Friday, November 25, 2016
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Vol. 45 No. 17
ROBOTICS Famous instructor inspires students
La Joya Housing Authority suspends executive director By Jose De Leon III The La Joya Housing Authority voted Saturday to suspend its Executive Director Juan Jose “J.J.” Garza without pay two months after he was indicted for allegedly using false companies to engage in a bid-rigging scheme. The special board meeting was called after the board was notified of a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sent to Garza last October banning him from working for the board. Garza was hired by the La Joya Housing Authority to oversee its federally funded housing projects. He’s accused of submitting false bids for HUD-funded projects in Donna and Alamo and conspiring with local contractor Armando Jimenez to receive payment for those projects. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for him to oversee federally funded housing projects in La Joya, said HUD’s Fort Worth-based spokeswoman, Patricia Campbell. During the special board meeting held Nov. 19 San Antonio-based lawyer Mark A. Sanchez, who was hired by the board to handle the Garza matter, recommended the board fire Garza in a follow-up meeting. “You’re beset with a series of scandals and in order to address them they need to be confronted head-on,” Sanchez told the board. “Being under federal indictment is a very serious issue and the accusations against Garza are wide ranging, going back
By Joe Hinton
to 2012, and they involve the misuse of taxpayer’s dollars. When people say ‘La Joya Housing Authority,’ it connotes a certain reaction today, but tonight we’re going to take steps to ensure that’s changed.” Garza was not in attendance for the special board meeting. U.S. Marshals arrested Garza and Jimenez in connection with a bid-rigging scheme dated between July 2012 and March 2013. The indictment against Garza states both men submitted false construction bids to the Alamo and Donna housing authorities under the names of Crane Construction and Carlos Orillana. Some of the projects awarded to Jimenez’s construction company also employed Garza as a subcontractor, the indictment alleges. During that time nearly $45,000 in payments were awarded to both men, according to the indictment. Garza pleaded not guilty to seven counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy
On Election Day about a thousand students from the Mission Consolidated Independent School District were bussed to Palm Valley Church’s main auditorium to be inspired to study science, technology, engineering and math. The featured speaker was Phoenix area high school teacher Faridodin “Fredi” Lajvardi. In 2004 Lajvardi took four students from Carl Hayden Community High School to compete in an underwater robotics competition and defeated teams from three other high schools, four community colleges, two public universities, and the Massachusetts’s School of Technology. According to Wired magazine three of his students had entered the U.S. illegally as children from Mexico. In 2015 the Hollywood movie, “Spare Parts,” about the event premiered with actor and comedian George Lopez playing Lajvardi in a script mostly based on actual events. Speaking to an audience comprised of elementary, middle and high school students - all taking science, technology, engineering and math courses (STEM curriculum) - Lajvardi told the students screen writers took artistic liberties with the story. “I can tell you never in my life have I been slapped by a woman,” Lajvardi said following a showing of the
See SUSPENSION pg. 11
See ROBOTICS pg. 5
Juan Jose “J.J.” Garza
South Texas College instructor Nelson Carrasquero holds a conversation with the artificially intelligent robot “Nao,” before about a thousand MCISD students Election Day at Palm Valley Church. The event designed to inspire students to take science, technology, engineering and math related courses.
Progress Times photo by Joe Hinton
Holidays inspire the joy of giving back to one’s community By Jose De Leon III and Joe Hinton
Kenneth White Junior High School Principal Brenda Betancourt, left, and former White Junior High student, Lorenzo Garza, distribute turkeys and dry goods to parents of underprivileged students at the school Nov. 16. Garza donated the turkeys and school staff provided the dry goods. Progress Times photo by Joe Hinton
It goes without saying the holidays inspire giving in people. And whether it involves one neighbor helping another or dozens helping many it’s impossible to document them all. So here are just a few exemplary cases. When he was 16 Mission resident Lorenzo Garza’s father died leaving his mother to raise him alone. At the time he had an older brother already in the military, he said, and his father’s death sometimes left him feeling lost and alone. “You know there are some things you really don’t want to talk about with your parent,” he said. Though he was attending Mission High School at the time Garza said he found himself returning to
the teachers with whom he had created strong bonds at Kenneth White Junior High School for support when times were rough. He said that support system continued even when he went to college. “I would come back to them and no matter if I was going through a hard time or hardship they would always ask, ‘What do you need; How can we help you?’ And they would help. And if I didn’t have that backup I don’t know where I would be today,” he said. Today he is successfully working in the public information office of a major citrus related industry. Enough so he is now able to give back to the community and his junior high school. On Wed., Nov. 16 Garza returned to White Junior High School with 30 turkeys he purchased with $500 of his own money.
There, he and school principal, Brenda Betancourt, personally handed out the turkeys and an equal number of bags full of stuffing and other dry goods donated by the teachers. Garza said the recipients were the same families who were identified at the beginning of the school year in need of school supplies and other forms of financial assistance. As an example of the recipients Betancourt explained a woman who had just thanked her and Garza had three children of her own when, due to family circumstances, had to adopt her sister’s five children. “And she’s just an amazingly generous person. I don’t know how she does it,” Betancourt said.
See GIVING pg. 5
INSIDE
Historic Game
With a second round win last week vs. the Flour Bluff Hornets the VMHS Patriots made history advancing for the first time to the third round high school football playoffs Saturday. See page 8
INDEX
Entertainment | pg. 2
Lifestyle | pg. 3
Training Grants
Students Recognized
After five years of dormancy the Mission Educational Council earmarks $35,000 in grants to educate small business owners and support small business expansion. See page 10
Five enterprising area students receive grants to pursue future ventures, one that could help the blind better maneuver in their surroundings.
Opinion | pg.4
Sports | pg. 8
See page 12
Obituaries | pg. 9
Classifieds | pg. 11
entertainment
Concert II features Wong and Super Strings
McALLEN – The Valley Symphony Orchestra (VSO) presents the second chamber concert of the 65th anniversary season with Geoffrey Wong and the Super Strings. It will be held Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the 17th Floor Sky Tower Club in the Chase Neuhaus Bank building in McAllen. Geoffrey Wong, VSO concertmaster, and the concert’s featured violinist has been an internationally acclaimed member of the orchestra for 22 years, performing regularly in the seasonal concert series and chamber concert programs. Born in Shanghai, China, Wong began to play violin at the age of 6. He studied violin performance at the Hong Kong Conservatory, where he was awarded a scholarship to Rice University in Houston. He taught violin at the University of Texas–Pan American and has been a private instruc-
tor in McAllen. He currently owns and operates his own violin studio in McAllen where he teaches private lessons, prepares students for competitions and readies music students for college. He travels home twice a year to perform with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Featured numbers include a String Sextet No. 1 in B Major, op. 18 by Johannes Brahms. Special guest Christopher French, associate principal cello from the Houston Symphony Orchestra, will join Alba Madrid, violin; Jennifer Miller and Adrianna Olivan, viola; and Benjamin Ponder, cello, for the concert performance. A hors d’oeurves and wine reception begins at 7 p.m. before the concert. Tickets are $50 per adult and can be purchased at valleyorchestra.org or by calling the VSO box office at 956-661-1615.
EDINBURG–UTRGV University Productions presents the premiere of “The Life and Times of Winter Texans,” with eight original sketches by Eric Wiley. In this collection, Wiley, author of the hit comedy Late Bloomers, takes a humorous look at the Rio Grande Valley’s colorful, sometimes cantankerous winter visitors. The Life and Times of Winter Texans will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 1 to 3, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.
4, at the Studio Theatre in the Edinburg Liberal Arts Building at the corner of University Drive and Sugar Road on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. General admission is $5; open seating is first-come, first-served limited seating. Designated seating is available by reservation for groups of 10 or more. For more information, call the University Productions Box Office at 956-665-3581, or go online to UTRGV.edu/ Theatre.
Comedic sketches explore lives of Winter Texans
Sweet Adelines ring in season
WESLACO – The Magic Valley Chorus of Sweet Adelines International will present their Christmas concert “Christmas and Barbershop” on Friday through Sunday, Dec. 2 to 4. Special guests will be the Weslaco East Girls’ Choir
under the direction of Jeffrey Figueroa. Performances will be held at the Tower Theater in Weslaco at 120 South Kansas St. All shows will begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5. Call 956969-2368 for reservations.
Coming Attractions
November 25 – December 31 • Brownsville’s Holiday Village, located at Dean Porter Park across from Gladys Porter Zoo, officially opens for the season. Come out for the first lighting of the season at 7 p.m. Take in the food, fun and festivities from 6 to 10 p.m. throughout the season on weekdays and 6 to 11 p.m. on weekends. Admission is free. November 27 • The season opener of the McAllen Society for the Performing Arts hosts the U.S. National Tour of “Annie” at 7 p.m. in the new McAllen Performing Arts Center, 801 Convention Center Blvd. Tickets range from $37 to $77 and are available at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. For more information, visit LiveInMcAllen.com. December 1-11 • Under the direction of Pedro Garcia, the Pharr Community Theater presents “A Tejano Christmas Carol” adapted from the Charles Dickens story. The bilingual play (predominately in English), with song and dance, will play at the Elva and Keith Michal’s Performing Arts Center, 213 W. Newcombe Ave. in Pharr. For more details, call 956-655-9308 or 956600-9463. December 2 • The annual Edinburg Lighted Christmas Parade begins at 7 p.m. with lighted floats created by businesses and schools and marching bands. It begins at the corner of University Drive and Sugar Road and ends at the Hidalgo County Courthouse. A Night of Lights Festival will be held in the city courtyard with food, arts and crafts from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 956- 383-4974 or 800-800-7214. December 8-11, 16-18 • Camille Playhouse in Brownsville stages the musical “Billy Elliot,” the story of a young boy’s struggle again the odds to make his dreams come true. 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. December 10 • The City of Alton Christmas Parade begins at 11 a.m. beginning west of Cantu Elementary and ending at the Alton Recreation Center. • The last Sunset Live concert for the fall season will bring together the talents of Sarah Aranella featuring the Gabriel Santiago Trio, Jai Malano, The Brannen & Red Show and Jeanette Garcia. Admission is free, and the event is pet-friendly. Concert-goers should bring a lawn chair or blankets to view the concert around the reflection pool at the McAllen Convention Center. • Billed as the longest lighted Christmas street parade in South Texas, the San Benito Annual Christmas Parade runs from 6 to 10:30 p.m. through downtown San Benito. To see the complete Coming Attractions calendar, go to ptrgv.com
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Hidalgo Festival of Lights opens Dec. 1
HIDALGO – The largest Christmas light display in South Texas, the 26th Annual Hidalgo Festival of Lights, opens Thursday, Dec. 1, with over three million lights and 500 illuminated displays with a superheroes theme this year. Because superheroes are the theme, active military, veterans, law enforcement and first responders with proper identification will receive a free trolley or train ride as the City of Hidalgo’s way of saying “thank you for your service.” City officials will officially “light up the city” at 6 p.m. on Dec. 1 in front of City Hall as everyone comes together in the symbolic lighting up of the city. On this day only, the first 200 people will receive a free train ride. Trolley tickets are $5 and the trolleys and trains depart from City Hall. The Festival will continue through Dec. 31. The trolley runs daily except Dec. 2, 21, 24, 25 and 31. Visitors can buy a dinner/concert/ trolley tour package for $12, which includes a barbecue dinner, entertainment and a trolley or train ride. Tickets can be purchased at the State Farm Arena Box Office or online at www.hilfol.com. The fun begins at Hidalgo City Hall, located at 703 E. Texano. Last year there were 829,000 visitors over the month-long event. Visitors can view the lights from their own cars or from the train or trolley. City Hall will remain the hub of activities where visitors can board trains or trolleys, enjoy nightly holiday performances, get photos with Santa, go to a carnival and view a live superhero show with superheroes on weekends. Hop off the trolley at the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse to experience the newest addition to the festival, a Gingerbread Village complete with cookie decorating, ornament making, snow play days, live performances and holiday movies under the stars at the Starlight Cinema. The Gingerbread Village is open from 6 to 10 p.m. There is a $5 charge for participation. Other special activities include local businesses working with the city’s restoration and economic development initiative, The Hidalgo Nueva Vida Project, will man a S’mores making station. Stop by the Touch of Grace Boutique, a free live animal show with photo opportunities with
the animals, and a free interactive live show at the amphitheater, holiday movies under the stars and more. Children are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite superhero to the illuminated Christmas parade on Friday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m.in front of City Hall along Texano St. Look for illuminated floats, marching bands and performers from across the Valley. There will be food booths along the parade route. Each weekend, “Un Cuento de Navidad” will be presented at 7 and 9:30 p.m., and live music will be performed from 6 to 10 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 to 4, the first weekend, Mickey & Minnie will present a Magical Christmas at 8 p.m. On Saturday, the movie, “Elf” will be shown at 8:30 p.m. and a Christmas classic on Sunday will be shown at 8:30 p.m. On Dec. 3 a special event, the first Sensory Friendly Night for autistic children working with Team Mario, Disorder (ASD) will have an exclusive event for children with Autism and Sensory Processing Differences. The festival will be adapted to the environment where they will be exposed to provide them with a fun, enjoyable and interactive Christmas experience. Approximately 50 autistic children will make Christmas ornaments and cookies, visiting with Santa and some superheroes including police and firemen. They will then take in the Festival of Lights tour riding through the city on the Christmas Train and watch and interact with live super hero shows and play with snow. On Dec. 9 to 11, “The Turtle Power Show” will be presented at 8 p.m. On Dec. 9 Nightmare before Christmas” will be shown at 8:30 p.m. On Sunday, Dec. 10, “Home Alone” will be shown at 8:30 p.m. On Dec. 16-18, Jedi Training will be at 8 p.m. The movie “Star Wars EP VI” will be shown. In addition to these programs, a carnival will be open nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will be in their cottage from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly through Dec. 23. Photos are $25. Superheroes will also be available in the City Hall Courtyard from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Dec.1 through 31 for photos.
lifestyle
November 25 , 2016
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EVENTS
CALENDAR
Building dreams for others Throughout the spring and summer, students with STC’s Construction Supervision and Electrician Technology programs spent weekdays, evenings and weekends assisting with the construction of homes for families in need. Construction has finished and STC students and Habitat for Humanity held a special house dedication ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 22, for three houses they built. Students in the programs received hands-on experience while working with various humanitarian groups including Habitat For Humanity, Proyecto Azteca and Buckner International. “With my background that I have had, and how I grew up, I think that’s truly what drives me. I didn’t grow up in a nice fancy home, I grew up in a colonia or barrio like you see here,” said Rey Sanchez, STC Design Building Technology chair. “That’s my drive. I want to help others. That’s what we communicate to our students.”
UVAL plans ceramic workshop
The Upper Valley Art League is a offering a twoday ceramic workshop on Dec. 16 and 17 with Alexander Comminos from the University of Texas RGV as the instructor. It is planned for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days. The first day will cover hand building, wheel throwing and molds. Second-day focus is glazes, slips and surface, finishing off with mold and glaze give away.
Cost is $36 for UVAL members and $46 for nonmembers. Class size is limited to 12 people, and registration and payment is required at the same time. Classes will be held at the UVAL studio in the Kika de la Garza Fine Arts Center, 921 E. 12th, in Mission, next to Speer Memorial Library. Call 956-583-2787 for information or stop by the UVAL gallery to register.
New hummingbird book released McALLEN – Over 300 species of hummingbirds roam the skies over North and South America, and few authors have written guides that cover the entire family. The Gorgas Science Foundation has recently released the first in a set of books to fill the void. Join Seth Patterson at Quinta Mazatlan on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. for a special presentation the new book, Hummingbirds – Volume 1. Written by avian biologist, John C. Arvin, and illustrated by artists Sangeetha Kadur, Raul Andrade and Vydhehi Kadur, the first of what is to be a two-volume set showcases the 127 species of hummingbird found throughout North America, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. Each individual species has been meticulously studied and artistically rendered to showcase every detail and set in a scene reflective of their range and environment. Also included is the preferred flowering plant that each species is most associated with or the plant for which it serves as exclusive pollinator. Unique
life history, distribution, adaptations, morphology and conservation status are noted in the text. Patterson is an employee of Gorgas Science Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on conservation through education. Seth’s work for GSF focuses on imagery where he incorporates much of his photography and graphics design abilities. The program fee is $3 per person. Quinta Mazatlan is located 600 Sunset in McAllen. For information, call 956-681-3370.
UTRGV doctoral program gets high marks
By Vicky Brito
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been ranked eighth in the country as one of the Top Online Schools for Doctoral Programs in Education by GradSource.com. The website helps prospective graduate students make informed decisions through offering comprehensive information on career fields, including business, healthcare and education. To be included on this list, a university must offer a doctorate degree in education, academic and career counseling services; enroll both full-time and part-time graduate students; have at least one percent of its graduate students enrolled only in online courses; and awarded at least one graduate degree
in that subject between 2011 and 2014. The ranking is based on five criteria: affordability, flexibility, program prominence, student success and related degrees. UTRGV’s doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction ranked first in two of those categories: affordability, and program prominence. As part of the ranking explanation, the website says: “The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley boasts a student-to-core faculty ratio of 2.5 and a 100 percent employment rate within one year of graduation. Additionally, the average time to gradation for their doctoral students is under five years.” For more information on UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration online programs, contact Dr. Laura Jewett, coordinator
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Students go extra Thanksgiving miles UTRGV students from a variety of disciplines delivered turkey meals with all the trimmings to families in six communities across the Rio Grande Valley on Nov. 23. Spearheaded by ENACTUS student organization, students raised about $3,000 for the effort and, since Nov. 1, have hosted food drives that brought in canned goods to help 120 families in need. They began preparing meal baskets Monday morning and wrapped up their gifts on Wednesday with a frozen turkey for each family before heading out to deliver the meals. Among the six locations served by the students’ efforts were El Paraiso in Mission and Proyecto Desarrollo Humano in Peñitas, including others in Alamo, Edinburg, Rio Grande City and La Feria. Shown above is Rebecca Reyes, ENACTUS president, organizing the food for distribution. (Photo by Paul Chouy)
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November 26 – “Who’s on the Menu?” is the next Saturday Safari at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville starting at 10 a.m. where kids can learn the “links” in food chains and what makes up the food web. Located at 500 Ringgold in Brownsville, a zoo tour, arts and crafts, animal encounter and snacks are included in each class. Cost is $15 per child or adult with a $5 discount for GPZ members. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. For information call 956-548-9453. November 29 – Finances is the topic for the next community talk at 9 at Calvary Baptist Church, 1600 Harvey, McAllen. The presentation includes money management tips to go from debt to wealth, tips on home purchases, identity theft, wills and more. For information, contact Elizabeth Zamora at 686-4364 or Connie Garza at 867-0742. December December 1-22 – The International Museum of Art & Science has brought back their Gingerbread Workshops where families can decorate their own miniature gingerbread house to take home. Spacing is limited; reservations are required. Cost is $3 per person, supplies included. Call 956-682-0123 for workshop times. IMAS is located at 1900 Nolana in McAllen. December 3 – The La Joya I.S.D. Winter Coat Drive will accept donations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Public Information Center, 201 E. Expressway 83 in La Joya. All donations need to be bagged and should be new or gently used winter clothing, including scarves, gloves, coats and hats. For more information, call 956-323-2585. December 7 – Children ages 5 and under will take a look at the world of folk art as they read Market Day 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. December 7 – The Armstrong Retirees meet the first Wednesday of each month through March at 11:30 a.m. at Ann’s Restaurant in San Juan. For information, call Al Ensley at 515-360-5992 or Dick Overholser at 515-321-4034. December 7 – The Marine Military Academy (MMA) in Harlingen will host a Pearl Harbor 75th 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. (For daily events and upcoming weeks, see the full calendar at ptrgv.com.)
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opinion
November January 2, 2015 25, 2016
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By Ed Sterling Texas Press Association
STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
A
Bill filers jump to early start as legislative session nears
USTIN — Just a few of Texas’ 31 Senate members and 150 House members filed a total of 523 pieces of legislation on Nov. 14, the first day lawmakers could submit legislation for the coming session. The 85th regular session of the Texas Legislature is scheduled to convene on the second Tuesday in January, that is, Jan. 10, at noon. Final adjournment — 140 days later — is set for the last Monday in May, that is, May 29. Now, back to those bills filed on Nov. 14. Not that it’s a competition, but Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, filed 20 bills, the highest total of any House member. Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, was the top 1st-day filer among senators and all legislators with 42 bills and one joint resolution. Zaffirini also co-authored three bills she filed jointly with Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio. The subject matter of early-filed bills is naturally wide-ranging. Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, Zaffirini and others filed bills regulating the use of a handheld communications device while driving. Craddick and others have filed such legislation in previous sessions. Reps. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, and “Mando” Martinez, D-Weslaco, filed bills to establish a public law school in the Rio Grande Valley. Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, filed a bill to abolish the death penalty. Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, filed a bill to prohibit the temporary closure of segments of the state highway system on days that scheduled events are being held in a municipality. Sen.
Don Huffines, R-Dallas, filed a bill to set term limits for elected officers of political subdivisions. Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, filed a bill to require a training course on human trafficking for commercial driver’s license applicants. During a typical session, legislators will file between 7,000 and 10,000 pieces of legislation. Of those, perhaps 20 percent will survive the process and become new laws, amend or repeal current laws or appear on a statewide ballot as proposed constitutional amendments. Patrick lists priorities Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Texas Senate, on Nov. 14 released a list of his top 10 legislative priorities for the 85th regular session of the Legislature. Patrick’s priorities including his comments on each: 1. 2017 Budget Proposal: “A budget estimate for fiscal years 2018-19 is not yet available, but we will pass a balanced budget that will strengthen the Texas economy and assure that it retains its global competitiveness.” 2. Property Tax Reform: “Texans pay the sixth-highest property taxes in the nation and the high rates are taxing people out of their homes and hampering business growth. This must change.” 3. School Choice: “There is broad support for legislation to ensure that every parent has the option to send their child to the school they believe is best for them.” 4. Sanctuary Cities: “No city in Texas should be allowed to ignore the law. We will end this practice once and for all this session.” 5. Photo Voter ID: “Nothing is more critical to our de-
mocracy than the integrity of the voting process. Photo Voter ID is essential.” 6. Women’s Privacy Act: “A majority of Texans in both political parties and in every ethnic and demographic group believe that women and girls should have privacy and safety in their restrooms, showers and locker rooms. Unfortunately, legislation is necessary to assure that they do.” 7. Inappropriate Teacher-Student Relationships: “With the rapid increase in the number of inappropriate teacher-student relationships, legislation is needed to strengthen the reporting and training requirements, and establish appropriate penalties. Priority must be given to protecting our students at every level of the school system.” 8. Fetal Tissue/Partial Birth Abortion: “We will continue to fight to protect the dignity and sanctity of life by increasing criminal penalties for buying or selling human fetal tissue, among other protections, and we will ban partial birth abortion in Texas.” 9. Spending Cap: “We will continue to fight to strengthen the state spending limit so our government lives within its means.” 10. Hailstorm Lawsuit Reform: “We will rein in the hailstorm lawsuit abuse that is damaging local economies around our state.” Patrick also mentioned his plan for legislation to be introduced to bring about ethics reform, child protective services reforms, tuition reforms, and to reduce the hand-gun licensing fee, reduce the state franchise tax, and to prohibit the government collection of union dues.
City of Mission Mayor and City Council Cordially invite you to attend this year’s
Christmas Lighting
Celebration
• Alejandra Flores - ZUMBA • MCISD Folkorico • Bryan Elementary 5th Grade Choir • South Texas College Chamber Winds • Agape Christian School • Mission Parks & Recreation Folklorico • Mission High School Theatre • Pioneer High School Bella Voce • Food Vendors
City of Mission
For more information contact the Mission Parks & Recreation @ 580-8760
Everyone is Welcome to attend this festive holiday event
page 4
TEXAS
G
John Cornyn TIMES
Abbott, Cornyn, Cuellar Request probe DHS border security
overnor Greg Abbott, Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson requesting additional information on DHS’s aerial-based border security resources. In February, the leaders expressed concern that DHS had only requested half the normal flight hours from the Department of Defense (DoD) to support Operation Phalanx, despite a full appropriation of funds
from Congress. At this time, DHS has not requested any flight hours to support Operation Phalanx for calendar year 2017. “Given the continuing surge of migrants along the Southern Border beyond FY15 numbers and a large uptick in apprehensions already for the month of November 2016, we believe DHS should be requesting more surveillance and security resources, not less,” Governor Abbott, Senator Cornyn and Congressman Cuellar write in the letter.
“Given that Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Air and Marine is currently 12 percent below its goal for air interdiction agents this cut in DoD support is extremely imprudent.” Governor Abbott, Senator Cornyn and Congressman Cuellar requested that DHS identify which resources will be utilized to backfill the gaps left by a reduction in the aerial resources used to support the nation’s border security efforts.
Border apprehensions increase sharply
I
Statement by Secretary Johnson on Southwest Border Security
n October a total of 46,195 individuals were apprehended between ports of entry on our southwest border, compared with 39,501 in September and 37,048 in August. Within these totals, we have seen corresponding increases in the numbers of unaccompanied children and individuals in families apprehended. We’ve also seen increases in the numbers of those who present themselves at ports of entry along the southwest border seeking asylum. I have told our border security and immigration enforcement personnel that we must keep pace with this increase. As a result, there are currently about 41,000 individuals in our immigration detention facilities – typically, the number in immigration detention fluctuates between 31,000 and 34,000 – and I have authorized Immigration and Customs Enforcement to acquire additional detention space for single adults so that those apprehended at the border can be returned to their home
countries as soon as possible. We have also engaged with a number of countries to repatriate their citizens more quickly, and they have agreed to do so. As difficult as circumstances may be in Central and South America and the Caribbean, our borders cannot be open to illegal migration. We must, therefore, enforce the immigration laws consistent with our priorities. Those priorities are public safety and border security. Specifically, we prioritize the deportation of undocumented immigrants who are convicted of serious crimes and those apprehended at the border attempting to enter the country illegally. Recently, I have reiterated to our Enforcement and Removal personnel that they must continue to pursue these enforcement activities. Those who attempt to enter our country without authorization should know that, consistent with our laws and our values, we must and we will send you back. Once again, I encourage
migrants and their families to pursue the various safe and legal paths available for those in need of humanitarian protection in the United States. Earlier this year, the Government of Costa Rica announced its agreement to enter into a protection transfer arrangement with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration to help address the Central American migration challenge. We’ve also established an in-country referral program in countries of origin including Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. This will enable vulnerable residents in the region to be considered for refugee protection in the United States after being screened and interviewed by DHS officers. We have also announced expansion of the categories of individuals eligible for participation in our Central American Minors program when accompanied by a qualified child. We encourage use of these programs.
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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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Letters to the Editor are welcome but must conform to certain guidelines. All letters must be original, dated, signed and bear the complete name, address and phone number of the writer/signer. No photo copied letters will be printed. No letters addressed to others will be printed. Letter content must be relevant to concerns and interests of Mission and the surrounding area. Relevance is determined by the editor. Anonymous cards or letters are neither read nor printed. Letters may be submitted by e-mail to letters@progresstimes.net, but must include the author’s name and daytime phone number.
November 25, 2016
ROBOTICS
“Fredi” Lajvardi
film’s trailer depicting Lopez’s co-star, Marissa Tomei, slapping Lopez and drawing great laughter from the students. Lajvardi said if students wanted to see the true depiction of the story they should see the documentary film, “Underwater Dreams.” MCISD Superintendent Dr. Ricardo Lopez said the district sponsored Lajvardi’s visit to inspire students, most of whom are involved in robotics studies intended to provide practical applications of STEM courses. As part of his introduction Dr. Lopez compared Lajvardi to another inspiring teacher, Jaime Escalante, a Bolivian born educator known for teaching students calculus from 1974 to 1991 at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. Escalante was the subject of the 1988 film, “Stand and Deliver,” with actor Edward James Olmos portraying Escalante. “So what you’re watching today is the new Jaime Escalante of our kid’s generation,” Lopez told the stu-
GIVING Another man receiving a food package effusively thanked Betancourt and Garza for their generosity to which Garza replied, “On behalf of the community and Kenneth White Junior High School you are sincerely welcome.” Garza also said he was one of 9 members of the Mission Rotary Club who provided Peñitas residents with a Thanksgiving meal Monday. The club visited 25 families living in the Pueblo de Palmas colonia who received a 15-pound frozen turkey and dried goods. Martha Torres and her family were one of the families who received the meal. She lives with her husband and three kids in a small, brick house with no heating or cooling system. According to Torres, since her husband has been unemployed for two months the family would not have been able to afford a Thanksgiving dinner if it wasn’t for the Rotary Club. “We wouldn’t have been able to celebrate Thanksgiving this year so it’s nice to see so many strangers com-
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dents. Speaking of Lajvardi Lopez said, “This person saw the fact the only thing limiting yourself is yourself.” Lopez told the students he and the district’s board of trustees want to take a revolutionary approach to inspiring students. “And we call it a revolution because we saw a change in one school. And one school transformed the whole district. And this district is going to transform the whole Rio Grande Valley, and then the state of Texas, and then the United States of America. We’re that powerful and you’re that brilliant. Believe it,” he said. In a subsequent interview Lopez said he was referring to the first robotics club started at Alton Junior High School within the MCISD. “And they made us believe robotics is in our DNA. And it spread to Mission High School, then Veteran’s Memorial High School and then to the middle schools and now the elementary schools. And now our elementary school students are defeating middle school students in robotics competitions,” Lopez said. Prior to his appearance, Lajvardi, who in addition to robotics teaches introduction to marine science, praised Dr. Lopez and district board members for using robotics to inspire students to take STEM related courses. “Which I think is phenomenal because I think that’s the wave of the future,” Lajvardi said. “I think this district can be one of the leading districts in the coun-
try if they keep it up. In fact they may be one of the leading districts in the country, as far as I know, now. Because usually a lot of places where robotics is coming into it’s own it’s from the teachers – it’s more grass roots and less from the top down – so the fact this is coming from the superintendent is a totally different approach. And I think that’s phenomenal.” Among many others, Veteran’s Memorial High School teachers Veronica Burgoa and Roy Villanueva exemplify the district’s dedication to robotics and STEM curriculum. Both are engineers. Burgoa is an industrial engineer who formerly worked for Ford Motor Company. Villanueva is a mechanical engineer who formerly worked for military contractor, The Raytheon Company. Just about six weeks after establishing the first engineering club at VMHS the pair’s students took second and third place from amongst 21 teams participating in a robotics competition last month at neighboring La Joya High School. The students had 2.5 hours to design, build and program robots from kits supplied by the Region One Education Service Center. As explained by club member, sophomore Brianna Diaz, 15, students had to program the small shoe box sized, four wheeled vehicles to negotiate a maze without hitting the walls. She said that involves programming and adjusting electronic, tactile and color reading sen-
sors. Burgoa said she has been impressed by the enthusiasm of her students in studying robotics and engineering in general. “And we have to slow them down from just jumping in because they have to follow the engineering process. For example they have to brainstorm. They have to come up with different solutions. They have to study the various available materials and then they can start constructing,” she said. Burgoa said the club is preparing to enter a much larger scale robot – about three feet in length - in a competition in January which could take the team to state wide competition. She said the club has received a $1,525 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to help pay for the project. But she fears it may not be enough. “So if anyone would like to donate to our club we would really appreciate that,” she said. The International Federation of Robots (www.ifr.org), an entity established in 1987 comprised of members from most industrialized nations whose goal is to “promote, strengthen and protect the robotics industry world wide”, projects that within 10 years robots and intelligent machines could perform nearly half the work done now by humans and more cheaply. It’s projections like that
which inspire educators to help teach their students to be the persons building and programming the robots instead of being replaced by them. “This isn’t a chore,” said Superintendent Lopez. “This isn’t another initiative that we have to do. This is something that we’re genuinely
involved in and really, really are vested in for the long haul. It’s the new vision of where our district is going and it’s right in line with where the nation is going. So we’re preparing our kids for the twenty-first century, absolutely.”
Veteran’s Memorial High School Freshman, Angel Rios, 14, prepares to launch a Lego robot into a maze set up on a classroom floor where the school’s engineering club meet. The robots use electronic, tactile and color sensors to negotiate the course.
Progress Times photo by Joe Hinton
from pg 1
ing together and letting us know we matter,” she said in Spanish. “We sometimes struggle this time of year so I’m just thankful my family won’t be stressed about having food on the table even if it’s just for one meal.” Laura Villarreal, president of the organization, said the club prepared 25 individual paper bags filled with dried goods, drinks and a pie. Including the turkey, each meal was valued at $45. As this was Villareal’s first year as a member, she said she was impacted by her day volunteering at the colonia. “Seeing we can make a difference with just one meal is its own reward,” Villarreal said. “During the holiday season, our hearts are a little bigger and we should use that spirit to do some good and help relieve the financial stress of people in need of it.” According to Villarreal, the families who received the Thanksgiving meals were selected by the Peñitas community center Proyecto Desarrollo Humano. She said the Thanksgiving project
was the result of a partnership between several local residents and organizations who donated food items to be given out. This included students from Ruben Hinojosa Elementary School, rotary club members and volunteers from the Mission Boys and Girls Club. Juan Carlos Rendon, manager for the Pharr-based Texas Farm Bureau Insurance agency, also helped club members distribute meals. Rendon had previously donated $680 to the Rotary Club to pay for all the frozen turkeys after he met Lorenzo Garza during a public function earlier in the fall. “It was just so inspiring seeing how he takes the initiative to help the community,” Rendon said. “There’s people who don’t get to celebrate the holidays like we normally do because of a lack of means, but there are also people who can help others celebrate anyway just by making sure we can enjoy each other’s company and letting them know they matter.”
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Martha Torres and her family were one of 25 families in Peñitas who received a Thanksgiving meal from the Mission Rotary Club Nov. 21.
Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.
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November 25, 2016
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Veterans Memorial ready for third round showdown
D
By Bryan Ramos
Veterans Memorial Patriots head coach David Gilpin gets drenched with a Gatorade bath courtesy of some elated Patriots players after winning the Area round playoff game against Flour Bluff on Nov. 18. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra
Veterans Memorial senior running back Johnny Martinez runs down the sideline as a Flour Bluff defender hangs on during the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 28-14 Area round playoff game victory over the Hornets. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra
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reaming big is for the bold and the Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots are turning their dreams of making program history into reality this season. Back in August when practice started, Patriots’ head coach David Gilpin told his squad the goal was to win an Area Championship and advance to the third round of the playoffs, something no team in the 15-year history of Mission Veterans has done. “I dream big, I want this program to dream big, I want our kids to dream big,” coach Gilpin said. “When we talk about playing in the Sweet 16, we talk about practicing during Thanksgiving; when we talk about things that have never been done, that’s exciting to me. I want our kids excited about it, I want them dreaming about that.” The Patriots knocked down the second round door last Friday by beating the Flour Bluff Hornets 28-14 in the Area Championship game at Tom Landry Stadium with a packed home crowd on hand. In the game against Flour Bluff, the Patriots faced a 14-7 deficit early in the first quarter, but Gilpin’s squad would respond. Senior quarterback Diego Hernandez finished the game with touchdown passes to three different receivers and also punched one score in on the ground. After giving up touchdowns on the Hornets’ first two drives of the game,
the Patriots defense locked down and shut out Flour Bluff on their next 11 possessions for the 28-14 win. Hernandez said his team was ready to get past the second round of the playoffs after falling just short two years in a row. “Our coaches made us believe the entire week. After 15 years of this school being open, this door was ready to be knocked down,” Hernandez said. “There’s no feeling like it. Three years in a row we’ve won Bi-District Champions. Every single year it’s “this is the year we’re going to knock the door down.” This was the year that it happened. It’s my last year here and I wouldn’t want to go out any other way.” Fresh off rewriting program history, the Patriots are not going to sit and be content with their second round playoff victory. The Patriots are putting in work during Thanksgiving week gearing up for their third round playoff opponent, the Dripping Springs Tigers. Patriots senior middle linebacker Juan Barradas said he’s enjoying the feeling of unfamiliar territory but is ready for the challenge that lies ahead. “It feels great. It’s an unbelievable feeling because we’ve never been here but we’re not going to be scared going up against anybody. We’re just going to give it 110 percent of our effort and that’s all we can do now,” Barradas said. The Tigers (11-1, 6-1) earned their spot in the Sweet
16 in dramatic fashion. In a low-scoring affair against the Angleton Wildcats, Dripping Springs needed a last second touchdown on a prayer of a pass with no time left on the clock to squeeze out a 12-11 win. Gilpin, who took over the Mission Veterans program in 2009, said his team is heading into the third round with confidence and a winning mentality. “Our kids right now are confident, they believe in themselves, they believe in their coaching staff. I talk to them all the time about putting a chip on your shoulder, getting your chest out and saying, “hey, come knock it off”, and that’s the mentality we’re going to go with,” Gilpin said. The Patriots are ready to take their game up north for a win or go home showdown with the Dripping Springs Tigers. Senior running back Johnny Martinez, who posted 73 rushing yards to go with receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown against Flour Bluff, said this team is feeding off each other and is relishing the opportunity of a chance to win and be one of eight teams remaining. “It’s one heartbeat and we’re all motivated by each other,” Martinez said. From playing little league football to now this, it’s been an awesome experience.” The Regional Semi-final playoff game between the Patriots and the Tigers is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio.
Thanksgiving Basketball Classic tips off today
riginally known as the Grapefruit Classic, in honor of the Texas Citrus Fiesta, the Mission Thanksgiving Basketball Classic is now in its 55th year. For 53 of those years it has been hosted by Mission High School. However, due
to the ongoing construction at Mission High, the tournament was moved to Veterans Memorial High School last year and is being hosted by the Patriots once again this year. While it is very doubtful that anybody knows how
many different teams have participated in what is likely the longest running basketball tournament in the Rio Grande Valley over the past 54 years, we do know there are 12 teams participating this year. Those teams include Veterans Memorial, Teams 1
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and 2; Mission High, Teams 1 and 2; Juarez-Lincoln; Mission Idea Academy; Weslaco East; Edcouch-Elsa; Brownsville St. Joseph; Mercedes; PSJA North and Rio Grande City. As the Patriots head boys’ basketball coach, Romeo De La Garza Jr. was glad to take on the responsibility of hosting the tournament last year and doing so again this year. “We agreed to host this tournament for two years,” said De La Garza. “It turned out to be a very good event last year and we’re looking forward to doing the same this year. This tournament has been going on for a long time and we’re just trying to keep it going.” A 1989 graduate of Mission High School, De La Garza himself participated in this tournament during his years on the Eagles basketball team. That may very well have something to do with his willingness to host the tournament as well as his desire to have Veterans Me-
morial High School team up with Mission High in hosting this tournament in the future. “We’re hoping that if we can make it bigger. We’ll be able to either alternate sites from one year to the next or use both schools and have two different venues in the future,” De La Garza said. “Maybe by doing it together we can make it bigger by inviting more teams.” As for this year’s tournament, pool play is scheduled to tip off at 9 this morning (Friday) with the Patriots Team 1 taking on Mission Idea Academy and Edcouch-Elsa going up against Brownsville St. Joe. Then at 10:30, Mission Team 1 will be playing Mercedes and PSJA North will be taking on Juarez-Lincoln. Play will continue until each team plays two games today and two tomorrow. “In the past, this tournament has been a traditional double elimination bracket tournament,” explained De La Garza. “But this year with
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12 teams and two gyms, it allowed us to do this pool play and bracket play and guarantee each team four games.” “The first day of the tournament, each team will play the other two teams in their pool twice,” added De La Garza. “From there, depending on how each team does within their own pool, they will go into either the gold, silver or bronze bracket Saturday. Each team will then play two games within their bracket. If you win the first game, you go into the championship game of that particular bracket but if you lose you go to your guaranteed game on the other side of the bracket and play for third place.” Saturday’s play will begin at 9 a.m. with the silver bracket championship game scheduled to be played at 3 p.m. and the bronze and gold bracket championship games both scheduled to tip off at 4:30.
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November 25, 2016
Audit shows MCISD finances in good standing By Joe Hinton
Despite one project going over budget and a shortened fiscal year, Mission Consolidated Independent School District’s net worth increased by 7.3 percent over the previous year, per the Annual Financial Report accepted by the district’s board of trustees Nov. 16. The board’s vote followed a briefing on the results of an audit of the district’s finances conducted by the McAllen accounting firm of Long Chilton, LLP. The report notes the board of trustees approved a change to the end of the district’s fiscal year from August 31 to June 30. Therefor the fiscal year 2015-2016 reflects a 10-month period from Sept. 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016. The report shows the district’s net position – an accounting term used to express net worth or assets - of the district’s governmental activities increased by $10.2 million from the previous fiscal year to a total $150,458,726 in FY 20152016. The district’s net position was $140,216,504 in the previous fiscal year. The report states 66 percent of the net position is either restricted in use or is invested in capital assets. The unrestricted net posi-
tion amounted to $51.2 million, an increase of 16.03 percent from the previous year. The audit indicates the district’s total revenues increased by 2.14 percent to $178,641,646. Local sources of income include 13.66 percent from property taxes plus 0.08 percent from other local sources such as investment earnings. State program revenues comprised 59.35 percent of the district’s funding, the report states. The report shows the total cost of all programs and services was $168,399,424 with 82.31 percent of that amount spent on instructional and student services. The report states property tax rates remained the same for maintenance and operations costs at $1.17 (assessed per each $100 property valuation) and increased from $0.16 to $0.1972 for the district’s debt service fund which resulted in an increase in property taxes of $1,014,675 in the most recent fiscal year. The auditor’s report follows a Nov. 9 announcement MCISD received the state’s highest rating for finance accountability practices for the 2014-2015 fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2015. The Schools Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or Schools FIRST, gave the district its “Superior” rating. Per the
obituaries
Trinidad Alcantar ALTON – Trinidad Alcantar, 95, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, at her home in Alton. Mrs. Alcantar was born on Feb. 14, 1921, in McAllen to Sabas and Paulita Ortega. Survivors include her children, Alicia Cantu, Ana Diaz, Luis Alcantar and Armando Alcantar and 19 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Julio Alcantar, and children, San Juanita Alcantar Segura, Amelia Alcantar and Alberto Alcantar. The funeral mass was held on Nov. 21 at San Martin de Porras Catholic
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Church. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Garden in Mission. Genaro Cantu MISSION – Genaro Cantu, 87, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at Mission Regional Medical Center. Mr. Cantu was known as “El Musico” in the Norteño music industry for over 60 years. Survivors include his children, Eleazar, Alma, Genaro Jr., Juanita, Jesus, Fernando, Marta and Lupita; 10 siblings; and 30 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Caridad Cantu, and a daughter, Hilda Nelly. A funeral service was held
Schools FIRST announcement the purpose of the ratings system is to “ensure that school districts are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and achieve improved performance in the management of their financial resources.” The district could have received lesser ratings of “Above Standard, Meets Standard or Substandard” ratings. One measure the rating system examins to determine a school district’s solvency is the number of days a district could have disbursed funds for its operating expenditure without receiving new revenues. The district had 155 days of cash on hand on Aug. 31, 2015, per the report. The report also indicated the district’s revenues that year exceeded expenditures by $1.5 million. The report showed the percentage of school funds spent on administrative costs was 6.98 percent, which is below the 8.55 percent maximum the state would expect to see in similarly-sized school districts. The report shows the district’s student population decreased by 4.95 percent over the previous three years ending on Aug. 31, 2015. Schools FIRST requires districts to disclose the conon Nov. 22 at Nuestra Senora Del Santo Rosario. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens. Zoila B. Casillas MISSION – Zoila B. Casillas, 83, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at McAllen Heart Hospital. She was born to Toribio Bazan and Dominga Garza on June 28, 1933, in Escobares. Survivors include her husband, Enrique Casillas; children, Enrique Casillas Jr., Consuelo Barajas, David Casillas, Patricia Woodard, Martin Casillas, Rosanne Smith and Robert Casillas; siblings, Jesus Bazan, Maria Tapia, Ofelia Garza, Raul Bazan, Arnulfo Bazan, Lourdes Bazan, Eva Esquivel, Elva Rodriguez, Elvira Bazan, Dora Bazan,
tract details for superintendents. The report shows MCISD Superintendent Dr. Rene Lopez Jr. signed an amendment to his current contract on Feb. 18, 2014 showing an annual salary of $210,000.00 through Aug. 6, 2017. It also requires the district to provide $10,000 annually into the superintendent’s state retirement account. It also allocates a monthly cost of living al-
lowance of $1,333.33. The district also provides Lopez a $1 million life insurance policy. Despite the superior rating Lopez noted at the Nov. 16 board meeting the district had spent $50,000.00 more than was originally budgeted to transport mobile classrooms to Mission High School where many permanent classrooms have been displaced due to construction
and renovation projects. Lopez blamed the cost overruns of the absence of competitors to bid on the project. He said the district used a known vendor who had performed similar work for the district in the past. He said it was the only available company that could transport the units at the time. “But we should have monitored that better,” Lopez said.
La Joya’s Jimmy Carter receives Title I distinction A La Joya ISD campus has been recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as one of 140 high performing Title I school campuses for the 2015-2016 school year. La Joya’s Jimmy Carter Early College High School was the only school in the district to receive the distinction, according to a news release. The campus provides a rigorous course of study that enables students to receive a high school diploma, an associate’s degree and up to 60 college credit hours. “Our students strive and have that inner motivation to become high school and college graduates in four years. I am extremely proud of what they’ve accomplished” Principal Sylvia Sepulveda
said in a news release. TEA identified HighProgress Title I Schools based on academic performance on the 2014-2015 school year statewide reading and mathematics assessments under the State Accountability System and graduation rates. They are defined as campuses with a student population of at least 40 percent low-income status. Jimmy Carter Early College High School received an accountability rating of Met Standard and received distinction designations in Mathematics, Student Progress and Post-Secondary Readiness, the release stated. Faculty and staff at Jimmy Carter Early College High School incorporate re-
searched-based strategies, project-based learning, the common instructional framework and differentiated instruction to ensure students succeed in all academic areas. Reading and writing is consistently monitored across all disciplines in an effort to close achievement gaps, according to the release. “Our teachers and students work diligently to achieve the highest level of academia, to succeed in higher education,” Sepulveda stated. “Teachers at Jimmy Carter Early College High School work collaboratively and assess student knowledge consistently, using pre and post assessment data to create rigorous and relevant lessons for all students.”
Petra Bazan, Minerva Soliz and Martina Bazan; and 26 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Ana M. Casillas. A funeral service will be held on Nov. 23 at Virgil Wilson Mortuary in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission. Baldemar Hernandez MISSION – Baldemar Hernandez, 82, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, at Solara Hospital in McAllen. Mr. Hernandez was born to Sixto Hernandez and Emilia Flores on Oct. 14, 1934, in Los Ebanos. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Maggie Lopez Hernandez; daughter, Theresa Hernandez; brother, Adan
Hernandez of Chicago, Ill.; and two grandsons. He was preceded in death his parents and siblings, Eva Loredo and Mario Hernandez. Cremation was at Val Verde Memorial Gardens in Donna.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at Mission Regional Medical Center. Pedro Herrera MISSION – Pedro Herrera, 69, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at PaxVilla Hospice in McAllen. Roberto Javier Ruiz MISSION – Roberto Javier Ruiz, 23, passed away on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016, at his home in Mission. Armando Salazar ALTON – Armando Salazar, 62, passed away on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016, at Lifecare Hospital in McAllen. Gerardo Torres MISSION – Gerardo Torres, 45, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at McAllen Medical Center.
Notices
Keith Anthony Bruining MISSION – Keith Anthony Bruining, 78, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, at his home in Mission. Gilbert Deckard MISSION – Gilbert Deckard, 80, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, at Mission Nursing and Rehabilitaion Center. George Florin MISSION – George Florin, 43, passed away on
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Mission’s annual Christmas tree lighting celebration is Dec. 2
Photographs with Santa, free drawings for bicycles and toys, folklorico groups, musical and choral performances are all on the agenda for the City of Mission’s annual Christmas tree lighting celebration on Friday, Dec. 2. Mission Deputy City Manager Aida Lerma said arts and crafts; door prizes and mariachis will also be part of the celebration be-
Mission Police Chief Robert Dominguez (left) presents Eva Barriega (right) with a box containing a pre-cooked Thanksgiving meal as part of the city’s annual Thanksgiving meal giveaway. Mission Crime Stoppers and other local organizations donated the items, which included a frozen turkey, canned goods and a box of stuffing. Barriega was one of 50 Mission residents who won a raffle to receive the Thanksgiving meal. Progress Times Photo by Jose De Leon III
Mission Education Development Council holds first meeting Council formally accepts two grants totaling $35,000 By Jose De Leon III After being formed five years ago, the Mission Educational Development Council (MeDC) officially became active Nov. 15 during their first ever meeting. During their initial meeting, the MeDC formally accepted two grants from AT&T and BBVA Compass Bank to be used for Ruby Red Ventures and Code the Town, two programs of the Mission Economic Development Corporation. The grant from AT&T will go toward Code the Town, a program that teaches computer science to potential business startups. According to Mission Economic Development Corporation CEO Alex Meade, the grant is for $20,000. The $15,000 grant from BBVA Compass may be used to expand the Ruby Red Ventures Program so the program can award $115,000 to local business startups in the current fiscal year instead of the $100,000 they usually
award to local businesses. “The initiative of the education council is to support the development of educational initiatives for residents,” Meade explained after the meeting. “We can now go after grant money that supports the efforts of several of our programs that focus on educating people on business startups like our Ruby Red Ventures program or computer coding like Code the Town.” The education council also elected to have the same officers of the Mission Economic Development Corporation serving as the council’s officers. The council also adopted a set of by-laws that state any money received through the council is to be used only for educational initiatives, Meade said. The education council was formed during the absorption of the Mission Economic Development Authority (MEDA) and the Mission Economic Development Corporation with the intent of setting it up as a 501c3
non-profit as those Mission entities did not qualify for non-profit status due to their for profit 501c4 status, according to Meade. However, since Meade was appointed CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation after the education council was set up, he was unaware of the existence of that entity and only found out about it after researching it. The research was brought up after the CEED building was denied from receiving grants due to the lack of a non-profit status. “With the now active education council, we can amend that and give out any money we receive through the council to our educational initiatives”, Meade said, adding that future meetings for the education council will be held in concurrence with meetings for the Mission Economic Development Corporation and the Mission Economic Development Authority.
ginning at 5:30 p.m. in Leo Peña Pazita Park in Downtown Mission. The actual tree lighting will happen at 6 p.m. with festivities continuing until 10 p.m. Food vendors will also be on hand, she said. Performances are planned by Agape Christian School, Mission High School’s theater group, Folklorico groups from Mission Parks & Recreation and Mission Consol-
idated Independent School District, the South Texas College Chamber Winds ensemble and the Bryan Elementary Fifth Grade Choir. A Zumba demonstration by Alejandra Flores is also scheduled. The public is invited to the park located on Conway Avenue and West Eighth Street. For more information contact the Mission Parks & Recreation at 956-580-8760.
Hearing set in former LJISD operations manager’s wrongful firing lawsuit A hearing has been set in Hidalgo County District Court regarding a lawsuit filed against La Joya Independent School District by the school system’s former Child Nutrition Department manager. Aida S. Flores, presiding judge of the 398th Judicial District, scheduled a Jan. 25, 2017 hearing on the school district’s response to the lawsuit filed by Ricardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez has alleged in a complaint filed in Au-
gust that current Board of Trustee’s President Oscar O. Salinas and Peñitas Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez coerced him to purchase food from vendors that had not been formally vetted and approved by the district. Rodriguez alleges he was wrongfully terminated after he brought the allegations to the attention of district officials. Both Salinas and Lopez have denied the claims. The school district’s attorneys responded to the complaint stating the court lacks juris-
diction because the Texas Whistleblower Act requires plaintiffs to first exhaust their avenues of redress via the local entity’s grievance system. The hearing is set to hear “the District’s plea to the Jurisdiction” issue. The hearing is scheduled at 8 a.m. before Judge Flores who is scheduled to retire on Jan. 2, according to the district’s clerk. Therefore the hearing will be transferred to another judge sometime prior to the hearing.
Joel Garcia (center left) is sworn in as a Palmview City Councilman during a Nov. 17 city council meeting. Garcia, a former La Joya ISD school board trustee, was sworn in along with Linda Sarabia and Javier Ramirez. All were newly elected to the council in the Nov. 8 election. Progress Times Photo by Jose De Leon III
November 25, 2016
SUSPENSION
from pg 1
to commit wire fraud this past September. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. A pretrial hearing has been set in February in U.S. District Court in McAllen. Garza is also a La Joya ISD trustee, but the charges are unrelated to the school district, which has taken no action to remove Garza, said Trustee President Oscar O. Salinas. Garza, who provided the Progress Times with a copy of the initial letter, said the contents of the letter confused him. The letter stated Garza was being notified of an “immediate suspension from participation in procurement and non-procurement transactions as a participant or principal with HUD and throughout the Executive Branch of the Federal Government.” According to Garza, the letter, which was dated Oct. 19, never specified what exactly he was suspended from
doing. “The letter doesn’t say I’m being suspended from the housing authority or that I cannot work there,” Garza said in a phone interview Monday. “It says I cannot participate in procurement and other things that have to do with funds. I assumed it meant I couldn’t do any construction work and right now I am suspended until the outcome of the investigation.” Garza also said the letter was mailed to his place of residence in La Joya and it didn’t instruct him to notify board members of his suspension. The 48-year-old said he was hoping his suspension wouldn’t result in the loss of his $69,000 salary, his main source of income. “Today was the first day of me not going into the office,” he said. “I’m not working since my suspension also means I am removed from my part-time construction job and my family and I will need to strategize to not struggle financially. The
board has always been great to me and they did what they had to do to follow procedures. I wish them the best and hope it’s going to be OK.” The board learned of the existence of the suspension letter after Chairwoman Frances Salinas De Leon received a courtesy email from HUD Nov. 16 that contained the initial letter as an attachment. “There was no way we would’ve known about this letter otherwise,” De Leon said after the meeting. “Garza has not been proven guilty and we support him personally but that’s something we must leave at the door when we come in as board members. We have to do what HUD tells us. Suspending him was hard but it had to be done.” As a precautionary measure, the board also voted to change all of its computer passwords, locks on the building and to remove Garza from any bank accounts
for the housing authority Garza has access to. Melissa Armijo, who served as Garza’s administrative assistant, was promoted to fill in as interim direc-
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS LA JOYA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT’S Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) LA JOYA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT will hold a public meeting at 6:00 P.M., November 30, 2016 in the Central Administration at Nellie Schunior Staff Development Center 200 West Expressway 83, La Joya,Texas The purpose of this meeting is to discuss La Joya Independent School District’s rating on the state’s Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST).
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MISSION CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
EXHIBIT C-2
STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCES - GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS Patricia Y. O’Caña-Olivarez, President FOR THE TEN MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016
Roy Vela, Vice President Petra B. Ramirez, Secretary Minnie R. Rodgers, Board Member Data Control Charlie Garcia III, Board Member Codes Dr. Sonia M. Treviño, Board Member REVENUES: 5700 and Intermediate JerryLocal Zamora, BoardSources Member 5800 State Program Revenues Dr. Ricardo López, 5900 Federal Program Revenues 5020 CISDTotal Revenues Mission Superintendent of Schools 0011 0012 0013 0021 0023 0031 0032 0033 0034 0035 0036 0041 0051 0052 0053 0061 0071 0072 0073 0081 0095 0095 0099 6030
EXPENDITURES: Current: Instruction Instructional Resources and Media Services Curriculum and Staff Development Instructional Leadership School Leadership Guidance, Counseling, & Evaluation Services Social Work Services Health Services Student Transportation Food Service Cocurricular/Extracurricular Activities General Administration Plant Maintenance and Operations Security and Monitoring Services Data Processing Services Community Services Principal on Long-term Debt Interest on Long-term Debt Bond Issuance Costs and Fees Capital Outlay Payments to Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs Other Intergovernmental Charges Total Expenditures
1100 1100
Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues Over (Under) Expenditures
7912 7915 8911 8940 7080 1200
Other Financing Sources and (Uses): Sale of Real or Personal Property Transfers In Transfers Out Payment to Bond Refunding Escrow Agent Total Other Financing Sources and (Uses) Net Change in Fund Balances
0100 3000
Fund Balances - Beginning Fund Balances - Ending
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.
10
60 Construction Fund 2008
General Fund $
$
21,919,007 112,936,893 12,874,551 147,730,451
$
37,341 37,341
98 Total Governmental Funds
Other Governmental Funds $
4,521,855 9,934,207 11,168,386 25,624,448
$
26,478,203 122,871,100 24,042,937 173,392,240
71,650,465 2,433,900 3,029,690 1,697,900 8,122,186 4,441,464 408,931 1,352,581 3,243,677 11,028,264 5,587,578 3,680,464 15,001,459 1,481,506 2,004,530 188,659 64,772 3,599,327
7,711 167,432 2,497 3,940,814
7,031,783 10,212 1,060,059 185,440 44,141 2,783,289 301,380 1,060,671 4,750 8,000 918,492 5,295,000 2,876,100 7,610 843,715
78,689,959 2,611,544 4,089,749 1,883,340 8,166,327 7,224,753 408,931 1,656,458 3,243,677 11,028,264 6,648,249 3,685,214 15,009,459 1,481,506 2,004,530 1,107,151 5,295,000 2,940,872 7,610 8,383,856
5,934 186,505 139,209,792
4,118,454
22,430,642
5,934 186,505 165,758,888
8,520,659
(4,081,113)
3,193,806
7,633,352
24,838 (282,996) (39,513) (297,671) 8,222,988
(4,081,113)
235,811 235,811 3,429,617
24,838 235,811 (282,996) (39,513) (61,860) 7,571,492
62,045,400 70,268,388
$
28,180,933 24,099,820
$
3,034,327 6,463,944
$
93,260,660 100,832,152
page 12
November 25, 2016
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Accomplishments merit scholarships to five students By Joe Hinton One Mission area high school student is creating a smart phone application that uses image recognition from a device’s camera to detect objects and then speaks to a blind person to help guide them as they walk. The developer was going blind himself and hopes to continue to create future products that aid others. Another area high school student wants to develop robots that will reduce the time needed to disinfect hospital
operating rooms by zapping germs. Another student started a group of fellow Jews whose projects included giving Thanksgiving turkeys to low-income families, toys to a hospital and orphanage and preparing and delivering sandwiches for the homeless at the Salvation Army. And they hope to continue serving their community into the future. Another student who has volunteered in the community wants to pursue a career as a sports medicine surgeon. And another, having created
a Boys & Girls club program offering students non-traditional sports opportunities, wants to continue educating students on nutrition in their quest to reduce childhood obesity in the Rio Grande Valley. In recognition of these accomplishments and with the intent of helping these students achieve their future goals the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce and Grande Produce teamed up to award each of these students a $1,000 scholarship. The scholarships were
Earlier this month Grande Produce and the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce awarded one thousand dollar scholarships to five students from Mission CISD and Sharyland ISD at a Nov. 10 Chamber of Commerce Dinner. (L-R) Mission High School student Edgar A. Garza, MCISD Superintendent Dr. Ricardo Lopez, Sharyland High School student Joshua S. Jones, Sandra Vecchio, Mission Prosperity Ventures Board member, Veterans Memorial High School student Kimberly A. Garza, Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Josh Stockel, Mission Collegiate High School student Jose R. Muniz, Grande Produce CEO Raul Cano, Sharyland Pioneer High School student Ewin Zuo, Mission Property Ventures Board member Kimberly A. Garza and Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas. Courtesy Photo.
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presented during an awards dinner Nov. 10 at Loretto Bistro in Mission. According to a press release from the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce the scholarships are a result of the City of Mission’s goal to recognize, promote and encourage an effective “education-to-workforce pipeline to address the region’s growing need for advanced manufacturing workers and entrepreneurs skilled in science, technology, engineering, art, design and mathematics,” or E-STEAM programs. The scholarships were awarded after students submitted essays explaining their achievements and goals. Among them Ewin Zuo, a Sharyland Pioneer High School student, explained his childhood passion of writing computer code was threatened when he started to go blind. He turned his passion into a quest to help himself and others by creating the smart phone application that detects then alerts persons with diminished eyesight to objects in their path. Zuo credited Dr. Bing Fu of the University of Texas RGV with helping him with his application development as well as a local organization called Code RGV, “which introduced me to many talented coders who helped me design my app. This was especially important when I ran into a brick wall because I couldn’t solve these complex problems. I could rely on these people to help me.”
Zuo calls his app “SmartEyes,” and more can be learned about it via his website: www.smarteyes.io. Zuo is passing on his newfound code writing knowledge to other students in a program called CodeCamp. Other scholarships winners are Mission High School senior Edgar A. Garza, a National Honor Society member who has given back to his community by donating his time and energy for holiday food and toy drives and has coached a girl’s basketball team at the Boys & Girls Club. His enthusiasm for sports has inspired him to become a sports medicine surgeon, he wrote. In her work volunteering at area hospitals Veteran’s Memorial High School student Kimberly A. Garza wrote she became aware of the amount of time consumed disinfecting operating rooms between procedures. Her goal is to create a robot that will decrease the amount of time it takes to clean operating rooms thus increasing the number of procedures that be performed each day. “A germ-zapping robot could be the solution to a cleaner and quicker day of surgeries,” she wrote. “By investing in germ-zapping robots and implementing them in Mission Regional Medical Center, we can save money and time, and improve the health of our community, one zap at a time.” Mission Collegiate High School student Jose R. Muniz said he learned the hard way
as a child how an unhealthy fast food diet can lead to excessive weight gain. He wrote as he researched the subject he found statistics showing 38.8 percent of the population in the McAllen metropolitan area are obese. This knowledge led to his involvement in the creation of an after school program at the Boys & Girls Club of Mission called “Play 60.” He said the hour-long program is intended to provide non-traditional sports activities such as Dodge Ball, Tag Races and Duck Duck Goose as an alternative physical activity for young people. He hopes to continue his involvement in promoting healthy life styles to area young people. “Unfortunately, it may be too late to get adults to change their eating habits, but it’s never too late to advocate the importance of health to young minds,” he wrote. “Imposing good eating habits in the children of the city can only mean one thing – a better, healthier future for the City of Mission.” Sharyland High School student Joshua S. Jones organized other Jewish teens into a social service club called JTeens. He said whatever the future holds for him he hopes to continue to serve the city of Mission because, “To me, Mission is a quiet oasis in a world full of noise and confusion; it is a place where people can come together with hope and vision of a better future,” he wrote.
MCALLEN – Registration for the 2017 spring semester is underway at all South Texas College campuses. Classes start Jan. 17, 2017, and students are encouraged to register early. South Texas College offers 119 degree and certificate programs with classes ranging from art, biology, and automotive technology to nursing, mathematics and
political science. More than 34,000 students attend STC, and a faculty and staff of more than 1,600 serve STC’s five state-of-the-art campuses, two teaching centers and South Texas College Online, a virtual campus. Advisors are available to assist new students with the registration process. Current and recently enrolled students can register
online at SouthTexasCollege.edu/register or at any South Texas College location. New students can apply for admission online, or in-person. A complete listing of upcoming classes is available at SouthTexasCollege. edu/academics/courses/. For more information call 956872-8375.
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