August 12, 2016 - Progress Times by Progress Times

Friday, August 12, 2016

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A One-Stop Shop

MCISD hires new Castro Elementary principal

Mission CISD gives free school supplies to students

By Jose De Leon III ith temperatures nearing 105 degrees, Annette Garza was braving the heat at Mission’s Veterans Memorial High School for her four children. The 39-yearold registered nurse lined up with the other parents outside the school gym as she waited for the start of Mission CISD’s third annual Back to School Bash. “Even though the event starts in less than an hour, I’m not worried about being near the back of the line,” she said. “I don’t feel like I’m going to miss any supplies, I’m sure the district is fully stocked.” Garze and her family attended the event held Aug. 5. During the Back-to-School Bash, which started at 6 p.m., the school district gave out nearly 2,300 backpacks stuffed with school supplies—items that were donated by local organizations such as the Mission Chamber of Commerce, Mission Lions Club and the Boys and Girls Club. Aside from the school supplies, cosmetology students from Mission High and Veterans Memorial were also on hand to give free haircuts for students, and medical professionals offered sports physicals for $25 and $5 immunizations. For Garza, the Back-toSchool Bash helps her family as she has no health insur-

By Lea Victoria Juarez

Mission Regional Hospital CEO Javier Iruegas (left) hands a backpack to a Mission CISD student during the 3rd Annual MCISD Back to School Bash. During the event, the Mission school district gave out free backpacks stuffed with school supplies to their students. ance. And with four children in tow, she worries the money spent on school supplies would otherwise hit her finances hard. “With four children, finances used on school supplies accumulate fast,” Garza said. “This event totally helps me save money to use on other things for my children. I have one daughter who is doing driver’s ed this year and the money we’re not spending on school sup-

plies is helping us save money to buy her a car.” According to Mission school district spokesperson Craig Verley, the school supplies were donated through sponsorships with organizations throughout the community so no district money was spent on the event as most of the people in the event were volunteering. “An event like this is meant as a one-stop shop where parents in the district

can do whatever they need to help prepare their children to school and help them stretch their dollar,” Verley explained. “All our three communities (Palmhurst, Mission and Alton) came together in support of children in our district and it’s great how an event like this shows how our community continues to grow.” According to Mission CISD Superintendent Ricar-

See MCISD Pg. 5

Alton proposes lower tax rate, $5 million budget

By Jim Brunson The City of Alton City Commissioners took a record vote Tuesday evening to adopt a new tax rate of $0.4490 per $100 valuation. The city’s mayor and commissioners also reviewed the first draft of a proposed $5 million budget for 2016-17. The proposed tax rate is a half-cent decrease from the current tax rate of $0.4540. City Manager Jorge Arcaute said this is the ninth year straight the city has reduced the tax rate. “In that time period …

we’ve lowered [the tax rate] five cents,” he said. “We hope this makes us a little more attractive for business development.” In comparison, the City of Mission’s 2015 tax rate was $0.4988, McAllen was $0.4763, Palmview $0.4751, Peñitas $0.5060, Edinburg $0.6350, and Weslaco $0.6767. Mission took a record vote in favor of adopting the “effective tax rate”, or $0.4962 per $100 valuation for next year, a slight decrease. Alton commissioners will hold a public hearing for the

proposed tax rate on Aug. 30. If a second public hearing is required, it will be held Sept 13. The city plans to adopt the tax rate on Sept. 27. According to figures provided by the Hidalgo County Appraisal District, the proposed tax rate will produce a tax levy for Alton of $1.59 million, which will be $27,000 less than last year. Alton commissioners also reviewed the first draft of the city’s $5 million budget proposed by the city manager. This year’s amended budget stands at $4.2 million. The largest proposed budget in-

creases include a $180,647 increase in wages, from $2.08 million in 2105-16 to $2.26 million in 2016-17, or an 8.7 percent increase. Arcaute said although four additional employees were requested by various departments, likely only one or two new positions will actually make the cut for the new budget. Along with the increase in wages comes an additional $49,932 increase in retirement benefits and a $32,890 increase in employee insur-

See ALTON Pg. 5

Mission hires consultant for proposed Madero rail bridge

By Kathy Olivarez he Mission City Council approved an interlocal agreement with the Anzalduas Bridge Board for support services for the proposed International Vehicular and Rail Bridge known as the Madero Bridge in their Monday, August 8 meeting of the council. The bridge will use the Mission-Reynosa Presidential Permit received by the City

of Mission in 1978. The permit was renewed in 2011 and is good until 2022. If the bridge has not been built by that time, the permit will be lost. It will be a joint operation between the City of Mission and the Anzalduas Bridge Board. Rigoberto Villarreal, who is chairman of the Anzalduas Bridge Board will act as liaison between the city and the board and the parties in Mexico. The Anzalduas

Bridge Board will pay the City of Mission $2500 per month or 50 percent of the contract for support services. The City of Mission will pay $5000 a month, which includes the fee received from the Anzalduas Bridge Board. Mission will also pay Villarreal a one-time payment of $2500 for services already rendered. Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas told the Progress Times Villarreal already had

Pioneer Diamondbacks Ready to Strike

As the high school football season begins Aug. 25, Pioneer High School will be competing in a newly realigned District 31-5A, which includes three Laredo high schools in the mix. See our football preview for Pioneer High inside.

See story page 7

INDEX

Myra Garza

Entertainment | pg. 2

Lifestyle | pg. 3

worked with the people in Mexico whose approval was needed on other projects so he was the best person for the job. When asked how long it will be before the bridge is built, Salinas said he estimated it would take four to five years before the truck bridge (no passenger vehicles allowed) would be completed. Because rail lines would have to be run to Alice, the

See BRIDGE Pg. 5

astro Elementary has a new principal overseeing campus operations. Myra Garza hails from Mission and has 14 years in education under her belt, but this year will be her first as an educator in Mission, and her first as a principal. One of Garza’s initial orders as campus CEO was removing the special parking spaces for the principal, assistant principal and counselor at the front of the campus. “We’re leaders of leaders. My goal here is not rule with an iron fist but to collaborate together and make it a joint effort,” Garza said. “All of us will park on the side. I am no better than anyone else coming in here. Nobody gets preferred parking.” Garza’s two goals for Castro Elementary are very simple, she said -- keep campus culture and climate at an all-time high and improve achievement scores. She doesn’t believe in an “oppressive” work environment and the new principal has a set of systems she will implement to ensure her goals are attained. One the systems she plans to put in place is for reading and fluency. Her administrative team will the test the students every week, with the rigor level increasing as the grade level increases. This is designed to track progress and make sure the students can read fluently at their grade level before passing on to the next. Garza equated the system implementation to flying a kite. “We’re going to run really fast in the beginning to get that kite in the air. The goal is to get it up there as quickly as possible and once we have consistency in those systems and monitoring of those systems, we can just sit back and enjoy that kite, tweak it here and there when we need to,” the principal explained. “But in the interim, until

INSIDE

Mission Eagles begin new ‘Detmer Era’

MHM author/speaker looks at 1800s ranch life

Former Mission Eagles gridiron great Koy Detmer is back in town. This time as head coach of the school he led to the state football semifinal as quarterback in 1990. See our football season preview inside.

Presenter Robert Ramirez’s grandmother Emilia Schunior Ramirez wrote “Ranch Life” as a chapter for a book on the history of the first century of Hidalgo County more than 50 years ago.

See story page 2

See story page 6

Opinion | pg. 4

Sports | pg. 6

we get that done, we’re got some work ahead of us.” Before moving into the Mission CISD community, Garza was an assistant principal at McAllen ISD, but her 10 years of classroom experience is with La Joya ISD. The mother of two said he is happy to be back home and pass on everything she has learned to serve her community. Her husband Fidel Garza was also an elementary principal at MCISD, but was just appointed as the Veterans Memorial High School principal. Garza said she believes working as a teacher isn’t too different from working as an administrator. It’s just a matter of bringing classroom management to scale. “As a teacher you build relationships with your students. As an administrator you build relationships with your teachers. You get to know them, not just for what they do in the classroom but who they are personally and then they’re going to want to work for you because you’ve invested interest in them,” she explained. Garza initially went into education because she wanted to make a difference, which she acknowledges is a “cliche.” But she enjoys being in school and being able to assist others, she said. The principal said she isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and teach in the trenches with the teachers if she needs to. “When you get to this position, the best way to really make an impact is to become a servant. If you need anything, let me know. I have no problems making copies for teachers, I have no problems doing things for teachers because that’s what it’s about,” the Castro Elementary principal said. “They’re the ones on the front lines and I’m the one that’s encouraging them and giving them what they need to deliver the instruction they need to deliver.”

Obituaries | pg. 9

Classifieds | pg. 11

entertainment

Coming Attractions

August 12 • The U.S. Tour 2016 of OV7/Kabah stops at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo for one night only. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show range from $55 to $125. Purchase at ticketmaster. com or call 800-745-3000. August 13 • It’s a hard-hitting WWE Live show when the SummerSlam Heatwave Tour heads to the Valley during the Dog Days of Summer. Tickets range from $99 for bowl seating up to $104 ringside. Purchase tickets online at ticketmaster. com or by calling 800-745-3000. August 20 • Finish out the summer, before school starts, with the annual Summer Movie Night in the Park at the Edinburg World Birding Center (EWBC) for a free showing of the Walt Disney Pictures film “Brother Bear” on a large outdoor screen. Everyone is encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. It begins at 8 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. The EWBC is located at 714 S. Raul Longoria Road. Call 956-381-9922. August 25 • Kick your feet up and relax at the end of the long hot summer with Brad Paisley and his Life Amplified World Tour. Featured guest artists include Tyler Farr and Maddie & Tae. Purchase tickets at ticketmaster.com or call 800745-3000. August 27 • Enjoy the Norteño Band sounds of Julion Alvarez and company during a 7 p.m. performance at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo. Tickets range from $87.50 to $250 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000. To see the complete Coming Attractions calendar, go to ptrgv.com

T (Photo by Paul Chouy) Corina Carmona, a UT Pan American BFA alumna and artist, worked with UTRGV Mexican American Studies students and the City of San Juan to design and create a new mural that highlights the historical impact of sports in the community. The mural, which will be complete in September, is located at Mayfield Park in San Juan.

Muralists bring to life San Juan’s bond with sports

By Gail Fagan

AN JUAN – Public murals represent a community’s history and hopes to its residents and the world. In downtown Mission, it’s been the Tom Landry mural. In San Juan, a partnership between The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the city to produce public art that brings to life the cultural

Pokémon GO steps into the past

DINBURG – Catch favorite Pokémon characters during the Pokémon GO Historic Walking Tour hosted by the Museum of South Texas History tomorrow, Aug. 13, at 8 a.m. The tour is free for all ages and encourages guests to play Pokémon GO while taking a historic journey of downtown Edinburg. Initial meet up will be at 8 a.m. at the north side museum parking lot located on the corner of Kuhn Street and 12th Avenue in Edinburg. After a brief orientation, the tour will officially begin at 8:15 a.m. taking guests back to the early days when county leaders in 1903 considered the new town site of Chapin (later named Edinburg) as the county seat.

More than 15 PokéStops will not only possess hidden items to help catch Pokémon but hidden treasures of the past. During the tour, a museum docent will provide details of several historic buildings that once housed businesses and hosted events which ultimately defined the present day Edinburg and Hidalgo County, its surrounding communities and northeastern Mexico. Photographs and images from the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives will supplement the tour with old views of downtown Edinburg. The tour will conclude at the museum just in time for a free Saturday morning admission until noon. Take the opportunity to visit the

signature Rio Grande Legacy exhibition to hunt for Pokémon. Staff will set off lures at the two PokéStops that are located onsite until 5 p.m. when the museum officially closes to the public. Power strips will also be available for any PokéMasters needing extra juice to power their adventure. The route covers a twomile radius. Guests are recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes, sun block, a hat for sun protection and to bring water and a snack, a fully-charged smart phone with Pokémon GO installed and an external battery bank for serious PokéMasters. For more information, call the museum at 956-3836911.

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impact of sports on the community. It’s being created at San Juan’s popular baseball/ softball complex, Mayfield Park. “Sports helped unite this community and families,” said Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, UTRGV associate professor of Mexican American Studies (MAS), who initiated the mural project earlier this year with San Juan’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “Public art and muralism are very important to the Mexican American community because their stories are not in the history books or in the school books. Muralism is a form of storytelling; it tells the stories of the communities.” Alvarez’s MAS students had partnered with the city in 2012 to help create a mural at San Juan’s municipal swimming pool, highlighting the community’s history of migrant farm work. Armando Ponce, director of the San Juan’s Parks and Recreation Department, said that mural has never been tagged or vandalized and has served as a history lesson for the community’s children. “The community respects it,” Ponce said. “That says a lot about the impact of art.” This year the nearly 50 students in Alvarez’s Learning and Reflective Services class of graduate and undergraduate MAS students took on the task of creating the newest mural, hosting barbeques and other fundraisers to help support the project. Alvarez estimates that students, along with friends and family, have put in more than 2,000 hours of work on the project during the spring semester. In the research required by the class, students met with Mayor San Juanita Sanchez and members of the PSJA school district’s 1962-1963 teams that advanced to the state finals in football, among others. They visited significant community sites like the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valley National Shrine and the offices of La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), founded by United Farm Workers organizer César Chávez. The students also conducted a survey of more than 100 residents to ask what they wanted to see on the mural. “We didn’t want the mural to be something that we just put into their community. We wanted it to be a part

August 12, 2016

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

MHM program takes a look at 1800s ranching life

he Mission Historical Museum continues its series of historical lectures telling the story of early Mission and the Rio Grande Valley. Take a look into a day in the life of a local ranching family in the late 1800s on Saturday, Aug. 20, at 11 a.m. with local history enthusiast and writer Robert Ramirez. He will present “Ranch Life in Hidalgo County after 1850,” an account of the daily life, traditions and dynamics of ranching life in Hidalgo County in the late nineteenth century. Emilia Schunior Ramirez, educator, school administrator and college professor wrote “Ranch Life” as a chapter for a book on the history of the first century of Hidalgo County. She paints a detailed portrait of life during these times. She writes of the hard work of back-breaking chores and responsibilities. But, she also writes with much affection of camaraderie, feasts and celebrations on the ranch. She died in 1960 hoping that her manuscript would be preserved. Her son, Alfonso Ramirez, published the first edition in 1971 and now her grandson, Robert Ramirez, has published a second edition. Ramirez added an appendix to the second part of the book that includes newspaper accounts, pictures, biographies and a special excerpt from a letter written by Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Indians to the U.S. government with the most eloquent explanation of the love they had for the land. Robert Ramirez was

born in 1949 in Edinburg. He received his bachelor’s in English from UT-Austin and UTRGV. In 1973 he published an essay called “The Woolen Sarape” for a book entitled “The Mexican American: From Caricature to Self-Portrait,” edited by Dr. Edward Simmen. This essay has been published 15 times through the years in college freshman composition textbooks. Ramirez had a long career in broadcasting, working locally at KGBT-TV, Channel 4 in the news department, and for a small station in Chicago. He has worked as a fundraiser at UT-Pan American (90-99), and ended his career with nine years teaching high school Spanish in Irving and Sharyland. Copies of the book will be available to purchase after the presentation. MHM is located at 900 Doherty Avenue. Call 956580-8646, or visit missionmuseum.org, for more information.

of them,” said Valerie Cerda, a graduate student in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Mexican American Studies, who also works in the MAS Center at UTRGV. Corina Carmona, a professional artist, muralist and UTPA BFA alumna, assisted by Iliana Rodriguez, a current UTRGV MFA and MAS Graduate Certificate student and art teacher at Juarez Lincoln High School, created the mural design from the collected information. The city provided paint and other supplies and equipment. Carmona and Rodriguez then drew the design on the walls in a color-by-number fashion, and the MAS students followed their direction to paint it. Covering 900 square feet on a building housing restrooms at the park, the mural’s story begins with colorful symbols from the Mesoamerican Maya and Aztec civilization. As the east wall turns into another there are two spirited athletes of that era – a life-size male and female – dressed in protective gear to vie in the first sport ever played by teams using a hard rubber ball created from the region’s latex-producing plants. “The symbols represent physical movement in sports, but also social movement in our culture, which I tried to carry throughout the mural,” said Carmona, who is headed to Texas Tech this fall to earn her Ph.D. The ball – a precursor of those used in soccer, volleyball, baseball and basketball – evolves as the mural continues. Other male and female athletes appear, as well as a horse representing the popu-

lar PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) League, which brought together many of San Juan’s children of diverse backgrounds to play on the one baseball team the league allowed for each community. Also displayed prominently on one female athlete’s uniform is the number 72, acknowledging 1972, the year Title IX passed, prohibiting gender discrimination in education and including participation by women in sports. The La Virgen de San Juan, her long hair intertwined with the Rio Grande, is on one of the walls, acknowledging the historical significance of the Basilica in the community. Amid the many sports depicted is a ’62 and ’63 PSJA-labeled football that commemorates the only team from South Texas to go to the state football championship in back-to-back years – both bonding events that united a then racially and economically divided community. “The students found that it was a very racially integrated team, which at that time was not common,” Alvarez said. “The football players themselves said they were sort of a bridge between the two cultures. Although in school everyone was very segregated, and in town everyone was very segregated, their participating on the team helped make a transition between the two and in the community.” At the final turn of the wall facing the Mayfield Park ball field, a young person is depicted running on a track that also represents education, Carmona said, moving past fields and silhouettes of farm workers, moving toward victories in sports, as well as to high school and college graduation.

Robert Ramirez

IMAS plans jam-packed Dragon Festival

cALLEN – The general public is invited to head out to the Dragon Festival and “Here Be Dragons” at the International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) this Saturday, Aug. 13, for an afternoon of activities. It’s all packed into five hours of fun from 1 to 6 p.m. The festival is included in the regular price of admission, and the Here Be Dragons exhibit requires a separate ticket purchase. Activities include a Taiji

dance performance, creating a do-it-yourself dragon boat and a perfume pouch, Chinese calligraphy, a presentation of the animated move “Mulan” and a photo shoot. The RGV Chinese Baptist Church, Chinese Students & Scholars Association and the Rio Grande Valley Chinese American Association have participated in the event. IMAS is located at 1900 Nolana Ave. in McAllen. Call 682-0123 for more information.

lifestyle

August 12, 2016

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Speer Memorial to host Zika Virus prevention talk

ith mosquito season in full force, Texas continues to ramp up and expand its efforts to prevent or delay local Zika transmission by mosquito bites. As part of those efforts, Speer Memorial Library is hosting a Zika Virus Prevention Awareness Talk conducted by Eduardo Olivarez, chief administrative officer with the Hidalgo County Health & Human Services Department (HCHHS). It takes place on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. in the library’s community room. The ongoing Zika virus outbreak has created uncer-

tainty throughout the world because no-one knows how to contain it or cure it as yet. With that being said, the best way to protect one from infection is to be informed. Olivarez will discuss the nature of the Zika Virus to take protective steps. HCHHS is dedicated to providing essential public health services to empower the residents of Hidalgo County to improve their health status now and reach their future health goals. The library is located at the corner of 12th Street and Kika De La Garza Loop in Mission.

Seeking sponsors, restaurants for Empty Bowls 2016 PHARR – The Empty Bowls committee is still seeking restaurants and sponsors for the Empty Bowls 2016, the largest fundraiser for Food Bank RGV. IBC Bank has joined the ranks of sponsor, and organizers are seeking additional sponsors and restaurants and sponsors for

this year’s event. Empty Bowls will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Boggus Ford Events Center, 3000 N. Cage, Pharr. Restaurants utilize the venue to promote their gourmet dishes while supporting the Food Bank RGV mission,

EVENTS CALENDAR

August 13 – Aglow International Spanish Lighthouse Chapter of Mission will hold its next meeting at Emmanuel Adult Day Care, 1312 Oblate Ave. in Mission. It begins at 9:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast followed by the meeting at 10 a.m. Gloria Vasquez of Edinburg is the guest speaker. She pastors at Rios de Agua Vida in McAllen. For more information, call Lisa Gomez at 956-776-8505; Sandy Rodriguez, 956-588-9313; or Gaby Rodriguez, 956-2406607. August 13 – Toddlers can learn more about frogs and toads at the next monthly Edinburg World Birding Center Toddler Play Date. For ages 1 to 4, it runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m. each month and may include interactive puppet shows, storytelling, crafts, free time and guided nature walks. Cost is $2 and free for one guardian. Space is limited; registration is required. To register, call 383-9922. The EWBC is located at 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd. August 14 – Head to the MOSTHistory Puppet Theater with the youngest members of the family to see “Sweet Dreams of the River Frontier,” a story of a young boy named A.K. who dreads a “boring” field trip to the museum. The characters of Jose de Escandon, Hermosa the horse, and Indian Maiden come to the boy in his dreams to convince him that he will have a wonderful visit and learn about the history of the area. The show begins at 2 p.m. in the Courtyard Gallery and is included in the price of admission. For more information, call 956-383-6911. MOSTHistory is located at 200 N. Closner, on the courthouse square, in downtown Edinburg. August 18 – The conclusion of the Valley Land Fund’s nature photography competition for you will be held at Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center, 600 Sunset in McAllen. Photographs from every child entering the contest will be featured in the multi-media show at the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. August 20 – Aglow International McAllen Community Lighthouse will host a complimentary prayer breakfast and meeting from 9 to 11 a.m. at Cici’s Pizza, 601 Trenton Rd. in McAllen. Interested individuals are invited to bring a friend. For more information, contact Criselda Alvarado, president, at 956-534-7941. August 21 – Fifty years after melon pickers in Starr County walked off the job in the most important United Farm Workers strike in Texas, freelance journalist Daniel Blue Tyx interviewed surviving strikers for an article in the the Oxford American. He offers a presentation at the Museum of South Texas History, including several stories that were shared by the huelguistas and a reflection of the complex legacy of the strike in Starr County. It begins at 2 p.m. in the Courtyard Gallery. For more information, call 956-383-6911. MOSTHistory is located at 200 N. Closner, on the courthouse square, in downtown Edinburg. For daily events and upcoming weeks, see the full calendar at ptrgv.com.

PARKS CALENDAR

REUNIONS &MEETINGS

Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Salinas Mary Alice Gutierrez

International Bank of Commerce (IBC) has joined the ranks as a sponsor for the upcoming Empty Bowls 2016 and is encouraging other businesses to join in. The event is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 13, in Pharr at the Boggus Ford Events Center. Pictured, left to right, are IBC and Food Bank representatives Daniel Alvarez, Dora Brown, Aaron Ramirez, Marty Charles, Philip Farias and Salvador Martinez.

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(Austin Studio)

Gutierrez, Salinas vows recited

ary Alice Gutierrez of Mission and Ricardo Salinas of Joliet, Ill., exchanged their wedding vows on Saturday, July 23. The outdoor, country wedding was held at the home of the groom’s mother in Mission. Pastor Suchil officiated. The bride is the daughter of the late Ignacio and Socorro Gutierrez. The groom’s parents are Maria Elena Salinas of Mission and the late Juan B. Salinas.

Serving as the bride’s matron of honor was Dora Garza of Mission. The flower girl was Amberley Villarreal, daughter of Guillermo and Vanessa Villareal of Mission. Standing with the groom as his best man was Antonio Velasquez of Mission. The bride is a graduate of Mission High School, and the groom graduated from Joliet Central High School. The couple is making their home in Mission.

and sponsorships offer exposure for other businesses. Companies, individuals and organizations are encouraged to donate unique bowls and silent auction items. Local restaurants provide a filling lunch for ticket holders while musicians perform throughout the event. Silent auctions and mystery boxes will be a returning feature this year, and one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls are included with each ticket. The empty bowls stand as a reminder of the hunger faced by many throughout the Valley every year. Over 800 guests attended last year making, and patrons

are encourage to purchase tickets soon. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Purchase them online at foodbankrgv.com or at the Food Bank at 724 N. Cage Blvd., Pharr. For more information, contact Philip Farias at 956904-4513 or by email at pfarias@foodbankrgv.com.

opinion

August 12, 2016

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

By Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

Guest Editorial

STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS

Parties to campus-carry lawsuit to return to court USTIN — Three University of Texas professors are seeking a temporary injunction “to at least retain the option of maintaining their academic classrooms as gun-free zones when classes start again.” In a motion filed in connection with a federal lawsuit filed July 6, the professors are asking the court to bar enforcement of the law when the UT fall semester begins Aug. 24. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a brief in opposition. In an Aug. 4 hearing, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered the university to clarify its campus-carry policy on Aug. 8 and for parties to present their arguments again on Aug. 10. “In a cruel irony,” the professors’ petition begins, “the Texas Legislature has mandated that 50 years to the day after one of the worst gun-related massacres ever on a college campus — when Charles Whitman gunned down 43 people on or about the campus of the University of Texas in Austin — UT-Austin must begin allowing the concealed carrying of handguns on campus and in class rooms.” Paxton, on Aug. 1, called the professors’ lawsuit — filed in the Austin Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas frivolous and said, “I’m confident it will be dismissed because the Legislature passed a constitutionally sound law. There is no legal justification to deny licensed, law-abiding citizens on campus the same measure of personal protection they are entitled to elsewhere in Texas.” Voter ID rolled back Texans voting in the

November 8 general election might not be required to present a state-approved form of photo identification in addition to their voter registration card. The state attorney general’s office indicated last week that the State of Texas would not stand in the way of the federal judiciary in relaxing the photo identification requirement that became law in 2011. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled the Texas law, while not discriminatory in intent, is discriminatory in effect, and instructed Corpus Christi U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos to approve any changes relaxing the law before the November general election. Late toll fees to hit Toll road customers with overdue toll charges should pay their balances by Aug. 31 to avoid possible late fees and additional penalties, the Texas Department of Transportation announced on Aug. 2. TxDOT said late fees on unpaid tolls were suspended in 2015 as the agency migrated to a new billing system, but in September 2016, the agency said, it plans to resume late fees for unpaid tolls. Threat of Zika is high Texas remains on high alert for the transmission of Zika virus disease by mosquito bites. The State Department of Health Services on Aug. 3 urged Texans to take the following precautions against the disease: - Apply Environmental Protection Agency-approved insect repellent; - Wear pants and longsleeve shirts that cover exposed skin;

- Use screens or close windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out; and - Remove standing water in and around the home in any container that can hold water. Texas has reported 93 cases of Zika, all related to travel abroad to areas with active Zika transmission but no local transmission through mosquito bite has been detected yet in Texas, according to Dr. John Hellerstedt, Texas Department of State Health Services commissioner. “If Texas has local transmission, we’ll quickly announce it and describe the area of potential risk for Texans,” Hellerstedt said. “We’re working in lockstep with our local and federal partners to ensure a strong Texas response,” he added. Meanwhile, Texas Medicaid announced Aug. 3 that the cost of mosquito repellent for eligible women who are between the ages of 10 and 45 or pregnant would be covered. More information is available at TexasZika.org. Revenue report is in State sales tax revenue totaled $2.37 billion in July, 1.5 percent lower than in July 2015, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced on Aug. 2. Furthermore, Hegar added, “State sales tax collections continue to be down, largely due to depressed spending in the oil and natural gas-related sectors. By contrast, collections from the construction and retail trade sectors rose compared to the previous year.” Total sales tax revenue for the three months ending in July 2016 is down 3.3 percent compared to the same period a year ago.

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The Solution to Healthcare for the Poor is more Taxes?

By Richard Montesdeoca

he Hidalgo County Commissioners Court has received a petition from over 50 registered voters requesting that a bill increase taxes be placed on the November election. The bill would create a new taxing body that would initially increase property taxes by 8 cents and thereafter the unelected board could increase this rate to 25 cents without a vote of the people. This bill would increase property taxes on a population that has 35% of its people living below poverty. This is the seventh year that 31% of taxpayers could not pay their taxes on time. These property owners are subject to a 24% delinquency fee and a 15% attorney collection fee. In the past cities in the Valley such as McAllen and Brownsville have made the Wall Street Journal’s poorest cities in America list, but the U.S. Census indicates that the “homeownership rate” is 70% which is higher than the 64% state rate. The people are poor, but homeownership is important to families; so why would anyone propose to increase property taxes? As usual the answer is money, the primary support for this new tax comes from for-profit-hospitals in Hidalgo County. They have created a Political Action Committee (PAC) that has made contributions to most elected officials in the area. County commissioners, mayors and city commissioners have all received political contribution to their companies. According to the Texas Ethics Commission, Judge Ramon Garcia has received $130,000 from the Border Health Pack, but he is not the only one. It is difficult to find an elected official that has not accepted a political contribution from this PAC. The stated reasons for this new taxing body of unelected officials is to make people healthier, support a medical school, reimburse hospitals for uncompensated costs, obtain federal and state grants and improve the economy by creating jobs.

*Make People Healthier: If you truly want to make people healthier, provide free health care. Hidalgo County provides from 6 to 10 million dollars of free health care a year to indigent. The federal government gives hospitals and area clinics grants to provide free service. With our open-door policy it will never be enough, but there is medical service for the poor. The issue is that hospitals are for-profit and they want to establish their own profit margin. Currently the only non-profit hospital is in Mission. *Support a Medical School: The State of Texas has spent $55 million to construct a medical school at UTPA. It will be completed and staffed within the year. Future funding for operation and maintenance will be provideD from the University of Texas Oil and Gas fund. What is needed is financial support for Valley students. Medical students normally graduate with a $200,000 debt. Creating a doctor takes from 10 to 15 years depending on the category of specialization. The Valley program would be four years, two years in Edinburg and two in Brownsville. Based on the debt they will accumulate it is not likely that they will stay in the Valley. *Reimburse Hospitals for Uncompensated Costs: The for-profit hospitals of Hidalgo County have always claimed that they lose money in the process of complying with the federal mandate to provide medical service to anyone that shows up at an emergency room. The question is how can a private business continue to operate while losing money? The answer is that they do not lose money, they just do not make as much profit as they would like. Hospitals would have more money if they stopped making political contributions. According to the Texas Ethics Commission the Border Health PAC donates millions to elected officials who support specific legislation. It is not difficult to understand that if Border Pac was successful in

creating a new taxing body the financial stream created by the hospital district would allow hospitals to contribute more to influence supporting legislation. *Obtain Federal and State Grants: Due to the number of federal and state grants available it is more advantageous for communities to create cooperative working agreements rather than to require that all medical grants be handled by one body. A community needs flexibility in its effort to work for the public good. There is nothing in the law that says a community will receive more or less financial consideration if it has a hospital district. Therefore, the university can and should apply for medical and research grants while community action groups and community colleges should apply for grants in their area of concern. The primary concern is that this hospital district would be representing the private sector and not the public sector. *Improve the Economy by Creating Jobs: The major question in reference to creating jobs is that it would require increasing taxes and this would make a great number of families homeless. We as a community need to find a solution that does not punish the poor while benefiting the rich. A solution that does a little of both is preferable. The people of Hidalgo County need good healthcare, housing and most of all good paying jobs. The question is can we accomplish this goal without creating more poor and homeless families? The answer is yes we can by reducing taxes by 5 cents. Small businesses would create the jobs and make money at the same time. The current plan increases taxes and forces families to lose their homes. Vote no on the creation of a new taxing district, vote no on the Healthcare District. Tell the elected officials you would rather keep your home.

Mosquitoes and the Mission Lateral

ifteen years ago I was fortunate and was able to purchase a nice home in N.E. Mission on the banks of the Mission Lateral Drainage Ditch. For the next 12 years I was able to enjoy my home with a minimum of interference from mosquitoes because after rains or storms the ditch did its drainage job and then, before mosquitoes could be produced, dried up. Unfortunately several years ago, in order to widen Bentsen Rd. and underground the Edinburg Canal, McAllen, with the county’s approval, changed the location and apparently the height of the HCDD#1 Main Drain. This resulted in large portions of

both ditches from Old 83 to Nolana and from Stewart Rd. to Bentsen Rd. becoming long ponds that never dry out. In fact, my estimation of the total size of these ponds would be a lake with a surface area of about 4.7 acres. It is over 10 feet below grade thus shielding it from the wind. There is no appreciable flow. Much of it is overgrown in vegetation. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, stagnant! In short, McAllen provided 4.7 acres of ideal environment for mosquitoes. The welts on my and my neighbor’s arms and legs testify to the accuracy of my statements.

There is actually some wry humor here considering the County Health Department’s current media blitz to empty all the water containers, pick up all tires, and cut dense vegetation to minimize the threat from Zika and other insect born viruses. Yet they and McAllen built a stagnant lake. Let’s ask our County Commissioners Court to get their priorities straight and spend our money on drainage, not Taj Mahal type court houses. The more holding ponds you build the more mosquitoes we will have. Ned Sheats Mission, Texas

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1217 N. Conway • Mission, TX (956) 585-4893 MEMBER 2015

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

The Progress Times (USPS 971-420; ISSN 0890-2666) is published each Friday by Mission Publishing Co., 1217 N. Conway, Mission, Texas 78572, (956) 585-4893. Subscriptions $20 annual in Hidalgo County; $25 outside of Hidalgo County. Second class postage paid in Mission, Texas 78572. ©2015 Mission Publishing Company, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the PROGRESS TIMES, P.O. Box 399, Mission Texas 78573.

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Letters to the Editor are welcome but must conform to certain guidelines. All letters must be original, dated, signed and bear the complete name, address and phone number of the writer/signer. No photo copied letters will be printed. No letters addressed to others will be printed. Letter content must be relevant to concerns and interests of Mission and the surrounding area. Relevance is determined by the editor. Anonymous cards or letters are neither read nor printed. Letters may be submitted by e-mail to letters@progresstimes.net, but must include the author’s name and daytime phone number.

August 12, 2016

Sisters Emily (left) and Nomie (right) Navarros receive free haircuts as part of the 3rd Annual MCISD Back to School Bash. During the event, the Mission school district gave out free backpacks stuffed with school supplies to their students. Progress Times Photo

BRIDGE from pg 1

railroad bridge would take longer. Salinas said some of the land previously abandoned by the railroad to the property to adjacent landowners would have to be repurchased. That would be the responsibility of the Regional Mobility Authority. The Madero site is the only site approved for a rail bridge between Brownsville and Laredo. There will be meetings in Kansas City with officials from Kansas Southern Pacific (KSP) on August 22 about the American rail line. He said KSP is very interested in running their line into Mexico. When asked where the

MCISD from pg 1

do Lopez, the backpacks the district gave out ranged from $15 to $30 with the school supplies costing as much as $50. After the event, the superintendent mentioned the district is looking into partnering with the job agency Workforce Solutions to help high school students start looking for jobs during future Back-to-School Bashes. “During this event, I’ve

ALTON from pg 1

ance. The biggest budget increase will be an expenditure of $374,469 for vehicles and equipment, compared to only $9,568 for that line item last year. The city manager said the $364,901 increase will be used to purchase three new police patrol cars and a street sweeper -- the city’s first. The city also plans to expand its new fire department training facility operations next year, budgeting $230,000 in expenditures, but also $300,000 in projected revenues from the new training program. Arcaute explained, “Our [fire] chief actually got us a training academy number from the state, so we have a fully certified academy. We run two basic academies now. We just had the second academy graduate last week. They have published a full schedule of training activities for the upcoming year. That’s basically the cost of putting on the trainings and the revenue that comes in from tuitions. So we’re looking at a quarter of a million dollar enterprise.” The fire academy is using the city’s new fire station facility, but they are also looking at converting a warehouse into a training center with classrooms. “Internally with the staff training, it should make it easier for us to get even more qualifications for our guys. We are now a fully paid department,” he said. The city manager said the city will be submitting

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bridge would be located, the mayor said it would probably be near Los Ebanos Road. Because Los Ebanos does not connect to Military Highway, there is space to build the buildings associated with an international bridge crossing. Traffic turning off the bridge would either exit east to Conway Avenue or west to Inspiration Road (or possibly Bentsen Palm Road) to get on I-2. In other action, the council officially approved the proposed 2016 tax rate by record vote. The calculated effective tax rate is $0.4962 per $100 valuation. The rollback rate was $0.6183. The current tax rate is $0.4988 per $100 valuation. The proposed tax rate is $0.0062 less than seen a lot of excitement from parents who are so grateful they don’t have to be stressed about getting supplies for their children,” he said. “Parents willing to spend hours waiting in the sun for these supplies is a testament to how much they value their children’s education. At the end of the day, it’s these kids who will be our future, and with programs like these to help them prepare for school, we’re investing in our future.” an application in about 90 days for a new ISO (Insurance Services Organization) fire rating for the city, which he is very optimistic will bring good news for city residents and business owners. “I think we’re going to get some good news there, very good news.” The last time the city did a rating was before going to a fully paid firefighter staff and before building the new fire station. “So, just those two factors, not to mention the quality of the training that the guys have had” will help the city’s fire rating. On the revenue side, it’s interesting to note the city manager projects over $500,000 in police fines, a $40,000 increase year to year. The largest revenue increases expected include an additional $191,000 in fire call receipts, up from $169,000 to $360,000. Other Financing Sources is budgeted at $345,000, up $335,070 from last year’s $9930. Sales tax revenues are budgeted at $398,000 compared to $376,400 last year, a 5.6 percent increase. Arcaute said the new CVS Pharmacy in Alton has just opened up and there is a new plaza coming in bringing new businesses to Alton, but their future sales are not figured in the sales tax estimate. “We never try to guess what a new business is going to bring us in sales tax. Our projection is based on a historical model of what we did this year. We’re very conservative. That serves us well as the year wears on, especially if there’s a downturn,” he added.

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the current rate. Two public hearings will be held on the proposed rate; the first is August 22 and he second will be August 29. Police Chief Robert Dominguez was granted permission to accept disbursement of 2015 Stonegarden grant funds. Mission will receive $250,000 of which $141,000 would be utilized to pay overtime for policemen policing the borders. The other $108,900 would be used to purchase three new police patrol units. Chief Dominguez was also asked about a Civil Service Report regarding action being taken against two officers. According to the report, police officer Hector Mendez was on indefinite suspension pending appeal until disposition of

Mission Lions Club member Gilbert Sanchez hands a backpack stuffed with school supplies to a Mission CISD student during the school district’s 3rd Annual Back to School Bash. Progress Times Photo

his criminal case. He was found guilty the police chief said, and Mendez’s position is now vacant. Another officer was accused of lying about the situation to federal authorities and has an appeal pending. Dominguez said he had recently hired 12 new officers. Only three represent additional personnel. The rest are due to termination, retirement or officers moving to other police departments or types of work. Currently there are 146 officers but when all positions are filled, there will be 149. Randy Perez of the Finance Department told the council negotiations with Texas Gas Service Company over proposed rate increases resulted in a reduction of the proposed

rate by $300,000 for Valley residents. The tariff was reduced from $1,792,000 to $1,492,000. Perez also asked the council to approve $453,000 in uncollected utility writeoffs for the past three-month period. Mayor Salinas told him to find another name to call it besides write-offs because it might give residents leaving the area the idea they did not have to pay their bills. The city approved a letter to the Texas Department of Transportation protesting notification Hidalgo County would no longer be eligible to receive TxDOT EDC (Economically Distressed County) funds previously used for off-system projects. In previous years these funds have helped Mission

and Hidalgo County provide millions in local matching funds to do projects that delivered quality of life improvements, essential infrastructure and continued economic growth to the region. An interlocal agreement was approved with the regional Palmview Valley Animal Shelter, to take animals that need to be quarantined or to take animals when the city’s kennel is overcrowded. The cost is $120 per animal, not to exceed $5000. Interlocal agreements were approved with Mission Consolidated Independent School District for continuation of the Education Resource Officer programs. MCISD will receive seven officers at a cost of $344,582.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS BUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATE The LA JOYA ISD will hold a public meeting at 5:30 PM, August 24, 2016 in Central Admin. at Nellie Schunior Staff Development Center, 200 W. Expwy 83, La Joya, TX. 78560. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district’s budget that will determine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the discussion is invited. The tax rate that is ultimately adopted at this meeting or at a separate meeting at a later date may not exceed the proposed rate shown below unless the district publishes a revised notice containing the same information and comparisons set out below and holds another public meeting to discuss the revised notice. Maintenance Tax

$1.1700/$100 (proposed rate for maintenance and operations)

School Debt Service Tax Approved by Local Voters

$0.1410/$100 (proposed rate to pay bonded indebtedness)

Comparison of Proposed Budget with Last Year’s Budget The applicable percentage increase or decrease (or difference) in the amount budgeted in the preceding fiscal year and the amount budgeted for the fiscal year that begins during the current tax year is indicated for each of the following expenditure categories. Maintenance and Operations -2.06 % decrease Debt Service 0.04 % increase Total expenditures -1.91 % decrease

Total Appraised Value and Total Taxable Value (as calculated under Section 26.04, Tax Code) Preceding Tax Year Current Tax Year Total appraised value* of all property $3,005,370,555 $3,070,914,620 Total appraised value* of new property** $128,610,712 $40,616,498 Total taxable value*** of all property $2,188,672,812 $2,253,390,102 Total taxable value*** of new property** $119,800,169 $38,178,179 *Appraised value is the amount shown on the appraisal roll and defined by Section 1.04(8), Tax Code. ** “New property” is defined by Section 26.012(17), Tax Code. *** “Taxable value” is defined by Section 1.04(10), Tax Code.

Bonded Indebtedness

Total amount of outstanding and unpaid bonded indebtedness* $246,101,728 *Outstanding principal.

Comparison of Proposed Rates with Last Year’s Rates Interest & Sinking Fund* Total $0.1410* $1.3110

Local Revenue Per Student $1,046

State Revenue Per Student $9,002

Rate to Maintain Same Level of Maintenance & $1.3452 Operations Revenue & Pay Debt Service

$0.6202*

$1.9654

$1,606

$8,669

Proposed Rate

$0.1410*

$1.3110

$1,062

$8,668

Last year’s Rate

Maintenance & Operations $1.1700

$1.1700

*The Interest & Sinking Fund tax revenue is used to pay for bonded indebtedness on construction, equipment, or both. The bonds, and the tax rate necessary to pay those bonds, were approved by the voters of this disctrict.

Comparison of Proposed Levy with Last Year’s Levy on Average Residence

Last Year This Year Average Market Value of Residences $75,604 $75,316 Average Taxable Value of Residences $50,604 $50,316 Last Year’s Rate Versus Proposed Rate per $100 Value $1.3110 $1.3110 Taxes Due on Average Residence $663.42 $659.64 Increase (Decrease) in Taxes $-3.78 Under state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older or of the surviving spouse of such a person, if the surviving spouse was 55 years of age or older when the person died, may not be increased above the amound paid in the first year after the person turned 65, regardless of changes in tax rate or property value. Notice of Rollback Rate: The highest tax rate the district can adopt before requiring voter approval at an election is $1.3110. This election will be automatically held if the district adopts a rate in excess of the rollback rate of $1.3110. Fund Balances The following estimated balances will remain at the end of the current fiscal year and are not encumbered with or by a corresponding debt obligation, less estimated funds necessary for operating the district before receipt of the first state aid payment. Maintenance and Operations Fund Balance(s) Interest & Sinking Fund Balance(s)

$110,423,998 $0

August 12, 2016

page 6

Mission Eagles Hope to soar again Detmer looks to establish Mission High as force in 30-6A

By Bryan Ramos

former Mission High gridiron great is back in town and focused on bringing the Eagles to the forefront of Valley football.

Koy Detmer, who played quarterback at Mission High and led the Eagles to a state semifinal appearance in 1990, was named the new head coach in February and now that the season is officially un-

derway, he has his sights set on improving the program he knows so well. “There’s a good foundation of discipline, work ethic, respect, and playing a tough brand of football here in Mission and

The Mission Eagles set their sights on a big bounce back year led by senior leadership and new Head Coach Koy Detmer after a 4-6 season in 2015. From right to left: senior cornerback Jesus Vera, senior quarterback Rudy Trevino, senior free safety Azahel Arispe, senior center Sebastian Sanchez, senior guard Zeke Gutierrez and senior running back Robert Martinez. Progress Times Photo

head coach. Senior center Sebastian Sanchez, who anchors the middle of the offensive line along with senior guard Zeke Gutierrez, explained how the new head football coach’s’ experience as both a player and coach at the highest levels has been a benefit to the team. “It’s a blessing. With him playing at both the collegiate level and the professional level and bringing back his knowledge sharing it with everybody that’s here, it’s amazing.” The last time the Eagles qualified for the playoffs was in 2012, a year in which the team went 9-2 overall and 7-1 in district play. In 2016, Detmer has the team setting high goals in his first season as head coach. Rudy Trevino, the team’s senior quarterback, talked about how he hopes the offense can do more to help the team win games with the improvement on their side of the ball. “We’re learning the system and getting all the plays in our heads, it’s exciting for the offense. In the past years our defense has carried our team,” said Trevino. “This year with Coach Detmer, we’re hoping to make the offense just as good as the defense. Hopefully we can win the district title and get into the playoffs.” The defense will be led by senior secondary members Jesus Vera and Azahel Arispe. The Eagles are looking to make their mark on defense with momentum swinging plays and stifling opposing offenses. Free safety Azahel Arispe believes his team will set a tone on defense that will have a trickle down effect leading to more success.

always has been,” said Detmer, who played collegiately at the University of Colorado before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 7th round of the 1997 NFL Draft. “We’re bringing in new schemes with new offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators, but we just want to build on the foundation that’s been built and we want to do our part to uphold the tradition that’s been built here in Mission.” Detmer takes over a Mission Eagles program that moved up to join District 30-6A in 2014 after previously playing in 4A, but has struggled to find their footing in their new district winning only three games over two years. In 2015, the Eagles’ season took the course of a roller coaster by losing their first two games, winning their next two and following that pattern to finish with the year with a 4-6 record, winning only two district games. Robert Martinez, a senior running back described the feeling of being back with his teammates at two-a-day practices working together. “There’s excitement and adrenaline. It’s our senior year so we’re all focused on aiming high and to go far. We’re ready for the season,” said Martinez, who will play a big role in the Mission offense’s ground game. The Mission Eagles hope to improve offensively with the addition of a bright offensive mind like Detmer who brings in new offensive and defensive coordinators to his staff. Detmer previously was the offensive coordinator for Somerset High School where his father, Sonny Detmer, serves as

“You don’t aim for second. You don’t aim for just being okay. You aim for the top” -Mission High School Head Football Coach Koy Detmer

“We’re going to be a hard-hitting, tough defense that plays faster than everybody and makes big plays. Make it to the playoffs and go for the district title,” said Arispe. If the Eagles and Coach Detmer manage to finish in the top four of District 30-6A in the 2016, they will qualify for the postseason for the first time in four seasons. Detmer knows they have an uphill battle, but that’s not stopping them from setting high standards and expectations. “There’s a lot of moving parts, being able to trust each other, doing the right things on and off the field, putting the team first with everything we do. We want to set our standards and our expectations high and we don’t want to sell ourselves short. You don’t aim for second, you don’t aim for just being okay, you aim for the top. Wherever you fall from that point is where you fall,” said Detmer, who spent nine years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. “Having this opportunity to be back in Mission, a place I call home, is a big deal for me. I just want to do my part to help these guys be the best they can be and have some success.” The Mission Eagles’ road to redemption begins when the team opens their season at home against PSJA North on Friday Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Tom Landry Stadium.

Mission Football Schedule Date

Opponent

Aug-26 Pharr-San Juan- Alamo

Location

Time

Mission High School

7:30 PM

Sept-2

Veterans Memorial Rivalry Game

Mission High School

7:30 PM

Sept. 9

Hanna

Mission High School

7:30 PM

Sept. 16 Winn

Winn High School

7:30 PM

Sept. 22 La Joya

La Joya High School

7:00 PM

Sept. 30 McAllen Memorial

Mission High School

7:30 PM

Oct. 7

Juarez-Lincoln

Juarez-Lincoln High School

7:30 PM

Oct. 14

Rowe

Mission High School

7:30 PM

Oct. 20

Palmview

Palmview High School

7:00 PM

Nov. 3

McAllen

Mission High School

7:00 PM

August 12, 2016

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Diamondbacks poised to strike

Cabrera, Liebano Sign With Monmouth College Mission Veterans Memorial Defensive Player of the Year Hugo Cabrera and All-state Defensive Back Honorable Mention Kevin Liebano, also from VMHS, signed letters of intent last week with Monmouth College in Illinois, a NCAA Division III school, where they will attend this fall on a football scholarship. Pictured on the front row (L to R) are: Hugo Cabrera, Kevin Liebano, Sonia Liebano (mother), and Victoria Liebano (sister). Back Row: Coach Smith, Coach Longoria, Rosa Zavala (Kevin’s Grandmother), Coach Mendoza and Head Football Coach David Gilpin. Progress Times Photo

Sharyland Pioneer Football Schedule Date

Opponent

Location

Aug 25

McAllen Memorial

McAllen Memorial High School

7:00 PM

Pioneer aims for playoff berth

Sep. 2

Pace

Pioneer Highschool

7:30 PM

more than the past two seasons. “We have a good nucleus coming back from last year,” Wheeler said. “We have six or so starters on both sides of the ball. Half our team will be seniors and half will be juniors with only a few sophomores sprinkled in. Our seniors this year have really bought into our program and I think we’re going to have the best leadership we’ve ever had since I’ve been here. Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the playoffs, sooner rather than later, and even with nine teams in our district, I think that will happen for us this year.” Three of the players that Wheeler will be counting on to provide the much-needed leadership are senior wide receiver Robert Acosta, junior running back Brandon Casas and sophomore quarterback Jacob Rosales. When asked how he expects the realignment to affect the team, Casas said, “All it does is add more teams to the district. We just have to play the way we play and give it all we have every game. The one thing we can’t afford to do is to take any game lightly.” Although he’s only a sophomore, Rosales is coming into this season as an experienced quarterback. That’s because he played under center the final four games of last season and he led the Pioneer 7-on-7 team to the state tournament. As a result, he has already been pegged as the Diamondbacks’ starting quarterback this season. When asked what it’s going to take for the Diamondbacks to qualify for post-season play this year, Rosales said, “It’s going to take teamwork and everybody bonding together as a team. We all need to have each other’s back whenever we’re playing.” As a senior, Acosta is well aware of the fact that

Sep. 8

Cigarroa

7:00 PM

Sep. 23

Nixon

Cigarroa High School Pioneer High School

Sep. 29

Veterans Memorial

Veterans Memorial High School

7:00 PM

Oct. 7

Rio Grande City

Pioneer High School

7:30 PM

Oct. 14

Sharyland Rivalry Game

Sharyland

7:30 PM

Oct. 21

Valley View

Pioneer High School

7:30 PM

Oct. 28

Martin

Martin High School

7:30 PM

Nov. 4

Roma

Pioneer High School

7:30 PM

The 2016 Pioneer Diamondbacks’ team captains are, Anthony Jimenez (Sr., CB), Fernando Perez (Sr., C), Adrian Benitez (Sr., G), Robert Acosta (Sr., WR), Jesus Sanchez (Sr., OLB), Jacob Rosales (So., QB) and Brandon Casas (Jr., RB). Progress Times Photo

By Luciano Guerra

n just their second year of existence, the 2015 Pioneer Diamondbacks football team seemed to have had a playoff berth all but locked up. Having gone 4-0 against their non-district opponents, the Diamondbacks opened their District 31-5A schedule with back-to-back wins against Valley View and Rio Grande City giving Pioneer a perfect 6-0 record with only four games left on their schedule. That, however, was when consecutive losses to Vela, Veterans Memorial, Sharyland and Roma, District 31-5A’s eventual playoff teams, resulted in the wheels falling off the Diamondbacks’ playoffs bus. While Pioneer head football coach Jason Wheeler and the 2016 Diamondbacks team are not dwelling on last season’s disappointing finish, recognizing what went wrong is one way of avoiding a repeat performance this year. “We hit the meat of our schedule with our toughest district opponents being our last four games of the year,” explained Wheeler. “We had the opportunity of winning the Patriots’ game and we were right there against Sharyland as well. Had we won either of those games, we would’ve made the playoffs.” If the Diamondbacks are going to make 2016 the year they’ll break into the playoffs, they will have to do so in a newly revamped District 31-5A. After the most recent UIL realignment, the Diamondbacks’ district opponents now include Laredo Nixon, Laredo Cigarroa and Laredo Martin. While Edinburg Vela has made the jump to 6A and is no longer in the district, the addition of three Laredo teams means that there are now a total of nine teams vying for four playoff spots; two

this is his last chance to be part of a playoff team. When asked what goals he has set for himself this season, Acosta said, “I want to leave a legacy but not just for myself. If we can make the playoffs, it will motivate future Diamondbacks teams to be successful and work for that goal as well.” The Diamondbacks will open non-district play August 25th at McAllen Memorial. They will open their District 31-5A schedule at Laredo Cigarroa September 8th.

Time

7:30 PM

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS BUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATE The SHARYLAND ISD will hold a public meeting at 5:30 PM, August 23, 2016 in Sharyland High School Auditorium 1216 N. Shary Rd., Mission, TX 78572. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district’s budget that will determine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the discussion is invited. The tax rate that is ultimately adopted at this meeting or at a separate meeting at a later date may not exceed the proposed rate shown below unless the district publishes a revised notice containing the same information and comparisons set out below and holds another public meeting to discuss the revised notice. Maintenance Tax

$1.1700/$100 (proposed rate for maintenance and operations)

School Debt Service Tax Approved by Local Voters

$0.2055/$100 (proposed rate to pay bonded indebtedness)

Comparison of Proposed Budget with Last Year’s Budget The applicable percentage increase or decrease (or difference) in the amount budgeted in the preceding fiscal year and the amount budgeted for the fiscal year that begins during the current tax year is indicated for each of the following expenditure categories. Maintenance and operations 0.86 % increase Debt Service -0.71 % decrease Total expenditures 0.72 % increase

Total Appraised Value and Total Taxable Value (as calculated under Section 26.04, Tax Code) Preceding Tax Year Current Tax Year Total appraised value* of all property $3,493,349,738 $3,704,724,973 Total appraised value* of new property** $72,279,384 $116,748,894 Total taxable value*** of all property $2,899,657,284 $3,095,956,202 Total taxable value*** of new property** $60,507,436 $115,625,183 *Appraised value is the amount shown on the appraisal roll and defined by Section 1.04(8), Tax Code. ** “New property” is defined by Section 26.012(17), Tax Code. *** “Taxable value” is defined by Section 1.04(10), Tax Code.

Bonded Indebtedness

Total amount of outstanding and unpaid bonded indebtedness* $112,974,999 *Outstanding principal.

Comparison of Proposed Rates with Last Year’s Rates Last year’s Rate

Maintenance & Operations $1.1700

Rate to Maintain Same Level of Maintenance & $1.1900 Operations Revenue & Pay Debt Service Proposed Rate

$1.1700

Interest & Sinking Fund* Total $0.1655* $1.3355

Local Revenue Per Student $3,972

State Revenue Per Student $5,098

$0.2644*

$1.4544

$4,458

$4,978

$0.2055*

$1.3755

$4,369

$4,925

Comparison of Proposed Levy with Last Year’s Levy on Average Residence

Last Year This Year Average Market Value of Residences $182,483 $189,393 Average Taxable Value of Residences $153,694 $160,922 Last Year’s Rate Versus Proposed Rate per $100 Value $1.3355 $1.3755 Taxes Due on Average Residence $2,052.58 $2,213.48 Increase (Decrease) in Taxes $160.90 Under state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older or of the surviving spouse of such a person, if the surviving spouse was 55 years of age or older when the person died, may not be increased above the amound paid in the first year after the person turned 65, regardless of changes in tax rate or property value. Notice of Rollback Rate: The highest tax rate the district can adopt before requiring voter approval at an election is $1.3755. This election will be automatically held if the district adopts a rate in excess of the rollback rate of $1.3755 Fund Balances The following estimated balances will remain at the end of the current fiscal year and are not encumbered with or by a corresponding debt obligation, less estimated funds necessary for operating the district before receipt of the first state aid payment. Maintenance and Operations Fund Balance(s) Interest & Sinking Fund Balance(s)

$22,800,000 $400,000

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City turns thumbs down on Gamehaus

cAllen City Commission Monday, August 9, 2016 By Davis Rankin, FUTURO McAllen McAllen city commissioners said no, but the issue is in court, too, so the final outcome was not necessarily decided Monday night. The issue is a five-year permission from the city for Gamehaus Gastropub to continue to operate as a restaurant and bar until 2 a.m. at its 2109 W. Nolana Avenue location. Because the business is just north of a bunch of apartments across the alley from it to the south, it has to have permission from the city to operate. The permission is in the form of a CUP--Conditional Use Permit. CUPs are typically granted for one year so a five-year CUP would be unusual. JACR, LLC, doing business as Gamehaus Gastropub, turned in its request to the Planning & Zoning Commission ear-

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lier in the year and four P&Z members at its last meeting voted thumbs down on the request. One P&Z member abstained. So, the Gamehaus owners appealed to the city commission to overturn the turn down, but without success. Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the CUP. Neighbors of Gamehaus have been fighting the bar and restaurant for months, saying patrons park on nearby streets and disturb their peace when they come and go at all hours, including at 2 a.m. when the venue closes for the night. They made and submitted to the city videos purporting to show misbehaving patrons outside the bar and the bar owner also submitted videos purporting to show how good a job they were doing keeping things orderly outside the venue. Gamehaus neighbors submitted a petition in opposition to the request, a fact which figured in discussion.

While the vote to deny the CUP was unanimous, Commissioner Veronica Vela Whitacre made a plea to the other commissioners to “come up with a plan to rectify the situation and correct this for all parties involved. Gamehaus has added more lighting (outside) and parking spaces, they’ve added a lot more security. We need to do something to rectify this situation.” Gamehaus owners could change their request from a five-year to a oneyear CUP, which is more typical, but it would have to go back to the beginning of the city approval process. And Gamehaus has the city in court over this, which is why City Manager Roy Rodriguez, after the meeting, declined to answer a question over what Gamehaus can do now, in terms of its operations. City Commissioner Richard Cortez got no answer to his question, after the vote, about Gamehaus’ operation, “What happens tomorrow?”

Mission Regional recognized for excellence in women’s health

ission – Mission Regional Medical Center (MRMC) announced this week it has achieved Healthgrades 2016 Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™ and the Healthgrades 2016 Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award™ for the second year in a row. Healthgrades is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. The distinction places Mission Regional Medical Center within the top 10 percent of all hospitals evaluated for the exceptional care provided to mothers during labor and delivery and for

exceptional clinical outcomes while caring for women in childbirth, as well as during and after gynecologic surgeries and procedures. “It’s an honor to receive these awards on behalf of Mission Regional Medical Center for the second year in a row,” said Javier Iruegas, CEO, F.A.C.H.E. “These awards affirm our commitment to the highest level of care for mothers and their new babies who are delivered here at Mission Region al Medical Center.” “I’m extremely proud of our labor and delivery staff for their commitment to providing outstanding care to women during childbirth, as

well as caring for their newborn babies,” says Sheena Kaukel-Garza, director of Labor and Delivery. “Receiving this award for the second consecutive year shows Mission Regional Medical Center’s consistency of providing high-quality healthcare to our expectant mothers.” To help consumers evaluate and compare hospital performance in labor and delivery, and obstetrics and gynecology, Healthgrades analyzed patient outcome data for virtually every hospital in the 17 states that provide all-payer state data.

See MRMC 09

Mission Regional Medical Center recently accepted, for the second consecutive year, Healthgrades 2016 Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™ and the 2016 Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award™ . On hand for the award presentation were (l-r) Sheena Kaukel-Garza, Director, Labor and Delivery, Javier Iruegas, CEO, Dr. Gretchen Velasco, OB/GYN, Chairperson, Obstetrics Department, Andrea Kohnert, RN, Clinical Manager, Women’s Health Services.

August 12, 2016

MRMC Healthgrades found that the variation in hospital performance makes a significant difference in terms of clinical outcomes. After analysis of all-payer data for 2012 through 2014, Healthgrades reported the following findings: • If all hospitals in the 17 states included in this analysis, as a group, performed similarly to hospitals receiving the Labor and Delivery Excellence Award, on average, 116,703 in-hospital complications could potentially have been avoided.* • Further, patients treated in hospitals receiving the Labor and Delivery Excellence Award, had, on average, a 36.3% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the Labor and Delivery Excellence Award.* • Additionally, patients treated in hospitals receiving the Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award, had, on average a 28.8% lower risk of experiencing

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a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award. “Selecting a hospital for the birth of one’s child is the first healthcare decision made as parents,” said Evan Marks, Chief Strategy Officer, Healthgrades. “By choosing a hospital recognized as a Healthgrades 2016 Labor and Delivery Excellence Award recipient, parents can take comfort knowing that they have access to the highest quality care for their loved ones.” In addition, Mission Regional Medical Center has received the following Healthgrades ratings: • Among the Top 5% of Hospitals Evaluated for Obstetrics and Gynecology for two years in a row (20152016) • Among the Top 5% of Hospitals Evaluated for Labor and Delivery for two years in a row (2015-2016) • Five-Star Recipient for Gynecologic Surgery for

obituaries

Jose Cavazos MISSION – Jose Cavazos, 81, of Mission, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. Survivors include his wife, Maria Luisa Cavazos; children, Janie Patricia Espino, Maria Luisa Flores, Jose Cavazos and Dinora Luna; siblings, Ramon Cavazos and Rosa Berumen; and 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Simon Cavazos and Eva Salinas; sister, Angelina Elijio; and son, Angel Mario Cavazos. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial follows at San Jose Cemetery in Mission. Salvador Jose Garcia PALMVIEW – Salvador Jose Garcia, 62, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, at his home in Palmview.

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Mr. Garcia was born in Nampa, Idaho on June 11, 1954, and was raised in Pharr. He worked for 23 years with the Mission C.I.S.D. transportation department. Survivors include his wife, Nelda Dolores Garcia Rosales; mother, Edecia Garcia; children, Nelda Dolores Chavez, Salvador Garcia Jr., Rolando Jesus Garcia and Lorena Ann Garcia; siblings, Refugio Garcia, Gilberto Garza, Telesforo Garcia, Ricardo Garcia, Fidel Garcia, Javier Garcia, Joel Garcia, Lupe Garcia, Minerva Soto, Norma Gonzalez and Edecia Loera; and nine grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Refugio Garcia, and his brothers, Mario and Refugio Garcia. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, Aug. 12, at 11 a.m. at St. John of the Fields Catholic Church in Mission. Burial follows at Valley Me-

three years in a row (20142016) For additional details on the methodology for selecting the Labor and Delivery Excellence Award recipients, see the complete Healthgrades 2016 Report on Women’s Health, at www.healthgrades.com/ quality. About Mission Regional Medical Center Mission Regional Medical Center is a 297-bed, private, non-profit hospital that provides inpatient and outpatient hospital services to the people of the Rio Grande Valley. Rated one of the top hospitals in the country for clinical excellence in many services including maternity and orthopedic care, Mission Regional Medical Center, has been offering quality health care, close to home, for over 60 years. For more information visit www.missionrmc.org

morial Gardens Cemetery in Mission. Herminio Manuel Roldan MISSION – Herminio Manuel Roldán, 84, passed away on Friday, July 29, 2016, in Mission. Mr. Roldán was born on April 25, 1932, at Llano Verde in Chignahuapan, Pue., Mexico to Francisco and Margarita Roldán. He married his wife on June 30, 1962, in Bannister, Mich. and lived in Elsie, Mich. until his retirement in 1994. He graduated from the School of Engineering and Architecture of Instituto Politecnico Nacional of Mexico and was an architect for over 55 years. Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Christina Roldán; children, Christina Roldán-Shinn and Cuauhtemoc Francisco Roldán; siblings, Maria Roldán, Eugenia Roldán, Cruz Roldán and Lorenzo Roldán; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Jose Beto Cortez.

UTRGV program selected Excelencia awards finalist By Gail Fagan

xcelencia in Education, a nonprofit organization focused on the success of Latino students, has announced the selection of the UTRGV Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS) Program as one of 20 finalists for its national Examples of Excelencia awards. This year’s finalists were selected from among 190 programs from 33 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, nominated in four categories: associate degree, bachelor’s degree, graduate degree and community-based organization. Sandra L. Tijerina, UTRGV associate professor and director of the CLS program, said being among the 20 finalists is a significant indicator. “This recognition shows that our program is just as good other CLS programs across the country, and that our students are just as good as other students – we have had two students in recent A rosary was held on Aug. 5 at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission.

Notices

Arthur Bumgardner MISSION – Arthur Bumgardner, 93, passed away on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, at PaxVilla Hospice in McAllen. Maria Natividad Escamilla PEÑITAS – Maria Natividad Escamilla, 79, passed away on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016, at her home in Peñitas. A funeral service was held on Aug. 9 at Repueblo de Oriente in Los Ramones, N.L., Mexico. Burial followed at Panteon de Dolores in Los Ramones. Jesus Maria Fuentes MISSION – Jesus Maria Fuentes, 38, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, at his home. Kimberley Denise Gonzalez PEÑITAS – A funeral mass for Kimberley Denise

years who have been the top scorers on the national certification exam,” she said. Tijerina, MS, MLS (ASCP), SH, SBB (ASCP), is herself a graduate of the university’s CLS program and its first Hispanic director. The local CLS program, accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, has in its 40-year history produced 508 graduates, 418 of them Hispanic, and many first-generation college students. The majority of the program’s graduates have remained in the Rio Grande Valley and many are serving in leadership roles at local healthcare facilities. Its supportive program promotes academic excellence by providing peer and faculty mentoring and scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged students, as well as inclusion of family into the CLS student’s academic career, which is integral to Hispanic student success, in particular. With a mission to provide a quality educational expe-

rience that prepares clinical laboratory scientists to be leaders in a multicultural healthcare system, the program boasts numerous other accomplishments. Since 2010, it has achieved a 93.5 percent firsttime pass rate by its students on the national certification exams. Its success also is evidenced by a 100 percent retention rate and a 95 percent job placement rate for its 2015 cohort. By bringing national attention to effective programs like these, it is the goal of Examples of Excelencia to generate new energy to discover and implement innovations that serve Latino as well as nontraditional students and those already in the workforce who want to pursue further education. An external selection committee of national experts will select one Example of Excelencia from each of the four nomination categories. The winners will be announced Sept. 21 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Gonzalez was held on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Lord and I Cemetery in Palmview. Henry L. Greenwood MISSION – Henry L. Greenwood, 90, passed away on Sunday, July 31, 2016, at Mission Regional Medical Center. A memorial service was held on Aug. 6 at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission. Juanita Ochoa MISSION – A funeral mass was held for Juanita Ochoa on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Rio Grande State Veterans Cemetery in Mission. Elsa D. Puente SULLIVAN CITY – Elsa D. Puente, 85, passed away on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016, at Mission Regional Medical Center. A funeral mass

was held on Aug. 8 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Sullivan City. Burial followed at Sullivan City Cemetery. Carmen Salgado PEÑITAS – A funeral mass was held for Carmen Salgado on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Peñitas. Burial followed at Garden of Angels Cemetery in Abram. Dolores Sustaita MISSION – Dolores Sustaita, 91, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, in McAllen. Jose Angel Torres MISSION – Jose Angel Torres, 15, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, at Doctor’s Hospital in Edinburg. A funeral service was held on Aug. 8 at San Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Alton. Burial followed at San Jose Cemetery in Mission.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

MISSION

PADRES OBLATOS THE FATHERS: †FR. JIM, FR. PHILION & FR. ROY (†MAGNA, †SENTINEL, †MAGNO, †AUGIE, †DIDYMUS, †CHUNKLY, †GIRLY, CANTINA, VALENTINE, NEWLY, BENDITO & CHARLOTTE) MISSIONARY CATECHIST OF THE POOR: SR. LUPITA DAUGHTERS OF MARY MOTHER OF MERCY: SR. ELIZABETH, SR. BIBIANA & SR. MADONNA † DEACON AYALA & DEACON CASTAÑEDA FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF MARY AND OF HER SON, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND ALL OF HIS FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US, A SINCERE CATHOLIC , IN LOVE WITH LIFE AND WITH GOD, MUST FACE AND OPPOSE EVIL AND PROCLAIM THE GOODNESS AND AND “THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD.” WE MIGHT BE SCARED TO DEATH, BUT LIKE “SAINT JOHN WAYNE” WE “SADDLE UP ANYWAY”!

MASS SCHEDULE “Texas Friendly” spoken at all masses (and confessions) Saturday (English) ........................................... 4:00 P.M. Saturday (Spanish) .......................................... 7:00 P.M. Sunday (Spanish) ........................................... 7:30 A.M. Sunday (English)............................................. 9:00 A.M. Sunday (English)........................................... 10:30 A.M. Sunday (Tex-Mex) Mariachi Mass ......... (Noon)12:30 P.M. Sunday (Tex-Mex)............................................ 5:30 P.M. Monday - Wednesday & Friday (Tex-Mex) ....... 6:55 A.M. Thursday (Tex-Mex) ......................................... 7:00 P.M.

CONFESSIONS

Thursday ....................................................... 6:00 P.M. Saturday......................................................... 3:00 P.M.

620 DUNLAP, MISSION, TX • 585-2623

ONE BLOCK WEST OF CONWAY ON MAGNA DRIVE (6TH ST.)

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Mission CISD earns state’s highest fiscal accountability rating

ission - Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) has received preliminary rating information under the Texas School FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) financial accountability rating system. Mission CISD has earned a rating of “Superior”. The rating is the highest, demonstrating the quality of Mission CISD’s financial management and reporting systems. Mission CISD has received the highest possible rating 14 years in a row

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(every year possible) under the accountability rating system. The School FIRST was developed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in response to Senate Bill 875 of the 77th Texas Legislature in 2001. The primary goal of School FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school district financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas’ school finance system. This year, the FIRST

ratings are based on 15 financial indicators such as, administrative cost expenditures; the accuracy of a district or charter’s financial information submitted to TEA; and any financial vulnerabilities or material weaknesses in internal controls as determined by an external auditor; debt service ratios; debt payments; and cash on hand. “We are very pleased to receive the highest rating yet again,” said Mission CISD assistant superintendent for finance, Rumalda Ruiz. “It is important that

our taxpayers know that the district is continuing to make the most of our taxpayer dollars.” The preliminary FIRST ratings for all school districts are available online. The ratings for Mission CISD can be found at, http://tea4avwaylon.tea. state.tx.us/First/forms/District.aspx?year=2014&district=108908. More information about FIRST and the ratings of all districts can be found online at, <http:// tea.texas.gov/index4.aspx?id=3864> http://tea.texas. gov/index4.aspx?id=3864.

Weather-related undocumented immigrant deaths rise

ccording to a press release from Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra, The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has conducted numerous investigations related to undocumented immigrant deaths. In this month alone, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has responded to the found remains of five undocumented immigrants who died after crossing the border. “We believe persons

embarking on this type of journey are exposing themselves to serious injury or death. The intense summer heat and scarce water resources creates a deadly reality for these individuals who are entering the Unites States illegally,” the sheriff states. The Sheriff’s Office is concerned about the loss of life and continues to warn illegal aliens not only the dangers human smugglers

See IMMIGRANT DEATHS 12

theclassifieds

August 12, 2016

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Mission Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a Regular Meeting on August 24, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 1201 East 8th Street, Mission, Texas in order to consider the following:

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buy • sell • trade • rent • hire

this page is your oyster opening up to a world of opportunity

Rezoning: The North 219.64’ of the West 577.57’ of the East 609.7’ of Lot 29, Bell Woods Co’s Subdivision “C”, from AO-I (Agricultural Open Interim) to C-3 (General Business) If a zoning is amended during the public hearing, it shall be pursuant to the City of Mission’s Amendatory Zone Policy Statement. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

For Sale LAUREL HILL CEMETERY Plots, Mission Texas, 2 Plots, Block #33, $1500 each - front section - 2 Plots, Block #43, $2000 each - front rows, call or text 956-703-3010 1985 C 10 Pick-up short

bed, antique sewing machine (Rockford), antique dresser, scooter - power chair. Please call (956) 844-3759.

THE STATE OF TEXAS NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: “You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do (does) not file a written answer with the clerk who issued to this citation by 10:00 A.M. on the Monday next after the expiration of forty-two (42) days after the date of issuance of this citation and Petition, a default Judgment may be taken against you.” TO: Noemi Garza, DEFENDANT(S) GREETINGS: You are hereby commanded to appear by filing a written answer to the Plaintiff’s Original Petition at or before 10:00 o’clock A.M. of the Monday next after the expiration of fortytwo (42) days after the date of issuane of this citation the same being the on this the 6th day of July, 2016 before the Honorable Aida Salinas Flores, 398th District Court of Hidalgo County, Texas at the Courthouse of said county in Edinburg, Texas. Said CITY OF MISSION’S ORIGINAL PETITION, REQUEST FOR PERMANENT INJUNCTION, AND REQUESTS FOR DISCLOSURE filed in said court on the on this the 12th day of January, 2016 in this case numbered C-0181-16-I on the docket of said court and styled CITY OF MISSION VS. NOEMI GARZA. Said petition was filed in said court by Attorney JAIME E. TIJERINA, 1201 E 8th ST Mission, TX 78572. A brief nature of the suit is as follows: PLAINTIFF(S) PRAY FOR TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT INJUNCTION RELIEF RELATED TO A RESIDENCE LOCATED AT 1609 N. MILLER AVE, MISSION, TX, CIVIL PENALTIES COURT COSTS, POST JUGEMENT INTEREST AND ALL OTHER RELIEF PLAINTIFF MAY BE ENTITLED TO AT LAW.

$7 for 15 words 25¢ each additional word thereafter Business classified rate:

$15 for 15 words 25¢ each additional word thereafter

Mobile Homes 1995 Baybreeze 16X68 Mobile home, 2bd/2ba, 350 sq.ft

Make it happen, we’re located at 1217 N. Conway in Mission, TX Come on in! Our hours of operation are Mon. - Fri. 8 - 5 p.m. If you can’t drop by, mail it! P.O. Box 399, Mission, TX 78573 Submit by email or pay by phone 585-4893.

The deadline to get your classified in is Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Texas room, 450 sq.ft screened in patio. New laminate flooring in kitchen, living room, and hall. Ceramic in mas-

ORDINANCE 2016-11-0809 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ALTON, TEXAS, (“CITY”) APPROVING A NEGOTIATED RESOLUTION BETWEEN THE CITY OF ALTON AND TEXAS GAS SERVICE (“TGS” OR “THE COMPANY”) REGARDING THE COMPANY’S APRIL 28, 2016 COST OF SERVICE ADJUSTMENT (“COSA”) FILING; DECLARING EXISTING RATES TO BE UNREASONABLE; ADOPTING NEW TARIFFS THAT REFLECT RATE ADJUSTMENTS CONSISTENT WITH THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT AND FINDING THE RATES TO BE SET BY THE ATTACHED TARIFFS TO BE JUST AND REASONABLE; PROVIDING FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE CITY’S AND TGS’ REASONABLE AND NECESSARY RATE CASE EXPENSES; ADOPTING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; DETERMINING THAT THIS ORDINANCE WAS PASSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT; DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; REPEALING ANY PRIOR ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT WITH THIS ORDINANCE AND REQUIRING DELIVERY OF THIS ORDINANCE TO THE COMPANY’S AND THE CITY’S LEGAL COUNSEL, WAIVING SECOND AND THIRD READING. READ, APPROVED, AND PASSED on this the 9th day of August , 2016. Salvador Vela, Mayor ATTEST: Baudelia Rojas TRMC|CPM, City Secretary NOTICE TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS AGAINST THE ESTATE OF ROSA DELEON GARCIA, AKA ROSA GARCIA, AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 308.057, TEXAS ESTATES CODE Notice is hereby given that original Letters of Testamentary for the Estate of ROSA DELEON GARCIA, AKA ROSA GARCIA, were issued on the 1st day of March, 2016 in Cause No. P-37,286, in the Hidalgo County Probate Court to Carla Yvette Garcia Rodriguez. The residence of such Independent Executrix is Hidalgo County, Texas. THE MAILING ADDRESS IS:

The officer exectuting this writ shall promptly serve the same according to requirements of law, and the mandates thereof, and make due return as the law directs. ISSUED AND GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL of said Court at Edinburg, Texas on the on this the 6th day of July, 2016.

Personal classified rate:

c/o JOANNE GARCIA GARZA GARCIA, PLLC 2416 Buddy Owens Blvd. McAllen, TEXAS 78504 All persons having claims against the Estate being administered are required to present the same within the time prescribed by law. DATED the 8th day of August, 2016.

ORDINANCE NO. 4384 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS, (“CITY”) APPROVING A NEGOTIATED RESOLUTION BETWEEN THE CITY OF MISSION AND TEXAS GAS SERVICE (“TGS” OR “THE COMPANY”) REGARDING THE COMPANY’S APRIL 28, 2016 COST OF SERVICE ADJUSTMENT (“COSA”) FILING; DECLARING EXISTING RATES TO BE UNREASONABLE; ADOPTING NEW TARIFFS THAT REFLECT RATE ADJUSTMENTS CONSISTENT WITH THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT AND FINDING THE RATES TO BE SET BY THE ATTACHED TARIFFS TO BE JUST AND REASONABLE; PROVIDING FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE CITY’S AND TGS’ REASONABLE AND NECESSARY RATE CASE EXPENSES; ADOPTING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; DETERMINING THAT THIS ORDINANCE WAS PASSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT; DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; REPEALING ANY PRIOR ORDINANCES INCONSISTENT WITH THIS ORDINANCE AND REQUIRING DELIVERY OF THIS ORDINANCE TO THE COMPANY’S AND THE CITY’S LEGAL COUNSEL READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 8TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

GARZA GARCIA, PLLC 2416 Buddy Owens Blvd. McAllen, TEXAS 78504 Request for Qualifications City of La Joya Master Plan Amendments The City of La Joya is anticipating selecting a qualified consultant to amend current comprehensive Master Plan. The goal of the comprehensive Master Plan is to provide a framework to guide future development that is cost effective and will satisfy environmental and socioeconomic impact; which includes: • Promote Health, Safety & General Welfare • City’s Planning and Zoning Boundaries • City’s Regulations • Update 2025 Comprehensive Master Plan for Future Capital Improvement Projections • Amend future Milestones if required. QUALIFICATIONS: • Professional Engineer Preferred but not required • Familiar with the City of La Joya Infrastructure & Public Works • Experience working with City of La Joya Staff and City Council • Local Land Use Planning experience is required Qualification Statements must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm on August 25, 2016. If you have any questions contact Mike Alaniz, City Administrator at 956-581-7002 or email to cityoflajoya@aol.com. The City of La Joya is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Reserves the Right to Accept or Reject Any Application Submitted.

Texas Education Agency Division of Career and Technical Education Sharyland Independent School District Public Notification of Nondiscrimination in Career and Technical Education Programs Sharyland Independent School District offers career and technical education programs in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications; Business Management and Administration/Finance; Education and Training; Health Science; Human Services; Information Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); and Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics. Admission to these programs is based on interest and aptitude, course sequencing, age appropriateness, and class space availability. Some programs require an application process. It is the policy of Sharyland ISD not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap in its vocational programs, services or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. It is the policy of Sharyland ISD not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in its employment practices as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Sharyland ISD will take steps to assure that lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational and vocational programs. For information about your rights or grievance procedures, contact the Title IX Coordinator, Rosa O’Donnell, at 1200 N. Shary Rd. Mission, TX 78572, (956) 5805200.

ter bath and Texas room. Large updated kitchen, updated master bath, carpet in bedrooms. Total electric, located in

Dixieland retirement community, 55plus park, Harlingen, TX. Call 956-367-2155 or 956-244-5755, $55,000.

JOB OPENING CITY OF LA JOYA

Now Accepting Applications for: CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT Perform duties related to bookkeeping, preparation of government audits, taxes, and financial planning. Must have Associate’s Degree from a two-year college or one year related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Must be fluent in English and Spanish. For Applications and More Information Please contact us at La Joya City Hall 101 N. Leo Avenue La Joya, Texas 78560 956-581-7002 Deadline to submit: August 31, 2016 The City of La Joya is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Reserves the Right to Accept or Reject Any Application Submitted.

ORDINANCE NO. 4380 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A REZONING OF ALL OF LOTS 1-9, BLOCK 212, MISSION ORIGINAL TOWNSITE SUBDIVISION, FROM R-1 (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) TO C-2 (NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL) READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 8TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4381 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A REZONING OF LOT 6, SNO-BIRD ESTATES SUBDIVISION, FROM AO-I (AGRICULTURAL OPEN INTERIM) TO R-1 (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 8TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4382 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A HOME OCCUPATION – LICENSED HOME DAYCARE, 2114 W. 42 ½ STREET, LOT 12, TAURUS ESTATES #9 PHASE II SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 8TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4383 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 98-SUBDIVISIONS OF THE CITY OF MISSION CODE OF ORDINANCE BY ADDING SECTION 98-148 DESIGNATING HONORARY STREET NAMES; AND ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNATION READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 8TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

Agencia Educativa de Texas División de Programas Vocacionales Distrito Escolar Independiente de Sharyland Notificación Pública de No Discriminación en Programas de Educación Vocacional El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Sharyland ofrece programas vocacionales en ciencias agrícolas; arquitectura y construcción; artes, tecnología y comunicación; gestión empresarial y administración/ finanzas; educación y entrenamiento; ciencia de la salud; servicios humanos; información técnica; ley y seguridad pública; ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas; y transporte y distribución. La admisión a estos programas se basa en las aplicaciones recibidas, edad apropiada, año escolar, aptitud e interés, y la secuencia lógica de cursos. Algunos programas requieren un proceso de admisión. Es póliza del Distrito Escolar de Sharyland no discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo o impedimento, en sus programas, servicios o actividades vocacionales, tal como lo requieren el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmienda; el Título IX de las Enmiendas en la Educación, de 1972, y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmienda. Es póliza del Distrito Escolar de Sharyland no discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, impedimento o edad, en sus procedimientos de empleo, tal como lo requieren el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmienda; el Título IX de las Enmiendas en la Educación, de 1972, la ley de Discriminación por Edad, de 1975, según enmienda, y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmienda. El Distrito Escolar de Sharyland tomará las medidas necesarias para asegurar que la falta de habilidad en el uso del inglés no sea un obstáculo para la admisión y participación en todos los programas educativos y vocacionales. Para información sobre sus derechos o procedimientos para quejas, comuníquese con la Coordinadora del Título IX, Rosa O’Donnell, en 1200 N. Shary Rd. Mission, TX 78572, (956) 580-5200.

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August 12, 2016

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NOTICE OF 2016 TAX YEAR PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR CITY OF MISSION A tax rate of $0.4962 per $100 valuation has been proposed by the governing body of City of Mission. PROPOSED TAX RATE $0.4962 per $100 PRECEDING YEAR’S TAX RATE $0.4988 per $100 EFFECTIVE TAX RATE $0.4962 per $100

The effective tax rate is the total tax rate needed to raise the same amount of property tax revenue for City of Mission from the same properties in both the 2015 tax year and the 2016 tax year.

JOB OPENING HCID#6 is seeking to hire a Heavy Equipment Operator with approx. 3-5 years’ experience. Knowledge on operating a Motor Grader, Excavator and a Backhoe. Valid D.L. required.

PUBLIC NOTICE

dangerous routes. Even the healthiest person is going to have a hard time surviving in these kinds of temperatures here in the Rio Grande Valley. The Sheriff’s Office wants to share this information with the public and discourage people from putting themselves at risk.

Progress Times

The Mission City Council will hold a Regular Meeting on August 22, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 1201 East 8th Street, Mission, Texas in order to consider the following: Rezoning: The Southeast 1.0 acre of the South 10.0 acres of the North 20.0 acres of Lot 226, John H. Shary Subdivision, from AO-I (Agricultural Open Interim) to R-1T (Townhouse Residential); Rezoning: Lot 12, The Goodwin Tract Subdivision No. 3, from AO-I (Agricultural Open Interim) to R-1 (Single Family Residential); Rezoning: 1.56 acres out of Lot 161, John H. Shary Subdivision & a part of portion of Lot 1, Praxedis Garza Subdivision, from AO-I (Agricultural Open Interim) to R-1T (Townhouse Residential); and Rezoning: 7.30 acre portion of Lot 1, Praxedis Garza Subdivision of Porcion 58, from AO-I Agricultural Open Interim) to R-1T (Townhouse Residential)

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If a zoning is amended during the public hearing, it shall be pursuant to the City of Mission’s Amendatory Zone Policy Statement. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

Loans Up To

$1,300

property tax amount = (rate) x (taxable value of your property)/100

Pablo (Paul) Villareal Jr. Hidalgo County Tax Assessor-Collector 2804 S. Business Hwy 281 Edinburg, TX 78539 (956) 318-2157 propertytax@hidalgocountytax.org http://www.hidalgocountytax.org

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will put them in, but as well as the grueling, unforgiving routes that they take to avoid law enforceApplications may be picked up at 3735 ment. As security at the N FM 492 Mon-Fri from 8-5, contact border has tightened, Joe Aguilar or Martha Salinas at it has pushed undocu956-585-8389. HCID#6 is an Equal Opportunity mented immigrants to seek more remote and Employer.

YOUR TAXES OWED UNDER ANY OF THE ABOVE RATES CAN BE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS:

For assistance or detailed information about tax calculations, please contact:

IMMIGRANT DEATHS

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