a nine-hole golf course, and have managed it since. The generosity of IBC and my family made it possible to have a Boys/ Girls Club in Zapata and a Chamber of Commerce building, and we never abandoned the County Fair. One cornerstone achievement was the $1 million endowment to TAMIU. Another cornerstone achievement was the Tejano Monument — while there were six team members on the group that endured a 12-year journey, most people will tell you that without the fund raising, influence in Austin, and the commitment to get it done, it would not have been done. Bringing the Harmony Acad-
emy for Science Math and Technology is another cornerstone. It has made a significant difference in the lives of many bright youngsters in Laredo. Our long commitment to the Casa Hogar orphanage in Cd. Mier, which we had to abandon for security purposes — I consider that one of the most valuable commitments I made to make the lives of those children easier. LareDOS: The accolades are stacking up like snowdrifts. What do you think about these recognitions that call attention to your civic work, your effort to fund the Tejano Monument, your work as a banker? RR: I am appreciative of the many honors. We have filled one room in the house with plaques, resolutions, etc. It feels good to be recognized for what I would have done without recognition. LareDOS: Most bankers resumes don’t include membership in such venerated human rights organizations as the Texas Civil Rights Project or being a solid supporter of environmental organizations like the Río Grande International Study Center. How is it these causes are important parts of your civic work? RR: I believe in protecting civil rights. Recently, I was one of the complainants in the complaint against Justice Edith H. Jones for her remarks stating that Hispanics have a much high propensity to violence and criminal acts than other ethnic groups. That complaint is now before the U. S. Supreme Court. When I met with Col. Steven McGraw of the DPS, it was to bring attention to the shooting of unarmed Hispanics from a helicopter, to protest the body cavity searches of two young ladies in Dallas on the side of the road with no probable cause, and to protest the harsh interrogation
of my 13 year-old granddaughter by a DPS patrolman. Those of us who have the capability to defend ourselves need to do it for those who cannot. That is the history of the Texas Civil Rights Project. Two major cases which affected Hispanics were Allee vs. Medrano brought by a group of attorneys which later became the Texas Civil Rights Project who sought redress for the abusive behavior of Texas Rangers in 1966 in Starr and Hidalgo County. The Supreme Court decision in 1974 disbanded the Texas Rangers as they existed and made them a part of the Department of Public Safety with licensing requirements, educational requirements, and accountability. A great victory of minorities, particularly Hispanics. The second case was the MALDEF litigation funded by Mr. A. R. Sanchez Sr. to bring higher education to South Texas; hence we have universities in Brownsville, Edinburg, Laredo, Corpus, San Antonio, and improved TAMUK. A great victory for Hispanics in South Texas. RGISC is doing a great job protecting the environment—all of us need to be better stewards of our land. I studied at Case-Western Reserve in Cleveland for a summer—the Cuyahoga River caught fire from pollutants because folks did not stand up for the environment. LareDOS: What was at the heart of your no-stone-left-unturned push to find funding for the Tejano Monument? What did you learn from those who turned you down and those who didn’t blink when they said yes? RR: At the heart of that effort was the 500 years of contributions by Tejanos to Texas culture and Texas history and the last 180 years of CONTINUED ON PAGE 62
44
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
News
Lawsuit claims woman’s deportation was a death sentence BY MELISSA DEL BOSQUE LareDOS Contributor
T
he U.S. government deported 387,790 people in 2009, one of them a frightened 22-year-old victim of domestic abuse known, in a lawsuit filed June 5, 2013 as “Laura S.” Despite having a U.S. visa and a restraining order against her abusive ex-boyfriend in Mexico — she warned immigration agents he’d kill her if she returned — Laura S. was deported without ever seeing an immigration judge. Within days of being deported the young mother of three was abducted in the Mexican border city of Reynosa by her ex-boyfriend, a member of a notorious drug cartel. On June 14, 2009, her body was found in a burning car in downtown Reynosa. Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and the South Texas Civil Rights Project filed the civil lawsuit on behalf of Laura S.’s three young children, against the U.S. immigration agents who deported their mother. According to the lawsuit, a despondent Laura S. begged ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials not to send her to Mexico, telling them her ex-boyfriend would kill her if she returned. Laura S. told the agents that she had a protective order from the U.S. court against her abuser and that she had three small children at home in Texas, according to the lawsuit. Despite her pleas, within hours of being stopped for a minor traffic violation in Pharr, Laura S. was sent back to Mexico. Lawyers representing her children say she was denied due process and ultimately sent to her death. “She was clearly eligible for relief from removal
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
under several different standards,” said Jennifer Harbury, an attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who is representing the family. “This woman was a victim of violence and someone who had gone to court for a U visa and helped with the prosecution of a dangerous person. If she would have had a hearing in front of an immigration judge — as she had the right to have — she would have never been removed from this country and she would not have had to die.” The family is not releasing their last name in the lawsuit because Laura S.’s killer is still at large, living just across the border in Mexico. Harbury said she’s seen a recurring problem in South Texas with people being wrongfully deported. She represented another family whose son, a legal permanent resident with a mental disability, was deported without due process. “He was sent to Mexico with no change of clothes, no documents, and no medication for his illness,” said Harbury. “He tried to swim back across the river to Texas and drowned.” Harbury said the problem of wrongful deportations has become more dire with the rapid increase of deportations by the U.S. government and the ongoing cartel wars in Mexico. “Deporting people without the full due process of law and without fully listening to what their situation is can have lethal consequences.” In Laura’s case, her deportation had tragic consequences. Harbury and a legal team spent several months interviewing witnesses and gathering documents regarding Laura’s deportation and violent death. Harbury says that Laura’s attacker nearly bit her ear off during a vicious attack on
a Reynosa street, then abducted her, and strangled her in a hotel room. Laura’s mother pressed charges in Mexico but Laura’s attacker escaped from prison. Eventually, Laura’s mother found Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and asked for help. “She literally came into our office weeping and said ‘Is there nothing that can be done for my daughter?’ Harbury said. “The case was so egregious. Of course we wanted to help any way we could.” In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, attorneys are asking for the names of the six immigration agents who deported Laura despite her repeated pleas that she would be killed if she was sent back to Mexico. Laura’s mother, who is now raising her daughter’s three
young children on her own, is also seeking damages in the lawsuit for pain and anguish. “It’s an incredibly sad case,” Harbury said. “Laura didn’t have to die.” (This article published with permission of the author and The Texas Observer. It was published in the June 6, 2013 edition of The Texas Observer. Melissa del Bosque joined The Texas Observer staff in 2008. She specializes in reporting on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border. Her work has been published in national and international publications including TIME magazine and the Mexico Citybased Nexos magazine. She has a master’s in public health from Texas A&M University and a master’s in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.) ◆
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 9
Commentary
Tejano history barely dodged the SB1128 bullet BY JOSÉ ANTONIO LÓPEZ LareDOS Contributor
T
exas State Republican Senator Dan Patrick seeks to lessen the value of Tejano history in college credit. He is clearly following his unwise, ultimate goal to keep Mexican-descent students from learning about their long-ignored ancestors in Texas. In formulating his Senate Bill 1128 to enact Arizonastyle, anti-Mexican culture legislation on this side of the border, the Senator wants students to learn only post-1836 Texas (Anglo) history and not early Texas (Spanish Mexican) history. Because of opposition by groups of concerned Texas citizens, he has decided to temporarily halt the processing of his bill; at least for now. Senator Patrick’s ideas are the proverbial “slap in the face” insult to Tejanos (Spanish Mexican-descent Texans), most whose pedigree goes back to the very foundation of Texas. Clearly, the Senator needs some remedial instruction. Before he re-introduces his repulsive bill, he should attend a Mexican American Studies college course right there in Austin. First, he will be gently reminded by the professor that Texas is in New Spain and not New England. Also, he’ll learn that New Spain in the U.S. is over twice as large as New England. Then, he will learn that Texas history does not begin with the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. Most of all, he will learn of the basic set of core values that students study in these classes – faith, family, justice, industriousness, and patriotism. Yes, this is the same core value system that our ancestors put in place in Texas before the arrival of Anglo immigrants from the U.S. The Senator from District 7 should bring his staff along, as well as the Republican representatives who spon-
1 0 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
sored the equally repugnant HB 1938. They need the special schooling as much as he does. Among other things, the instructor will be sure to remind them that our rich pre-1836 Spanish Mexican heritage is the main root of Texas history. It is this one element in our long story in Texas and the Southwest that allows us to celebrate our unique “American“culture yearround. That is, not just during Spanish Heritage Month in September, that was designed to recognize Hispanic and Latino immigrant groups in the U.S. They will also learn that about 15 to 20 million Mexican-descent U.S. citizens originating in the Southwest are so distinguished from our other sister Hispanic groups. Simply stated, the fact that we (Spanish Mexicandescent Texans and Spanish Mexicandescent citizens of the Southwest) are not immigrants to the U.S. is the part of our history that makes Anglophiles apoplectic, quite simply because they neither understand nor accept it. Indeed, it’s quite ironic that Republican Governor Rick Perry had the honor of dedicating the Tejano Monument on the grounds of the State Capitol Building last year. Quick to display his beaming sonrisa (smile) from ear to ear, he appeared to relish this Tejanoflavor moment just as much as anyone else present. That should have settled the matter once and for all, but it didn’t. Even after the ceremonies were concluded, most Republican elected officials in Austin failed to grasp the Tejano Monument’s significance. They continue to do so at their own peril. My sincere invitation to them is that they visit the Monument during their lunch break. I ask them to especially read the bronze plaques, each telling a chapter of Tejano blood, sweat, and tears. Additionally, I ask them to no-
tice and join in the myriad on-going events that are initiating what I call a Tejano Renaissance. Infusing bursts of much-needed nitrogen into the Tejano family tree are the awesome Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas, based in San Antonio, whose impressive goal is to make Tejano people, places, and events part of mainstream Texas history; the annual reenactments at the Spanish Governors Palace recalling the signing of the first Texas Declaration of Independence on April 6, 1813; the yearly commemoration of the August 18, 1813 Battle of Medina; the PBS film, Texas Before the Alamo; and the recent reading of Texas House Resolution 709 sponsored by Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) calling to mind the 200th Anniversary of the signing of the first Texas Constitution on April 17, 1813. The list of Tejano events honoring the memory of our ancestors steadily grows every year. For much too long, pre-1836 Texas history has been dismissed, diminished, and distorted by mainstream Texas historians and others who refuse to accept Tejanos as the founders of Texas. Many Anglos and Northern European-descent folks forget that it was our Tejano ancestors who invited and welcomed their ancestors to Texas. It is for that reason that this has been the topic of several articles that I’ve written for LareDOS readers. In brief, what all of this means is: “¡Aqui todavia estamos, y no nos vamos! (Here we still are and we’re not going anywhere!) Curiously, Senator Patrick is attacking the preservation of Tejano history at the same time that the Spanish Mexican population in Texas is growing. In particular, the following statistic should prove a sobering reality to the Senator: Spanish-surnamed students have now surpassed Anglo students in Texas schools. From per-
sonal observation as a mentor and lecturer, Mexican-descent students are beautiful, bright, and fearless! Senator Patrick, this is not a good time to keep these future leaders of Texas from learning about the true Spanish Mexican roots of our state. Hence, I ask Spanish Mexican-descent Texans who vote Republican, “no se olviden de su herencia” — don’t forget your heritage. If you want a shot of inspiration and reminder of what makes us descendants of the first citizens of Texas, you too must visit the Tejano Monument in Austin. You should be just as concerned as those of us in the frontlines daily fighting to preserve the memory of our ancestors. Further, I ask all our many allied Anglo brethren who are Tejano history aficionados to help us keep Sen. Patrick and other bigoted politicians from tinkering with Texas School Board of Education policies. Regardless of your political views, you must contact your elected representatives and tell them so. Note: although Senator Patrick and his supporters have temporarily withheld their ill-advised bills in committee, that doesn’t mean they have given up their objective to rob the majority of Texas school children of their Tejano inheritance. My advice to Senator Patrick and those who fear Mexican American Studies follows. Your intolerance has no place in an increasingly diversifying Texas. So, you have two choices. Either you accept the certain re-browning of Texas and teaching of Tejano history or you move back east of the Sabine River. The truth is no one should be afraid of learning Texas history in a seamless, bi-cultural, big picture perspective. In the words of FDR, a Democrat that Republicans love to hate, Senator Patrick, you have nothing to fear, but fear itself. ◆
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Opinion
Strange bedfellows – those opposed to abortion, killing in war, killing by capital punishment BY NANCY BLACK SAGAFI-NEJAD LareDOS Contributor
W
illiam Shakespeare wrote in Act II of The Tempest that “misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” It seems that “misery” caused by the polarization of our political discourse should lead to a search for any glimmer of common ground among us. One might be the potential for collaboration among those who believe in the sanctity of human life, including those opposed to abortion, killing in war, or killing by capital punishment. These are unlikely allies and thus “strange bedfellows” especially if the former are seen as “conservative” and the latter “liberal.” But common to both is the belief that human life is precious and should be preserved, protected, and enhanced, not destroyed. Because of the consistency embedded in these strands of thought — that it is wrong to kill a fetus, to kill in war or as punishment for a capital crime combined with the common reverence for life — these groups might cooperate in advancing this common thread in these overlapping ideas. Some might choose to emphasize the differences by saying, for instance, that war is necessary and inevitable. But is this true? Not many of us have paused to question this or ponder alternative ways of managing conflict. Others may argue that persons are not worthy of protection until they have been born and live independently outside the womb. But is this true? The fetus is a living organism yet separate from but dependent upon the mother. And some may arW W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M
gue that those convicted of a capital crime do not deserve protection. But is this true? Are courts and juries infallible? Can one say with certainty that the state has never mistakenly put an innocent person to death? Although those holding the strong belief that killing another is wrong reach this view through different paths, they may nonetheless work together in constructive ways that have yet to be imagined. Perhaps we can try to imagine some. One idea is for these disparate groups to work together to develop a curriculum on the sanctity of life. Anti-abortion, anti-capital punishment, and anti-war proponents could advocate for the others’ positions, remembering their common belief in the sanctity of human life and the need to protect it. For instance, all could ensure that such a curriculum would emphasize that abortion is not a reasonable or compassionate solution to unwanted pregnancy and should never be considered as a means of contraception, that those old enough to have sexual relations must be educated in the responsibility that accompanies this rite of passage. One who participates in the potential creation of a child should be able and willing to love and nurture it. Or, put more succinctly: don’t make a baby if you can’t be a parent. An abhorrence of killing logically includes grown persons. These three might together expose the disadvantages and even the horror and terror of war. Its lingering negative effects often extend beyond the battlefield to create tangential damage to families and society. War not only physically and emotionally ravages the persons who serve but the government that sends them to fight. It not only
destroys bodies and buildings but also the mental health and capacity of both warriors and victims. A cogent example is Corporal Robert Bales who recently pled guilty to killing sixteen villagers near his military base in Afghanistan, acknowledging that he was unable to explain why he had killed them. The traumatic stress of war compounded by his four tours of duty is likely the reason. Killing by the state for those convicted of a capital crime is odd because of its logical inconsistency. All criminal laws prohibit killing, and yet the state can itself kill by imposing the death penalty! However, some U.S. states have wisely chosen to outlaw capital punishment, and so
have roughly half of the countries in the world. From 2007-2012, of the 80 countries that can impose the death penalty, the United States ranked fifth highest in the number of persons sentenced to death and fourth highest in the number of persons actually executed. These strange bedfellows might join together in creating something positive such as participation in the above-mentioned curriculum for possible use by schools or organizations that value peace, community, and the sanctity of human life. One of the clear prohibitions handed down by Moses “Thou shalt not kill” should be a powerful impetus for seeking such common ground among us. ◆
LareDOS I J U N E 2013 I
11
News
Dr. Carlos A. Galvan joins Treviño Eye Clinic & Optical
D
r. Alfredo Treviño Jr. is pleased to announce that ophthamologist Dr. Carlos Alberto Galvan has joined the Treviño Eye Clinic and Optical, Laredo’s premier full-service eye care facility. A native of Harlingen, Dr. Galvan is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and earned his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2003, completing his internship in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston in 2007 and his ophthamology residency, also at UTMB-Galveston, in 2010. Dr. Galvan is a member of the American Academy of Ophthamology and is board eligible. “I am happy to have Dr. Galvan join our clinic as an associate. He brings the compassion, understanding of our culture and the ophthalmic knowledge to serve our patients with the respect all our staff believe they deserve. Dr. Galvan helps Treviño Eye Clinic raise our ability to serve Laredo and the surrounding area patients in a more expedient manner. I am proud that the patients of Treviño Eye Clinic and Optical have chosen us to serve them.” Dr. Galvan joins optometrist Dr. Ro-
Dr. Carlos Alberto Galvan
1 2 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
berto Ramos and ophthamologist Dr. Laura L. Mendiola on the medical staff. Treviño Eye Care Clinic and Optical has served Laredoans of all ages since it was established by Dr. Treviño in 1978.
Dr. Laura L. Mendiola
Dr. Alfredo Treviño, Jr. Born and raised in Laredo, Dr. Treviño was the first Laredo physician to provide corneal transplants, diabetic laser surgery, outpatient extra capsular cataract extractions, no-stitch cataract surgery, phacoemulsification cataract surgery, posterior chamber intraocular implants, retinal detachment surgery, and vitreous surgery. He attended Laredo Junior College, The University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Texas Medical Branch for his medical training. He earned his M.D. degree in 1970 and interned at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio while in serving in the United States Air Force. He also completed residency training in ophthalmology while in the Air Force, was Board Certified in 1976, practiced Ophthalmology in San Antonio for one year, and returned to Laredo in 1978 to fulfill a life long dream to serve the citizens of Laredo. Dr. Mendiola, a native Laredoan, is a board certified general ophthalmologist who performs cataract surgery, pterygium surgery, and minor eyelid
procedures as well as other routine office procedures. Dr. Mendiola earned a Bachelor of Arts at Washington University in St. Louis and her Medical Degree at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreveport. She is currently an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Texas Medical Association as well as the Webb-Zapata-Jim Hogg County Medical Society. She has privi-
Dr. Roberto Ramos leges at Doctors Hospital of Laredo. Dr. Ramos, also a native Laredoan,
is a 1998 graduate of Texas A&M University-Kingsville where he majored in biology. He taught high school science from 1998 to 2001 at United South Academy of Global Business and Advanced Technology. He is a 2005 graduate of the University Of Houston College Of Optometry and has since practiced primary care optometry in Laredo. Dr. Ramos specializes in treating low vision, diseases of the eye, pediatric optometry, specialty rigid gas permeable contact lens fitting. The Treviño Eye Clinic at 1006 E. Hillside Rd provides state of the art technology instruments for eye evaluations and testing. In addition to accurate eye exams, ophthamological care, and contact lens fitting, the clinic offers surgical procedures that include small incision cataract surgery; Strabismus surgery to correct eye muscle imbalance in children and adults; Glaucoma surgery to control intraocular pressure when medications are not being effective; lid surgery to remove cancers and other abnormal growths and to correct abnormal position of the lids due to aging, trauma or infections; cornea surgery to remove abnormal growths like pterygiums, cysts, or other abnormal growths; probing and irrigation of the nasal lacrimal duct system for persistent tearing in children; and Argon laser surgery to treat Diabetic Retinopathy and Yag laser surgery to remove “after cataract” opacities that may be blurring vision. The practice also offers all inclusive emergency surgery for trauma to all parts of the eye and eyelids to restore anatomy and function of the eye; and reconstructive plastic surgery on the eyelids to correct defects caused by injuries or anatomical damage caused by removing tumors on the eyelids. New patients are encouraged to register online at www.trevinoeyeclinic.net For further information, call the clinic at (956) 724-7179. ◆ W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M
Feature
José A. Palacios: banking 101 BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff “Keep your word. If you say you are going to do something, do it. After all, all anyone truly has is their word,” said Texas Community Bank (TCB) vice president José A. Palacios. Palacios, a native Laredoan whose interest in banking stemmed from a summer job at a local bank
José A. Palacios in 1990, has worked for TCB for six years. He is no stranger to hard work. He had a paper route as a boy and was responsible for collecting monthly subscription fees. “My Dad, Joe Palacios, would drive me around every morning before school. Heck, I guess it was his route, but he let me keep the monies,” he recalled, adding, “When W W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M
the blue law changed in 1984 allowing for retail sales on Sundays, I worked as a salesperson at a local department store on the weekends. “ It was his sales experience and a love of people that moved him toward marketing and becoming a banker. “I was drawn to banking because of the opportunity to meet and ideally assist people with their financial futures,” he said. According to Palacios, the most challenging aspect of managing a financial institution is creating a cohesive and productive environment in a diverse employee pool. “My co-workers are the best, customers are great, facilities are gorgeous and, most importantly, we are a community bank in every sense of the word,” he said. The challenge the banking industry has faced over the past few years, and constant regulation changes are keeping bankers such as Palacios on their toes. “I work in a very stable and healthy bank, but unfortunately these evolving new regulations impact all financial institutions, regardless of their performance,” he said, adding, “What most people do not realize is that the impact of new regulations usually end up negatively affecting the very enti-
ties they are supposed to benefit — bank customers.” The principles of sound banking are not this banker’s sole interest. Family is very important to Palacios. An avid deer hunter, he hunts with his wife Cristina and their children, Cristina Victoria, José III, and Anali Elizabeth. His participation in the Laredo Chamber of Commerce Cola Blanca Big Buck contest fostered Palacios’ interest in the work of the chamber. “After participating with the contest for a few years, I became a committee member and one thing led to another and currently I serve as chairman of the board,” he said, adding, “The chamber has been around since 1915 and truly adds a
great value to Laredo.” Palacios offered advice for these tough economic times. “It is important to set a budget and stick to it,” he said. “It sounds silly, but sit down with paper and pencil, write down your income, and deduct your expenses. I guarantee that you will see where monies are being spent that ideally can be saved,” said Palacios, adding, “No matter how much you earn, it is imperative that you save money wherever you can for any unexpected expenses that may arise. Also credit is a good thing, but if not monitored, it can be your downfall. Ideally, if you cannot afford something or save for it, don’t buy it.” ◆
LareDOS I J U N E 2013 I
13
Feature
Las Kekas offers Mayan and Mexican inspired cuisine BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff
L
as Kekas Restaurant at 3914 McPherson and 720 Convent offer not only a unique, wide variety of Mayan and Mexican dishes, but they also tell an inspiring story of dreams followed and goals met. Husband and wife Nicolas and Teresa Martinez are the proud, hardworking owners of Las Kekas. Originally from Mexico, the two possess a great understanding of the culture, lifestyle, and popular flavors of Nuevo Leon, Jalisco, Michoacan, Veracruz, Chiapas, Yucatan, Puebla, and Campeche. “We moved from Cancún to Laredo in September 2004, and started from scratch. Our dream, our goal was always to open our own restaurant,” said Teresa, adding, “We both knew things would not come easy,
but hard work and a lot of effort helped us realize our dream.” With over 20 years of restaurant and retail experience, behind him, Nicolas resigned from his job in 2010 to spend four months experimenting, creating, and testing every single item currently on the Las Kekas
Nicolas Bellizzia and Teresa Martinez
1 4 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
menu. “It was my dream to establish a chain of restaurants where customers would not have to worry about taste varying, depending on the location,” he said. The signature dish, of course, are las kekas, corn tortillas filled with a choice of poblano, pork carnitas, or flor de calabaza, to name a few. Always in high demand, according to Nicolas, is the savory cochinita pibil – a slow roasted pork dish of Mayan recipe origins. With only $5,000 and two credit cards, the couple sought out the perfect location. They found it in a small rundown home on McPherson Road. “It was in pretty bad shape, but we didn’t care. We knew we could turn it into what it is now a beautiful and cozy rincón Mexicano,” Teresa said. They opened the McPherson location on October 14, 2010. A few months later Las Kekas participated in the annual Washington Birthday Celebration Association’s Taste of Laredo and competed against other local restaurants. Nicolas said, “At the beginning we were nervous to see if locals would like our flavors, because here you see plenty of Mexican restaurants, but they all have the same kind of foods — carne asada, tacos or enchiladas.” Las Kekas won first place in the People’s Choice category and third place in the Judge’s Choice category. “That’s when we knew that people actually loved our food. We didn’t expect anything from that competi-
tion except showing what we had to offer,” he said. They participated again in the Taste of Laredo in February 2013 and won second place for People’s Choice and third place for Judge’s Choice. Shortly thereafter, Nicolas and Teresa opened a second location on the corner of Matamoros and Convent, a move that has greatly expanded their reach into the downtown business sector. “We have met a lot of new people — attorneys, business owners, and federal, state, and city and county employees,” said Nicolas In response to the new clientele, Nicolas said that he started a lunch buffet and constantly changing daily specials. The establishment has been featured numerous times in Texas Monthly and receives excellent feedback from satisfied customers. “We’ve had guests from Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Alaska, and California — all with great and positive feedback on our food, ambiance, and customer service,” Teresa said. With plenty of ideas on improving their business model, the couple wants to expand to other cities such as Houston and Austin in a few more years. “My house is your house – that is the concept from which we have built our business. If you don’t like something, let us know, and within reason we can accommodate you,” said Nicolas. Catering and delivery services are available. The McPherson location is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The downtown location is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can reach Las Kekas at (956) 568-5936 or (956) 267-8318. ◆ W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M
News
Volunteers work to revive Holding Community Center
T
Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
he transformation of the Holding Institute Community Center at the corner of Santa María Avenue and Washington St. is underway, thanks to its owners — the United Methodist Women (UMW) of New York — and a corps of volunteers who want the campus to become a resource for nonprofits and community organizations. Mike Smith is spearheading the effort that has moved dumpster-loads of trash since May 1 from the the inner city campus. Through Pastor Pete Aguilar of First United Methodist Church and an agreement with the owners — who provide electricity and water to the campus — Smith has become the acting unpaid interim executive director of the Holding Institute Community Center, a faith-based community education initiative. Other than the utilities covered by the UMW, the effort to re-open the
center moves forward without funding, though Smith has been actively submitting grant applications. Smith’s vision and that of others who want to bring the center back to life, is of a place that furthers the work of non-profits providing valuable community services. “There has been no activity in this place since it closed in the spring of 2011. The United Methodist Women of New York do not want the property to deteriorate, and they want it put to good use,” said Smith, who on Saturday, June 1 worked with 30 volunteers from Nixon High School, Keep Laredo Beautiful, Prairie View A&M University, El Mesias Youth Group, and members of Harmony Academy Boy Scout Troop 425 to clean, landscape, and paint. “Our target date for opening is late August, just as the new school year begins,” Smith said. “The location, lots of parking, and six classrooms make this a good venue for classes and meetings and many other uses,” he added. “We
Oscar Gonzalez and Adam Ramirez, members of Nixon High School FFA, work as members of the Three Amigos Foundation, the junior board of the Holding Institute Community Center. They are pictured landscaping the exterior of the center. W W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M
will begin community gardens in the fall, working closely with Keep Laredo Beautiful and Master Gardeners. The classrooms will be open for GED, ESL, and citizenship classes; for tutoring and life skills workshops; and health, nutrition, and wellness classes.” He also envisions the campus available to Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts as an overnight urban camping venue. “The Scouts can include in their activities a walk through the St. Peter’s Historic District and learn about Laredo’s development,” Smith said. “We are actively seeking volunteers to continue helping through the summer. Students and volunteers from civic organizations are welcome. The Holding Institute Community Center is a non-profit in good standing. Contributions are welcomed,” he said. Holding Institute had its beginnings as the Laredo Seminary and later was named after Methodist missionary Nannie Emory Holding who was superintendent of the school until her retirement in 1913. The school sat on 26 acres on the riverbanks and was known for its diverse enrollment of international students. The devastating flood of 1954, which washed away many of the
buildings and dormitories of Holding Institute, forced the school’s relocation to higher ground on Santa María Avenue in North Laredo. The school was rebuilt, but it closed in 1983. The Holding Institute Community Center opened south of that site near downtown Laredo in 1987, no longer an accredited school, but still a place to offer learning opportunities for GED, ESL, computer, and vocational classes. Its location at Santa Maria Avenue and Washington Street was once the site of the Leyendecker Lumber Company. The Santa Maria community center campus holds vestiges of what had once been a thriving school on the banks of the Río Grande — a portrait of Nannie Holding, the grand piano rescued from the Flood of 1954. “Holding Institute had a long, proud record of service in education,” Smith said, adding, “We want the center to thrive and to offer services once again to this community.” To donate, sign up as a volunteer, or inquire about a community garden space, call Smith at (956) 775-5968 or write to him at masmith33@yahoo. com ◆
Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher
Chris Musset of Prairie View A&M University directs volunteers on painting the office of the Holding Institute Community Center. LareDOS I J U N E 2013 I
15
News
and has a resource list for treatment. The guide is available online at www.texascivilrightsproject.org/ programs-and-services/veterans. Other TCRP resource manuals for veterans, which were created in cooperation with the law firms of Vinson & Elkins and Baker Botts, and the University of Texas School of Social Work are also available at the TCRP site. Those manuals include the Veterans’ Court Primer, Finding Legal Help After Prison: A guide to free legal assistance; Veterans Benefits After Prison: Finding help for work, housing, and health care; Attending College After Prison: Admission and financing; Texas Occupational License Manual: Applying for an occupational license and challenging an unjust denial; Medical Parole Manual. The manuals are also available at Justice for Veterans Campaign, 1405 Montopolis Dr., Austin, TX 78741. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that PTSD afflicts almost 31 percent of Vietnam veterans; as many as 7 percent of male and 16 percent of female Gulf War (Desert Storm) veterans; 11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan; and 20 percent of Iraqi war veterans. – LareDOS Staff
Can’t find a hard copy? Go to www.laredosnews.com
1 6 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
Families learn the dangers of plastic bags Agustina Rodriguez, Carmen Ayala, Rolando Tovar, Victoria Tovar, and Esperanza Ayala were among those who attended the Rio Grande International Study Center’s screening of the award-winning documentary Bag It on Saturday, May 25 at the Laredo Public Library’s Multipurpose Room.
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
W
ith a grant from the Texas Bar Foundation, the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) Justice for Veterans Campaign has published a valuable resource for veterans with PTSD — PTSD and the Legal System — to better help them deal with matters such as criminal defense, child custody, and other legal issues they may face. The symptoms of PTSD, an anxiety disorder, can be triggered by external stressors — including the stress of a courtroom appearance. The symptoms may include irritability, difficulty concentrating, jumpiness, and others that interfere with a person’s courtroom performance. When combined with involvement in the court and criminal justice system, an individual can sometimes become unable to deal with the frustration and uncertainties of the legal process. Preparing ahead of time for those triggers and challenges in the legal system will help manage the stress reactions that come from the process. The TCRP guide provides information to help manage PTSD, identifies possible triggers within the legal process, offers coping strategies,
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
TCRP offers PTSD/ legal system manual
Memorial Day tournament honors Lefty Valls Women’s City Club members Thelma Garza, Alexandra Ortiz, Elyssa Canales, Esther Degollado, Nancy de Anda, and Molly Martinez are pictured at the 10th annual Juvencio de Anda Memorial Day Golf Tournament. W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M
News
Urrabazo inducted as chairman of Texas Bankers Association
C
ommerce Bank President and CEO Ignacio Urrabazo has been named chairman of the Texas Bankers Association (TBA), the largest state banking association in the U.S. and one of the oldest and most powerful banking organizations in the country. Founded in 1885, the organization’s membership includes representatives from 85 percent of Texas banks, 5,200 bank branches and 95 percent of Texas deposits. Among its many functions, the TBA serves its members at the state and federal levels by monitoring legislative and regulatory issues affecting banking. Urrabazo’s induction as chairman took place at the TBA’s 129th annual convention in San Antonio. “We must focus on creating capital, creating jobs, being pro business, and on the fact banks are the economic generators that build great cities,” Urrabazo said. Urrabazo’s banking record has elevated him to a position of influence in the U.S. banking industry. He is former chairman of the board of the National Bankers Association in Washington, D.C. and the Minbanc Foundation, which represents and supports minority banks. He recently completed three and a half years of service as one of only 14 community bankers from across the country selected to serve on the FDIC’s Community Banking Advisory Committee. Among his numerous recognitions are the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. He has been called W W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M
upon to testify before congressional committees and in 2011, was invited to join a national panel discussion on job creation by U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. Urrabazo has played a significant role in TBA for more than a decade beginning with a position on the board of directors followed by positions on the Government Relations, Nominating, and Convention committees. Most recently, he served as treasurer and chairman-elect of the organization, as well as a member of the Executive Committee. “We are very proud of Ignacio’s new role as chairman of one of the most important banking associations in the nation,” International Bancshares Corporation Chairman Dennis Nixon said. “Ignacio has had a consistent history of trade association involvement and political activism which will add great value to his new role as chairman of TBA.” Urrabazo joined Commerce Bank, a subsidiary of International Bancshares Corporation in Laredo, in 1983. IBC is the largest minorityowned financial institution in the nation. IBC Bank and Commerce Bank are members of International Bancshares Corporation (NASDAQ: IBOC), an $11.9 billion multi-bank financial holding company headquartered in Laredo, Texas, with 215 facilities and 339 ATMs serving 88 communities in Texas and Oklahoma. More information is available at www.ibc.com. Visit us on our YouTube Channel, IBCBankWeDoMore. MEMBER FDIC / INTERNATIONAL BANCSHARES CORPORATION. – LareDOS Staff LareDOS I J U N E 2013 I
17
News
Has downtown revitalization made it onto the City’s priority short list? BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher “People want to know what we do in Washington. This is what we do in Washington,” said City Manager Carlos Villarreal, unmasked ebullience peppering his voice just after the June 21 deed transfer of ownership of the historic 106 year-old Federal Building from the General Services Administration to the City of Laredo. “I don’t go to Washington as a tourist. I go there to work,” he said of the windfall of the majestic three-story, 60,000 square foot facility at 1300 Matamoros. “The conversation began about a year and a half ago. Congressman Henry Cuellar pushed us in that direction,” Villarreal said, adding that the U.S. Post Office in the Federal Building will continue to operate at that location. “It’s too vital to the neighborhood to change that,” he said. “It’s a public building, and we will be moving some city departments there,” he continued.
Villarreal said he anticipates offering some office space for lease and using those revenues to pay for debt service on repairs and improvements to the building. He said that the large third floor courtroom would be a good venue for City Council meetings because it offers more seating. “Any modifications would have to fit the preservation guidelines of the National Park Service which has oversight of places listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There’s a lot to consider besides paint and upgrading and maintaining this architectural treasure. We’ll have to address parking in the area,” he said. “We are very proud to take ownership of a building that has been part of this City’s history since 1907,” Villarreal said of the structure valued at $38 million. He was quick to point out, “You couldn’t build it today for $38 million.” The City Manager seemed to be going down a list of good news, and briefly he spoke about Forbes Magazine naming Laredo the eighth fastest growing city in the
District III and VIII Empowerment Zones
1 8 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
nation since the recession, after Irving, Texas and before Greensboro, North Carolina. He also talked about Laredo being the only city in the nation to have Customs and Border Protection agents working alongside Mexican air cargo inspectors at the Laredo International Airport Federal Inspection Station. “They will inspect cargo all at once and shorten the wait and lines for inspection,” Villarreal said. IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME Though the announcement had been made days before, Villarreal was still aglow with the news that the Horizon Group Properties would spend $90 million to construct of an 80-store outlet mall at the site of the old River Drive Mall. “It is the best news we have heard in a very long time — 1,800 construction jobs, 1,000 new jobs, estimates of annual sales of $130 million, and what it will generate in state sales tax,” he said. The old River Drive Mall will be razed for the 350,800 square-foot multi-level open air mall that will include parking and a food court. Horizon Group Properties CEO Gary Skoien, who was in Laredo for the announcement, said that many of the affluent, brand-conscious residents of Monterrey — which wields much of Mexico’s spending power — will be drawn to the proximity of “The Outlet Shoppes at Laredo.” Horizon operates seven outlet centers across the nation, including one in El Paso and has centers in development in Columbus, Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, and Laredo. Villarreal said Horizon’s decision to move forward with the outlet mall “did not occur in a vacuum.” He said there had been lengthy give-and-take nego-
tiations for tax abatements, additional property, and the traffic flow of certain streets. “We will work to ensure the most fluid flow of traffic in and out of the area,” he said. “Some who will operate and manage those outlet stores have already visited Laredo. They want to know about schools, real estate, and amenities like golf courses, baseball parks, and entertainment venues,” Villarreal said. The City Manager called the outlet mall “an impetus” for downtown’s growth, “a catalyst for a lot of positive things downtown and for the entire citizenry of Laredo.” Villarreal said that a retail development of this size — coupled with the City of Laredo becoming the steward for the historic landmark of the Federal Building — bears promise for downtown’s revival. That sentiment of optimism is shared by members of Team SOL (Streets of Laredo), downtown stakeholders and proponents of revitalization who want it to come to fruition by implementing economic development measures that include permit waivers, tax abatements, and other incentive tools that foster investment. Members include Raul Perales, Larry Friedman, Hank Sames, Viviana Frank, Rafael Torres, Roque Haynes, Chendo Carranco, Javier Santos, and Rick Norton. Team SOL has partnered with the City of Laredo to share in the cost of the services of economic development consultant Bill Calderon of Hawes, Hill, Calderon, LLP. Calderon drafted the 2012 legislation that created the city’s Municipal Management District that spans Districts III and VIII. The firm has worked with cities across the state, according to its website, “to revive comCONTINUED ON PAGE 19
44
W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
munities decaying under the weight of recession, crime, neglect, and poverty. Working with cities and private developers we have helped finance new housing, new schools, the revitalization of historic neighborhoods, and infrastructure improvements that led to new investment and economic security.” Calderon anticipates success in Laredo with the Neighborhood Empowerment Zones of Districts III and VIII, activating the Municipal Management District, and helping the city establish tax increment reinvestment zones. “There’s a huge potential for downtown,” Calderon said, “If the city utilizes every available economic development tool and if property owners are willing participants.” According to Friedman, a realtor whose home is in the San Agustín Historical District, connecting with Calderon was a major step in establishing a plan for how to work with the City regarding downtown economic development. “We knew about tax increment reinvestment zones, tax abatements and incentives for investors, but we didn’t know how they were implemented,” he said. “These tools, especially the tax increment reinvestment zones, will help us improve downtown,” Friedman said. Friedman, who said he has consulted “from day one” with River Drive Mall property owners Morgan Stern and the Horizon Group about its development, said the value of the Horizon outlet mall was “residual — what we’ll get from Horizon’s investment in downtown.” He said the investment is far more than a financial one — that it is a commitment to downtown. Friedman said he expects downtown to come back. “I feel like we now have dialogue with the city for how this can happen. We’ve had good meetings with the City Manager, and we’re working with Council members Alex Perez and Cindy Liendo on the Neighborhood Empowerment Zones (NEZ) downtown and in the Heights,” he said. City Manager Villarreal agreed with W W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M
Friedman that city and Team SOL efforts are working in the same direction. “We are all moving progressively, and we are making commitments to each other,” he said. Friedman lauded fellow Team SOL members Perales, Frank, and Sames for their unwavering commitment to downtown. He called Frank, an architect, “one of downtown’s greatest assets. She is talented and tenacious.” Frank believes the key to revitalization and economic development downtown are public and private partnerships in which the property owner has the will, the knowledge of what will work, and the finances — while the city offers the structure for economic development with incentives like permit waivers and abatements. “More incentives and more waivers make things happen more quickly,” she said. A NEZ, she said, offers those public/ private partnership opportunities. She said that the work of Team SOL with consultant Calderon and with City staff, Villarreal, Council members Perez and Liendo, the City’s appointed Economic Development Advisory Committee, and the Streets of Laredo has created fertile ground for a plan and the tools for implementation. “Downtown,” Frank said, “Is the only real urban part of the city that you can experience outside of your car. You can walk and know the city there. Downtown with its density of buildings and its history tells a story that is rich and accessible. History is not just a collection of old buildings. It is participation in an urban city. It’s where you have discourse.” Frank, too, believes that the Horizon outlet development will offer many benefits to the city and downtown, but it is not, she said, the panacea that will cure all that ails downtown. “The Horizon outlet mall will bring Laredoans downtown, even if at first it’s just onto the edges of the route to the outlet mall,” she said. One of the most pressing problems she feels needs to be addressed is the train traffic that halts north to south traffic in and out of downtown. “It is a vir-
tual wall that impedes the flow of traffic and business.” Frank said that Houston, Waco, San Antonio, El Paso, Ft. Worth and numerous other Texas cities have enacted Municipal Management Districts, NEZs, tax increment reinvestment zones, and other economic development tools to great ends. She said that the benefits are visible in the City of Waco helping Baylor University build a new stadium downtown, El Paso moving its new baseball stadium downtown, and Ft. Worth’s 20+ NEZs transforming the central city from blight to economic bloom. Perales, general manager of La Posada Hotel and a longtime champion of revitalization, also lauded Horizon’s investment in the outlet mall.
“It’s not enough, however,” he said. “We need to come up with a master plan that addresses traffic flow and keeps the area clean. The potential is there all the way from El Azteca neighborhood to the St. Peter’s Historic District. A master plan for downtown would establish priorities and goals — a starting point,” he said. Sames said the traffic bottlenecks at both international bridges are obstacles to the flow of people and commerce into downtown. “Crossing the bridge on foot or by vehicle is a huge hassle. Pedestrians are subject to long lines, extreme heat, and no restroom facilities. We are in the Stone Age when it comes to welcoming people (customers) to the United States CONTINUED ON PAGE 51
44
LareDOS I J U N E 2013 I
19
News
T
have become deeply involved in various citywide environmental projects, according to RGISC executive director Tricia Cortez. “The first project for the Eco-Ambassadors will be an initiative to reduce plastic bag use,” said Cortez, adding, “Laredo uses approximately 120 million plastic bags every year.” The training served to prepare the eco-ambassadors to go to various city recreational centers or Boys and Girls Clubs and teach kids about the impact of plastic bag use on ecosystems as well as the benefits of recycling and using reusable bags. “Education is at the heart of this program. We hope that students can adopt and sustain greener lifestyles and lead others by example,” said Garcia. For more information on becoming an Eco-Ambassador contact the RGISC office at (956) 718-1063 or visit www.rgisc. org. – LareDOS Staff
At the binational health conference Among the presenters at the U.S.-Mexico Binational Health Conference Diseases and Emergencies Update on June 5 at the UT Health Science Center were Calixto Seca Jr., Dr. Ronald J. Dutton, Lupita Guerrero, Dr. Alfredo Rodríguez Trujillo, Julie Bazan, Dr. Juan Manuel García Sanchez, and Dr. Julio Cesar Morales Rueda.
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
he Río Grande International Study Center (RGISC) has launched its latest environmental outreach effort — the Eco-Ambassador program — which targets high school and college students for training to become the next cohort of local environmental advocates. RGISC’s environmental action committee, which conducted the initial EcoAmbassador trainings on June 8 at the Laredo Public Library, initiated the pilot program. “This effort is to create a trained network of student volunteers that will promote environmental awareness and advocate for a greener community,” said RGISC project coordinator Diana García. Upon completion of the program, Eco-Ambassadors will receive a certificate of completion, will have earned community service hours, will be able to list the experience on resumes or college applications, will have interacted with other young environmentalists, and will
Courtesy Photo
Eco-Ambassador program seeks young environmentalists
Students training to become Eco-Ambassadors
2 0 I LareDOS I J U N E 2013
W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M
News
BY CELIA VILLARREAL LareDOS Staff
W
Tee time at the WCC Memorial Day tourney Balt Ramos and Oscar Lopez were among the participants at this year’s Women’s City Club Juvencio de Anda Memorial Day Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 25 at the Laredo Country Club. This year’s tournament honored the memory of Alfonso “Lefty” Valls.
Celia Villarreal/LareDOS
ith terrorism at a peak in this country, Laredo Community College (LCC) has established an emergency preparedness training program for all college employees. The training program was held on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at the Lewis Energy Group Academic Center at LCC. Campus police officer Jaime Castro spoke. Castro is trained and certified for “Active Shooter Situations” by the Department of Homeland Security with Louisiana State University. Castro began by discussing the horrific Virginia Tech shootings, the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre, and the more recent Boston Marathon bombing. He stressed that such occurrences could happen anywhere, and that it’s important for employees to know what to do. He encouraged LCC employees to follow guidelines shown in two videos prepared by the City of Houston. The first video shown was called Make the Call. The video depicted how ordinary civilians helped to prevent a disaster from
happening by calling the police when things seems suspicious. Suspicious activity can include people wearing thick clothing in the warmer seasons, someone leaving behind a backpack in a public place, seeing an isolated car parked in a place where it isn’t supposed to be parked, and anything else that may seem suspicious at the moment. To watch the video Make the Call visit https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=8K9iUkl3SO4. The second video, Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving an Active Shooter Event, showed a scene of three options to take when an active shooter is at hand. Foremost is to try to escape the building quietly, taking as many people with you as possible, and leaving behind all personal items. If you cannot escape, it’s best to hide behind locked doors if possible and large objects, silencing cell phones. Finally, if there is no other option, one can fight improvising with whatever objects are surrounding them. It’s preferred to call law enforcement once you are in a safe area. To watch the video Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving an Active Shooter Event, visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0. (Celia Villarreal may be reached at celvreal@gmail.com) ◆
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
LCC trains employees for emergency preparedness
LCC campus police officer Jaime Castro, trained and certified for “Active Shooter Situations,” led the discussion on emergency preparedness training at LCC on Thursday, June 6. W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 2 1
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
MarĂa Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
ISLA camp – fun meets science
Family effort for park mural
Angel Hernandez, at work on an elf house of twigs, burlap, and twine, is pictured at the summer camp sponsored by the Informal Science Learning Associates (ISLA) of Laredo. The series of weeklong ISLA camps is being staged at Lake Casa Blanca. For information on upcoming camps, go to wowsciencelaredo.org
Mother and daughter Euence and Jakqueline Acereto joined UISD/ Paint Crusaders on June 1 at North Central Park for some mural painting. The project helps special needs students to become vital and active members of the community through beautification projects such as this.
2 2 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Feature
My year as Miss Laredo
I
BY CELIA VILLARREAL LareDOS Staff
Courtesy Photo
have a strong belief that God puts specific people at particular places at certain times to make miracles happen. I have come to realize this in retrospection of my year as Miss Laredo 2012. I didn’t win the crown because I had the most gorgeous dress or the fittest body; I won because God called me to fulfill a purpose as Miss Laredo. Running in a pageant is no easy task – especially when it’s your first time competing. I had never been one to wear heels or makeup. I had to train. This included walking lessons, hair and makeup lessons, an eating plan, a personal trainer, and a speaking coach. As a first-timer to pageants, it was all very exhausting and I felt overwhelmed. However, my Tío David Martinez had told me something that helped me persevere through it all. He said, “Don’t worry about the big picture. Focus on doing the little things that you have to do everyday and you will achieve your major goal.” I did just that. I made a daily schedule and stuck to it until the pageant. The pageant consisted of three major
categories – interview, swimsuit, and evening gown. The interview portion of the competition was held in the morning and was closed to the public. You stand before a panel of judges as they ask you questions. My nerves threatened to dominate this first phase and with my last name being “Villarreal,” I was the last to go. The interview was going well until the judges asked me a question that made me freeze, “Who is your favorite female pop artist?” Pop artists such as Katy Perry and Taylor Swift ran through my mind, but all I kept thinking was, “I don’t really like any of the pop artists.” After what seemed like an eternity, I finally responded with the truth: I’m not a fan of pop. Influenced by my boyfriend’s favorite band U2, I offered Bono as an alternative for my favorite artist in general because of the messages of peace he shares through music. Coming out of the interview, I felt I could have done better. Instead of despairing over it, I decided to make sure that I performed better in the next portions of competition. The next was a swimsuit preview, which is held sometime during the day. This is the part of
Celia Villarreal at Colonel Santos Benavides Elementary W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
competition where the judges decide who wins best in swimsuit based on overall fitness. I said a quick prayer beforehand and walking onto the stage, I felt energized and confident. That’s when I realized the secret: prayer. I had done all the training I could up to that point, but I needed one more thing to help me, and that was God. As the pageant commenced, I prayed before and after each phase of competition. I felt at peace with myself, and I knew that whatever the outcome might be, I would be satisfied with my performance that evening. Before the winners are announced, other awards such as people’s choice award, most photogenic, best in swimsuit, and best in evening gown are distributed. I won best in swimsuit and best in evening gown. Although excited that I won those special awards, I really didn’t expect what came next. I thought, “It’s my first time competing. There’s no way I could win over these other girls who have more experience than I do.” As they called out the runners-ups from the top five, I expected my name to be called out. It wasn’t. Then there were two of us still standing up on that stage, hoping for our name to be called out as Miss Laredo 2012. When they announced that I won, I was in complete shock. I knew that this was something God had done for me. Little did I know that God had this magnificent plan for me to help out others as the newly crowned Miss Laredo. Whenever I attended events as Miss Laredo, I received special attention that I’ve never had before. People wanted me to take pictures with them or hold their babies. Those who had once overlooked me began treating me as if we had been lifelong friends. I was given a lot just because I was wearing a sash and a crown. Although it’s nice to have things like that, I’ve come to realize that the best things I’ve gotten out of being Miss Lar-
edo are the deep, emotional stirrings in my soul when I get to help another human being in ways that I never would have imagined before. For instance, I have been able to visit many schools in Laredo to talk about inner beauty, education, and bullying. It’s very rewarding when a child confides in you about a personal problem that they may be having. After giving your best advice to the child, it’s even more rewarding when you see them again, and they tell you how much you helped them. It’s such an overwhelmingly wonderful feeling when you know that you helped someone out by lending whatever wisdom my 19 years have granted me, providing a meal for them, or by just sharing a warm smile. I would like to thank my parents John and Martha Villarreal for supporting me and guiding me down the right path; my younger siblings Andrea and John David for making my events a little more interesting; my boyfriend Andy Laurel for continuously being there for me; my friend Isidro Avila for all his prayers; and my pageant directors Roel and Saul Gonzalez for making sure my year was enjoyable. I would like to thank God for this wonderful year and for all the exciting things I have in store for the upcoming year. Winning Miss Laredo has been, above all, a blessing and an honor. This past year, I have grown so much as a person. I realize now that success is not only for the benefit of the individual. Success is having something extra to give to others. I am so privileged to have had the opportunity to represent all of the wonderful people in this community. Giving up my crown is a bittersweet feeling because I’m so sad to see this beautiful year come to an end, but at the same time I’m happy that I can forever look back at this year and cherish all the wonderful memories with which God has blessed me. ◆
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 2 3
News
T
AHEC academy preps students for college sionals presented sessions on test-taking skills, important college survival tips, and scholarship opportunities. Christina Hachar, 17 and a Saint Augustine High student, was among the participants in the college academy. “It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot,” she said, adding, “I am very interested in the medical field, and we had a lot of professionals come in and talk to us about their careers and experiences.” Alexander High School senior Miguel Angel Madrigal Jr. also attended the academy. “I learned about the different approaches to the college application process,” he said. The SAT practice portion of the
academy was the most appealing activity for Madrigal. “I hope I can keep up the scores that I got in the practice exams,” he said. Madrigal finds the AHEC programs beneficial for those pursuing a career in the medical field. “This was an eye-opening experience for me, as a senior I am now more aware of the deadlines that are approaching,” he added. Assistant professor and practicing physician assistant (PA) Carmen Cardona, was among the guest speakers at the academy. She explained to students that a PA is a licensed medical profession that allows for practice in all 50 states.
Cardona spoke of the PA program available at the UT Health Science Center. “It is a 27-month program. Students are able to take a certification exam and then apply for licensure in the state of Texas,” she said, adding, “This is one of the fastest growing careers in the U.S. It is a fabulous career if you are interested in working in the medical field.” “The academy gave me a better sense of what direction I’d like to take with my career,” Hachar said. For more information about AHEC, visit www.mrgbahec.org or call (956) 712-0037 – LareDOS Staff
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
he Area Health Education Center (AHEC) hosted a five-day college academy from June 10 to June 14 for juniors and seniors from area high schools at the UT Health Science Center Laredo Regional Campus. “This is a fantastic resource for our high school students, and we are proud to sponsor the program because it benefits our youth as they pursue their educational goals and ultimately it benefits our community,” said AHEC executive director Julie Bazan. The college academy prepares students for the transition from high school to college experience. Various educators and medical health profes-
Flamenco Esencia attendees Miguel Angel Madrigal Jr, Christina Hachar, and Daniela Garza were among participants of AHEC's college academy.
2 4 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
Alma and David Almaraz and Hilda Foy were among the Laredoans who enjoyed the performance of Flamenco Esencia on Saturday, June 8 at La Posada Hotel. WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
News
T
Starry, Starry Night Gala commemorates 20th anniversary guez, and actor Julia Vera. A drawing will also take place for the opportunity to win one of 20 paintings from some of the most celebrated local artists. Various sponsorship opportunities are available for attendees of the gala. The Van Gogh sponsorship package, which is $10,000, includes a premiere table for 10; a bonus table for eight to the premiere of the Chicago the musical on August 9; complimentary bottle of champagne; 10 raffle tickets for the painting drawing, free valet parking for 10 guests; a gala gift basket for all guests; and individual or corporate logo recognition on all Laredo Center for the Arts promotional materials. The Picasso package is available for $5,000 and includes a table for 10, an additional table for six to the premiere
of Chicago, two bottles of wine, five raffle tickets, free valet parking for 10 guests, a Picasso gala gift basket, and logo recognition as well. Other sponsorship opportunities include the Dali sponsorship level for $2,500 and the Kahlo for $1,500. Both include a table for 10, free valet parking, corresponding gala gift baskets, and logo recognition. Individual tickets are available for purchase for $150. “The Laredo Center for the Arts continues to grow with new and exciting cultural events that serve to inspire, motivate, and entertain Laredoans and visitors alike. Our children now have a place where their creativity and imagination can be nurtured, developed, and preserved,” said executive director Gabriel Castillo, adding, “We hope
you will join us in the celebration by becoming a sponsor, purchasing a table, or simply joining us with your friends for what promises to be a memorable evening.” All proceeds from the event go toward continuing arts education, exhibit presentations, and theater performances held at the center. Previous collaborative art exhibits have been with Casa de Misericordia, Children’s Advocacy Center, PILLAR, Laredo Foster Care, and Laredo Independent School District’s fine arts department. For more information on sponsorships levels, table reservations, or to purchase raffle tickets call (956) 725-1715 or visit the center at 500 San Agustin, Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – LareDOS Staff
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
he Laredo Center for the Arts is set to celebrate its 20 th anniversary with a night of good food, live jazz musical performances, and dancing on Saturday, September 28 at the ‘A Starry, Starry Night Gala’ from 7 p.m. to midnight. The affair will honor the founders of the center, Anne B. Vela and Mary Quiros, for their continued vision and support. The center for the arts board of directors has selected five Laredoans who have contributed to the continued growth of the local art community. The Star of Arts Awards recipients are film maker Alfonso Gomez Rejon, sculptor and painter Armando Hinojosa, musician Adrian Quesada, the late dancer Rogelio Rodri-
Board of directors announce awardees. Pictured left to right are Armando X. Lopez, Hector "Tito" Garcia, Diana Peña, Melissa Amici Haynes, and Enrique Lobo. W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 2 5
SUBSCRIBE
meg@laredosnews.com
2 6 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
News
Demolition continues for Nixon, VMT magnet campus construction BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher
T
he very visible demolition that is razing much of the 25acre campus of LISD’s Nixon High School, when completed, will set the stage for a $34,380,803 make-over for the 48-year-old campus. The acquisition of 15 nearby properties on Ash Street and the cost of 65 portable buildings for classrooms and administration move the actual cost to close to $45 million. Demolition for the school and the adjacent site of what will become the $22 million Vidal M. Treviño School of Fine Arts and Communication began on April 1. The projected occupancy for both campuses is August 2015. Leyendecker Construction, Inc. will build both. A company called CPG is hauling the demolition rubble to a concrete recycling plant off State Highway 359. When completed, the two-story Nixon facility will include — in addition
to state of the art classrooms — a new administration building, a counseling center, a testing center, an expanded library, elevators, a practice gymnasium, a second-floor competition gymnasium, a computer center, a nine-court UIL competition tennis facility, and rooms for instruction in architecture, art, criminal justice, culinary arts, and career and technology education. The campus will include a black box theater replete with a stage workshop area and scene storage. Other amenities include security vestibules, a teachers lounge, a training room, football field and track/ field improvements, expanded dresserlocker-shower areas, parking lot expansions, drop off and pick-up lanes, outdoor gathering areas, and perimeter fencing. Existing buildings that will not be demolished are the math and science buildings, the band hall, the cafeteria, an existing gymnasium, and the career and technology education building. According to Rey P. Villarreal Jr., LISD’s assistant superintendent for
plant facilities and support services, the added 211,806 square-feet of instructional and administrative space address the needs of the school’s 2,200 students. Cavazos and Associates Architects designed the new buildings and the expansion of the Nixon campus grounds. The new construction of the 80,677 square-foot VMT fine arts campus across Malinche Street from the NHS campus began with the demolition of the old First Baptist Church. The actual construction cost for the threebuilding campus is $19,307,231, rising to about $22 million with soft costs. The team of Frank Architects of Laredo and Pfluger Associates of San Antonio designed the fine arts complex, implementing as many green measures as possible including all LED lighting, energy efficient heating and cooling, high R-factor materials, passive solar design, daylight harvesting (maximizing the use of natural light), and awnings on the sun side of the buildings.
One of the two-story buildings will house administration, a library, computer lab, faculty lounge; art studio, gallery, and classrooms; journalism, photography, and graphic design classrooms; audio/video production; radio/ TV broadcast studio and control room; elevators; and faculty lounge. A second two-story edifice, which will house the music and dance component of the magnet school, will include classrooms, a recital hall, ensemble and practice rooms, a 300-seat auditorium, music library, piano lab rehearsal hall, dance studios, choir ensemble room, labs, and an elevator. The third building will house the cafeteria, a full kitchen, and an amphitheater and stage. “The buildings are connected by common area plazas where students and faculty can enjoy the urban feel of the campus” said architect Frank Rotnofsky, who added that the xeriscape planting and other water conserving measures will be implemented at the green areas. ◆
Future VMT Campus
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 2 7
Feature
Portrait of an artist: Catherine Avaritt BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff
N
ative Laredoan Catherine Avaritt is one of many local artists who hope for growth in the local art community, in particular within historic downtown. Introduced to the arts as a fiveyear-old taking piano and dance lessons, Avaritt quickly discovered her inclination as a right brainer. “At 16 I discovered I had a knack for drawing and developed my passion for art,” she said. Her father Charles Avaritt III, a former pilot and current manager of the Zapata County Airport, and her mother Shryll, a retired English teacher, were an important support system. “My parents always encouraged my inclination for the arts while encouraging me to pursue a career apart from art,” Avaritt said. In 2010, Avaritt completed a BA in psychology from Texas A&M International University and launched her own graphics design and printing service business — Catagraphics. “An artist is someone who sees the world differently and is able to replicate what they see visually,” she said, adding, “The one thing I appreciate the most about art is that that you can express yourself without being explicit.” Avaritt takes note from other artists such as Ivan Seal, whose pieces she finds to be raw and intense. The artist explained that she likes to be expressionistic with her work but works strictly figuratively. “I like to do very stylized self portraits mostly because I am the most readily available model,” Avaritt said jokingly.
2 8 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
A recurring theme in her work revolves around the concept of feeling trapped and escaping, although her inspiration should not hinder others’ interpretations, according to Avaritt. “My art is about the illusion of feeling trapped which we have a tendency of making ourselves feel,” she said, adding, “This is more than I have ever disclosed about my art because generally I don’t like to explain my work. I like leaving it open for interpretation, so that the audience connects with my artwork on a personal level.” Some of the feedback she has received from art shows at Gallery 201 and Caffé Dolce have ranged from intriguing, uncomfortable, painful, and even overtly sexual, according to the artist.
Avaritt’s preferred medium is acrylics, and she incorporates reclaimed items in her pieces. “I want to get more into sculpture,” she said, adding, “The only reason I have not pursued it is because of the lack of space. Currently I work from home.” Her day job is as a server at Olive Garden. She teaches an art course every Saturday from the Knick Knack Studio and Shop above Caffé
Dolce at 1708 Victoria Street. “In Laredo there is an art culture growing, and it is really exciting. Unfortunately a lot of artists leave Laredo, but a good portion of talent remains,” said Avaritt, adding, “I can see downtown becoming an art district which would be fantastic and I hope to be a part of that.” The artist added that the revitalization of downtown is embodied in the Caffé Dolce area. She compared Olivia Cotton’s Knick Knack Studio and Shop to the Blue Star complex in San Antonio. So what’s next for this artist? Plenty. Avaritt was recently accepted into the alternative teaching program at TAMIU, where she wants to receive a certification to teach art at the high school level. “A lot of new works are coming. My style is changing as I am experimenting with some more abstract ideas,” she said. Avaritt advises up and coming artists to get their artwork out and into the public’s view. “I spent years painting from my room and kept my work to myself. It is important to just get it out there to get feedback, learn, and grow as an artist,” she said, adding, “Your artwork will never be done or perfect. Just get it out there. Artists tend to be perfectionists, but it is a must to overcome that, and just get it out there.” ◆
Can’t find a hard copy? Go to www.laredosnews.com
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Silke Jasso and Arturo Penaloza portrayed daughter and father in the theater production of Lydia. Jasso portrayed Ceci Flores the daughter of Mexican family coping with her disabilities after a tragic car accident. The summer stock theater production ran from June 6 to June 9 at Laredo Community College’s Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center Theater.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
LCC's production of Lydia
WBCA participants welcome Mr. South Texas Pocahontas pageant participants Luis Hinojosa (Chief Buffalo) and Selika De la Garza (Princess Pocahontas) are pictured with Rebecca Laurel who will portray Martha Washington in the 117th Washington’s Birthday Celebration. They are pictured at the Mr. South Texas announcement on Wednesday, June 12 at Texas Community Bank.
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 2 9
News
Palomino Pantry offers assistance to LCC students and faculty After reading how Standford University and UCLA installed pantries for their students, the Liendos were inspired to start a similar program at LCC. At its opening last April, over 2,000 pounds of food were given to students in less than 45 minutes. Judge Liendo explained, “A student’s life is fast, so we
BY MAXIMA MONTANO LareDOS Staff
3 0 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
Maxima Montano/LareDOS
W
onderful Wednesdays are official at Laredo Community College’s Main Campus, thanks to the collaboration of the South Texas Food Bank and the Webb County Justice Area Foundation. Every third Wednesday of the month LCC students and employees are eligible to receive a bag full of easy-to-prepare food. Among those choices are frozen chicken patties and P.F. Chang and Bertolli’s frozen dinners. Although the era surviving on Ramen noodles and cheese crackers might still not be over, LCC students will now have other choices. The idea for the Palomino Pantry came from Justice of the Peace Hector Liendo and his son, Hector Liendo Jr.
have given them fast food.” He said he would like to expand the pantry to LCC’s South Campus. Local schools have been encouraged to donate non-perishable food to the Webb County Justice Area Foundation. United Middle School responded, providing supplies for 50 bags.
Maria Sananiego, Margie Siegfried, Justice of the Peace Hector Liendo, Paula Cisneros, Linda Sanchez, Yazmin Martinez, and Mario Hinojosa Jr. are photographed at the Palomino Pantry.
United science teacher Stephanie D. Sanchez said the items were collected during the school’s 10th period classes in which teachers kept record of the supplies coming in and motivated their students to bring in additional items. When asked how she felt about how the school’s donations for 50 LCC students, she responded, “Its a bittersweet feeling. It’s amazing that we were able to help so many families in such little time! It makes me really happy, and I’m sure it’ll make our students and their parents very proud. However, that just means next year we should work throughout the year to help even more, because we all know there’s more than 50 needy families out there.” The pantry’s items are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Palomino pantry is located at P-3 next to the De La Garza Building. ◆
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 3 1
Laredo Implement Company: 78 years of service BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher
D
avid Martinez is the third generation of Martinezes to operate Laredo Implement Company, which was established in 1935 by his grandfather Isauro Martinez Sr. and operated for several decades by his father Isauro Jr. Martinez, who said he was involved with the store since childhood, began managing the company in 1989. The company had its beginnings as an International Harvester tractor dealer that serviced farmers with seed and implements through the 1950s, 1960s, and the early 1970s. “When that died out,” Martinez recalled, “We branched out and began selling veterinary supplies to Mexico. That was good into the 1990s, but we
could see that in the 1970s and 1980s there had been a shift and that people were getting into the cattle business locally.” In 2004 Martinez incorporated his brother’s feed and seed operation into Laredo Implement. He said that these days many ranchers have left the cattle business to develop their property for deer hunting. “Cattle numbers are probably at their historic low,” he said. The decline in livestock ranching, he said, fueled changes in his inventory at Laredo Implement. Severe drought, labor, and the escalating costs of running cattle were all factors
in that decline. “Until recently, I was on a 12-year break from the cattle industry,” Martinez said, adding that he is ranching once again in Webb and Dimmit counties. He pointed out that the greatest struggle in ranching is labor. “Finding people who want to work outdoors nowadays is tough,” he said, adding “Although I’ve been lucky in that department.” Martinez estimated that Laredo Implement’s commerce with Mexico these days constitutes about 10 percent of his business, when it had once been 80 percent. He said that 60 percent of the
store’s trade comes from livestock and fencing supplies; 20 percent is waterrelated; and 20 percent comes from small animal supplies. “We do a lot when it comes to water. Many people are drilling water wells, and we provide solar pumps and submersible pumps, which are some of the more high tech products in the store,” he said. The worst drought in Martinez’s memory has been the one we’re in. “Thankfully we’ve been getting some rains,” he said, adding, “We addressed the drought by insuring we were fully stocked with feeds and supplements with higher protein and salt content to make up for the lack of grass and moisture in the ground.” Homero Santos, who has been with the company for the past 10 years, manages the store. “I began as a laborer, loading and
Homero Santos, David Martinez
3 2 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
59th A&M Beef Cattle Short Course set for Aug. 5-7 in College Station
W unloading supplies, and slowly I worked my way up. I’ve always liked ranching. That’s what keeps me here,” Santos said. The most important part of managing the store, according to Santos — aside from knowing his customers and maintaining optimal service — is keeping the store fully stocked with fencing supplies, gates, water pumps, tanks, trailer hitches, chain, pipe fittings, dog supplies, saddles, and tack. “We’ve been here so long that we
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
know that knowledge, experience, and our service set us apart from competitors,” Martinez said. It’s a love of ranching and the outdoors that keep Martinez engaged in the business. “I was raised on a ranch from the age of five to 17,” he said adding, “I get out to the ranch two to three times a week. As for the store, I don’t consider this work. Our customers — some who are third generation clients — are our friends.” ◆
eather outlook and a cattle market outlook are two of the featured topics to be discussed during the general session of the 59th Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course scheduled Aug. 5 at A&M-College Station. “A lot of producers are wanting to know how long this current market cycle will last and how to go about herd expansion strategies in the future,” said Dr. Jason Cleere, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist in College Station and conference coordinator. “The long-term outlook is one of the many topics that will be featured in the 22 different cattleman’s college sessions at the short course.” The short course has become one of the largest and most comprehensive beef cattle educational programs in the U.S., Cleere noted. The cattleman’s college portion provides participants with an opportunity to choose workshops based on their level of production experience and the needs of their ranch, Cleere said. “These concurrent workshops will feature information on introductory cattle production, retiring to ranching, management practices in the areas of forage, nutrition and reproduction, record keeping, genetics, purebred cattle, landowner issues, and much more,” he said. In addition to classroom instruction, participants can attend one of the popu-
lar demonstrations on the morning of Aug. 7. “There will be demonstrations on fence building, chute-side calf working, cattle behavior, penning and Brush Busters,” Cleere said. “These provide an opportunity for ranchers to see beef cattle production practices put to use. “The goal of the short course each year is to provide the most cutting-edge information that is needed by beef cattle producers. We think we have information for everyone to take home and apply to their operations.” Participants can receive a Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator’s license during the short course and can earn at least seven pesticide continuing education units if they are already licensed, Cleere added. An industry trade show will be held during the event, featuring more than 110 agricultural businesses and service exhibits. Registration is $160 per person and includes educational materials, a copy of the 600-page Beef Cattle Short Course proceedings, trade show admittance, admission to the prime rib dinner, lunches, breakfasts and daily refreshments. Registration information and a tentative schedule will be mailed to previous participants in May, but can also be found on the short course website at http://beef.tamu.edu. Producers can also register by contacting Cleere’s office at 979-845-6931. ◆
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 3 3
Santa Maria Journal
A reprieve from drought’s iron-hot roller coaster
By MARÍA EUGENIA GUERRA
B
Having lived through several cycles of drought — the current one so devastating to our ranch and to ranches for hundreds of miles around us in two countries and all across Texas — I was shocked to look at late May USDA map that calls the drought in part of Webb County and all of Zapata County “moderate.” From what faraway galaxy must the cartographer/writer be writing to call this lack of water a moderate state of drought, when we here on the ground have wept at the sight of thin cattle and the lack of anything
resembling forage on the weather punished, windswept landscape. The May rains were prayers answered, and we are so grateful for this surge of hope for the momentary restoration of the pastures. Lucky are we to witness in this reprieve the miracle of the Phoenixlike retorño of the pastures sprouting things we haven’t seen for a while, including the indicator for good rains, chisme, the tiny-leafed, magenta flowered Portulaca that spreads on the ground like good news. Anacahuita trees that endured the lack
of rainfall like bare, rooted sticks are now covered with leaves, stark white flowers, and fruit. Banks of slickleafed Drago run down fencelines, and the nopales are thick with fruit. Another week of 100° temperatures and this patina of plenty will begin to fade as the summer sear begins and lush green grasses toast in the dry heat. Meanwhile, however, we see the restoration of the health of our livestock, and nowhere is it more evident than in our horses, in their unbridled energy and in the sheen of their supple coats. ◆
Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
ecause over decades we’ve clung with sweaty palms to the iron-hot rollercoaster of drought, many of us know better, even in the face of good recent rains — than to believe our water problems are in the past. In other years, six or seven inches would have made every square inch of pasture sprout with some kind of growth, but this is 2013, year quien sabe of this dry cycle, and the land and the inventory of grass have been seared by drought quite nearly to oblivion.
El Sabino and Estrellita, the Blue Roan
3 4 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Play ball! Jessenia Cavazos and Cindy Vasquez anxiously awaited the start of game two of the Laredo Lemurs versus the Sioux Falls Canaries on Tuesday, June 18 at Uni-Trade Stadium.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 3 5
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Art as a means to tame PTSD Vietnam veteran and San Antonio artist Roberto Sifuentes exhibited his work June 4 at the Laredo Vet Center’s first-ever art show at the Texas A&M University gallery. A member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Association Texas Chapter 13 of the San Antonio Area Sky Soldiers, he is pictured with a memorial portrait of Sky Soldier Matt Taylor who served in Afghanistan. Other of Sifuentes’ works on display included a self portrait titled “Un Vato in Uniform or Stand Down LZ Uplift”. Sifuentes, who said he turned to art to cope with his long struggle with drugs, alcohol, and PTSD, advised all returning service men and women to seek help for PTSD.
3 6 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Pastor Lucy De Leon of New Vision Community Church and Marisa Laufer of the Laredo Farmers Market caught up with business matters at the June 15 Farmers Market in Jarvis Plaza. New Vision is a mainstay participant in the monthly market, offering Laredoans jars of preserves, baked goods, produce, and aprons and hot pads.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
MarĂa Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
At the Farmers Market
Performance dazzles dance enthusiastst Flamenco dance instructor Bianca Rodriguez, who has trained in Spain, performed at Flamenco Esencia on June 8 at La Posada Hotel.
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 3 7
Jesus Romero, Adriana Romero, Alma Romero, Jorge Lañas, Magali Lañas, Patricia Lañas, and Isabella Lañas were among attendees of Lydia, a theater production staged Saturday, June 8 at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center Theater. The production was a part of Laredo Community College’s Second Annual Summer Stock Theater Project.
3 8 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
A night at the theater
At Flamenco Esencia at La Posada José Cortes Fernandez “El Muleto Hijo,” and international flamenco guitarist Ricardo Diaz were among the acclaimed performers featured at the Flamenco Esencia performance on Saturday, June 8 at La Posada Hotel.
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Courtesy Photo
High School students participate in Environmental Summit Local architects mentored Laredo high school students as part of the Environmental Summit Residential Sustainable Design Building Challenge. Students teams designed a prototype of an affordable new home by incorporating all options that would generate workable energy and water conservation solutions. LISD Early College students — Joshua Genova, Rogelio Aguirre, Jesus Reyes, Daniel Luna, Jeffrey Genova and Kassandra Villalobos — are pictured in the photo on the left. St. Augustine students — Yale Lara, Alan Casarez, Oscar Vidal, Marbel Garcia, Noah Alford, Celeste Gonzalez, Alexandria Smith, and Christian Casarez — are pictured in the photo on the right.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 3 9
4 0 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Maxima Montano/LareDOS
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
St. Peter’s Kindergarten Commencement
Science with kids
Xochitl Mora García of the City of Laredo Public Information Office is photographed with her sons Julian and Joaquin García on May 29 at their kindergarten graduation from St. Peter’s Memorial School.
Madie Simms, Daniella Orces, and Loreely Monarrez are pictured on Monday, June 24 as volunteers at the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Camp for children ages six to eight.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 4 1
News
BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff
U
nited Independent School District (UISD) board of trustees and superintendent Roberto J. Santos announced on Friday, May 24 the district’s launch of Texas’ first introductory oil and gas production program for high school students. South Texas’ recent boom in the oil and gas industry spawned UISD’s new introductory production program intended to provide students with the skills needed to enter the job market or follow a post-secondary education in the field. “The program will provide students with opportunities to learn about the field and gain the technical skills required by the industry,” said director of career and technical education, Dr. Alicia G. Carrillo, adding, that the courses include principles of oil and gas production systems and oil and gas production systems I and II.����������������������������������� ���������������������������������� They will be offered for registration to students in grades nine to 12.
4 2 I LareDOS I J U N E 2 013
There are no prerequisites, but courses must be taken in sequential order, according to Carrillo. Some coursework topics include oil and gas professions; the current and future significance of the petroleum industry; applications of associated tools, equipment, technologies and governing authorities; and safety regulations. “Students enrolled in the program can receive dual and articulated credit at Laredo Community College for the business information management courses required to be taken in the oil and gas production and advanced oil and gas production programs,” said UISD PIO Veronica Cantu-Yunes. Carrillo added, “UISD recognized the need for trained workers for the oil and gas production industry and has developed this project to explore and validate the workforce needs of the region through developing a curriculum based on those needs.” For more information on the program contact Carrillo at (956) 4732018 or email acarrill@uisd.net. ◆
Celia Villarreal/LareDOS
UISD offers Texas’ first oil and gas program
LCC Basketball Day Camp 2013 Children between the ages of five and 14 challenged themselves at the annual basketball summer camp hosted by Laredo Community College at Maravillo Gym.
Can’t find a hard copy? Go to www.laredosnews.com
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Feature
ECHS rewards outweigh the demands BY XENIA MARTINEZ LareDOS Contributor
A
s a senior of the class of 2014, I can say that my last three years at Early College High School (ECHS) at Texas A & M International University changed my opinion about high school, college, and the future. Learning alongside classmates who are talented, funny, and smart, the experience there exceeded my expectations. The ECHS was established in 2006, and it was ranked 97 in the nation, according to counselor Norma Cantu. This school works through a dual credit program, giving high school students the opportunity to take college courses while finishing high school. Situated on the TAMIU campus, the school allows students to experience college closely. According to Cantu, the school’s enrollment is 416 students as of this summer, and every year 100 to 110 future freshmen enter the program. “We look at grades, state test scores, attendance, credits from middle school, and an essay questionnaire,” said Cantu. This school, unlike others, requires students to submit a written essay and go through an interview process to determine if the student qualifies for the program. “I look at their potential and work ethic,” said Principal José M. Cerda as he described the interview process. “As a principal I am very competitive. I want my kids to have the best grades, to have the best attendance, and to win in everything,” he said adding, “Settling is not good enough.” This could be the unofficial credo of ECHS, where excellence is the
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
goal. I know from experience that excellence comes with a price. “I didn’t think it was going to be this challenging,” said Stephanie Gonzalez, an ECHS senior. The truth is that I did not think so either. Coming here from middle school, many of us struggle to adjust to the new demands. “Giving up on a lot of other things,” Stephanie said, was the most challenging aspect about the school. She was referring to sports, band, art, and nights out, which have been replaced with working on college papers and studying for finals. According to Brisa Gonzalez another ECHS senior, the workload is sometimes difficult to manage while writing college essays, turning in math or science homework, working, or helping parents at home. “I felt it was going to be really hard, and that I was not going to make it, but here we are in our senior year,” said María Vela, proudly adding, “I learned to be more open and to work with different types of people.” In our years as ECHS students, my peers and I have learned about independence, group work, and professionalism. ECHS requires proactive participation, responsibility, and dedication. The competition for being the best is tight. Nonetheless, while being there surrounded by musicians, artists, and athletes, we learn to value each other’s strengths. The outcomes — like earning from 40 to 60 college hours, making friends, and enjoying the college experience — far outweigh the sacrifices. Having to give up their summer, incoming freshmen might think
this is some sort of punishment. They still have no idea what is in store for them, but, like all previous ECHS students, they will mature, take on the work, and enjoy this unique, fulfilling educational experience. It is not an easy task for anyone. I know it has not been easy for me, but as Brisa said, “this has been a great learning experience, and it will pay off.”
My ECHS experience comes to me in a flash — the stressful college courses piled onto my high school courses, TAKS, college essays, basketball tournaments, talent shows, many laughs with my friends, and funny jokes in class. As a senior, I feel I have learned to appreciate being at ECHS, accepting the challenges, stress, and competition that come with it. ◆
SUBSCRIBE
meg@laredosnews.com
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 4 3
News
The beat goes on: Sounds of Summer Percussion Camp offers new skills
T
for high school students. Also, it’s something that Laredo didn’t have, and I wanted to make that opportunity available to Laredo high school percussionists.” The camp’s instructor, Brian Fronzaglia, is a renowned musician from Joplin, Missouri who has been playing percussion since the age of four. Fronzaglia is a professor of percussion and the director of athletic bands at Missouri Southern State University. In addition, he is a Yamaha performing artist and has performed in Carnegie Hall. Fronzaglia and Adams have been friends since they met at the Texas Music Educators Association in San Antonio through a mutual friend, which was the connection that led to Fronzaglia’s participation in the Percussion Camp. This is his second
year teaching the LCC camp. “The main purpose of these camps is to focus on fundamentals so that when the students go back to their band programs, they have acquired developmental skills to make life easier for the band director, to push them as individual performers, and also let them have some fun as well,” said Fronzaglia. High school students attend the camp to not only learn more about their instrument, but to also enjoy themselves. “I came to this camp last year and I had a lot of fun, so I decided to come back,” stated Hugo Lozano, who has been playing the xylophone for two years.
Another student who has been playing the xylophone for two years, Adelina Garfield, said, “I’m here to see what it’s like to be with others who play the same instrument as I do, have fun, and learn a lot. It’s my first year here and I’m having fun. It’s a good experience.” In addition to gaining new skills and sharing experiences, the students also received a Yamaha t-shirt and a warm-up book. For more information, call the Performing Arts Department at (956) 721-5330 or e-mail Matthew Adams at matthew.adams@laredo. edu. – LareDOS Staff
Celia Villarreal/LareDOS
he sounds of summer were literally audible as high school percussionists took on new skills at the 2013 Summer Percussion Camp at the LCC Visual and Performing Arts Center on June 10 and 11. The camp helps high school students sharpen their musical skills by covering topics such as developmental technique, sound/tone production, playing in an ensemble, reading, rudiments, and dynamics. It includes two days of percussion instruction with an emphasis on drumline. Matthew Adams, coordinator of the camp, percussion instructor, and department chair at LCC said that he decided to begin the camp because, “It’s something I always wanted to do. These percussion camps are a great opportunity
4 4 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Feature
Snapshot: Marcela Moran
D
r. Marcela Moran, Associate Professor of Communications at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), has made her life passion of cinematography an everyday reality. “I remember my mother saying, ‘just choose something that you love to do.’ In that sense, it sort of gave me the courage to pursue something that might not have been considered profitable,” Moran said. After graduating from St. Augustine High School, Moran enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). Unsure of her major, Moran listened to the advice of her older sister, a UT economics major, who told her that if she could choose another major, it would be radio, television, and film – RTF. From there, Moran decided to take a film history class and fell in love with the subject. “I had never considered film before. It was totally new to me that you could actually study and get a degree in it,” said Moran. She credits the ambiance of Austin to her love for film. Independent movie theatres within walking distance of the campus offered venues for viewing a diverse choice of films. “Part of it was taking the film history class, but another part of it was me being in Austin and exposed to all these movies that I had never known about,” stated Moran. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in RTF from UT, Moran went to Athens, Ohio to study for a Masters of Fine Arts at Ohio University. With an MFA as a terminal degree for artists, this was the last stop in Moran’s education to become a professional artist. Athens is a small town in the foothills of Appalachia. Moran remarked that Ohio University draws a large number of international students. “I met people form all over the world,” she said. With an MFA on her resume´, Moran
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
ventured to California, where many of her UT friends had relocated. “I was a starving artist, so I had to find a job,” she said. Her first job was as an apprentice at Sony Pictures Works, a leading visual effects house. Since that was a flourishing field at the time, Moran recalled that it wasn’t something she had learned while in school. She learned as she worked. “It was eye-opening. I was able to learn the industry and all the pockets of it really fast,” she remarked. Moran resided in California for about three years before moving to New York City, where some of her relatives lived. While there, she freelanced and was a teaching assistant in film production for undergraduate students. One of her cousins, a college professor, suggested that she look into becoming a professor at TAMIU, so she always kept the idea on the backburner. “I knew it was something I could go back to,” she stated. Moran’s focus changed after the fateful 9-11 attack in New York. “A couple of months after the attack on the World Trade Center, I started rethinking my direction,” she remarked. Wanting to be closer to her immediate family, she decided it was time to move back to Laredo. She applied at TAMIU and at the time, TAMIU did not have another professor with her background, so she was hired as a part-time professor teaching photography. Despite her background in cinematography and not photography, Moran has proven to be a successful photography instructor. She is now a tenured full-time associate professor. She still teaches photography classes at TAMIU and a wide variety of other classes such as film history, literature and film, and an internship class for communication majors. “If I just taught one class I would get bored. I like the variation. I like to switch channels,” she stated. Moran has played a variety of roles
when it comes to making films, including producer, director, editor, documentary filmmaker, and photographer. Although she said she enjoys them all, she believes her strength is probably in editing. “It’s very lonely, though,” she said. She said film is her favorite art form because she believes it has more potential, because you can record sounds, which tends to tell a story in more detail. Moran has made numerous films. Asked which has been her favorite, she responded that she doesn’t have a favorite. “It’s like asking a parent to choose a favorite child — they love them all,” she said. Moran won’t be teaching any summer classes; rather she’ll invest her time in projects in the works. Though it may seem that she hardly gets a break from work, she loves what she does. “It’s my passion. I would be missing out on a big part of who I am if I just quit,” she said.
Most of her creative activities have a bordertown focus. She recalled that when she left Laredo for college, Laredo was a smaller place where everyone knew each other. “I was gone for over a decade, and when I came back, it was such a different place. Now Laredo is a large city. I came back with new eyes. I noticed things I didn’t notice before. Also, I came back as a professional artist. I’m looking for new material,” she said. Many MFA graduates choose to find work in larger cities. She remembered that one of her professors would always tell her and her peers that they didn’t have to make art in the big city. Moran creates art here in Laredo, and she hopes that by doing so, she motivates others to see that, “you can make art about where you are, the things around you, and who you are,” she said. (Celia Villarreal may be reached at celvreal@gmail.com) ◆
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
BY CELIA VILLARREAL LareDOS Staff
Marcela Moran LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 4 5
Feature
“We need to light that fire,” said Dr. Rick Moreno, director of the Gear Up IV Creating a Vision program at Texas A & M International University. The program is focused on middle and high school students, to teach them about college, enhance the quality of the education they receive, and to involve parents in this college preparation process. Gear Up received a $43 million grant from the Department of Education in 2011. According to Moreno, the grant is the third largest in the nation, and it is intended to span seven years. The grant benefits students in 19 school districts, including LISD and UISD, from Eagle Pass to La Joya. In September 2012, Gear Up IV hosted a prep rally at the Laredo Energy Arena, where thousands of 8th graders gathered. Politicians, entertainers, and motivational speakers encouraged students to follow a post-secondary education. The purpose of the event was to send the message that anything is possible, according to Moreno. Through training for teachers, principals, and counselors, awareness and special events for students, and orientations for parents, the program intends to decrease dropout rates, increase graduation rates, and increase post-secondary success, according to the Texas Gear Up website. The idea is to target every aspect that affects a child’s education. “It encourages teachers to incorporate Project-Based Learning in the classroom, a new method of learning in which students integrate
4 6 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
academic concepts while solving real-life situations,” said Moreno. “[Children] don’t believe they can,” he added. Many students lack confidence because of their parents’ lack of college education or because the idea of going to college seems beyond their reach. Just graduating from high school is a problem for many Hispanic students who have to work to support their families, according to Moreno. Gear Up IV aims to challenge Hispanics’ usual misconceptions about college through college visits and orientations. It provides children with free individual tutoring through the website Q Student Connection — an interactive tutoring site that assists students with homework. “All of this is to make a difference in the lives of students,” said Moreno. To ensure the students’ success, the Gear Up team is tracking the academic performance of eight graders all the way to their first year of college education. He said the team plans to help students through the college application process during their junior year in high school. According to Moreno, the goal is too have long term success, benefiting not only the students, but Laredo as a whole. “It has taken passion, determination, and dedication to take an idea and turn it into an amazing opportunity for middle and high school students,” he said, adding, “Education is what changes lives and what opens doors.” For more information contact the Gear Up IV office at (956) 326-2764 or visit http://www.tamiu.edu/ specialprograms/GEARUPIVMainPage.shtml ◆
Eco-friendly students Deanna Gonzalez, Karina Nino, Sandra Hernandez, Alina Gamboa, Brittney Barajas, and Gladys Rodriguez spent their morning on May 30 checking up on the progress of their community garden on the Clark Middle School campus.
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
BY XENIA MARTINEZ LareDOS Staff
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Gear Up aims to fire up middle, high school students
At the first-ever veterans art show Teresa and Juan Alberto Arce were among those who attended the Laredo Vet Center’s first-ever art show on June 4. Juan Alberto Arce, a Vietnam vet who served three years overseas, showed his support for fellow veterans and their art. WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
News
Associate Provost Dr. Juan Lira to retire BY CELIA VILLARREAL LareDOS Staff
A
fter 35 years of dedication and commitment to Texas A&M International University, Associate Provost Dr. Juan Lira has decided to retire. Lira has held the provost position since 2007. From the start of his career at TAMIU in 1978, his passion for education has played an instrumental role in the university’s academic growth. After high school graduation in Sinton, he attended college at Texas A&I University in Kingsville, majoring in political science with a minor in Spanish. During his college years, he aspired to work with the government in some capacity, and after graduation in 1969, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1970. “I felt that joining the United States Marine Corps would help me understand myself and others better, as well as learn how to work more effectively with others as a team,” he said. After a rigorous six years in the Marine Corps, Lira was honorably discharged as an E-5 (Sergeant) in 1976. Throughout his years in the service, he lived in different cities across California, including San Diego. When he returned to Texas, he became a member of the Fourth Reconnaissance Battalion Reserve Unit in San Antonio, where he served as a member of a rifle platoon and squad leader for three years. “I try to live each day by adhering to the Marina Corps motto–Semper Fidelis– which to me signifies the importance of loyalty, excellence, concern for others, and camaraderie. I know I am a better person, husband, and educator for having gone through this experience,” he
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
said. Semper Fidelis t r a n s l at e s to “Always Fa it h f u l” or “Always Loyal.” After six years in the military, he began teaching in San Antonio. It was there, he said, that he saw “that I had Dr. Juan Lira retires after the power to change lives as a teacher.” He earned a Master’s degree in reading at Laredo State University, the predecessor of TAMIU. He began teaching courses in education and supervised student teachers at Laredo State. He spent summers in Austin working on a Ph. D. at the University of Texas in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading. According to Lira, one very important thing he learned while working towards his Ph. D. is that, “the best way to learn something deeply, is by doing it,” he remarked. He learned this by comparing what he learned by sitting in a classroom and what he learned by actually acting out the steps. After receiving his doctorate in 1985, he became the chair of the Division of Education of Psychology at Laredo State University. When the school became Texas A&M International, he became chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, rising to the position of
Assoc iate Dean and eventually Dean of the college of educat ion. “I was learning a lot through work ing. It’s really nice because some of what I know is from books, but most of my 35 years at TAMIU knowledge c o m e s from doing and learning,” Lira remarked. He believes that the learning experience takes place when the intellectual concept is put into practice, analyzed, re-conceptualized, and practiced again. When Lira learned that the associate provost at the time, Dr. Jeff Cass, was leaving TAMIU to become a dean at another university in Louisiana, Lira applied for and got the job as associate provost in 2007 under Dr. Ray Keck, TAMIU President. Lira is a Regents Professor, one of the highest levels of academia in the A&M System. Regents Professors are nominated based of exemplary records of distinguished teaching and scholarly activity, outstanding services, notable indicators of the potential for continuation of distin-
guished performance in teaching, and demonstrated commitment to the university. “The designation of Regents Professor carries with it a great deal of responsibility. Regents Professors are expected to function as role models within the A&M System,” said Lira. Throughout his employment, he has been most impressed with the disposition of the TAMIU faculty members. “One of the greatest assets of this university is that there is a strong desire to keep moving forward,” he said. He also mentioned that the people he has worked with at TAMIU exemplify great work ethic. “I’m ready for a different kind of challenge,” Lira said of retirement. He plans to continue to work as a consultant for school districts in the area of reading. He hopes that he will still teach some classes at TAMIU. “I thought about it a great deal. I feel that I am at a point where things would be secure with or without me, because everyone at TAMIU is willing to work and solve problems,” Lira said. Lira has seen TAMIU grow from a small campus to one that is thriving. His retirement will officially begin in August 2013. “I’ve had an impact on students to become better educators, and I hope I’ve impacted administration in helping shape how things happen in the university,” Lira stated. (Celia Villarreal may be reached at celvreal@gmail.com) ◆
Write a letter to the publisher. meg@laredosnews.com LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 4 7
News
Chacon Bicycle Collective — recycling/re-use initiative puts old bikes back on the road BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher
T
where on their property. So far the donors have come through online forums or in person,” he said, adding that he’s exploring other venues for acquiring bicycles, such as local lost-and-found collections overseen by municipal organizations. Quiroz said he sees the end user for Chacon Bicycle Collective bikes to be “anybody and everybody.” He wants students on summer break to take advantage of the resources the collective has available — bikes, bike parts, and tools. “The collective will offer young people something to do and perhaps provide some type of direction. But for people who are older, who probably have a bike as their only means of transportation, we want to assist them, too, whether it’s with parts or a quick tune-up. Some bikes require
Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS
hat old bike gathering dust in the garage or sitting in the backyard can find a new life through the Chacon Bicycle Collective, an effort to recycle bikes and get them back in use. A lifetime chronology of great cycling memories and an appreciation of the sense of freedom and adventure that cycling has offered him are at the heart of Jesus Quiroz’s drive to put old bikes back on the road. “With each bike I’ve owned I have a special recollection tied to it. Even the wipeouts and the flat tires far from home have a special place in my heart. Not only do I want to instill a passion for bikes in others, but I hope that they create their own
special memories as they mature,” Quiroz said. The collective will allow anyone to earn a bike after they “pay in” volunteer hours breaking down old bikes and repairing them. “Because we›re starting with a small collection of bikes, we won›t have much for people to do in terms of tasks. For now we›ll probably just ask people to put in two hours of work before they can take ownership of a bicycle. In time, we›ll need help with keeping a shop tidy, sorting parts, breaking bikes down, and maintaining a website,” he said. Quiroz said the typical bike donor is middle-aged, someone who has collected a bike or two over the years. “It might be their kid’s bike, or a bike they bought to keep in shape, but it has been gathering dust some-
Jesus Quiroz and Ben Rangel of the Chacon Bicycle Collective are pictured with Viky García of the St. Peter’s Historic Neighborhood Association and some of the donated bikes delivered to the recent Holding Institute Community Center workday.
4 8 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
special tools to maintain. We want to have a garage for bikes where people can come in and make their own repairs without having to worry about investing in specialized tools and services,” Quiroz said. He added that one of his goals is for kids to learn new skills, to become more responsible, and to become part of the community. “If you don’t have bike skills, we’ll share them with you or find something for you to do. Kids are always looking for recreational outlets. This can be a fun, productive one. And it can be a resource for older citizens — a place for them to meet and tackle other problems facing the area,” he continued. Quiroz said donations have brought him bicycles and parts, but that he has yet to fully implement how he thinks it can all work. “All I have now is a group page on Facebook for Chacon Bicycle Collective. Anyone can join. Expansion will mean more participation, more work hours, and possibly finding a good location so we don›t have to work out of a shed,” he said. “We will need donations of all kinds. Monetary donations will help us buy parts, tools, and supplies for marketing the organization.. We are not yet established as a 501-(c)3, nonprofit organization, though we look to getting this done. For now we›ll appreciate nominal donations from people who want to give us money,” Quiroz noted. Those wishing to donate a bicycle or make a donation can contact Quiroz via Facebook or call him at (956) 489-1151 for instructions to a drop-off site. He said organizers of the collective can pick up donations anywhere within Webb County. ◆
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Maverick Ranch Notes
BY BEBE & SISSY FENSTERMAKER
T
Rain-cloud plumber brought consternation, complaints and a lamentable attitude about customer satisfaction
he 58-year-old water trough between two corrals finally forced a call to the plumbing company. I couldn’t tell whether the old rock construction or the pipe leading to it had sprung a slow leak. I filled it and then cut the water off to see if the leak was from the trough and the next morning there wasn’t a sign of water loss. I concluded the problem was the pipe, and since there were a few other small plumbing repairs to make, it was time to make the call. The plumber worked at Sissy’s house a couple of weeks ago, and she reported that the thoughtful fellow we liked a lot had moved on and the company was now using his helper who didn’t have a lot of experience. She also warned me the little rain-cloud guy was back. I hoped he wouldn’t be the one coming. In past years this fellow reminded us of the Lil’ Abner character who strode around with a thundering rain cloud pouring on his head. He’d manage to smash a finger, cut his hand, moan over losing a washer, bolt, screw and dramatically do a severely wounded act that got on my nerves after I fell for it the first time. I never cared for his rough work involving his favorite tool, the hammer, on pipes and porcelain. The job always got bigger due to his whacking around. At last he announced he was moving away but came one last time during his move. Gloom intact, he described how he stopped to change a tire on a trailer loaded with all his belongings and the whole thing burst into flames and burned down to the chassis. The day for the plumber came and he called to ask what I needed done. I felt certain he was the rain cloud guy just from the cheerless way he asked.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
I told him about each job, what was needed, gave him the road address and he said he was on his way. He called again before I could leave the house to say he was at the gate. There hadn’t been time enough time to make sure he had all the necessary things. I drove to the gate, which takes five to seven minutes, and he wasn’t there. I figured he was at Sissy’s gate (I was sure he was the raincloud guy now) and there he was, just driving away back to Boerne. I flashed my lights and bore down on him; he pulled over and I said, “Wrong gate.” “Whaddayamean wrong gate?” We started on the water trough, and he wasn’t happy. “What are these weeds? Why do you think it isn’t the water trough? There weren’t any ranches where I was; I haven’t had to dig like this in awhile.” Complain, complain. A firm conclusion was impossible because when he got the pipeline uncovered and I turned the water back on, the pipe didn’t leak. He scattered some of the dirt back in the trench but I told him the cattle would pulverize the pipe if he didn’t cover the line properly, so he scraped some more dirt in that direction. Next was a leak in our 50-year-old black plastic pipe. We went to the leak, but it was dry. I was flabbergasted. His theory was it filled up with minerals but I said that has never ever happened before. He blew it off. We moved on to change washers in the kitchen sink. “Naw, it’s just got junk in the filter,” and he was right. On to the bathroom and that washer brought out the hammer, tongs and caused three trips back to the truck. I have to stop here and mention the dog from the underworld, Ruby, lives here. She does just what she pleases, eats anything, is deaf to my voice, and
chases cows and wildlife when she can get away from me. She adored the plumber. She disappeared from the yard twice and both times was up with him in his truck rummaging around. The last time she neglected to come back with him and disappeared. I was furious at them both but found her up in a corral checking out the ground. Long story short, the plumber failed on the sink washer and said I’d have to live with the drip or get a new fixture (this one IS new, although noticeably beaten up now). We moved on to the last job which was to change the dripping faucet at the barn. He didn’t have a regular faucet that faces downward. He only
brought subdivision yard faucets that face straight outward. This shows the sorry state of Boerne today. It’s totally urban. You can’t fill a ranch bucket from one of those faucets, the water shoots out horizontally. He blew that off, too, and left me with a ball valve on the pipe. It shoots down alright; it explodes all over the bucket, the grass, and my shoes. I told him it was an awful waste of water, so I’ll find the right faucet and put it on myself. He said, “Remember now the valve is either on or off,” and left as happy as he could be. He left some of his raincloud. The cows immediately turned the valve on with their horns. – Bebe Fenstermaker
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 4 9
Seguro Que Si BY HENRI KAHN
Contact Henri D. Kahn with your insurance questions at (956) 725-3936, or by fax at (956) 791-0627, or by email at hkahn@ kahnins.com
P
Onward and upward with Mexico
overty seems to be enshrined by an overwhelming prevalence of poorly paid unskilled warehouse workers and clerical employees that operate on a monkey see-monkey do system of accomplishment at about $8.05 per hour, a mere 11% higher than minimum wage. These people work hard and try their best, but try as they may, unless our successful businesses and business persons seriously approach our local political leaders to actively participate in and encourage the Laredo Development Foundation and the Laredo Manufacturers Association, we will continue along the same road to virtually nowhere. Members of the Laredo City Council and the Webb County Commissioners Court simply do not attend meetings of these two worthy organizations of people interested in developing business in and for Laredo. I am of the opinion, with a certain amount of knowledge, that the appointed city leaders have an attitude of “it’s my way or the highway” so why attend these business oriented civic association meetings?
The continuing result of these attitudes produce disdain instead of setting goals for success that will benefit Laredoans. I own a successful small primarily commercial lines insurance agency in Laredo and a significant source of our business is in one way or another related to trade with Mexico. I believe that our city leadership should target 80% of its efforts to a continual increase of business with Mexico. Mexico is racing to head the Latin America World Trade Organization along with Brazil. Good luck to Brazil, but our bread is buttered by Mexico. I have done some research and learned about the importance of the Pacific Alliance that is comprised of Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and the America-led Transpacific Partnership for Free Trade. Mexico, Mexico, Mexico, with the cooperation of our local political leadership, comradeship of the citizens and business communities of Laredo, and we will have the formula for success. Adelante. ◆
SUBSCRIBE
meg@laredosnews.com 5 0 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
TAMIU
ENACTUS recognized nationally BY STEVE HARMON LareDOS Contributor
A
team of Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) students recently received a special award from the Campbell Corporation for its work in gathering more than 5,000 pounds of food donations for Laredo. The award to TAMIU ENACTUS was given at the ENACTUS National Exposition and Competition in Kansas City, Mo. last month. ENACTUS is a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to enable human progress. TAMIU ENACTUS was one of 156 teams that competed in the ENACTUS National Competition. The presentation team consisted of Yesinia Macías, Danny Jiménez, Jessica García, Jesús Reyes, Gustavo Martínez, David Canseco, with Ana Kristel Gamboa in charge of the audio and video operation of the presentation. Dr. Robert Evans, ENACTUS advisor, said that Nancy Reagan, vice president of Global Walmart at Campbell Sales Company, said that TAMIU ENACTUS had “done a wonderful job of serving the community
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
on our bridges,” he continued. “I always wondered why our airport terminals are so nice and our bridges are so horrible. The number of people arriving in Laredo by air is a pittance compared to the number that arrive on our bridges,” he observed. Perales said the GSA has plans to
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
locally and representing TAMIU Nationally.” Through one of its projects, TAMIU ENACTUS assisted a local nonprofit organization, Volunteers Serving the Need (VSTN), by collecting food donations for hungry veterans. The team’s contribution, which also included assisting VSTN in creating a database to record financial transactions, helped increase veterans being served in the community from 130 to 580. VSTN provides eligible families with supplemental groceries, frozen foods and personal hygiene products every month. Aside from collecting food donations, TAMIU ENACTUS has worked on planting a community vegetable garden in El Cenizo for low-income families. The group also completed 110 tax returns primarily for fellow students, successfully securing $120,000 in refunds and saving student clients $21,000 in preparation fees. With accurate returns in hand, many students were able to more effectively secure financial aid. The organization has also been involved in “the Bazaar,” a weekend market at which local artists gather to showcase and sell their work at the French Quarter in North Laredo. ◆ spend about $70 million in upgrades to International Bridges I and II that will expedite primary and secondary inspections, create new vehicle processing areas, expand pedestrian lanes, install a turnstile and inspection station per lane, create a bus inspection and privately owned vehicle inspection, and a passenger processing lane. The improvements will include handicap access and re-
strooms. The measures outlined in a GSA prospectus are aimed at improving long lines and addressing the heatrelated safety issues for those entering the country as well as inspection agents. That’s the good news. The bad news is that construction, which will begin in 2014 and will likely create worse traffic constrictions, won’t see completion until 2016 and 2017. Sames said the Horizon project will benefit other downtown merchants. “It will bring more shoppers from Mexico. It may make some retailers think hard about their stores and spur them to make improvements. The Municipal Management District and Neighborhood Empowerment Zones will help those who want to improve their property,” he said. Sames, who owns several properties in the San Agustín Historic District, hopes they eventually become part of a downtown entertainment district. He said the downtown sector has long been ignored by the city as well as property owners. “As long as we had a vibrant downtown shopping economy, rents and taxes stayed high. There was little urgency to restore buildings or to think out of the box. Now things have changed. The downtown merchants are struggling, and the tax rolls are on the decline. Rents have come down. Finally, both the city and taxing authorities have woken up to the fact that we have to do something,” he said. As the Horizon outlet mall plans move to a projected completion in 2015, the beleaguered downtown business sector — once the heart of the city and the hub on which a thriving bi-national economy turned — continues in its shabby decline, wearing its economic downturn visibly in the dusty, opaque windows of 70 or so empty storefronts bearing orange and black “For Lease” signs.
Sames’ end of downtown — an area bordered by Grant, Farragut, Santa Ursula, and Flores — has long been void of commercial activity. “I am putting my money where my mouth is on downtown and am going to continue to develop the properties I own. If others do the same, we will see big results and downtown will become a place that Laredoans can be proud of,” he said. Frank calls this the 11th hour on the revitalization timeline. “There are still many property owners and viable businesses whose owners have a desire to bring downtown back. The proposition to revitalize becomes more expensive when an entire area is in decline. We can’t sit and hope that we’ll open the faucet and everything will flow. We have to work fast, and economic development is one of our best tools,” she said. It appears for the moment that downtown revitalization has made it onto the short list of priorities for City management and at least two members of the City Council. The success of the Horizon development will be measured manifold along bottom lines for revenues. Its true measure of success, however, may be an intangible one — its ability to draw Laredoans from all parts of the City downtown to experience its rich history, architecture, and ambiance. (According to a map on the web page of the City of Laredo Building Developmental Services Department, “downtown” is a wide east to west expanse from Vidaurri Avenue and into El Azteca neighborhood. Its southern boundary is the riverfront and its northern boundary Washington/Corpus Christi. It includes all of Santa María Avenue to Lafayette and all of San Bernardo and Santa Ursula to Chicago Street. See the particulars of the District III and VIII Neighborhood Empowerment Zones, how to qualify and apply, and what permit fees are waived at www.ci.laredo.tx.us/Building/) ◆
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 5 1
BY SALO OTERO
South Texas Food Bank
Salo Otero is the director of marketing for the South Texas Food Bank. He can be reached at sotero@ southexasfoodbank.org or by calling 956-726-3120.
STFB needs volunteers
W
anted: Volunteers. A few good men and women to assist the South Texas Food Bank’s (STFB) mission of feeding the hungry. No experience necessary. Rewards are priceless. The STFB offers opportunities to individuals and groups to get involved in volunteerism. The action is from a humble corner in west Laredo at 1907 Freight and Riverside where the STFB distributes supplemental food on a monthly basis to the unemployed, under-employed and those living on fixed incomes. Served are 26,000 families, 7,000 elderly, 6,000 children and 500 veterans and their widows in an impoverished eight-county area from Del Rio to Rio Grande City.
How can volunteers help? Volunteer coordinator Mike Kazen has compiled a list under the heading, “Opportunities for volunteering at the STFB.” Included are: 1. Sorting, cleaning and boxing donated salvage product. 2. Bagging food for distribution. 3. Repacking product from large containers into smaller containers for distribution. 4. Picking up donated food and/ or delivering food supplies. 5. Computer related assistance, from social media to data entry, software application, and troubleshooting. 6. Assisting at distribution sites, including taking applications and signatures. 7. Assisting in the office by per-
Volunteers make a difference in the STFB’s ability to get food to those who most need it.
5 2 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
forming various administrative duties such as filing or answering the phone. 8. Preparing mailings. 9. Assisting with programs such as Adopt a Family or Kids Café. 10. Telephone follow-ups with STFB clients. 11. Sharing expertise in logistics, transportation, safety, inventory control, bookkeeping, etc. 12. Participating as a volunteer during special events such as bucket brigades, walks, runs and other fundraisers. Anyone interested may call Kazen at the STFB at (956) 726-3120 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. or call anytime at (956) 324-2432. Volunteers have been a mainstay at the food bank since it opened in 1989 with H.E.B. as the catalyst. Group volunteers are welcome as well as individuals. Time to come and lend a helping hand include any Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon and after hours by appointment, usually from 5 p.m. to 9. It is best to call and sign up in advance. The most recent to roll up their sleeves and help are the St. Patrick Catholic Church ACTS group and the GONTOR Forwarding Company (Gonzalez Torres Forwarding). Both were organized and spurred by an enthusiastic Alejandro Gonzalez, a 1999 St. Augustine graduate. St. Patrick ACTS had more than 20 volunteers roaming six Laredo corners at an April bucket brigade sponsored by KGNS TV. More than 30 GONTOR employees volunteered at the STFB warehouse on a Saturday morning helping process a trailerload of product. Among other volunteer groups
have been employees from Target, UPS, Border Patrol, Kohl’s, Killam Oil, and students from high schools and colleges. Students must be at least age 18. Younger students may volunteer with adult supervision. STFB executive director Alfonso Casso Jr. noted, “Many Laredoans may not know that volunteers are vital to our organization. Without the hundreds of hours of volunteer work every month, our expenses would be prohibitively high because we would otherwise have to hire personnel to do some of the work. Volunteering is an essential resource that we can not do without. Volunteers are a blessing to any non-profit organization. The STFB belongs to our community and when citizens get involved, good things happen.” THE FOOD CHAIN On behalf of the thousands of clients served the STFB sends “un fuerte abrazo” to: The South Texas Coaches Association, which made a donation at its football North-South All-Star Game at Shirley Field. LBJ Coach Oscar Villaseñor is the group president. The St. Patrick Church all-women “Faith, Hope and Love” prayer group, who donated to the Adopt A Family program for nine families. Velia Herrera was the organizer. Tom and Marianne Lamont for a fundraiser at Hal’s Landing. Laredo ISD for its month-long donation drive on all its campuses. Veronica Castillon was the organizer. All those who contributed during the Feinstein Foundation months of March and April. The U.S. Postal Service customer food drive that collected more than 13,000 pounds of product. Luis Palacios organized the event. ◆
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
LAPS
The midnight death of a pet
I
BY RICHARD RENNER LAPS President
t is a warm night in Laredo around 11 p.m. when the front door of a home in the Hillside neighborhood opens to release a female calico cat. She pauses on the sidewalk in front of the house and licks her paws, washes her face, does an extended stretch as she begins her routine of going from house to house, avoiding resident cats also outdoors. A young Tom comes to greet her with the intent to mate if she happens to be in heat. There’s not too much going on to attract her attention, so she curls up under a neighbor’s car where she can catch a cat nap and keep her ears on alert for any noise that may stir her curiosity. Meanwhile in another part of the Hillside area, similar events are occurring at a number of homes, only the pets being released are dogs — everything from a Chihuahua to a Labrador mixed breed and others. Soon a pack of five dogs greet each other and start their typical patterns of going from house to house smelling tires of cars and trucks, marking their “territory” with urine and leaving a deposit of feces in the nicely groomed front gardens of the homes. Slowly they progress around the blocks of homes that encompass their territory. As the pack roams, one of the dogs picks up the scent of cat. Excited by the prospect of a chase, he picks up the pace to a steady dog trot following the odor of the cat. As they come around the front of a car, the lead dog sees the cat lying under the car and charges toward the cat. As his nails scratch on the cement driveway, the cat, awakens, alarmed, dashes for a nearby juniper tree. She almost makes the tree when the lead dog bites her around the middle of the abdomen. The cat twists in her skin and her sharp claws slam into
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
the dog’s face pulling a tuff of hair from his face, causing him to drop the cat. She tries to scramble to her feet but now the other members of the pack are on her, using her like the pull toys the owners of the dogs use to stimulate play with their loved pets. As the tug of war goes on, the skin of her abdomen is torn open. The dogs yelping with excitement almost cover the scream of the cat as she receives numerous bites. The largest dog achieves a hold around the abdomen again and shakes the cat furiously, causing the death of the cat. She is dropped to the ground, still, lifeless, fur wet from the bites of the friendly, loving, pampered, killer pet dogs! In the home where the mauled remains of the friendly, loving and loved pampered pet lies, the owner hears the ruckus and gets up to see what is happening. He looks out his bedroom window to see the pack of pets continuing their tour of their territory just as the ancestral wolves would have done. He mutters that he hopes the dogs didn’t leave a “surprise” to be stepped in on his immaculate lawn. Eventually each dog returns to its homes to await the opening of the front door, greet their owner, and maybe get a breakfast before settling down for a nice rest after the exciting night’s activities. At another home, the calico cat’s owner opens the front door but no calico is present. The man picks up his newspa-
per from the driveway and returns to eat breakfast and prepare for his day at work. The calico still is not there in the evening upon his return. What he didn’t see was the remains of his pet several houses away hidden by overly long grass of an unoccupied home. When the lawn maintenance crew arrives to cut the grass, they discover the calico’s mauled body. One man has his cell phone and calls the Solid Waste Department of the City of Laredo to report the dead cat’s body at the address. Later in the day, a City truck stops at the house and the driver uses a plastic garbage bag to picks up the fly-covered body of the calico, gently placing it in a container in the back of the truck. Did this all too real event have to happen? If the cat’s owner had not released the beautiful calico cat out of doors, if the dogs’ owners had not released their pets out of doors, this cat would have had a long life rather than dying, terrified in the jaws of neighbors’ pet dogs. Who is at fault and violating the City’s Animal Control ordinances? Both the cat’s owners and the dogs’ owners are in violation. Laredo’s Pet Ordinance requires that all pets be contained and not allowed to roam the city’s streets. The ordinance requires registration of pets with the City’s Health Department, that they have a microchip implanted, and that they be either neutered or spayed. And the pets must be immunized for rabies. Ideally each pet should also be wearing a collar with an ID tag, so the
owner of the pet can be identified, and in this case notified of the death of their pet. The owner of the calico cat will never know what happened to the pet. It simply disappeared. Although it may seem to be a good idea to let your pet roam whereever the road may lead, it is exposing the pets to multiple ways of dying, such as dog attack, hit by a car, exposure to infectious free-roaming dogs or cats (distemper, parvo, and leukemia), poisoned by antifreeze dripping from a leaking radiator, and rat or mouse poisons. Rather letting your pet run free (especially if the pet can reproduce) on the streets during the night, put on your walking shoes and do a good twenty minutes at a brisk walk. It will be good for your dog and good for your heart! Rather than letting your cat run free, create an intriguing play area in front of a window. Place a bird feeder outside the window. Birds coming to the feeder near the window will engage your cat. Another reason not to let your cat roam free is that domestic cats are responsible for the deaths of thousands of birds, small mammals, and even reptiles, some of which are endangered. In the January 29, 2013 issue of The New York Times it was reported that an estimated 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals are killed by pet cats! Do the right thing for your pets! Keep them fully immunized against rabies and other deadly diseases. Neuter the male pets and spay the female pets. We have too many animals being killed on the streets and put down in the City’s Animal Care Center. A City worker who picks up dead animals from the streets told me he averages 10 dead pets every day he works! Make sure your pet has ID tags as well as the microchip. Without means of identification, a pet owner may never know what has happened to their missing pet. ◆
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 5 3
BY RANDY KOCH Randy Koch earned his MFA at the University of Wyoming and teaches writing at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
A
path near a pond. An open space among trees. Morning. Emilie, kneeling on the ground littered with yellowed squares of paper, is gathering them up and tying them in small neat bundles. She peers over one shoulder, then the other, then resumes. The wind scatters the papers around her. She throws up her hands, sighs, tries again. Enter Ralph. EMILIE: (giving up). A narrow wind complains all day. RALPH: You should have been a poet. EMILIE: I was. (Gestures towards her bundles.) I like a look of agony. Silence. RALPH: An appearance of pain? EMILIE: A visage of misery. A conflicted countenance. (Glances again over her shoulder.) RALPH: Why should you keep your head over your shoulder? EMILIE: The past is a curious creature. RALPH: (scoffs). The poet has a new thought. EMILIE: (ponders the opening in the trees). Drab habitation. RALPH: Not even a foundation. (Looks overhead.) Nor a castle. EMILIE: One clover. And a bee. If only. (She picks up the bundles of yellowed paper and turns to Ralph.) Let’s away. RALPH: We cannot. EMILIE: Why not?
5 4 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
Serving Sentences
Waiting for Thoreau RALPH: We’re waiting for Thoreau. Enter a woodchuck straining against a rope held by Cookie, who follows. They pass Ralph and Emilie, then stop. The woodchuck collapses, curls into a ball, and falls asleep. EMILIE: Is that him? RALPH: Who? Thoreau? EMILIE: Yes. COOKIE: Who’s Thoreau? EMILIE: Thoreau? COOKIE: You took me for Thoreau. RALPH: Not at all. That’s what we call everyone who happens by. COOKIE: A foolish consistency, etc., etc. (He yanks the rope.) Up, ’chuck! (The woodchuck doesn’t move.) Ralph and Emilie slowly approach the woodchuck, circle him, bend over to observe him more closely. RALPH: He seems resigned. EMILIE: More like quiet desperation. A Felon led along. Might we console him? COOKIE: He’s embarrassed by the bravery of minks and muskrats. RALPH: (scoffs). Envy is ignorance, imitation suicide. He must take himself for — EMILIE: (impatiently). Maybe he just cannot bear to live aloud. COOKIE: He lives only because I allow it. The savage. He’s lucky I didn’t devour
him raw when he first crossed my path. (Leers hungrily at the woodchuck.) RALPH: (outraged). Scandal! EMILIE: (glares at Cookie). A vulgar grimace in the Flesh! COOKIE: It is life near the bone where it is sweetest. (Continues to leer, licks his lips, creeps toward the woodchuck.) EMILIE: Stop! (Stands between Cookie and the woodchuck.) It was the Distance Was Savory. RALPH: (to Emilie). The man is only half himself, the other half is his expression. EMILIE: But his expression (Cookie drools, eyes glazed over, continues to approach) ’tis so appalling-RALPH: (grabs Cookie by the arm, studies his face, shakes him). He worships with coarse but sincere rites. EMILIE: (taken aback). — it exhilarates. (Pause.) Suddenly, I feel as if the top of my head… (Slowly raises her fingertips to her scalp.) RALPH: (grumbling to himself ). Imagination intoxicates the poet. (Shakes Cookie once, then again more violently.) Insist on yourself! COOKIE: (alarmed, disoriented) My hound! My bay horse! The turtledove! (Jerks as if suddenly remembering himself, then to get his bearings looks around, at Ralph, at Emilie. Shakes his head.) I know not the first letter of the alphabet. EMILIE:
The Way to read a Letter’s — this — Ralph and Cookie wait for Emilie to continue, but she only closes her eyes as if listening to the stillness in the air. RALPH: (ignores Emilie, turns to Cookie.) I have difficulty detecting the precise man you are. COOKIE: (relieved) I know of no more encouraging fact. (Notices the rope in his hand, follows it to the woodchuck. Brightens.) Whoso would be a man, must be a — RALPH: (scoffs). Envy is ignorance, imitation suicide. COOKIE: (suddenly insulted) As if that were important. (Vehemently.) You live meanly, like ants. Why don’t you just go? RALPH: We can’t. EMILIE: (emerges from her reverie) Why not? RALPH: We’re waiting for Thoreau. COOKIE: (sighs). I have several more lives to live and cannot spare any more time for this one. (Jerks the rope.) Up, ’chuck! (The woodchuck suddenly stirs.) On! (Exeunt Cookie and the woodchuck. Emilie follows them to the edge of the stage, looks after them. Silence. Ralph goes to Emilie, stands beside her.) RALPH: Well, shall we go? EMILIE: Go? We’re going, all along. They do not move. Curtain ◆
www.laredosnews.com WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Laredo Community College
There’s still time to find your future at LCC this summer BY MONICA MCGETTRICK WALTERS LareDOS Contributor
W
hether your child is looking to bridge the gap between high school and college or just looking for some fun-filled enrichment this summer, Laredo Community College is hosting various camps that appeal to kids and teens of all ages and interests, whether it is in academics, music, the environment, or sports. Space is limited, so parents are encouraged to sign up their children now. Basketball Camp Kids who enjoy playing team sports can have some summer fun at the annual basketball camp hosted by the LCC Kinesiology Department. Students will benefit from the expertise of college, high school and middle school coaches who will help them develop their offensive and defensive skills through drills and play, as well as boost their self-image and develop a healthy sense of competition. The next basketball camp will be held June 24-July 3 Monday through Thursday from 1-4 p.m. Children in kinder, elementary, and middle schools are encouraged to attend.
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
Tournament play will be held July 8-11. Camp fees are $70 per child, per camp. The camp will be held at the Maravillo Gymnasium at the Fort McIntosh Campus. For more information, call the LCC Kinesiology Department at 721-5858 or 721-5329. Volleyball Camp Young and experienced volleyball players can brush up on their skills on the court by participating in the LCC Summer Volleyball Camp, which will be offered July 15-18 in the Maravillo Gymnasium at the Fort McIntosh Campus. Kids aged 5 to 18 can take advantage of the knowledge and skills of Palomino volleyball Head Coach Binny Canales, who will offer participants the opportunity to learn the basics of the sport and expand their talent on the court. A morning camp, held from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., will be held for beginners aged 5 to 12. A camp for more advanced participants aged 13 to 18 will meet from 1-5 p.m. The camp fee is $80, which includes a T-shirt if registered by June 28. For more information, call the LCC Athletics Office at 721-5326. Campus Recreation Sports Camp Kids interested in a variety of
sports will benefit from the Campus Recreation Summer Sports Camps held at the LCC South Campus. General recreation camps will be held June 24-27 or July 22-25. A camp for soccer fans will be held July 8-11 and a basketball camp July 15-18. The camps are free, although there is a $3 fee for camp insurance. The camps will be held at the LCC South Campus Recreation Complex. For more information, call 794-4313 or 721-5326. Environmental Science Summer Camps If your child loves to be out in Mother Nature, the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center still has several spots available for kids aged 4 to 14. A camp for kids aged 4-6 runs July
22-26; and youth aged 6-8 runs June 2428 and July 15-19. These camps will be held Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Daycare service until 6 p.m. is available at $10/hour. Camps for older kids aged 9-11 run July 8-12, and July 29-Aug 2; and an advanced camp for aged 12-14 runs July 22-26. These camps meet MondayThursday from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. New this year is an evening camp for kids aged 11-13. The camp will run July 1-3 from 5-9 p.m. Camp fees range from $135 for tots and youth to $195 for regular campers and $215 for advanced campers. The evening camp fee is $115. To register or more information, call the LBVESC at 764-5701. â—†
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 5 5
Keeping a Weather Eye
BY JUAN ALANIS
Alanis, former of Laredo, is currently a meteorology student at Mississippi State University. He is a member of the American Meteorology Society (AMS) and Webb County Coordinator for the CoCoRaHS/National Weather Service rainfall observer program
BY JUAN ALANIS LareDOS Contributor
O
ne storm down (Andrea), and many more to go. June marked the start of the 2013 hurricane season and all forecasts are pointing to an extremely busy season, which means all south Texas residents should prepare for the worst. Citing three key factors, three leading tropical forecasting experts are predicting an extremely active hurricane season. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC), a branch of the National Weather Service, is predicting 13 to 20 named storms, with seven to 11 of those becoming hurricanes and of those, three to six are predicted to become major hurricanes, which means category 3, 4, or 5 with minimum winds of 111 mph. Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project forecasts 18 named storms, with nine becoming hurricanes and four becoming major hurricanes. The Weather Channel’s hurricane expert, Bryan Norcross, predicts similar numbers, with 16, nine, and five, respectively. An average season would have 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. All forecasters cite three key factors for the very active season. First, the continuation of the atmospheric climate pattern which has featured a strong west African monsoon since 1995, the beginning of the current active era. Second, waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea are warmer than average. Last, forecasters do not expect an El Niño to form this year. Typically, an El Niño pattern will increase atmospheric wind shear and as a result, suppress tropical development. This year, wind shear is expected to be minimal.
5 6 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast Dr. Gray has developed an outlook of where storms may make landfall. On June 3 he placed the probability of a major hurricane making landfall along the U.S. east coast and Florida at 47%, which is above the average of 31% over the last century. The probability of a major hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast from Brownsville to the Florida Panhandle is 48%, also higher than the average of 30%. The Texas coast has been hit by a hurricane 63 times since 1851, an average of one every three years. Tropical systems do not just affect coastal areas at the point of landfall, but also areas well inland. Numerous tropical systems that have made landfall in Texas and/or northern Mexico have had significant impacts well inland, including the Laredo area. The most recent was Hurricane Alex and tropical depression two back in June and July of 2010, which made landfall in northern Mexico and brought a total of 15 to 25 inches of rain to parts of the Río Grande basin in Nuevo Leon and Coahuila. The result was major flooding along the Río Grande including in Laredo, where waters rose to 42.45 feet, to the base of International Bridge One on July 9, 2010. The high waters forced numerous evacuations throughout the city and Nuevo Laredo. In July 2008, the center of Hurricane Dolly came ashore near Port Mansfield, then moved right over Laredo, though in a much weaker state, bringing some gusty winds and rain showers. In September 2002, Tropical Storm Fay moved inland near Port O’Connor and then moved erratically west to near Pearsall, then looped south to Laredo and into Mexico. Fay brought 10 to 20 inches of rain to parts of South Texas, with Laredo receiving nearly four inches over a few hours, causing major flash flooding across the city. Many roads were closed along the Mines Road and McPherson, and
WEBB COUNTY RAINFALL REPORT – May 2013 STATION WB 2 WB 4 WB 5 WB 6 WB 9 WB 12 WB 13 WB 14 WB 17 WB 18 WB 19 WB 21 WB 22 WB 23 WB 25 WB 26 WB 27 WB 28 WB 36 WB 37 WB 39 WB 40 WB 41 WB 43 WB 44 WB 45
LOCATION Heights Garfield St Las Tiendas Ranch Callaghan Ranch McPherson/Chacon Mangana Hein Rd 8E Del Mar C Del Mar North/Preston Ln Laredo 18.4 NE Riverhill Hillside/Springfield Prada Elementary School Shiloh/Woodridge Laredo 23.7 ENE Freer 29.5 WSW United South MS area Zaragoza St-downtown Jacaman Rd/Saldana Ln Gutierrez Elementary area Del Mar/Inwood Stamford St (East Laredo) E. Clark Blvd/Jarvis McPherson/Country Club Dr Mines Rd-Green Ranch El Cenizo East Laredo-Lakeside East Laredo-US 59/P. Escondido
JUNE 2.74” 1.51” 1.91” 3.21” 3.98” 3.46” 3.52” 1.80” 2.91” 3.58” 3.02” 4.46” 2.50” 2.32” 3.82” 3.03” 3.38” 3.28” 4.11” 2.38” 3.31” 3.69” 2.94” 3.64” 4.08” 2.10”
Source: CoCoRaHS/National Weather Service Want to measure rainfall in your neighborhood? Log onto www.cocorahs.org or call 956251-3996 for more information
REGIONAL WEATHER RECAP—MAY 2013 Avg Temp Laredo KGNS 81.2° Laredo Airport 80.6° Cotulla Airport 80.0° Encinal 78.5° Freer 77,2° Falcon Dam 80.4°
Depart -1.4° -1.6° -0.7° -1.1° -2.7° -1.9°
Rain 4.63” 4.59” 0.39” 1.30” 1.82” 5.45”
Departure +2.15” +2.10” -2.39” -1.55” -1.67” +3.07”
Source: National Weather Service
many residents had flood damage to their homes. Tropical Storm Charley in August 1998 made landfall near Rockport, yet its heaviest rainfall occurred well inland in the Del Rio area which was flooded with nearly 12 inches of rain. The rains put two-thirds of Del Rio
underwater and sent flood waters over the international bridge in Eagle Pass. As we move toward the dog days of summer and the heart of hurricane season, everyone should pay close attention to the tropics and prepare an emergency plan and kit in the event a storm threatens the area. ◆
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
News Brief
L
aredoans, are you ready to rock? The Rock in the Rio music festival is slated for Friday, August 16 at Laredo Energy Arena. The lineup will include the legendary Vince Neil, former lead singer of award winning sensation Mötley Crüe. The heavy metal group is known for albums such as Too Fast for Love, Shout at the Devil, Theatre of Pain, Girls, Girls, Girls, and Dr. Feelgood. California native Neil produces his own music while working with Mötley Crüe on certain projects. The group Great White will be part of the rocking lineup. The hard rock group is composed of Mark Kendall (guitar), Michael Lardie (guitar, keyboards), Audie Desbrow
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
Rock in the Rio (drums), Terry Ilous (lead singer) and Scott Snyder (bassist). Some of their songs include Rock Me, Save Your Love, The Angel Song, and Mistabone. Slaughter will also hit the stage. The group hails from Las Vegas and includes lead v o c a l i s t/r h y t h m guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum. In 1990, with their first album Stick It to Ya, the band
reached stardom. With hits such as Up All Night, Spend My Life, Mad About You, and Fly to the Angels, their album reached double platinum in the United States. “Fans have been asking for quality rock in Laredo. The Rockin on the Rio show is the perfect act for rock fans to enjoy this summer,” said General Manager for the SMGmanaged Laredo Energy Arena Xavier Villalon. Tickets are now on sale for $23, $33 and $43 at all Ticketmaster locations including the LEA box office, available to charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com. For information visit www. learena.com. – LareDOS Staff
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 5 7
News
“It does not matter who you are,” was the official slogan for this year’s Free Press Summer Festival (FPSF) held June 1 and 2 in Houston. That slogan resonated throughout the entire festival as many people from different places, backgrounds, and personalities flocked to the Eleanor Tinsley Park location to watch 90 different bands play. This was the fifth year that the festival has been open and this was the first year that it was completely sold out, which probably had to do with the bands that performed. Some of the big names included The Postal Service, Passion Pit, Calvin Harris, Bassnectar, and Of Monsters and Men. I watched The Japandroids, The Arctic Monkeys, Passion Pit, and Of Monsters and Men, with Passion Pit being my favorite to watch because of the sheer energy they emitted from their act. All of the bands excluding Of Monsters and Men played on Saturday. It was extremely hot and humid out. With the band members being from places such as the Northern United States, Canada, England, and Iceland, the Texas heat proved to be extra grueling for them, and they frequently remarked so. Nonetheless, they all prevailed in their performances. For those who have an interest on attending the festival next year, it’s crucial to stay hydrated, wear sunglasses, apply sun-
screen, and wear light clothing. I would also recommend purchasing either the fancy pants or high roller tickets over the general admission because those tickets also buy you a place to sit inside an air conditioned tent, which is perfect for resting in between shows. FPSF is growing bigger and better each year. Having been to Austin City Limits (ACL), a major music festival that is held annually in October, I think that FPSF has the potential to eventually be on par with it. The perks of ACL is that it is held in a much cooler month and, since it has been around longer, it has more recognition and attracts bands with great prestige in the music industry. FPSF, however, has one important advantage over ACL. The stage where the bands perform is located at the bottom of a hill, which helps those who want to stay in the back see better. Both music festivals guarantee fun and excitement, are very well organized, and are held in cities that exude energy and life. Although the dates for FPSF 2014 have not been posted yet, talk has already started about who might play next year on a thread provided by The Houston Chronicle. Considering how the lineup has dramatically improved over the past couple of years, I think it’s safe to say that you can expect an energetic set of bands to play next year. FPSF is definitely an event that I would love to annually attend. It’s a great kickoff to the beginning of summer vacation. ◆
UHS at North Central United High School student Ramiro Gonzalez is photographed with special education instructor Bertha Elizondo on Saturday, June 1 at North Central Park. Gonzalez was among the students who assisted with muralpainting.
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
BY CELIA VILLARREAL LareDOS Staff
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Free Press Summer Festival
Take me out to the ball game Julian, Jorge, Marta, Jorge Jr., Clarissa, and Josue De Leon enjoyed some quality family at the June 18 Lemurs game at Uni-Trade Stadium. The Lemurs took on the Sioux Falls Canaries and won 5-3.
5 8 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Movie Review
The Purge — the ultimate release BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff Spoiler alert: if you have not seen the film, refrain from reading this review.
I
n The Purge — a tale of an annual 12-hour government sanctioned mayhem —all law enforcement and emergency medical services are suspended across quiet, seemingly “safe” suburban areas. All crime is legal, including murder. This is James DeMonaco’s portrayal of society unleashing what is perhaps the utmost primal instinct of humans — the need for violence. The Purge is intended to maintain order in society by allotting an annual cleansing of the human mind and body through senseless acts of brutality. The storyline follows the Sandin family who is held hostage after inadvertently harboring a target of a murderous group. In the beginning, we are introduced to James (Ethan Hawke), a family-oriented man on the brink of a successful year selling the latest state of the art security system to the other residents of his gated community. His wife Mary (Lena Headey), a very attentive mother to teens Charlie (Max Burkholder)
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
and Zoey (Adelaide Kane), ultimately becomes the embodiment of morality in the story. The Sandin children are seen struggling with coming of age and truly understanding the new society they are a part of. Zoey, a rebellious teen, is left in a state of shock after discovering her boyfriend (who gets shot and dies) hidden in her home after the purge commences and ends up pointing a gun at her father. This is where the viewer could have used a clearer understanding of whether that stemmed from resentment towards Sadin keeping the teen lovers apart or whether the boy’s need to purge simply took over. Zoey disappears for a large portion of the film and doesn’t really contribute much more to the story. Charlie, a young boy du m fou nde d by the need for the purge — unbeknownst to his family — is compelled to disarm his home’s security system to provide refuge to a wounded man being hunted down before his eyes (as seen through the monitors of the security cameras around his home). It is his sympathetic and selfless act that ultimately seals his family’s fate. Soon a ban of merry men and women, adorning eerie masks, ma-
chetes, and guns come knocking at the door. They advice the Sandin family no harm will come to them as long as they release their target. Morality and ethics come into play — what would you do, aid and shelter the man or sacrifice a life in exchange for your family’s well being? While the social implications of such an occurrence presumably ask the movie’s viewer to contemplate whether or not our present society is heading in this direction or whether or not The Purge would be beneficial in the long run, the film lacked the necessary suspense to make a meaningful impression on the viewers. The film’s 85 minutes were simply not enough to build up to the climatic moment when James is shot and the
violent group stalking the Sandin home proves not to be the only threat to the family’s well being. Soon Mary is faced with the decision to seek revenge on her neighbors — who fully intend to murder the family after saving them from the depravity of their aggressors — or to stand by her convictions and demand all violence come to an end for the remainder of the night. The setting of the film is intended to be a distant futuristic one set in 2022, although there were no distinguishable characteristics that clearly defined a difference in time. Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey were perfect matches for their roles. The concept of the film was lost in its failures. ◆
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 5 9
Maxima Montano/ LareDOS
Improvisational theater wows the crowd William Hauserman’s The Inadvertent Wife was one of the productions comprised in the 2013 Laredo Community College Summer Stock Theater Project. The play opened on June 20 at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center Theater. Photographed to the left are Alison Hinojosa as Isabella and Benjamin Hinojosa as Tristano. Jesus Mendoza as Pantalone di Bigasnosi and Leonardo Hernandez as Dottore are pictured on the right. The actors improvised their dynamic dialogue throughout the unique form of theater known as Commedia Dell’Arte.
Can’t find a hard copy? Go to www.laredosnews.com
6 0 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
At the LCC Memorial Day observance
Samantha Sanchez and Madison Peterson spent their Saturday morning painting murals at North Central Park June 1 as part of an inclusive beautification initiative between Paint Crusaders and United Indepdent School District special needs students.
Alicia and Antonio Martinez were present at the Private David B. Barkeley Cantu Veterans Memorial Chapel at Laredo Community College on Thursday, May 30 for a Memorial Day Observance. Veteran Antonio Martinez was recognized as an American hero.
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Maxima Montano/LareDOS
Local students get involved
Big step for little grads Kindergarten grads Edgar and Mateo Zuniga led other fellow graduates, parents, and teachers in an opening prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance on Wednesday, May 29 at St. Peter’s Memorial School cafeteria. W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
Summer science camp Emmanuel MuĂąiz, Javier Murillo, Bryce Bravo, Mayra Cruz, Diana Vargas, and Stephanie Martinez were among participants of the 2013 Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Camp. The children are photographed on June 24 after a tour of the Laredo Community College Fort McIntoish Campus. LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 6 1
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
viewing history as seen through Anglo eyes. The injustice of thugs acting under the color of law as Texas Rangers and other law enforcement officers in the horrible period between 1848 and 1966, killing and beating on Tejanos. I committed to the Tejano Monument in 2000. The team’s initial reception in Austin was disappointing, but I decided to grit my teeth and refused to give up. The monument was going to go on the South Lawn of the Capital grounds — that was not negotiable. Richard Raymond understood that, and his contrasting personality with my own worked right to get the bill passed in 2009 ordering the monument to the South Lawn. Many people wrote big checks — IBC made over $200,000 in contributions and many were in the $10,000 to $30,000. I was disappointed with some national and state Hispanic organizations who just gave some lip service and zero contributions. I am very grateful to my friends who did not bat an eye while writing a huge check — they had confi-
6 2 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
dence that we would get it done. LareDOS: Your greatest source of pride? RR: Three children with Alpha personalities who are successful in their own right, and a wife of 49 years who has been the heart of our family. Obviously, the Tejano Monument is the Crown Jewel for achievements. LareDOS: Your favorite spot of respite? RR: I love to be alone at the ranch on a horse. A horse does unbelievable things to the inside of a human. LareDOS: What part of yourself and your work ethic do you feel you have passed onto your children? RR: Life changes over time. Most people know what I have done the last few years. The fact is that we were born in poverty. I worked as a janitor ($16 per week) at the Plaza Hotel (now Compass Bank) in 1954. I am very grateful to George Mapus who catapulted me financially with a $50 per week job in 1957, pushing concrete in a wheelbarrow down landing strips at Laredo Air Force Base. Border Construction took me to higher levels running stakes along
Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS
Renato Ramirez is pictured with his wife Patricia and children Roberta and Ricardo, who joined him at the Mr. South Texas announcement on Wednesday, June 12 at Texas Community Bank. new highway construction. Inside of me, I have a commitment (exemplified by sitting here at the computer in the bank a 6 p.m. on a Saturday to answer these questions) to get the job done now, not tomorrow. I think our three kids have that sense of commitment, even if they have had much more affluence than I ever
dreamt of having. Roberta is the executive director for curriculum and instruction at LISD. Ricardo is the president of IBC-Zapata and very successful in his business ventures. Ruben is very successful with CBRE, an international real estate company. All three are going to get the job done. ◆
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M
W W W. L A R E D OS NEW S . C O M
LareDOS I J UN E 2 0 1 3 I 6 3
6 4 I LareDOS I J U NE 2013
WWW.L A R E DO SN E WS.CO M