LareDOS June 2014

Locally Owned

Recognize yourself in he and she who are not like you and me.”

— Carlos Fuentes A JOURNAL OF THE BORDERLANDS june 2014

Est. 1994

Vol. XIX No. 6 64 PAGES

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LareDOS Newspaper

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Longtime Texas A&M International University faculty members, Dr. Bonnie Rudolph and Dr. Miroslava Vargas, were honored for their 40 years of service to TAMIU with a retirement reception. Pictured left to right are Dr. Tom Mitchell, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Rudolph, professor and director of the Psychology Program; Dr. Vargas, associate professor, College of Education, and Dr. Catheryn Weitman, Dean, College of Education.

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TAMIU retirees feted

Getting limber before the 5K Participants under the direction of instructor Sam Lozano warmed up prior to the 3rd Annual 5K Run, Walk, and Roll for Rehab on June 21 at North Central Park. All proceeds benefited the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center.

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Three former Laredo high school coaches — Rene Ramirez, Bobby Batey, and Arturo Contreras — were named to the South Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor during the all-star football game at Shirley Field. They were recognized for their contributions to local athletics. Ramirez, the LISD athletic director, formerly coached football and basketball at Martin High School. Batey coached basketball at Martin and Cigarroa, and Contreras baseball at Martin and United.

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Coaches named to Hall of Honor

At the the Harvard Latino Leadership Initiative Marshall Ganz, Harvard senior lecturer in Public Policy, Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, listens to a student participant in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI), hosted by Texas A&M International University earlier this month.

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Young readers keep entertained this summer

Read for Life logo winners

UISD accelerated reader Jacob E. Gonzalez is pictured with public information officer Veronica “Roni” Y. Yunes on Tuesday, June 10.

Gonzalez read Pete the Cat and his Magic Sunglasses to attendees of the summer reading challenge press conference. UISD encourages all students to read over the summer.

First place winner Sara García, second place winner Adriana Martinez, and third place winner Jacqueline Reyes are pictured on June 17 at the University of Texas Health Science Center Regional Campus at Laredo. The Read for Life logo contest kicked off the Read for Life community wide initiative.

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Texas Department of Human Health Services employees Monica Espinoza, Lupita Mata, and Edith De La Fuente attended the June 5 U.S.Mexico Regional Bi-national Health Conference Diseases and Emergencies Updates at the UT Health Science Center Laredo Campus.

The event was sponsored by Area Health Education Center, the Texas Department of State Health Services, Office of Border Health, the City of Laredo Health Department, and the SecretarĂ­a de Salud de Tamaulipas.

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Bi-national conference

SmArt Camp Sofia Sandoval is pictured completing one of several activities at the SmArt Camp for kids at Laredo Community College on Wednesday, June 18. Instructor Mary Bausman led the art camp.

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Third annual STFB-KGNS Bucket Brigade Memorial Day golf tourney Pepe Treviño, Fayo Mainero, Joaquin Cigarroa, and Rocky Bruni are pictured at the Laredo Country Club golf course on Saturday, May 31 for the annual Womens City Club Juvenico de Anda Golf Tournament.

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JoAnn Otero, Nelly Uribe, Salo Otero, and José Martinez Sr. are pictured on Saturday, June 21 at the intersection of Shiloh and McPherson raising funds for the South Texas Food Bank. The fundraiser, sponsored

by KGNS TV, netted more than $5,000 that will support STFB’s mission to feed the hungry.

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Mailbox L

etters to the publisher

To the Editor: I have been following the news about illegal immigrants coming mainly from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Having grown up in El Salvador, I visited St. Peter’s Church where our Catholic Church and other organizations are helping these immigrants.

As a U S taxpayer and one who has visited El Salvador every year, I can say that this influx will not stop until the American people demand accountability from this and future governments. No matter how much money is poured to help, without accountability, it is like throwing money in a bottomless barrel.

I can only speak about El Salvador, but am sure the situation is pretty similar in Guatemala and Honduras. Right now El Salvador is ridden by gangs and extortionists, who force children and teenagers, in particular, to join in their gangs to transport drugs and work in other illicit businesses.

Extortionists have for years been demanding what they call “the rent.” This is a term they use to appease their consciousness and crimes.

Extortionists demand to be paid weekly, monthly, or bi-weekly. They claim money is owed to them by small and large business people. If you do not accede to their demands, they burn your business or kill you and or your family members. Yes, right now, as in Mexico, terror reigns within the peasants and all hard-working people of El Salvador. Hard and honest working Salvadoreans owe nothing to these lazy and parasitic thugs!

Illegal immigrants, in general, love their countries and their families and want to live where they were born, grow up with their families, and prosper in the society where they develop. However, nobody can blame them for trying to save their children! We all would do the same.

Demanding accountability may not be the final cure, and perhaps right now, given the crux of the environment this country is experiencing, most people may not pay it any credibility. Yet, it is the first and easiest step this government must demand when providing financial aid, in particular, to all countries in the world. Let’s make sure the money goes to the needy and their needs and not to enrich the pockets of corrupt governments who, without accountability, use the money to enrich themselves and maintain power.

Sincerely, Marcia O. Jovel

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News

The empowering nourishment of Laredo Soup

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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aredo Soup is the latest innovative project to promote community-based development through a collaborative community effort. The group hosted its first official meeting June 2 at the Holding Institute.

Once a month with $5 donation Laredo residents can sit down for soup and salad and be treated to music and art and partake in discussions on creative methods for improving the city.

The mission of Laredo Soup is to promote community-based development through crowd funding and democracy. There are currently 10 to 15 active members, and there were well over 100 attendees at the first meeting.

Luis Villarreal, founder of Laredo Soup, decided to contact like-minded friends to aid him in bringing this network to Laredo.

“Each presenter has four minutes to share their idea and answer four questions from the audience. At the end of the night, we count the ballots and the winner goes home with all of the money raised to carry out their project,” said Laredo Soup member Tatiana Friar.

Presenters at the first meeting included Berman Rivera of City Gärten,

Mike Smith of Holding Institute, and Esther García of Sewing for a Dream.

Girl Scout Yazmin Jimenez was selected as the winner for her proposal to create a park on the Holding Institute›s grounds. She was awarded $650, and will work closely with Keep Laredo Beautiful and the institute.

The micro-granting organization will accept applications for technology, education, urban agriculture, art, social justice, and entrepreneurial projects.

“We are living in times of economic shifts where smaller agencies and individuals cannot obtain the grants necessary to build their businesses and agencies. Laredo Soup plans to assist with one bowl of soup at a time,” Friar said, adding, “Laredo Soup’s goal is to empower residents, help create jobs, allow people to establish new relationships and networks, and instill neighborhood pride.”

Winners are invited to future soup dinners to report on their project’s progress.

Meetings will be held every first Monday of every month at the Holding Institute.

For more information on how to become a grant recipient or to donate/participate, contact Luis Villarreal at (956) 764-9577 or go to Laredo Soup’s Facebook page. 

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News

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early a decade after local environmentalists first waged a campaign to ban single- use retail plastic bags, a city ordinance reflecting that change will take effect on April 30, 2015. The Laredo City Council passed the ban on June 2 in a six-to-one vote.

The City of Laredo Code of Ordinances Chapter 33, Environmental Protection, Article VIII will prohibit single-use plastic bags with a less than 4-mil thickness, and singleuse paper bags with a less than a 30-pound weight standard.

Exceptions exist for restaurants, fast food establishments, meat products, dry cleaners, newspapers, nonprofits, and foods that are chilled or frozen.

The ban met resistance from Stripes public relations director Jessica Davila-Burnett and Doug Gonzalez, HEB director of retail operations who urged Council members to reconsider their stance, vet other local businesses, and consider the inconvenience the ban would cause their customers.

Council member Cindy Liendo voted against the ban, citing her concern for inconvenience to her constituents.

Despite the opposition, there was strong community support in favor of the ban at the June 2 meeting. Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC) employee Albert Sandoval, Justice of the Peace candidate Lakshmana “Vish” Viswanath, and local attorney Daniel Monahan spoke on the need to preserve the environ-

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ment for future generations.

According to city estimates, an average of 120 million plastic bags are distributed locally each year. “Plastic bag litter dots the city landscape and creates a significant problem for the city’s creeks and storm drains and the Rio Grande, the city’s only source of drinking water,” said RGISC executive director Tricia Cortez, calling the ban “a massive team effort.” She said, “It represents an enormous victory for the environment, the river, and for the well-being of present and future generations.”

Since the mid 2000s, RGISC has worked with the City’s Environmental Services Department, the Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee, Texas A&M International University professors, and over 60 volunteers who conducted more than 800 doorto-door citywide household surveys to gauge public opinion on plastic bags.

RGISC will work with the city until the ban is implemented and on an education and awareness campaign to distribute more than 10,000 reusable Loving Laredo bags.

“We applaud the City Council, mayor, and city manager for their courage and leadership in recognizing the seriousness of this problem, and for moving Laredo into a new, progressive, and environmentallyfocused direction,” Cortez said.

Director for the City of Laredo Environmental Services Department Riazul I. Mia said, that as a result of the ban, “The city will have less litter and be a cleaner place.”

For more information on the ban or the ordinance, contact the Environmental Services Department at (956) 794-1650. 

Water aerobics all summer long The City of Laredo Parks and Recreation Department will host various swimming programs throughout summer at the Rev. Deacon Leonel and Irma San Miguel Pool Summer Program at North Central Park.

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Plastic bag ordinance finalized

Basketball Day Camp Local children put their basketball skills to the test under the direction of coaches Juan and David Ibarra on Wednesday, June 18 at Laredo Community College’s Basketball Day Camp WWW.L A R E DOSN EWS.COM

News

New VMT campus to open doors August 2015

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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he new state-of-the-art Vidal M. Treviño School of Communication and Fine Arts (VMT) campus, located across the street from Nixon High School will come in at a cost of about $21 million when completed in August 2015 by Leyendecker Construction, Inc. According to architect Viviana Frank, “The design for this campus stemmed from ideas by the Laredo Independent School District (LISD) board and a pool of teachers and students who wanted to retain an urban feel to the campus.”

VMT’s move to the Heights area leaves behind its 20-year history in the St. Peter's Historic neighborhood.

“Obviously it doesn’t look like downtown, but we tried to make it feel as urban as possible in the way the buildings and spaces interact

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Gerardo Garza, Homero Paez, Viviana Frank, and Greg Melendez with one another,” Frank said, adding, “Essentially because of the scale of not only these buildings, but the Nixon campus, this has created an urban center for the neighborhood that it never had before.”

LISD construction supervisor Homero Paez Jr. said, “LISD is landlocked. Originally we looked at

possibly updating everything downtown, but given the historic district, it was too expensive. We found this property and we opted to move the VMT here.”

Each of the LISD high schools have their own magnet school, and although VMT does not belong exclusively to Nixon, the majority of its students are from Nixon.

“The campus will sit on an island. People that are just passing by will experience the buildings from all sides, which is an urban quality. When teachers and administrators heard our presentation, they really latched on to the concept that this was going to be the beacon. We

continuously get compliments from nearby residents and business people,” said Frank.

The current enrollment at the VMT is 300. The new facility will be able to handle 400 in the morning and afternoon.

Paez said, “The front building will have the administration offices, library, teacher’s lounge, instructional rooms for art classes, including an outdoor corridor where students can paint, and some other communication spaces.”

The second building will have a recital hall, auditorium with an orchestra pit, individual practice music rooms, and dance studios.

“The final building will be the dining area complete with a full kitchen. It will serve as a multi-use area with a large over-screen projector,” he said, adding “There will be a small café in the dining facility that will serve students, staff, and the public for events.”

The café will be the first of its kind in the district. Adjacent to the dining facility is an outdoor amphitheater with seating and a small stage at the far end — which will also serve as a public gathering space for events.

“We went through different design phases when we started with the program. We are currently 61 percent complete,” Paez said.

“I think the worst thing that could have happened was that they would have stuck everyone in one building with straight corridors, given that VMT is for the arts,” Frank added.

A proposal for a daktronics board — a large media board similar to the one at Shirley Field — to display VMT and district news will be presented to a committee in July 2014.  LareDOS I J U N E 2014 I

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News

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Commerce, IBC honor CEO Urrabazo, chair of the Texas Bankers Association

ommerce Bank President and CEO Ignacio Urrabazo was honored by officials of Commerce Bank, IBC Bank, and local and community leaders for his service as chairman of the Texas Bankers Association (TBA).

Urrabazo became the 126th chairman of the TBA last summer. The TBA is the largest and oldest banking association in the country.

“It has been a privilege to serve in such a prestigious and influential organization as the TBA,” Urrabazo said. “I truly thank my officers and employees of Commerce Bank whose talent and capabilities allowed me the freedom to focus on issues important to the banking industry overall.”

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.

During his tenure as TBA chair, Urrabazo traveled throughout the state of Texas speaking to more than 600 bankers to understand and address the challenges within the financial landscape.

By addressing these challenges, the TBA upholds its mission to meet the needs of its members through education and advocacy and protect the integrity of the banking industry.

“Ignacio is a true asset to the banking industry and we’re fortunate to have his leadership at Commerce Bank and International Bancshares Corporation,” IBC Bank Chairman and CEO Dennis Nixon said. “We thank him for his service to the TBA and appreciate the knowledge and experience he brings to the customers and communities served

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Commerce Bank President and CEO Ignacio Urrabazo is pictured at a reception in his honor

by Commerce Bank and IBC Bank.”

Urrabazo has been involved with the TBA for more than 40 years, first serving on the association’s Installment Loan Group. He has served several stints on the TBA board of directors and executive committee and has traveled to Washington, D.C. often to address regulatory issues.

Commerce Bank is a member of International Bancshares Corporation (NASDAQ: IBOC), an $11.6 billion multi-bank financial holding company headquartered in Laredo, with 216 facilities and more than 320 ATMs serving 88 communities in Texas and Oklahoma. Commerce Bank has been serving the Laredo community since 1982 and has a retail branch network of four locations. Commerce Bank was named Business of the Month by the Laredo Chamber of Commerce in June 2012 in recognition of its strong advocacy and support of entrepreneurial business growth. More information is available at www.ibc.com.

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News

Commentary

Bi-national Health conference

Chopin was the hymn of my youth

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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order health care issues were addressed at the second annual U.S.-Mexico Regional Bi-national Health Conference Diseases and Emergencies Updates on June 5 at the University of Texas Health Science Center Laredo Regional Campus.

The bi-national conference was hosted by the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Texas Department of State Health Services, Office of Border Health, the City of Laredo Health Department, and the Secretaría de Salud de Tamaulipas.

“The collaborative partnership between the U.S. and Mexico is important because millions of people cross the border, which means there are millions of opportunities to spread disease,” said Dr. Jaime Emilio Gutierrez Serrano, director of the Secretaría de Salud de Tamaulipas.

Topics discussed at the conference included HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, infectious diseases, emergency preparedness, and other shared public health concerns.

“What happens in Laredo happens in Nuevo Laredo. We discussed the current outbreaks of Dengue fever occurring in Mexico. It is important to keep the public informed.

This constant communication we have with the U.S. is crucial for everyone to know what is the best

course of action to take,” said Gutierrez Serrano.

Dr. Hector F. Gonzalez, director for the City of Laredo Health Department, said, “Ultimately for the border there is constant coordination. Uninsured residents from Laredo constantly see physicians in Nuevo Laredo and vice versa. Our message is prevention and detection, especially among women.” He added, “Women in our culture tend to postpone care for themselves. Their mentality is first the baby, then the husband, then themselves. We are trying to instill in them that family health begins with them.”

Bi-national collaborations will continue with monthly meetings and forums that highlight the needed resources for both sides of the border.

Executive director of the Area Health Education Center said, “The Bi-national health conference proved to be a valuable educational resource for health care providers on both sides of the U.S./Mexico Border. As previously noted, diseases have no borders. Topics of discussion were of importance to the health care systems that keep our families healthy and informed about infectious diseases” Over 115 participants attended the conference.

For more information on the conference contact Julie Bazan, AHEC executive director at (956) 712-0037 or by email bazanj@uthscsa.edu. 

Can’t find a hard copy?

Go to www.laredosnews.com

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By JORGE SANTANA LareDOS Contributor

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hopin was a musical master, his piano the hymn of my youth.

I did not listen to his music as a show of pretention or snobbery — classical music was the only thing available at the ranch where I grew up. A bunch of dusty cassettes were the best gift in a non-Wi-Fi or cable TV infancy. His etudes were as current to me as any pop idol’s hit on the top charts.

Chopin is also the name of my dog, a skin and bones German Shepard I found near my house in the St. Peter’s historic neighborhood one winter afternoon. He was emaciated but still grand, the presence of his Bavarian roots intact.

An important part of the recovery of Chopin is exercise. The only time I have available is late at night, when plazas sleep and the streets whisper.

We first go to St. Peter’s Plaza where the presence of the past follows you at every step, but you get used to it, and then to Jarvis Plaza. We pass the Bender Hotel that waits patiently for someone to peel away the ravages of time to uncover its beauty.

At Jarvis Plaza, the trashcans are filled with disposable plates from the meals the unknown hero feeds the needy every day from his own pocket, Taxi drivers sleep in their cars or the benches waiting for the rare Laredo customer or maybe something more rare, a tourist.

Chopin wants to walk even further, so I take him to St. Agustin

square. I try to look up as much as possible to see the exterior second floor beauty of downtown stores and discover architectural gems I ignored in the many years I’ve lived here. We walk past the Plaza Theater that shines bright neon green lights to the void, then to the Center for the Arts which at night is surrounded by picturesque prostitutes and shady bars.

The prostitutes in the Tatangelo Parkway send piropos in Spanish to Chopin. I still don’t know if he speaks English, Spanish or Laredo Spanglish. We come across the hot dog vendor that I am sure has all health permits in order. It feels like Christmas in the Tatangelo Parkway with the trees covered in white lights. Chopin enjoys the walk through there, his eyes shining in what I think is wonder.

We get to St. Agustin Plaza and take in the view of the always spectacular La Posada Hotel. San Agustín Plaza has always been a makeshift station for people picking up their relatives from Nuevo Laredo, and in the morning it is where contractors pick up day help. The city recently tried to stop allowing picking up anyone at any time, which did not work. You can’t just abruptly put the brake on so long a tradition.

I give Chopin water from the fountain in the middle of the plaza and can’t stop thinking of all that I have seen in my relatively short walk — downtown so vibrant with its niches of surprises while the rest of the city sleeps.  LareDOS I J U N E 2014 I

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Feature

Green Party’s Salinas in race For Texas Railroad Commissioner

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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ative Laredoan Martina Salinas is in the race for Texas Railroad Commissioner. She will face Republican Ryan Sitton, Democrat Steve Brown II, and Libertarian Mark Miller in the upcoming November 9 election.

Salinas earned a BS in civil technologies and construction management from the University of Houston, and recently returned to school to study horticulture. She is currently residing in the Fort Worth area and has worked in the construction industry for the past eight years.

The candidate considers herself independent from the traditional party system, although in the past she has leaned toward the Democratic Party.

“I have voted different ways in the past, and only recently I became involved with the Green Party. I vote for who best represents my interests, and who I think will do a better job,” she said.

Salinas decided to run for Texas Railroad Commissioner because she is concerned how the current commission is handling citizens’ concerns over their land and water quality concerns.

“It is my understanding that the Texas Railroad Commission was formed to protect citizens when the railroads were first coming in. The residents did not have enough power to protect themselves against this big industry, and it seems that now we are having a bit of déjà vu with the oil and gas industry,” she said.

Salinas added, “I am concerned the way that the commission is handling the troubles people are having in Reno, Azle, and Dish, Texas. They have been slow to respond to the citizens’ con-

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Martina Salinas cerns over their land. The majority of these people get their water from underground wells, and they are worried about water contamination from fracking.”

Aside from regulating the oil and gas industry, the railroad commission distributes oil and gas drilling permits and is in charge of alternative energies and fuel.

“I think more attention needs to be put into alternative energies. We have a lot of land and sun. We need to promote and educate the public more on wind and solar energy, which are a viable form of alternative energy that would lead to more jobs,” said Salinas.

Among Salinas’ priorities if elected is protecting private property rights.

“The petroleum industry has a long and proud history in Texas. I want my children’s children to enjoy the beauty that is Texas. The way we are headed now, we don’t know if that is going to happen. I am for sustainable development and responsible stewardship. Our land right now is only in our care. We are holding it for future generations,” she said, adding, “I am not looking to take food away from anyone’s plate.

I am not looking to take anyone’s job away. I think the state just needs to realign itself, take a moment and figure out where it wants to go.”

Salinas feels that the Railroad Commission would benefit from more input from independent environmental groups. She would also like to form a coalition between the state Legislatiure and the Railroad Commission to discuss the earthquakes currently happening in parts of Texas.

“Right now, there is a lot of conflicting data. I think we need take people’s input and figure out who is accountable for their damages,” said Salinas, adding, “What I have been seeing at various forums is that people are not believing what they are hearing from the state anymore. They think it is very obvious that fracking is the cause of these earthquakes. They want results. They want someone to pay for their damages and fix their homes.”

She said there needs to be more dialogue and weighing of the positive versus the negative of running the Keystone Pipeline through Texas. “Texas aquifers account for a high percentage of the groundwater used for irrigation

and to meet municipal demands,” Salinas said.

The proposed Canada to Texas project would deliver up to 830,000 barrels per day of light crude oil, diluted bitumen, and synthetic crude oil. According to the United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, the pipeline could affect climate change, cause potential releases or spills of oil, and could have potential effects on underground water or surface water, vegetation and wildlife.

“I am not an industry insider or politician. I think citizens need someone whose only interest is helping other citizens. The industry is big enough — they can survive on their own. We have to make sure that only the good companies are permitted to work in our state,” Salinas said, adding, “We need more education. Citizens need to know what their surface and mineral rights are.

Anywhere that a company is requesting a permit, some kind of town hall meeting should be held to explain to the citizens what they will be doing in the area. They should be provided with contact information should they experience property damage.”

With the support of her family and other fellow Green Party members, Salinas has kicked off her grassroots campaign.

She urged voters to vote regardless of their political preference. “Only a small minority who votes a certain way is ruling Texas right now,” she said, adding, “I was hesitant to get involved in a political race because I see how daunting politics can be, and I think that is why many times voters are turned off.

We need to do what is best for Texas, so people need to go out and vote,” Salinas said.  W W W.L A R ED OSN E WS.COM

Commentary

Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont): a voice of reason, a plan to recover government that works for those it serves

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By NANCY BLACK LareDOS Contributor

enator Bernie Sanders has neither R nor D beside his name like Senator John McCain (RArizona) or Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts). Sanders (I-Vermont) is an independent, the longest-serving one in the history of Congress. As such, he is not beholden to the platforms of either the Republican or Democratic Party or the “Tea Party,” named for American colonists’ raid on a British ship by dumping its cargo of tea into Boston harbor in protest of the tea tax. Nor is he beholden to what he calls the “Billionaire Party,” led by Koch Industries’ Charles and David Koch whose $100 billion net worth increased by 12% last year, according to Forbes magazine.

Being an independent allows Senator Sanders the luxury of being an independent thinker; he is able to consider and investigate important issues without the baggage of either major party. He senses that many Americans feel a high level of political discouragement and alienation, and he wonders how we can counter this malaise. Obviously intelligent, he is interested in asking questions and searching for ways to create a political system more responsive to all Americans. He believes that one of the best ways to do this is to encourage, educate, and organize low-income people to vote, raise their voices, and stand up for their interests.

Sanders believes that the media does not help the current polarized political climate but exacerbates it. He says the corporate media think politics is “another version of a reality game show like American Idol.” Its power must be used carefully, neutrally, and responsibly without interjection of W W W.L A R ED OSN E WS.COM

opinion and mindless barbs.

Sanders thinks that there should be more grass-roots citizen involvement, so that the political climate would more closely reflect the needs and hopes of the majority. He believes that we should no longer “allow the billionaires and their think tanks … to set the agenda.” A nation cannot survive morally or economically when so few have so much, and so many have so little. He notes that median family income has fallen by $5,000 in the last 15 years, and to rectify this, he suggests raising the hourly minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, and raising it even higher in the coming years. Another interesting idea is to expand efforts toward workerownership. Employees are not as likely to outsource jobs to China and Vietnam if they have an ownership stake in their workplace.

The U.S. now has the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world. Because children cannot speak for themselves, we should become voices for their welfare so that they will have a better education and a better life. Sanders thinks there should be a major reform of American education, especially in pre-kindergarten, elementary, and post-elementary schooling. He believes that all Americans are entitled to high quality education, regardless of how rich or poor they may be. The U.S. was once the best educated nation on earth, but it is no longer. In fact, we now lag behind many countries in the quality of child care and in the percentage of college graduates.

Sanders thinks we will waste the intellectual capabilities of millions of Americans if we don’t remedy this situation.

Another issue that Senator Sanders is passionate about is campaign finance reform. He believes that we are not living in a real democracy if large

corporations and a few billionaires can spend unlimited sums of money to elect the candidates they want and defeat the ones they don’t. He believes that Citizens United was wrongly decided and should be overturned. Although a constitutional amendment should not be proposed lightly, one may be necessary to preserve a basic principle of our republic — a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Sanders advocates public funding of elections rather than funding by an extremely wealthy few with the capacity to “buy” candidates as they buy yachts or private jets. He thinks that candidates for public office should be elected on the basis of their ideas and proposed solutions to cur-

rent problems, not on their personal wealth or ability to raise huge sums of money.

Although Sanders’ ideas on war and peace are sound and thoughtful, ideas like his have seldom become part of public discourse as they should. For instance, he thinks it absurd for the U.S. to spend almost as much on defense as all the other countries of the world combined. He doesn’t want our nation to lead the world in the sales of weapons of destruction but instead lead other nations in nuclear disarmament and other serious efforts toward peace.

Because of his views on war, he would likely appreciate Mark Twain’s satirical war prayer, which will be elaborated on in a forthcoming piece. 

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Woofstock benefits LAPS Jessica and Tori Rodriguez along with their four-legged friend spent the afternoon of Saturday, June 7, at Caffé Dolce’s Woofstock — an event with activities for dog lovers and their pets.

Jesse Herrera/LareDOS Contributor

Baldemar J. García, second from right, is pictured at the reception that followed his confirmation rites at St. Patrick’s Church. With him, left to right, are his parents, Baldemar and Lizzie García, brother Sebastian, and godparent George J. Altgelt. Not pictured is his godmother Rosa Elia Altgelt.

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS

Baldemar J. Garcia marks rite of confirmation

Talking history in Jarvis Plaza Members of the Webb County Historical Commission were among the non-profit organizations hosting information booths at the June 21 Farmers Market.

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The Arts

LTGI in production for July presentation of My Fair Lady Arciniega said.

The production team includes Veronica Ramírez (Cinderella) as director, LPO he Laredo Theater Guild Inmaestro Brendan Townsend as musical ternational (LTGI) will end its director and conductor of the live orchesfifth season with a tribute protra, Cristina Greco as choreographer, Dr. duction of My Fair Lady. The Joe Crabtree as choral director, and Verperformance will commemorate the 50th non Carroll as advisory and technical dianniversary of its first rector, Teena Arciniega performance at the as costumer, and TelisLaredo Civic Center in sa Lueckenotte Molano 1965. as stage set designer.

LTGI producing “My Fair Lady is the artistic director Joe Arperfect combination ciniega, said, “For the of songs, dances and past five years, LTGI’s heart-warming scenes. season finales have Each and every charbeen lavish musicals, acter has an intricate and this show will part and a job to do to certainly not disapbring George Bernard point our fans. The last Shaw’s masterful story time My Fair Lady was to its delightful concluproduced in Laredo sion,” Ramirez said. was almost 50 years “A lot of people ago when former LTGI know the movie starboard member, the ring Audrey Hepburn late Sam Johnson, proand Rex Harrison, duced and directed it but have never seen starring Hortense Ofthe live play,” said ArDirector,Veronica Ramirez; Producer and starring as Henry Higgins, Joe Arciniega; starring as Eliza ferle and Stanley Keilciniega.

Doolittle, Kristelle Martin; playing Colonel Pickering, Vernon Carroll; and playing Alfred P. Doolittle, John Maxstadt. son, with Elmo López The LTGI’s versatilSr. as conductor. The ity over the years, has performance inaugufostered a substantial rated the Laredo Civic Center Audito- ing the speech, appearance, and man- project with her in mind. Now she will growth in fan base. “With social mener of a rough cockney flower girl, Eliza be showcased in the role of a fully grown dia, the word spreads. We have a lot of rium.”

“In honor of that and of them, we are Doolittle. woman.” people that come from San Antonio and The LTGI production brings in many going all out with the most sumptuous My Fair Lady marks LTGI’s 20th show, from Nuevo Laredo to see our shows. costumes and stage sets ever displayed new faces and an all star cast that in- and Arciniega assured that this will be With our success with Bodas de Sangre, locally, and a cast of Laredo musical the- cludes Kristelle Martin in the title role as one of the most elaborate yet.

I’ve been getting pressure to do another “We are doing a combination of cus- Spanish production,” he said. ater favorites to thrill our theatergoers,” Eliza Doolittle, Vernon Carroll as Colonel Pickering, John Maxstadt as Alfred P. tom made costumes and renting coshe added.

LTGI hosted the “Celebrating Icons The Broadway musical adaptation of Doolittle, and Joe Arciniega as Professor tumes from a Broadway touring compa- of the Arts” event on March 29 which ny. I put together the same production honored the original cast of My Fair Lady George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is set Henry Higgins.

This marks Arciniega’s return to the team that has put on our other musical and raised funds toward its new permain Edwardian London and is considered one of the best stage musicals of all time, stage as a performer in a musical since triumphs such as Hairspray, Rodgers and Continued on page 24 4 4 the 2010 production of The Sound of Mu- Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and Annie,” according to Arciniega.

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The production opens Friday, July 18 and will run through Sunday, July 27 at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Theatre.

The plot centers on Henry Higgins, an arrogant, self-centered professor of phonetics who decides on a bet to prove his theories of linguistics by transform-

sic.

“I’m a little nervous. It has been a while since I was on stage,” said Arciniega, adding, ”I first met Kristelle when we were doing The Sound of Music. She auditioned out of nowhere and was spectacular. When we produced Cinderella two years later, we chose that

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Going green

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Saul Villarreal and Carlos Mendoza were participants in the Juvencio de Anda Golf Tournament at the Laredo Country Club on May 31.

The annual memorial tournament was sponsored by the Womens City Club.

Nursing professionals attend conference Judy Longoria of the Webb County Indigent Program and Irma Cruz of Webb County Head Start attended the U.S.-Mexico Regional Bi-national Health Conference Diseases and Emergencies Updates on June 5. The event was sponsored by the Area Health Education Center, the Texas Department of State Health Services, Office of Border Health, the City of Laredo Health Department, and the SecretarĂ­a de Salud de Tamaulipas.

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News

The Laredo Humanitarian Relief Team — a coalition of caring

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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he Laredo Humanitarian Relief Team (LHRFT) has risen to the task that the federal government has been unable or unwilling to do — to provide relief for the surge of Central American and Mexican immigrants and refugees that have over-burdened local processing and detention facilities.

The LHRFT is comprised of multiple agencies and Laredo faith based organizations. Volunteers from organizations like Catholic Social Services (CSS), Holding Institute, and Bethany House have worked around the clock to provide assistance to migrants who have been released by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol with only their documentation to present at a later date in Immigration Court.

The influx of migrants has caused a sense of chaos in Laredo, as in recent weeks the Greyhound Bus station has served as the only shelter for hundreds of mothers and children trying to reunite with family members across the U.S. Volunteers are providing phones so they can connect with relatives. CSS is busing them to Bethany House so they can eat and to Holding Institute to shower, find a change of clothes, and get a few supplies for their journey.

Disheveled, malnourished, and ill —many of these women and children are released after days of being shuttled between detention centers and without a sense of where they are or how they will get to their families in other states.

A 29-year-old and her nine-year-old daughter made their way into the U.S. from Honduras, hoping to escape rampant poverty and violence. “I thought we would be better off, but I was wrong,” she said, recalling the previous nine W W W.L A R ED OSN E WS.COM

days spent in detention centers in McAllen and Laredo.

“We were locked in a freezing cold room for days with so many other people. We were given one cookie and cup of juice if we were lucky,” she said, adding, “When we complained of the cold, and expressed our concern for the children, some of the officers would turn and say ‘You should have thought of that before you risked their lives.’ Had I known things would be this way, I would have never tried coming here,” she said with tears in her eyes.

The organization for the relief initiative began when activist Viky García contacted Mike Smith of Holding Institute about the need to mobilize with assistance. Smith said, “She called me in the middle of night, worried that if we didn’t do something, these people would continue to go hungry and end up sleeping at the Greyhound station or Jarvis Plaza.”

García addressed a group of community leaders on June 20 at Holding.

“The goal of this coalition is to eliminate the chaos. We are not here to encourage more migration. Our goal is only to address the immediate need — provide food and water,” she said.

As of June 20, upwards of 75 to 90 young women and children have daily used the Holding facilities for showers and to find clothing.

“We give them a change of clothes and a bag of snacks for the journey ahead of them,” said Smith, adding, “Bethany House has done an awesome job feeding them. St. Peter's School is also providing them access to showers and had a doctor visiting and helping with little things. They have a call center set up. We are doing okay, but we are getting overwhelmed. All the help they are getting comes from private sources. People are dropping off donations and giving what

they can.”

The largest issue besides the need for more supplies and clothing is the lack of communication between the migrants and their families.

“Some of them don’t know where they are. It’s like if I picked you up, blindfolded you, and dropped you off in India,” said Smith adding, “We have to tell them that they are in Laredo. Many have told me ‘I am going to Alabama. Where is that? How long will it take me to get there? Am I dressed okay? Will it be hot or cold?’ We need to provide them with information and the ability to contact their families.”

A 25-year-old woman and her fouryear-old were the last of their family to remain in Guatemala. She made the difficult decision to attempt to come to the U.S. because she could no longer provide for her son on her own.

“I have never gone through something like this. To hold your son as he cries of hunger pangs, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.

As customary in detention centers, belts, shoelaces, jewelry, and hair accessories are taken away from detainees.

Many of the women made makeshift hairbands from the foil space blanket they were provided for their weeklong stay in detention. Children could be seen debussing the Catholic Social Services bus unable to keep their shoes on for lack of laces.

Another young mother with a threeyear-old son said, “My son got a fever while we were detained. I begged for medicine, but they never gave me any.

Instead, I was told I was going to get deported right away.”

A woman seated beside her at Holding, who attempted to comb the clumps of matted hair on her daughter’s head, added, “The only thing that keeps you going is your faith in God.” There is a misconception about the current influx of migration from the Northern Triangle countries – Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras – that perhaps border security is too lax, despite the fact the federal government spends $18 billion annually on border security.

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Feature

ACLU: Immigrants in federal prisons ‘Subjected to Shocking Abuse and Mistreatment’

By FORREST WILDER and PRISCILLA MOSQUEDA (Reprinted with permission from the June 9, 2014 issue of The Texas Observer)

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ith attention focused on other aspects of immigration reform, the federal government has quietly gone on a massive immigrant prison-building spree. Since 1999, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has contracted for the operation of 13 for-profit private prisons located mostly in isolated towns far from the prying eyes of activists, prisoner’s families, or attorneys. Five are located in Texas. Run by three private companies, these 13 “criminal alien requirement” prisons, as the BOP calls them, house one of America’s fastest-growing prison populations: immigrants in federal custody, many convicted for the crime of illegally crossing the border. The 13 facilities collectively house more than 25,000 immigrant prisoners at a cost to U.S. taxpayers estimated at $1 billion a year.

The BOP typically operates its own prisons, and they have a reputation for being well run and relatively free of scandal. In contrast, the private immigrant prisons, which are filled mostly with low-security inmates, have been rocked by riots and allegations of woefully inadequate medical care. These private prisons exist in legal shadows, unanswerable to many BOP policies and protected by laws that exempt them from open-records requirements.

In a multiyear ACLU investigation, the organization found that the BOP shields contractors from disclosing information, claiming “trade secrets” in response to public information requests.

The prisoners — non-citizens far from home with little social capital — have few means to speak out.

Such private prisons constitute a dark and little-scrutinized corner of the

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nation’s vast incarceration apparatus — and perhaps, in the light, its ugliest, according to the ACLU investigation.

Of the five Texas prisons, “Warehoused and Forgotten: Immigrants Trapped in Our Shadow Private-Prison System,” the ACLU claims that the BOP policies discriminate against non-citizen inmates and that prisoners are “subjected to shocking abuse and mistreatment.”

Between 2009 and 2014, the ACLU visited all five Texas prisons, interviewed hundreds of prisoners and their families and reviewed contracts, medical records, and other documents held by the Bureau of Prisons. The report describes BOP policies that incentivize overcrowding, indiscriminate use of solitary confinement, and extreme cost-cutting measures that have led to both the death of prisoners and an unusually high number of riots among low-security inmates. The report claims that immigrant prisoners in these facilities have far less access to educational programming and rehabilitation services than their citizen counterparts, raising questions about America’s unequal treatment of non-citizen inmates.

But the Bureau of Prisons told the Observer that the immigrant prisons are an “effective means” to alleviate overcrowding in BOP’s low- and mediumsecurity prisons housing U.S. citizens.

“It is our policy to contract out bed space for non-U.S. citizen inmates in order to make space available for U.S citizen inmates in BOP facilities so they can receive required programming,” wrote spokesman Chris Burke in an email to the Observer.

“The majority of these inmates are sentenced criminal aliens who will be deported upon completion of their sentence. Use of private facilities for this population allows staff in BOP institutions to focus on pre-release preparation for U.S. citizens returning to their communities upon release.”

In 2006, the Bush administration unveiled its latest showpiece in a growing network of for-profit detention centers housing undocumented immigrants: the Willacy County Processing Center. As part of a larger border crackdown, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had suspended its policy of “catching and releasing” undocumented immigrants. Instead, such immigrants would be locked up in civil detention centers while their cases were processed.

Willacy, located in Raymondville, an impoverished and remote South Texas town about 40 miles from the border, had gone up in a hurry, the result of a $65 million no-bid contract tainted by charges of corruption among county officials. Run by Utah-based Management & Training Corp., the 2,000-bed detention center came to be known as “Ritmo” (a play on Gitmo, the nickname for Guantanamo Bay). Others called it “Tent City” for the jail’s unusual architecture: 10 “tents” consisting of a Kevlarlike material stretched over steel frames.

Each tent houses 200 men in bunk beds spaced three feet apart. Before long, reports of awful conditions inside began leaking out: beatings by guards, hundreds of sexual assault allegations, prisoners being denied silverware, maggots in the food, a dangerous lack of medical care. Detainees described their situation as hopeless.

The Willacy County Processing Center became a symbol of a cruel and reckless immigration policy. In 2011, the Obama administration, as part of a pledge to create a “truly civil detention system,” announced that it would remove all detainees from Willacy.

But the tents weren’t empty for long.

The Bureau of Prisons contracted with Management & Training Corp. to house so-called criminal aliens — some of them undocumented immigrants and some legal residents — convicted in fed-

eral court mostly of immigration crimes.

The 10-year contract is worth up to $532 million. Inmate advocates said virtually nothing about the facility changed, except which federal agency was nominally in charge and the facility’s name — it’s now the Willacy County Correctional Center.

The ACLU report depicts Willacy as a human pressure-cooker, where inmates have rioted in reaction to overcrowding, squalid conditions, and a lack of anything to occupy their time. Inmates described overflowing toilets, insectinfested facilities and tiny recreation yards that have to be shared by 400 prisoners. The few prison jobs available pay between 11 and 17 cents an hour. “They don’t have a job for us,” said Sergio*, a 26-year-old Honduran man who came to the U.S. with his parents when he was 8. “They don’t have any education. They just don’t have any space for all of us.

Sometimes it makes me go crazy.”

Things are much worse for those unlucky enough to land in solitary confinement, also known as the SHU (“special housing unit”). According to ACLU interviews with prisoners, about 300 inmates — or 10 percent of Willacy’s population — are locked up in the SHU at any given time. Since April 2013, according to the report, prison administrators have sent new arrivals straight to the SHU because there’s no space available in the general population dorms — a practice the ACLU calls “pointlessly cruel” and “inconsistent” with BOP policies.

In solitary confinement prisoners spend almost every hour of the day locked up in tiny cells, with very little outside contact. Prisoners in solitary are forced to spend 22 to 24 hours per day inside a cell, and some prisoners at Eden said they were only offered showers at 1 a.m. and recreation at 5 a.m., and as reContinued on page 23

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The Arts

Laredo Little Theatre presents The Little Mermaid Jr

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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he enchantment and wonder from under the sea come to life at the Laredo Little Theatre (LLT) July 25 through August 3 with the production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. LLT board member AB Barrera said, “This is our annual summer production, which is typically for children, performed by children. Over the last three years, we have seen a huge increase in families reaching out to LLT to say that they want to see more children’s productions.”

Last year’s summer productions included 101 Dalmatians and The Aristocrats.

“We had so many children come out to audition that we decided to do two shows to give everyone an opportunity to perform,” he said, adding, “All of our performances sold out, and we even had to arrange for additional performances.”

This year over 100 kids auditioned for the opportunity to be a part of The

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Dana Crabtree leads a rehearsal Little Mermaid Jr — which is based on the movie and the Broadway musical.

Barrera said, “It was very difficult for the production team to narrow down the cast. The majority is children who have never done theatre before and others that have only been involved with school productions.”

Director Amanda Treviño said, “The cast is wonderful. There is so much talent. There are those who can sing and those who can dance, and putting those things together into one beautiful formula is going to make for a spectacular show.”

Although the Disney show is tai-

lored to younger audiences, there are some roles for adults.

“Joshua Goldberg will portray Ursula. This performer is well known for his various roles in local productions.

He has been involved with LLT since he was eight. Josh is very talented and we know he is going to do very well,” said Barrera.

The production will feature various musical numbers and choreography with a couple of new songs previously featured solely in the Broadway musical. Brandon Garza is the production choreographer.

“As with anything that Disney does, it has to be magical, so to create that magic our production team is working diligently,” said Barrera, adding, “This is a very costume heavy show. They’re going to be very elaborate, something that people would expect to see of a Disney production.”

Goldberg is also the show’s costumer and working with a local seamstress to put the custom made pieces together.

“One of the things the production team opted to give the show was a Renaissance feel to it, given that the original story takes place in those times,” said Barrera LLT mainstay Diane Ramirez is the set designer for the production.

“One of the most important parts

of the set design is the lighting. We were blessed to have received a grant from Congressman Henry Cuellar last year for state-of-the-art lighting equipment,” he said, adding, “Our musical director Dana Crabtree is working with the kids every day to make sure everything is right on key in terms of the chorus and solo pieces.”

Ariel will be portrayed by Rebecca Arrias, and the role of Sebastian will be played by Ayesha McCauly.

“The kids will be rehearsing daily until 9 p.m. We want to make sure the show goes on without a hitch and that people come out and see the talent that these children have,” Barrera said.

LLT’s production of The Little Mermaid Jr. coincides with the 20th anniversary of the film’s original release.

“There is a lot of excitement surrounding that as well. We are producing nice professional program books, with a hard-bound cover and glossy pages. It lends itself to showcase our cast with their photos and bios. We are also selling ads in the program book to be distributed at every performance,” said Barrera.

LLT is launching a theatre seat campaign to replace existing seating with professional theatre seats. With a contribution of $250, a name plate will be placed on the seat; and the name will be listed on the patron board located in the theatre lobby, website, all production programs, and a thank you ad in local newspapers.

Admission is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children at the door and online at laredolittletheatre.showclix. com.

The underwriter for the production is Ahh Family Dentistry.

For more information contact A.B. Barrera at (956) 753-5900 or visit laredolittletheatre.org 

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Santa María Journal

By María Eugenia guerra

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hurtle through the space between Laredo and San Ygnacio late in the day to arrive at the ranch in the quiet hour near sunset. I’ve come to see some fence work and so I drive to La Presa Escondida in the farthest southeast corner of the ranch.

I cross paths with the massive errant bull calf, his mother, and another calf that keep company with the last goat left on this ranch.

Though the Billy is a reminder of what a sour experience having goats was — they are clever, driven animals that often put themselves in peril — he’s a beautiful ruminant that has survived in a world void of his kin. This hooved ensemble of four has eluded penning for the market, and I think it is the Billy’s cagy intellect that has kept them all from capture and a trip to the sale barn.

Last week I espied a young feral hog hanging out with this band of rogues in the shade of a mesquite,

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The silence is balm on a disconsolate heart but the piggy tore into the brush when he saw my vehicle.

I arrive at the recently completed repair, happy to see the fence tightened up and reinforced just as I had requested.

I linger in the quiet and the day’s last light that has left the monte awash in a rose-hued amber. The triple-digit day has cooled and there’s a teasing, non-committal sprinkle of raindrops in the air.

I make my way back to the ranch compound, traversing the good caliche road that runs north to south from Ranch Road 3169. I drive slowly and enjoy the jackrabbits that move in slow-mo and then freeze as though you might not notice they are there. A handful of beautiful, massive deer fly across the road with ramped-up grace and purpose, making easy work over five strands of barbed wire into the neighbor’s property.

I drive through el pie del rancho and move onto another north-to-

south caliche road, happy to see the horses along the way. I take stock of the grass in the winter pasture, which is trying desperately to make a come-back even in drought. The 60-day span of la canicula promises searing punishment for unspecified sins, perhaps those we commit against the natural world.

I see a lot of hay throwing in my immediate future.

I drive to the highest point on the ranch and witness the moment the sun vanishes behind the Sierra Madre Occidental. The diminished light transforms the brush and prickly pear to muted blues, greens, and grays. The wind picks up just enough to feel another discernible temperature drop.

I find comfort in the absolute silence, balm on a disconsolate heart that so fiercely misses my granddaughters who have traveled away

from here. So much rests on their kisses and cariñitos.

My drive back to the ranch house is slow, aimless — the sound of tires on gravel evocative of the memories of my childhood on this ranch with my little brother and my older sister and my grandmother and aunts and uncles.

Land moves through families subject to the vagaries of time, interests, and discordant agendas — the value some have for it light years away from the values of other family members.

I pray that my granddaughters and their cousins, guided by the love of their parents and aunts and uncles, will build long-lasting memories that become part of the story of this beloved parcel of earth that changed the life of everyone who had the good fortune to have been its steward. 

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sult some chose to never leave their cells.

Phone calls to family and friends are limited. According to the ACLU, “the extreme isolation drives men to the verge of psychosis.”

The ACLU documented excessive use of solitary confinement at all five Texas immigrant prisons: Willacy, Eden Detention Center near San Angelo, Reeves County Detention Center in West Texas, Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility in Post, and Big Spring Correctional Center.

The report suggests that the prisons use solitary confinement to punish inmates for minor infractions, for complaining about conditions, and simply to relieve overcrowding.

When inmates began planning a strike to protest conditions at Reeves in 2013 —following massive riots in 2008 and 2009 after an epileptic inmate died in the SHU — prison staff tear-gassed inmates, shot them with rubber bullets, locked down the facility, and crammed groups of four into two-person solitary cells for two days.

The overuse of solitary confinement can be traced to BOP’s contracts with the prison companies, the ACLU claims. Each contract requires that the prison use 10 percent of its bed space as isolation cells — almost double the rate in BOP-run facilities. One bidder for the Willacy contract asked if the 10 percent quota could be waived “[d]ue to the low security nature of the intended population,” but BOP pressed forward with the requirement.

Chris Burke, a BOP spokesperson, told the Observer in an email that the “requirement is intended to ensure contractors have sufficient bed space to safely manage their inmate populations.”

In September, the BOP asked its prison contractors for recommendations on how to reduce the number of SHU beds from the current 10 percent to 5 percent.

“We are still in the process of reviewing the recommendations,” Burke wrote.

Overcrowding is also a result of BOP policies that financially reward prison companies for stuffing their prisons to the breaking point, according to the re-

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port. All the Texas contracts require that the prisons maintain at least 90 percent occupancy, and provide extra payments for additional inmates up to 115 percent of capacity. “The companies actually make more money by admitting more prisoners from BOP than their facilities were designed to hold,” the report states.

But the BOP says the ACLU misunderstands how the occupancy requirements work. The 90 percent requirement “simply guarantees that the contractor will receive a minimum payment, regardless of population numbers in their facility,” Burke wrote in an email. And the 115 percent figure “does NOT mean that the facility is 15% overcrowded” — it is equal to a cap on the total number of inmates specified in the contract.

“There is no overcrowding in the BOP’s privately-operated secure adult correctional facilities,” Burke wrote.

Finally, he said that in “most of these facilities the SHU beds are not part of the maximum contract amount of 115%, so there is no financial incentive to keep these beds filled unnecessarily.”

In reviewing the Texas prisons’ medical records, the ACLU found that immigrants at all five facilities are routinely denied adequate medical care, resulting in deaths and life-threatening complications. At Reeves, prisoners with physical and mental illnesses were placed in solitary confinement because the prison didn’t have an infirmary. According to the report, a man with bipolar disorder committed suicide in solitary after prison staff refused to give him psychotropic medication, putting him in extreme isolation instead. Four months later, Jesus Manuel Galindo died in the SHU after suffering a seizure. Prison staff had known Galindo was epileptic, and had placed him in solitary confinement when he was released from the hospital following a seizure.

During the month that he was in the SHU, the ACLU says, Galindo suffered two other seizures before the one that resulted in his death. “I get sick here by being locked up all by myself,” Galindo wrote in a letter to his mother the day before he died. “They don’t even know and I am all bruised up. … [T]he medical care

in here is no good and I’m scared.”

Galindo repeatedly requested that his medication be adjusted, and asked prison staff to remove him from solitary confinement so he wouldn’t be alone if he had another seizure, the report says.

When prisoners found out he died, they rioted, setting part of the prison on fire.

Despite a second riot during which inmates took two prison employees hostage and set a fire that caused $20 million in damage, prisoners report that conditions remain the same, and that they continue to be denied medical attention.

According to the ACLU report, Reeves had only one physician’s assistant and until recently only one doctor to serve a population of more than 3,600 inmates.

In 2010, the contract with GEO Group, a major prison company that runs Reeves, came up for renewal. A BOP official compiled a list of pros and cons, which the ACLU obtained through an open records request. The list contains more than three times as many cons as pros. These include “lack of healthcare has greatly impacted inmate health and well being” and “contractor shows little sign of improvement.” It also mentions that the BOP “spends a significant amount of money” doing GEO Group’s quality control and that GEO is “unable to successfully achieve their own plans of action to correct deficient areas.” The list cites 14 repeat deficiencies, 161 deficiencies, and 57 notices of concern in a 46-month period. In the end, the BOP renewed the contract.

The other two corporations the BOP pays to run its immigrant prisons, Corrections Corporation of America and Management & Training Corp., also fail to provide medical care to immigrant prisoners, according to the ACLU investigation. Inmates at all Texas facilities report a lack of treatment for chronic conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease, and for injuries including varicose ulcers and hernias. Many inmates have to wait months before they can see a doctor — if they see one at all — and have trouble filling prescriptions, including for antibiotics, or are prescribed Tylenol and ibuprofen for a spectrum of serious health problems.

Ian, a Guatemalan immigrant imprisoned at Dalby, was prescribed laxatives when he complained of intense abdominal pain. His condition worsened, and when he was finally sent to a hospital in Lubbock, his appendix had ruptured and contamination had spread to his intestines. Doctors had to remove part of his lower intestine, and he was then sent to a Brownsville hospital to receive a 20day intensive antibiotic treatment.

At Eden Detention Center, Santiago* was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, but doctors there didn’t tell him he had contracted the virus. Four months after he was transferred to Willacy, “Santiago became so weak and confused that fellow inmates had to help him stumble out of his cell to eat,” according to the report.

“To see a doctor, he squeezed into a cell with 25 other ailing inmates and waited eight hours. Staffers denied his pleas for blood work. Weeks later, a visiting doctor told him why he was sick.”

Nearly two years after he finally found out he has Hepatitis C — which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer if left untreated — Santiago has yet to receive any treatment. His mother, Beatrice*, lives more than 500 miles away from Willacy in McCamey, Texas, and has no idea her son is sick. Beatrice is an American citizen, born in the United States, and says that Santiago was born in Presidio, Texas. Beatrice has been on her own, and responsible for her two younger siblings, since the age of 10. When she was 17 she delivered Santiago in the small house an old man let her live in after her father died, she says, and it wasn’t until her son became an adolescent and tried to get an ID that she learned she was supposed to have obtained a birth certificate for him.

His three younger siblings were all born in hospitals, so they are all American citizens, as are Santiago’s two children.

Santiago was not able to prove he had been born in Texas, his mother says, but did secure a U.S. visa and driver’s license and worked as a truck driver for many years. He was later deported for drug charges, and it wasn’t until he was sent to Mexico that he learned Spanish. When he attempted to return to the U.S. years later, he was arrested for reentry. 

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 Continued FROM page 17 nent endowment with Laredo Area Community Foundation, which will support LTGI’s “Class on Stage” program — a collaborative effort with schools to combine literary and theatrical education.

“We have worked very hard over the years as a nonprofit to get to this point so that we can continue our commitment to this amazing program that blends theater, artistry, and education,”

said Arciniega.

Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for students and seniors (65+) with valid ID. They are available for advance purchase at Blue Top, Primped, The Style Bar, and at the TAMIU Bookstore, as well as at the box office one hour prior to each show.

For more information call LTGI at (956) 319-8610, visit www.laredotheaterguild@gmail.com, or email laredotheaterguild@gmail.com. 

Courtesy Photo

The cast of My Fair Lady during an evening rehearsal.

A powerful moment of faith Former Laredoan Alfonso Varela and his wife Sandra Santa María are pictured at the Vatican with Pope Francis on June 4, 2014.

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Itiel Valdez/LareDOS Contributor

At the LCC Percussion Camp High school percussionists took part in LCC’s annual Percussion Summer Clinic hosted by the LCC Performing Arts Department and Yamaha Sounds of Summer at the Fort McIntosh Campus. Sessions were taught

by LCC percussion instructor Matt Adams and visiting professor Brian Fronzaglia of Missouri Southern State University.

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Feature

LCC’S organic vegetable garden: hands-on stewardship; a showcase of conservation, soil building, and efficiency

By MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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rom a distance you can see that the well-established organic vegetable garden behind LCC’s Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center (LBVESC) thrives — formidable and productive — even in the dry June heat that has wilted many a garden across the cityscape.

Over the last decade-and-a-half, Tom Miller, director of the LBVESC, has orchestrated the transformation of the garden’s silty loam into a rich, welldraining medium. Under his direction and with the efforts of countless volunteers and students, truckloads of manure, compost, grass clippings, and hay bedding have made the Laredo Community College (LCC) garden a consistently beautiful and productive plot of earth that has fed its caretakers and the menagerie of omnivores and herbivores that populate the LBVESC — javelina, deer, ducks, raccoons, rabbits, and bobcats. Surpluses of fresh produce have also gone to the local food banks.

Miller — a former high school biology teacher, LCC adjunct professor, and a founder of the Río Grande International Study Center — is quick to point out that food production on the LCC grounds of historic Fort Macintosh is not a novel idea. Soldiers once tended gardens and citrus orchards that stocked the Fort’s kitchens.

The LCC garden — which sits on part of what once was the experimental Texas-Israeli dry land demonstration farm — has been fertile ground for teaching, not only those with an academic stake in botany, biology, and horticulture, but also for students of LCC’s culinary arts curriculum.

Miller said that over the last year — thanks to botanist Berman Rivera —

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Berman Rivera, Marco Gutierrez the garden has become an organic enterprise that offers its tomatoes, squash, beets, sweet potatoes, salad greens, cabbage, peppers, broccoli, eggplant, and herbs to shoppers at the monthly Farmers Market at Jarvis Plaza. Once a one-season garden, the bountiful LCC plot has become a two-season producer in spring and fall.

Rivera’s addition of organic soil nutrients like green sand, humates, composted manure, molasses, and volcanic lava sand have changed the soil texture and made the garden more productive, efficient, and diverse. Greens like chard, spinach, kale, and arugula, are now part of the garden’s production.

“Those additions to the soil have made the produce more nutritious and have made the garden less wearing on the soil,” Miller said.

Rivera, who subscribes to the practices of Elaine Ingham of Soil Food. web, Inc., understands the necessity of compost and beneficial bacteria as vital soil components. “The best compost you can engineer is from leaves, grass clippings, and coffee grounds — no kitchen scraps. Let earthworms work it,” he said.

Miller noted that drip irrigation and timers have also added to the garden’s

efficiency, and that Rivera’s implementation of a filtration system for chlorine ensures that beneficial bacteria thrive in the soil.

“We’ve become more technical and efficient, especially about water conservation, and you’re seeing it in what we produce,” said Rivera, who holds a degree in botany from the University of Texas at Austin and who is a consultant for xeriscape landscape design and planting residential vegetable gardens.

Rivera said the success of the LCC garden rests on — in addition to planning, rich soil, and the use of de-chlorinated water — a day-to-day effort.

“Volunteers are welcome, especially those who want to learn about organic gardening. There are so many Laredoans who could enjoy the reward of producing fresh, organically raised vegetables and herbs in a backyard garden.

They are welcome to learn from us.

That is one of our goals,” Rivera said, naming Marco Gutierrez as one of the garden’s most dedicated volunteers.

Miller said that the cultivation process for the LCC garden begins with seeds sown in flats in one of two nearby greenhouses behind the LBVESC. “Many of our seeds are heirloom varieties and come from Johnny’s Se-

lected Seeds, Baker Creek Farm, and Territorial Seeds,” Rivera said, noting that the garden produces many varieties of peppers – sweet bell, banana, jalapeño, Habanero, serrano, and Trinidad scorpion, to name a few. “We also offer four or five different varieties of basil and dill,” he added.

Both Miller and Rivera recognize that the garden itself — up to now the work of volunteers — will require funding for its sustainability.

LCC President Juan Maldonado said he sees the garden as a viable educational resource for students in the culinary arts and in wellness and health studies. “I can see working the garden as part of the practicum for classes. The idea of the culinary classes using local, organically produced food that they helped raise is exciting. I’m happy that this garden is part of the campus,” he said.

“There is so much to learn from a garden, including how to handle some of the most pressing issues facing us on a global scale, like water conservation,” said Miller, citing a recent National Geographic cover story that asked how humankind will feed the world’s population of nine billion in 2050. “Where will the water come from, how will energy costs affect food production?” he asked.

Rivera said he would like to farm on a larger scale to showcase organic practices and the efficient use of land and water resources.

“When we are at the Farmers Market, we remind our customers that this organic food was grown less than a mile from the market and that it was picked yesterday or that morning.

How efficient and fresh is that?” Rivera asked.

(Tom Miller can be reached at the LBVESC at (956) 764-5701; Berman Rivera can be reached at Garten City Landscape Design at (512) 934-8332.) 

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Practicing drills Middle school students practiced drills at the Basketball Day Camp at Laredo Community College on Wednesday, June 18.

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News

Jerry Garza announces bid for mayor

By MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

to create more family oriented activities such as the construction of a water park and more facilities similar to the Haynes Recreational Center — which features indoor tracks and swimming pools.

“In 10 or 20 years, I would like to see the work we did still paying off. If we can change today for tomorrow, that’s when I think we’ve done our job,” Garza said, adding, “I want to make sure that my children, if they want to make Laredo their home, they do and not leave because they lacked opportunities.”

Garza and his wife Maritza have three children — Jerry, Alejandro, and Arturo. They are currently expecting their fourth child.

To apathetic voters Garza advised, “Don’t get discouraged, I guarantee there are still good people who want to do good things.”

For more information about Garza’s mayoral bid, call (956) 723-4389 or email campaign@jerrygarzaformayor.com. 

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ormer Webb County Commissioner Jerry Garza announced his bid for mayor on Thursday, June 12 at the Unique Event Center.

“I spent eight years as county commissioner. I see so many issues in our community. I don’t think I can just stand by and watch issues that need addressing not be addressed,” said Garza, adding, “I still feel like I have a lot to offer to help move this city forward.”

As county commissioner, he spearheaded Webb County’s Legislative efforts to secure $42 million for improvements to Loop 20, which he plans to complete if elected. He also led efforts to develop the County’s volunteer fire department, which serves rural areas of the county.

“I will be able to come in from day one not hesitate and be ready to put items on the agenda. If you look at my track record, I started and finished various projects that affected people’s lives,” he said, adding, “A lot of the ideas I got, I got them just from talking to people. I feel that is one of my strengths, my ability to just listen to people.”

Part of Garza’s mayoral platform includes economic development.

“We need to look at industries that will create jobs. Logistics, transportation, and the service industry have gotten us here, but there are so many other industries we need to look at. One area I want to look at is health care, which is the fastest growing industry in America,” he said.

Garza added, “Manufacturing of medical equipment is something to look at, seeing as Laredo has always excelled in manufacturing. I

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think it is time we look into a children’s hospital in Laredo.

That would create not only constr uct ion jobs but also long term employment for healthcare professionals. We need to meet with private industry to look at the feasibility of a project like this.”

The mayoral candidate would also like

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Opinion

The steel storm water cover flew like a trifle; five men and women poured from the opening

By MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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n the way to the ranch on a recent Saturday morning, we sat in a little bit of Market Street traffic before beginning the turn into Laredo Implement. In a matter of less than two minutes, a steel storm water drain cover on the curb in the store’s parking lot lifted and was thrown off like a trifle.

Five grown people poured from it with alacrity, not even flailing or stumbling, running upright past a black Jaguar whose driver pointed them in the direction they should run.

I recalled that a few months ago, a sea of Border Patrol agents and police officers filled that same parking lot and circled that same manhole cover, apparently a known portal from an area on the riverbanks that tunnels to Market Street. That day they had responded to human cries and rescued and apprehended someone who was unable to push off the heavy lid.

My grandchildren and my son were with me on that ordinary morning we began our trip to the ranch. The harrowing episode resonated with all of us, and for me it pushed the issue of immigration into the here and now and far beyond the semantics around the need for this country’s implementation of humane reform to a policy that doesn’t work — its dysfunction exacerbated by the unprecedented numbers that are pouring through the sieve of this border, immigrant incarceration for profit, and the government’s failure to humanely feed and shelter the heightened tide of uninvited, undocumented men, women, and children into this country.

No doubt as you read this you understand that I have segued in this

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writing to speak in the voice of who I really am and always have been — a bleeding heart, a liberal who believes that justice draws from the well of human kindness.

When you are on the run for your life, you risk everything and perhaps make choices that go against the laws of man and nature. I’ve been told the tunnel is narrow, filthy, dark, and frightening. I think of that and I think

of the overburdened system for detention, confinement, and processing and the dirty, unhealthy conditions in which immigrants of all ages have been detained along the border.

I put aside illegal entry and think of the inhumanity of those conditions, conditions that violate human rights, conditions so bad that members of the Border Patrol union have spoken up about them as a hazard to themselves

and the detainees.

By no means do I advocate opening the border to illegal entry. I advocate that by all means our government act humanely to deal with the everincreasing surges of detainees, and beyond that that those in government overhaul the immigration system.

I have yet to shake off that morning’s vivid image.

People pour from doors, not holes in the ground. The unnerving sight spoke to the point about the will of immigrants to arrive here. As well it spoke to the randomness of apprehensions and federal agencies carrying out ill-defined mandates that do not, can not, and have not stanched the flow of illegal entry across the porous border.

Though the U.S. Border Patrol takes its licks in the media for instances of inexplicable cruel and unusual behavior, what we know locally in this moment of over-crowded detainee facilities and not enough resources or manpower, many USBP agents are not the antagonist in this human drama. If you have read of agents buying baby formula, diapers, and food with their own money for those in confinement, you have read of men and women reacting with kindness and compassion to the pain and stench of human peril.

That very compassion and regard for the human condition, especially for the suffering of children — is the essence of what is missing in immigration policy.

So far from God is Governor Rick Perry’s plan to spend a million dollars a week on border security rather than undertake the care of thousands of unaccompanied children who have arrived here.

I’m with Abraham Lincoln on this one — mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. 

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An event for man’s best friend Rolando Santos and Mary Sosa are pictured with their dogs on Saturday, June 7 at Caffé Dolce’s Woofstock. The event, which was sponsored by June Bug’s Bakery, benefited LAPS.

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Promoting summer reading UISD lead librarian Carmen Escamilla, superintendent Robert Santos, and associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction Dr. Guadalupe Gorordo are pictured with students at the launch of the summer literacy challenge press conference on June 10.

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Opinion

Debunking the bad science that heralds reusable plastic totes as harbingers of illness and death

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BY DR. TOM VAUGHAN LareDOS Contributor

am writing in response to a front page story that appeared in the June 23, 2014 issue of The Laredo Morning Times that would have us believe that replacing single use plastic shopping bags with reusable bags has led to a massive increase in gastrointestinal infections and even increased death rates from E. coli infections. The story cited two discredited studies and offered no opposing coverage from credible science-based organizations that have done research on this issue.

Misinformation is a powerful tool often used to sway people’s thinking.

Since the advent of the Internet, millions of things that have no validity have been posted online. However, many people believe that anything they see on the Internet or in print must be true.

To a scientist, data means something, but to be accepted as being valid it must be tested and appropriate statistical analysis should be made.

As a case in point, a number of articles have been written and now appear on the Internet and elsewhere on the purported dangers of replacing single use plastic shopping bags with reusable bags as a factor in gastrointestinal infections and even increased death rates from E. coli infections.

This misinformation seems to have originated, in part, from two discredited non-peer reviewed studies: one of which was posted on the Internet in 2012 and the other in 2010.

Laredo, which is set to enact a plastic bag ban in April 2015, is the latest city to have its daily newspa-

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per run such stories. Interestingly, the San Antonio newspaper, owned by the same parent company as the Laredo paper, also ran similar coverage on these discredited studies on March 28, 2014, as city leaders there also mull over passage of a plastic bag ordinance.

Meanwhile, the June 23 Laredo Morning Times news article seems to have been published in response to the 2012 study.

That discredited study focused on the plastic bag ban introduced in San Francisco in 2007. The two authors, Jonathon Klick and Joshua D. Wright, attorneys and not public health officials, from the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Law and Economics concluded that there was a 46 percent increase in the death rate in San Francisco County that they attribute to the plastic bag ban.

After making their case the authors do concede that their analysis only “suggests that plastic bag bans are associated with important health effects.”

In response to the research paper mentioned above, the San Francisco epidemiologist - Dr. Tomás J. Aragón – a physician who holds a doctorate degree in public health – wrote a public memo dated February 2013 addressing the Klick and Wright report.

Dr. Aragón lists four major limitations to the report and states that “the Klick and Wright conclusion that San Francisco’s policy of banning of plastic bags has caused a significant increase in gastrointestinal bacterial infections and a ’46 percent increase in the deaths from foodborne illnesses’ is not warranted.”

Dr. Aragón states there has been:

an increase in campylobacteriosis, no increase in salmonellosis, and no increase in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Klick and Wright analyzed deaths due to intestinal infectious diseases, from 2001 through 2010. San Francisco had a total of 140 deaths from these causes. However, 111 of them (79%) were for enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile. These infections have increased in San Francisco since 2005, nearly two years before the ban took effect.

Toxin-producing C. difficile causes enterocolitis through overgrowth when exposed to antibiotics, most commonly in hospitalized patients.

However, in recent years there had unexplained increase of C. dffiicile enterocolitis in the United States, Europe, and Canada.

The increase in San Francisco probably reflects this international increase. Foodborne exposure has not been an established cause of C. difficile enterocolitis.

Had Klick and Wright excluded the C. difficile deaths, as they clearly

should have for the reasons stated above, there were 29 deaths attributable to foodborne gastrointestinal diseases over the 10 years through 2010.

Dr. Aragón concludes that “their analysis of deaths, and costs due to deaths, is completely invalid as evidence for their argument about reusable bags.”

“The hypothesis that there is a significant increase in gastrointestinal foodborne illnesses and deaths due to reusable bags has not been tested, much less demonstrated in this (Klick and Wright) study. It would be a disservice to San Francisco residents and visitors to alarm them by claiming that it has been,” Aragón stated.

As for the 2010 study, which is often cited – as it was recently cited in The Laredo Morning Times – has also been debunked within the scientific community.

That 2010 study, incidentally, was financed by the American Chemistry Council – the trade group that lobContinued on page 44

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Comentario

Soy mexicano, pero no soy culpable “Soy mexicano, pero no soy culpable.” Esto es lo que quise expresar aquél día de marzo 2013 en el aeropuerto de Brownsville, tanto para los agentes de la migra como para mí mismo. Quise decirle esto a un yo más joven, al Omarcito de siete años, ocho años, de veinte años y de veintisiete años, al Omar que creció creyendo que el simple hecho de ser mexicano en territorio fronterizo es suficiente para ser sospechado por las autoridades migratorias, que el ser mexicano es una vergüenza. Aunque nunca nadie me lo dijo con esas palabras, fueron ideas que me aprendí durante todos los dieciocho años que crecí en la frontera. 1 Aquél día de marzo fue el día en que declaré mi desacuerdo con aquellas leyes y normas extra-oficiales. Si la constitución de los Estados Unidos declara que todos los derechos establecidos son para cualquier persona que se encuentre en los territorios legales del estado, entonces no se puede justificar que seamos algunos inelegibles de esta protección simplemente porque parecemos ser no europeos o blancos. Digo “parecer” porque existe una distinción muy importante entre nacionalidad, ciudadanía y fisonomía: la ciudadanía se refiere a la condición de formar parte de un territorio, la nacionalidad es lo que otorgan los gobiernos y ninguna de las dos se registra de manera obvia o directa en nuestra apariencia física. Aquella mañana en Brownsville, intentaba abrigarme de los derechos que se le promete a toda persona en la constitución estadounidense.

Pero resultaba que aquellos derechos no se ajustaban a mi ser.

Digo que mi resistencia de aquella mañana fue dedicada a un yo más joven porque como muchos otros jóvenes de la frontera, crecí con la presencia constante de la migra y otras autoridades

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policiacas. Una presencia tan constante y tan opresiva que hasta se registra en la psique colectiva por medio de una frase de broma no muy chistosa pero que se escucha con frecuencia: "¡Agáchate, ahí viene la migra!" Tal vez no pensamos mucho sobre el estado de vigilancia que nos circunda siendo mexicanas y mexicanos en territorio fronterizo, pero aquel “chiste” (y otros parecidos) revela la extensión de nuestra conciencia respecto al terror que es vivir en la frontera (con o sin papeles).

El caso es que uno (quisiera creer que) no lo piensa mucho, pero siempre está presente la conciencia de ser vigilado por varias "autoridades" oficiales y no oficiales. Por una parte, he logrado sentir una distancia geográfica, temporal y crítica para poder darme cuenta de la extensión de la trauma que experimenté viviendo en la frontera. Pero la mera verdad es que tampoco me he escapado de la vigilancia discriminatoria. La frontera racista y discriminatoria me persigue por donde sea que voy, sin importar mi proximidad a los límites territoriales del país.

A lo que voy es lo siguiente: siendo mexicana/o ó latina/o en la frontera, es fácil de creer que los derechos constitucionales no nos pertenecen. Porque, en efecto, así parece ser. Es lo que la policía de Brownsville quiso hacernos recordar a mí y a Nancy. Pero no es, ni debe ser, así. Por eso es que rehusamos contestar las preguntas de la migra aquella mañana. Me canso de someterme totalmente a la autoridad de la migra por ser mexicano; me canso de negar que soy mexicano simplemente para que no sea molestado por las autoridades. Aquél día declaré por medio de mi resistencia que sí soy mexicano y sin vergüenza de serlo.

Soy mexicano, pero no soy sospechoso, ni culpable. Mexicano o no, tengo el derecho como persona, como ser humano, de dignidad; una protección que se supone ser protegida bajo la ley constitucional y también de acuerdo con las

normas internacionales.

Los representantes del estado, los fiscales del condado, dicen que por ser mexicano no tengo derecho de resistir las preguntas invasivas y discriminatorias, ni las intimidaciones de la migra.

Dicen que no existe la ley constitucional en la zona fronteriza, que no se permite cuestionar o desafiar la autoridad totalitaria de la migra. Pero lo que yo tengo que decirles es muy sencillo y no cambia: mi nombre es Omar Figueredo, soy mexicano, pero no soy culpable. Soy mexicano pero no tengo vergüenza de serlo.

Soy mexicano y tengo todo el derecho de vivir sin miedo. Soy mexicano y tengo el derecho de dignidad. Soy mexicano y no

me arrepiento. La mañana del 26 de marzo 2013, fui arrestado porque defendí mis derechos; fui arrestado porque dejé de someterme por completo al racismo que sostiene la frontera entre los Estados Unidos y México. Ya basta con el temor a la migra. Ya basta con la intimidación.  De hecho, la idea de que el parecer mexicano (desde la perspectiva de la migra) en la frontera sí es razón suficiente de ser sospechado fue establecida en la ley federal de los Estados Unidos, en pleno desacuerdo con la norma constitucional; véase la opinión expresada por la mayoría de los jueces en el caso de la corte suprema U.S. v Martínez-Fuerte (1976).

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By OMAR FIGUEREDO LareDOS Contributor

Walk and Roll for Rehab The Prado family were among participants of the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center’s 3rd Annual 5K Run, Walk, and Roll for Rehab on Saturday, June 21 at North Central Park.

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The Mystery Customer

BY THE mystery Customer

Lights are on, but nobody’s home at Best Buy; Murillo’s Tires - $5 tire repair in 20 minutes

Subway 5724 San Bernardo The MC stopped by on a Saturday afternoon for a meatball marinara sub.

The staff was polite and the establishment was very clean. The vegetables, however, were not as fresh as the MC would have preferred them to be.

Cinemark Mall del Norte 5300 San Dario Tuesdays are discount day at Cinemark, which is the best day for the MC to catch up on the latest flicks. As usual the staff was polite and very friendly at both the ticket and concession stands.

The staff retained their sunny demeanor despite the mass crowds of families also looking to take advantage of discount day.

Jett Bowl North 5823 McPherson There is no doubt in the MC’s mind that among the best places in town to get a homemade cheeseburger is at Jett

Bowl North. A great cooking staff prepares many savory snacks in addition to the good burgers.

Best Buy 2455 Monarch Dr. The MC was in search of some DVDs and shopping around for a new printer.

She had a few questions and wanted some insight to make an informed purchase. Alas, no staff was to be found as the MC wandered around the store for 15 minutes. Needless to say the MC didn’t make any purchases that day.

The Pastry House 1605 E. Del Mar Blvd Birthday time meant the MC had to make a trip to The Pastry House for the freshest, most delectable cakes in town.

Staff was very helpful in selecting the perfect cake for the MC’s friend.

China Border 802 San Bernardo Count on freshly made iced tea, good service, and great food. This

family-owned enterprise never fails to please the MC’s family.

Murillo’s Tires 2901 Springfield The MC’s flat was fixed in 20 minutes flat and for $5. Not much else to say.

Home Depot 5710 San Bernardo

The MC has been a loyal customer of Lowe’s, but has recently started to shop at Home Depot where it is much easier to find a salesperson. Minutes after the MC was mired in making a ceiling fan selection (they all look alike after a few looks up), she found someone who could answer questions. And check-out was a snap. 

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Imaginarium hosts indoor parade

he Imaginarium of South Texas will host an indoor Fourth of July parade for families on Friday, July 4 from noon to 2 p.m. Festivities include patriotic crafts and dance performances and the appearance of several mascots, including the Imaginarium Gear, Chick-fil-A Cow, Build-A-Bear, Ronald McDonald, and the IBC Bee. Participants are asked to register by noon on July 4th. There is a $5 fee per adult/child to participate in the parade, and the fee includes all day

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admission to the Imaginarium. Members are welcome to participate at no cost.

Prizes will be awarded for the “Best Dressed” parade group entry. Strollers and wagons are welcome.

Participants will assemble at the Sears entrance at noon. The parade, which begins at 1 p.m., concludes at the Imaginarium For more information, call Sandra Cavazos at (956) 728-0404 or email her at scavazos@imaginariumstx.org ­— LareDOS Staff

Jesse Herrera/LareDOS Contributor

News Brief

Skilled artistry Fernando Amador, face painter, showcased his skills at the Farmers Market on pretty and handsome faces of all ages, including this masked marauder. The artist is the owner of Funtastick Face Painting and is available for birthday parties.

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Courtesy Photo

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Night time run Laurie Sanchez, Anahi Ruiz, Tina Garcia, and Adriana Arriaga were among various participants at the Blacklight Run on Saturday, June 21 at Uni-Trade Stadium.

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will gain amnesty under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Based on interviews of 404 children by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), the highest motivators for fleeing their countries are actually violence, economic necessity, and family reunification.

Smith said, “I have personally offered money because I feel bad, but they all say no — please just if you have something to eat and drink. They contact their family who purchases a bus ticket for them and provides them with a confirmation number so they can get the ticket here in Laredo.”

He continued, “I’ve had people call and be insulting that they don’t understand why we are doing this. They just don’t get it. If you see a dog out on the street and it’s thirsty, I am going to give it water. I am not going to stop and ask it if it’s a pure breed. It is simply our obligation to serve.”

Catholic Social Service director Rebecca Solloa said, “The team’s goal is to

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provide safe and necessary services to families dropped off at the bus station.

These past few days we have seen hundreds of families. We want to continue to assist them in a humane and dignified manner.”

According to Bethany House board member Jose Ceballos, “We are implementing our existing systems to serve these families. We are seeing 80 to 100 people using the facility showers and eating at our soup kitchen daily. One of my biggest concerns is building a system that will work long term. That is a question we all have in mind — how long will this continue?”

Donations can be made to Catholic Social Services, Bethany House, and Holding Institute to support the services they are providing.

Needed items. include recyclable bags, travel sized toiletries, toothbrushes and paste, wipes, hand sanitizer, bottled water, snacks, and clothing, including undergarments.

For more information visit the Laredo Humanitarian Relief Team Facebook page. 

Continued FROM page 41

bies on behalf of plastic bag manufacturers.

As such, it would appear to me that these two studies are little more than industry funded scare tactics designed to protect plastic bag producer profits in communities across the country that are working to establish a plastic bag ordinance.

The 2010 study – released by the University of Arizona-Tucson and Loma Linda University – was based on an analysis of coliform bacteria and E.coli, found in 84 reusable grocery bags in Arizona and California, hardly a significant statistical sample size to merit a definitive finding.

For example, a 2011 door-to-door household survey in Laredo conducted by Texas A&M International University and the Rio Grande International Study Center was designed to reach a minimum of 100 randomly selected heads of household, in each of the eight city council districts, for a total of 800+ surveys.

This was the number that TAMIU social scientists believed was needed to run a proper analysis of public opinion on plastic bags, not a mere 84.

The 2010 study found that half of the 84 bags tested contained coliform bacteria, and about 12 percent contained E.coli.

Consumers Union – the policy and action division of Consumer Reports, which works to pass consumer protection laws in states and in Congress – commented on that 2010 study.

They noted that the 2010 study tested for pathogenic bacteria Salmonella and Listeria, “but didn’t find any, nor did they find specific strains of E. coli that could make one sick.

They found bacteria that don’t normally cause disease, but do cause disease in people with weakened im-

mune systems.”

Michael Hansen, a food safety expert and senior staff scientist at Consumers Union was also unfazed by the 2010 study.

“A person eating an average bag of salad greens gets more exposure to these bacteria than if they had lick the insides of the dirtiest bag from this study,” Hansen said. “These bacteria can be found in lots of places, so no need to go overboard.”

As a biologist and longtime reusable bag user, I urge the public to carefully review any study that is posted on the Internet, or that is cited in a local newspaper, without first knowing who wrote the article, what was the scientific process applied, and what was the source of financial funding for that study.

That said, I am in full agreement with Dr. Aragón, the San Francisco epidemiologist, as well as Hansen, the senior staff scientist at Consumers Union.

To prevent the spread of bacteria from any food products, we should carry meat, fish and poultry in disposable bags (which the Laredo ordinance will permit). And it is a good idea, as with most everything else, to wash or disinfect your reusable bags on a regular basis.

The upcoming Laredo plastic bag ordinance is a terrific first step for the city to begin phasing out the 120 million plastic bags used in Laredo every year.

To read Dr. Aragón’s response, go to http:// blogs.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SF-Health-Officer-MEMO-re-Reusable-Bag-Study_ V8-FIN1.pdf (Dr. Tom Vaughan, board president and co-founder of the Rio Grande International Study Center, is a retired university biologist and mammalogist who has continued to test water quality in the Rio Grande each month for more than 20 years.) 

www.laredosnews.com WWW.L A R E DOSN EWS.COM

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Mastering serves

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Joanna Granillo and Dominic Don Juan practiced their skills at the LCC tennis clinic on June 17. The Tennis Program hosted the clinic with morning sessions for ages eight to 12.

Volunteers at Music Fest Members of the Aalisai Dance Studio volunteered their time at PILLAR’s Music Fest 2014 on Saturday, June 21 at LIFE Downs.

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Dabbling in the arts Ariana Reyes is pictured at the SmArt Camp on Wednesday, June 18 at Laredo Community College’s Visual and Performing Arts Center. The first camp session was hosted for seven to 10 year olds.

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Notes from La La Land

By dr. neo gutierrez

Dr. Neo Gutierrez is a Ph.D. in Dance and Fine Arts, Meritorious Award in Laredo Fine Arts recipient 2009 from Webb Co. Heritage Foundation, Laredo Sr. Int’l 2008, Laredo MHS Tiger Legend 2002, and Sr. Int’l de Beverly Hills, 1997. Contact neodance@aol.com.

J

eralean Talley Inee Kurtz, who was born in 1899, turned 115 May 23, making her America’s oldest citizen. She’s the second oldest person in the world, born a year later than fellow supercentenarian Misao Okawa of Japan.

Jeralean is from Inkster, Michigan, which is in the Detroit area.

She’s the 31st person to ever reach 115 years of age. She was born 34 years after the end of the Civil War. Her family spans five generations. She now lives with a daughter in the Detroit area.

According to Wikipedia, Jeralean was one of 11 siblings, and she spent her early years living on a farm, picking cotton and peanuts and digging up sweet potatoes. She married in 1936 and had one daughter. Her husband died at 95. She never drove a car because when she tried, she pushed the wrong pedal, causing it to go in reverse rather than forward. She never tried again. In her later years she stayed active with sewing dresses, making quilts, and playing the slot machines at casinos. She bowled until she was 104, when her legs got too weak. She still goes fishing, and last year she caught seven catfish. She has three grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren. A devout Christian, she is a Baptist, and her church›s driveway was named after her. She has also received a personal note of congratulation from President Obama.

On her actual birthday she went to the doctor for a checkup, not because she feels sick. But her knees occasionally hurt, her right hand shakes, she has a hard time hearing, and her memory comes and goes. Why has she lived so long?

She attributes her long life to being “in the good Lord’s hands. There’s

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America’s oldest woman celebrates 115 years nothing I can do about it. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

I don›t have much education but what little sense I got, I try to use it.

And that, dear readers, is how you get to be 115.

In mid-May we also got to see superwoman journalist Barbara (WaWa) Walters retire "officially" at age 80, after a 53-year career in the media. Her biggest career distinction was that she was the first woman co-anchor in American television news. Until she came along, there were no women television news reporters, if you can imagine that. But all the retirement hullabaloo reminded me of her father, Lou Walters, who owned the Latin Quarter night club in New York City. I remember I went to see a weekend show there on my first trip to NYC, when I went in the summer to work on my Master›s degree at Columbia University.

The Club was right downtown, and I just remember a couple of things: how small and crowded it was, and how terrific the stage show was, with Vegas-type showgirls doing their high-high dance numbers.

At age 20, coming from Laredo, I had never seen such a terrific spectacle.

Lou Walters, had lost his fortune in the Depression, but then became the owner of the Latin Quarter, as well as nightclubs in Boston and Florida. Barbara attended school in all those cities. She had one sister, Jacqueline, who was developmentally disabled.

Barbara became national news herself when she started her career at ABC-TV and signed her first contract for a fiveyear, $l million per year salary.

And season 18 of Dancing With the Stars has come and gone with no real surprises, except for a Mark Bal-

las incident. The frontrunners won, Olympic ice skater Meryl Davis and partner Maksim Chmerkovskly.

Derek Hough and partner Amy Purdy came in second, and Mark Ballas and partner came in third.

For a while, I was worried because of a pre-show announcement that Mark had hurt himself in an accident while rehearsing, and had to be taken to the hospital. That was two days before showtime. As it turned out, Mark looked just fine and performed well. I wondered if the accident had all been a publicity stunt to try to get viewer synpathy votes.

And head judge Len Goodman announced this season may have been his last.

Meryl and Maks made the news because on the tv screen they projected a possible romance between them, which developed while working. Their chemistry on the dance floor was very obvious; it just

seemed there was something special developing. Meryl said she could really be herself with Maks and that he pushed her to stand up for herself, whether in real life or on the dance floor. At any rate, Maks finally won after competing 13 seasons.

Let's close with some Guatemalan cuisine, specifically shucos, which are hot dogs. The Guatemalan hot dog comes with guacamole, boiled cabbage, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, mustard, hot sauce, and one or more of the following: chorizo, salchicha, ham, bacon, pepperoni, German ham and sausages. There are four sizes —normal (which is more less your normal bun), special (150% larger), jumbo (300% larger) and ballena/whale (500% larger).

The jumbo costs about $2.50). La ballena or whale has 10 or 20 meat toppings and it rings at about $5.

And on that note, it›s time for--as Norma Adamo says: TAN TAN! 

Can’t find a hard copy?

Go to www.laredosnews.com

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Communities in Schools

CIS — a safety net for at risk students

By TINA TREVINO LareDOS Contributor

A

basic Google search is all it takes to find out that millions of students drop out of school each year at all levels of the educational system. By now, this should be common knowledge to the majority. Most of us know someone who has dropped out, and we often times are guilty of criticizing this person’s decision at least once.

What we fail to do more times than not, is walk a day in their shoes to unearth the problems that ultimately led them astray. If you want to see a change, sometimes you must be the change. This is where an elite dropout prevention organization is stepping up to the plate to do just that.

Communities in Schools (CIS) is an organization that equips at-risk students with resources that ultimately ease the difficulties they encounter both in and out of the classroom. CIS has a clear vision and more importantly, they have the success statistics that back up what they preach. What’s great about all of this is that the ideals set by the CIS National Office and the Texas Education Agency are being carried out at the local level in Laredo, Texas.

CIS-Laredo’s vision is to empower students to stay in school and achieve in life. Talk is cheap and it’s one thing to say you’re going to do something, but something entirely different when it comes to actually following through.

This is where CIS-Laredo sets itself apart and consistently “walks the walk.” Their target numbers have been wowing the directors at the Texas Education Agency in Austin. More on that in a bit.

Let’s travel back in time to the summer of 1990, the birth date of CIS Laredo. The concept of Communities in Schools was introduced to community

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leaders in July of 1990 and the rest is, well you know, history. The program gained the support it rightfully deserved following the initial presentation, which then led to both school districts hopping on board. The original board of directors consisted of Elvia Gonzalez as president, Humberto Trevino (LISD) and Linda Mora (UISD) as vice presidents, Tina Treviño as decretary, and Gerardo Mejia as treasurer.

After establishing financial and incorporation status, CIS-Laredo was ready to make their first big move.

In January of 1991, Cigarroa and United South high schools became the first two campuses ready for CIS operations. Through continued funding from the D.D. Hachar Foundation, two additional middle schools came on board. The program has consistently grown from year to year, and CISLaredo now serves three elementary schools, six middle schools, nine high schools, and three alternative schools.

The current board members are Tina Cerda, Christina Flores, Jorge F. Gonzalez, Mary Lara, Denise Longoria, Gil Lopez, Karen Mejia, Alex Amaro, Irma Mireles, Dr. Cecilia Moreno, Mario Peña, Rosina Silva, Joaquin Romero Jr., Adelaido Uribe III, Tina Treviño, Humberto Treviño, Conrado Hein, Ruben Lopez, Larry Dovalina, and Gina Mejia.

The board and staff at CIS-Laredo are working harder than ever in 2014, making sure no students are left behind. They consistently create school programs that further assist the CIS students of Laredo and are going above and beyond with fundraising, which has led to the production of a multitude of scholarships. Now that we know what CIS is about and how it all started, let’s dig a little deeper and discuss the formula that has led to its success.

CIS-Laredo closely follows the for-

mula that is laid out by the CIS headquarters in Virginia. When you combine that with having hard working and compassionate program directors at each school in the city, you’re setting yourself up for nothing but success.

Step one of the CIS formula is to have a program director, program manager, and project coordinator who acts as a point of contact for each school. Their main goal is to connect students and their families with community partners and resources that will attend to their academic and non-academic needs.

Step two is where the project coordinator’s communication skills are deeply put to the test. At this stage, the coordinator works with the school’s staff to assist students who are at risk of dropping out. The students’ needs are then addressed and countered through relationships with local businesses, social service agencies, health care providers, and volunteers. The third step is when the coordinator provides the students with resources that are specifically catered to their individual needs, which will help them succeed both in and out of the classroom.

The resources provided depend on the barriers students are facing. They can be broken down into the following categories — Basic Needs, Academic Assistance, Parental and Family Involvement, Life Skills, and College & Career Readiness. Basic Needs consists of referrals to local agencies who can provide food, clothes, access to health and dental care, and a safe place to live. Tutoring services and study groups make up the Academic Assistance category. When it comes to Parental and Family Involvement, project coordinators link families together with counselors, social workers, and local agencies in order to guarantee that each student’s home is a healthy

environment, free from all danger.

“Life Skills” teaches and encourages students to learn a marketable skill where they can give back by making a positive impact in the lives of others.

During College and Career Readiness, organizational partners help prepare CIS-Laredo students for what lies ahead after high school. College visits, planning for future career paths, job shadowing, FASFA assistance, scholarship assistance, resumé assistance, and leadership training are just a few examples of what students will be exposed to during their time with the CIS family.

The fourth and final piece of CIS’s formula for success is the control phase. Every year project coordinators observe and fine-tune their services in order to cater to the individual needs of each student. It’s this constant, personal check-in system that keeps producing outstanding numbers that not only shine in Laredo, but in the entire state as well. Because of CIS-Laredo’s leadership, students are feeling more confident in their abilities and are boosting their performance across all sections of the Texas Education Agency’s reports.

By taking a look at CIS-Laredo’s website, you’ll find some of the statistics from their 2012-2013 contract period. Arguably the most important statistic, Laredo’s graduation target goal was set at 90%. Laredo ended up having 91% of the students in CIS graduate from High School! The other statistics are listed below: 93% met goals in academics (contracted target was 85%) 88% met goals in attendance (contracted target was 75%) 97% met goals in stay in school (contracted target was 95%) 98% met goals in behavior (conContinued on page 52

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By salo Otero 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.

T

he South Texas Food Bank’s annual fundraiser, Empty Bowls VIII, which is set for August 22 at the Laredo Energy Arena, will honor the Beaumont Foundation of America and its CEO and president W. Frank Newton for contributions to the STFB’s mission of feeding the hungry. The event will features a concert by the Commodores, the Grammy Award-winning musical group of the 1970s and 80s.

“The Beaumont Foundation has been a true friend of the South Texas Food Bank. The (Wayne A.) Reaud family understands the need of people, donating $9.2 million to food banks. And I’m excited about the Commodores bringing the energy of Motown to Laredo and my favorite, ‘Three Times A Lady,’” the Senator said.

The legendary Commodores began at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, discovered

by Berry Gordy while they were the opening act for the Jackson 5. They went on to sell more than 60 million records over the 70s and 80s.

South Texas Food Bank

Empty Bowls VIII to honor Beaumont Foundation; benefit to feature music by the Commodores Success, however, was not enough to save them from changes in the music scene. The departure in 1983 of Lionel Richey, co-lead vocalist along with Walter “Clyde” Orange, might have sunk a lesser group.

With William “Wak” King and Orange, the Commodores began creating new digital recordings of Commodores Classics. They produced four albums, including Commodores Christmas.

Maintaining their place among the most successful entertainers in the world, they continue to bring the talent and experience of three decades of writing, producing, and performing hit music to a whole new generation of fans.

Empty Bowls VIII sponsorship tables for 10 include dinner and access to silent auction items. A special sponsorship this year is the Anniversary Sponsor at $25,000 in honor of the STFB’s 25th anniversary. Other sponsorships include Diamond, $20,000; Platinum, $10,000; Gold, $5,000; Silver, $2,500; and Bronze, $1,500. Individual table tickets are $150 and are available at the STFB office at

STFB board members pictured at the announcement for Empty Bowls VIII on August 22 at the LEA, are, left to right, Odie Arambula, Gaby Deleon, Romeo Salinas, Doug Howland, Anna B. Galo, Sen. Judy Zaffirini, Leslie Benavides, John Solis, Erasmo Villarreal, and Pete Saenz Jr. W W W. L A R E D OSNEWS. COM

1907 Freight (at Riverside) or by calling (956) 726-3120 or (956) 324-2432.

Concert only tickets are still $10, $15, and $25 and are available at the LEA box office and via Ticketmaster.

The STFB — established in 1989 under the auspices of H-E-B as the Laredo Webb-County Food Bank as a distribution point of supplemental food to the unemployed, under-employed, and those living on fixed incomes, especially the elderly — marks its 25th anniversary of service to those in need.

The STFB, a member of Feeding Texas (formerly Texas Food Bank Network) and the national organization Feeding America, now serves an eight-county area from Del Rio (Val Verde County) to Rio Grande City (Starr County), helping an average of 27,000 families, 7,000 elderly, and 500 veterans and their widows per month. The STFB also serves 2,400 meals daily in the Kids Café program.

Sixty percent of the annual STFB budget comes from government sources and the other 40 percent from grants from non-profit groups, private donations, and fundraisers.

Empty Bowls chairperson Benavides said, “For the past 25 years, the STFB has been providing to those who are in need of food assistance. The STFB is blessed to receive grants, corporate donations, and individual gifts. Our ability to provide assistance also depends largely on the kindness of good-hearted patrons.

We are a non-profit organization and fundraising plays an important part in our finances. The STFB is privileged to have the Beaumont Foundation and Mr. Newton as our honorees this year.”

STFB executive director Alfonso Casso expressed the urgency of feeding the hungry. “Can anyone imagine how things would be if we were not here as

a safety net? We can’t turn our backs on our fellow neighbors and friends who need help. Empty Bowls helps us to continue our mission,” he said.

The Beaumont Foundation, which was created in 2001, is a nonprofit grantmaking institution dedicated to enriching the lives and enhancing the futures of less fortunate children and youth, families, and the elderly. The Foundation provides grants and scholarships to a broad range of charitable, religious, and educational organizations across the United States. It provides support to organizations that improve lives by giving people the tools to become educated, healthy, and self-reliant in the areas of education, health care, children and youth programs, social services (food, shelter and clothing), and the Children of Fallen Heroes Program.

Prior to CEO Newton’s involvement with the Beaumont Foundation, he was dean and professor of law at Texas Tech University School of Law from 1985 to 2002. He was a professor of law at the Baylor Law School from1972 to 1985.

A highly-respected attorney and legal educator, Newton helped devise the Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Account Program which has raised more than $100 million for legal aid services since 1984.

Newton was named by Texas Lawyer Magazine as of the 102 most influential Texas lawyers of the century, and the State Bar of Texas annually presents an award in his name to lawyers who provide pro bono services. He has served as president of the State Board of Texas and is an elected member of the American Bar Foundation and the American Law Institute.

Casso added, “The Beaumont Foundation has been an ardent supporter of our Food Bank for many years. In fact, Continued on page 54

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Serving Sentences

By randy koch

E

xperts in education routinely emphasize the need for teachers and digital immigrants like me to make classroom accommodations for the Net Generation — those students who have never known a world without cell phones, computers, and the Internet. While I still prefer hard copies to hard drives, chalk powder to PowerPoints, and real reality to virtual reality, I’m willing to make one concession to the digital natives’ Net know-how. I decided to learn their native tongue — texting and Internet acronyms and abbreviations — so I can speak to them in their own language.

This meant that first I had to acquaint myself with their vocabulary and aspects of their culture commonly abbreviated, both of which became much clearer with the help of Netlingo.com. There I discovered the diversity, sophistication, and efficiency of digital natives’ online communication. For example, note the cleverness of this simple invitation: ?^@*$ne1. For the uninitiated, this may appear to be one long typo, but to me and my online brethren, these eight compact marks, one for each syllable, clearly mean, “Hook up at Starbucks, anyone?” If you’re a CF (coffee freak) and want to accept, you need not type the endless reply, “Wonderful. Thank you.” Instead, just send this: “1daful.

10Q.” However, if you’re in no condition to join your friend, you can discretely decline this way: DWWWI, which is witty shorthand for “surfing the World Wide Web while intoxicated,” or CINBA, which means “clad in naught but air,” which demonstrates the user’s adeptness with formal language (if not formal clothing). Isn’t this a c%l way 2 get UR message ax?

Of course, the above examples may not be particularly useful to a teacher

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It’s Not 2 L8 2 Rel8 communicating with composition students, so given my recently improved ability to correspond with the Net Generation and as a public service, I 4muL8ed the following shortcuts to save you time and improve your relations with your perpetually connected students.

Because much of a writing teacher’s responsibility involves offering feedback on students’ essays, these shortcuts will help you make your point quickly and concisely. If the introduction starts with a good hook that entices readers to read more, give some quick praise with Gr8?, which, of course, means “Great hook” However, if the intro lacks an attentiongetter, point this out with ?<, which obviously means that it’s hook-less. If the intro has a Good Thesis, “GT” is an EZ way to commend the writer, but if it fails to identify the point of the essay, instruct the student to 4mul8aCT (formulate a Clear Thesis). Students’ body paragraphs also frequently contain predictable weaknesses, such as being topic sentence-less (or TS<), or they can improve the content of the paragraph if only they will BMS (Be More Specific) or BMAQR8 (Be More Accurate) or BMGw/D~s (Be More Generous with Details). Sometimes weak writing Makes No Sense, so just be blunt and say, “MN¢s.” And if you Ain’t Convinced because the student included No Evidence, say so simply and honestly without mincing letters: ACNE. Last, some students forget to wrap things up with a concluding sentence, so just explain that they should +^ (sum up) or +R: (sum R eyes). Of course, I hope that you get some Su/ $/s (su per pay pers) and that most of UR students’ writing is D¢, but if it has room 4 improvement, encourage them 2 rev: (to rev eyes).

Naturally, student writers make

mechanical errors, so lend a hand with these shortcuts, which offer constructive advice. Encourage them to abreV8 the names of st8s, to 4m@ their papers accurately, to ndn new paragraphs, to pun28 AQR8LE, and to remember, when trying to spell “sieve” and “conceive,” IB4EXAC. These suggestions will definitely focus their attention on the importance of clean, mechanically sound writing. Similarly, if they need to B on the alert for fragments, warn them with F911, and if they R 2 careless w/ spelling, U can emphasize the importance of good mechanics with a little lingo that they’ll understand: s^w/ursplnñ, which obviously means “What’s up with your spelling anyway?”

And sometimes issues require

more personal, individual assistance.

Maybe Carlos needs SOS, so he should talk 2 U in a 121con4ns or consult a 2da at the Writing Center. Maybe Karina has missed too much class and must improve her A10Ns. Or maybe U’ve had it ^ 2 here w/ Kyle because he has NoXQs for being L8 and disrupting class again, so U ½ 2 call CQRT. But maybe the issue is motivation. Then, consider creating a long, colorful banner and hanging it in the front of your classroom, one that says, “U ½ 2 1 2 write if U R going 2 XL.” If U put it in simple language like this, Y would they refuse? Ñ, if U made it 2 the end, U clearly R not thinking, “TLDR.” 4 that I 10Q and toast UR Xlent work & UR a10shun w/ a \%/. Salud! 

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Randy Koch earned his MFA at the University of Wyoming and teaches writing at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

PILLAR hosts Music Fest 2014 Rubi Canales and Eduardo Cervantes were attendees at Music Fest 2014 on Saturday, June 21 at LIFE Downs. The proceeds from the event will benefit local students with scholarships and assist PILLAR with promoting their anti-bullying message and suicide prevention.

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TAMIU

TAMIU Professor Emeritus Lecuona dies at age 86

By STEVE HARMON LareDOS Contributor

T

exas A&M International University was saddened by news of the passing this month of Dr. Rafael A. Lecuona, Professor Emeritus, a member of the University’s faculty for over 30 years. A memorial service celebrating his life was held at TAMIU June 16 in the Student Center Ballroom.

In 2002, in recognition of his service, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents named him Professor Emeritus, an honor presented before his beloved students and fellow faculty members at that Spring’s Commencement Exercises, Saturday, May 11.

Dr. Lecuona’s involvement with the University began in 1970 when Texas A&I University at Kingsville opened a two-year, upper-level ‘Center’ of higher education in Laredo. This soon became officially known as Laredo State University, precursor to Texas A&M International University.

As one of the original founding faculty, Lecuona shared with his colleagues the burden of teaching and building what has become today a full-fledged, four-year university within The Texas A&M University System.

At that time, Lecuona was the sole Ph.D. in political science and offered all the essential courses within his area of expertise required for students to earn a Bachelor of Science in education, business, or liberal arts.

Lecuona’s involvement with the University and the surrounding community was extensive.

As a faculty member and coordinator of the arts and sciences divi-

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TAMIU Professor Emeritus Rafael A. Lecuona sion for several years, he was an active participant in the development of most of the University’s basic and innovative policies and programs such as faculty evaluation by peers, students, and administrators, faculty post-tenure revision procedures, the development of the political science Master’s degree program.

He also a strong advocate for what is now the Western Hemispheric Trade Center.

TAMIU President Dr. Ray Keck said the University will always remember Lecuona’s commitment to the growth of both Laredo and the University.

“His rare combination of hard work, energy, intelligence, and good humor made him an invaluable member of this faculty. He and his wife Diana have been stalwart and steady forces for good in this institution and community for a very long time. We repeatedly turned to Dr. Lecuona to head difficult tasks and complex committee assignments. His service was always stellar, and the University and our community were infinitely better places for his passion and commitment,”

Keck said.

Lecuona’s personal history was fascinating. A three-time Olympic gymnast for Cuba, he was the nephew of world-renowned Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, considered the Cuban Gershwin of the classics “Malagueña,” “Granada” and “Siboney,” among others.

The young Lecuona grew up in La Habana, loving sports. At 13, he became intrigued by gymnastics and within three years made the Cuban national team and headed to the 1948 Olympics in London.

He would later go on to the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 and the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. He was also a member of two Pan American teams, and three Central American teams, and won many Pan-American and state championships.

His athletic prowess caught the eye of Florida State University recruiters who provided a full scholarship. He quickly learned English, and became a US citizen. He would go on to earn a BBA, a Master’s, and a Ph.D. in Political Science.

Lecuona was also a prolific au-

thor and published numerous research papers in such academic journals as The International Journal on World Peace. He was included in scholarly works such as Irving Louis Horowitz’ Cuban Communism, and Khosrow Fatemi’s International Trade and Finance: A North American Perspective.

He also enjoyed writing short stories, most of them fiction, including a published work entitled En Busca de Castro. After his retirement, he completed a long-planned book on his remarkable uncle, “Ernesto Lecuona: The Genius and his Music.”

He is survived by wife Diana Lecuona and sons Miguel and Mark.

Fixed tuition begins Beginning this Fall, undergraduate students at TAMIU will be able to lock in the cost of their higher education with fixed tuition and fees.

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Dr. Lecuona shows off his winning Olympic form in this undated photo.

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Philosophy to Go

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By RAUL CASSO LareDOS Contributor

ome people think that the brain is a digital computer (albeit biological in nature), and that the conscious mind is a computer program. For those who hold to such a view, the mind is to the brain as software is to hardware. Do you think this is true?

Well, let’s see…

Besides the obvious difference between carbon based and silicon based units of information, there is a major difference between a human brain and a computer. A computer is a device that manipulates symbols— that’s really all it does. Our minds, on the other hand, have understanding (at least they should) which is something a computer has no capacity for.

Modern computers, for example, work by encoding information in the binary code of zeros and ones. They translate the encoded information into electrical impulses and then process the information according to the rules of the program. The mechanism is defined in terms of the manipulation of symbols. Its function is entirely syntactical: all it does is arrange symbols in order to form sentences for us to understand. The computer itself, however, has no understanding.

We, on the other hand, know what the symbols mean. Unlike a computer, a human mind operates semantically with regards to symbols, that is, we have understanding. The formal symbols in a computer, per se, are not sufficient to guarantee the presence of semantic content. A computer may mimic understanding if the program it is operating on gives it exact instructions to do so, but it would still be mimicry. A computer does not understand on its own symbols anymore than a parrot understands the words it is parroting.

When I read a novel, my mind com-

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prehends semantically what the symbols on the page mean. As I read, I see a movie in my head. And, if the novel is well written and the story well told, I see a good movie in my imagination.

The computer, by comparison, has no imagination. It can spot words from among millions, as in the Bible Code, but it is not participating in any imaginative discourse. It’s only doing what it is told to do by the program it operates under.

Computers are made by humans to do lesser functions than what their imagination allowed when they created the computer. As such, computers can’t replace human ingenuity — they can only copy-cat.

Simply put, syntax is not equal to semantics. A computer, for example, equipped with a translating program could translate English into Spanish and vice-versa. This does not mean, however, that the computer understands English or Spanish. The computer is merely manipulating symbols according to a program on an entirely syntactical basis and responding accordingly. What would it take in order for a computer to gain some form of understanding?

Current computer technology would have to evolve radically as would our insight into the nature of consciousness.

Before the design of computers may allow for some basic, low level, silicon based, dim form of consciousness, we would have to first understand how our carbon-based makeup becomes consciously self-aware — a reality that still remains very much a mystery. We would need that knowledge, however, in order to design computer programs that would invest silicone based technology with even a rudimentary form of conscious self-awareness.

At present, we are as far away from such an achievement as we are from accomplishing space travel at light speed. 

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Is the mind a computer program?

Poolside at North Central Veronica Contreras and Veronica and Vivian Treviño are pictured on Wednesday, June 18 at the Rev. Deacon Leonel and Irma San Miguel Pool Summer Program. Vivian was among participants in the water aerobics classes.

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tracted target was 85%) 93% met goals in promotion (contracted target was 85%) Now let’s take these numbers just one step further. At a side-by-side glance with the numbers of CIS-Texas, Laredo’s percentages outshined the state’s numbers in Academics, Attendance, and Behavior.

Laredo’s numbers were at a minimum, four percentage points higher.

In Graduation, Promotion, and Staying in School, Laredo was only one percentage point below Texas’s numbers.

Important to note, is that the statistics are aligned to the Texas Academics Excellence indicators by which school districts are evaluated.

CIS-Laredo has been helping students overcome hardships, graduate from high school, attend college, and pursue their dreams for more than 20 years. When it comes down to it, CIS firmly believes that in order to be successful, each child needs and deserves:

A one-to-one relationship with a caring adult A safe place to learn and grow A healthy start and a healthy future A marketable skill to use upon graduation A chance to give back to peers and the community Laredo is doing a superb job with each of these, which are referred to as the CIS-Five Basics.

As you can see, the numbers for 2012-2013 were amazing, but with the way CIS-Laredo has been working, it’s almost a guarantee that they will be even better once the 2013-2014 term comes to a close. The board of directors, advisory board, coordinators, and everyone else involved with CIS-Laredo should be thanked for their hard work, because they are doing something truly special for the students of this city. If you would like to learn more about the program and the individual schools that CIS-Laredo works with, information can be found at www.cislaredo. org, or by calling (956) 791-2199. 

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Commentary

“Yo Solo” — the words by which Gen. Bernardo de Galvez lived

By JOSÉ ANTONIO LÓPEZ LareDOS Contributor

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ew courageous stories of New Spain personalities surpass the brilliant career of General Bernardo de Gálvez (1746-1786). A man of such rare courage, King Carlos III awarded him the royal motto “Yo Solo.”

While that may seem too bold a slogan, he earned it justly.

What is it he did to garner such a robust title? Who was this man of history?

Bernardo de Gálvez de Madrid was born in Macharaviaya, Málaga, a mountain village in southern Spain. He was the son of Matías de Gálvez and nephew of José de Gálvez, both powerful Spanish officials in New Spain. Trained in military school, he joined the Spanish army in his teens. He served ably while in Spain, and was posted to Mexico in 1762.

Bernardo’s leadership career in America began in earnest in Sonora and Nueva Vizcaya where he led Spanish soldiers and Native American allies against Apaches. He was wounded several times in battle.

Soon, he was promoted to the rank of Commandant of Troops of both provinces. Bernardo accompanied his uncle José de Gálvez to Spain, where he continued to fine-tune his military skills. He was severely wounded in a military campaign in Algeria. For his bravery, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and spent time recovering from his wounds as a professor of military science at the prestigious military school in Ávila.

As a 29-year old in 1776, his uncle named him Governor of Span-

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ish Louisiana and so he returned to America. An astute military thinker, he was a savvy diplomat as well.

Careful to walk the narrow path of being loyal to Spain’s monarchial American empire (Colonial New Spain), he at the same time championed the independence of the 13 U.S. colonies from England and the independence fervor sweeping across America. Bernardo Gálvez wrote often to Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia, by which they exchanged ideas in fighting the British.

Soon after arriving in Louisiana, the king sent word that the English must be driven out of Spanish territory. Thus, Governor Gálvez organized a Spanish Army and attacked the English fort in West Florida.

Facing a much larger force, Gálvez’ strike was quickly decisive and he drove the British out. By late 1779, he pushed his objective even further toward Mobile and Pensacola, also held by English troops. His army would ultimately reach over 7,000 troops.

First, Gálvez defeated English units in Baton Rouge and Natchez, resulting in the capture of hundreds of soldiers and several vessels. Using his trademark military tactics, he succeeded in defeating a well-defended English Fort at Mobile. However, it was in the taking of Pensacola in which he most excelled.

Having amassed a strong flotilla of ships and gunboats sent by the king to assist his mission, Gálvez was disappointed that naval commanders were still far off from the battle front; hesitant to enter the narrow harbor. The Spanish admirals pleaded with him to wait, while others tried using their own favor with the king as leverage. Gálvez

was not impressed. Timidity in war was not something Governor Gálvez was ready to accept.

Leading by example, he took command of one of his ships, raised his own coat of arms on its mast.

With two gunboat escorts, he entered the unfriendly harbor himself, facing fire from several land positions. Watching Gálvez’ incredible single-handed act of courage embarrassed the still hesitant senior naval officers so much that each began to steer their ships in his direction.

The English fort was soon in flames, forcing the English to surrender.

The brilliantly executed Battle of Pensacola rid the Gulf of Mexico of the English presence.

King Carlos III was magnanimous in recognizing his gratitude toward Bernardo de Gálvez. The honors were many. He was given the prestigious title of Count, promoted to, general, field marshal, and given command of all Spanish expeditionary forces in New Spain.

Still, King Carlos wished to distinguish Gálvez’ rare display of singlehanded bravery in the face of enemy guns. Thus, he granted the motto “Yo Solo” to be placed on the Gálvez Coat of Arms.

General Galvez returned to Spain and again led military expeditions.

In 1785, his father died and Bernardo replaced him as Viceroy of New Spain. The gregarious general had great plans for New Spain. However, in 1786 he became ill and died on November 30 of that year. Although Bernardo de Gálvez was only 40 when he died, his life proves that it’s not necessarily how long one lives, but it is in what one does while living.

Both France and Spain helped

the U.S. colonies drive for independence. U.S. history books primarily give credit to French general Marquis de Lafayette. In truth, Gálvez’ direct contributions to George Washington were incalculable. Only recently has this hero come to the attention of mainstream historians.

Author historians such as Robert H. Thonhoff have done their best for years to help the general public understand New Spain’s role in U.S. history. His book, The Texas Connection with the American Revolution skillfully explains the story.

Generations of Mexican-descent Texas students have longed to learn about their ancestors in the classroom. Parents, be aware that since 2010, the state-approved STAAR curriculum has included some pre-1836 people, places, and events in Texas history. So, don’t be bashful. Ask your fourth- and seventh-grade students’ teachers to include more lessons on the Spanish Mexican founders of Texas. Also, the next time one of your kids asks you to recommend a topic for a history book report, tell them to look up the inspiring story of Spanish-speaking Bernardo de Gálvez, a mega hero in U.S. history.

(José “Joe” Antonio López was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and is a USAF Veteran. He now lives in Universal City, Texas. He is the author of three books: The Last Knight (Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe, A Texas Hero, Nights of Wailing, Days of Pain (Life in 1920s South Texas), and The First Texas Independence, 1813.

Lopez is also the founder of the Tejano Learning Center, LLC, and www.tejanosunidos.org, a Web site dedicated to Spanish Mexican people and events in U.S. history that are mostly overlooked in mainstream history books). 

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they are a big supporter of food banking in the entire State of Texas. The types of grants they have awarded us have ranged from operations to food banking. They were instrumental in pushing us to improve our branding so that the community — both clients and donors — would be more aware of our services. ”They helped with the insulation of our warehouse which both protected the food we store and made the environment safer for our employees to work in, especially during those extreme summer temperatures. They helped improve our efficiency in our outreach program by providing us with several vehicles our staff could use to visit sites.

Grants of this nature are hard to come by these days but are much needed by non-profits such as ours,” he continued.

“In the last several years, BF has also given us grants specifically for food purchases. These came at a very critical time when our government funding for

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matically available to all Texas resident, undergraduate students at all System universities.

The Fixed Tuition and Fee Plan affords students and parents a distinct advantage: cost containment and fixed tuition and fees for four years for most majors for a total of 12 consecutive semesters.

Students are placed in a cohort based on their first semester of enrollment in an institution of higher education following high school graduation. For example, a student who started prior to the spring 2011 semester will have completed the initial 12 semester period and will be included in the 2014-15 cohort for an additional 12 semesters.

In an effort to help students and parents better understand the new Fixed Tuition and Fees, the University will launch an online application that will enable students and their parents to quickly determine

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food had decreased due to government budget cutbacks and there was also a decrease in donated food products from other major sources. The Beaumont Foundation has been there for us and we are most appreciative of their support of our mission to feed the hungry,” Casso noted, adding, “It was through the efforts of Sen. Judith Zaffirini that the food bank made a contact with the Beaumont Foundation. “We are blessed to have the Senator as an advocate.”

Newton said, “The Beaumont Foundation, following the support of Senator Judy Zaffirini and organizations like the H-E-B Grocery Company, is pleased to be a supporter of the South Texas Food Bank. The mission of the Foundation is dedicated to enriching the future of the less fortunate children, youth, families, and elderly. To date the Beaumont Foundation has made grants totaling $500,000 to the South Texas Food Bank. We are humbled, but proud, to be the honoree of the 8th Empty Bowls event.”  what cohort group they will enter and the costs that will be associated with the Fixed Tuition and Fee Plan.

In addition, a comprehensive FAQ site on the University’s web page will also be dedicated with links to the online application and contacts for additional information.

Keck said the University believes that the Fixed Tuition and Fee Plan will be of considerable interest to students and their parents and a catalyst for enrollment growth.

“It’s a win-win for both students and their families: an undergraduate degree at a fixed cost that’s guaranteed not to change. We think it’s something every family can get behind,” he concluded.

TAMIU’s Fall Semester 2014 begins Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014.

For additional information on the TAMIU Fixed Tuition and Fee Plan, visit tamiu.edu; email: businessoffice@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2140 or visit the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center. 

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Sunshine ’N’ Lavender Louie and Maritza Lozano, who offer a product line of lavender body care products, are a mainstay at the Laredo Farmers Market in Jarvis Plaza. June’s well attended market brought many new faces downtown.

Jesse Herrera/LareDOS Contributor

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Sax in the city LCC mariachi instructor Ruben Vargas filled Jarvis Plaza with the blues, the good kind, at the June 21 Farmers Market.

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Maverick Ranch Notes

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By bebe & sissy fenstermaker

t rained this morning; we got eight tenths in a downpour. This was excellent timing as we were over a week and a half since the last rain.

What am I saying? The fact that we’ve had rain at all is a miracle and I know it. The grass is growing. I haven’t seen the grass grow in over a year. The land is feeding the wildlife and livestock and we aren’t. I see deer grazing in the evenings, contentedly. The cows don’t eat so much cake now at suppertime.

One point to newcomers to Texas about these rains: don’t think this gets us anywhere near out of the hole we are in regarding the drought and Texas’ water deficit. Texas is in big water trouble because there isn’t enough water for the amount of people living here now. Why are the governor and the “come on down to Texas” idiots encouraging masses to come to Texas? There wasn’t enough water to cover our needs long before they started waving them in.

The Legislature’s committees have met until they are blue in the face but haven’t managed to manufacture water out of hot air. They can run pipes all over the State but there is still just the same amount of water and no more. Over the past six months there have been water conferences or summits held almost every week without genuine solutions reached. If I didn’t live here I’d never consider coming here to live — I would have looked up the State’s water future and run in the opposite direction.

The idea that growing carpet grass trumps growing food shows how nuts the water managers are. It is crazy to provide water for one species (humans) to the detriment of all others.

The interesting coon at the barn and house, continues to drop a stone in every water bowl and bucket. She must be scrubbing her food an extra bit to make it shine. Soon she will be raiding the hunt-

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Don’t think the recent rains are getting us out of the state’s water deficit ers’ feeders. Ruby the dog is busy monitoring squirrels and buzzards on the roof of the Big Room. She hears somebody just after dark, and I imagine it is feral hogs.

So far the hunters have not crossed the hogs’ paths, but we’ve all seen them far too many times. They have rooted up the cows’ old hay area to the point I’m tempted to plant corn.

A Golden-cheek Warbler sang up at the Cottage last evening as Sissy, our friend Clark and his daughter Emma, and I tried to get the newest calf to nurse from a bottle. His mother does not have enough milk so we are going to succeed in bottle-feeding this calf. This is all due to my not having bottle-fed her first calf last year when she was sick. I have learned a hard lesson and am lucky to have help in getting this little fellow started. So far, he is pretty stubborn but that bottle should look good to him in a week or two.

We are Shocked US Fish &Wildlife Service (USFWS) has refused to administer the Endangered Species Act on our land because it is private property.

Did you know they do this? We didn’t. We assumed that the endangered birds here at Maverick Ranch-Fromme Farm have equal protection under the Endangered Species Act and that we as citizens of the United States have equal protection under the law. USFWS says this is not so.

A representative of the Austin Field Office of USFWS came here in April to announce this “fact” after stringing us along for over a year and a half telling us they were working with a developer who started construction on a beautiful piece of land right next to our endangered and native wildlife preserve. We have endangered birds on the fenceline and have seen and heard them on adjacent property. Based on the strength of our endangered bird data USFWS should have required the developer to perform a three-year endangered

bird survey, create buffers to protect our bird habitat on the fence line, and mitigate for the edge effect damage to our habitat. They refused to do this, saying Maverick Ranch– Fromme Farm is private land, the development land is private land, and they do not administer the law on private land.

Maverick Ranch-Fromme Farm is protecting its endangered species with conservation easements, some of which were mitigation (permitted by USFWS) for Camp Bullis a few miles away. That means the family gave up its development rights forever in order to help the endangered species recover and come off the Endangered Species List. This has set aside a large amount of land in NW Bexar County for protection of the birds.

Throughout our recent years of serving on the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Southern Edwards Plateau-Habitat Conservation Plan (SEP-HCP), a community-wide effort to set up a mitigation bank here in Bexar County, USFWS informed us there was a three-year process that they required of all developers proposing to remove endangered species habitat. The SEP-HCP effort was to streamline that process for a developer down to one month by setting up a mitigation bank of protected, set-aside endangered species acres so he/she could purchase acres and proceed with the development project. This would be to the developer’s advantage by being much quicker than waiting three years to proceed.

When USFWS refused to protect Maverick Ranch-Fromme Farm’s endangered birds under the Endangered Species Act last

month, are they publicly announcing to every developer in Bexar County and Texas that they need not worry about going to a Habitat Conservation Plan mitigation bank – they can destroy endangered species habitat as long as it is on private land? In doing this, did the USFWS shoot down the SEP-HCP project?

The taxpayer should know one more thing: The Habitat Conservation Plan process is a USFWS process. USFWS put up $1.4 million of our tax dollars to fund the SEP-HCP project’s process. The County of Bexar and City of San Antonio governments added over $500,000, making $2 million the final cost.

These local governments, State agencies and many local citizens worked for five years to set up the SEP-HCP. USFWS oversaw the entire process, were at every meeting and they ultimately issue the permit so the HCP can begin. The $1.4 million covered the hiring of consultants, experts, and renting meeting locations. About 40 people served on two committees, the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Biological Advisory Team. All the citizens donated their time. They were knowledgeable and worked hard. After what has happened to us, several have told us they will never again serve on a governmental project because their efforts were wasted.

What is the ultimate impact of USFWS’ public refusal to administer the law on private land? It has done incalculable damage to Maverick Ranch-Fromme Farm. What has USFWS done to the Southern Edwards Plateau-Habitat Conservation Plan? There are several HCPs in Texas — what has this done to them? 

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

MMariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Tots and pups

LCC hosts summer tennis clinic

Ethan Jayden Rodriguez interacted with some of the pups at Woofstock at CaffĂŠ Dolce on Saturday, June 7. The event benefited the Laredo Animal Protective Society and was sponsored by June Bugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bakery.

Jaime Don Juan gave his tennis students a few pointers on Tuesday, June 17 at the Laredo Community College courts. This clinic is one of several Palomino Camps held throughout the summer for sports lovers.

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Courtesy Photo

Courtesy Photo

Laredo of Tomorrow Coalition announces logo winners Area Health Education Center executive director Julie Bazan; educator Dr. Rosa María Vida; Dean Dr. Gladys C. Keene of the UTHSC Laredo Regional Campus; and Laredo of Tomorrow Coalition chair Gerald Schwebel are pictured June 17 at the announcement of the Read for Life logo contest winners.

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Coaches donate to STFB The South Texas Coaches Association presented a $4,500 check to the South Texas Food Bank mission of feeding the hungry through its Kids Cafe program. Receiving the check at Shirley Field is Salo Otero of the STFB. Also pictured are Joel Lopez, Tommy Ramirez, David Sanchez, Oscar Villaseñor, David Charles, Eric Villaseñor, and Sergio Salinas.

The group has generously donated to the STFB for the last five years.

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Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS

LISD boardroom infestation The taxpaying public has seen, heard, and smelled plenty of guano generated in the LISD boardroom over the last two decades that board business has transpired in the old Baptist Church building at 1620 Houston Street. But now the green parrots of St. Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighborhood are making contributions, gnawing through serious wood to roost in the base of what once supported a bell tower. It is shocking to those who value historic structures that the district has not addressed the destruction. To get over the shock, walk next door to the old rectory to see the districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monument to historic disregard. Shameful indeed.

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St. Peter’s Historic District

This old house: former resident purchases childhood home, undertakes its restoration

By MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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f only all the historic LISD properties in the St. Peter’s neighborhood met the same happy resolution as the house at 1612 Houston Street.

Known as the Aldape House when it was purchased by the school district in 1984, it is now in the loving ownership of Sara Cabello Thompson, the granddaughter of Rodolfo and Buenaventura Aldape.

For Cabello Thompson, who lived there with her grandparents and her parents, Rogelio and María Amparo Aldape Cabello, until the age of 10, the house embodies many cherished childhood memories.

The Aldapes purchased the home in 1941 and raised their four children there.

A native of Saltillo, Rodolfo Aldape came to Laredo during the Mexican

Amparo Aldape Cabello and Sara Revolution. He was a journalist and a typesetter for The Laredo Times. He eventually opened the Aldape printing enterprise on Victoria Street, just around the corner from his home on Houston Street.

“It was a beautiful home. My grandmother loved this house and treated it with kid gloves,” she said of the threestory, three-bedroom Victorian structure built in 1895.

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“I was baptized at St. Peter’s Church and I went to school at Mary Help of Christians a block away. We played in St. Peter’s Plaza across the street. Downtown was my backyard. On Saturdays we roamed through Kress and Woolworth’s without fear of crime or theft. It was the age of innocence. It’s where we shopped for everything. It was the center of Laredo’s social life.

Even then, we were aware that downtown was an international business setting where commerce thrived,” Cabello Thompson said.

Cabello Thompson “When I was 10, my parents bought property in the Heights and we moved to a new home. My brother and I would walk from the 2600 block of Guadalupe Street to my grandparents house on Houston Street to see them and to be in our old home,” she said.

The home was sold to LISD in 1983 by some of the children of Rodolfo and Buenaventura Aldape. Not all the siblings were in agreement with the sale.

“If I could have bought this house

before it was sold to the school district, I would have. It was heartbreaking to lose it. My mother and I never stopped referring to it as ‘our house.’ I am so happy that I have bought it and recovered the loss of it,” she continued.

The eye-pleasing structure, which once featured the cupola shown in the accompanying illustration, was offered up for auction by the school district along with the Orfila House at 1700 Matamoros and the old synagogue on Washington and Main.

LISD will leave its 20-year occupation of some of downtown’s most beautiful historic structures that were acquired for administrative offices and the Vidal M. Treviño School of Fine Arts and Communications. LISD has begun to divest itself of some of those buildings as plans move to fruition for the relocation of the district’s administrative offices and as the new VMT School moves to completion on the Nixon High School campus.

Cabello Thompson purchased the home despite the visible ravages of neglect. “Parrots had taken residence in the attic and damaged the eaves of the house. The house was filled with bees.

I was appalled at the indifference with

which the school district had treated a historic structure like this. The old kitchen with its massive porcelain sink had been gutted. Some kind of black adhesive was used to hold vinyl tiles on the beautiful mahogany floors. Twoby-fours were nailed into the walls with huge, damaging nails to hang white boards and bulletin boards. So many things made me ask, ‘How could they do this?’”

Cabello Thompson has undertaken the restoration in stages, first cleaning the grounds, planting 100 rosebushes as she established a landscaping scheme, and then began the exterior work of weatherproofing repairs to the eaves and the roof.

“We repointed the bricks where needed, made repairs to window frames and screens, and now we’ve painted the exterior. We are wrapping up the building’s exterior rehabilitation before moving on to the interior,” she said.

“I love being here. It’s like coming home over and over again,” she said.

The new coat of paint and the landscaping, which also includes blooming crepe myrtle and ponciana have brought the handsome gabled structure to life, a contrast to the fate of the two adjacent LISD buildings to the east, the old Baptist Church rectory open to the weather with a rotted-through roof (and no visible attempt to abate or repair) and the other, the LISD board room, once a venerated church, the truncated base of its long-gone belfry now chomped through by the parrots who live there. 

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Womens City Club hosts annual golf tournament Oscar Lopez, Joe Flores, Balt Ramos, and Memo García took to the greens for this year’s Juvencio de Anda Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 31 at the Laredo Country Club.

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Cowl Rehab staff at annual 5k Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation staff members Sylvia Ramos, Delia Vasquez, Lizette Maldonado, Lizzie Lara, and Chris Treviño were at the 3rd Annual 5K Run, Walk, and Roll for Rehab on June 21 at North Central Park.

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