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Education center on a roll By TARYN WHITE THE ZAPATA TIMES The Zapata County Commissioners Court is two steps closer to breaking ground on the Higher Education Center after Tuesday’s meeting. The court approved the center’s final design and hired PM2I Construction Management Company as the construction manger that will oversee the center’s construction bids. According to Mario Gonzalez, county project coordinator, hiring a
construction manager will speed up the time it takes going out for bids. Gonzalez said the construction manager will work within the county’s budget to find construction companies and bring one final recommendation before the court. “It is efficient and we want to move forward as fast as we can,” Gonzalez said. For the past three years, the county has been working with Zapata County Independent School
See CONSTRUCTION | PAGE 12A
Court says pay for burial plots By TARYN WHITE THE ZAPATA TIMES Reserving a cemetery plot in Zapata County Cemetery won’t be as easy as it once was. Tuesday, the Zapata County Commissioners Court enacted a new policy for purchasing cemetery plots in Zapata County Cemetery on Farm to Market Road 496. “This is the first time we are
putting a policy in place on how someone can reserve a plot,” said Romeo Salinas, county treasurer. “We have so many unpaid reservations, pretty soon we are going to run out of space.” Beginning the first week of May, people will have 90 days after reserving a plot to pay the $150 plot fee. Also, the amount of plots one person can reserve will be limited to four.
“It is four plots per person, not per family, so each member in the family can reserve four each,” Salinas said. Salinas added that in the past the county would run into a problem of people reserving up to 10 or 15 plots, never paying for them, and sometimes never even using them. “People would reserve plots for
See PLOTS | PAGE 12A
PRIVATE PLACE FOR THE BIRDS
Photos by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Left, the San Ygnacio Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary is part of the Upper Rio Grande Valley Biological Station. Right, A dragonfly rests on a branch at the sanctuary Thursday morning.
Donation still needs ramp before it opens By TARYN WHITE THE ZAPATA TIMES
W
alking down Washington Street in San Ygnacio, one might be surprised to come across a small sign with the words “Bird & Butterfly Sanctuary” written in red. With no explanation, no set path and no description, the two acres of land designated for the birds is easy to miss. This slightly out-of-the-way sanctuary is not open to the public. But, since Zapata County was given the bird sanctuary in 2007, Pct. 2 Commissioner Gabriel Villarreal has had the goal of making it a popular tourism attraction. “We can’t open it for the public until we install a handicap ramp,” Villarreal said. The land was originally
owned by Richard Spight, who donated it to Zapata County. “I am not sure why he gave it to us, but we haven’t been able to open it yet,” Villarreal said. Villarreal asked the Commissioners Court to install a handicap ramp last year, but it was voted down. “The Commissioners Court didn’t want to spend money to put a ramp in, and we were doing a lot better last year,” Villarreal said. Villarreal added he is not going to attempt to ask the court to pay for a ramp this year because of the turbulent economic climate. “I know we just don’t have the money for it this year,” Villarreal said. “Maybe next year I will try again.”
See SANCTUARY | PAGE 12A
Washington Avenue in San Ygnacio extends to the riverbank where the Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary is located.
Board wants 1-year pacts By TARYN WHITE THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata County Independent School District is moving toward one-year contracts for all district administrators. Currently, it is common practice for all new hires to be put on a oneyear contract, after which time, they move into a multiple year contract. Tuesday, the Board of Trustees voted to keep all recently hired administrators on the one-year term contract. “This is common practice for many school districts,” said
Romeo Rodriguez, Zapata CISD superintendent. “This will give us more flexibility with hiring and moving people around.”
Working with the district Rodriguez added those administrators who have been working with the district on a multiple-year contract over a long period of time will probably not be given a one-year contract when their contracts expire. “Some administrators will probably be grandfathered in so they will keep the contracts they have now,” Rodriguez said. “Eventually we’d like to see the district offer
only one-year contracts to administrators.” Also on Tuesday, Zapata CISD voted to hire Zertuche Construction to do extensive renovations on the district’s tennis courts. The renovations include the office and concession stand, ticket booths, a concession stand on the visitors side and remodeling of the restrooms on the home and visitors side. According to Rodriguez, it is estimated the renovations will cost $718,000, and will be paid for from local funds. (Taryn White may be reached at 728-2568 or twhite@lmtonline.com)
PARKING LOT WORK UNDERWAY
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Acrew from the Zapata County Maintenance Department works on resurfacing the parking lot of the Henry Mercy Martinez Community Center in San Ygnacio on Thursday morning.