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INFRASTRUCTURE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Roads get the works
Locals vie for UIL honors
Several projects are upgrading highways in county By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Texas Department of Transportation is near the completion of a 3.2-mile long road upgrade and continues to work on other road projects on US 83.
Construction on US 83 from Monterrey Lane to 1,050 feet south of Tepozan County Road started in July and includes a 3.2 mile upgrade from a twolane, bi-directional roadway to a four-lane roadway with a continuous left turn lane, said Marisa
Ramirez, TxDOT area project manager. The 3.2-mile long road upgrade, awarded to Foremost Paving and for nearly $7 million, is expected to be completed the second week of February, Ramirez said.
“The road has been weather permitted and is still pending striping and final riding,” Ramirez said. Foremost Paving continues to work on a road upgrade from
See ROADS PAGE 10A
Elementary students compete in 15 events in district competition
STCADA
BIGGER FACILITY OPENS
renting for a long time and this bigger facility allows for more staff and services. “It’s really a commitment from STCADA to this community and
See AGENCY PAGE 10A
See UIL PAGE 10A
Photo by Daniel Zaragoza | The Zapata Times
Agency’s new building to allow more staff, services THE ZAPATA TIMES
The South Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially mark the grand opening of
a newer and bigger facility in Zapata County Wednesday afternoon. STCADA is a non-profit organization serving Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Starr, Cameron and Duval counties.
The organization relocated to accommodate more staff to better serve the community, said Dr. Humberto Gonzalez, chairman of the board. “It’s a tremendous upgrade,” Gonzalez said. “We had been
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Approximately 63 Zapata County ISD students participated in the UIL district competition in La Feria last Saturday. “The participants had an awesome opportunity in getting to know different people as well as showing off their skills in the various events in which they competed,” said Fidel and Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary UIL coordinator Lydia Garza. The students departed at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning and returned at 8 p.m., said Principal Carmen Zavala. “We’re very proud of their behavior and their participation,” Zavala said. “They’ve been practicing an hour to an hour and half every week from five to sixty-thirty in the evening.” ZCISD students from A.L. Benavides, Villarreal, Zapata South and Zapata North elementaries attended the one-day competition and competed in 15 events. Events included oral reading, story telling, general math, spelling, art smart, maps, charts and graphs, dictionary skills, and English and Spanish oral divisions. The four elementary schools competed against four other schools from Port Isabel, La Feria, Rio Hondo, and Donna, Zavala said. Nearly 20 students from Zapata South Elementary took firstthru sixth-place ribbons or trophies, according to the final results. “We had quite a few winners,” said Zapata South Ele-
Romeo Rodriguez, Patricio Hernandez, Humberto Gonzalez, Alma Heine, Isidrio Alaniz, Romeo Salinas, Maria Kane, and Graciela Martinez participated in the grand opening of the new STCADA office in Zapata, on Wednesday afternoon.
By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ
By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ
FUNDRAISING
Kids raising funds for Pennies for Patients By LORRAINE L. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata South Elementary School kicked off its Pennies for Patients campaign last week to raise funds for children with leukemia and to help their families with medical expenses.
The campaign will also benefit cancer research, said Rosie Bigler, Zapata South Elementary librarian. Bigler headed the campaign and encouraged students to collect spare change from home to support the mission to cure leukemia and to improve the lives of
patients and their families, she said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the children to demonstrate their passion for supporting friends and families in their community,” Bigler said. “They are learning at a young age how important and fulfilling commu-
nity service can be.” Monday morning, Zapata South Elementary received a pleasant surprise from the grandparents of two former students, Ryan and Rebecca Ayers, Bigler said. The Ayers’ now reside in Whiteright and are also helping
their school in the Pennies for Patients campaign and asked their grandparents Mary Lou and Monroe Shelton to visit their school and donate pennies, Bigler said. The Sheltons visited the school on behalf of their grandchildren
See PENNIES PAGE 9A