POLITICAL AD PAID FOR BY CANDIDATES.
TEAM L1BERTY
COACH SALINAS place 6
CLAUDIA OCHOA
ALEX CANTU
place 4
place 7
ARMIN GARZA place 5
LA JOYA ISD SCHOOL BOARD
EARLY VOTING OCT. 24 - NOV. 4 • ELECTION DAY NOV. 8 Friday, October 28, 2016
www.ptrgv.com | 25 Cents
Vol. 45 No. 13
La Joya ISD board election draws 10 candidates W ith a surge in early voters compared to four years ago, the Progress Times reached out to the 10 candidates in the three slates vying for four seats in the La Joya School Board. Newcomers Anselmo Barrera (Place 4) and Oscar “Rito” Martinez (Place 6) make up the “Education First” slate. They face off against the “Team L1berty” slate, which is made up of nurse Claudia Ochoa (Place 4), city of Peñitas council member Armin Garza (Place 5), incumbent Oscar “Coach” Salinas (Place 6) and business owner Alex Cantu (Place 7). The final slate is com-
posed of recently appointed board member Laura Avendaño (Place 4), incumbent Espie Ochoa (Place 5), former board member Mingo Villarreal Jr. (Place 6) and Palmview Councilwoman Gracie Flores. Education First Childhood friends Anselmo Barrera and Oscar “Rito” Martinez are running for Place 4 and 6 respectively. The duo from Palmview are running in the “Education First” slate and are prioritizing the education of the students and earning back the public’s trust in the district. “We want to restore the credibility of the district,” Barrera said, referencing the recent scandals that have plagued the school district in the last few months (in-
cluding the recent arrest of school board member Juan Jose “J.J.” Garza.) “We want La Joya to be a district where whenever someone does a Google search on the school district, the top results are accomplishments from students and staff.”
The duo said one advantage they have over their opponents in the other two slates is a lack of political ties to the district. According to the candidates, the La Joya school district is in need of transparency as they’ve noticed several instances of
cronyism around campus. According to the slate, too many people are being hired in the district because of connections with the people in charge. Barrera and Martinez said if elected, they would combat this by hiring the most qualified people in-
stead of the employees with the best connections. The duo believes their slate is the right one for the district to have a new start. “We’re running because we can make a change and we’re not looking for per-
Claudia Ochoa, Place 4
Espie Ochoa, Place 5
Oscar Martinez, Place 6
Armin Garza, Place 5
Alex Cantu, Place 7
Anselmo Barrera, Place 4
Mingo Villarreal, Place 6
Laura Avendaño, Place 4
By Jose De Leon III
Butterfly sculptures appearing throughout downtown Mission
T
By Jose De Leon III he city of Mission is known as a travel destination for butterflies and butterfly lovers. Each year, approximately 300 different butterfly species arrive in South Texas during October through mid-November, which is the peak of butterfly season according to the National Butterfly Center. When Maxilou Link first moved to the city of Mission, she said all the butterflies in the area captivated her. “I got an overwhelming feeling of joy when I saw them,” she said. “I cannot ever remember not loving butterflies and being in a city surrounded by them was so special.” Because of the shared love for butterflies between Link and the city, the 93-year-old
See BUTTERFLY Pg. 10
T
here were surprising revelations that emerged during the healthcare district debate hosted by Futuro McAllen last week. Among the surprises was proponent Ann Cass twice stating she agreed with her opponent, Eddie Cantu. Proposition 1 is the issue
INDEX
Gracie Flores, Place 7
Bryan House awarded $10,000 Ruby Red Ventures grant
T
By Jose De Leon III
A sculpture of a Cloudless Sulfur butterfly stands on the corner of Conway Ave. and the Kika de la Garza Loop after it was installed this past summer. Progress Times Photo by Jose De Leon III
wo years ago, Mission resident Ariel King purchased the historic Bryan House with plans to preserve it for others to enjoy. The two-story Mission style farmhouse on the northwest corner of Bryan Road and Mile 2 Road belonged to William Jennings Bryan. Bryan was a leader in the Democratic Party in the early 1900s and was a threetime presidential candidate before he was named Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson. According to King, Bryan was one of Mission’s first Winter Texans, building the Bryan House in 1909 at the suggestion of John Conway, the founder of the city of Mission. Now, that house has been converted into a
Proposition 1 pros, cons explored
By Jim Brunson
“Coach” Salinas, Place 6
See LA JOYA ISD Pg. 5
on the Nov. 8 ballot that, if it passes would establish a new healthcare tax district in Hidalgo County with an initial property tax rate of eight cents per $100 valuation. The proposition is very similar to the one that was voted down by Hidalgo County voters two years ago. Immediately after it was defeated, Valley legislators, led by State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and
Entertainment | pg. 2
State Rep. Bobby Guerra, drafted new legislation that would be more palatable with certain groups of voters. The Futuro McAllen debate consisted of a panel of four spokespersons – two for Proposition 1, and two speaking against the issue. Representing those in favor of the proposition were Ann Cass, of Proyecto Azteca and Equal Voice Network, and
Lifestyle | pg. 3
Pharr Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez. Panelists representing the opposing view were attorney Mark Walker and Hidalgo County Pct. 2 Commissioner Eddie Cantu. KURV radio’s Davis Rankin moderated the panel discussion held at the McAllen Convention Center. In last Friday’s edition, the Progress Times reported
Opinion | pg. 4
Sports | pg. 6
Located at the corner of Bryan Road the 2 Mile Line, the historic Bryan House was renovated into a Bed & Breakfast. Progress Times Photo by jose De Leon III
bed and breakfast (B&B) and social events center. “It’s been a beautiful project and I think it’s something the community will really
treasure and take pride in,” King said. “I spent nearly one year doing renovations
on the presentation by Futuro McAllen’s David Girault of important background information about the proposition. This article will address many of the arguments laid out by these panelists – both in favor of and in opposition to the proposed healthcare district. The proponent panel members tried to frame the proposed healthcare district as a cure for the many problems with healthcare access
in Hidalgo County. In her introductory statement, which far exceeded two minutes, Ann Cass stated her concern that if the state of Texas does not come
Obituaries | pg. 15
See BRYAN HOUSE Pg. 13
See PROP 1 Pg. 5 Who really benefits from Prop. 1?
See the commentary by Progress Times Publisher Jim Brunson for his view on what this proposition is really about. See Page 4
Classifieds | pg. 16
entertainment Coming Attractions
FUMC hosting Trunk-or-Treat The First United Methodist Church in Mission is hosting a Trunk-or-Treat tonight, Oct. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the church parking lot across from the church at 1101 Doherty in Mission. The public is invited to come out for tailgate trick or treating, and church members will be serving up hot dogs, nachos and lemonade. Call 585-1665 for more information.
Peñitas preps for Halloween Bash
PEÑITAS – The public is invited to come out, they dare, to the Peñitas Fourth Annual Halloween Bash. It will be running from 6 to 9 p.m. at 1111 S. Main St. Organizers have planned a costume contest, haunted hay ride, games, moon jumps, passing out candy and refreshments. The games and hay ride start at 6 p.m. Refeshments
and trick-or-treating starts at 7 p.m. and costume judging begins at 8 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to put together a creative, spooky, funny or otherwise imaginative costume to participate in one of five age categories. Costume contest ages are birth to 4, ages 5 to 8, 9 to 12, 13 to 18 and 19 and older.
LA JOYA – The La Joya I.S.D. presents the Seventh Annual Conjunto Festival on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Alejandro H. Saenz Performing Arts Center. It is located at 604 N. Coyote Dr. in La Joya. In a tribute to all veterans, featured performers are the
Juarez Lincoln High School Conjunto Sol, the La Joya High School Conjunto Los Diamantes and the Palmview High School Conjunto La Tradicion. Admission is $6, and tickets are sold at the door. For more information, call 956323-2896.
Maxilou Link, president of the Upper Valley Art League, has put out a call for help from UVAL members and interested persons in the community to help paint the gazebo behind the UVAL building. Volunteers can put on their old clothes and bring
their paint brushes to help Juan Saenz, chairperson, get the project completed. The gazebo will be used for outdoor entertainment during the UVAL events. UVAL is located at 921 E. 12th St. Mission.
McALLEN – When school’s out, winter camp is in for adventures, discovering the world of art and science and exploration during the Winter Break Camps at the International Museum of Art & Science. Camps run from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Dec. 26 to 30. IMAS will engage campers in hands-on, minds-on experiences that promote the arts and sciences, live presentations and visits to popular exhibits. Campers can register for just one day or for the entire week. The camps are divided
into grade groupings based on content. Day rates are $35 per day for IMAS members and $40 per day for non-members. Week rates are $160 for members and $180 for non-members. Before care or after care is $5 per day; both are $10 per day. Before care begins at 8 a.m.; after care runs until 4 p.m. Campers should bring a brown bag lunch. A snack will be provided in the afternoon. Call 956-682-0123 to register. IMAS is located at 1900 Nolana.
Conjunto Festival honors veterans
Volunteers needed Oct. 29
Sign up now for Winter Break camps
October 28 • Karaoke Night at McAllen Food Park, 8 to 10 p.m., 10 N. Broadway. Free admission. October 28-30 • Camille Playhouse in Brownsville presents “The Addams Family.” At Camille Playhouse, tickets for plays are $15 and musicals are $20. Performances are 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and matinees at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Go to camilleplayhouse.net for more information. October 29 • It is Dia de los Muertos: Authors’ Night at The Writers’ Forum at 6:30 p.m.at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, 225 E. Stenger in San Bentio. For more information, call 956-350-3905. • Get acquainted with Brownsville’s resident ghosts when the Brownsville Historical Association presents the popular “Murder, Mystery and Mayhem” tour at the old city cemetery. Actors from the Camille Playhouse will be in costume and lead the tour. Cost is $15. Make a reservation by calling 956-541-5560. October 29-30 • Join the staff at the International Museum of Art & Science, 1900 Nolana in McAllen, as two cultures merge during the Halloween Bash and Day of the Dead Festival. The Halloween Bash is Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Day of the Dead Festival is Oct. 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. Explore the history of both holidays through demonstrations, lectures, and family-friendly activities. Call 956-682-0123 for more information. October 29 - November 2 • The Texas Butterfly Festival will be held at the National Butterfly Center, 3333 Butterfly Park Drive, Mission. The event is packed with seminars and field trips about butterflies. Call 956-583-5400 for details, reservations and information or go to texasbutterflyfestival.com. October 30 • The Mission Lions Club is serving up their annual fall barbecue of top sirloin with all the trimmings. Plates are $8 each and can be picked up at Hidalgo County Veterans Pavilion, S. Inspiration Road in Mission. It is carryout only from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For tickets, call Jim Brunson at 956-5341100 or contact any Lions Club member. November 1 • The Writers’ Forum will host readings from writers at 6:30 p.m.at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, 225 E. Stenger in San Benito. For more information, call 956350-3905. November 2-6 • Early registration is open for the 22nd Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival at 1204 Fairpark Blvd., Harlingen, in the municipal auditorium. To see a complete schedule, and to register, go rgvbf.org. For more information, call 956-4235565 or 209-227-4823. November 3-6 • Sharyland High School presents a production of Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday. It will be staged at the Sharyland High School Auditorium, 1206 N. Shary Rd. in Mission. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Call 956580-5300 to make a reservation. To see the complete Coming Attractions calendar, go to ptrgv.com
October 28, 2016
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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS
Mysteries at the Boo!seum is Oct. 31
On Monday, Oct. 31, celebrate the City of Mission’s Halloween Mysteries at the Boo!seum hosted by the Mission Historical Museum (MHM) from 6 to 9 p.m. The family festival features a line-up of kid’s ghostly games and prizes, refreshments, cake walk, lots of candy, a jailhouse Haunted House, activity booths, moon jumps and a Halloween photo area. Everyone is encouraged to wear a costume. Admission is free to the event. MHM is located at 900 Doherty. Local clubs, businesses, organizations and Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce members are invited
have a free booth to promote their services. Families will be trick-or-treating at the booths. The only “fee” is for vendors to have enough Halloween candy to last through the night and to stay throughout the event. They are also encouraged to wear costumes and decorate their booths. Vendors may bring signs or banners and pass out information flyers about their services. Set-up is 5 p.m., and a five-foot table and two chairs will be provided for all who reserve a spot and sign up by calling Linda Castañeda at 956-580-8646.
Join in the fun at the City of Mission’s Halloween Mysteries at the Boo!seum hosted by the Mission Historical Museum on Monday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 9 p.m.
GPZ host Boo at the Zoo Oct. 31
It’s time for the annual haunting at the Gladys Porter Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo.” It runs from 6 to 9 p.m. for two nights on Sunday and Monday, Oct. 30 and 31. GPZ members can get in early at 5 p.m. The Halloween tradition is a safe alternative to trick or treating on the streets, where visitors can participate in over 50 carnival-style games
and treat stations along with a trip through the spooktacular Haunted House. Pre-sale tickets are $2.50 per person (for both adults and children) until 5 p.m. on October 29. On Oct. 30 and 31, tickets will be $3.50 per person. Zoo members receive free tickets. For more information, call 956-546-7187 or visit gpz.org.
EDINBURG – Celebrating Día de los Muertos is not only the colorful sugar skulls, enthusiastic performances or fancy face painting but also the panteón, a resting place for those who have departed. The Museum of South Texas History (MOSTHistory) will highlight one of the many ways the dead are honored during the 13th Annual Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. This year’s activities will reflect the typical Mexican traditions that are usually observed over a number of days
in which families honor and remember their loved ones through offerings, religious mass and celebrations. In Mexican states such as Oaxaca and in the mountains of Michoacán, families welcome back the souls of their ancestors with offerings placed on altares (altars) made at home and in the panteón (cemetery). To reflect those traditions MOSTHistory will create a panteón in Will Looney Legacy Park and showcase community-made altars in the Courtyard Gallery, both decorated with candles and cempazuchitl (marigold) flowers. Returning to MOSTHistory is Screen Actors Guild member and artistic director of the Pharr Community Theater Company, Pedro García. He will provide a live performance of The Life and Times of Juanito Gonzalez at Will Looney Legacy Park in the panteón area. Other festivities include an opening performance by Edinburg North High School’s Mariachi Oro and following that, string arrangements by the Jedi Music Master group from Veterans Memorial Elementary School in Roma. Hands and feet will fly under the performance tent which will be feature Las Palmas Community Center Ballet Folklórico of McAllen, Grupo Folklórico RGV of Mission, J. Economedes High School Grupo Folklórico Jaguar of Edinburg, Edinburg Folklórico Dance Team, Dancecentre of Edinburg and Alcorta’s Compañía de Danza Folklórica from Corpus Christi. The closing dance performance will be provided by Edinburg’s Conceptos Entidad Dancística. New this year are two musical acts, Monstruo Bohemio and Beatriz Gonzalez. Weslaco brothers, Ricardo and Jesus Reazola, formed Monstruo Bohemio and will be the opening act for Beatriz Gonzalez, a Rio Grande Valley native. Gonzalez has performed with mariachi groups and artists including UTPA Mariachi, Gabriela Beltran, Mariachi Vargas and Mariachi Sól de México. Currently, Gonzalez is under contract with Silent Giant Entertainment based out of Los Angeles. She will perform original music and encore a special performance with the all-fe-
Discover the history of the panteón Oct. 29
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Starr’s
Boutique
Visiter la Boutique, and See What Starr’s Boutique Has to Offer!
• Seasonal Decorations & Gifts • Gourmet Foods, Spices & Jellies • Cookbooks, Nutrition Books & Culinary Items • Religious & Inspirational Items
We are a community pharmacy where Quality Care for each patient will be provided. • Compounding Available • Free Delivery • Nebulizers • Children’s & Adult Diapers • Free Nutrition Classes Available
FAST, FRIENDLY AND CONVENIENT FULL SERVICE PHARMACY
Rene Martinez, Pharmacy Doctor / Owner, Cynthia Martinez, MPH / Owner, RD, LD (Dietition), Operation Manager
956-271-4258
1300 S. Bryan Rd. Ste. 101 (South of Mission Regional Medical Center)
See PANTEON STORY 11
lifestyle
Hole-in-One: Win a Car
Catholic War Veterans Post 1065 Mission will be hosting the “Armed Forces Veterans Golf Tournament,” and the public is invited. The Post is seeking sponsors and teams for the fundraising event scheduled on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Mission Shary Golf Course, 1900 N. Mayberry. It will be a three-man team tournament with door prizes, drawing, food and more. The hole-in-one prize is a car donated by Bert Ogden Mission. Pictured are, Judge Advocate Manuel Tanguma; veteran Cipi Saenz, General Manager at Bert Ogden Mission; 1st Vice Cmdr. Felix Ramirez; O.D Modesto Saavedra; State Commander David Silva; 2nd Vice Cmdr. Ginger Silva; Trustee Ernesto Flores; and Post Commander Luis Andres Lopez. To become a sponsor or to sign up a team, call the Post at 583-5961 or the Shary Pro Shop at 580-8770.
October 28, 2016
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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS
Quinta to presents program on Cape May birding
McALLEN – This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Cape May Bird Observatory and the Cape May Hawk Watch in New Jersey. Erik Bruhnke, the 2016 Hawk Counter, will be the presenter at Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center in McAllen on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. to talk about what makes the site special for birders and monarch enthusiasts. The Cape May Bird Observatory hosts four migration counts each fall season: the Hawkwatch located in Cape May State Park, the Avalon Seawatch which gets around 800,000 birds each season, the Morning Flight Songbird Count where the birds are tallied as they fly north during a southbound migration, and the Monarch Monitoring Project which is in its 27th year.
Erik Bruhnke Sister Cities participate in Festival
Representatives from Mission’s Mexico Sister Cities of Francisco I. Madero del Estado de Coahuila and Coatlan del Rio del Estado de Morelos made a special trip to participate in the annual Dia de los Muertos Festival last weekend at the Mission Historical Museum. Mayor Norberto Salinas presented a certificate of appreciation for their participation in creating an altar exhibit at the museum and performing at the festival. From left to right are Mayor Cesar Franco and wife Ana Luisa Diaz of Coatlan del Rio; Dr. Armando O’Cana, Mission city councilman; Bibi Delgado Lara, wife of Mayor David Flores Lavenant of Francisco I. Madero; Mayor Salinas; Jessica Ortega Ochoa, Mission councilwoman; Cynthia Lopez, MHM director; and Martin Garza, Mission city manager.
BETWEEN the bookendS
Speer Memorial Library
12th St. & Kika Loop • Mission • 580-8750
By William Renner “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” The community is invited to joins us at Speer Memorial Library in Mission, on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, for a discussion of The Alchemist, to take place in the library’s Community Room at 5:30 p.m. in Spanish and at 6:30 p.m. in English. Santiago is a shepherd boy tending his flock in the Andalusia region of Spain. One day, he sets out on a long journey after having a dream in which a child tells him of treasure to be found at the Egyptian pyramids. Filled with encouragement, guidance, and wisdom from a host of characters, including a Gypsy woman, a king, a camel driver and an
alchemist, Santiago travels across the Sahara Desert in his quest for treasure. As he encounters many obstacles along the way he has to ask: Will he be able to overcome them and continue his journey? What treasure is he actually seeking? And, where is it really to be found? Written by Paulo Coelho, and first published in 1988, The Alchemist is an inspiring fable about finding your treasure in life and following your heart. Copies of the book are available at the library for those who sign up for the discussion, or via Interlibrary Loan. Stop by the library’s Reference Desk, or call at 580-8754, to reserve a copy or for more information. Speer Memorial Library is located at 12th and Kika De La Garza in Mission.
Doctors’dinner is Oct. 30
The next Dinner with the Doctors at Mission Hope Seventh-Day Adventist Church will be held Sunday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m. The church is located at 408 E. 6th St. and Oblate in Mission. A health lecture is offered by Dr. Dona Cooper-Dockery and Dr. Marlene ChangBrown. There will be a healthy cooking demo, health screening and fitness tips from physical therapist. It is held the fourth Sunday of each month. Also, a Bible Study will be held every day except Thursdays from Nov. 12 to 26 at the church from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
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Erik Bruhnke has had a love for birds since he was a child. He graduated from Northland College in Wisconsin with a Natural Resources degree in 2008 and taught field ornithology while he was there. During his first six fall seasons following college, Erik worked as an interpreter at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minn. and was a board member of the Duluth Audubon Society. Last fall he counted migrating raptors at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch in Texas and is currently counting raptors at the Cape May HawkWatch. His avian field experiences have taken him throughout Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Maine, Texas, and western Canada. His wildlife photography has won national awards, and his writings have been featured in Birder’s Guide via the American Birding Association, BirdWatching, and Birdwatcher’s Digest. He travels the country leading field trips. The program fee is $3 per person. Quinta Mazatlan is located 600 Sunset in McAllen. For information, call 956-681-3370.
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EVENTS CALENDAR
October 28 – The Marine Military Academy (MMA) in Harlingen will host their 51st Anniversary Parade at 4 p.m. All parades are held on the academy grounds, and the public is invited. Veterans and former classmates and their families are encouraged to attend. October 29 – The San Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Alton will hold the parish’s annual Jamaica from 4 to 10 p.m. Admission is free. All activities take place in the church parking lot and parish hall located at 621 W. Main St. in Alton. There will be games, a moon jump, free rides, face painting, bingo and more. The parking lot will be filled with festive music and food booths. A drawing will be held for 10 prizes, including a 2016 Chevy Colorado truck as first prize. For more information, call the parish hall office at 956-585-8001. October 29 – Those looking to put their strength to the test are invited to come out to the RGV Fire Truck Pull at the Mission Fire Department, 415 W. Tom Landry St. Proceeds benefit the Special Olympics Texas program for children and adults in the Rio Grande Valley. Check-in and registration opens at 9 a.m. and the first pull is slated for 10 a.m. Registration can be completed in advance at sotx.org/newsevents/fire-truck-pull/a1/. Teams of 10 work together to pull a 55,000-pound fire truck 75 feet. Awards will be presented to the fastest teams. Entry fee is $300 per team or $30 per person. Teams with fewer than 10 people should indicate it so that “fill-ins” can be found. To learn more about Special Olympics, visit specialolympicstexas.org or call 800-8765646. October 29 – Head to the Edinburg World Birding Center at 10 a.m. to create a pumpkin planter garden. Bring a pumpkin, and the center will supply the soil, plants, and other decorations needed to create the masterpiece. Registration deadline is Oct. 27. The fee is $5 per family, per pumpkin planter. For more information or to register for this program, call 3819922. EWBC is located at 714 Raul Longoriad Rd. October 29 – The Edinburg World Birding Center debuts the “Night Critters” puppet show. Take the “spooky” out of night creatures and learn often misunderstood nocturnal animals. There will be various crafts for families to enjoy after the show. The free program begins at 2:30 pm. EWBC is located at 714 Raul Longoriad Rd. Call 381-9922 for info. October 29 – Incredible Edibles is a book written by South Texas native Esteban “Steve” Bravo and will be the program topic at Frontera Audubon, 1101 S. Texas Blvd., Weslaco. The book works as a field-guide to help identify useful native plants. The class is free and begins at 10 a.m. For info, call 956-968-3275. October 29 – Mobile artists Jay and Amanda a fall-themed painting class, Sip & Dip Painting from 6 to 8 p.m. on the lawn at Frontera Audubon, 1101 S. Texas Blvd., Weslaco. This is an adult-only event; cost is $35 per person. To sign up, call Jay at 956-373-5923 or visit www.art66studio.com to purchase tickets online or at Frontera Audubon. Space is limited. For info, call 956-968-3275. October 29 – The Gladys Porter Zoo’s, 500 Ringgold in Brownsville, hosts the next Saturday Safari, “Creatures of the Night,” at 10 a.m. Children and their parents can learn about animals that hunt in the dark and those that use the night to hide from others. A zoo tour, arts and crafts, an animal encounter and snacks are included. Cost is $15 per child or adult with a $5 discount for zoo members. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call 956-5489453 or e-mail educ@gpz.org. November November 2 – Children ages 5 and under will explore color, texture and pattern through the world of quilts as they read Just a Quilt? and participate in the activities at the IMAS Young Adventurer Day. It begins at 10 a.m. The program lasts about 30 minutes. Admission is $5 per IMAS member and $10 per nonmember. To register, call 956-682-0123. IMAS is located at 1900 Nolana Ave., McAllen. November 5 – The parish of St. Anne’s Catholic Church is holding a Jamaica to be held at the church, 17109 Coconut Palm Dr. in Peñitas. It runs from 4 to 10 a.m. Call 956-5839888 for more information. November 5 – Catholic War Veterans Post 1065 Mission will host the “Armed Forces Veterans Golf Tournament,” and the public is invited. The Post is seeking sponsors and teams for the event at Mission Shary Golf Course, 1900 N. Mayberry. It will be a three-man team tournament with door prizes, drawing, food and more, including a hole-in-one prize vehicle donated by Bert Ogden Mission. To become a sponsor or to sign up a team, call the Post at 583-5961 or the Shary Pro Shop at 580-8770. November 5 – Juan Diego Academy will their Sixth Annual Gala at 6 p.m. at the school campus, 5208 S. FM 494 in Mission. The “Nautica” themed gala benefits the expansion of the math and science building. Funds will also be used for the continued growth and development of JDA’s academic and extracurricular programs. To become a sponsor, make a donation, purchase tickets or for more information, call the school at 956-583-2752. November 5 – The members of the Guild with the International Museum of Art & Science, 1900 Nolana in McAllen, are looking for items in reasonably good shape for their annual rummage sale. It will be held at the museum from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call IMAS at 956-682-0123 regarding large items such as furniture. Donations may be dropped off at the museum any day after Oct. 31. For daily events and upcoming weeks, see the full calendar at ptrgv.com.
PARKS CALENDAR
REUNIONS &MEETINGS
A
opinion
October 28, 2016
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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS
We the people... By: Jim Brunson
Who really benefits from Prop. 1?
lot of people have asked me what I think of Proposition 1, the plan on the ballot being pushed by the Border Health PAC that would establish a new Hidalgo County Healthcare taxing district. I have interviewed a lot of the players – both pro and con – and I have covered several forums and debates on Prop. 1 and here is my take on the issue. The reason this is on the ballot, again – after the voters turned it down two years ago – is to benefit the private, for-profit hospitals, and DHR (Doctors Hospital at Renaissance) in particular. This is a big boys’ game – game of manipulation of the system to benefit the rich and powerful. The wealthy who wield a great deal of influence in this county, and who stand to profit immensely have called upon our elected representatives – State Rep. Bobby Guerra and Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa – to craft the legislation to put this back on the ballot again, requiring just 50 signatures to do so. They are being very “smart” about it. They lowered the tax cap of the new taxing entity from 75 cents to 25 cents, to make the issue more palatable to the voters. They know the voters don’t want to subsidize for-profit hospitals with tax dollars, and would never approve a “hospital district” tax that benefits only the hospitals by reimbursing their write-offs. (They call this “uncompensated care.”) So, they included “indigent care” in the bill to pull at the heartstrings of those who want to help the poor and needy regardless of the tax consequences. So, what do I think about this proposal?
I think we need to vote this healthcare district down again and send our legislators back to Austin with a mandate that says: 1. We will not support for-profit hospitals with our hard-earned tax dollars. Take that out of the bill. 2. Agreements have already been signed (Memorandums of Understanding) by the county and the four largest cities in the county to provide the funding that the medical school was otherwise lacking. We don’t need to create a new tax and a new taxing body bureaucracy to provide that funding. Take the medical school funding out of the bill. 3. What remains is funding for indigent care and for the health clinics that serve low-income families. The county leadership has failed us as well as the indigent and poor that this bill proposes to help. They need to do a needs analysis and come up with a plan. This county needs to assess and quantify the needs and come up with a specific proposal of how those needs can be met. This plan should include better utilization of the non-profit clinics and should assess where more funding can have the greatest impact. Don’t just throw money at the problem and hope it works. They also need to address the very real concern that any expansion of healthcare services for the poor will be abused by people from Reynosa coming across getting free medical care. The costs could skyrocket. As Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas has said, we will be paying for the healthcare for all of Reynosa. We can’t afford that. What’s the plan to prevent that from happening? The very weak
system in place now to “provide proof of residency” without any form of photo ID and no requirement of legal status is just not going to work. Generally speaking, non-profits are much better at stretching the dollar than governmental agencies. So, let’s give them more to work with. But not before we have a plan and not before those clinics submit proposals to show the taxpayer how those funds will be utilized and how many people will be served. Note that while Prop. 1 is being touted by its proponents as a way to fund indigent care, the backroom deal that was made on how to divide up the $24 million the new eight-cent tax will produce has only half of the money earmarked for indigent care. The rest is pledged to the hospitals, the medical school, the clinics and $2.4 million for administration of the new county healthcare bureaucracy. And since none of this is specified in the legislation, there are no guarantees of how the money will be spent. That would be completely up to the unelected board of directors appointed by the same elected officials who have received millions of dollars in donations from the two PACs that have funded this rich man’s game of taxing the poor to benefit the rich. Those PACs – Border Health PAC and Healthy Hidalgo County PAC – are primarily funded by donations from the hospitals and doctors. These are the very people who stand to profit from the proposed healthcare district tax. This isn’t about indigent care. As Mark Walker said in last week’s debate, that’s a smokescreen.
D
Prop. 1: Bought and Paid For by the Rich and Influential
ear Editor, You may think this a bit harsh. Yes, I suppose in a way it may be, but with good reason. As many of you know, I am not a valley native having moved here 15 years ago after spending major portions of my life in Ohio, West Virginia, and California. None of the areas I have lived in has been corruption free. None has existed without influence peddling. Few if any did not have hidden agendas. However, I will ask that you believe me when I tell you that nowhere I have lived; and even in this area up till now, have I ever witnessed the “in your face” rape of Democracy that is Prop.1. This is a proposition, which has been bought and paid for by the rich and influential, and supported by
O
the opinions of much of our Corporate Media. Nowhere have I ever heard of polling places being placed on private property owned or operated by one side in the election. Nowhere have I ever seen what little information was presented by sponsors of any political action be so twisted, smoke filled and clearly illogical. Nowhere have I observed people such as The Owls, one or two honest politicians and many others, who can probably afford the tax, come to the aid of the seemingly defenseless working poor. There is no place that I have ever lived in, visited, or even imagined could exist where 50 people could with the overt help of politicians and the sponsoring entity place an agenda before the public and then pay each
other for its passage. Who are the people who have authored this from their hidden cloisters? Prop. 1 is your test Hidalgo County. How will you do? Will you, the middle class and working poor, prove that you can move into the 20th, yes 20th, century and throw off your heritage of being dictated to by religion, money the Dons and their political lackeys? Defeat Prop. 1, then demand that, if needed, a solution be found by the entire community not just the rich and infamous. Ned Sheats Mission, Texas
Editor’s note: The Monitor refused to publish this letter, saying Mr. Sheats has had his say on this issue.
When Money Talks Politicians Listen
ne of the most important questions concerning the Healthcare Taxing District is why it has the support of most elected officials; especially when it is a new taxing body that will be governed by an unelected group of medical professionals. The purpose of this district is to increase property taxes and if approved by the voters the financial impact will be felt by all segments of the population. If this bill passes, everyone will be taxed and the cost of food, shelter, transportation and all other services will increase, making it more difficult for the poor to survive. The support of elected officials is important because they are in a position to understand conditions in the community, so why do they
support increasing taxes? A new report in the Hidalgo County Community Services Plan indicates that 100,000 households live in poverty. This means that 340,000 or 42.5% of the population is unable to economically maintain themselves without public assistance. The answer is in this chart and is obvious. It is my opinion that our elected officials just do not care about the people! They are using the people as a source of income for the purpose of paying for future campaigns. This chart shows why Senator Hinojosa can tell members of the OWLS that if the taxing district is not approved this year, it will be back until it is approved by the voters. This comment
verifies what will happen if the Healthcare Taxing District is approved. It will “order” the placement of an item on the ballot until it passes. The result of increasing taxes is that more families will lose their homes and find themselves on public assistance. Senator Hinojosa has an article in the Monitor newspaper titled, “Taking care of our own”. So is taxing the poor to give money to the rich the way we are going to take care of our own? How is that going to make everyone healthier? This bill will not provide indigents with the free healthcare they need! Sincerely, Fern McClaugherty, O.W.L.S.
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1217 N. Conway • Mission, TX (956) 585-4893 MEMBER 2016
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. Periodicals postage paid in Mission, Texas 78572. ©2016 Mission Publishing Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the PROGRESS TIMES, P.O. Box 399, Mission Texas 78573.
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October 28, 2016
LA JOYA ISD
from pg 1
sonal gain,” Martinez said. “We want to send a message to the community that they don’t need to be represented by a political group to see things get done. They can be like us and take a stand to try to change what they see.” The candidates also discussed an idea to introduce a new learning academy for elementary and middle school students who are performing above average in class. This way, teachers can focus on poor performing students in need of more focus while the high performing students district wide can be challenged at their own level in that academy. Team L1berty Team L1berty is composed of four individuals: Claudia Ochoa (Place 4), Armin Garza (Place 5) Oscar “Coach” Salinas (Place 6) and Alex Cantu (Place 7). Even though the four have diverse backgrounds, the slate said they are united by their common goal to improve the education of all La Joya ISD students and to compensate district employees. “I have three kids in the school district and what I want for them is the same as
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www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com what I want for all the children in the district,” Ochoa said. “I’ve been looking after my own children and now I’ll continue looking after everyone’s.” To do this, Ochoa plans to improve and maintain current school programs the district is using and encourage parental involvement. She also sees a need in rewarding the people responsible for educating the students— teachers. “We can have the fanciest schools but we need to also have the best teachers,” Ochoa, a nurse at the Women’s Hospital at Renaissance, said. “We’d have to look at the possibility of increasing teacher salaries to give them a competitive edge over other districts and compensating them when we can.” Armin Garza, who’s served as a council member for the city of Peñitas, says his past as a district employee presents him with a unique perspective he plans to take advantage of if elected. “As someone who worked in La Joya ISD and has kids that attend their schools, I know the needs that need to be addressed,” he said. “We need to make changes to the district that address teacher retention and overpopulation
in school that will make the district run efficiently. As someone who knows what teachers and students are asking for and need, I can do just that.” Garza said the district needs competitive pay for teachers if they want to retain their educators. He also said he can provide fresh ideas to the district, something his running mate “Coach” Salinas is open to. Salinas was first elected to the board in 2012 and said if reelected, he’d like to “stay within the flow” of what the board established. “Since 2012, we’ve seen pay raises across the district,” he said. “Hourly wages for custodians and other auxiliary employees increased by $4 in those four years and teachers have also seen a pay increase. It’s important that we give our teachers competitive pay, but we as a board should not let the people who feed and drive the students get left behind.” Salinas, a former mayor pro-tem for the city of Sullivan, said the district needs to continue providing benefits to the district employees while making sure the school has updated technology and
PROP 1
from pg 1
up with a plan to insure all people in the state, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) may not extend the 1115 Medicaid waiver that helps provide funding for indigent care in Hidalgo County and across the state. She also drew attention to a concern that the present system for providing healthcare access to the indigent and uninsured in the county focuses on primary care and, according to Cass, only provides hospitalization for emergency situations. She cited as an example, a migrant worker with an abdominal hernia would not be considered an emergency case – until complications arising from the hernia became life threatening. “So if you’re a migrant worker and you have an abdominal hernia, that’s not an emergency. If you have cancer, that’s not an emergency,” she said. “We have a good medical system down here and lots of
resources, but if you don’t have insurance, you’re not going to be able to access it,” she added. Dr. Hernandez stated the healthcare district should cover every resident of Hidalgo County. “The county could raise taxes and be done with it,” Hernandez said. He later added, “The health district should cover the entire population, from beginning to end.” However, these statements drew criticism from Commissioner Cantu who said the county cannot possibly pay for the everyone’s healthcare. “There are 130 healthcare districts in the state of Texas. If you follow the logic of [Hernandez] that means those healthcare districts are providing 100 percent care for all their citizens. That’s not happening… Those costs are exorbitant.” Cantu also said, “Ann talks about people with cancer and needing something more than primary care. The fact is that Travis County is
not providing secondary care. That’s an existing healthcare district that they (the proponents) keep mentioning as the healthcare district we should be like. They’re not providing that kind of care because it’s expensive and at some point you have a limit. You can only do so much.” A major point for the opponents was their objection to using tax dollars to subsidize the profits of for-profit hospitals. This concern arises from the fact that the hospitals have been the primary proponents of first, a hospital district as was rejected by the voters two years ago, and now a healthcare district, that would reimburse the hospitals for millions of dollars each year for uncompensated care (unpaid hospital bills). Walker said the hospitals in Hidalgo County are presently making about $2 billion from net patient revenue. “What if we instead take that extra $4 million [that the county now gives to the hospitals for uncompensated
See PROP 1 Pg. 11
See LA JOYA ISD Pg. 13
2016 RGV Halloween Highlights
This weekend offers a wide variety of Halloween events from Rio Grande City to Brownsville and cities between. October 28 • Take in an outdoor movie, games, prizes, tasty treats, carnival rides and more and go in a kid-friendly costume to the Ninth Annual Kids Advantage Halloween Festival at Edinburg Children’s Hospital, 1102 Trenton Rd, Edinburg. It runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. October 29 • The Rio Grande City’s Unexplained Mysteries Conference & Festival will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Kelsey-Bass Museum, 101 S. Washington St., Rio Grande City. Guest speakers include David Bowles, Xavier Garza and Alejandro Dominguez. October 31 • This will be the second year when the McAllen Downtown District hosts the 17th Street Tricks & Treats to pass out candy to kids from 4 to 7 p.m. Pets in costume are also invited. A resting and drinking station will be set up in the area. • The members of First United Methodist Church, 4200 N. McColl Rd. in McAllen will host a Trunk or Treat with free games, music and candy. They will also be offering turkey legs, fajita tacos, and homemade chili. It runs from 5 to 7 p.m. • Take in the Halloween Festival & Haunted Pool from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the McAllen Municipal Pool on Bicentennial. Admission is free for the games to win candy and prizes, music, food and a costume contest. Admission is $2 per person for the haunted boat rides and inflatable features. • The City of San Juan will be having a Halloween Festival with kiddie rides, food, games, a costume contest for adults and children and a haunted house. It takes place in front of San Juan City Hall, 709 S. Nebraska, from 5 to 10 p.m. It’s a free event. • It’s Halloween on Jackson St. in Harlingen with kids’ activities, pumpkin carving, costume contest, food trucks, Thriller dance-off, Zombie Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. • The free Trunk or Treat at Central Christian Church, 1100 E. Alton Gloor Blvd., Brownsville, runs from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be candy, bouncers, face painting and more.
Join us if you dare!!!!
Peñitas 4th Annual Halloween Bash Monday, October 31, 2016 6 pm to 9pm 1111 S Main St., Peñitas, TX
COSTUME CONTEST, HAUNTED HAY RIDE, GAMES, MOON JUMPS, CANDIES, SNACKS, REFRESHMENTS & LOTS OF FUN Games and Hay Ride begin at 6 pm Refreshments and Candies at 7 pm Costume judging begins at 8 pm Put together spooky, Peñitas 4tha creative, Annual funny or imaginative costume. All costumes are welcome; it doesn’t make any difference if they are homemade, found, purchased, rented or if they magically appeared.
0—4
Halloween Bash Monday, October 31, 2016
5—8
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
1111 S Costume Main St, Peñitas, TX 78576 Contest Ages:
5-8 H9-12 13-18 19+ COSTUME0-4 CONTEST, AUNTED HAY RIDE, GAMES, MOON JUMPS, CANDIES, SNACKS, REFRESHMENTS & LOTS OF FUN Games and Hay Ride start at 6:00pm Refreshments and Candies at 7:00pm Costume judging begins at 8:00pm. Put together a creative, spooky, funny or imaginative costume. All costumes are welcome; it doesn't make any difference if they are homemade, Found, magically appear, purchased or rented.
9—12
13—18
19+
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October 28, 2016
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Patriots, Lady Diamondbacks run away with XC titles
By Luciano Guerra he Veterans Memorial Patriots boys and the Sharyland Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks cross country (XC) teams ran away with their respective championships at the District 31-5A district meet held in Rio Grande City last Friday. In XC, each team’s score is determined by adding their
top five finishers’ placings together. The lower a particular team’s score is the better. The Patriots’ cumulative score of 47 (4+5+9+12+17) was nine points better than district runner-up Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks’ score of 56, and 27 points better the third place Rio Grande City Rattlers’ score of 74.
As for the Lady Diamondbacks, their score of 38 (2+5+6+12+13) bettered district runner-ups, the Sharyland Lady Rattlers, by 24 points and the third place Valley View Lady Tigers by 44 points. Top five finishers for the Patriots were senior Jesus Mata with a time of 16:27.20 for fourth place, senior Alvaro Mendez with a time of 16:30.10 for fifth place, junior Rudy Vela with a time of 16:45.30 for ninth place, junior Jaime Sanchez with a time of 16:56.90 for 12th place and freshman Jacob Marquez with a time of 17:08.10 for 17th place. Top five finishers for the Lady Diamondbacks were sophomore Yanelly Garza with a time of 19:41.30 for second place, freshman Ana Hernandez with a time of 20:04.90 for fifth place, senior Brianna Garcia with a time of 20:06.30 for sixth place, freshman Arianna Go-
2016 Football Scoreboard
Last Week’s Game - Week #9
Mission High – 38, Palmview – 13 Juarez Lincoln – 23, La Joya High - 6 Laredo Nixon – 41, Sharyland High – 21 Sharyland Pioneer - 56, Valley View – 24 Veterans Memorial - 51, Rio Grande City – 34
This Week’s Game - Week #10 Juarez Lincoln at McAllen Memorial - Thursday 7:00 p.m.* Palmview at McAllen High - Friday 7:30 p.m.* Sharyland Pioneer at Laredo Martin - Friday 7:30 p.m.* Sharyland High at Veterans Memorial- Friday 7:30 p.m.* Nikki Rowe at La Joya High- Friday 7:30 p.m.* *Mission High (Open) *District Game Win/Loss Records Season District Pioneer High 6–2 5–1 Sharyland High 5–3 4–2 Veterans Memorial 5–3 4–2 La Joya High 3–5 2–2 Palmview 3–5 2–2 Juarez Lincoln 4–5 2–3 Mission High 2–7 1–4
we could make it or not. We lost our top runner, Nadia Gutierrez, to injury earlier in the year, which made it pretty hard in the beginning, but we knew that we all had to pick it up to finish first.” Senior Brianna Garcia was Pioneer’s third top finisher at the district meet last week. As she explains, even
See CROSS COUNTRY Pg. 7
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By Bryan Ramos he playoff chase is heating up with only two games remaining of District 31-5A play. Two of the teams vying for a postseason berth, the Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots (5-3, 4-2) and the Sharyland Rattlers (5-3, 4-2), are on a collision course with their Friday night matchup. The Patriots got back on the winning track last week by overpowering the Rio Grande City Rattlers, 51-34. The win comes off back-toback 16-point losses at the hands of the Pioneer Diamondbacks and Laredo Nixon Mustangs, who are tied for first place in District 31-5A. Patriots senior quarterback Diego Hernandez racked up six touchdowns in the game, four through the air as he connected with sophomore receiver Landry Gilpin and two on the ground. Patriots head coach David Gilpin said his team needed to perform with the playoff
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enough of how well-deserved her placement on the top squad was. When asked what it felt like to win the district championship, Garza said, “It felt amazing because last year we didn’t make it. So we’ve worked really hard so that we could finish first. We were all just really excited and happy because we didn’t know if
Playoff hopes on the line in Mission
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mez with a time of 20:30.50 for 12th place and sophomore Nydia De La Garza with a time of 20:38.60 for 13th place. Even though she is just a sophomore, this is Yanelly Garza’s second year on the Lady Diamondbacks’ varsity XC team. The fact that she was Pioneer’s top finisher last Friday, should be proof
Patriots, Rattlers set for 31-5A showdown
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Sharyland Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks take Cross-Country Championship. (Photo Courtesy of Forever Memories)
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Veterans Memorial senior wide receiver Jacob Guerrero makes a nifty catch over the head of a Rio Grande defender during the first quarter of the Patriots’ 51-34 win over the Rattlers last Friday night. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra
race tightening. “We knew our playoff backs were against the wall tonight, we had to come out swinging and that was our mentality,” the Patriots’ head coach said. “With our playoff lives on the line, we challenged our kids. In our seven years, now in our eighth, we’ve only missed the play-
offs once. We asked the kids how you want to be remembered?” The Rattlers are coming off a 41-21 road loss to the Laredo Nixon Mustangs, only their second loss in District 31-5A play. The Rattlers and the Mustangs were tied with only one district defeat heading into the game.
PROGRESS TIMES
THE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
juarez-lincoln
la joya
palmview
HUSKIES
COYOTES
LOBOS
SPECIAL TEAMS
SPECIAL TEAMS
SPECIAL TEAMS
#4 Elias Gutierrez
#88 Raymond Valero
#21 Alexis Ovalle
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
#23 Adonis Barillas
#33 Joseph Valdez
#58 Sam Rodriguez
#44 Jose Perez
#74 Moses Morales
DEFENSE
#99 Ramon Rodriguez
The Rattlers exchanged blow for blow with the Mustangs in the first half, going into the locker room with a 21-20 lead. In the second half, the Mustangs pulled away from the Rattlers, scoring three consecutive touchdowns to break the first place
See 31-5A Pg. 7
WEEK #9
October 28, 2016
page 7
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Lady Patriots crowned district champions with perfect 16-0 record
Volleyball teams locked and loaded for state playoffs
W
By Bryan Ramos in or go home. That’s the case now as the Texas high school volleyball playoffs are set to begin Tuesday night after a season’s worth of hard work. In District 31-5A, three of the four playoff qualifiers are from the city of Mission. Leading the pack are the district champions Lady Patriots of Mission Veterans Memorial who finished league play unbeaten, posting a 16-0 record and a 29-11 record overall. First year head coach Martina Carrillo’s team completed the perfect district run Tuesday night when they swept the Valley View Lady Tigers 25-18, 15-8 and 2515. Jackie Howell finished with 12 kills, 10 digs and three aces while Iliana Contreras racked up 19 assists, eight digs and two kills. Carrillo said her team has accomplished one of the goals they set at the be-
CROSS COUNTRY from pg 6
though this is just the third year of the school’s existence, it is not the first time the Lady Diamondbacks have won a XC district title. “This is our first title for this team running right now but there was another team my sophomore year and we also won the district championship,” Garcia said.
31-5A from pg 6
tie between the two schools. Sharyland head coach Ron Adame wants to see his defense get back to their Rattler motto “9, 5, 90”, nine guys within five yards from the ball 90 percent of the time. Sharyland leading tackler, sophomore Javo Lopez, said his team is ready to right the ship. “I know we can all do a great job,” Lopez said. “This week our heads are where they need to be. We know what we need to do. We have to have maximum effort
ginning of the season, being crowned district champions. “We did our job in three games, that was our focus tonight,” Carrillo said. “Everybody contributed to our last win of the season and now we’re 16-0 in district which has been our goal since the beginning of the season.” Leading the Lady Patriots all year has been Contreras and seniors Alex Jimenez, Andrea De la Garza and D’lyza Medina. De la Garza said the team is ready for the next challenge after the team completed their perfect district run Tuesday night. “The win tonight and the district title, it’s great,” De la Garza said. “We’ve had a good streak through district and we’re going to keep it going. We have to be mentally prepared. We’re going go to practice tomorrow and we’re going to be working hard. It doesn’t stop after district, playoffs are going to be bigger competition so we have to be ready.” The first round matchup
for the Lady Patriots will be against the winner of a playin match between District 32-5A teams the Brownsville Lopez and Brownsville Pace. The play-in game is set for Saturday. The Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks finished second in District 31-5A with a 29-8 record overall and a 13-3 record in league play. Third year head coach Laura Cavazos has a young team, led by junior Audrey Smith, that has fought it’s way to sit among district elite. “Every single year we want to make sure that we improve as a new school,” Cavazos said. “I still feel like we’re brand new, this is our third year in existence. We just want to overcome what the years in the past have done. We set some postseason goals but we just take it one game at a time and we’re just trying to prove ourselves.” The Lady Diamondbacks are scheduled to play Donna High School in the first
round of the playoffs. The game is set for Tuesday at Donna High School at 7 p.m. The Sharyland Lady Rattlers finished with a 22-17 record on the season and 10-5 in District 31-5A play, tying for third with the Laredo Nixon Lady Mustangs. The two teams will face off in a seeding game to decide the third and fourth place standings Saturday at 1 p.m. at Roma High School.
In District 30-6A, the Mission Lady Eagles finished in fourth place with a 6-6 record in league play. Head coach Edna Clemons and senior Lissette Vela lead a Lady Eagles team hoping to make noise in the state playoffs. “They know what we want,” Clemons said. “They know what our goal is and they are fighting for it every single game.”
The Lady Eagles first round playoff match is scheduled for Tuesday Nov. 1 against the Laredo Alexander Lady Bulldogs at Roma High School at 7 p.m. To keep up with the latest in District 31-5A and 30-6A volleyball playoff action, follow our Facebook pages at the Progress Times and Sharyland Times.
Garcia credits superior coaching and teamwork for the fact that the Lady Diamondbacks have won two district championships in three years. “It has a lot to do with our coaches and with our ability to run together as a team,” explained Garcia. “We’ve grown so much closer throughout last year and this year and I believe that
because of how close we’ve grown, we’ve been able to help each other and push each other through the races.” As for what it takes to be a XC runner, Garcia said, “We do run pretty much year round except for a two week or so break. We run in the mornings and again in the afternoons. It’s usually five miles in the morning
and maybe three miles in the afternoon. It’s a lot of mileage.” Next up for the Lady Diamondbacks is the Region IV XC meet in Corpus Christi tomorrow. At that meet, the top four teams and the top 20 individuals will advance to state. While Garza and the Lady Diamondbacks did advance to the regional meet last year, they did not qualify
for state. Garza believes this year’s Lady Diamondbacks’ team has what it takes to qualify for state. When asked what
doing so would mean to her and her teammates, Garza said, “That would be a real accomplishment because that has been our goal all along.”
throughout the entire game. Great things happen when you give maximum effort.” In last year’s meeting, the Rattlers edged out the Patriots in a tightly contested 29-27 game. The two teams are currently tied for third in District 31-5A with 4-2 league records. This year, the Patriots will be looking to pick up a pivotal district win over the Rattlers and avenge last season’s loss. Senior outside linebacker Sergio Guerrero, who had one sack and two tackles for loss in the game against Rio, said tonight’s game against the Rattlers is one they will
be prepared for. “We know going up against Sharyland, it’s going to be a huge game,” Guerrero said. “We lost against them last year so we have to go in there with a chip on our shoulder. We know they can put up points so defensively we have to fight angrily because nothing is given to us. We’ll be ready for them.” Hernandez has accounted for 34 of his team’s touchdowns, 27 through the air and seven on the ground. Hernandez possesses a cool, calm, and collected demeanor at the quarterback position and is approaching this big
district game just like any other. “Every week is a new week; every game is a new game,” Hernandez said. “We’re going to listen to our coaches, they’re going to get us prepared and we’ll be ready to go against Shary.” The District 31-5A game between the Rattlers and the Patriots is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Tom Landry Stadium. A victory for either team will put them in third place in district standings and in position to qualify for the state playoffs.
Lady Patriot Karyna Lozano makes the dig against Valley View during Veterans Memorial’s three game sweep Tuesday night. Progress Times photo by Doug Young
PROGRESS TIMES
WEEK #9
THE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
sharyland
pioneer
mission
veterans memorial
RATTLERS
DIAMONDBACKS
EAGLES
PATRIOTS
SPECIAL TEAMS
SPECIAL TEAMS
SPECIAL TEAMS
#9 Edgar Lozano
#12 Cesar Zecca OFFENSE
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
#1 Blake Klein
#33 Noe Cortez
#5 Jacob Rosales
#29 Angel Chapa
AUTO • HOME • LIFE • COMMERCIAL • FLOOD
SPECIAL TEAMS
#7 Giovanni Grimaldo
#4 Al Tijerina DEFENSE
OFFENSE
#28 Joe Resendez
#32 Cesar Cordova
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
#17 Diego Hernandez
#23 Joey Garcia
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Richard A. Young, D.D.S.
2407 E. Griffin Pkwy. • Mission, Tx 78572
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581-2773
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FOOTBALL CONTEST $50 WEEKLY PRIZE & $500 BOOSTER CLUB GRAND PRIZE Football Contest Official Entry Form
Booster Club Grand Prize
WIN $500
For Your School’s Athletic Booster Club
Check your school or favorite team below. The team with the most entries at the end of the season will win $500 for the school’s Athletic Booster Club. ❑ Sharyland Rattlers ❑ Juarez-Lincoln Huskies ❑ Mission Eagles ❑ Pioneer Diamondbacks ❑ La Joya Coyotes ❑ Veterans Memorial Patriots ❑ Palmview Lobos
WEEK 11 GAMES
Check the box next to the team you think will win from each of the games below
❑ MISSON EAGLES ❑ LA JOYA ❑ VETERANS MEMORIAL ❑ SHARYLAND RATTLERS ❑ SHARYLAND PIONEER ❑ MCALLEN MEMORIAL ❑ PSJA NORTH
Tie Breaker 1 Mission Eagles vs. McAllen High
vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.
❑ MCALLEN HIGH ❑ PALMVIEW ❑ VALLEY VIEW ❑ RIO GRANDE CITY ❑ ROMA ❑ NIKKI ROWE ❑ EDINBURG HIGH
Tie Breaker 2 Enter the number of points scored by the winning team of the following game:
Sharyland Pioneer vs. Roma
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Yes, I would like to receive the newsletter and promotional emails from the Progress Times. We will NEVER share your email address with anyone else. High School Football Contest Rules A $50 cash prize will be awarded each week for the winning entry. The entry coming closest to calling all the games correctly wins. In event of a tie, the tying entry that comes closest to the score of Tie Breaker #1 wins. If a tie remains, the tying entry that comes closest to the score of Tie Breaker #2 wins. If a tie still remains, the $50 prize will be divided evenly among the winning entries. Booster Club Grand Prize: At the end of the regular football season, the total number of complete, qualified entries will be tallied for each team with the team’s check box marked. The $500 Grand Prize will be awarded to the Athletic Booster Club of the team with the most entries submitted. No Purchase necessary. Limit one entry per household each week of the contest period. Must be age 18 or older to enter the contest. HOW TO ENTER: Check the box next to the team’s name that you predict to win each high school game. Next, for the tie breakers, predict the total points scored by the winning team in the Tie Breaker #1 game, and the total points scored by the winning team in the Tie Breaker #2 game. Fill in your name, address, phone number (This is how we notify the winners!), and email address. Check the box to receive the FREE Progress Times weekly newsletter and mail or drop off your entry form at Progress Times, 1217 N. Conway Ave., Mission, TX 78572. Or submit your entry online at www.progresstimes. net. All entries must be received by the Progress Times no later than 2 p.m., Thursday preceding the listed games. All entries must be submitted on the Official Entry Form printed in the Progress Times or Sharyland Times, a photocopy of the entry form, or submitted electronically from our official website submission form. Only one entry per household per week. Previous winners and all members of the same household are ineligible for subsequent weeks of the contest. Prizes must be claimed within 7 days of notification or announcement in the Progress Times. Decisions made by the Progress Times staff are final. The winners agree to allow the Progress Times to use their names and photographs to announce the winners and for promotional purposes online and in print. Employees of the Progress Times and their immediate family members are not eligible to win.
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Veterans Memorial Volleyball Roster #1 Makenzie Gerlach #2 Iliana Contreras #3 Karyna Lozano #4 Isabela Dominguez #5 Alyssa Villarreal #6 Andrea De La Garza #7 Alex Jimenez
#11 Caitlyn Cottrell (C) #12 Sam Roberts #14 Audrey Smith #15 Christina Ybarra
Sharyland Pioneer Varsity Volleyball Roster #1 Brianna Ramos #4 Kemolee Astacio #5 Savannah James #6 Daizy Coronado #7 Mikayla Zimmerer
#8 Elise Townsend #9 Abi Castillo #10 Norma Quintanilla #11 Estefani Hinojosa #12 Montse Giron #13 Melani Lazos #15 Aileen Salinas
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Good luck in the playoffs!
Congratulations on a great season.
The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.
- Vince Lombardi
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BUTTERFLY
from pg 1
director of the Upper Valley Art League (UVAL) found the perfect way to share that feeling throughout the city. Earlier this past summer, the city and the UVAL teamed up to install a dozen butterfly statues throughout Mission’s downtown area. The butterflies, most of which stand at about five feet tall, were sculpted and molded by UVAL and the city bought and installed them. Mission City Manager Martin Garza said the but-
terfly statue installations are something the city would like to see more of. “We’ve already placed an order to implement at least 20 more butterflies throughout the city within the next six months,” Garza said. “The city has seen a great response to it so far and since we’re known for our butterflies, these statues are a great way to promote our National Butterfly Center.” Located on the west side of Mission, the National Butterfly Center is a 100-acre park with outdoor
La Joya holds public hearing on campus improvement plans
T
By Kathy Olivarez
he La Joya Independent School District board room was crowded with teachers and parents as the board held a public hearing held Wednesday, Oct. 12 regarding the campus improvement plans for Juarez-Lincoln High School and Tabasco Elementary. Principals from each school outlined goals for improvement in academics and other areas and how they intended to reach those goals. Tasbasco principal Marena Contreras presented her plan based on the Texas Accountability Improvement System (TAIS). Contreras said her school met state standards this year. After the meeting, the Progress Times asked Dr. Jose L Gonzalez, Federal & State Program Director, why Tabasco had a public hearing if it met state standards. He said when a school falls below state standards it must present a plan for two years for public approval. If the campus meets its goals, next year no more public hearings will be required. Tabasco Elementary Tabasco Elementary showed good improvement in the academics category, which includes all testing scores. The state standard is 60 percent; Tabasco reached 68 percent. Tabasco’s reading score grew from 63 percent to 66 percent. In math Tabasco scores rose from 64 percent to 70 percent. In writing Scores rose from 53 percent to 63 percent. And in Science scores rose from 45 percent to 70 percent. The second category is performance and Tabasco rose from 33 percent to 83 percent. Participation was at 100 percent both years. The total growth was from 50 percent to 89 percent. However, the report indicated Tabasco had areas needing improvement. Targeted areas of need included PS-1 or writing. The ELLs (English Language Learning) was at 59 percent. PS-2, the ELLs for reading was at 62 percent and PS-3, which is special education, all areas were below 41 percent. Tabasco set a goal of increasing fourth grade writing from 59 percent to 69 percent. The goal for increasing reading was from 62 percent to 72 percent and the goal for improving special education was by 10 percent in reading and math. Juarez-Lincoln High While the state standard is 60 percent, Juarez-Lincoln
High School had a score of 58 percent in academics. In 2015, the campus scored in the 59 percentile in reading but dropped sharply to the 39 percentile in 2016. In 2015 the math score was 69 percent in 2015 but it dropped slightly to 67 percent in 2016. The school’s science score Improved slightly, from 77 percent in 2015 to 79 percent in 2016. Social studies saw improvement also, rising from 78 percent in 2015 to 83 percent in 2016. The areas of need were the ELA-I and ELA II at 39 percent for academics. Index 2 looked at students with low levels of performance who were not passing the tests. Index 3 (closing the gap) looked at programs specific to low performing students while Index 4 was designed to see that high performing students were challenged at the level they needed. Dr. Gonzalez explained that unlike previous testing systems where all students were ranked on the same accountability school, the system currently used takes into account districts where large numbers of students might not be passing the tests due to being ESL (English-as-a Second-Language) students or other reasons. The accountability rating measures the improvement in the number of students getting closer to passing the test. Principal Isabel Marichartlar-Solis predicted a rise from 39 percent to 50 percent for ELA-I and ELA-II scores. For Index 2 student progress she predicted meeting state standards. She predicted improving attendance by three percent and raising student achievement from 58 percent to 68 percent. After the board heard plans for improvement in the public hearing they approved the improvement plan during their regular board meeting. In other action, the board heard a presentation about the dual enrollment program the district currently offers. Currently, students enrolled in the program can get credit for up to 12 college classes in the subjects like Spanish, art, music, speech, psychology, English, history, social studies and government. They were told that through the Ford Next Generation Learning Academies program additional college credits may be earned by LJISD students in the future. Many students and employees were honored for awards received through summer programs or other special programs.
Mission First United Methodist Church
butterfly gardens and trails featuring native plants that provide habitat for the wild butterflies in the RGV. From Oct. 29-Nov. 2, the center will host the 21st annual Texas Butterfly Festival, kicking off with a Community Day on Saturday, Oct. 29 that is free and open to the public. The National Butterfly Center was not associated with the installation of these statues, according to Link. Link said she first approached city leaders about installing these statues sev-
en years ago but it was only approved in 2014 after she discussed it with Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas. The sculptures, which depict a different butterfly resting upon a leaf with its wings outstretched, were made with a fiberglass base, while the butterflies’ bodies are composed of steel and iron. Up to 10 different organizations—including Artists Unanimous, Mission Lions Club and the city fire department—hand-painted the butterflies. According to Link, the
butterflies—which were installed mainly at intersections and crosswalks so people can better view them—are available for purchase in two options. People can buy an unpainted butterfly statue for $550 or one that is painted for $1,000. Thus far, the city has purchased all but one of the butterflies—the one located in front of the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce—as the Chamber purchased that one, Link said. For Link, ultimately the
butterfly statues are a way to help beautify the city with a “unique” form of art. “To me, a butterfly is just a stunning creature. Their beauty, strength and power to survive is awesome,” she said. “We’re giving the Mission residents a way to appreciate that beauty and hopefully that will translate in the city being known for something beautiful.” “We’re unique because we’re the city of butterflies, so why not embrace that with a unique form of art?”
Railroad Commissioner, Texas Supreme Court Justices, Court of Criminal Appeals Justices, Court of Appeals Justices and the State Board of Education. Additional information can be accessed online at www. VOTE411.org including candidate videos and races not in the printed version of the Voters Guide, as well as local races in areas covered by local Leagues. VOTE411 allows users to enter an address and review all races specific to that address. You can make selections and print a copy of your sample ballot. The LWV-TX 2016 General Election Voters Guide is funded and published by the League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. Elaine
Wiant, President of LWV-TX said, “For 96 years, helping voters cast an informed vote when they go to the polls has been the primary goal of LWV-TX.” Neither the League of Women Voters of Texas nor the Education Fund supports or opposes any political party or candidate. Early voting began this week on Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 4. Hidalgo County residents may vote at any Early Voting Location during the early voting period. However, on election day, voters must vote at their assigned precinct polling location. Polls are open on Election Day, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Citizens that are in line by 7 p.m. will be able to vote on Election Day.
For more information about the League of Women Voters of Texas, please visit www.lwvtexas.org or call the League of Women Voters of Texas office at 512-472-1100. The League of Women Voters of Texas has been “educating and agitating” since 1919. The League is nonpartisan- it does not support or oppose any candidates or parties. Instead, the League encourages active and informed civic participation in government and increased understanding of major public policy issues. The League of Women Voters’ non-partisan Voters Guide is highly respected and sought after by voters in local and statewide elections in Texas.
released Wednesday evening by the Hidalgo County Elections Department. During the 2012 presidential election, only 34,883 votes were tallied at the same period four years ago, according to the elections archive on the Hidalgo County website. In the current election, 53,751
people have cast their votes. The first day of early voting Monday, Oct. 24 had a count of 23,457 mail-in ballots and votes at the polls. That brisk pace extended onto Wednesday as a total of 14,258 total votes cast throughout the county. In the 2012 election, only 9,465
votes were counted on the third day of early voting. A list of all Hidalgo County early voting locations can be found below. All locations are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Voters need to only present a photo I.D. at the voting locations.
League of Women Voters Texas Voters Guide now online
T
he League of Women Voters Texas (LWVTX) 2016 General Election Voters Guide is now available on the Progress Times website www.ptrgv. com. Readers may download and/or print an electronic version in English or Spanish. The LWV-TX 2016 General Election Voters Guide lists candidates in 21 contested national and state-level races who are on the Nov. 8, 2016 General Election ballot and provides their answers to questions on issues that affect you ranging from the economy and the environment to social issues, such as immigration reform. The races include President of the United States,
Early voting numbers released
F
or the third day in a row, early voting in Hidalgo County has exceeded the pace set by the last presidential election four years ago. More than 53,000 voters cast their ballot during the first three days of early voting, according to unofficial results
November 8, 2016 - GENERAL ELECTION EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE
Days/ Dias
Dates/ Fechas
Hours/ Horas
Thursday/ Jueves Friday/ Viernes Saturday/ Sabado Sunday/ Domingo Monday/ Lunes Tuesday/ Martes Wednesday/ Miércoles Thursday/ Jueves Friday/ Viernes
Oct. 27, 2016 Oct. 28, 2016 Oct. 29, 2016 Oct. 30, 2016 Oct. 31, 2016 Nov. 1, 2016 Nov. 2, 2016 Nov. 3, 2016 Nov. 4, 2016
7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M. -- 7:00 P.M.
-----------------------------------EARLY VOTING SUBSTATION LOCATIONS-------------------------------ALTON SUB (Comm. Chambers) City Hall 509 S. Alton Blvd.
ALAMO SUB (Class Room) Sgt. Fernando de la Rosa Lib. 416 N. Tower Rd. EDINBURG SUB Hidalgo County Pct. 4, Field Operations Office 1124 N. M Rd.
MCALLEN SUB (Exercise Room) Lark Comm. Ctr. 2601 Lark Ave. McAllen, TX
PROGRESO SUB (Main Entrance) Progreso Comm. Ctr. 510 FM 1015
VALLEY VIEW SUB (Cafeteria) Valley View 5th Gr. Campus 9701 S. Jackson Rd.
MCALLEN SUB (Meeting Room B) McAllen Public Lib. 4001 N. 23rd St.
MISSION SUB (Community Room) Mission City Hall 1201 E. 8th St.
EDINBURG SUB (Main Entrance) San Carlos Resource Center 230 N. 86th St
DONNA SUB (Main Entrance) Amigos Del Valle 1408 Silver Ave.
MCALLEN SUB (Pavilion) Palmer Pavilion 301 E. Hackberry
EDCOUCH SUB (Main Entrance) Fire Station 200 W. Santa Rosa Ave.
EDINBURG SUB (Main Entrance) Fountain Center 1210 E. Kuhn
PALMVIEW SUB (Back Entrance) Co. Comm. Pct. #3 “The Mansion” 2401 N. Moorefield Rd.
SAN JUAN SUB (Commissioner’s Rm.) Fire Station #2
SULLIVAN SUB (Main Entrance) Sullivan Fire Station 500 Cenizo Dr.
HIDALGO SUB (Chambers) Hidalgo City Hall 704 E. Texano
MCALLEN SUB (Exercise Room) Palmview Comm. Ctr. 3401 Jordan Ave.
MCALLEN SUB (Bldg. J) STC Pecan Campus 3201 Pecan Blvd.
PENITAS SUB (Meeting Room) City Hall Annex 1320 S. Main St.
PHARR SUB (Conference Room) Jose Pepe Salinas Ctr. 1011 W. Kelly
MISSION SUB (Gym) B&G @ Bannworth Park 1822 N. Shary Rd.
2301 N. Raul Longoria
ELSA SUB (Chambers) Fire Station 216 E. 4th St.
EDINBURG SUB (Warehouse Room) Elections Annex Bldg 317 N. Closner “Rear”
WESLACO SUB (Conference Room) Business Visitor & Event Ctr. 275 S. Kansas
Hidalgo County Elections Department, 101 South 10th Ave. Edinburg, TX
LA VILLA SUB (Main Entrance) Multi-Purpose Bldg. 500 E. 9th St.
EDINBURG SUB (Student Union Bldg.) UTRGV 1201 W. University
LA JOYA SUB (Main Entrance) “NEW” City Hall 701 E. Expressway 83 MERCEDES SUB (Main Entrance) Mercedes Civic Ctr. 530 W. 2nd St.
PHARR SUB (Main Entrance) Las Milpas Comm. Ctr. 7107 S. Cage Blvd.
MONTE ALTO SUB (Main Entrance) Community Center
25149 1st St.
(Commissioner’s Court Approved 9/20/2016)
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.
Move in Special! No Deposit Required!
Convenient Access Sunday Services:
8am Informal 9am Contemporary 10am Sunday School
11am Traditional 11am Childrens Church 5pm Spanish Worship
ESL Registration begins Oct. 26 9am-11am. Classes begin on Nov. 2.
Annual Trunk or Treat October 28 • 5pm - 7pm
Free Games • Yummy Food • Free Candy • Family Fun
Dinner with Friends - Every Friday @ 5:30pm
EVERYONE IS WELCOME!
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PANTEON STORY performance with the all-female group known as Mariachi Azucenas. Guests can also enjoy more activities throughout the evening which include sugar skull decorating for $3 and free crafts such as butterfly rings, paper calavera masks and paper flowers. Children of all ages can attend a trilingual book signing and presentation of “Animals of My Land” by co-authors Rossy Evelin Lima and Gerard Padilla and illustrator Gaby Rico. Make the night memorable by taking a quick selfie or photograph in front of the life-sized monarch wings, or under an eight-foot-tall flower archway. Guests can also take a photograph with a Frida Kahlo backdrop. Several artworks will be
from pg 2
on display, including Frontera Media photographer John Faulk’s photographs from his travels in southern México. Local artisan Alex Reyes will showcase his mixed medium art along with Día de los Muertos themed rocking horses, and freelance photographer Cristal Pérez will present interpretive portraits, figurines and catrinas. MOSTHistory will be filled with the smells of food and desserts. This year’s food menu includes tacos de fajita (fajita tacos), guisados en olla de barro (stews), chicharrones con crema (cracklings with cream), flautas, chalupas, tamales, elote en vaso (corn in cup), pan dulce (sweet bread), nieve Mexicana (Mexican ice cream) and calaveritas de chocolate (chocolate skulls). It’s topped off with fresh cof-
fee, sodas, aguas frescas or Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Artisan vendors will fill museum grounds with goods such as flower headbands, Oaxacan tops, purses, textiles, rebozos, embroidered jewelry, ceramic skulls, silver jewelry, Mexican made imports, balloon twisting and calavera (skull) face painting. The 13th annual Día de los Muertos festival is included in the regular museum admission: $7 for adults ages 18 and up; $5 for seniors with ID, ages 62 and up; students with ID, ages 13 to 17; and $4 for children ages 4 to 12; and free for age 3 and younger. Museum members are admitted free. For more information, call 956-383-6911. The museum is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd.
Allied Waste sanitation rates increase for Mission
D
By Kathy Olivarez
ue to a contractual agreement between Allied Waste/Republic Services and the City of Mission, the rates for commercial services will increase this year. What cost the city $205,652 in 2015 will now cost $214,544 in 2016-17. Allied Waste/Republic Services is also in charge of brush pick-up for the city. The new MSW tonnage rate is $21.93. The brush/bulk tonnage rate is $18.36. The rate for chips and clean brush tonnage is $15.30. City Manager Martin Garza said the city is in the third year of a five-year exit contract with Allied Waste. At the end of that period Mission will take care of all of its own waste. The city took over residential garbage collection in September 2014, establishing a city Sanitation Department. At the request of Fire Chief Rene Lopez Jr., the council approved purchased of 22 sets of fire firefighter
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bunker gear to replace the old gear that must be retired due to the mandatory 10–year retirement set by NFP A1851 standards. The cost of the purchase is $51,634 through the state buyboard. Mission Fire Department was authorized to enter into a lease agreement with G&K Services for work uniforms for firefighters. The uniforms are made of Nomex material. Each firefighter will be issued two dress shirts, one long-sleeve polo, one shortsleeve polo, and four pants. The lease will be for three 12-month terms. The cost is $20,000. The council approved the purchase of a vehicle for the meter reader’s department in the amount $25,500 via the state buyboard. The council approved a work authorization with L&G Engineering for a GIS Project in the amount of $69,000. According to Jacinto Garza of L&G Engineering, the project will update city
maps by showing new subdivisions, and the location of fire hydrants, and availability of water and sewer utilities throughout the city. At the request of Jesse Lerma, Mission’s director of Civil Service, the council approved an ordinance authorizing hiring eight new patrol officers for the Mission Police Department. This will raise the number of patrolmen from 125 to 133. Their salaries are being funded through a federal COPS program grant. Brad Bentsen, director of the Mission Parks and Recreation Department, was authorized to submit two grants. The first is for outdoor exercise equipment for fitness through the Greenfield Outdoor Fitness Equipment for Birdwell Park. The second is for exercise equipment for CWV Park, and chinning bars at the Bannworth and Mayberry pools for the TAAF and AAU swim teams.
The photography of John Faulk will be on display at the Museum of South Texas History during the 13th Annual Dia De Los Muertos Festival, including this photo captured at a panteon in Oaxaca, Mexico, decorated for the annual celebration honoring loved ones who have passed on.
PROP 1
from pg 5
care] and we give it to the non-profit clinics like Nuestra, Hope, Milagro – who are doing a good job on the frontlines taking care of our poorer residents?” he posed. A skeptical Walker also stated, “When you hear a governmental taxing entity tell you it wants to invest your tax money, grab your wallet. That only means that they have a scheme to tax you and give the money and profit to someone else. And think big, political donors when you think about where your tax money is going to go.” He illustrated his point of political payoffs with a deal the city of Edinburg did with DHR (Doctors Hospital at Renaissance) in 2014. “The Edinburg city council gave DHR over $2 million of Edinburg taxpayer money to help DHR build a $14 million medical conference center – not a hospital, not a clinic, but a conference center, which is owned by DHR. Like DHR needs the money! Or the construction company that built it needs the money,” Walker stated. “DHR was already going to build that conference center. Mayor Garcia’s constituents’ tax money built a building on private property
for the profit of that private owner,” he added. “Is this how we want to invest our taxpayer money? To benefit highly profitable hospitals, to benefit highly profitable political donors who have incredible amounts of political power and … virtually unlimited political funds?” Dr. Hernandez and Commissioner Cantu clashed over whether the medical school should be funded through the proposed healthcare district. “The medical school is not fully funded,” Hernandez said flatly, but did not elaborate. Cantu said funding for the medical school is already being provided through a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) by the county and the cities, providing the $5 million per year requested by the school. “We can and should fund the medical school without a tax,” Cantu said. Walker dismissed the idea that more funding is needed for the medical school, saying, “There’s 55 students right now in the medical school. $30 million in operating costs isn’t enough?” Cass surprised the audience when she said she agreed with Commissioner
Cantu who said, “No doubt the clinics could use more money to help the poor and the working class. But they need to create a purpose and need (plan) too. They need to show us what the money is going to be used for. They can’t just ask for 20 percent.” And later, Cass again agreed with the commissioner, stating, “I do agree with the commissioner that there should have been more of a process before. There should have been a plan. We went to the county judge’s office three years ago and presented our concerns. We were not included in the last writing of the legislation. Right now, how do you know how much of the [hospitals’] costs are being paid by our tax money? How do you know what the actual costs are? “I have a friend who had a heart test done. They asked, ‘Do you have insurance.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ They said, ‘Well it’s going to cost you $6,800.’ “He has a $10,000 insurance deductible. … So he said, ‘Let’s start all over again. I don’t have any health insurance.’ You know what, the cost would be $582,” Cass said. “What is the cost of our medical care? We really don’t know,” she stated.
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FIVE of SIX CAMPUSES ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
SECOND SEMESTER ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2016-17 SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS NOV. 1 AT 9:00 A.M.
CLASSES TO BEGIN JANUARY 2017 I CHOOSE STISD!
ENROLL ONLINE AT WWW.STISD.NET: LOOK FOR THE TEAL ‘I CHOOSE STISD!’ ENROLLMENT BUTTON TO BEGIN ONLINE APPLICATION.
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ALL FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS: South Texas Academy for Medical Professions (Medical Academy) in Olmito (ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 9TH-GRADE ONLY) South Texas Business, Education & Technology Academy (BETA) in Edinburg (ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 9TH-GRADE ONLY) South Texas High School for Health Professions (Med High) in Mercedes (ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 9TH &10TH GRADES) The Science Academy of South Texas (Science Academy) in Mercedes (ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 9TH-GRADE ONLY)
ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL: Rising Scholars Academy of South Texas (Rising Scholars) in San Benito (ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 7TH & 8TH GRADES) South Texas Preparatory Academy (STPA) in Edinburg (NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SECOND SEMESTER)
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October 28, 2016
October 28, 2016 from pg 5
equipment. “We take pride in our schools and we have to be there for the community,” he said. “If we want our students to be the best, we need to also focus on the people working in school who are charged with educating them.” Alex Cantu, owner of the Peñitas preschool Children’s Education Station, said the “Team L1berty” slate is providing transparency through community involvement. According to Cantu, if more parents are involved in school and attend more board meetings, they’ll have a better chance of understanding what is happening in the district. “If parents were more involved in schools, not only would they have better knowledge of how the school is running, but they’d be available to be there for their children,” Cantu explained. Cantu, whose parents were auxiliary workers for the La Joya school district, said this family background means he stands with school maintenance workers and wants them to receive as much incentives as teachers do in order to show apprecia-
BRYAN HOUSE
from pg 1
on the inside of the house and only got my license from the city last May to use it as a B&B. We have plans for this house.” To help accomplish those plans, King received a $10,000 grant Tuesday, Oct. 18 from the Mission Economic Development Corporation through their Ruby Red Ventures Program. The program was developed by the MEDC to foster entrepreneurial ventures in Mission. The program awards up to $100,000 annually, with two round of grants totaling up to $50,000 each. King said she plans to use
tion for their work. Like his running mate Armin Garza, Cantu believes his background provides a better understanding of the needs of the district. “I have children who attend schools at La Joya and was employed there for a time,” Cantu explained. “I saw the needs teachers and students had and I still see it from children and parents associated with my preschool. Everything I see they need can be brought by people with fresh ideas and this slate can provide that.” Cantu said his background in business would come in handy if elected as he can use skills learned there to ensure the board is running smoothly. ‘Honesty and Integrity’ Another slate in the running—the “Integrity” slate— is composed of Laura Avendaño (Place 4,) Esperanza “Espie” Ochoa (Place 5,) Mingo Villarreal Jr. (Place 6) and Gracie Flores (Place 7.) The four are campaigning under the promise of providing “honesty, integrity and hard work to the district if elected.” Ochoa is the only incumbent candidate on the slate seeking reelection. She said she wants to build upon what
she’s been involved in for the last nine years as a board member. “Our main purpose is to be there for our students and to advocate for them,” she said. “We as a board are policy makers but we need to be attentive to the needs of not only the students and staff, but the community as a whole.” If reelected, Ochoa said she’d focus on children’s education starting with pre-kindergarten students. To do this, Ochoa plans to hire more paraprofessionals— an educational assistant for pre-kindergarten teachers. According to Ochoa, the district only has a handful of paraprofessionals that all schools share. “If we had one in every class, those paraprofessionals could enhance targeted learning and work with students in groups to assess them and assist in closing the educational gap to better prepare them as students,” she said. Ochoa also said her slate is also focusing on bringing prayer back to school and during school board meetings. Villarreal Jr., who served as a school district board member for two terms in the
the money to remodel the outside of the house to create a ceremonial garden space, add a second exit to the parking area and create space for an outdoor kitchen. According to King, the Bryan House is ideally suited for small, intimate parties and community oriented events like murder mystery parties, farmer’s markets and other events that will “enrich” the community. “People in Mission now won’t have to travel outside the city to see something historic or entertaining,” King said. “The house already provides tours of the house and the nature trail on the property from $3-$7 dollars
and now people will have a chance to spend a few days here. People from all over are coming just to see it.” King said she plans to add an additional bathroom space and a commercial kitchen in the future. For King, the grant represents a reward for all her hard work in restoring the house. “Besides the grant, I’ve received so much support from the community that has been invaluable,” she said. “I could not do this alone so it’s gratifying to be rewarded for taking a leap of faith after opening a new business. It feels good knowing I have the community backing me in this endeavor.”
1990s, believes in prayer in school as well. “Of course we’d discuss this with the board as a whole, but we just think having at least a moment of silence or an invocation at the start of every school board meeting would serve as a sign of respect for the community,” he said, adding that the rest of his running mates agree with prayer in school. Villarreal has served as the coordinator for Hidalgo County Precinct 3 for three decades. He said this gives him an advantage against his opponents because of the experience that role has given him. “Between the two terms I served for the school district in the 1990s and the 30 years serving the county, I know I have the experience to ensure what’s implemented will be done correctly,” he said. “When I was a school board member, we were in
the growing process and built several elementary and middle schools. As a slate we’d need to see that kind of growth for the district and we can implement that.” Running mate Gracie Flores has served as the first woman to be elected to the City of Palmview city council. After serving as councilwoman for 20 years, she decided not to seek reelection to the council, but to serve on the school board instead. “At first I wasn’t going to run and was just going to retire to spend time with my family, but then I noticed too many salary increases in the district I don’t agree with,” she said. “We need to take a look at that budget and invest it wisely.” Ochoa said her platform of being fiscally conservative is ultimately one that will benefit the district, as she wants as much money as possible to be invested in the
students. “The students come first and we need to serve them as well as parents,” she said. “We need to fix or replace any school utility vehicles that need it and also do some sort of outreach with students and parents to get parents involved in what their child is doing and strategize with them to see what they need to be better served.” Avendaño declined to interview for this story.
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UTRGV part of $15.4 million NOAA research grant
T
By Cheryl Taylor
he University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been named one of six universities that will participate in a $15.4 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant that will enhance research opportunities for students in the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences (SEEMS). Dr. David Hicks, a SEEMS professor and its director, said research funding like this grant has a direct impact on the Lower Rio Grande Valley environment and will help prepare students beyond the classroom. “The funds will be used to educate and graduate students who pursue degree programs with applied research in NOAA mission-related scientific fields,” Hicks said. Along with Hicks, the co-principal investigators on the grant are Dr. Carlos Cin-
tra, SEEMS associate professor, Alejandro Fierro Cabo, SEEMS assistant professor, Dr. John “Chip” Breier, SEEMS associate professor and Dr. Owen Temby, political science assistant professor. UTRGV will be part of a six-university team working with the NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystem (CCME) on research led by Florida A&M University. “The focus of UTRGV’s research will be complementary to that of our five partner institutions,” Hicks said. “Our students will primarily be working on projects aligned with NOAA’s current priorities in place-based conservation, coastal resilience and coastal intelligence.” The full complement of the CCME team is: Florida A&M University, Tallahassee (lead university); Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Fla.; California State University, Monterrey Bay;
obituaries
Joseph Greagrey MISSION – Joseph Greagrey, 74, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, at his home in Mission. Mr. Greagrey was born Sept. 21, 1942. He and his wife, Brenda, ministered with Cruzadores de la Fe en Mexico for 32 years, establishing 50 church congregations and two Bible schools. A memorial service was held on Oct. 25 at The Family Church in McAllen. Enrique Molina MISSION – Enrique “Henry” Molina, 64, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at Life Care Hospital in McAllen. Mr. Molina was born on Nov. 1, 1951, to Ruben Molina and Ofelia Salinas Molina in McAllen. He lived most of his life in McAllen moving to Mission. He was a McAllen High School graduate who
spent his whole life as a business man. He opened Molina’s Mexican Foods in 1976 and owned several other businesses.. He also worked on several construction projects in the Valley. Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Marisela V. Molina; children, Melissa Molina, Myriam Rangel and Enrique Molina III; mother, Ofelia S. Molina; siblings, Eduardo Molina, Efrain Molina, Elizabeth Castañeda, Eunice Sanchez, Eloyda Garcia, Ester Molina and Esmeralda Garza; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father. A funeral mass was held on Oct. 22 Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission.
Jackson State University, Mississippi; Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi; and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The CCME already has begun developing an implementation plan that focuses on student recruitment. One of the unique requirements of the grant, which will be awarded over five years, is that at least 50 percent of the funds are used to support students. “This is a tremendous opportunity for about 15 graduate and 10 undergraduate students to study various aspects of the Gulf of Mexico, one of our region’s most valuable natural resources,” Hicks said. “The more we discover about this vital ecosystem, the better equipped we will be to sustain its health, enable its maintenance, and possibly, when and where needed, enhance its revitalization.” Aside from NOAA CCME, the three categories
covered by the NOAA EPP/ MSI grant are: • NOAA Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies. Lead institution: City College of New York. • NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center. Lead institution: University of Maryland – Eastern Shore. • NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology. Lead institution; Howard University, Washington, D.C. Florida A&M University Distinguished Professor Larry Robinson, Ph.D., will serve as the CCME director and principal investigator. “The entire CCME team should be commended for contributing to this successful outcome in an extremely competitive environment,” Robinson said. “We have the opportunity to engage in education, research, and outreach consistent will NOAA’s pri-
Carmen Perez PALMVIEW – Carmen Perez, 75, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, at her home in Palmview. Mrs. Perez was employed with the La Joya I.S.D. Food Services department for 27 years before retiring in 2004. She was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Survivors include her children, Mario Alberto Perez of Mission, Idalia Perez of Pharr, Gerardo Perez of Palmview and Olivia Garza of Mission; and 11 grandchildren and great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Fidel R. Perez; parents, Isidoro and Olivia Perez; and sister, Elma Trevino. A funeral mass was held on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Julia C. Trevino Ranch Cemetery in Santa Rita.
Erasmo Perez MISSION/CANYON LAKE – Erasmo Perez, 77, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Mr. Perez was born on Jan. 26, 1939. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dora E. Perez, and granddaughter, Erica A. Perez. Survivors include his children, Ruby Perez, Hilda Perez, Marcos Perez, Liza Perez Gonzalez, Erasmo Perez Jr. and Xavier Perez; siblings, Nora Martinez, Delia Hooks and Robert Perez; and 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held on Friday, Oct. 28, from 3 to 5 p.m. with a 6 p.m. rosary and 7 p.m. service at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.
orities, while contributing to the well-being of the coastal communities and ecosystems so dear to all of our partners.” The NOAA grant is part of an Educational Partnership Program (EPP) for Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), with a goal to increase the number of students, particularly from underrepresented communities, who attend Minority Serving Institutions and graduate with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, NOAA administrator, said the excitement and true value of programs such as the EPP/ MSI grant is to provide students with an opportunity to
help NOAA solve real-world problems in the realms of earth sciences and environmental intelligence. Retired Coast Guard Vice Adm. Manson Brown, deputy NOAA administrator, said “These programs also give NOAA access and exposure to America’s future scientists and technologists as we endeavor to build a workforce that is more diverse and inclusive.” Since the first grants were made in 2001, NOAA EPP/ MSI cooperative science centers have awarded degrees to more than 1,600 students who have earned post-secondary degrees in NOAA-mission related fields.
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Susan Lynne Behrend MISSION – Susan Lynne Behrend, 78, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, at McAllen Medical Center. Juana Briseño ALTON – Juana Briseño, 81, passed away on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, at Mission Regional Medical Center. Laura Douglas MISSION – Laura Douglas, 84, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, at The Bridges at Mission. Jorge Luis Flores PEÑITAS – Jorge Luis Flores, 29, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, in Houston, Ernestina R. Hernandez MISSION – Ernestina R. Hernandez, 82, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, at her home in Mission.
Marcia Keef MISSION – Marcia Keef, 74, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, at her residence in Mission, Sarah B. Mitchell MISSION – Sarah B. Mitchell, 93, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, at her home. Maria Rita Ochoa MISSION – Maria Rita Ochoa, 93, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Mission. Martin Ramirez MISSION – Martin Ramirez, 72, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, at his home in Mission. Pedro Salas MISSION – Pedro Salas, 91, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, at his home in Mission.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
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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 “SHE DON’T KNOW SHE’S BEAUTIFUL! (..) HE DON’T KNOW HE’S BEAUTIFUL! JESUS KNOWS! HIS LOVE ENERGIZES AND CULTIVATES THAT BEAUTY SO WE CAN SEE IT IN OURSELVES AND IN EACH OTHER! THAT’S REALLY SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE AND SHARE AT OUR TABLE WITH EACH OTHER! LET’S DO!”
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.
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ORDINANCE NO. 4416 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT A 50’ RADIO ANTENNA TOWER, 1020 N. LOS EBANOS ROAD, LOT 1, EL DIVINO REDENTOR SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED THIS 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary
ORDINANCE NO. 4417 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR MANUFACTURE, PACKAGE, AND THE SALE OF DRIED FRUIT IN A C-3 ZONE, 1928 N. CONWAY AVENUE, SUITE A, A 132’ X 323’ TRACT OF LAND OUT OF LOT 23-7, WEST ADDTION TO SHARYLAND SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED THIS 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS Mission Consolidated Independent School District’s State Financial Accountability Rating Mission C.I.S.D will hold a public meeting at 6:45 p.m., November 9, 2016 in the Mission C.I.S.D. Boardroom, 1201 Bryce Drive, Mission, Texas. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Mission C.I.S.D.’s rating on the State’s financial accountability system. THE STATE OF TEXAS NOTICE TO THE 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: Antonio Rodriguez, DEFENDANT(S) GREETINGS: You are herby 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 issuance of this citation the same being the on this the 12th day of October, 2016 before the Honorable Israel Ramon, Jr., 430th District Court of Hidalto County, Texas at the Courthouse of said county in Edinburg, Texas. Said CITY OF MISSION’S ORIGINAL PETITION, REQUEST FOR PERMANENT INJUNCTION, AND REQUEST FOR DISCLOSURE filed in said court on the on this the 12th day of January, 2016 in this case numbered C-0176-16-J on the docket of said court and styled CITY OF MISSION VS. ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ. Said petition was filed in said court by Attorney JAIME TIJERINA, 1201 E. 8th ST., Mission, TX 78572. A brief nature of the suit is as follows: PLAINTIFF(S) PRAY FOR DAMAGES IN AN AMOUNT TO BE PROVEN AT TRIAL, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ACTUAL DAMAGES, DIRECT AND CONSEQUEINTIAL DAMAGES, ATTORNEY FEES AND TAXABLE COURT COSTS. The officer executing 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 12th day of October, 2016.
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October 28, 2016
October 28, 2016 LEGAL NOTICE
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Wine & Beer Retailers Permit by La Mansion Ballroom & Catering, LLC dba La Mansion Ballroom & Catering, located at 507 N. Conway, Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas. Managing Member is Norma Cruz.
ORDINANCE NO. 4421 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE #4395 ADOPTING EIGHT (8) ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL TO THE CLASSIFIED POSITION OF PATROLMAN FOR THE MISSION POLICE DEPARTMENT READ, CONSIDERED AND APPROVED, THIS THE 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary
ORDINANCE NO. 4415 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A REZONING OF A 0.34 ACRE TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS, OUT OF LOT 191, & 0.39 ACRE TRACT OF LAND, MORE OR LESS, OUT OF LOT 19-1, WEST ADDITION TO SHARYLAND SUBDIVISION, FROM R-1 (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) TO C-3 (GENERAL BUSINESS) READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary
ORDINANCE NO. 4419 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS AMENDING ORDINANCE NO.780 DESIGNATING PLACES WHERE BEER AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY BE SOLD WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF MISSION TO INCLUDE THE PREMISES LOCATED AT 1809 W. GRIFFIN PARKWAY, LOTS 9-11, SOUTHERN OAKS PHASE I SUBDIVISION, C-3 READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary
www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com ORDINANCE NO. 4418 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THE SALE & ON-SITE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES – ARELY’S EVENT CENTER, 1809 W. GRIFFIN PARKWAY, LOTS 9-11, SOUTHERN OAKS PHASE I SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED THIS 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS SHARYLAND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT’S Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) Sharyland Independent School District will hold a public meeting at 5:45 p.m., November 15, 2016 in the Sharyland Pioneer High School Auditorium, 10001 N. Shary Road Mission,Texas. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Sharyland Independent School District’s rating on the State’s Financial Accountability System.
ORDINANCE NO. 4420 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT A 7,000 SQUARE FOOT GARAGE BUILDING ON PROPERTY ZONED AO-I, 3304 N. BRYAN ROAD, A 4.0 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF LOT 29-11, WEST ADDITION TO SHARYLAND SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2016. Norberto Salinas, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary
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RESOLUTION CALLING A HEARING FOR EXCLUSION OF NONIRRIGATED LAND OF HIDALGO COUNTY IRRIGATION DISTRICT NO.6
WHEREAS, the following described property is believed to constitute Nonirrigated Land under Tex. Rev. State. Ann. Art. 8280-3.2; and WHEREAS, the District desires to call a public hearing in order to receive evidence regarding the status of such land as Nonirrigated Land; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That in accordance with Texas Water Code, Chapter 58, and Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. Art. 8280-3.2; HIDALGO COUNTY IRRIGATION DISTRICT NO. 6, hereby calls a hearing before the District’s Board of Directors concerning the exclusion form the District as Nonirrigated Land the following described real property, to-wit: Continue on Exhibit “A”: attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. SUBDIVISIONS TO BE EXCLUDED 1) Del Sol Subdivision 2) El Rancho Estate 3) Anali Subdivision That the hearing will be held on November 14, 2016, at 1:00 P.M. in the District boardroom, wherein all persons interested in the matter of exclusion of the above-described property, or any part thereof, from the District Nonirrigated Land are invited to attend and to offer evidence in support of or opposing the exclusion of said property, or any part thereof. READ, CONSIDERED, APPROVED, SIGNED AND EFFECTIVE on this 17th day of October, 2016 at a Regular Called Meeting of the Board of Directors of HCID#6 at which a quorum was present and which as in accordance with Vernon’s Texas Codes Ann., Government Code and pursuant to the Texas Open Meeting Act. ATTEST: Oscar Garza, President Diana Izaguirre, Secretary
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October 28, 2016
Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce
Annual Banquet