LareDOS March 2013 Issue

LOCALLY OWNED

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

— Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard’s Egg A JOURNAL OF THE BORDERLANDS MARCH 2013

Est. 1994

Vol. XVIII No. 3 64 PAGES

@lareDOSnews

LareDOS Newspaper

Opposition builds to Rancho Viejo Landfill “I took this photo from my deer blind in 2007 of a rig on the adjacent Yugo Ranch, the site of the proposed landfill. A 90-foot increase (about the height of the rig) in the base elevation resulting from the deposit of compacted garbage over the site will cause the sun to set on our property 10 to 15 minutes earlier each day…. for eternity….think about that impact to any property.”

– Robert F. Wied Jr.

Rancher Seventh Generation Landowner

The Sciaraffa saga: A tale longer than Lent and not one for Semana Santa Semana santa didn’t strike me as an optimum time to continue the unsavory reportage of the Frank Sciaraffa saga, a tale of a disgraced County Commissioner who allegedly required fellatio of women in his county office, the one you and I pay for.

Oh, I could pun this thing to death, er, blow-by-blow, or with a cartoon of women telling you their job sucks as they strike with fury at a Frank Sciaraffa piñata holding a bunch of cracked cascarrones and DNA samples, but that would be distasteful and an affront to the sweet days ahead of La Coneja.

So I’m taking the advice of our sage political prognosticator Cholulah Bankhead, she who believes that in Laredo gossip travels faster than the speed of light, and I’m saving this story for the month that Spring is in a riot, love is in the air, and the trees hang ripe with deposition fruit.

– M.E.G.

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Community responds to Pillar’s bucket brigade

Martinez Foundation helps Book Nook Gabriel Castillo, executive director of the Laredo Center for the Arts, and ShirleyGonzalez, president of the board of the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation, are photographed at a March 8 press conference as Castillo received $28,800 to benefit the center’s Book Nook Bookstore.

Pillar fundraising volunteers were spotted at seven different intersections on Saturday, March 2. Volunteers promoted Pillar while taking donations from the community. Within the first four hours, volunteers raised $5,700 making this Pillar’s most successful bucket brigade. All funds go toward the operation expenses of the organization which promotes tolerance.

PUBLISHER

María Eugenia Guerra

meg@laredosnews.com STAFF WRITERS

Mariela Rodríguez

Silke Jasso SALES

María Eugenia Guerra

ads@laredosnews.com

CIRCULATION, BILLING & SUBSCRIPTIONS

meg@laredosnews.com LAYOUT/DESIGN

Vantage Graphics

design@laredosnews.com

CONTRIBUTORS Cordelia Barrera

Randy Koch

Nancy Black

Jim Lacey

Bebe Fenstermaker

José Antonio López

Sissy Fenstermaker

Monica McGettrick

Denise Ferguson

Tagi Sagafi-nejad

Vicky García

Salo Otero

Neo Gutierrez

Itiel Valdez

Henri Kahn

Celia Villarreal

Write a Letter to the Editor meg@laredosnews.com

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS

Chief Gray Wolf Rolando (Roli) Vedia, a United High School senior, makes his way down Victoria Street in the annual Washington’s Birthday Celebration Parade. He is the son of Roxanne and Tony Vedia.

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Jazzing it up Gayle and Bill Hauserman were among the jazz aficionados who enjoyed the recent jazz event in St. Peter’s Plaza. Hosted by the St. Peter’s Historic Neighborhood Association. The free open-air concert was held in honor of Black History Month.

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Convergys and LAPS partner up Candy Everett Cunningham was among the volunteers at the Laredo Animal Protective Society’s Adopt-A-Pet Day on Wednesday, February 27 at Convergys.

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Tennis Night in America Sydney Perkins and Talisa Acosta were among the participants of Tennis Night in America on Monday, March 4 at J.B Alexander High School. They are photographed with Alexander tennis player Conrado Bermea who instructed the girls on how to play the game.

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

At the Relay for Life Dodgeball Tournament Volunteers Glenda Rangel and Deynae Ayaquica of the Sigma Delta Lambda sorority are pictured at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday, March 6 at United High School.

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Trike-A-Thon proceeds to St. Jude’s Hospital LCC Child Development Department chair Gloria Juarez and Cynthia Perez, assistant director of the Camilo Prada Child Development Center, are photographed with the Rodriguez family and assistant dean of LCC South Campus Priscilla Medina at the March 1 Trike-A-Thon.

Proceeds from the event benefited St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital.

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Opinion

Will the landowner’s right to build a landfill for financial gain eclipse the rights of neighboring ranchers who stand to lose the value, beauty and tranquility of their lands?

BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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morning drive out to the beautiful, tranquil ranch country surrounding the proposed site of the Rancho Viejo municipal solid waste landfill between Highway 359 and U.S. Highway 59 gave me an idea of the size of the heartache neighboring landowners are facing.

Over the course of a couple of hours we spotted all kinds of wildlife, avian and four-footed, and crossed paths with only one oil field service pickup.

Driving along the good caliche bed of Jordan Road, I saw fences and

Joe Jordan at El Tanque Grande Ranch pastures well-tended, cattle, horses, ponds, and houses. I did not see abandoned properties, commercial enterprises, or a wasteland.

If the 1,100-acre landfill is permitted and built, neighboring ranchers will be forced to look out onto a horizon quite

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different from the pastoral settings I traversed — land that even in drought looked beautiful and in use.

Among the points that have resonated most among the neighboring protesting landowners is the TCEQ’s assessment that the proposed 1,100acre dump has no land compatibility issues. Set aside for a moment that surrounding land values will plummet and the quality of life aesthetics will be compromised on rangeland and pristine tracts of wildlife habitat.

The real land compatibility issues, as pointed out by Webb County’s floodplain administrator Rhonda Tiffin, have to do with wetlands and the fact that 43 percent of the proposed landfill site are in the 100-year floodplain.

Famous in all its incarnations as an enabler/facilitator for industry, the TCEQ bends its own environmental rules and those of other agencies to arrive at compliance. The agency needs vast reform, enforcement, and more employees who have environmental gumption and are not simply bean counting permit issuers. Over its long history, the agency has shown its loyalty to industry and not to everyday Texans who are forced by the agency’s poor decisions to live with the air-andwater-compromising consequences of unfettered, unregulated industry.

At the February 28 TCEQ public meeting, neighboring ranchers who have treasured the respite and family histories of their ranches listened to Rancho Viejo’s C.Y. Benavides III speak of the proposed facility as an environmental mecca that selflessly serves the public’s need for where to dump its trash. As well they listened to him elaborate on plans to invite other in-

dustries to their backyard. With access to nearby Union Pacific rails, the facility will increase truck traffic to receive the trash of other municipalities and industries — the stuff of a rancher’s nightmares.

My family’s land is an entire county away from this site that is 25 miles from Laredo. I don’t have a horse in this race, but I do have environmental sensibilities, and I can tell you that if it was in proximity of our land, I would leave no stone unturned to try to stop the development of something so vast that it would occlude by its 90-foot rise the horizon and my view of the sunrise or the setting sun.

I’ve been sent photographs, old ones and new ones, of families making memories over decades on ranches surrounding the proposed landfill site.

They speak to the real value of family land, that of a vault for the family history — the record of a place where lives were made, where hard work built character, and all forms of joy, heartbreak, and loyalty were shared.

Bob Wied, a protesting landowner, sent me a photo he took in 2007 from a deer blind on his property of a rig on the Benavides property, the rig approximating the 90-foot height of the proposed landfill’s mountain of garbage.

Other photoSam Jordan Jr. graphs, especially

the old black-and-whites of children at play and families celebrating special occasions on their ranches nearby, speak to the memories that form indelible ties to land.

Among the most vocal of those who protest the proposed landfill are the residents of the Hwy. 59 colonias of Ranchitos Los Arcos, Los Centenarios, and Los Mesquites, Webb County residents who have lived for decades without water and with poor roads and flood plain issues that destroy property and endanger lives.

In Zapata County we were engaged in a similar dumpsite fight last year to let the Texas Railroad Commission know that we, the town of San Ygnacio and neighboring ranchers, did not want an oilfield waste land farm on a flood plain a mile from town and a mile from the Río Grande. Three-hundred CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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mental Resource Center landfill have mobilized to ensure that their voices are heard and weighed against the veritable freight train of the complicit TCEQ and the paid consultants who have burrowed through legalese and regulations to bring the permit to this point.

The crux of the proposed landfill debate rests on hydrology, floodplain issues, and whether the rights of those who wish to develop their land for financial gain can eclipse the rights of the surrounding landowners who don’t want to live with an environmental assault to the heritage, beauty, and tranquility of their lands. ◆

News

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Autism walk set for April 6

utism Teamwork Inspiring Essential Support (T.I.E.S) group is gearing up for its 3rd annual Walk-A-Fest on Saturday, April 6 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Uni-Trade Stadium. As April is Autism Awareness Month, the event is intended to raise awareness in the community about the prevalence of the disorder.

“We need your help to facilitate and host this event and are requesting your support,” said Brandy Villarreal, support group leader of Autism T.I.E.S. Limited booths and tables for clinics or other businesses interested in disseminating information to the Walk-A-Fest participants are available.

She added, “We are humbly asking for a monetary donation and activities for the children to play in exchange for a booth.”

Any clinic or business that gets a booth will automatically be considered a sponsor and will be included on the walk t-shirt.

The support group is also in search of a new logo to be featured at all future events. The winner will be anW W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M

nounced at the walk. Logos can be submitted to autismties@yahoo.com The walk will commence with an opening prayer and a musical presentation by both Laredo and United Independent School District students.

A softball game for children with disabilities will also take place prior to the walk. Karaoke will also be available for family participation “Our goal is to bring together families, friends and those affected directly or indirectly by Autism,” Villarreal said, adding, “It will be a celebration in honor of all the hardworking families that want to further their children’s lives.”

Autism T.I.E.S. began in January 2011.

“One of the reasons why I began the group was to get those families that choose to isolate themselves if a loved one is diagnosed with Autism exposed to the community — to enlighten them and show them there is nothing to be ashamed of,” said Villarreal.

For more information contact Villarreal at (956) 220-2863.

– LareDOS Staff

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 residents at a town hall meeting and 400 letters to the Commission put the brakes on the proposed environmental debacle that could have changed air quality, the only source of municipal water, and traffic through San Ygnacio.

There were several large, responsible voices in the mix of opposition in the proposed San Ygnacio project — Zapata County elected officials, the Río Grande International Study Center, the River Pierce Foundation of San Ygnacio, and the irrefutable science of hydrology, elevations, and flood plains.

Those who oppose the proposed Rancho Viejo/Pescadito Environ-

Lowe’s helps rebuild Clark Elementary playground Students of Clark Elementary School along with principal Sandra L. Higareda and Parent Teacher Club president Marla Perez are pictured with Lowe’s store manager Ruben Ibarra and assistant manager Molie Gaytan who presented the school with a Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant. The funds will be used to purchase and repair playground equipment.

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Feature

After 55 years of teaching, Mr. Blanco is retiring

BY NANCY HINOJOSA-HERSCHAP LareDOS Contributor

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anuel B. Blanco, longtime revered English instructor, after 55 continuous years of teaching at Laredo Community College, will retire in May of this year. Blanco holds numerous degrees, among them a Bachelor of Arts in English as well as a Master of Arts in English from Texas A & I University in Kingsville. He also possesses an Associate in Applied Science for Computer Information Technology and an Associate in Arts.

He signed his first teaching contract in September 1958 with LCC, which at that time was known as Laredo Junior College. During his 55-year tenure, Blanco has initiated, implemented, and weathered many significant changes at LCC. He conducted his first English classes in the old Fort McIntosh wooden barracks where no central air and heating systems existed. He now teaches his last classes of this semester in the beautifullyrenovated brick buildings on the campus. These state-of-the-art buildings are equipped with the latest computer technology, in contrast to the blackboards, chalk dust, and wooden floors of the past.

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Many of LCC’s educational programs were initiated by Manuel Blanco. Of the many improvements he implemented, the one of which he is most proud is his role in making developmental (remedial) classes prerequisites for college courses. As English Department Chair from 1974-1984, Blanco tackled the problem of solving the high failure rate in English courses. With only one remedial English class and one remedial reading class offered as electives at that time, few students enrolled in such classes. In addition, the college, at that time, had no placement procedures.

Blanco explained, “It was assumed that high school graduates would automatically qualify for college classes.

The ACT and the SAT were recommended, but few students took these standardized college entrance tests.”

What was clear to him was the fact that many high school graduates were unprepared for college courses. He recommended to the Academic Dean that all incoming freshmen take the Nelson-Denny Reading Test and College Board tests on English usage and sentence structure. For those students scoring below a tenth grade level on the NDT and below a seventy on the English tests, remedial classes were then required. Once these students

passed their remedial classes, then they qualified for regular classes. “As a result,” Blanco said, “the English Department was able to reduce failure and withdrawal rates in English courses from as high as 70 percent to a reasonable 30 percent. This placement procedure and the availability of remedial classes remained in operation for several years, until the state developed and required its own college entrance and placement tests.”

The first instructor at LCC to develop and teach computer-assisted English classes was none other than Blanco. Working part-time as a local newspaper editor and seeing the ease in which reporters wrote and revised news stories with word processers, Blanco brought the world of word processing to the students and the classroom. He started with one computerassisted English class, and “now all composition courses at Laredo Community College are taught with computers and the latest technology.”

In the 1980s, Blanco witnessed the growth of the Internet, and he immediately and successfully implemented its availability to those students who could not attend face-to-face classes due to family and/or job obligations.

From Blanco’s teaching of one small online composition course, the num-

ber of online courses has now escalated to include almost every subject taught at LCC. Another contribution that Blanco has made to the English Department is the development of the Blanco English Grammar Computer Program — a program he wrote using BASIC in 1985. Blanco applied some of the features of arcade games, such as instant scores, to his computerized grammar program, thus making grammar drills and exercises challenging, rather than laborious, for the students. His program benefitted instructors as well, for it eliminated the tedious grading of numerous grammar exercises. Currently, his grammar program remains a favorite of both students and instructors and is in constant use.

The Writing Center at Laredo Community College, located in Adkins 212 on the Fort McIntosh Campus, was aptly dedicated and named for Blanco on April 6, 2010. Colleagues, students, and friends remain grateful to Blanco’s commitment and zeal for education, the college, and the community. Raj Chekuri, an LCC instructor and colleague of Mr. Blanco’s for over 25 years, spoke highly of him.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 his patience and compassion for his students are his most enduring qualities that make him so dear to his colleagues and his students,” she said.

Throughout his continuous 55 years at Laredo Community College, Blanco has held many important college positions such as English Department Chair, Public Information Officer, sponsor of the college newspaper The Round Up, sponsor of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and is at the present time Senator at Large in the Faculty Senate.

Although he is reluctant to retire when new buildings and new technologies are emerging at Laredo Community College, Manuel B. Blanco, a truly dedicated, esteemed,

and enthusiastic instructor feels that “it is time to let the younger faculty members continue with the task of providing the first two years of a college education to Laredo’s students.”

For Blanco, it was a magnificent time to teach, and now it is a meritorious time to rest. Many blessings, heart-felt thanks, and good wishes to Manuel Blanco for the 55 amazing years he has bestowed upon all of us!

Note: The poem below was written five years ago when Mr. Blanco considered and then reconsidered retirement. The title of the poem was adjusted this year to reflect Mr. Blanco’s additional gift to us of another five year of teaching. The original poem was titled “Mr. Blanco: The Gift of Fifty Years.”

Mr. Blanco: The Gift of Fifty-Five Years In the spring of 2008, I walked by a classroom in the Adkins building and I heard a voice — joyous, enthusiastic, and magical.

It was none other than Manuel Blanco’s voice; I stopped for a moment outside in the hallway and listened with real wonder at my colleague reading with passion lines from Byron’s Don Juan.

I slid right back in time to 1971, when I was a student at what was then Laredo Junior College, sitting in perhaps the same classroom, mesmerized, as I am now, completely spellbound by Mr. Blanco’s love for literature.

It is truly amazing this unique gift that Mr. Blanco possesses: the gift to show and share with students and colleagues alike the beauty of great literature and the power of the written word.

Whether in the classroom of textbooks or in the hallways of the world, Mr. Blanco is a dedicated, insightful, and scintillating instructor.

That night, and many nights hence, I run my fingers over the bookshelves, find the anthology selected by Mr. Blanco for English 201, English Romantic Writers, flip to Coleridge’s “Kubla-Khan” and “revive within me [Mr. Blanco’s] symphony and song.”

This instructor of mine, Mr. Blanco, this colleague of ours, is truly “a miracle of rare device.”

– Nancy Hinojosa-Herschap

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Commentary

Same sex marriage: fruit for thought

BY JIM LACEY LareDOS Contributor

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ere we go again with same-sex marriage. As the high court scratches its head and tries to find a way to strike down at least some points while keeping others so as to please all sides, the rest of us will just have to wait and wonder what invention they’ll come up with this time.

A little fruit for thought is in order…

We can’t know how terrible homosexual behavior is. We were never told.

All we know for certain is that it didn’t make the Top 10. Could be #11, could be #384; but we do know this — that if Adam and Eve hadn’t eaten the darned thing there’d be no sin and therefore no homosexuals and therefore none of them trying to get married. Or wait… might there have been anyway?

A revisit of the whole apple and asp thing worms up the facts really good.

You see, 1,500 animal species practice homosexuality. That’s right, 1,499 others besides man.

To complicate things all 1,500 play at about the same rate (put at about 15% of each species in most studies).

Now comes the tough part: the arithmetic. + So we know 1,499 species were punished for not eating any apple, or, + If they somehow did, we’re talking a really big tree with at least 1,500 apples on it if an apple was shared by male and female of each species, and 3,000 apples if life was already greedy by this time.

Then again maybe the Garden was full of apple trees in which case all the snake would have to have done was slither from tree to tree infecting 1,500 otherwise perfectly innocent species with abomination. Of course, each tree

could have had its own snake.

Conjecture aside, one thing we do know is that the snake of old possessed an IQ to die for. That or he was just naturally born with the ability to speak in tongues – 1,500 of them.

All mystery aside, seems to me an all-knowing god who punishes is a pretty abominable thought in itself.

Why not simply fill the apples with non-abomination stuff ? Then we could lose the whole snake thing and raise our kids on the occasional reminder, “An apple a day keeps sin away.”

See? Much simpler, and it eliminates having the snake do his dirty work, namely, giving Adam and Eve an apple He knows darn good and well they’re going to eat coz he already knows everything, not to mention he knows it’s going to poison them on top of everything with — ewwww — abomination.

I’m meanwhile trying to think through what must have been the plight of the snake that cost him the ability today to speak. Perhaps he committed a little sin of his own and lost favor, dabbled in a bit of the old apple himself?

But that’s just one more “mysterious way” we have to live with, like the square planet having four corners even though we know it’s round, bushes that suddenly self-ignite, snakes that talk — well, used to — and of course a flood that wipes out all of life except a pair of each species which just happen to be in the general neighborhood of a very large boat and are able to board it in the nick of time to be saved.

With so many mysterious, unpredictable, and even life-ending things going on all the time, heck, I say forget whatever the high court comes up with; enjoy a little apple while you still can. ◆ (Jim Lacey is a Laredo ex-pat living in Austin.)

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Commentary

The borderland fence

BY JOSÉ ANTONIO LÓPEZ LareDOS Contributor

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pril is one of the most important months in early Texas history. April 2013 marks a number of “firsts” in our history: (l) first Texas Revolution (200 th Anniversary; 18132013); (2) first president of Texas (José Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara); (3) first Texas Declaration of Independence; and (4) first Texas Constitution.

Things were much different in Texas in the early 1800s. For starters, the U.S. Mexico border was all the way east at the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. Mexico’s northern territories encompassed today’s states of Texas, Nuevo México, Colorado, Arizona, and Las Californias, including parts of Utah and Nevada.

Coincidentally, two other significant events are creating headlines in South Texas. The first is the immigration debate, and the second, oddly enough, is a move supporting increased trade with Mexico. That is good news — sort of.

First, bi-partisan efforts to fix our broken immigration system have quite suddenly and curiously reignited after four years of dormancy.

Though the immigration debate means different things to the two sides involved, both sides do agree on securing the border. The similarity in their positions ends there.

To one side, the most pressing issues are the fate of 11 million undocumented workers and citizenship for DREAM children. In human dignity terms, this is the nobler of the two sides.

To the other side, the most important issue is their demand for a 2,000 mile-long fence. This was obvious even a few days ago, when Senator John McCain’s town hall meeting

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was disrupted by a few individuals spewing violence. The most vocal members wrongly blame recent immigrants for the centuries-old Spanish Mexican culture on this side of the border. Worse, they use the foulest and most hateful words to express their opinion. We all know the type. On Sunday morning they pray for the poor and the immigrant. The other six days, they preach violence toward the same oppressed minority groups and anyone else who doesn’t look like them. It’s evident that those with this frame of mind don’t know or care how daily life and commerce within the Borderlands is being affected by the border wall.

With due respect for those with the latter view, I remind them that the U.S. is not the only power to try to insulate itself from its enemies by building a wall. Ironically, Mexico is not our enemy, but a friendly ally.

Building a 2,000 mile-long fence is not a good neighbor policy. It’s more symbolic of the far-right extremist anti-diversity rhetoric. Whether it’s ever completed or not, the iron fence is an arrogant display of folly, similar to the Great Wall of China, Hadrian’s Wall in Britain, or the Berlin Wall in Germany.

As to the second news event; one of our two U.S. senators is shamelessly seeking Hispanic votes by promising increased trade opportunities with Mexico. He can’t have it both ways. He cannot with one hand actively help build the iron fence, while with the other shakes Mexico’s hand. That is hypocrisy. Serious problems do exist on the border.

However, they exist due to complex causes on both sides of the border.

Problems will be solved only if we treat Mexico as an equal partner.

As such, the following Borderlands history summary is offered to

the bi-partisan committee members now actively studying the issue, plus readers who may wish to learn more of their history.

To begin with, where and what in the world are the Borderlands?

In his book, Tejano South Texas, author Daniel D. Arreola describes it as the Oriente (East) Command in New Spain, including the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Texas, and Nuevo Santander. The territory was expansive, stretching from Central Mexico to far and wide undetermined boundaries to the northeast and north. To the west sat the vast Nuevo México, what is now called the U.S. Southwest. The area’s population today shares family ties, language, religion, and heritage; hence, the name the Borderlands. Similar to German-speaking Alsace Lorraine (Moselle) in France, the U.S. has long denied the existence of the Borderlands as a shared community.

Much more important than its geographic description is the fact that Spanish Mexican explorers, missionaries, and pioneer and Native American people called it home.

For example, the Río Grande at that time was in the middle of this large outback territory that lured only the daring brave who had the mettle to settle. The Río Grande — then located well within the boundary of Nuevo Santander/Tamaulipas — was a local river in the middle of the northern portion of the Camino Real, where the same families lived and thrived on both sides of the river.

As discussed in a previous article, in 1848 the U.S. sliced off half of Mexico’s sovereign territory, taking also its Spanish-speaking population. Thus, close-knit families were split in two by this boundary that can only be described as a perma-

nent Mason-Dixon Line of U.S. Civil War fame. Unlike the Civil War, however, our families have never reunited.

Nonetheless, the U.S. still doesn’t recognize the Southwest as part of the larger territory of the Borderlands. They continue to do so at their own peril. Many of today’s problems on the border could be resolved if only U.S. officials meditated on and better understood the human aspects of the region.

It is quite ironic that the vocal anti-immigrant few ranting for a higher fence and violence against the undocumented are all white-skinned immigrants of Anglo and Northern European descent. At the same time, those they persecute are brownskinned human beings blessed by their skin color; proving they are descendants of the First Americans.

We must take a moment next month to remember our ancestor families. They merit our admiration.

Let’s use the opportunity during the immigration debate to remind our elected officials not to blindly support the anti-diversity goals of a few extremists. Let’s embrace the long inclusive, bi-lingual history of the Borderlands. Say No to English Only.

Clearly, history teaches us that in the end, the 2,000 mile-long barrier will one day meet the same fate as the other absurd walls of fear. In time, the iron fence will become a rusting eyesore reminding us of the following prophetic lines in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, Ozymandias: My name is Ozymandias, king of kings.

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains ‘round the decay of that colossal wreck; Boundless and bare the lone and level sands stretch far away. ◆ W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

MMariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Border Beer Fest benefits scholars

WBCA parade salutes armed services Members of the National Guard and other participating members of the military received resounding applause at their participation in the Anheuser Busch Washington’s Birthday Celebration Parade on February 23.

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David Vasquez, organizer of Border Beer Fest, is pictured with Linda Lamantia of L&F Distributors and the STARS Scholarship fund. The Beer Fest raised $2,000 for higher education studies for STARS Scholars.

www.laredosnews.com

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News

Comedian Sandra Valls honoree at International Women’s Day celebration

BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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omedian and human rights activist Sandra Valls, a native Laredoan, was the honoree of this year’s International Women’s Day Celebration sponsored by Laredo Community College’s Revolutionary Arts and Cultural Empowerment (RACE) Club. The 8th

Sandra Valls annual celebration, which focused on standing up against violence, was held March 8 at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Theater at the Fort McIntosh Campus.

Valls, who is Hispanic and gay, has found success in a male dominated standup comedy industry. Known for her socially relevant in-your-face approaches to comedy, Valls has become one of the top Latin comedians in the country.

LCC instructor and RACE Club advisor Mary Sue Galindo, said, “I was blown away when I learned there was a female comedian from Laredo.

Comedy is a difficult industry to break

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into.”

Valls has appeared in multiple high profile shows including Showtime’s The Original Latin Divas of Comedy special, NickMom: Night Out, and as a writer/producer for Mun2.

She is also a published author and a human rights activist. She volunteers and produces comedy shows for various LGBT issues and stages fundraisers for AIDS, sobriety, and domestic violence.

“This award is one of the best I have ever received because my home town is recognizing me and what I represent, thanks to my parents — a si se puede strong, confident female attitude,” said Valls.

Valls spoke of obstacles that arose from moving from Mexico to the U.S. as a child, dealing with unemployment, her mother’s illness, and instances of discrimination in the work place.

“Adversity doesn’t build your character — it shows your character. What doesn’t kill you, choose to let it make you stronger. It is very important, even in the worst of times to be gracious, because the problems you face are actually opportunities for you to become stronger,” Valls said.

Galindo said, “Sandra Valls loves Laredo and has shared with our students advice about being happy with what you choose to do in life. She is a woman who has deviated from the traditional path to blaze her own fabulous trail. I believe she can inspire our students.”

International Women’s Day honors important women in and outside the community by highlighting their struggles and successes.

For more information about LCC’s celebration of International Women’s Day, contact Galindo at 794-4736.

VALLS TO THE WALL ON BEING GAY IN LAREDO LareDOS: Let’s talk about growing up gay in Laredo. Describe the relationship you had with your parents and tell us when they became aware you were not a subscriber to traditional aspirations like a hetero wedding and a home in the burbs.

Valls: I feel my parents knew from early on when I used to walk around the house pretending to be Fonz! Or when I would sit glued to the TV set watching Wonder Woman with my dad. Or when I refused to have a quinceañera because I had to have a chamberlain and wear a stupid dress! They gave me the party anyway, much to my dismay. I came out to my mother first when I was in my early 20s. She freaked out at first, and then after just three days, she came to me and said, “I respect you so much more now. I know this was difficult for you to share with me. I love you so much. But don’t tell your father.” I told my dad a little later, and he already knew. He was all, “I knew it! You wanted to

spend more time with Sandy than you did with your boyfriend!” And that was soooo true. One beautiful thing I’m always grateful for is that my parents always, always, always made me feel loved. I was the center of their universe! I have always felt loved and supported by them.

LareDOS: How did your teachers and classmates treat you? Give us examples and tell us where you went to school.

Valls: I wasn’t out in school, but my classmates sensed that I was ‘not like them,’ so they bullied me and actually called me “lesbian” in a very degrading way. Now, I don’t know why that word would be an insult to begin with, but…whatever.

I went to St. Augustine High School.

LareDOS: Characterize yourself in high school.

Valls: I was an awkward artistic, creative, funny kid. I never fell into the norm. I knew in my heart that CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

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 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 I was different and wanted more than what I had in Laredo. I focused on my studies, my music and my acting.

LareDOS: What formed your decision to move away from here?

Valls: I knew that my dreams of being in the entertainment business were not going to happen in Laredo.

I knew I had to move away from my family. I also knew that I owed it to myself to see who I really was, and that was not going to happen in Laredo. Growing up, I didn’t know I had the option to love a woman.

Since I was not going to get married to a man, I thought my only other choice was to become a nun! Laredo is becoming very progressive, but unfortunately people still have to move away to live freely in a same sex relationship.

LareDOS: What made you choose comedy as a means of expression and a livelihood?

Valls: I fell into comedy when an ex-girlfriend of mine signed me up for comedy classes. I had always been the funny one and made people laugh, and so I went on and took the class and a whole other career was born. I loved it. I get up on stage and make you laugh with my crazy jokes and you pay me for it? That’s the best!

LareDOS: Have attitudes

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changed about being LGBT in Laredo?

Valls: I think they have. I was just honored for my work as a Latina comic and gay activist by R.A.C.E. at LCC. That says something! Change is happening! Not as fast as I would like it to, but it’s coming. Unfortunately, we still have a long, long way to go.

LareDOS: What one piece of advice would you give to someone struggling with sexual identity in Laredo?

Valls: Stay true to yourself. You are a perfect, blessed, and complete person just the way you are. Love is never wrong. If you need to get out to live your life fully, then get out of Laredo. You owe it to yourself. If you have to choose between your family and yourself, choose yourself. You can never go wrong by choosing self. Life is about joy not guilt and shame! You have a mission on this earth. Go out and do it and don’t let anything or anyone stop you!

LareDOS: How much of your hometown and its culture makes it into your comedy?

Valls: A whole lot! I love Laredo and my culture! I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I love the traditions in Laredo. I love our language, food, the fact that we celebrate Washington’s birthday with the Marthas,…I love it all. It’s part of me! ◆

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Courtesy Photo

Viky García/LareDOS

Something for everyone

Runners of all ages were spotted on Sunday, March 24 at the 5th Annual Mercurio Martinez IV 5K Run and Walk that began at St. Peter’s Plaza. The 5K run and walk was sponsored by the Teens in the Driver Seat organization of the Vidal M Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts and the Webb County Sheriff’s department.

Courtesy Photo

Members of the St. Peter’s Historic Neighborhood Association enjoyed the Garden Share event at the Ramos Home on Matamoros.

Lynne Nava of Keep Laredo Beautiful shared a wealth of information about gardening with those in attendance.

At the Mercurio Martinez IV 5K Run and Walk

Author at Zapata book-signing Writer José Antonio López discusses the life of Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara, the subject of his book, The Last Knight. He is pictured at the book signing event hosted by the Zapata County Musem of History on March 8.

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Feature

The path Alli Flores chose to optimal health and balance

BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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“My class is geared toward women.

It definitely tones all the problem areas,” she said, adding, “It really does give you the confidence that you lack in your body. It is one of the only things I’ve seen that reduces cellulite, which is unheard of.”

Other Casa Yoga courses include Zumba and Nia — which uses world music and incorporates nine different types of movement from Tai Chi to contemporary dance.

“Our philosophy is that all the classes offered at Casa Yoga can be done at age eight or 80. Because they are low impact and high intensity, you can work at your own level. The courses are easy on the joints and help build lean muscle,” Flores advised.

Combining courses such as Fusion Barre with proper eating habits will help achieve desired results, according to Flores, who is not a fan of the term “diet.”

“Moderation,” she said, “is key. Im-

plementing healthy choices when you can is important. You shouldn’t take things away from your eating regiment.

Just add more of the good stuff.”

Casa Yoga’s thriving community is branching out. Recently the center began offering raw food prep classes taught by Ethel Arguindegui. It also hosts Social Sprouts — a vegan potluck.

The potluck is not solely intended for vegans. It is an opportunity to sample dishes, share recipes, and exchange ideas, said Flores.

“A lot of people think it is really expensive to eat healthy, but I feel that if you spend money on your clothes, car, and home, all of those things aren’t going to last you. Your body, on the other hand, that is yours for the rest of your life — why wouldn’t you take care of it?” she said.

Flores is currently undergoing the Radiant Flow Vinyasa certification program to become an official yoga instructor. Casa Yoga is the only place

Courtesy Photo

hoosing a healthy lifestyle and venturing on a quest of self-discovery can be a game- changing choice made a bit late in life, but for Alison K. Flores, 25, it was a choice made early as she adopted a holistic approach to achieve complete balance through yoga and nutrition.

After completing a BA in small business management and entrepreneurship from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Flores returned home and volunteered with local organizations such as Keep Laredo Beautiful and Laredo Main Street. Her lifelong love for dance led to her to perform for several seasons with the Nudo Piedi Contemporary Dance Company.

Initially a vendor at the newly formed Farmers Market, she became its market manager and was instrumental in the flourishing of the new effort to put local food on the home table.

“I did that for a little over a year, and I wish I could have remained a part of it,” Flores said. While coordinating vendors and events for the Farmers Market, Flores began to train at Casa Yoga — a center that revolves around the yogic practice aimed at providing wellness and peace of mind.

The center’s founder, Alejandra Arguindegui, asked Flores to take on the role of studio manager of Casa Yoga.

“She is extremely supportive and believes in empowering everyone around her, so I was more than happy to assume the position,” Flores said.

Flores teaches Fusion Barre which incorporates Pilates, ballet, yoga, and resistance training that strengthens muscles for yoga and fosters better core strength and posture.

Alli Flores instructing Barre Fusion course at Casa Yoga

in Laredo where one can receive a 200hour certification registered with the Yoga Alliance — an internationally recognized organization.

“Yoga helps you be disciplined. In discipline you find your freedom,” she said, adding, “I’m a work in progress.

I’m taking courses in anatomy, yoga, asanas (postures), meditation, eating, juicing, and tonic herablism for my certification.”

Flores said that yoga helps improve sleep and stress management. “Coupled with the other courses offered at Casa Yoga, your level of awareness in life could change,” she said, adding, “Awareness — that is the biggest lesson I’ve learned this past year. That is how the Casa Yoga’s community continues to grow, through awareness.”

For those looking to make positive changes, Flores advised, “The first step is don’t be too hard on yourself. Be patient and know you will encounter obstacles along the way.”

Casa Yoga’s motto is frequency, intensity, and precision. When implemented in all daily practices, Flores said, “They can help achieve a desired balance in life.”

The energetic and well-spoken Flores said, “We only get one life, and you have to live your best life. In order to feel healthy, fulfilled, and energized you must maintain an active lifestyle.

You have to eat good to feel good, and it’s all just about balancing everything for optimal health to achieve longevity.”

Flores radiates confidence and good health, an embodiment of what she believes yoga and healthy choices provide.

Casa Yoga is currently working to open a second location within the year — a wellness facility complete with a tonic herbal bar.

For more information on Casa Yoga call (956) 307-9642. ◆ LareDOS I M A RCH 2013 I

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News

KLB’s Nava on cleaning the cityscape and changing environmental attitudes ways to reduce the amount of trash their homes produce — don’t use paper plates, plastic glasses, and plastic flatware! We have become a society of throw-aways. Eliminate the use of baggies, paper napkins, and individ-

BY MARÍA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

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ynne Nava’s commitment to clean the cityscape is unwavering. The director of Keep Laredo Beautiful sat down with LareDOS to share her insights into how attitudes have changed about litter, cleanup participation, recycling, conservation, and xeriscape.

What do you bring to this job to reduce litter and solid waste, to increase recycling, and to beautify the cityscape?

Nava: I am the messenger. I like to get my audiences to visualize what happens with ‘not thinking’ about the small stuff. My message is to take personal responsibility and to understand how our actions impact the environment in little ways that seem ‘insignificant’ but are really the beginnings of a much larger problem, like littering. I speak to schools, churches, youth groups, and neighborhood associations about attitudes and behaviors within a community. Litter begets more litter and then trash and then illegal dumping.

One person’s attitude of ‘It’s not my park-toss of the water bottle-and fast food litter’ opens the door for another irresponsible person to say ‘Oh it’s already trashy, I’ll just add mine to the landscape.’ Then a third person comes by and leaves a whole bag of trash, then tires, and before you know it there is a couch, a mattress and an old TV. The key, I tell my audiences, is to use the reverse thought process of ‘If you see litter, pick it up and put it where it belongs.’ Be a litter picker!

As to solid waste reduction, I inform the community about the easy

Lynne Nava ual water bottles and soda cans. Purchase fresh food, and you eliminate packaging. No processed foods and you have no packaging! Of course if you can’t do these things, I say, try at least a few of them. If you are using individual water bottles, soda cans, canned veggies, juices and the like, then please recycle them. Everything we recycle reduces what we bury in the landfill, giving us a healthier community with fewer gases released in the air and fewer toxins leached into the ground.

Beautify the cityscape? I love the outdoors. I love plants, flowers, and trees. I love the birds and the bees.

We all work together in this environment, or at least we should. Beautification comes in many different forms. Everything from picking up litter to painting over graffiti, constitutes beautification — not just what

we plant in our gardens and yards. I try to encourage all types of community projects so that there is balance.

I also prefer native plant species. I believe that the citizens who volunteer for projects enjoy a variation of activity. A big misconception is the ‘I’ or ‘KLB’ as the focal point. ‘I’ don’t beautify, pick up litter, recycle, etc.

We all do. It’s a team effort. We are all KLB. Beautification and greening our community is everyone’s job, and KLB works with those students, civic groups, youth groups — all volunteers — to create beautiful spaces. It could be taking an illegal dumpsite and cleaning it up, and then planting some shrubs, cactus, and a tree or adding a post with a birdhouse on top. Simple pleasures, simple gestures for Mother Nature are some of the nicest additions to the cityscape.

What have been the challenges in raising community awareness?

Nava: The ‘you can’t do it’ or ‘that will never work’ attitude has always been a challenge. When I first took this position with the City of Laredo. I ran into someone who is very involved in the community and has probably done zillions of civic projects. I knew him to be an art lover I asked him his opinion of beautifying areas with art, art in public places. I was told by this individual that I was living in Laredo and it would never happen. That was a sad day for me, but I still believe you can move a mountain and you can do it without dynamite.

What have been the successes?

Nava: The awards that our volunteers have won are some of our great successes as they compete state and nationwide with many others.

It is very exciting for us when KLB nominates local groups or individu-

als for Keep Texas Beautiful Awards and Keep America Beautiful Awards.

It is even more exciting when they win! We have had seven first place winners and one second place winner in Keep Texas Beautiful Awards since our inception, and this year we had our very first Keep America Beautiful First Place award winner.

This year we nominated a young man for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Environmental Excellence Awards, and he won that award. Our other successes are the KLB waterway cleanups of our creeks, river, lake and ravines. Our volunteers can see that their efforts make a difference to the environment. After a morning of bending, reaching, and walking a mile with a bag full of trash they understand that something isn’t right. They become aware that someone’s inconsiderate choices gave them a morning of work that was not necessary. Another great success is when school children know their litter facts, like “Who is the largest littering age group?” and “What is the most littered item in America?” That means they have been listening since we started going into the classrooms and making presentations. We have been very successful in creating awareness at many levels, but there is always room for more campaigning.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of this job?

Nava: I have been in Laredo for 31 years. My parents are from Laredo. I spent the first 17 years of my life here doing volunteer work with many different organizations and the school districts. I know firsthand the importance of volunteering. The rewards CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 from this job are many but the most touching one is seeing the faces of the volunteers who literally look in awe of what they have just accomplished.

There is nothing like seeing the wonder on the face of a five-year-old or an 80-year-old volunteer as they watch the release of a butterfly from a little box! The butterfly stretches its wings and takes flight and their faces transform magically just like the butterfly.

It flies off and the eyes of that child/ elder are changed forever, as our mine.

How do you sell the concept of xeriscape in a town known for its expanses of water guzzling St. Augustine lawns?

Nava: Yes, Laredo loves its St. Augustine grass, but of late there has been a move towards more native grasses and low water need plants.

Our native species (those found here and around our ranches) are the best suited to our climate. The first hurdle has been the explanation that not all native species are cacti, then next is yes, native species have flowers, and the last is showing xeriscapes that are beautiful and filled with flowering shrubs, trees, and perennials. I think the biggest change in attitude comes when you show them the number of inches of water required by xeriscape plants over a year. The Texas AgriLife Master Gardener Program list categorizes plants that can live off of 10 inches or less a year and those that live off 20 inches or less a year.

Conserving water is environmentally smart and it saves money, too.

At KLB we practice what we preach and landscape with native species. There are some plants, however, that have become natives by default natives, and even if they are not truly native, they do use minimal amounts of water. St. Aug grass is the water hog of lawns. Zoysia is a good alternative, or better yet, true natives Stampede Buffalo or 609 Buffalo stay green with an inch a month of water.

Talk about saving money — that’s green!

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How does your upbringing on a ranch translate to the environmental and conservation messages you try to impart?

Nava: I was raised on a small working ranch where my father ran registered Angus and Santa Gerturdis cattle and thoroughbred horses.

His love was the horses, and my Mom’s was the cattle. We learned early on that litter and trash were detrimental to all animals, domestic and wild. We were taught to respect nature in all aspects. On our beach trips we had fun and we fished, but we were responsible for every piece of trash we generated. Our soda cans were collected and disposed of properly once we returned home. Fish guts and heads were buried next to my mom’s rose bushes or thrown into the compost bin which was a very large (24-feet in diameter). Everything that was organic in nature went into that bin. If we got punished our job was to put on the galoshes and turn it over and over again. My mom made the best dirt in the world for the plants and garden she cherished. She even enjoyed turning all those eggs shells, coffee grinds, banana peels and apple cores into something more. I realize now that it was all part of her journey to return to the land what she took from it. I have become my Mother…we all do. I recycle, reuse, reduce, re-buy and compost, perhaps not as intensely as my mother did.

One of the questions I ask children at the schools is ‘how many of you use your older brother or sisters clothes?’ Rarely does the whole class raise a hand — it is usually two or three. That is a sad commentary of where we as a society have gone. We overbuy and dispose of things that still have a life. Clothing is but one example. Furniture and our kitchenware are other great examples of where we have lost sight of the importance of using a product until it no longer has a use. And then I say think outside the box and make wind chimes out of those old forks and spoons. Make music courtesy of the

wind and a once treasured tool!

You’ve been KLB’s only director since its inception in 2005. Talk about the significance to you and the organization of the President’s Circle Award from Keep American Beautiful.

Nava: I came into this position very green (pun intended). I was already familiar with environmental issues like water quality, herbicide precautions, litter prevention education and of course beautification, but I had forgotten that it was a nationwide movement. I say forgotten because long ago when I was a child my parents took us to a public event at which Lady Bird Johnson spoke. The First Lady spoke about wildflowers and the importance of keeping our wildflower system alive along our public rights of way, specifically our highways. The sun was bright and I was squinting to see her as she stood 25-feet away on a makeshift stage eloquently talking about it being our civic duty to keep our highways and

parks clean and beautiful. A ceremonial toss of litter into a wire basket trash receptacle took place, and the applause was enormous. I always think of that day when I accept the President’s Circle Award for KLB. This program is truly life-changing for many people, but especially our youth. It gives them the opportunity to witness that their actions make our world a better place to live, grow and give back. Keep Laredo Beautiful as an organization benefits from receiving this award in multiple ways, but the most significant is that it gives our program credibility within the community and the nation.

The reporting of the results from our efforts locally is what shows our impact. I am but one person within the program, but our volunteers are what make it work. We are a strong force for the environment as long as our volunteers are committed to the efforts of leading our community in the right direction through proactive leadership. ◆

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News

Annual secretaries luncheon and fashion show benefits clients of BRBHC of the BRBHC, the show features fashions from SteinMart and evening wear from Polly Adams. pain — its color, music, and Organizers expect to have about dance — are the basis of 20 models on the runway as they the ¡Olé! Musica de España travel through the Spanish cities of theme of the 21st Annual Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, MalSecretaries Week Luncheon and lorca, Cordoba, and Seville.

Style Show presented by the VolunEntertainment will include the teer Services Council of the Border musical talents of Joe Arciniega and Regional Behavioral Health Center Sergio Perez and the dance talents (BRBHC). of Bianca Rodriguez, the Altagracia Members of the non-profit coun- García Castanet Ensemble, and percil are in high gear preparing for formers who are clients of BRBHC. the Wednesday, April 24 event at Local business owners are enthe Laredo Country Club. The coun- couraged to honor their secretaries cil’s major fundraiser for the clients with a seat at the company table.

The cost of a table for 10 is $650. Individual tickets are $65.

For tickets, call Molly Martinez at 724-2300; Ardith Epstein at 723-8950; and Adriana S. Ramos at 723-3080.

The Volunteer Services Council, one of 27 in Texas, provides services to individuals in Laredo and the surrounding areas who have a mental illness or an intellectual and developmental disability. The Council raises funds for items the state cannot provide, such as clothing, entertainment, holiday events, and the SpeAccomplished Flamenco performer Bianca Rocial Olympics. driguez will perform at the April 24 Secretaries Molly Martinez Week Luncheon at the Laredo Country Club. heads the board of

BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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Students of the art classes offered for clients of Border Regional Behavioral Health Center (BRBHC) drew Spanish dance figures in anticipation of dancers who will perform at the April 24 Secretaries Week Luncheon at the Laredo Country Club. the local Council and serves alongside president-elect Molly Martinez, vice-president Marilyn De Llano, treasurer Ardith Epstein, secretary Roxanna Guerra, publicity chair JoAnn Kahn, communications director Adriana Ramos, legal advisor Wawi Tijerina, and parliamentarian Sallie Bargo.

Directors at large are Minnie

Silva, Gia Rosas, Yolanda Venegas, Margie Villarreal, Rosanne Potts, and Pam Badovinac.

Kahn credited the work of the entire Council in working to make the event an annual success and gave special thanks to the tireless efforts of De Llano, a longtime advocate for those who have mental disabilities. ◆ W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

At the Caffé Dolce art opening

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Haydee Becerra was the featured musician at the Caffé Dolce reception for the opening of Shelley Laurent’s art exhibit. She entertained with soothing covers of some of the most popular hits.

Responsible pet ownership Megan Tinajero is photographed with her pups on Saturday, March 16 at the Vanguard Veterinary Associates’ reduced-cost vaccination clinic.

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LareDOS I M A RCH 2013 I

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News

Tennis in Laredo gets a nod with restoration of Market courts

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BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

n connection with Tennis Night in America and World Tennis Day — the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) largest youth recruitment effort — the Laredo Tennis Association (LTA) hosted a youth tennis festival on March 16, and its official spring play day on March 23 at the newly restored Market Tennis Courts complex.

Throughout the month, USTA is promoting the sport with various festivals across the country to encourage children and their families to play tennis.

City Councilman Alex Perez spearheaded extensive renovations – over $325,000 – to the Market Street courts. The court resurfacing was completed and painted in the green and USTA Open blue. “This blue color is a patent tennis court

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color used only for international and U.S. Open tennis facilities.

The color is tested and proven to enhance a player’s visibility,” said Perez.

The courts feature a new ecofriendly filtered water fountain and windscreens to cover more of the area and provide increased ventilation. New benches, bleachers, and tables were also added for players and guests. The clubhouse roof was repaired, the building painted, and the restrooms renovated.

Dr. Alfredo Treviño of the USTA Texas section spoke of Perez’s commitment to expand and support the existing tennis community. Dr. Treviño noted that tennis is the second fastest growing sport in the U.S. “Since 2010, over 3,800 new Laredo tennis players have been introduced and are playing tennis. Of these new players, 60 percent are children 12 or under, and 80 percent of those children live north of Saun-

ders,” he said.

According to these statistics, the nine tennis courts at the Market complex and the four at Haynes Recreational Center Park do not cover the city’s need for courts.

LTA president Tina Treviño, said, “Acknowledgement by the city that tennis is an important sport, and that Laredoans deserve a quality fa-

cility, such as the newly renovated Market courts, is a start.” Treviño added, “We just need to prepare for the growth of the youngsters who are choosing to play tennis. Numerous tennis programs established and promoted by the Laredo Tennis Association volunteers are making young tennis players choose this fun, lifelong sport.” ◆

Can’t find a hard copy?

Go to www.laredosnews.com

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The Arts

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Nixon drama students, Center for the Arts present The Boys Next Door April 5, 6, 7

he Laredo Center for the Arts, in collaboration with the J.W. Nixon High School Drama Club and in conjunction with April as Autism Awareness Month, will present a dinner theater performance of The Boys Next Door on Friday, April 5 at 8 p.m.

Two general audience performances will follow on Saturday, April 6 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m.

The performance will take place at the Center for the Arts at 500 San Agustín.

Written by Tom Griffin, the drama is set in Boston and follows the interactions of four men with special needs who live in a group home. Sometimes humorous and sometimes sad, the play is a commentary on how the men

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deal with their challenges and their surroundings.

Nixon High School drama instructor José Flores Jr. plays the lead and also directs the production. The cast includes Martin Vela, David Barrera, Andres Regalado, Kathryn Carroll, and Tony Bondoc. Crew members include Reiver Rodriguez, Ricardo Perez, and Kristopher Santos.

Tables of 10 for the Friday dinner theater production start at $1,500 for first row seats, $750 for a second row table of 10, and $500 for third row table of 10. Individual tickets are $50.

La Posada Hotel will serve a dinner that includes drinks and dessert. For reservations or more information call the Laredo Center for the Arts at (956)

725-1715.

Tickets for the extended run performances with general seating on Saturday, April 6 and the April 7 matinee are $15 for adults and $10 for students with identification.

All proceeds from this presentation benefit the J. W. Nixon High School Drama Club and the trip its members will make to Scotland this summer.

The Center’s current exhibit, “Pieces of Hope & Compassion,” is a collaborative effort with Families for Autism Support and Awareness. The opening night reception is Wednesday, April 3 at 6 p.m. Art by local artists, friends, and children with autism will be auctioned at the annual walk, but bids can be made at the reception. The public is invited to attend. ◆

SUBSCRIBE meg@laredosnews.com

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Feature

Women’s bar association focuses on youth, encourages young women to join legal profession

BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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stablished in December 2000, the Webb County Women’s Bar Association (WCWBA) was initially intended to help destitute women, in particular those who were victims of domestic violence. Since its inception, the organization has moved toward reaching out to the youth of the community.

Founding members who were instrumental in the inauguration and early success of the WCWBA included Adriana Benavides Maddox, Madeline Lopez Escoto, Gracie Rodriguez, Sylvia Ornelas, and Christina Perez.

“During my presidency, the WCWBA had a very active presence in the city and was comprised of many outstanding women attorneys who were committed to giving back and truly making a difference,” said assistant City Attorney Kristina Laurel Hale.

Fabiola Flores, an attorney with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, is the current president of the WCWBA She has been a member since 2009.

“I think the WCWBA is a really good institution. I’ve seen it expand into more public interest areas, such as working with the schools on a deeper level,” said Flores, adding, “When I joined mock trial in high school, that’s what did it for me. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. The WCWBA now sponsors Martin High School’s mock trial team, which made it to regionals in Edinburg last year.”

Flores, along with other WCWBA members, mentor and teach the students the art of practicing law and

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give them firsthand knowledge on how to conduct their arguments and present their evidence in court- like scenarios.

This year WCWBA reached out to the Texas A&M International University Pre-law Honor Society students with the Brunch with the Bench event held March 23.

Flores said, “This was our way to communicate with young women who were considering entering the practice of law. They participated in an essay contest and had the opportunity to have a face to face brunch with females in the profession.”

Judges in attendance were U.S. District Judge Marina García Mamolejo; U.S. Magistrate Diana Song Quiroga; 111th District Court Judge Monica Notzon; 341st District Court Judge Rebecca R. Palomo; Justice Patricia Alvarez of the Fourth Court of Appeals; and Belinda Martinez The judges talked about what inspired them to practice law and the importance of overcoming adversity and gender issues.

“It is pretty historic for Webb County to have so many women on the bench and that the women’s bar is exalting its prestigious members and exposing them to the youth. It is all about exposure,” Flores said, adding, “For Laredo, we have a high dropout rate and high poverty rates.

A lot of young women are not close to anyone in the profession and benefit greatly from events such as this.”

Flores said that the youth outreach of the WCWBA began under the direction of the previous president, Suntrease Maynard, who remains involved in helping the board continue the initiatives she began.

“I feel like she was one of the most active past president,” Flores said,

adding, “She had an active anti-bullying blog in October, which is bullying awareness month, and hosted a poster contest with students to promote an anti-bullying campaign,” she said.

Flores said her initial career choice had been to be a doctor. “I was always fascinated by medicine, but I always struggled with math and science. Subjects like English and history came very easily to me. I psyched myself out of not going to medical school because I thought I wasn’t smart enough. I realize now that I could have totally done it. So my advice to young women considering law school, don’t discourage yourself. It really is not that difficult.”

WCWBA works closely with the Laredo Webb County Bar Association (LWCBA) for Law week in May. Most women’s bar association members are also members of LWCBA. The WCWBA by-laws don’t mention gender. Men are not excluded from membership. Requirements have also recently been expanded to allow people who passed the bar exam in any state a membership, as well as for any professional in legal services such as court reporters and district clerks.

The WCWBA board members include Estella Rodriguez, presidentelect; Amanda Austin, vice president; Mallory Biblo, secretary; and Karla Valdez, treasurer. ◆

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

At the St. Jude’s Trike-A-Thon Students from the Camilo Prada Child Development Center rode their tricycles on Friday, March 1 to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

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Feature

The brown bag project: recycling, recovering, and personal transformation

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BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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ne of the hallmarks of the Art-as-Therapy program of the Border Regional Behavioral Health Center (BRBHC) is that much is accomplished with very little. Funded since its inception in 2008 by the Volunteer Council of the BRBHC as a component of healing in mental health, the program runs on $12,000 a year and serves children and adults who suffer from clinical depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disease.

When art supplies ran out in March, art instructor Paty Orduña implemented the use of recycled brown paper bags and soft pastels.

The result was a stunning collection of art called The Brown Bag Project, art aimed at recovery, resourcing, relaxation, and rejoicing in art. She said that the bags, which were plentiful and of no cost, offered students a rough, textured, and warm format that allowed them great freedom and rapid movement.

Orduña, a volunteer instructor, teaches a class for children and adolescents and three classes for adults.

The class fee is $3.15.

Among the many returns Orduña’s students get from Art-asTherapy classes — besides self-confidence, self-esteem, and a measure of pride — is having their work in exhibits, such as the Brown Bag Project at the Laredo Center for the

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Arts and an October show at Gallery 201. Their work is also featured in a calendar underwritten by the International Bank of Commerce.

Classes are currently working on Spanish-themed art that will be exhibited at the upcoming Secretaries Week Luncheon on April 24 at the Laredo Country Club.

Orduña characterizes the classes as “an integrated experience of exploration, socialization, and play” and sees them as a powerful healing tool.

According to Orduña, “The principles of design have become a guideline for their own daily lives.

Attention to technique is less relevant than the emotion generated by the process, and their self-esteem is enhanced by the results. The healing comes from the doing rather than how it is done.”

Orduña, an artist herself, sees the art studio on the BRBHC campus as a safe place in which her students open their hearts “to express and create out of joy.” She says the time in the studio away from fear, loneliness, and isolation enriches them and helps them heal. “The arts are a medium to open up expression, socialization, and skill development while reducing stigma and educating the public about mental health issues,” she added.

She said contributions to Art-asTherapy are welcomed and can be made by calling the BRBHC at (956) 794-3321 ◆

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News

or the past four years, the United Independent School District’s (UISD) Instructional Television Department (ITV) has won more state awards than any other instructional television department in Texas. This year the UISD ITV staff was presented with 39 awards at the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) Star Awards Ceremony.

The ITV department produces a variety of television programs that highlight the school district. These shows include Knowledge for College, an academic game show, and United ISD student newscasts which received silver awards at the conference.

The department also produces training videos and a variety of public service announcements (PSA) in English and Spanish for television and radio.

Various PSAs including the Partners for

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Scholars 5K Run, Crime Stoppers, and Gear Up received gold awards.

ITV director Susan Carlson said, “Our department is very happy and honored to be recognized at the state level for our video productions. I am very lucky to be working with such a talented staff. These awards are confirmation that my department’s hard work has paid off.”

Carlson added, “We are also grateful to the UISD school board and administration for providing us with a state of the art television studio and equipment.”

UISD ITV programming airs weekly on KGNS, KVTV, FOX, CW, and the Public Access Channel (PAC).

For more information please contact Susan Carlson at (956) 473-6371 or visit www.uisd.net – LareDOS Staff

Courtesy Photo

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United ITV Wins 39 Awards at TSPRA Conference

Susan Carlson UISD ITV is pictured with staff members Ana Prado, Joe Moreno, Luis Garza, Robert Nino, and Pete Martinez.

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Rancher Meme García on the drought as divine justice, and optimism in hardscrabble times

BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher “In my life these are unseen prices,” said Zapata rancher Meme García of the current market prices for cattle. In the same breath he quickly dispels that the hefty price has any bearing on ranchers getting ahead. “It’s as though the price never moved, because the cost of fuel, labor, and feed have also risen. It still doesn’t come out like you need it to,” he said.

Besides managing un atajo of 70 brood mares, a herd of cattle, and a burrada of a few hundred burros, García, 77, hires out for roundups across the county, bringing with him his best trained horses and a couple of extra hands. His roundup work includes de-horning, branding, de-worming, and culling unproductive cows.

Born and raised on El Sabinito Ranch on the banks of the Río Grande, García recalled a good, simple life with his parents, Serapio and María Martinez García and his siblings Rosa Nelia, Omelia, Serapio, Eulogio, Jesus, and Juan.

In Zapata vernacular, García is a “Papo,” the son of Serapio García, one who well knew horses and livestock.

“We lived from our land,” he said.

“We raised our own food on the land closest to the river, and we raised our own beef, goats, and pigs. The land gave us leña to cook with, and we took our water from the river. All we bought in town was coffee, sugar, lard, and potatoes. We

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raised 12 hogs — two for our household and five apiece for the merchant H. Cuellar and the butcher Alejandro Ramirez.

The land fed us, and we had food to sell to others or to give to those who had none,” García said.

“It was a beautiful life. We were schooled at first on our ranch and then the school was moved to La Lajita Ranch.

We all worked on the ranch. It did not seem like work because I have had a love of animals since I was a child,” he continued.

García said the loss in 1953 of El Sabinito’s fertile farmland along the riverbanks to the waters of the Falcon Reservoir spelled vast changes in the life he had known with his family. “We were left only with the monte and no acreage on which to raise crops and food. Our way of life went away. We were never paid for that productive land that had sustained us. Those were unjust times,

and there were a lot of crooked dealings at all levels of government concerning the reservoir, the condemnation of land, and just compensation. We became migrant workers, following the crops in Nebraska, Colorado, and West Texas. We all went, and we all worked. We would return to our ranch and our livestock with a little money,” he said.

García worked as mayordomo of San Francisco Ranch in San Ygnacio in the last half of the 1950s, overseeing irrigation for the cultivation of tomato, melon, and onion crops.

Of ranching and the changes he has witnessed over decades, he said, “There is not much livestock left in Zapata County. We are running out, and so are other counties. If everyone in this country ate meat on one day, there would not be enough. Money has come and gone and come and gone again in this county.

Some ranchers saw the opportunity to improve their operations, to invest, to better their water delivery systems, but many of them didn’t invest a nickel on their valuable land.”

It is horses and their training that have held García’s interest over a lifetime. “They give me my livelihood. That has been our family story,” he said, adding, however, “Ningun caballo es de confianza. They are all dangerous. In a bad situation, horses do not defend a person.

They are subject to colds, colic, pneumonia, and costly injuries. You tame them en la guarnición, with harnesses, the rein, and the bridle more than the saddle.”

Like all Texas ranchers, García bears the weight and uncertainties of ranching in drought. He said as long as he can irrigate his hay fields, he can keep a step ahead of the harsh reality of no measurable rainfall.

He called the fierce, widespread drought “divine justice.” He said it is not unlike the horrific drought of the 40s, years of no rain and freezing winters.

“There was only cactus on the ground.

The cattle did not die of hunger. They died of diseases because they were weak.

This is like those times. You have to have faith it will rain. This drought is making some happy — the ones selling hay and the ones buying cattle. It is the ranchers and the sellers who are unhappy. The drought evens things out for the time.”

He paused in our conversation in the shade of an old building, scanned the horizon, the cloudless sky, and the expanses around us of clumps of dry grass, and he said with some certainty, “It will rain again.” ◆ W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M

Spurs jingle with rare beauty

BY MARIA EUGENIA GUERRA LareDOS Publisher

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y recently discovered oldtime solution for cleaning the oxidized metal of tools — vinegar — led to an unexpected surprise when I began to clean a pair of spurs I found in our tack room.

My son has worn these spurs for a couple of decades, and I’d always admired their timeless, simple look, the sound they make, and the gentle roundness of the rowel that makes contact with the horse.

That these old, tarnished objects had logged time in countless roundups on the boots of our Gutierrez tíos through a good part of a century — and that they still had utility — made them all the more beautiful and a valuable part of the family history.

A quick vinegar soak cleaned away enough of the rusty patina so that I could get a visual on the possibility that the work on the spurs was far more refined than I initially thought. What a glorious surprise to arrive at hand-tooled silver overlays on the outside heel band and on the swinging button that holds the leather straps.

A serendipitous footnote: Texas A&M Press had sent me a review copy a while back of a sixth edition of Jane Pattie’s 1991 Cowboy Spurs and Their Makers, which proved an invaluable tool to learn about the history of spurs, their types, and the men who made them.

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fore now, and here was a hands-on opportunity to use the book as it was intended, to inform and tell a story about the crafters who made one of the most important tools that cowboys used to move and direct their mounts on cattle drives across great expanses of Texas and the Southwest.

and axles of wagons and buggies to make their spurs.

According to Price, finishes and ornamentation varied as to the one-manshop’s crafter or the manufacturer and the preferences of the buyer — simple gun barrel bluing or overlays of German silver or nickel silver in beautiful motifs.

The book’s introduction by B. Byron Price, the author of Fine Art of the West, covers the evolution of the cowboy spur from those found in Greek and Middle Eastern tombs, to the espuelas grandes of the first Spaniards in the New World, to the present.

Those early Spanish spurs featured drooping shanks, narrow heel bands, and rowels that were six to 10 inches in diameter — an oversized prototype that would morph into the smaller, durable spurs that were crafted in forges and blacksmith shops across the American west and up and down the East Coast.

Frontier blacksmiths used the springs

Pattie’s treatise on spurs presents a lesson in metallurgy and a chronology of spur-crafting greats — Augustus Buermann of Newark, New Jersey; James North and Lorin Judd of New Britain, Conn.; John Robert McChesney of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Gainesville, Texas; P. M. Kelly of Childress, Dalhart, and El Paso, Texas; Oscar Crockett of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Kansas City and Lenexa Kansas; G. A. Bischoff and Charles P. Shipley of Gainsville, Texas; Joe Bianchi of Victoria, Texas; Clayton Boone and sons of Midland, Texas and Albuquerque, NM; J.O. Bass of Quitate and Tulia, Texas; Jess Hodge of Ft. Mc-

Kavett, Texas; E. F. Blanchard of San Antonio, New Mexico and Yucca, Arizona; and Adolph Bayers of Truscott, Texas.

According to Pattie, the big three of spur creation were J. R. McChesney, P. M. Kelly, and Oscar Crockett. She said McChesney held the market in the early 1900s and that Crockett was a major manufacturer from the 1920s through the 1940s. Both had competition from Kelly. Pattie documents that all three had beginnings as “cow country blacksmiths” who met demand by equipping their shops with “punch presses, dies, and other machinery” that allowed them to produce their products much faster while retaining the craftsmanship for which they were known.

She writes that the Mexican spur, the California or buckaroo (vaquero) spur, and the Texas or cowboy spur hold their place in spur style history.

The story Pattie tells in 1991 begins with an interview with Texas spur maker Jerry Lindley and a visit to the Weatherford shop where he still used forge and anvil to craft his one-of-a-kind spurs. He used the steel of Model A axles and drive lines to make his spurs.

Over time, and according to Lindley’s steps, the hand-forging of a pair of spurs has remained pretty much the same, and it’s still an art.

How lucky I was to have this book to guide me as to what I was seeing when I discovered the beauty of our spurs. As best I can tell these may be McChesney spurs made by the Nocona Boot Company between 1928 and 1933 or a knock-off of a McChesney/Nocona model. ◆ LareDOS I M A RCH 2013 I

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Santa Maria Journal

By MARÍA EUGENIA GUERRA

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who wants to grow day-old chicks into pullets. It’s a bit of work keeping up with topping off water and chick feed supplies, but the chicks remain clean and warm, two factors that enhance their survival. There is one lone Auracana chick in this nice mix of Leghorns, Barred Rocks, and Rhode Island Reds.

My work for a few days has been all about transplanting agaves and other species that share their protective thorns with my hands. Even in drought, the agaves have had a prolific crop of pups that re-establish easily. The work has also been about making water-hauling trips

to San Ygnacio, 200 gallons of fresh water at a time for the new plantings and many of the older ones.

And even as I experience the pleasure of withered plants in the

ranch compound coming back to life — agave, yucca, aloe, cholla, tasajillo, drago, pithaya — I feel the alarming shock of this tame, subdued spring of no measurable rainfall and no riots of wildflowers and lush grasses, and I understand this exercise of mine to nurture greenery where there is so little.

As far as I can see, I look across the tan landscape dotted only with the green bonnets of mesquite, ebony, huisache, and chaparro prieto. I don’t recall ever that the land looked this poor, this deprived of moisture. And yet some part of the heart that has loved this place since childhood beats with hope and possibility. ◆

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hirteen piglets, 22 monthold baby chicks, and four new cabritos add to the barnyard’s cacophony of moos, neighs, and bleats.

The cochinitos were trapped in the monte and now make their home in a stout pen that was once a dog run. Undomesticated, some spotted, some striped, some solid in color, they flee in a panic to one end or the other of the pen when we approach on foot, but do not move when the four-wheeler or the truck passes nearby. Their fragrance alerts me that they have begun to overstay their welcome.

The baby chicks, which we acquired from Mr. Gage at Laredo Ranch Heights, are in a heated brooder in my workshop and make a constant peeping ruckus, pausing only when there is music playing. They have an affinity for Rufus Wainwright, but seem not to like vintage Bob Dylan. The mortality rate has been very low, and now that they have grown, they are about to move into the chick condo across the barnyard.

I recommend a brooder to anyone

The dry, tan landscape is dotted with the green bonnets of mesquite, ebano, huisache, and chaparro prieto

First United Methodist art and flower show Guest artist Oscar Gomez and Rachel Bohmfalk were photographed at the 64th annual Flower and Art show held by the First United Methodist Church on March 23. Gomez used an x-ray machine as his camera in order to capture the internal structures of plants in a different light. The event was sponsored by the United Methodist Women.

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS

La Bota realtors part of Neighborhoodworks Laredo At El Catán Armando and Cissy Lopez are pictured at Friday night supper at El Catán, one of downtown’s best eateries.

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La Bota Ranch Realty broker associate Angeles Rodriguez and realtors Sylvia S. Ramirez, Paula Pueblitz, and Isabel Puig are photographed at the Neighborhoodworks Laredo 2nd annual Home Fair and Expo on March 23 at the Laredo Energy Arena.

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Students help STFB

Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

The Honor Society students of Fasken Elementary School organized a food drive for the South Texas Food Bank that yielded 2,025 pounds of food.

Counselors Laura Canales and Teresa Guajardo Diaz are pictured with the students. Eloisa Diaz is the school principal.

The STFB converts every dollar donated into eight meals for the needy.

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iny toddlers scurry around the TAMIU dance rehearsal room like little angels.

At 2:55 p.m. their mothers neatly place pink bows in their hair and tighten bows on their shoes as the children anxiously move around while waiting for class to begin.

I wonder how these TAMIU student instructors will get these fluttering butterflies in formation.

At 3:00 p.m. the girls hear the music and quickly hurry over to the ballet bar, fidgeting and wait-

ing for instruction. As the instructors give a demonstration, the girls watch excitedly ready to plie (more or less).

Macy and Lena break away and stand with the instructors, ready to lead. Gracefully, they are encouraged to grab on to the bar as other girls have. It is all fun and friendships are made.

How did they get through 45 minutes of ballet? I don’t know, but we can’t wait to come back to do it all over again.

– Itiel Valdez

www.laredosnews.com

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Itiel Valdez

Pink bows and flutter-bys, what little are girls made of

Macy Adams, Lena Crabtree, and Ava Ezra are pictured at their afternoon ballet class at TAMIU.

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Travel

A trip to Indochine

BY TAGI SAGAFI-NEJAD AND NANCY BLACK LareDOS Contributors

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he 1992 film Indochine takes place in Indochina in the 1930s-50s during the French colonial period. The ensuing years produced brutal upheavals – in Vietnam, the rise of Ho Chi Minh, the subsequent American involvement in fighting the communists, what the Vietnamese call the “American war” and, in Cambodia, Pol Pot’s massacres in the “killing fields”.

Evidence of the scars left by these events remain to this day. While we were in Hanoi, a U.S. congressman visited the prime minister to inform him of efforts to organize Congressional hearings on the remaining aftereffects of Agent Orange and on funding for remediating its contamination of the country’s environment. We visited another reminder of the war’s misery: Hao Lo Prison (“Hanoi Hilton”) where American prisoners of war were held in small dark cells.

Despite these scars of war, there seems to have emerged a new sense of energy, industry, and optimism. Hanoi is a bustling city of nine million. Al-

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most half this number operate motor bikes which results in horn-honking and other urban noise. While there, we experienced a wonderful performance of water puppets, cavorting in an onstage pool in enactments of ancient folk tales with live traditional music.

The puppeteers were invisible during the show, but afterwards took welldeserved bows.

In sharp contrast to the noise and war memories of Hanoi is the beauty and serenity of Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site several hours drive to the northeast.

For centuries maritime trade vessels travelled the Bay to and from Singapore and Korea. It is a spectacular seascape of almost 2,000 limestone islands and islets in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The rocks rise dramatically out of the water in vertical rounded peaks. Some, nearly a hundred feet high, have vegetation on their surfaces. A few days before Christmas, we boarded a replica of a traditional Chinese sailboat for an overnight cruise on the bay, enjoying good meals and a screening of Indochine.

We next travelled south to Nha Trang, a small beach city on the South China Sea and then to Saigon (Ho Chi

Minh City) where we saw many Christmas decorations. In our hotel on Christmas Day, we were treated to unlimited champagne and Santa Claus musicians playing Christmas music! We visited the gracious French colonial opera house and post office as well as Notre Dame Cathedral (10% of Vietnamese are Catholic).

After staying in Chau Doc, we travelled by riverboat to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the Mekong River, Southeast Asia’s lifeblood and longest river.

There some of our group went to the Choeung Ek “killing fields” where the Tagi Sagafi-nejad and Nancy Black Khmer Rouge tortured and then buried about 20,000 Cambodians in mass graves.

The last country we visited was These graves and hundreds of human Laos where we spent New Year’s Eve. skulls displayed nearby remind visi- After an al fresco reception and dinner, tors of the merciless massacres ordered we were treated to an impressive midby Pol Pot during the late 1970s. Hap- night fireworks display. Like Vietnam pier Phnom Penh visits included the and Cambodia, Laos was once a French Royal Palace, Apsara Arts Association colony. It is tranquil, partly due to fewwhere we saw student performances er tourists, and serene, probably due to of classical Cambodian dance, and the the predominant presence of Buddhism Foreign Correspondents Club where and its monasteries and gentle priests. we had a delicious lunch.

Luang Prabang, once the country’s capA great highlight of the trip was a ital, is a World Heritage City. One of the visit to the well-known temple complex most interesting experiences of the trip where a million people lived during occurred there: an early morning visit the height of the Khmer Empire. The near some of the city’s many monasterlargest and most famous of its temples ies to offer alms to their saffron-robed is Angkor Wat, built around 1100 AD. priests. We and various townspeople Its carved stone figures were heavily (the women kneeling and men standinfluenced by Indian art; in fact, the ing) would place balls of rice into the temple, dedicated to the god Vishnu, priests’ containers as they walked was first Hindu and later Buddhist. quickly past us on the sidewalk. They Other temples within the site include would then return to their monasteries Angkor Thom and Ta Phrom, the latter to communally share the food. with roots and vegetation growing out It was a fascinating trip that left us of its structure. with indelible memories of Indochine. ◆ W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M

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Honoring the life of Cesar Chavez

Courtesy Photo

Attorney and civil rights activist David Almaraz is pictured as the march in honor of Cesar Chavez is about to begin at St. Peter’s Plaza.

He is pictured with the matachines of Danza Azteca whose brilliant costumes lit up the morning assembly.

Shower fetes June bride Bride-to-be Irma Gonzalez, second from right, was feted with a shower on Saturday, March 23, hosted by her aunt, Rosa Elia Altgelt. Pictured with her from left to right are her mother, Irma Gonzalez, Rosa Elia Altgelt, grandmother MarĂ­a Gonzalez, and aunt Norma Granados. In the foreground are Amandita and Emily Altgelt, cousins of the bride.

Irma Gonzalez will marry Arnoldo Lozano of Bruni on June 15.

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News

News

Joe Maldonado Jr. joins Person, Whitworth, Borchers and Morales

Meet Sam Rocha: Barrett Jaguar’s general sales manager

Joe Maldonado, Jr. has joined the firm of Person, Whitworth, Borchers, and Morales, LLP. A native Laredoan, Maldonado is a 1995 graduate of J.W. Nixon High School. He earned his undergraduate degree in engineering science with a minor in Mathematics from Trinity University where he was a founding member of Phi Sigma Chi. He earned his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was president of the Student Bar Association, was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, and became an honorary Lifetime Member of the Hispanic Law Students’ Association.

He began his career at a law firm in the Galleria area of Houston, working on environmental and toxic tort litigation. He also worked with a well-

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respected attorney in Texas, practicing personal injury and death matters, major catastrophe, and construction litigation. He returned to Laredo after 10 years practicing law in Houston.

Maldonado has experience in handling a wide range of personal injury, oil and gas, products liability, major catastrophe, construction, and commercial litigation. He has evaluated firstand third-party insurance coverage matters, and has also handled family law, creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, toxic torts, and environmental cases during his career.

Maldonado is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Laredo-Webb County Bar Association. He volunteers at the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid Social Justice Night Court.

– LareDOS Staff

SAN ANTONIO - Former Laredoan Sam Rocha is the General Sales Manager for Barrett Jaguar in San Antonio.

He started in the car business at an early age. While still attending Alexander High School, Rocha worked at Paul Young Auto Group in the service department and then worked his way up to a sales consultant. Rocha left Laredo to continue his education and attended the University of Texas at San Antonio. While at UTSA, he continued to

work as a sales consultant at Ancira Chrysler/Jeep.

Shortly after he moved to Barrett Jaguar. He returned to Laredo to take a sales manager and finance director position at Paul Young Auto Group.

Rocha’s noted successes in sales and customer service eventually led him back to San Antonio, where he is now the general sales manager for one of the more prestigious car companies in Texas.

– LareDOS Staff

Can’t find a hard copy?

Go to www.laredosnews.com

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Movie Review

In the name of all that is good, strong, and beautiful: Bless Me Ultima

BY CORDELIA BARRERA LareDOS Contributor

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less Me, Ultima (2013), directed

by Carl Franklin and distributed by the independent Arenas Entertainment is a small miracle. In a market that regularly snubs quiet, contemplative films in favor of noisy, adrenaline-pumping eye candy, Bless Me, Ultima stands out as a labor of love.

The film is based on Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima, one of the most widely-read and respected works in Chicano literature. It’s not often that a small press title by a Latino author gets to play with the big boys of American literature, as this novel has increasingly done since its publication in 1972.

It’s also encouraging to see any novel written by a Chicano make it to the big screen.

Although it has been publicly contested for years because of its support of holistic medicine and questioning of traditional Catholic hierarchies, Bless Me, Ultima was recently selected as a “Big Read” by the National Endowment for the Arts. The book is currently banned within the Arizona school district as part of that state’s political posturing that targets indigenous studies and minorities as a whole. For this reason alone, anyone who chooses to uphold his or her right to acknowledge the diverse stories of history and identity, rather than the single, privileged whitewashed story of the status quo, has a duty to read the book. Doing so vindicates diverse stories and myriad histories; it allows people to decide what is significant, life affirming, and consequential for themselves. (For more, visit: http://librotraficante.com/) The film, like the novel, is told

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through the eyes of six year-old Antonio Márez (Luke Ganalon). A child torn between the ways of his mother — a Luna, born of farmers who tend to the earth and respect its cycles, and his father — a Marez, born of wild, and free-spirited vaqueros.

His mother dreams that Antonio will be a Catholic priest one day, but Ultima (Míriam Colón), the curandera who comes to live with the family at the story’s beginning, complicates his beliefs. She teaches him about holistic systems of faith bound in traditional earth religions and his native ances-

tors. In time, the child becomes entangled in a series of battles between good and evil, personified in the struggle between Ultima and three malevolent witches and their equally sinister, father, Tenorio (Cástulo Guerra). As Antonio comes of age, he questions Catholicism and realizes he must define his own faith.

In the novel, as in the film, worlds magical and mundane collide. Settings, like the lonesome llano, the river that flows with mythical carp, and schoolhouse where Antonio is introduced to the English language represent stages where the dramas of life and death enfold the logic of the waking mind’s reason and the magical reality that infuses the New Mexican landscape. For Anaya, the landscape—la tierra—is a source of energy and epiphany, a fusing of all that is raw and majestic with manmade dreams and desires. The earth is powerful and steeped in primal memories, and Ultima’s nurturing of its living bounty infuses in Antonio a reverence for all life.

Antonio’s eyes are opened to the

beauty of the llano and the valley, just as ours are meant to be opened. As little Antonio questions aspects of life, death, good and evil, Anaya’s complex philosophy emerges.

Although the themes of religion vs. traditional healing and cultural borrowings from the Pueblo Indian way of life are addressed, the conflict does not resonate in the film as it does in the novel. Miriam Colón is appropriately mysterious and benevolent as Ultima, but Antonio remains vague as a character. His spiritual development is key to the narrative, but his odyssey remains sketchy. For this reason, the film will probably resound more with those who have read the novel and can fill in the book’s deeper handling of Antonio’s cultural and ideological struggle. The film focuses on Antonio’s coming-of-age, but the novel, beautifully crafted and full of magic and cultural borrowings from New Mexican culture grounded in the Catholicism and Spanish folktales from the Iberian world, evokes worlds that the film simply cannot encapsulate.

There are many ways to know a thing, many paths to knowledge. Bless Me Ultima positions empirical and experiential knowledge right alongside the primal, subconscious knowledge that springs from a rooted relationship, a real kinship with a beauty that can only be wrought by the forces of sun, wind, rain, and sky. Bless Me Ultima is full of signs and wonders — characters, emotions, and experiences — to which the audience is meant to embrace and respond. And if one is good, strong, and beautiful, like all children who love and in turn are loved, then he or she will always be blessed. That is at least one lesson of this undemanding, modest, and often magical film. ◆ W W W.L A RED OS N E WS.CO M

News

BY MARIELA RODRIGUEZ LareDOS Staff

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At the Home Fair & Expo Kristyn Dovalina, Maricela Lupear, Tina Martinez, and Marcela Ochoa, members of the City of Laredo Community Development Department, provided information on the City’s housing rehabilitation program at the 2nd annual Home Fair and Expo on Saturday, March 23 at the Laredo Energy Arena.

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

ayor Raul Salinas issued a proclamation highlighting the efforts of the Laredo Animal Protective Society (LAPS) and promoted the adoption initiative, Option For Adoption, at a press conference on March 1 at the shelter. He also proclaimed March as LAPS month in Laredo.

LAPS served as the only animal impound facility for over 40 years until May 2012 when the responsibility was turned over to the City of Laredo’s Animal Care Facility. Mayor Salinas expressed his support of LAPS’ mission to provide shelter and ensure the adoption

of stray animals.

“Having adopted out over 500 pets in 2012, LAPS now insures that all animals being adopted from the Laredo Animal Shelter are fully immunized, have a microchip inserted for identification, and are spayed or neutered,” said Salinas.

As of January 2013, LAPS became the first and only no-kill animal shelter in Webb County. “LAPS remains committed to addressing the animal overpopulation crisis by working with the City of Laredo and the City of Laredo Health Department to improve the welfare of pets through low cost spay/ neuter clinics, and by hosting adoption events throughout Laredo,” said Catherine Kazen, LAPS board president. ◆

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

City resolution shows support for LAPS adoption initiatives

LAPS members Sid Holden and Catherine Kazen, are pictured with Mayor Raul G. Salinas after the City proclamation promoting the spay/neuter and adoption efforts of LAPS. W W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M

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Feature

Kugar taekwondo team returns victorious from State Championship tourney

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BY CELIA VILLARREAL LareDOS Contributor

ust back from the 2013 USAT Texas State Championships in Grapevine, students from Kugar Taekwondo returned with six first place medals, two seconds, and three thirds. Xiang-Fei Linares, José García, Alex Carmona, Salma Castellanos, Marlene Briseño, and Joey García won first place in their division, winning the championship. Shane Teeters and Ivan Mota won second place. Manuel Aguilar, Jonah Silman, and Noah Silman won third place.

The students of Kugar juggle busy school schedules with taekwondo classes, training six days a week in a daily schedule that may include morning practices, studying at school, teaching taekwondo to younger children, attending their own evening classes, and then doing homework for the next day.

“I eat here. I do my homework here. I teach here, and then I train here,” said Trautmann Middle School eighth-grader Saira Castellanos.

Her older sister Salma, a freshman at United High School, said, “If there’s a practice and a party [at the same time], I always choose practice over parties.”

Salma Castellanos’ first place win in Grapevine was her second State Championship in a row. “I knew that I wanted to win, and I worked really hard to do what I did,” she said. Salma is currently a blue belt, but she competes against and beats those in the black belt division. “I try to work hard everyday because I know what I want to do. I know that everyone out there is working hard

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Salma Castellanos as well, and I want to be better than them because I want to win this year at Nationals,” she remarked.

“I want to go to the Olympics.

This is my dream,” said third place winner Manuel Aguilar, a Trautmann Middle School eighth-grader.

The unofficial black belt martial artist has been practicing taekwondo since the age of five. “When I was small, I watched Jackie Chan movies with my dad, and I really wanted to do that, too,” he said.

If he does well at Nationals, Aguilar has the opportunity to represent the U.S. at the World Championships. Because Aguilar’s grandparents are Mexican natives, he can compete for either the Mexican Nationals or the United States Nationals.

“He is choosing to represent the United States because the Mexican division is much easier to win,” said instructor Jesse Kuhns. He said Aguilar wants the challenge of com-

peting for and winning the more difficult competition.

At last year’s State Championships, Aguilar beat the reigning National Champion during the first round. “He didn’t just barely beat this kid in states, he wiped the floor with him,” Kuhns remarked. Aguilar advanced to Nationals, but unfortunately injured his hamstring.

The boy who won the previous year and who Manuel had beat in the State Competition ended up winning Nationals.

“I [was] a little nervous, about the state meet and very excited,” said 12-year-old United Middle School student, Noah Silman, who placed third in his division.

What eases the pre-competition jitters and draws the Kugar students together is the love and support they have for one another. It isn’t uncommon for the members of Kugar to stick around competitions after they have finished competing to cheer on their team members.

“We’re like a family,” Saira Castellanos said.

In taekwondo there are different belt levels. The first is the white, followed by yellow, green, blue, red, and black. There are nine different degrees of black belts. To move up a belt, the student must earn four stripes on a belt. The first stripe, poomse, is received when form is achieved correctly. The second stripe is based on fitness depending on the belt level. The third stripe is based on self-defense. The fourth is for a student’s overall commitment and fighting skills.

Chloe Jones, an eighth-grader at Washington Middle explained, “On CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

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Serving Sentences

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

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hen I woke in the middle of the night, my 4-year-old brother Ron, his back to me on the inside of our big double bed, slept facing the short east wall papered with gaudy vines and saucer-sized roses. He breathed steadily behind the curve of his small shoulder, the patch quilt pulled to his cheek. Above him, the short wall angled into the ceiling that climbed over our bed and peaked above three empty clotheslines strung through the middle of our large upstairs room. As I turned over, the bedsprings creaked. Moonlight sifted through the two windows and sprawled in long rectangles across the faded linoleum between our bed and the other double bed, where six-yearold Steve lay against the far wall beyond my older brother Ken, gasping in the darkness.

I didn’t know what time it was, only that daylight was hours away. No bellering from the dark Holsteins hulking beyond the barn, no lambs bleating after a ewe’s swollen udder, no ruckus of sparrows in the box elder, no twittering of swallows perched on the utility lines by the barn like half notes on a staff.

Just Ken’s labored breathing, a raspy wheeze that sometimes sounded like Canada geese V-ing over our Minnesota farm, so high that we heard them but couldn’t see them. He sat on the edge of the bed next to Dad, who wore boxers and a white strap undershirt, his sinewy right arm methodically pushing his hand in a circle across Ken’s back, his left hand holding the inhaler.

When I was nine, I didn’t always know what set off his asthma attacks, only that they happened often enough that they seemed a normal interruption in the dead of night. For Ken, however, they must have been a frightening ordeal. As Steve and Ron breathed W W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M

The shapes of consolation methodically from the dark sides of the room, Ken braced himself with his palms against his thighs, his arms locked straight under his thin shoulders, his eyes on the moonlit floor. He gulped for air as if he were drowning, but no matter how hard he lifted his chest, how forcefully he gasped, he couldn’t catch his breath.

Dad handed him the inhaler, and with his right hand he raised it to his mouth and squeezed, pulling it hard into his throat as the inhaler hissed.

Then, Dad took it from him, Ken braced himself again with both arms — his shoulders raised, a deep hollow behind each collarbone — and in the dark waited for the medicine to work.

I lay on my side watching Dad look down at my small older brother.

Ken’s feet dangled above the floor, and his tight crew cut bent at short angles like mine, but it was his arms that fascinated me. When an asthma attack twisted him over his legs and he tried to force open his lungs by jacking up his shoulders with his arms leveraged under him, like steel posts bracing a corn crib swollen with the fall harvest, he pushed so hard that his arms bent inward, hyper extended so that sometimes at the supper table when he reached for the ketchup, his elbow unfolded well beyond a straight 180°, almost like a door hinged to swing both ways. It was a remarkable feat, I thought, another thing he could do that I could not.

Gradually his gasping slowed, the rasping wheeze quieted, his glazedover eyes lifted from the floor, and his shoulders relaxed.

Dad set the inhaler on the windowsill and looked at Ken. “Okay?” he asked.

Ken nodded.

Dad stood up, turned his back to me, waited for Ken to lie down on

his side, and pulled the quilt over his shoulder. Then, he ducked past the clotheslines as he went to the door. I listened to the wooden steps creak as he trudged downstairs, through the kitchen and living room below us, past the fuel oil burner with its stove pipe that rose through our bedroom floor, and back to bed where Mom was probably asleep.

I don’t remember saying anything to Ken after the attack passed. I suspect I just closed my eyes and drifted

off to sleep, secure in the dark with the steady breathing of three brothers around me and believing everything was okay since Dad went back to bed.

What I didn’t know then, however, was how the memory would remain. And what I don’t know now is why, nearly 50 years later, I’ve suddenly returned to it, long after Ken mostly outgrew the asthma, decades after we moved off that farm place in 1968, a lifetime after I lost faith in Dad’s ability to console or guide any of us beyond childhood. ◆

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Glora Gonzalez

Maria Eugenia Guerra/LareDOS

Salute to Winter Texans and Seniors Homeless in Laredo Oblivious to nippy temperatures or the bustle of morning traffic, this slumbering soul evidences the increasing number of homeless persons in Laredo.

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The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce honored visiting Winter Texans and area senior citizens with a party. Winners for best dressed in western costume were, left to right, Kelly Paredes of Zapata, Wally Gonzalez of San Ygnacio, MarĂ­a Dominguez of Zapata, and Sylvia and Leroy Vangilder of Missourri.

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Feature

Aging: the road ahead; topic of UTHSC seminar “We are the only species that keeps going mentally in old age, although the body falls apart,” said Dr. Robert L. Jimenez, a physician and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Jimenez addressed senior citizens and others in attendance at the March 23 “Senior Moments of Aging” seminar sponsored by UTHSCA at the local campus on Bustamante.

“The human spirit is still there until our dying breath,” Dr. Jimenez explained, “Older humans pay attention to their soul in a way that they didn’t before. It is attributed to a strength of character to leave in the best form as possible.”

According to Dr. Jimenez an issue of our times is the dramatic rise in the number of elderly aged 65 and older. “Women are living alone independently. But men often need a spouse or caregiver.”

Another issue facing the aging population is independent living and the availability of senior health providers. While job opportunities will explode in that area, patients and pertinent government programs will incur serious expenses.

Dr. Jimenez suggested that providers will need to empathize with seniors on relatable topics. “Each era has been impacted by war. World War II, Korean War, Vietnam. As they age, historical issues are of less and less importance for some seniors. They experience less anxiety disorders because they won’t be alive much longer,” Dr. Jimenez continued. “Seniors are more introspective, spiritual, stronger psychologically. They have learned to love in an unselfish way,” he said.

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According to Dr. Jimenez, in order to delay cognitive decline in an age in which people’s bodies might endure to age 85, 95 or even 115, seniors need to be empowered to maintain their biological integrity, maintain safety, and preserve their sense of belonging and self esteem.

He said the delay of cognitive loss can be attained with exercise, engagement in social activities, stress reduction techniques, healthy sleep patterns, and proper nutrition. “Focus on things that work,” he said.

The elderly, he continued, can still contribute to the work force in positions that require the attributes of responsibility, authority, advisory, and loyalty.

“With seniors, there is less emphasis placed on ego development.

They don’t focus on the bad or the negative,” he said. Programs for the elderly should be structured for them to attain self actualization, he said.

“In work-training programs or physical therapy programs, focus on what is possible,” Dr. Jimenez advised. “Three or four things might be possible to a senior as compared to a teenager for whom many things are possible. A senior might enjoy working with youth or taking care of a baby in a day care center.”

Happily, mood disorder rates begin to fall at age 65 for minority groups. “However, non-minority groups are vulnerable to suicide, which might be due to the loss of supports such as work, religion, or physical appearance,” said Dr. Jimenez.

Minorities are also less likely to be visually impaired, while white women are more likely to experience hearing loss by age 85.

“As we grow old, we can only lose cells,” Dr. Jimenez reminded his audience. But there is an al-

ternative,” he said. “As is the case when a teenager burns out many of his brain cells with drugs or alcohol, the elderly are losing cells because of age factors. The teenager might take part in a therapy program that helps to build dendrites — nerve connections which carry information to parts of the brain which are still healthy. Exercise, dance, and reading programs help to build dendrites.”

He said that day care and recreational centers help to build socialization patterns and that the goal of physical and brain exercise programs is to keep the heart and blood vessels healthy, avoid chronic illness, provide intellectual stimuli, help maintain the speed of solving problems, and maintain flexibility.

In response to a question from a member of the audience concerning the most user- friendly environment

for seniors, Dr. Jimenez suggested a large, vital city, such as San Antonio which offers fairly low housing expenses, while at the same time offering accessible state of the art medical care. San Antonio, he said, provides ample opportunities for socialization and healthy exercise.

He concluded with, “The thought process in the senior years is not about money, power, politics, or status. The goal is to reach transcendence — leaving earthly things and focusing on the soul, which results in self actualization. Among seniors there is increased meditation and decreased competitive social interaction and pursuit of material objects. There is decreased emphasis on the self versus others or issues with respect to the concerns of past, present, and future. There is decreased concern for one’s personal life as opposed to the flow of life.” ◆

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

BY DENISE FERGUSON LareDOS Contributor

Kayla Maldonado, Eloisa Rodriguez, Jessica Mendiola, and Oneida Gonzalez, Laredo Community College nursing students, provided tips on staying active to Marie Wendenborn on Saturday, March 23 at the UT Health Science Center at the Senior Moments of Aging seminar.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44

Tuesdays and Thursdays we have to ask to test for a stripe.” Depending on the belt level, the students must perform to the best of their abilities in order to obtain a new stripe Rigorous training aside, the Kugar athletes stick to strict diets to keep in top form. Marlene Briseño, a 20-year-old biology major at TAMIU who took first place in State, is on a 21-day detox diet that excludes sugar and includes vegetables and meat. “If you’re going to be an athlete, you can’t just eat whatever you want because you won’t be able to perform your best,” she said.

The Kugar Taekwondo School is owned by Jesse Kuhns and his wife, Dr. Clarissa Kuhns. Taekwondo is a big part of their lives — not only because they run the school, but also because they met on account of the sport. “I was looking for an extracurricular activity and I found the taekwondo team in College Station.

That’s when I met Jesse. We won the National Championships and started dating shortly thereafter, and here we are now,” Clarissa Kuhns stated. She is a licensed psychologist whose office is adjacent to the school at 7019 Village Blvd.

“I knew growing up that taekwondo was something I excelled in, but I didn’t really see it as a way that I could make a living and support a family until probably late in high school when my instructor started having me teach,” said Jesse Kuhns, who began taekwondo as a four-year-old. It was his passion for the sport and his love of children that led him to realize what he wanted to do with his life: teach taekwondo.

“One of the things we really try to preach here is that taekwondo is great and that it’s an Olympic sport, and for the few who want to do that, it’s an option,” Jesse Kuhns said, “but taekwondo and martial arts in general are really great tools for children to learn how to be good

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men and women.” Respect is a major component of taekwondo.

It also teaches the students to maintain a balance between taekwondo and schoolwork.

“Just as I work hard in taekwondo, I work hard in school because I can’t be uneven,” said Salma Castellanos. Besides winning State Championships, she and the Kugar students maintain high GPAs in school.

When the Kuhns moved to Sugarland after college graduation, Jesse Kuhns got a shot at making the U.S. Olympic Taekwondo Team. The man to whom he fell short ended up with a Silver Medal in the Olympics.

The couple moved to Laredo and in August 2008, they opened the Kugar Taekwondo School. Clarissa, a native Laredoan, said her family “spread good word of mouth…we [also] gave discounts to families just to get people in the door, and they supported us through it.”

Jesse Kuhns tells his story of falling short of the Olympics to teach an important lesson to his students — facing the fear of failure. “We talk about putting fear in its right place.

Naturally in a sport where we kick each other in the head, it can be a fearful thing, so what we try to teach people is that fear is natural, normal, and a good thing if you use it right,” he explained.

The Kuhns say that they try to promote fun. While they hope that the children learn and perform well, they ultimately want the kids to have a good time while learning taekwondo.

Jonah Silman, a ten-year-old at Colonel Santos Benavides Elementary School, said, “Taekwondo is a very nice hobby for me. The best word to describe it is fun!”

The 2013 National Championships will take place in Chicago, Illinois, July 3-9, 2013.

For more information on Kugar Taekwondo, visit http://www.kugartkd.com/id4.html ◆ (Celia Villarreal may be reached at celvreal@gmail.com)

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS



Vangaurd offers reduced-cost services Vanguard Veterinary Associates brought Laredoans affordable pet vaccinations and preventative health care on March 16 in the HEB parking lot on Calton Road. They also provided tests for heartworm tests, heartworm prevention, and pet micro chips.

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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.

BY SALO OTERO South Texas Food Bank Marketing Director

Courtesy Photo

At 6-foot-3 Barry Bernier is taller than the average Laredoan. In the eyes of the STFB and Laredo’s military veterans’ community, he stands much taller. He is a top- of- the- line deluxe advocate for both.

The 68-year-old Pennsylvania native has lived in Laredo since 2005.

He retired from the U.S. Marines as a platoon command sergeant in 1985 after a 23-year stint, including a 27-month Vietnam tour from 1965 to 1966 and 1969 to 1970.

Bernier lived in Mexico in 20032004 but wound up in Laredo in 2005. He came to the STFB wanting to lend a hand. The Adopt-A-Family program caught Bernier’s eye. A donation of $120 per year allows one family to receive a box of groceries per month.

Bernier noted, “It was reasonable to do it. I started making donations

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South Texas Food Bank

Barry Bernier: a champion for STFB and veterans and had adopted four families by December 2011. I had a goal of helping disabled veterans, but found the needs of the community went beyond veterans. The elderly can’t support themselves and needed help. Adopt-A-Family is an outstanding means to contribute to fellow citizens in the community.”

For Bernier, “It’s not about putting feathers in my cap.” But to date he has adopted 14 families. He pointed out, “For $10 per month, that’s minimal. It’s part of my tithe.

Tithing has different meaning to different people. This satisfies that obligation.”

Bernier called himself, “Not terribly religious. But I believe in taking care of people. I know just in one neighborhood there’s one disabled man with a lot of health issues.

And then there’s some grandparents who take care of the children of their children.”

Bernier, who lives in El Cuatro neighborhood along the river

near San Francisco Xavier Catholic Church, said he is of the Baptist faith but points to his involvement with Rev. Father Bill Davis, the still energetic 82-year-old pastor of San Francisco. “Father Bill is just great.

I’ve worked with him on a couple of projects and attended some of his (church) meetings,” Bernier said.

Fr. Davis described Bernier as “one of the most generous guys in Laredo. What’s a big gringo like that living in the barrio? He’s always there for the people, helping with food and whatever they need. He is alert to the neighborhood.”

Miguel Zuniga, coordinator of the STFB’s Adopt-A-Family program, calls Bernier, “A God-send.

He has a passion for his fellow countrymen, especially those who have put their lives on the line. This is his way of showing compassion and appreciation for these men. He is a champion of the person who is struggling….the poor, I suppose.”

Military veterans especially tug at Bernier’s heart, probably because he can identify with them. Bernier was wounded in Vietnam and is disabled himself.

“That’s one of the reasons I became involved and I like to get others involved,” Bernier said. He has recruited others to help.

“One veteran (who is also a food bank recipient) helps me deliver (Adopt A Family) groceries. Last month we had six distributions.”

He added, “Sadly veterans are not involved as they could be ….helping each other. We have outreach programs, but not enough to our younger veterans. They’re the ones getting lost.”

STFB executive director Alfonso Casso noted, “The Adopt A Family

program allows individuals from the community to identify needy families. An AAF sponsor can either name a specific family in need that they are aware of, or they may ask the food bank to choose a family.

“Just like Mr. Bernier, we have several individuals who on a continuous basis, donate to AAF. He, by both his money and actions is a model for trying to improve the lives of those in need. Laredo could surely use more individuals such as Barry Bernier,” Casso said.

Bernier’s involvement with veterans goes beyond the STFB. He is one of three Vietnam veterans who volunteers to drive veterans to medical clinics in San Antonio and Corpus Christi.

Zuniga noted Bernier’s heartfelt deeds, crediting, “All comes from a generous spirit.”

Gloria Turner, social worker at the VA Clinic in Laredo, praised Bernier’s volunteerism, “He supplies a very much-needed resource.

He started helping in medical records and noticed a large need for drivers. Without him some of our veterans would not be able to keep their doctor appointments. It’s a very important assistance.”

And then there is Bernier, the student. He earned an associate degree in sociology from Laredo Community College at the age of 64. He gave the commencement address to his class. He explained, “It (the education) came under the Chapter 31 veterans program and with the encouragement of (Congressman) Dr. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo). Dr. Cuellar has been very supportive for veterans and senior citizens with personal involvement,” Bernier said. ◆ LareDOS I M A RCH 2013 I

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News

LISD Office of Communication awarded best in the state

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of the judges, does so in an exceptional way; and best of category awards for an entry that stands out from all the others for its exceptional creativity and quality.

The Office of Communications and the Instructional Television (ITV) departments were also recognized with 40 gold, silver, and bronze star awards for excellence in school communications.

“We are very proud of the dedication, passion, and outstanding contributions our talented staffs in the Communications and ITV Departments have made to the overall success of our district,” said LISD Supt. Dr. Marcus Nelson, adding, “I am glad to see them get the plaudits and recognition that their work deserves.”

TSPRA is an Austin-based professional organization whose members are dedicated to improving public education in Texas by promoting effective public relations practices, and providing professional development for its members, according to www.tspra.org.

For more information please contact the Office of Communication at (956) 273-1730 or visit www.laredoisd.org.

– LareDOS Staff

Courtesy Photo

he Laredo Independent School District’s (LISD) Office of Communications was recognized at the 2013 Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) Star Awards Ceremony at an annual conference in Corpus Christi.

The communications staff’s community newsletter Las Escuelas was recognized for the second consecutive year as the best newsletter in the state of Texas. LISD’s publications designer Jack Nelson’s flyer for the Kiwanis Club meeting, and his poster entitled Educating Young Minds with Science Pays Off were also recognized as the best in the state.

Each year, TSPRA recognizes communicators in school districts, education foundations, education associations, and organizations for their outstanding contributions in school communications.

Entries selected as best in the state were honored with silver star awards for an entry that achieves its purpose with noticeable creativity, craft and skill; gold star awards for an entry that not only achieves its purpose with noticeable creativity, craft and skill, but, in the opinion

Members of the LISD Office of Communications who recently took awards in the annual TSPRA awards contest are Veronica Castillon, Claudia Rodriguez, Jack Nelson, Bobby Treviño, and Mimi ValdezRodriguez.

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Movie Review

Girl in Progress: hilarity meets hope

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weekend just doesn’t feel like a weekend until a great film is played on the home plasma screen with the lights off and popcorn filling our mouths with buttery delight.

Girl in Progress, released in May 2012, is the perfect movie for such a time.

Directed by Patricia Riggen, this dramatic comedy promises to evoke laughter at the silliness of the protagonist’s actions and to engage the viewer with the idea of hope, both which far outweigh the film’s lack of a romantic ending and the underut ilizat ion of the comedic talents of Eugenio Derbez.

Ansiedad, the young protagon ist played by Cierra Ramirez, is tired of being the responsible one in her family. She decides it is time to move on with her life and to leave her immature and hilarious mother, Grace (Eva Mendes). Ansiedad gets into many silly situations that she believes are the rites of passage on the road to maturity.

Grace, preoccupied with her own problems, is never present when her daughter needs her the most. She has to lose Ansiedad to understand W W W.L A R ED OS N E WS.CO M

how much she neglected her. As the movie reaches its climax, mother and daughter have to leave the hurtful past behind to reunite.

It is the film’s comedic moments that make it so memorable. The absurdity of Ansiedad’s willful steps to maturity make for an amusing journey towards adulthood. For example, in the “Kiss” scene, Ansiedad enters bad boy Vector’s (Landon Liboiron) car and randomly asks him to kiss her. She specifies that since it is her first kiss, it should be awkward and she should not like it. The sincerity with which she says this and the s t r a ig ht f or ward manner she uses to address this is roaring funny.

The comedy of Girl in Progress does not always hit the mark.

For instance, Riggen does not know how to keep up with the audience’s expectations, failing to call up the range of the gifted Derbez’s mirthful talents. His mediocre character, Mission Impossible, is an unsuccessful man who tries to gain a better position at the restaurant where Grace works. His funniest moment in the movie is him dancing, swinging his norteño boots at a Mexican get together. This in no way compares with his appearance in Riggen’s 2007 success, Under the

Same Moon in which Derbez portrays an undocumented immigrant named Enrique who is singing his lungs out while working in a restaurant’s kitchen. The expression on his face and his childish acting and singing draw laughs from the viewers. It’s unfortunate that Riggen, knowing well Derbez’s comedic capacity, did not allow him to shine in a movie in which comedy played such an important role. Ansiedad’s foolish actions and Grace’s immaturity nonetheless compensate for this misuse of Derbez’s talent and produce a movie that is both amusing and meaningful.

Like any successful dramatic comedy, the ending is a mixture of lessons learned as life goes on. Although, there is no happily ever after or a prince charming guiding

Grace and Ansiedad to a beautiful castle, there is hope for a better life.

New York Times movie reviewer A. O. Scott affirms this by writing that “what makes this movie worthwhile is the clarity and sincerity of that hope, which it recognizes as trite but also necessary.”

It is disappointing that Grace does not fall in love or form a meaningful relationship. Nonetheless, the ending is remarkable; the movie ends as Grace tells Ansiedad that they are going home. The audience does not need a fairy tale ending. It needs real people, with real problems who have hope for a better future. Things are going to change for these two, and a new life awaits.

The film’s 93 minutes of heartbreak, hilarity, and hope are worth the tears, laughs, and joy. ◆

Courtesy Photo

BY XENIA MARTINEZ LareDOS Contributor

Arndt Elementary Royalty Nicole Duffield and Roberto Ramirez were Valentines Day royalty at John Arndt Elementary School.

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LAPS

Giving baby animals as a gift may have sad consequences

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family friend took the neighbor’s son along with their family to the carnival during the Washington’s Birthday Celebration.

Upon returning later that evening, the small boy, face beaming as he carried his prizes from the carnival games, proudly handed his mother a small paper bag containing something cheeping loudly.

Opening the bag cautiously, Mom discovered a two or three dayold chick and a little chicken scratch food. Not having been raised on a farm, none of the family really knew how to care for the chick. After playing with it, a shoebox was used to tuck the baby away for the night. The next morning, the boy discovered, much to his dismay, a dead chick.

The cute, fuzzy chick had needed a heat source to keep it alive. If it had been with the mother hen, her body heat and feathers would have insured the baby’s survival. Of course, the boy was very sad about his new pet’s death. The sad child and his Mom had a burial service in the back yard of their home.

A few days later, the boy developed a fever, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Unable to keep food or water down, the boy rapidly became dehydrated and was taken to the family doctor. The doctor immediately had the boy hospitalized to replace the lost body fluids and electrolytes. Lab tests showed the boy was infected with a bacterium, Salmonella, which causes gastroenteritis (stomach and intestinal inflammation).

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The family doctor asked the parents about the possible sources.

Finally, the chick that had been a prize at the carnival was identified as the most likely source of the infection.

Each Easter, hundreds of chicks, ducklings, goslings, and bunnies are given as gifts to children.

Many people are unaware the food poisoning germ, Salmonella, can be found in the digestive tracts of poultry and reptiles without harming the animals. These cute animals are loved by many children, but are mishandled and improperly housed and fed.

Another child had held a fuzzy, purple dyed chick up to his ear to hear it cheep. He would lift the chick gently up to his ear listening to the cheeping and feeling the tickle of the fuzzy little body. When the chick stopped, the boy would shake it to get it to resume. Finally he took the chick to his mother, telling her the baby was no longer cheeping. In his efforts to hear the chick’s sweet voice, he had shaken and squeezed it to death.

Each year the Laredo Animal Shelter has calls from families who have received chicks, ducklings, goslings, and bunnies as gifts at Easter or as prizes at the carnival.

Sometimes, even if the babies survived and had grown to adult size, the family realized they didn’t have the space or didn’t like the mess involved in keeping them. They now want to give the animal(s) to the shelter.

These very cute lovable animals become a source of infectious diseases or suffer a slow, lingering death from improper handling or improper food or they become a

nuisance when mature.

Rather than giving one of these animals as an Easter gift, consider first of all whether your family is ready to provide the care and attention any living creature deserves.

Consider whether instead of a chicken, adopting a puppy or kitten from the Laredo Animal Protective Society’s animal shelter at 2500 Gonzalez Street might be a better alternative as a child’s first pet experience.

All pets up for adoption at LAPS are properly vaccinated and ‘fixed’ to prevent reproduction. The very capable staff will be pleased to show you the available dogs or cats and allow you to interact with your

possible new family member in a safe play area at the shelter, so that you can choose the right match for your family. Remember that thousands of baby animals die unnecessarily each year at Easter as a result of being given as a gift or won as a prize, or simply because they are unwanted strays.

Meanwhile, the LAPS Laredo Animal Shelter has transitioned to a No Kill facility, dedicated to “providing an unwanted pet a pathway to a second chance.”

If you decide to adopt, you not only provide a loving home for your new kitten or pup, you also leave space for us to bring in another pet waiting to be loved! ◆

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

BY RICHARD RENNER LareDOS Contributor

An American Hero Oscar Medina IV, 11, leader of Oscar’s Clean-Up Club is photographed tidying up Father McNaboe Park on March 19. Medina, legally blind, was awarded the prestigious Keep America Beautiful Jefferson Award in Washington, D.C for his hometown efforts to keep Laredo beautiful and to raise community awareness about littering and recycling.

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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.

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ou could have knocked me off my chair with a feather last month when I heard star Eva Longoria tell this story on “The View,” the ABC-TV morning show owned

by Barbara Walters and chaired by Whoopi Goldberg.

“I was the youngest of four sisters, and my parents used to call me ‘la prieta fea,’” Longoria explained.

Obviously, they were very wrong, as Longoria, 37, went on to become a major star on Desperate Housewives and many other venues.

She married and later divorced Tony Parker, star of San Antonio’s Spurs, and she amassed a fortune with El Beso restaurants in L.A. and Las Vegas and other investments. She made a $500,000 donation to President Obama’s campaign.

She was born in Corpus Christi

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Notes from La La Land

La prieta fea who wasn’t and grew up at the King Ranch, where her family lived. She attended Texas A&M-Kingsville, where she received a degree in kinesiology, the study of anatomy, physiology, and body movement. She was Miss Corpus Christi USA 1998.

Winning talent contests followed, as did parts in The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, and Beverly Hills 90210. She went on to act in The Young and the Restless and played Gabrielle Solis in Housewives. She has a contract with L’Oreal and has been named one of the most beautiful people by Maxim and People en Español.

So why did her family call her ‘La Prieta Fea’? She is the only one of her parents› children to have dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair. Her three sisters are all fair, blue eyed, and light skinned. Eva thought for a

long time that she was adopted, because of her features. Her Longoria name comes from an old Asturian noble surname.

The secret of her success?

“I love learning. I’m like a sponge,” she says.

Moving on. Since California became a state, Latinos are going to become a crucial part of the workforce as baby roomers retire. Statistics indicate that Latinos will be even with the white population by mid-year this year. But Latinos will gain more numbers by the end of the year. The population study also indicates that by 2060, California›s population will grow to nearly 53 million, much higher than the most recent estimate this year. By 2060 Latinos will make up 48% of all Californians. By then, the Asian population will be about the same, the white population will drop to 30% from the current 39%, and the black population will drop from 6% to 4% by 2060. Because of longer life expectancies, women will continue to slightly outnumber men.

As you read this, the new Pope has been named. But as of this writing, I can›t believe the wagering in Las Vegas regarding the new Pope.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power announced his take on who would succeed the Pope. Paddy had as his favorite Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana at 3/1, followed closely by Cardinal Marc Quellet of Canada at 7/2 odds. Cardinal Turkson, however, played down his favorite status, telling BBC that statistics do not play a role in the selection of the new Pope.

Turkson, if selected, would be the first African Pope. Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria has odds of 9/2 with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri of Argentina at 6/1. And, yes, there were even odds on Father Dougal Maguire of the Craggy Islands to become the next Pope at 1000/1 odds.

At any rate, whoever the new Pope is, may God help him, considering the enormity of the job. And on that note, it’s time for--as Norma Adamo says – TAN TAN! ◆

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The Mystery Customer BY THE MYSTERY CUSTOMER

El Meson De San Agustin 908 Grant St. On a busy Tuesday afternoon, the MC stopped by for a much-needed bite to eat. As usual the place was packed with the lunchtime crowd. Nonetheless MC waited it out for El Meson’s delectable chicken cordon bleu accompanied with a side of spaghetti, mashed potatoes, and corn. MC recommends everyone to stop by and enjoy not only some of the finest Mexican cuisine in town, but to take in the historic ambience of the restaurant as well.

Allstate 709 Alta Vista Dr Ste 101 The MC visited this agency in hopes of getting some questions answered on a current policy. The staff was very friendly and attentive to all the customers. The collaborative effort was outstanding and all of the MC’s questions were answered in a timely manner.

Pizza Hut 2106 Santa Ursula Thirty-five minutes to prepare a sim-

MC: why do I have to watch sports on restaurant TVs? ple vegetarian pizza just before closing time (the MC had to ask for the pizza to be served as it languished and dried up in the kitchen) and a refusal to change the channel on one of the restaurant’s big screen TVs (from sweaty men shoving each other all over a basketball court to something educational or informative) and the manager had the whatevers to ask, “Everything all right?” Happily, the MC saw that a child had climbed onto a chair to change the channel to cartoons, delivering himself from basketball, golf, hockey and two silly talking heads analyzing Tiger Woods’ every move.

What an unintelligent presumption that a sporting event is what all Laredoans want to watch. Pizza Hut should take their lead from Tacos Ravi on San Bernardo where you can watch the news on Channel 27 and then lose yourself in the telenovela, if you want to.

Sames Honda 6105 San Dario The MC found, as she always does, a square deal on an oil change and good

intake service from a gentleman named Joe. Laredo Ranch Heights 2215 Laredo Street Great survival rates on the 24 baby peepers the MC bought and is brooding at the ranch and will eventually add to the flock of layers cranking out naturally raised eggs.

Pepe’s San Ygnacio, Texas Two things will happen to you when you opt for what you think will be a quick run into Pepe’s. Invariably you will be in a line behind at least one or two customers buying-redeeming-buyingredeeming Texas Lottery Tickets. That’ll slow you down as the items in your hands turn into dead weight. While you are waiting, your clean clothes and your hair will begin to smell like a hamburger because the place is not vented for cooking and the air is filled with the penetrating olor of hot grease on the grill.

Pat’s Kitchen 5517 McPherson According to MC, Pat’s Kitchen is the latest and greatest addition to the food establishments in town. The 50s-style diner specializes in American hamburgers and milkshakes. The authentic feel of this place had the MC experiencing a blast from the past. With hit records from the Supremes, among others, mounted on the wall, the only thing

missing was a jukebox.

Buffalo Wings and Rings 9651 McPherson The MC stopped by to check out the newest wing place in town. It was a fairly slow day, as employees seemed to outnumber the customers. The MC was not terribly impressed with the heat (BTUs) of the buffalo and teriyaki wings, although the friendly and speedy customer service provided was much appreciated.

La Reserva Bar and Grill 107 Calle Del Norte The authentic Mexican cuisine was like a little slice of Mexican heaven for the MC. The décor along with the servers who only speak Spanish added to the authentic feel of the place. The MC would not recommend you visit this location unless you’ve brushed up on your Spanish and are willing to splurge a little on some good food and top shelf drinks.

Olive Garden 5319 San Dario Customer service was dragging on the evening of Tuesday, March 19 when the MC stopped by for some calamari.

The servers were not as quick and attentive as they usually are. Luckily there was no ridiculous waiting period to be seated. The MC and her party enjoyed the well-prepared food once they were actually served. ◆

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News

Laredo writer debuts romance novel

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hildren’s book writer turned romance author Rosella Newman debuted her romance novel Their Last Dance at a book signing at the Laredo Public Library on Thursday, February 14.

With familiar settings such as La Mexicana restaurant and other cultural references to Laredo, Newman presents a story of wealthy oil tycoons, their beautiful and privileged offspring, and a passionate love story.

Their Last Dance follows the adventures of Amber Stockbridge, the heiress of Stockbridge Oil and the havoc she creates by choosing new love Bill Telafero over longtime fiancé Sean Glass.

In addition to presenting the charms and expensive accoutrement of the lives of the well-heeled, Newman touches on

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the destructive nature of drugs.

“I had planned on making a trilogy based on this romance fiction,” said Newman, adding “I want to punish the characters that deserve it in the possible follow-up.”

When asked about her transition into romance fiction, Newman said that in her spare time she has always complied fictional stories, and she wanted to tell a romance story that would appeal to both men and women.

Newman’s previously published works include Mocha Goes to Port Aransas, Texas and Mocha’s First Birthday Party in which she used her main character, a Chihuahua, to teach children about safety.

Their Last Dance was published in 2012

by Trafford Publishing.

– LareDOS Staff

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Maverick Ranch Notes

BY BEBE & SISSY FENSTERMAKER

Spring planting underway at the Maverick Ranch; dedication of Senator Frank Madla Park

There was one pink redbud bloom in December; agaritas began blooming in mid-February; the yuccas are more than halfway through their big candelabra flower works. Soon we’ll be able to harvest grapefruits and oranges like you folks in Laredo.

Anyway, it’s good to have springtime again and get hands into the soil.

The vegetable garden this year is in the house yard. I expanded a flowerbed the size of a sheet of plywood to just a bit bigger, and that is all there is. There was the obligatory moving of uprooted spiderworts to other sites and ruthless hacking-out of Bermuda grass and awful salvia that ruled the bed too long. I dug up three beautiful cream-colored bricks and discovered that a big pot of salvia gregii was sitting on a flat rock with an old dab of cement on it. It is far from the walkways so there is no telling what job it had in the past. Pieces of melted glass and a few charcoals commemorate the 1916 fire that took the oldest part of the main house.

Since a Boerne nursery actually did order kale plants as requested, a few plants are providing greens for lunch.

Cilantro successfully came up from seed and grew along with a parsley plant over the winter. Now plantings of cherry tomatoes, Japanese eggplants, and Poblano peppers are waiting for the cold nights to warm up.

I’m waiting for the raccoon who dug up kale plants to move on. Absence of coon always makes a garden grow better. So far the armadillo has confined himself to chiseling holes all over the “lawn.”

I finally found the zinnia, tithonia, and cosmos seed we bought for last summer and planted them in trays. The ‘pop art’ zinnia of yellow and red streaks should be a nice touch with red spider

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zinnias from Iowa. It’s hard to figure where all these plants, if the seed is viable, are going to fit. All flowerbeds are full of long established natives and old irises who will resent new neighbors (Gosh, I know just how that feels!). I’m hoping some fresh juicy dirt will soothe their irritation.

Heavens know there is compost in the making up in the corrals. The cows with little calves are still staying in each evening due to the chilly nights. And Mole, our ancient cow, is not doing well, so she is in with the little ones in the hay.

Her tough eye lets me know she does not like being stuck in the corral all day.

She is moving so slowly these days that I know she’d just skip coming up at suppertime, which would not work for her or for me. So we just pretend that neither of us wants to kill the other, and I rack my brain for interesting kinds of feed for her. We’ve gone through alfalfa pellets, calf manna, something called Sheen, horse and mule feed (which she should not have-too sweet), and now she’s getting the calves’ creep feed. This along with crimped oats and sheep and goat pellets. And hay. I never know what’s acceptable. She usually sits over her bucket until the two mamas come in, then she switches to their buckets and later back to her own. It’s a slow circling until they empty the buckets. Somewhere in there I sneak the calves’ feed to them.

We had a 1.3 inch rain last weekend and everything, plant, animal and bird has responded. The air seems better and certainly the fragrances of agarita, laurel and sweet olive are intense. It’s good to be alive and outside.

– Bebe Fenstermaker My friend Kathy and I set out for the Texas coast recently to visit Glory, our mutual friend who now lives in Rockport. The route we took was along

smaller highways and not an interstate.

We wanted to see more of the rural landscape and towns and avoid the monotony of the other. I had forgotten how flat the coastal plains were and the amount of farming that goes on there. Kathy thought it was mainly cotton farming in the area near our destination.

We were on the last leg of our trip when suddenly there approached a bizarre looking mechanical insect. I thought it had the look of a giant grasshopper. It was a tractor, of course. The cab was way up off the ground and the enormous tires were on either side of and slightly below the cab. We reached our friend’s house which is located away from the water in an area of trees and interesting brush. Her home site had been carved out thoughtfully, leaving the remainder in its natural state. The house, which she designed, had a front porch running across the entire front and an enclosed back porch with windows on three sides and a deck just outside. There are plenty of windows throughout the house letting in lots of light. It was obvious Glory had put much thought and work into both the inside and outside look of her home. She lives quite happily with several cats and a couple of friendly dogs.

Much of our time was spent looking at coastal birds and enjoying seafood. We did see a couple of whooping cranes and a whopper of an alligator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Nearer to home on a beautiful sunny day, the city of Grey Forest recently celebrated its new park, the Senator Frank L. Madla Jr. Natural Area, with a grand opening and dedication. The event drew many friends, family, and former legislative staff of the late Senator as well as residents of Grey Forest and area neighbors. Grey Forest Mayor Ron Reinhard had a long list to thank beginning with Texas Parks and Wildlife whose grant along with conservation easement funds from the City of San Antonio made the purchase of the land possible. The individuals who had donated their time and expertise and area businesses were also recognized. Dr. Frank L. Madla II spoke about his father and the late Senator’s many accomplishments and thanked the many residents and nonresidents directly involved with the purchase and development of the park.

The park is located at the corner of Scenic Loop and Menchaca and over looks the Madla farm where Senator Madla was raised.

– Sissy Fenstermaker

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Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Enjoying FUMC’s flower and art show Elsie Hernandez, Courtey Nava, Matthew Nava, Nestora Martinez, and Patricia Nava were among attendees of the First Methodist Church’s 64th annual Flower and Art Show. This year’s event was held in memory of educator and poet Ruth Fierros, a longtime contributor of the event with flowers from her garden.

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Gloria Gonzalez

Mariela Rodriguez/LareDOS

Felicidades, Alicia and José Laurent art opening Local artist Shelley Laurent featured her works of abstract at on Saturday, March 16 at Caffé Dolce. The artist’s passion for the arts began at a very young age — ever since she could hold a pencil.

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Alicia and José H. Villarreal of Zapata celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends at the Zapata Pavilion. They were married February 23, 1963, the year the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series, the year Patricia Neal earned an Oscar for Hud, and a year in which Peter, Paul, and Mary made “Blowin’ in the Wind” a chart topper.

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