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Vol. 46 No. 5
Locals react with apprehension to DACA’s end
Getting hurricane relief where it’s needed
By Jose De Leon III When Hilaria Fernandez first heard the news that President Donald J. Trump ordered an end to the federal program that protects her daughter from deportation, she instantly felt heartbreak. Fernandez spoke of her daughter, who she declined
to name, during an informal meeting Tuesday at the San Juan office of the immigration advocacy group, La Union del Pueblo Entero. Fernandez’s daughter, she said, has been a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program since its inception in 2012. The program has until
Tania Chavez of La Union del Pueblo Entero in San Juan, speaks to a crowd during a Tuesday meeting concerning the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III
now, protected Fernandez’s daughter, as well as nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrant youth who came to the United States when they were children, from deportation. According to the University of California at Berkeley’s Undocumented Student Program, DACA gave young undocumented immigrants protection from deportation and a work permit. The program expires after two years and is subject to renewal. To qualify, recipients had to be students or high school graduates with no felony convictions, the website states. DACA recipients were also ineligible for benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and supplemental security income. On Tuesday, U.S. Attor-
See DACA’S END Pg. 10
Mission moving to create animal adoption center
Boy Scout Troop 83 and Crew 83, of Mission, made a trip last weekend to hurricane-stricken Aransas Pass where they served 700 meals and distributed relief supplies to storm victims. Scout parent Gabriel Salinas is shown preparing pulled pork to serve to area residents. See related story, page 5.
By Jim Brunson Many different groups, clubs, churches, cities, businesses and individuals have stepped up to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey – the storm that FEMA Director William “Brock” Long has described as probably the worst disaster to ever hit Texas. With early estimates of the damages caused by Harvey in the range of $180 billion, the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday passed a bill providing $7.9 billion in disaster relief for the hurricane victims. Obviously, much more is needed and will come from many different sources, includ-
ing private donations and a whole array of relief agencies reaching out to help people get back on their feet. How can you help? How do you know if donating water or canned goods is what is really needed? Where should you send it? How do you know if your donations are going where they need to go? The Progress Times contacted the president of the Texas VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) to get answers. The Texas VOAD is an affiliate of the National VOAD and many Texas counties have formed local county VOAD organizations. These VOAD organizations work
By Henry Miller
cooperatively in collaboration with local, regional and national nonprofits, faithbased organizations and governmental agencies to coordinate disaster relief, response and recovery. Jim McKee, president of the Texas VOAD, when asked what help is needed said, “Things are very fluid and it depends on developing events. Things we see this week could dramatically change next week.” So people and relief organizations need to watch day by day. “One thing we do not need is used clothing,” he stressed. “Please do not send used clothing.”
Support and action are both increasing for the City of Mission to create its own Animal Shelter/Adoption Center. The idea was recently brought up following a city council meeting by Councilwoman Jessica Ortega-Ochoa. Recently the City of Mission declined to renew their contract for service with the Palm Valley Animal Center in Edinburg. Previously, Mission had a Memorandum of Understanding with the shelter the city would send animals to the center for $150 per animal. Mission City Manager Martin Garza said that the shelter approached the city with a new contract before the old one expired, request-
See HURRICANE RELIEF Pg. 11
See ADOPTION CENTER Pg. 10
Despite that materials for the Tom Landry Hall of Fame Stadium have been stuck in Houston due to Hurricane Harvey, the project’s architect said he’s still hopeful the $8 million project will be completed by Sept. 15, two weeks after the contractual completion date. That was the message project architect, Eli Alvarado, brought to the Mission Consolidated Independent School Board Facilities/
Environment Committee Wednesday night during its monthly meeting. Alvarado’s comment followed his report that the stadium’s press box elevator, glass windows and metal wall panels remained in Houston because of Hurricane Harvey along with the stadium’s signs and parts of the seating chair backs for the reserved seating area on the home side of the stadium. Alvarado said the elevator was not scheduled to
have been delivered until today anyway, and that once delivered it will take about ten days for the manufacturer to assemble the elevator on site. “Everything is sitting there we just haven’t had it delivered to us so once we get it we can start installing everything,” Alvarado said. Michael Montalvo, project manager for Holchemont Ltd. Construction company, said the press box windows
See STADIUM UPDATE Pg. 11
Sullivan City also moves forward on drainage project By Joe Hinton The governing bodies of Sullivan City and Palmview joined five other Rio Grande Valley cities Tuesday in passing resolutions against President Trump’s call to build additional border walls or fences in the RGV. For the past several weeks members of a grass roots group of activists calling
Tonight’s game between football rivals, the Mission High School Eagles and the Veterans Memorial High School Patriots will be played in Donna. Reporter Luciano Guerra has a preview inside.
credit for changing the mind of Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas on the matter. Ochoa was joined by group members, Meri Gomez and Salome Welliver, to witness the unanimous vote by the Sullivan City Council as it passed a resolution calling on Trump and Congress to reconsider using taxpayer money for border
See OPPOSITION TO WALL Pg. 11
Boy Scouts to the rescue
Crime and punishment
A mission Boy Scouts troop traveled to Aransas Pass last weekend to aid victim’s affected by Hurricane Harvey. The troop plans to return this weekend and is seeking public donations. Read about it inside.
A Mission woman is charged with manslaughter and La Joya school district employee has been convicted of falsely purchasing a weapon. Read about all inside.
See Pg. 6
Entertainment | pg.2
themselves the No Border Wall Initiative have been presenting their proposed resolution to RGV cities lobbying their governing bodies to pass resolutions against further border fences or walls in the RGV. One member, Carrie Monthay Ochoa, a former KGBT TV news reporter who now operates a non-profit based Media company, said the group takes
INSIDE
Battle of Conway hits the road tonight
INDEX
ry Miller
Sullivan City, Palmview join opposition to border wall
Some Tom Landry Stadium materials stuck in Houston By Joe Hinton
Tony de la Peña, a volunteer with Palm Valley Animal Center, exercises a dog in the center’s recreation yard as an Animal Control truck enters the facility with a new arrival. Progress Times photo by Hen-
See Pg. 5
Lifestyle | pg.3
Opinion | pg.4
Sports | pg. 6
See Pg. 5
Obituaries | pg. 9
Classifieds | pg. 11
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September 8, 2017
www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com
Coming Attractions
VSO Concert I features violinist Diana Seitz By Amanda Taylor EDINBURG – Classical delights from Sibelius, Prokofiev and Copeland’s ballet suites will fill the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex during the first concert of the season for the Valley Symphony Orchestra. The performance officially opens the 2017-2018 Symphonic Visions season with “Concert 1 – The Simple Gift” at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22. The upcoming performance features Diana Seitz, associate concertmaster, on violin. Seitz will perform Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1, D-Major. Born in Russia, Seitz received her bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory and served as associate concertmaster of the Moscow Bach Center Orchestra. She currently teaches violin at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. “I think the symphony has reached another year of maturity and sophistication, and a new level of performance and talent,” said Dr. Peter Dabrowski, VSO Maestro and music director. “This is the first time, without hesitation, that we can plan our season utilizing two fantastically acoustic halls in our program.” In the past, the Valley Symphony Orchestra was forced to hop around from venue to venue for perfor-
mances. Today, the VSO has two venues to call home, the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex and the new McAllen Performing Arts Center. Both facilities are state-ofthe-art structures that were built with live musical performances in mind and were acoustically tuned to the VSO musicians. Additional featured artists performing this season include Yuliya Gorenman, piano; UTRGV Mariachi Aztlan, Asiya Korepanova, piano; and vocalists Natalie Cummings, soprano; Brian Yeakley, tenor; and Lee Poulis, bass to perform Carmina Burana in April. “We have these incredible soloists who are spectacular musicians and human beings who we have collaborated with in the past,” Dabrowski said. “They are bringing the very best of what’s in music – beauty, elegance, passion and inspiration.” Founded in 1952, the Valley Symphony Orchestra remains the pre-eminent orchestra in the Rio Grande Valley. Each symphonic season, the program releases five major works concerts and a POPS concert. Concert tickets range in price from orchestra level at $58, front of the house at $48 and back of the house at $38. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 956-661-1615 or visit valleyorchestra.org.
September 9 • The Upper Valley Art League presents the opening reception of a solo exhibition by local artist Jessica Monroe from 7 to 9 p.m at the Kika de la Garza Fine Arts Center, 921 E. 12th St. in Mission. Titled “Art Ecologic” Monroe’s works focus on the chaos, movement and energy of nature. The exhibition runs through Saturday, Oct. 7, and is free and open to the public. The UVAL gallery is open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 2 to 6 p.m. For additional information, call 956-5832787. September 14 • For the next UTRGV Patron of the Arts performance, the Faculty Artists Series presents Russian Solo & Chamber Music of the 1960s performed by Brendan Kinsella on piano and Luke Fitzpatrick on violin as they perform the music by Alfred Shnittke and Dmitri Shostakovich. The performance begins at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Complex on the UTRGV campus in Edinburg. It is free and open to the public September 15 • The UTRGV Patron of the Arts Chamber Music concert features internationally renowned Alejandro Drago on the violin performing with the UTRGV String Faculty. It begins at 7 p.m. in the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg. It is free and open to the public. For more information, call 956882-7025. September 16, 23, 30 • The Upper Valley Art League (UVAL) will host the workshop series, “Keeping a Nature Journal,” led by Jessica Monroe. All sessions are 10 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $10 per class or $25 for all for UVAL members and $15 per class or $35 for all for nonmembers. All ages are welcome to join in, but children should be accompanied by an adult. Different subjects and aspects of journaling will be covered in each session. To sign up, call the UVAL gallery at 956-583-2787 or stop by during regular hours at 921 E. 12th St. in Mission. September 22 • The Valley Symphony Orchestra concert season opens with “The Simple Gift” at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Performing Arts Center, on the Edinburg campus. The performance begins at 8 p.m. For information, call the VSO at 956661-1615. For tickets, go to tickets.vendini.com. September 23 • San Benito’s Native American Cultural Pow-Wow 2017 takes place at Veteran’s Memorial Academy at 2115 N. Oscar Williams Rd. Admission is free of charge for the colorful and action-packed event sponsored by the Texas Heritage Independence Celebration Association (THICA). Native American dancers representing various tribes will participate in various styles of Native dance in colorful powwow, as well as more traditional regalia from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Vendors, drawings, cake walks and other entertainment will be included. For more information, contact THICA President Bruce Kidd at 956-8732959, Fred Garza at 956-215-6980, Ruben Cordova at 956-7932357, or Anabeth Molina-Cordova at 956-821-7402. (For more Coming Attractions, go to ptrgv.com)
‘Almost Heaven’ opens at STC Sept. 11
Diana Seitz, left, will be the featured violinist at the upcoming Valley Symphony Orchestra concert. Asiya Korepanova is at the piano.
Time to sign up for UTRGV Patron of the Arts EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Patron of the Arts membership drive is in full gear with concerts beginning as soon as next week. New and old members can sign up for season tickets this Monday, Sept. 11, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg and then stay for the musical performance of legendary bassist Eddie Gomez and
his Jazz Trio that begins at 7 p.m. Season membership prices are Student, one ticket per concert, $20; Single, one ticket per concert, $75; Duo, two tickets per concert, $125; and Family, four tickets per concert, $200. Season membership tickets can also be purchased at patron.utrgv.edu. Individual tickets are available at tickets.vendini.com or call 800901-7173.
McALLEN – The South Texas College Art Department presents “Almost Heaven” an art exhibition featuring works by artist Mark Trent. The exhibit opens Monday, Sept, 11, and will be on view Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Oct. 11 at the South Texas College Art Gallery located on the Pecan Campus in building B-103. On Thursday, Oct. 5, Trent will give an artist talk from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition, artist talk and reception are free and open to the public. After studying at New River Community and Technical College in Lewisburg, W.V., Trent earned a bachelor’s from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., and went on to work for several years in New York City in commercial photography and filmmaking. He now works as a
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EDINBURG – The Performing Arts Complex (PAC) on the Edinburg Campus will be filled with the sounds of legendary bassist and twotime Grammy award winner Eddie Gomez and his Jazz Trio, at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11. Gomez will open the 2017-2018 Patron of the Arts season which offers a lineup of distinguished guest artists, faculty and student concerts scheduled throughout the year at venues in both Edinburg and Brownsville. Legendary bassist and two-time Grammy® award winner, Gomez has been on the cutting edge of music for over four decades. His impressive resumé includes performances with jazz giants such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan and Benny Goodman. “Eddie’s unique sound and style can be heard on hundreds of recordings
spanning the worlds of jazz, classical, Latin jazz, rhythm and blues, popular and contemporary music, said Dr. Dahlia Guerra, assistant vice president for Public Art. Patron of the Arts is the performance and membership series of the UTRGV School of Music and has provided Rio Grande Valley residents and visitors artistic programs for more than 30 years. Patron members have the benefit of season passes to events in both Brownsville at the TSC Arts Center and at the PAC on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. Gomez’s concert is open to the general public. Tickets are $15 for general admission; $10, seniors; and $5, students. For tickets, visit patron.utrgv.edu or call 956665-3381 or 956-882-7025. For a schedule of events, go to patron.utrgv.edu. Tickets are also available at tickets. vendini.com or call 800-9017173.
Eddie Gomez Jazz Trio
Hurricane Beulah – 50 years later
EDINBURG – In 1967, South Texas and Northeastern Mexico suffered the destruction and consequences of Hurricane Beulah. The historic hurricane and its impact will be discussed at the next Sunday Speaker Series presentation on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. A representative from the National Weather Service in Brownsville will discuss how the hurricane impacted the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico. The presentation “Beulah, Then and Now: Is the Valley Ready in 2017?” will explore how this region would withstand another hurricane like Beulah. The massive hurricane made landfall near the mouth of the Rio Grande on Sept. 20, 1967, and came to be regarded as the third largest hurricane of the 20th century, spawning a record 115 tornadoes and measuring over 600 miles in diameter. Massive flooding occurred throughout the region, and many Mexican citizens fled to safety in the U.S.
At the conclusion, guests can watch a short film on Hurricane Beulah followed by an exclusive screening of staff interviews who remember the hurricane’s wrath. Before and after, Joseph Fox, the associate education officer, will record oral histories with interested individuals who would like to share memories or stories about Hurricane Beulah. Anyone who cannot attend the program but would like to provide memories or stories is asked to call the museum at 956-383-6911. Museum staff will also be accepting cash donations for the American Association for State and Local History Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to help other cultural and historic sites rebuild from the damages caused by the hurricane. The program is included in the regular museum admission to the museum. It is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 N. Closner Blvd. Call 956-383-6911 for further information.
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freelance multimedia artist. He has accumulated a body of stunning images shot in his native state, from intimate portraits to haunting and unfiltered observations of his surroundings. “Almost Heaven” consists of images selected from this insightful personal collection. “Whether through still photography, or motion picture Mark’s mastery of light and atmosphere is evident in his poignant and arresting images,” says Nathan England, art instructor. “His stories are often personal and always seen through a prism of empathy for his subjects. Mark’s desire to tell stories drives his images; each one conveying its own compelling narrative.” For more information. contact Federico Gonzalez Jr., gallery assistant at 956872-2501 or fgonza14@ southtexascollege.edu.
UTRGV hosts legendary bassist Eddie Gomez
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MOSTHistory in Edinburg takes a look back at Hurricane Beulah that hit the Rio Grande Valley Sept. 20, 1967.
September 8, 2017 Speer Memorial Library 12th & Kika Loop Mission • 580-8750
LJISD out to recover dropouts
BETWEEN THE BOOKENDS
By William Renner “In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.” –Kristin Hannah Join us at Speer Memorial Library in Mission on Tuesday, Oct. 3, for the next book discussion. This month’s title is “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah. It takes place in the library’s Community Room at 5:30 p.m. in Spanish and at 6:30 p.m. in English. The public is invited to attend and participate in the discussion. Vianne and Isabelle are sisters living in France at the beginning of World War II. Vianne, a schoolteacher, has a happy life in the French countryside with her husband and eight-year-old daughter. After her husband is drafted into the French army, Isabelle, 18 years old and rebellious, comes to live with her. Soon, however, Nazi forces overrun and occu-
py France, and occupy Vianne’s home as well. The sisters now face a choice: should they keep a low profile to protect their family, or should they join the French Resistance and fight back? Either way, it seems that the war has come to the home front. First published in 2015, it is a story of survival, love and human resilience. A work of historical fiction, it illuminates an often overlooked part of history— women in wartime. Copies of the book are available for check out to those who sign up for the book discussion. Stop by the library, call 956-580-8754 or email reference@missiontexas.us. This title is also available as an eBook at hidalgocotx.oneclickdigital. com. For more information, call William Renner or Rose Alvarez at 580-8754 or 5808750. Speer Memorial is located at 12th and Kika De La Garza in Mission.
MOSTHistory honors grandparents Sept. 9
EDINBURG – The public is invited to come out and honor grandparents at the Museum of South Texas History on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will recognize the grandparents who play a key role in providing a sense of place and belonging for children and preserving history by sharing family stories, making and sharing a recipe handed down for generations or showing photos of a great-great-grandfather. Spend the afternoon engaging in activities with souvenir boutonnieres for grand-
parents, “instant vintage” photos in a photo frame, family tree crafts, and a tour through the galleries. There will be a Family History Hunt to spark family conversations and stories. Finish the hunt off with coffee and pan dulce in the Grande Lobby. This event is for the community and encourages grandparents who do not have family members close by to also join in the festivities. Admission is free until noon. The Museum of South Texas
Families can take time to look back for a special event honoring grandparents on Sept. 9 at MOSTHistory in Edinburg.
STC to host women’s retreat Sept. 14 McALLEN – South Texas College will be hosting a women’s conference, “Know Your Status,” dedicated to raising awareness on a host of critical issues including sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS sexual health, mental health issues and self-care. The public is invited to the free event on Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Cooper Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Breakfast, lunch, refreshments and giveaways will be provided throughout the day. Keynote speaker Dr. San-
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dra Ledesma, STC assistant professor in the Education Department will present “Untitled, Unlabeled and Uniquely You.” Speakers will include experts in the fields of violence prevention, sexual reproductive system, HIV and myths about sexual reproductive health. The day ends with laughter yoga. To register, visit southtexascollege.edu/info/womensretreat. For more information, call 956-872-2530 or email mavila2@southtexascollege.edu.
Starting school off right
Kimberly Espinosa is the first student in Mission C.I.S.D. to break the million-word mark this school year in the Accelerated Reader (AR) program. An eighth grader at R. Cantu Jr. High School (RCJH), Kimberly became the district’s first Platinum level reader on the first day of school. She wasted no time in doing so by getting a jump start by reading over the summer and then wasted no time in taking AR tests on the books she completed during the break. Based on her exam results, she was credited with reading 1,212,454 words, with the entire school year still to go.
LA JOYA – The La Joya ISD Dropout Prevention Department and administrators with the central office will be knocking on doors as part of “Operation: Education Matters” to help bring back dropouts. Over 60 employees will visit homes on Saturday, Sept. 9, and Thursday, Sept. 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on both days. In what has become tradition, once a year, groups of LJISD educators literally take to the streets in search of students who have dropped out in an effort to persuade them to return to the classroom. The teams consists of social workers,
counselors, police officers and central office personnel – including the superintendent. They are assigned routes with files, maps and addresses and work tirelessly throughout the morning, seeking out students to register. Middle and high schools, on their end, have representatives waiting to receive the students at their home campuses to get them enrolled on Sept. 11 and Sept. 21. When transportation is an issue, the LJISD police officers step in to transport students to and from school. For information about the effort, call 956-358-8838.
Exploring RGV history through photographer’s lens
EVENTS
CALENDAR
September 9 – 23 – Learn how to beautify gardens at the Edinburg World Birding Center this month on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. to get the tips and techniques for a healthy start on home gardens. The fee for each class varies; call for information. Seating is limited and registration is required at least two days prior to the class. The EWBC is located at 714 Raul Longoria Rd. For more information or to make reservations, call 956-381-9922. September 10 – The Tip of Texas Orchid Society (TOTOS) will resume their regular meetings at 2 p.m. at the Valley Nature Center, 301 S. Border in Weslaco. This month’s topic is “Orchid Alliances.” The numerous species of orchids can be confusing and alliances offer a way to organize collections into groups with common growing conditions. Discussion will address the conditions necessary to keep each alliance growing in the Rio Grande Valley. Orchids and supplies will be available for purchase at the meeting. TOTOS has a supply of “Orchiata” – a specific potting medium—for sale to members. The public is invited. September 16 – From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., children can learn to identify different of types of animals at the next Saturday Safari, “Animals Have Class,” at the Gladys Porter Zoo, 500 Ringgold in Brownsville. It includes a zoo tour, arts & crafts, animal encounter and snacks. Classes are $15 per child or adult with a $5 discount for zoo members. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. Call 956-548-9453 to register or for more information or e-mail educ@gpz.org. September 19 – The Empty Bowls fundraiser gala benefitting the Food Bank RGV will again be held at the Boggus Ford Events Center from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Slots are open for local restaurants to promote their gourmet dishes along with sponsorship opportunities for businesses. Companies and individuals are encouraged to donate unique bowls and silent auction items. For info, contact Philip Farias by calling 956-904-4513 or pfarias@foodbankrgv.com. September 21 – Mission Historical Museum’s 11th Annual Fundraiser Banquet will be held at the Mission Community Center at 6:30 p.m. with a social hour, music and silent auction followed by the program and presentations of this year’s Wall of Fame honorees. Individual tickets and table reservations will be available Monday, Aug. 7, at the MHM office. For information, sponsorships and reservations, contact Linda Castañeda at 580-8646 or visit the museum at 900 Doherty Ave. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. September 21 – Head to Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center at 6 p.m. for a presentation on “Hurricane Beulah: Then (1967) and Now (2017)” to take a look at the storm’s aftermath on its 50th anniversary. Presenter is Barry Goldsmith who has spent more than 30 years in the National Weather Service, holding a variety of jobs including National Verification Specialist, General and Senior Forecaster, and Warning Coordination Meteorologist. During this time, he has watched the explosion of technology change the way weather information is provided and communicated to the public. Admission is $3. Quinta Mazatlan is located 600 Sunset in McAllen. For more information, call 956-6813370. September 23 – Children can meet some of the Gladys Porter Zoo’s birds of prey up close and personal at the next Saturday Safari: Incredible Hawk from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A zoo tour, arts & crafts, animal encounter and snacks are included in each class. Classes are $15 per child or adult with a $5 discount for zoo members. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. Call 956-548-9453 to register or for more information or e-mail educ@gpz.org. The zoo is located at 500 Ringgold in Brownsville. (For more Events, go to ptrgv.com.)
Pino Shah
Eileen Mattei
McALLEN – Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center hosts a presentation on the History of the Rio Grande Valley through Historical Structures and Quinta Mazatlan” on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. Pino Shah, a world heritage photographer, and freelancer Eileen Mattei, a renowned nature and history writer, will guide visitors on a visual journey across the Rio Grande Valley. Through photographs of historical structures of the Valley, Shah weaves a historical visual journey through his book, “Architecture of the Lower Rio Grande Valley: An Introduction.” The book celebrates the archi-
tecture of the Texas-Mexico border region, its craftsmen, cultures and climate. The images are a 160-year expedition of history and heritage. Shah also created the book “Quinta Mazatlan: A Visual Journey” in collaboration with writer Eileen Mattei. Using photographs and discussion, the two will highlight the unique elements of the “Mansion with a Mission, Quinta Mazatlan,” and its history. The program is included in the $3 per person admission. Quinta Mazatlan is located 600 Sunset in McAllen. For more information, call 956-681-3370.
opinion
September 8, 2017 November January 2, 2015 25, 2016
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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS
By Ed Sterling Texas Press Association
STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
Flood-related suffering, relief efforts grow in Harvey’s wake AUSTIN — Emergency relief operations expanded and intensified last week as floodwaters caused by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey-generated rains inundated and overwhelmed Harris County and dozens of other stricken counties. While damage estimates continue to increase, at least 45,000 people have moved to public shelters, more than 100,000 homes have been destroyed and the death toll is rising. On Aug. 25, President Donald Trump declared a major disaster exists in Texas. He ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in affected areas. Assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Also, Trump said, federal funding is available to the State of Texas and to eligible local governments and certain nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in designated counties. More counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed, according to a White House bulletin. On Aug. 28, Gov. Greg Abbott activated the entire 14,000-member Texas National Guard in response to Harvey. On Aug. 31, Abbott added some 10,000 National Guard troops to help, bringing the estimated total to 24,000. Those deployed forces, along with contin-
gencies of first responders, ordinary citizens and every branch of the U.S. military, remain in the area, assisting in search and rescue efforts. Even after rains ended on Aug. 31, standing and running water covered a huge region of Texas, impeding efforts to restore the power grid. Various officials warned that Texans should be prepared for a long recovery process. Recovery cost estimates already stand at more than $150 billion. As a point of perspective, the Texas Economic Stimulus Fund, widely referred to as the “rainy day fund,” is about $10.3 billion, according to the state comptroller’s office. Storm claims to be paid The Texas Department of Insurance on Aug. 30 reassured Texas policyholders that storm claims will be paid and that the agency will enforce state laws and policy provisions aggressively to protect victims of Hurricane Harvey and the widespread flooding that followed. “The claims filing process and deadlines aren’t changing September 1,” the agency stated in a news release. “House Bill 1774 from the last regular session does not change how homeowners file a claim, deadlines to file claims, or how insurers process claims. It also does not apply to claims with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association or the National Flood Insurance Program.” Furthermore, property owners with covered damages maintain the same rights to an insurance claim whether they file their claim before or after September 1. The Texas Department of Insurance operates a toll-free consumer help line, 1-800-252-3439. Judge stops Senate Bill 4
Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia of San Antonio on Aug. 30 forbade the State of Texas from implementing Senate Bill 4, controversial immigration reform legislation passed by the Texas lawmakers in May and signed into law by Gov. Abbott in June. SB 4, also known as the “sanctuary cities” and “show me your papers” bill, was scheduled to take effect Sept. 1. In his 94-page ruling finding parts of the law unconstitutional, Judge Garcia sided with plaintiffs in enjoining local and state law enforcement agencies from complying with, honoring or fulfilling any immigration detainer request issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gov. Abbott decried the ruling, saying, “U.S. Supreme Court precedent for laws similar to Texas’ law are firmly on our side. This decision will be appealed immediately and I am confident Texas’ law will be found constitutional and ultimately be upheld.” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s reaction was in line with the governor’s statement. On the other hand, State Rep. Evelina Ortega, D-El Paso, welcomed the ruling, saying SB 4 “has already brought fear among our significant Latino population” and “Texas should be promoting safety and cooperation among its residents and our local law enforcement, especially in times of crisis as we are currently experiencing with Hurricane Harvey.” El Paso County and the City of El Paso are among many plaintiffs challenging SB 4 in the case, titled City of El Cenizo et al. v. State of Texas et al.
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Raising awareness on the fight against childhood cancer Each year, pediatric cancer interrupts the childhood and limits the potential of thousands of young Americans. It is estimated that almost 16,000 of our daughters and sons under the age of 20, will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and it remains the leading cause of disease-related death for children. At Tuesday’s meeting, the Court unanimously proclaimed September as Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. “Before I read the Proclamation, I want to introduce a very special guest we have with us here today,” said Public Affairs Director Julia Benitez Sullivan. “Yarissa Diaz is four-years-old and a cancer survivor.” Yarissa and her family were welcomed with a wave of applause from the audience. This month in honor of these young patients, their loved ones, and all those who support them – Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health Care System rededicates itself to combating this devastation. “We really appreciate the county for amplifying this important message that helps support and draw attention to such an important fight that young children face daily,” said Dr. Gerardo Lopez-Mena, who serves as Medical Director of the Advanced Care Center. During this special month, our nation comes together to remember all those whose lives were cut short by pediatric cancer, to recognize the loved ones who know too well the pain it causes, and to support every child and every family battling can-
cer,” read the Proclamation, in part. Commissioners Court encourages all Hidalgo County residents to join in national observances and in reaffirming our commitment to fighting childhood cancer. Court moves to establish a Hidalgo County Regional Foreign Trade Zone “Earlier this year we came before the court for a status update on discussions regarding the newly proposed foreign trade zone,” said Hidalgo County’s Director of Economic Development Michael Leo. Hidalgo County in collaboration with the cities of Pharr, Edinburg, Donna, and Weslaco are establishing their own trade zone by expanding on the Weslaco Foreign Trade Zone. “The idea is to have another zone that they can use as another economic development tool,” said Leo. This will allow for representation of all the entities involved. The formation documents, which allows the new entity to be created, were approved at Court today. Once the entity is created, Weslaco will be able to petition the federal government to officially transfer its designation to the newly created entity. The group will work closely with state delegates to ensure that this new entity is listed in the business and commerce code for Texas, which is a legal requirement. “There will be equal representation from each city and the county,” said Leo. “Since we’re using Weslaco’s designation, they will have two seats on the board of directors”. Commissioners Court work on 2018 budget Hidalgo County continued with its fifth budget
workshop as Budget Officer Sergio Cruz gave an overview of items that included: personnel adjustments, approved allocation for the road and bridge fund, and employee health insurance. Commissioners Court approved the deletion of three positions in order to compensate for the eight percent across the board premium increase of roughly $335,000. Employees will see no increase in their contributions. “We’ve been able to develop a balanced budget with no tax increase for 2018 which we feel will meet the needs of Hidalgo County,” said Cruz. Funding allocations for the Road and Bridge department is the second major fund for the County. Cruz reported that by leaving $244,000 in the road and bridge fund balance, the 2018 budget allocated for Road and Bridge will remain the same as in 2017. There will be one more budget workshop before presenting the budget on Sept. 19 prior to Commissioner Court adoption of the 2018 budget on Sept. 26. The court approved a motion for legal services with regards to opioids litigation at Tuesday’s meeting. “There are various firms working together on this issue,” said Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia. The following firms are as follows: The Gallagher Law Firm, LLP from Houston Watts Guerra LLP from San Antonio Fibich, Leebron, Copeland, & Briggs Law Firm from Houston The Law Office of Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa from McAllen Simmons Hanly Conroy Law Firm from Chicago.
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La Joya ISD employee pleads Mission woman jailed following guilty to federal firearms charge fatal holiday weekend incident By Jose De Leon III An employee with the La Joya Independent School district pled guilty to a federal firearms charge last week in connection to a straw-purchasing investigation that began a year ago. Rebecca Lynne Gonzalez admitted making false statements on federal paperwork when she bought a pistol in December 2015, according to court documents. During her detention hearing Aug. 28, agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives accused Gonzalez of buying guns for Lombardo Bazan-Barrera, a local businessman who was arrested this past May. Bazan-Barrera was booked into the Hidalgo County jail and subsequently indicted on two counts of making false statements on federal firearms forms. Bazan-Barrera has been ac-
cused of enlisting two other individuals to make “straw purchases” – a criminal act in which a person who is prohibited from buying firearms uses another person to buy a gun on their behalf – of four handguns. The ATF investigation of Bazan-Barrera began in January 2016 when 16 handguns and 2,000 rounds of ammunition were found in the spare tire of a pickup truck driven by a man authorities identified as Joseph Gonzalez. According to Bazan-Barrera’s indictment and criminal complaint, two conspirators told investigators Bazan-Barrera had given them money to purchase four of the pistols found in Gonzalez’s pickup truck. According to federal court documents, agents ultimately linked 39 guns to Bazan-Barrera, including 11 weapons Gonzalez purchased at local gun shops. They also linked the straw purchasing scheme
to guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico. A grand jury indicted Gonzalez and Bazan-Barrera n on June 20. Bazan-Barrera is charged with four counts of making false statements when purchasing a firearm while Gonzalez is charged with two counts of making false statements when purchasing a firearm. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on federal paperwork. She faces up to 10 years in federal prison. No sentencing date had been set as of press time. A spokesperson for Enrique Camarena Elementary School said Gonzalez was an employee for the campus but would not comment on her employment status. KGBTTV reported Gonzalez was on unpaid administrative leave following her hearing.
Boy Scouts seek donations for Hurricane Harvey relief
Boy Scout Crew 83 members Austin Rodriguez and Samuel Gutierrez help unload relief supplies their crew delivered to Port Aransas hurricane victims on Saturday, Sept. 2. Last Saturday, Sept. 2, Mission’s Boy Scout Troop 83 and Crew 83 traveled to Aransas Pass to help the victims affected by Hurricane Harvey. The group of four adults and 11 youth used $1300 in donations to serve 700 hot meals to victims, volunteer workers and first responders, according to Assistant Scoutmaster and Crew Adviser Vidal Rodriguez. The scouts precooked 35 pork butts and prepared a warm meal. They also distributed a trailer load of water, diapers, personal hygiene items and dog food. “When we got into Aransas Pass we drove into what looked like a war zone, Rodriguez said. “The devastation we saw was speechless. We set up in a parking lot where first responders were located. We placed tables, chairs and canopies so the people could relax and enjoy their meal. We were able to feed over 700 people and handed out donations
collected by the scouts. My scouts worked all day and left with a feeling of accomplishment.” The troop and crew are looking forward to going back to serve more meals this weekend, but they need monetary donations to purchase the meat and other food items. To make a donation, make checks payable to BSA 83 Crew 83 Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund account # 702053697 at Navy Army Community Credit Union. For those wishing to donate items such as diapers (both for infants and adults), new undergarments (in package), personal hygiene products, Rodriguez asks that you take those items to the Mission Food Pantry and make the donation on behalf of the Mission Lions Club. The club will see that those items are sent to local Lions Clubs in the affected areas so they can see that they are delivered where they are needed most.
PUBLIC NOTICE Brief Explanatory Statements of Proposed Constitutional Amendments Special Election, November 7, 2017 Proposition Number 1 (HJR 21) HJR 21 proposes a constitutional amendment that would permit the Texas legislature to expand the circumstances under which a partially disabled veteran or their spouse may qualify for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the veteran’s residence homestead. Currently, the Texas legislature may provide that a partially disabled veteran or their spouse is entitled to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of a percentage of the market value of the disabled veteran’s residence homestead only if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization at no cost to the veteran. The amendment would allow the Texas legislature to provide that the exemption also may be taken when the residence homestead was donated, sold, or transferred to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization for less than the market value of the residence homestead. The amendment also harmonizes certain related provisions of the Texas Constitution. The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization for less than the market value of the residence homestead and harmonizing certain related provisions of the Texas Constitution.” Proposition Number 2 (SJR 60) SJR 60 proposes a constitutional amendment to require that certain conditions be met for the refinancing of a home equity loan to be secured by a voluntary lien on a homestead. The amendment also would: redefine what is excluded in the calculation of the
By Joe Hinton A 23-year-old Mission woman remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond after allegedly killing a 57-year-old Laredo woman in an alleged drunk driving incident Sunday night in Mission. Rose Mary Vega was arraigned Tuesday before Mission Municipal Court Judge Horacio Peña Jr. on one count of intoxication manslaughter, a class 2 felony that carries a two to 20-year prison term and up to a $10,000 fine. The judge said he was denying a request from Vega’s attorney, Abner Burnett of Edinburg, to release Vega on her own recognizance because of the severity of the crime. Peña said Vega’s attorney could request a bond reduction when her case was transferred to District Court. As several members of her family sat behind her in the courtroom, Vega told the judge she was born in Brownsville, was currently unemployed and living with her mother in Mission. According to Mission Police Chief Robert Dominguez, the victim, Karen H. Steitz, was allegedly struck and killed when the Ford Escape, allegedly driven by Vega, veered off the eastbound lane of Expressway 83 and onto the shoulder where Steitz was standing with a group of motorcyclists who had pulled off to the side of the road about 10:45 p.m. Sunday. Dominguez said Steitz was a passenger on one of three motorcycles that had parked on the shoulder. He said she was struck when she returned to the motorcycle on which she was a passenger to retrieve something from a saddlebag. Dominguez said Vega’s vehicle struck Steitz and the motorcycle on which she was a passenger causing Steitz to strike the two other parked motorcycles. Dominguez said investicap on fees associated with a home equity loan, lower the cap from 3% to 2% of the original principal amount of the extension of credit, and specify that such fees are in addition to any bona fide discount points used to buy down the interest rate. The amendment would further specify the list of authorized lenders to make home equity loans, change the threshold for an advance of a home equity line of credit, allow agricultural property owners to acquire home equity loans, and update technical terminology in the Texas Constitution. The amendment would be effective on January 1, 2018, and applicable only to a home equity loan made or refinanced on or after that date. The proposed amendment would appear on the ballot as follows: “The constitutional amendment to establish a lower amount for expenses that can be charged to a borrower and removing certain financing expense limitations for a home equity loan, establishing certain authorized lenders to make a home equity loan, changing certain options for the refinancing of home equity loans, changing the threshold for an advance of a home equity line of credit, and allowing home equity loans on agricultural homesteads.” Proposition Number 3 (SJR 34) SJR 34 proposes a constitutional amendment that would prevent certain office holders from serving indefinitely beyond the expiration of their term. Office holders who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate and receive no salary would only be able to serve until the last day of the first regular session of the Texas legislature that begins after their term expires. The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: “The constitutional amendment limiting the service of certain officeholders appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate after the expiration of the person’s term of office.” Proposition Number 4 (SJR 6) SJR 6 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the Texas legislature to require any
Rose Mary Vega during her Tuesday arraignment. Progress Times photo by Joe Hinton gators determined Vega had recently returned from South Padre Island at the time of the incident. He said a field sobriety test revealed Vega’s blood-alcohol content was .10 percent, above the legal limit in Texas and most other states of .08 percent BAC. Dominguez said the victim was a native of New Jersey who had moved to Laredo about two months ago with plans to relocate to the Rio Grande Valley next week. “And unfortunately she will never be able to do that. Obviously her life cut short by this tragic accident,” Dominguez said. The chief expressed frustration over the incident citing the fact he had participated in a press conference last week in which he appeared with Hidalgo County Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez and about 40 other law enforcement officers from the Valley warning motorists of the “No refusal weekend,” in which motorists were warned if they refused a field sobriety test officers would obtain a search warrant from a judge for a blood draw. Dominguez said Vega voluntarily submitted to a blood draw and that investigators were seeking a warrant for court that is hearing a challenge to the constitutionality of a state statute to notify the attorney general of that challenge, if the party raising the challenge notifies the court that the party is challenging the constitutionality of such statute. Additionally, the amendment would allow the Texas legislature to set a period of not more than 45 days following the notification to the attorney general that the court must wait before rendering a judgment that a state statute is unconstitutional. The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to require a court to provide notice to the attorney general of a challenge to the constitutionality of a state statute and authorizing the legislature to prescribe a waiting period before the court may enter a judgment holding the statute unconstitutional.” Proposition Number 5 (HJR 100) HJR 100 proposes a constitutional amendment to provide a more detailed definition of “professional sports team” for purposes of their charitable foundations, which the Texas legislature may permit to hold charitable raffles. The amendment also deletes a requirement that an eligible professional sports team charitable foundation permitted by the Texas legislature to hold charitable raffles had to be in existence on January 1, 2016. The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: “The constitutional amendment on professional sports team charitable foundations conducting charitable raffles.” Proposition Number 6 (SJR 1) SJR 1 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the Texas legislature by general law to provide that a surviving spouse of a first responder who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty is entitled to receive an exemption from ad valorem taxation from all or part of the market value on the surviving spouse’s residence homestead, as long as the surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the first responder. It would also allow the Texas legislature to provide that the surviving
her phone records to see if she would also be charged with distracted driving. “It’s another tragic situation we find ourselves in where we lose another life having to do with drinking and driving. We put out these announcements for our traveling motorists to be aware of the circumstances around drinking and driving. And like I said Tuesday, we have to take ownership for what we do and unfortunately in this particular case Ms. Vega is going to take ownership for the death of this young lady.” Dominguez reminded the public it is best to make plans for getting home prior to becoming intoxicated. “Have a loved one ready to call,” Dominguez said. “If you have enough money call a taxi. Or even call your local police department. We’ve had occasions where we’ve had intoxicated people call us and say, ‘I’m too drunk. Can you give me a ride home?’ And we’ve done it in the past. A lot of people have that fear, ‘Well, I’m going to get arrested.’ Well we’re not all about arresting people. We’re about helping people. That’s part of what we do in law enforcement.”
spouse, who qualifies and receives the exemption and then qualifies a different property as the surviving spouse’s residence homestead, receive an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the different homestead in an amount equal to the dollar amount of the exemption of the first homestead for which the exemption was received in the last year in which the surviving spouse received the exemption for that first homestead. Like the initial exemption, this benefit will only remain available if the surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the first responder. The proposed amendment would apply only to ad valorem taxes imposed for a tax year beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The proposed amendment would appear on the ballot as follows: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a first responder who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.” Proposition Number 7 (HJR 37) HJR 37 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the Texas legislature to make an exception to the law regarding the award of certain prizes. Currently, the Texas Constitution requires the Texas legislature to pass laws prohibiting lotteries, raffles, and other programs where the award of gifts is based on luck or chance. The proposed amendment would make an exception to this general rule to allow the Texas legislature to authorize credit unions and other financial institutions to institute programs which, in order to encourage savings, would award prizes based on luck or chance to the credit union’s or financial institution’s customers. The proposed amendment would appear on the ballot as follows: “The constitutional amendment relating to legislative authority to permit credit unions and other financial institutions to award prizes by lot to promote savings.” Published by Texas Secretary of State Rolando B. Pablos, www. VoteTexas.gov, 1/800-252-VOTE (8683).
THE
September 8, 2017
Sports week
BIG7 SCHOOLS
page 6
www.ptrgv.com/sports
Covering Mission, Veterans Memorial, Sharyland, Pioneer, La Joya, Palmview & Juarez-Lincoln Sports
Battle of Conway hits the road tonight By Luciano Guerra
If you have tickets for tonight’s Battle of Conway football game between the Mission Eagles and the Veterans Memorial Patriots, DO NOT go to Tom Landry Stadium. If you do all you’ll find is a dark, empty stadium with
security fences around it and all kinds of heavy construction equipment in the parking lot. That’s because the $8 million renovation of Tom Landry Hall of Fame Stadium, which was scheduled to be completed last week, is
still under construction. As a result, tonight’s annual rivalry game between the two Mission teams is being played at Bennie LaPrade Stadium in Donna; a fact that both teams are downplaying. “We’ll play anybody, any-
Players
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where, anytime,” stated Patriots’ head coach David Gilpin. “This is a huge game for our community and both of our schools so we’re going to be ready to play regardless of where it’s played.” That is a sentiment shared by many of the players as well. Players like Eagles’ quarterback Damian Gomez who despite just being a sophomore, is in his second year as the Mission signal caller. When asked if he is disappointed by the fact that this year’s edition of the annual cross-town rivalry game won’t be played in Mission, Gomez said, “Not really. We’re just happy we have this game against them. It’s a rivalry game and that’s what we’re looking forward to. The fact that we’ve lost to the Patriots three years in a row brings more fire to the flame.” Historically, the Eagles hold a seven wins to six advantage over the Patriots since the series’ inception but the Patriots have won the last three by scores of 14-7, 23-2 and 42-35. That is a trend that Mission senior strong safety Shaun De La Garza, who has played in the last two Battles of Conway,
is ready to bring to an end. “I’ve been waiting for this game,” De La Garza said. “Every time it ends, I’m ready for the next one.” This will be Patriots’ senior wide receiver and middle linebacker Buda Gonzalez’s third Battle of Conway. When asked if the team prepares any differently for this game than they do for any other game, Gonzalez said, “Not really. It’s a more intense week for us and we try to do everything perfectly, but it’s the same game plan. We go out there and try to win just like we always do.” With this being a non-district game, some might wonder how badly each team wants to win. Gonzalez has no doubts how much both teams will be out to win. “There are bragging rights at stake, so they’re going to be ready,” added Gonzalez. “They’re coming off a big win, so just like we’re going to be ready, they’re going to be ready too. It’s going to be a dog fight.” Unlike last year, when both teams suffered week one losses, the Eagles and the Patriots are both coming off week one wins; Mission over PSJA North (24-14) and Veterans Memorial over
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Veterans Memorial junior running back Jazz Vallejo takes a hand-off from quarterback Landry Gilpin during the third quarter of the Patriots 31-26 victory over the Harlingen Cardinals Friday evening. Progress Times photo
1418 E. Buss. 83 • Mission (Between Bryan Rd. & Stewart Rd.)
the defending 32-6A district champions Harlingen Cardinals (31-26). VMHS senior defensive back Aaron Fernandez, who will be playing in his second Battle of Conway game tonight, believes that the Patriots’ win over the Cardinals will help his team tonight. “Beating Harlingen is definitely a confidence booster for this team,” Fernandez said. “But Mission is coming off a win too, so we’re both going to be ready. It’s going to come down to whoever wants it more.” As for what he expects from the Eagles tonight, Fernandez said, “They’re going to come out swinging. They’re hungry for a win so it’s going to be a crazy game. With three wins in a row against them, we’re on top of the hill right now and we want to stay there, so it’ll be up to us to outdo them.” This will be the third Battle of Conway game for Patriots’ senior offensive guard Nick Riley. He shared what a victory in tonight’s game would mean to him when he said, “It would mean a whole lot of something to me. I could tell my future children all about the way we beat the Eagles three times if we win tonight.” “But it won’t be easy because I’m expecting the Eagles to play hard,” added Riley. “Both of us are going to go at it offensively and defensively so it’s going to be a good game.” The Patriots are the home team in tonight’s game. Seating will be general admission for everybody including season ticket holders. Tickets will be on sale at the Mission ISD athletic office until 12 noon today, and then at the gate, for $7 each. For more information, call the athletic office at 956-323-5683.
by Luciano Guerra
#27 Eddie Villarreal
#18 Irving Zamora
#60 Leo Cano
JUAREZ LINCOLN HUSKIES DEFENSE SPECIAL TEAMS
OFFENSE
Veterans Memorial quarterback Landry Gilpin avoids being sacked in the end zone by scrambling for positive yards during the first quarter of the Patriots 3126 victory over the Harlingen Cardinals Friday evening. Prog-
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Veterans Memorial senior wide receiver Buda Gonzalez fights his way into the end zone during the second quarter of the Patriots 3126 victory over the Harlingen Cardinals Friday evening. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra
District 30-6A
RECORD -WIN/LOSS
Season 1-0 District 0-0
Season 1-0 District 0-0
Last Week Games Week #1 La Joya 20 RGC 7 Juarez Linc. 34 PSJA Mem. 7 Pioneer 24 McA. Mem. 41 Mission 24 PSJA North 14 Palmview 16 Roma 10 Sharyland 0 Weslaco E. 62 Veterans 31 Harlingen 26
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Season 1-0 District 0-0
Season 0-1 District 0-0
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District 31-5A
Season 1-0 District 0-0
This Week’s Games - Week #2
La Joya vs. Roma Juarez Lincoln vs. Rio Hondo Palmview vs. Edinburg Economedes Sharyland Pioneer vs. Brownsville Pace Mission High vs. Veterans Memorial Sharyland vs. Edinburg North
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September 8, 2017
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Big 7 teams make good showing in Week 1 Players OF THE WEEK
WEEK 1
Pioneer High School senior Michael Morales bursts through two defenders in the first quarter of last Friday night’s game versus McAllen Memorial High School. Progress Times Photo by Greg Uhrbrock
By Bryan Ramos High school football is back and Big 7 teams got off to an impressive start, making noise in Week 1 non-district action by going 5-2 as a whole. Headlining the Week 2 Big 7 matchups is The Battle of Conway as the Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots and Mission Eagles are set for a showdown 7:30 p.m. Friday night in Donna at Bennie LaPrade Stadium. For more on The Battle of Conway, see our game preview. District 30-6A Football Juarez-Lincoln Huskies The Juarez-Lincoln Huskies and Head Coach Tomas Garcia made a statement in their 34-7 Week 1 thrashing of the P.S.J.A. Memorial Wolverines. Senior quarterback Efren Martinez threw for 106 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with receivers Joe and Albert Martinez. Senior standout safety Elias Gutierrez got in on the offensive action and scored a 66-yard run, as did senior fullback Joseph Valdez, who punched in a score of his own. Next up for the Huskies is a showdown with the Rio Hondo Bobcats in Week 2. In last year’s matchup, the Bobcats handed the Huskies their first loss of the year by a score of 27-14 in Rio Hondo. This year, Juarez-Lincoln hosts the Bobcats at 7:30 p.m. tonight at La Joya Football Stadium for a shot at revenge and a 2-0 start. Palmview Lobos The Palmview Lobos opened their season with a dramatic 1610 overtime win over the Roma Gladiators, avenging last year’s 4 1 - 7
blowout loss on the road a season ago. Senior quarterback Amador De Leon threw for 134 yards and one touchdown while senior fullback Miguel Gamma scored the game-winning overtime touchdown on the ground from a few yards out. Next up for the Lobos is a road game against the Edinburg Economedes Jaguars (1-0), who handed Palmview a 43-13 loss in Week 2 in 2016. The Jaguars are coming off a 19-14 victory over Brownsville Hanna, but Palmview will have revenge on their mind for the second week in a row. The game between the Lobos and the Jaguars is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg. La Joya Coyotes The La Joya Coyotes were victorious in their season opener 20-7 over the Rio Grande City Rattlers, avenging last year’s 12-7 loss. Senior quarterback Irving Garcia rushed for 92 yards and a score while sophomore running back Eddie Villarreal racked up 171 yards and a touchdown of his own on 37 carries. The La Joya defense also forced the Rattlers into four turnovers. The Coyotes kicked off Week 2 on Thursday taking on the Roma Gladiators. The results of that game were not available at press time. District 31-5A Pioneer Diamondbacks A year af-
ter their first playoff berth and co-district championship, the Pioneer Diamondbacks opened the season with a battle against another of the Valley’s top teams in the McAllen Memorial Mustangs. Heading into halftime, the Diamondbacks were trailing 20-17, but the Mustangs enforced their will and capitalized on Pioneer mistakes to take a 41-24 win. Junior quarterback Jacob Rosales finished the game with 138 yards through the air with one touchdown, and he rushed for 127 yards and another two scores. Pioneer Head Coach Jason Wheeler will be looking to rebound in Week 2 as they travel to take on the Brownsville Pace Vikings 11 a.m., Saturday at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville. The Vikings (1-0) are coming off a 28-0 shutout victory of P.S.J.A. Southwest. In last year’s meeting, the Diamondbacks won big by a score of 41-7, which sparked the team’s 8-3 run. Sharyland Rattlers Head Coach Ron Adame and the Sharyland Rattlers are out to put Week 1 in the rearview mirror after a 62-0 loss at the hands of the Weslaco East Wildcats, who is considered one of the Valley’s best teams. The Rattlers elected to keep quarterback Edgar Longoria out of the season opener as he returns from injury. Standing in the way of the Rattlers in Week 2 are the Edinburg North Cougars (01). In 2016, the Rattlers prevailed 20-17 in a tight game between the two eventual playoff teams. Now, Sharyland will be out to erase last week’s performance from memory and get on the winning track at home. The game between the Rattlers and Edinburg North is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Richard Thompson Stadium.
Sharyland Pioneer’s Andrew Moss makes a leaping, mid-air catch for a first down, setting up a Pioneer touchdown in last Friday’s matchup with McAllen Memorial. Progress Times Photo by Greg Uhrbrock
MISSION EAGLESSPECIAL TEAM DEFENSE
OFFENSE
#2 Esteban De Leon
#1 Victor Gutierrez
#14 Rene Rodriguez
VETERANS MEMORIAL PATRIOTS OFFENSE
DEFENSE
SPECIAL TEAM
#12 Landry Gilpin
#32 Aaron Fernandez
#90 Augustin Rodriguez
“The greatest accomplishments is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”
-Vince Lombardi
Congratulations to our Players of the Week! Norberto “Beto” Salinas M AYO R
SHARYLAND RATTLERS
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
SPECIAL TEAM
#3 Blake Klein
#45 Brandon Mireles
#25 Noe Guzman
PIONEER DIAMONDBACKS DEFENSE SPECIAL TEAM
OFFENSE
Congratulations #5 Jacob Rosales
#29 Angel Chapa
#9 Edgar Lozano
• AUTO • HOME • LIFE • COMMERCIAL • MOBILE HOME Good Luck to All Mission & Sharyland Schools!
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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 $200 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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Public hearing set on Taylor Road expansion plans The City of Mission has set a public hearing for input on plans to widen Taylor Road. Mission, in conjunction with the City of McAllen, Hidalgo County and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the latter the lead agency on the project, are proposing to widen and reconstruct a three-mile portion of Taylor Road from Expressway 83 to Mile 2 North Road. Taylor Road is the boundary separating
Mission from McAllen. State law requires the public be provided an opportunity to comment and in July Mission gave notice to residents they had until Aug. 3 to request a public hearing on the matter or forfeit the opportunity. Any environmental documentation or studies, maps showing the project location and design, tentative construction schedule and other information regarding the project are on file and available for inspec-
obituaries Clara Cantu MISSION – Clara Ibarra Cantu, 77, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. She was born on August 12, 1940, in Camaron, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Survivors include her husband, Oscar Cantu; children, Maria Cantu, Elida Tijerina, Oscar Cantu Jr., Karla Cantu, Rosalinda Torres, Raul Cantu, Porfirio Cantu, San Juanita Cantu, Clara Gonzalez, Kimberly Cantu, Lourdes Cantu and Cassandra Cantu; and 30 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. A funeral mass was held on Sept. 2 at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in McAllen. Higinio Casares MISSION – Higinio “Gino” Casares, 72, passed away on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017, at his home in Mission. Survivors include his children, Guillermo Casares of Mission, Oneida Valdez of Mission and Yvonne Casares of South Bend, Ind.; siblings, Adela Alvarez, Oralia De Anda and Virginia Erb; and 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Octavio and Vicenta Casares; son, Leo Dan Casares; and brother, Tomas Casares. A funeral mass was held on Sept. 7 at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic
Church in Mission. Cremation followed. Pedro Treviño LA JOYA – Pedro Treviño, 63, of La Joya passed away on August 31, 2017. Mr. Treviño was born in La Joya on Nov. 27, 1953, to Cesárea and José Manuel Treviño. He served in the U.S. Army and earned a National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal in 1972. He was a teacher with the La Joya I.S.D. until his retirement. Survivors include his wife Martha Treviño; children, Isaac Treviño and Monica Treviño; and siblings, Olga Cano, José Treviño, Joe Treviño and Ruben Treviño. A graveside service was held on Sept. 6 at Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission.
Notices
Maria Alanis PALMVIEW – Maria Rosalia Alanis, 79, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in McAllen. Hermelinda Carrillo ALTON – Hermelinda Carrillo, 103, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, at her home in Alton. Elisa de Avila MISSION – Elisa de Avila, 85, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2017, at her home in Mission.
tion Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the City of Mission, 1201 E. 8th St., Mission. Please call City Engineer Juan P. Terrazas to schedule an appointment via (956) 580-8650. The public hearing will be held Sept. 27 at Romulo d. Martinez Elementary School, 2571 E. 4th St., Mission. Displays of the project will be available for viewing at 5:30 p.m. with the formal hearing beginning at 6 p.m. Alma Garza PALMVIEW – Alma Leticia Garza, 56, passed away on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in China, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Daniel Garza Sr. GRANJENO – Daniel Garza Sr., 84, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, at McAllen Medical Center. Efrain Garza PEÑITAS – Efrain J. Garza, 64, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, at Doctors Hospital in Edinburg. Juan Guerrero Jr. ALTON – Juan Atanacio Guerrero Jr., 50, passed away on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, at McAllen Heart Hospital. Alicia Macias MISSION – Alicia R. Macias, 62, passed away on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017, at her home in Mission. Benita Martinez MISSION – Benita H. Martinez, 79, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, at her home. Alvaro Sanchez Jr. MISSION – Alvaro Sanchez Jr., 56, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen. Carlos Ruiz Jr. MISSION – Carlos Herminio Ruiz Jr., infant, passed away on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017, in Edinburg. Olga Zamora MISSION – Olga Zamora, 86, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Irving.
Four candidates vie for two La Joya City Council seats Four candidates have been placed on the La Joya City Council race ballot in November’s election. The lone incumbent is Mary Salinas, Place 3, who has been on the city council for nearly 10 years. Wife of current La Joya City Mayor Jose “Fito” Salinas, Mrs. Salinas is a retired nurse who said in a previous interview she hopes to continue serving the community and witnessing all the new projects coming into the city, such as the new city hall and the first ever ER center. Salinas will be running against Rosa Elisa Treviño, the Finance Director and
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD 2322 N. McColl. - McAllen 682-2092 CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 5609 S 29th St. - McAllen 682-4881 CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 2Mile & Bryan Rd Mission. CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Missonaries • 580-2570 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH 911 N. Main - McAllen 686-4241 CONWAY AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH 2215 N. Conway • 585-2413 EL FARO BIBLE CHURCH 15 miles W. of Mission on Exp. 83 Sullivan City, TX • 585-5617 EL MESIAS UNITED METHODIST 209 E. 6th • 585-2334 FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH 3 miles N. Shary Rd. • 581-1465 FAITH FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH 1 mile N. Exp. 83 on Tom Gill Rd. 519-6311 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 1302 Doherty • 585-1442 FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 12th and Miller - Mission 585-7281 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1102 Ash St. • 585-4829 for worship schedule.
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1101 Doherty • 585-1665 FREEDOM LIFE CHURCH 2214 W. Griffin Pkwy. • 519-7000 Mission GRACIA DIVINA MINISTRY 11809 N. Shary Rd. • 584-3112 GREAT OAKS COMMUNITY CHURCH 2722 N. Conway • 451-5500 Mission HERITAGE BAPTIST MCALLEN 2549 Lindbergh Ave. McAllen • 451-6358 IGLESIA ADVENTISTA DEL SEPTIMO DIA 1725 W. Griffin Parkway 581-9008 IGLESIA BAUTISTA BETANIA 851 S. Breyfogle Rd. • 585-5688 IGLESIA BAUTISTA CRISTO EL REY 1600 E. Bus. 83 - Mission IGLESIA BAUTISTA COLONIAL 3713 N. La Homa Rd. • 585-5332 IGLESIA BAUTISTA DEL VALLE 217 W. Mile 3 Rd. • 424-1602 Palmhurst IGLESIA DEL PUEBLO 7500 West Expressway 83 581-1900 IGLESIA DEL DIVINO REDENTOR 1020 North Los Ebanos Rd 585-5898
IGLESIA PENTECOSTES NUEVA VIDA A/G 211 W. Mile 3 Road Palmhurst • 956-342-9711 Rev. Candelario Banda
LA RESPUESTA CHURCH 405 W. 12th Street • 585-0787 MISSION CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 1 mi. E. 495 • 585-6683 NEW HOPE AT THE BORDER 905 N. Conway • 369-3603 NORTH MISSION CHURCH OF CHRIST 1410 E. Mile 3 Rd. • 585-0146 Palmhurst NORTH PALMVIEW APOSTOLIC CHURCH 7612 W. 6 Mile Ln. ONLY THRU JESUS 1511 E. Mile 2 Rd. Mission • 918-760-1625 OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS One-half mile South Leo Avenue La Joya • 585-5223 OUR LADY OF FATIMA CHURCH 6634 El Camino Real • Granjeno OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH 2.5 miles S. Conway (FM 1016) Mission OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH 620 Dunlap • 585-2623 OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY CHURCH 923 Matamoros St. • 581-2193 PALM VALLEY CHURCH 1720 E. Griffin Pkwy. 585-3203 PEÑITAS BAPTIST CHURCH 1/3 Mile S. of Exp.83 on FM 1427 583-6236 PRIMERA BAPTIST CHURCH Corner of 6th & Oblate 585-4711
Juan J. “J.J.” Peña, a longtime La Joya ISD School Board Trustee and a former Palmview municipal judge, announced on Wednesday Sept. 6, he will run to become Hidalgo County’s next Justice of the Peace (Precinct 3, Place 2) in the March 2018
Juan J. “J.J.” Peña
PROMISE LAND CHURCH 2300 E. Palm Circle (Corner of 495) Mission, TX 78572 • 624-9307 RIVER OF LIFE CHURCH 901 S. Shary Rd. (Located in the Holiday Inn Express Conference Room) 451-4838 SAN CRISTOBAL MAGALLANES & COMPANIONS PARISH
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SAN MARTIN DE PORRES 5 mi. N. Conway, 1/2 Mile West Alton • 585-8001 & 585-8002 SPIRIT OF PEACE EV. LUTHERAN CHUCH 3104 Los Milagros Mission • 581-1822 ST. JOHN OF THE FIELDS CATHOLIC CHURCH 1052 Washington Ave. • 585-2325 ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH 1119 Francisco • 585-2701 ST. PETER & ST. PAUL EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2310 N. Stewart Rd. 585-5005 SHINING LIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH 6 1/8 N. Doffing Rd. (FM 492) 580-4078 TEMPLO BIBLICO 5 Mile/Conway 581-4981or 585-3831 TEMPLO EVANGELICO, M.B. CHURCH La Joya TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 3905 W. 3 Mile Line • 585-3261 VALLEY FELLOWSHIP 1708 E. Griffin Parkway Mission • 424-7200
PRIMERA IGLESIA DEL VALLE APOSTOLIC ASSEMBLY 210 N. St. Marie. • 585-8651
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Utilities Billing Supervisor for the City of La Joya. Treviño has held the position for 14 years and also has experience in bookkeeping. Treviño said her years of working with the city has led her to gain knowledge of all department’s needs and functionalities giving her confidence in herself to run for the city council seat. Reynaldo Acosta, a current board member for the La Joya Housing Authority, is running for the Place 1 seat under the Team L1berty ticket alongside Salinas. Acosta, a long-time La Joya resident, said he’d like to ensure continuation of
several street renovation projects the city has been making for the last few years and hopes to bring more street lights to the area. Acosta’s opponent is business owner Maria Ruiz. Alongside her husband, she’s been managing Pete’s Muffler Shop for the last 35 years. Ruiz’s goals, if elected, are to increase efforts to attract and retain businesses and renovate local parks to provide more activities for the youth in the area. Election Day for the city of La Joya is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
La Joya ISD trustee running for justice of the peace
ChurCh DireCtory BREAD OF LIFE CHURCH 2820 N. Conway Ave. • 581-1411
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primary. As Justice of the Peace, Peña hopes to build a stronger relationship with the tight-knit community the court serves. “I believe a JP court should be a place where people feel welcomed and respected, whatever their reason for being there,” Peña said. “I believe a Justice of the Peace should serve with dignity, humility and a relentless devotion to the well-being of our Hidalgo County family — that’s what I want to bring to the bench as JP.” Born in McAllen, Peña is a lifelong resident of western Hidalgo County. A 1997 graduate of La Joya High School, he received his Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Texas-Pan American before it became The University of
Texas-Rio Grande Valle. He served as municipal judge for the City of Palmview from 2009 through 2015. He is currently serving his second term on the La Joya ISD Board of Trustees. Peña also serves as a member of the Catholic fraternal organization the Knights of Columbus. He often dedicates his free time ministering to inmates as part of the Kolbe Prison Ministry Program. Peña has been a business owner in the land development and construction industry since 1999. He and his wife of 13 years, Melissa, are the parents of two school-age daughters, Carolina and Sofia. For more information, contact the candidate at (956) 227-3215.
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ADOPTION CENTER ing a flat fee of $10,000 per month. “We started looking at options. We still had several months to go,” Garza said. “We already provided those services in-house and what we provide is basically in compliance with the state. We feel that paying more money that our taxpayers are paying for is putting more of a burden on them. Paying that increase made no sense.” The city recently created a Facebook Page called Mission Pawsible, where photos of animals that are up for adoption can be found. They also have photos of animals that may have been lost or somehow separated from their owners. There they can find on which block and street that animal was found. “The ultimate goal is to have an air-conditioned brick and mortar building that will house our animals,” Garza said. “We have a committee that is looking into our options and they are very excited about moving forward.” Garza’s recollection of terminated services with Palm Valley parallels what Alton Public Works Director Rudy Garza said, who worked out an agreement with Mission on June 12 this year. “They came to us with what they said was an average cost that to me was above average,” Rudy Garza said. “They were going to charge us close to $87 per animal and our average was closer to $80. We had a current agreement but they wouldn’t accept that so we went to the City of Mission and are working with them. They charge us $70. But it also makes sense since they are our neighbors and there were other expenses taking them all the way to Edinburg, like gas and time.” Mission already had an interlocal agreement with the
from pg 1 City of Granjeno. Councilwoman Ochoa said she loved pets “but not by choice, but because of my children and husband.” She added that she saw the need to educate others and do so something to make more dogs available to those who are looking for an animal to bring into their home. Palm Valley Director of Development Rebeca Villanueva said she would welcome Mission to move forward with a full adoption facility. PVAC admitted about 32,000 animals in 2016. Adoptions were just shy of 2,500 and there were another 2,500 rescue animals with partners outside of Hidalgo County. “I welcome anybody who is willing and able to move animal welfare in our community, whether it’s city based or privately based,” she said. “If anyone can increase the level of care, we are all about it. We want and need our community to heighten the level of care.” Mission’s city manager said they there is already a building being looked at as a possible facility for the new adoption center but wouldn’t comment more on it since there hasn’t been any forward movement with the facility and that it’s too early in the process. “But there are still things we can do without having to wait for a brick and mortar. We are going to start out by educating the public,” Garza said. The City of Mission will hold a celebration as a sort of a kick off leading to the possible new adoption center with an event at the Mission Museum on Saturday, Sept. 30. It will include the movie Susie’s Hope, about a dog that was beaten, set on fire and left to die. The story is about the canine’s amazing recovery and the message to
end animal abuse. More information will be on the City of Mission website and on the Mission Pawsible page. With some of the money saved from not being spent at Palm Valley, as well as revenue from Granjeno and Alton, the city will buy vouchers from a low-cost spay and neuter center locally. These will be used for certain families who want to adopt an animal, virtually cutting their costs in half. The mayor and council also took the first steps to create the city’s first enclosed “off leash” dog park. That action followed a June 6 letter to Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas from Mission resident Georgia Montoya of Mission. In it Montoya offered her support for a dog park in the city saying she is a grant writer for the PSJA school district and was offering her services free of charge to draft a grant proposal on the city’s behalf. She pointed out that there is a opportunity to apply for a $25,000 grant from PetSafe of Knoxville, Tenn., under its “2017 Bark for Your Park” annual grant program. The company touts itself as the “largest manufacturer of electronic pet devices and is providing a total of $275,000 in dog park grants, according to its website petsafe.net. “It is only with my passion for our furry friends and compassion to contribute as an active citizen to our community is my mission for the future Dog Park,” she wrote. The mayor and council unanimously voted to accept Montoya’s offer and also passed a resolution authorizing the submittal of an application to PetSafe. The city has already approved the purchase of fencing for dog parks at Bannworh Park and Bentsen Palm Community Park.
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DACA’S END
ney General Jeff Sessions said the program will end in six months. During a press conference, Sessions referred to DACA as unconstitutional and argued that the program “denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same jobs to go to illegal aliens.” “We are a people of compassion and we are a people of law. But there is nothing compassionate about the failure to enforce immigration laws,” Sessions said. “The compassionate thing is to end the lawlessness, enforce our laws, and, if Congress chooses to make changes to those laws, to do so through the process set forth by our Founders in a way that advances the interest of the nation.” According to a White House statement, the announcement Tuesday will not impact current DACA recipients until after March 15, 2018, six months from now. No new DACA initial applications will be accepted beginning Tuesday, but current DACA permits are still valid until they expire. “This news was shocking, like getting a bucket of cold water on your face,” Fernandez said. “I can’t help but think ‘what will happen to all the kids, many of whom are in DACA and go to school or are working?’ They have a future and now that dream is being cut short. I feel so blessed my daughter is eligible for renewal this coming January, but knowing that the program is ending makes one feel too powerless to do anything.” The deferred action program has helped hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth positively transform their lives, as reported in a 2016 nationwide survey by United We Dream, the Center for American Progress, and the National Immigration Law Center. Key findings in the survey include: 95 percent of recip-
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ients are currently working or enrolled in school, 90 percent of recipients got a driver’s license or state ID and 12 percent bought their first home. According to an article from the CNBC website published Tuesday, Trump’s decision to remove all DACA recipients from the workforce could cost the economy more than $400 billion over the next 10 years. The decision to scrap the program will also leave the nearly 1 million DACA recipients potentially more vulnerable to deportation after having already voluntarily provided their personal information as a program prerequisite. Those already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If their permits expire before March, 5, 2018, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5. But the program isn’t accepting new applications. Fernandez was one of nearly 60 people who attended the Tuesday meeting at LUPE’s office which served as a question and answer session where the public could find out more information on DACA and whether or not they were eligible for a renewal. “When we first heard of DACA we were so happy,” Fernandez said. “I told her, ‘you need to apply mija. You’re a college graduate with a future, protect that future.’ If she and other recipients lose those benefits from working, I can’t even imagine what she’ll experience.” The decision to end DACA has received criticism from State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa who in a statement said this decision was cruel. “This is not who we are as a country. We are not about hate or people ready to kick out young adults who were brought to this country as
September 8, 2017 from pg 1
innocent children,” he said. “To end DACA is also shortsighted and works against America’s future growth and success. DREAMers make us more competitive as a nation and as a state by fostering economic growth, developing new ideas, and bettering our society. They are not eligible for welfare or any government benefits, yet DREAMers pay over $2 billion in state and local taxes each year.” Vanessa Centene and her friends also attended the LUPE meeting. The 23 year old has a steady job as a sales clerk at a phone repair store and worries she may be renewing for the program for the last time. “We get to have a lot of opportunities with this program that helps us find different jobs, apply for licenses and state ID’s, things we wouldn’t have if we were undocumented,” Centene said. “I am reapplying to DACA next month and will spend more than $700 in application fees and on lawyer’s fees to assist me in the application so I know I’m taking this seriously. We were sad when we received the news on the end of the program but we’re not going to stop working, we’re going to continue being here.” Martha Sanchez, LUPE’s Community Organizing Coordinator, urged audience members to contact Sen. John Cornyn and other officials to protect the program. “We have a lot of work to do,” she said. “If DACA does end, all the kids will go back to the shadows. They’re not going to want to leave the country, they’re going to want to continue working but now they won’t be contributing to the economy since they’re getting paid under the table. They contributed to exist, now they practically won’t be doing that. These kids deserve the chance to exist in this country as regular citizens.”
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September 8, 2017
HURRICANE RELIEF
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“However, we do need items such as undergarments (new in the package), socks, diapers for adults as well as infants. Look at what the trends are; it’s going to be dynamic.” In the Coastal Bend area there will be a continuous need for supplies, but not massive. He noted that after a disaster as donated supplies come in there will be large stockpiles in one area and another area will have hardly anything. So, they then have to figure out how to redistribute those supplies where they are most needed. He recommends working with a disaster relief organization that is a member of VOAD, as they work together collaboratively with the governmental agencies to assess needs and coordinate efforts to fill those needs. Assistance can be provided in many forms, but one of the most effective ways is to donate money to a VOAD member. The website www. txvoad.org shows a long list of VOAD members who have been vetted. “They are credible organizations. They are not scam artists,” he stressed. The list includes organizations such as American Red Cross, Catholic Charities and The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and many more. “Donations of monies is extremely important,” McKee said. The resources of organizations will be strained to meet the need due to the sheer magnitude of the damages caused by Harvey. “The pennies, the dimes will all add up,” he said, encouraging people to donate generously. For those who wish to volunteer labor, there is indeed a great need now in the Coastal Bend area, and a much greater need will soon rise
to the forefront in Houston – all the way to Beaumont – as the floodwaters recede. Help is needed now with clearing downed trees and removal of debris in the communities surrounding Rockport and Aransas Pass. Residents whose homes were flooded need volunteer assistance with muck out – removing water-soaked carpets and sheetrock and other cleanup work that is sorely needed as the first step to restoring their homes to become habitable again. Houston will provide ample opportunity for volunteer groups to help with flood cleanup, as many thousands of homes are reported to be heavily damaged. But as you might expect, homeowners don’t want just anyone to come into their homes as “volunteers.” Volunteers need to be vetted and verified. Also, the Texas VOAD website says, “The State of Texas is asking volunteers to not self-deploy, as unexpectedly showing up to any of the communities that have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey will create an additional burden for first responders.” Volunteers and volunteer organizations are asked to register. One way to do this is on the Texas VOAD website home page, click the link “Please register here to volunteer…” then fill out the form and submit. At the end of this process you will be asked to pay $9 for a background check, which can be done right away or later. Many churches have formed disaster relief organizations that have already established partner relationships with VOAD, governmental organizations and other charitable organizations that work collaboratively in time of disaster. Cath-
olic Charities, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are all well-known VOAD members, among many others. Prospective volunteers can scroll through the list of member organizations on the VOAD website to see if their church or another organization they are affiliated with is an approved disaster relief partner. Another method that has been very useful for church groups and other relief organizations that provide volunteer labor in the aftermath of disasters is www.crisiscleanup.org. This is a very well thought out web portal by a nonprofit that coordinates and collaborates with many different pre-approved disaster relief organizations, including American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. Disaster victims can report their needs either by the telephone hotline or by registering on the website. Then, relief organizations already vetted can register with the site to view locations needing assistance. When these organizations deploy work teams, they can “claim” specific locations that they can help with. Other relief organizations can see which projects are already claimed and which are still available. Crisis Cleanup is for relief organizations, not for individual volunteers. So you must be part of an approved relief organization to participate. McKee said he pleased to see the outpouring of support by small towns and cities all across the state – cities such as Mission – that have responded and continue to respond to the staggering needs of their fellow Texans.
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Autos 2007 CHEVY TAHOE, DVD player, 2 AC’s, excellent condition, 105, 793 miles, asking $8,999, call 210910-9373. CADILLAC ELDORADO ETC, 38k miles, good condition, cold AC, white diamond color, rarely driven, asking $9,000, call 956655-3995. For Rent FURNISHED ROOMS IN McAllen & Mission, ideal for 1 person, movein today, $350 per month, call Michael at 956-570-5442. For Sale USE HAPPY JACK DD-33 to control fleas & ticks on cats, Border Enterprises, 956–487– 2570, (kennelvax. com). FOR SALE IN 55+ Community, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, fully furnished, includes
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water, responsible for gas and light, $16,000 with land, call 715–220–3228 for more information. Help Wanted NOW HIRING BOOKKEEPER Assistant/ Inventory Manager, must be able to work late hours, Quickbooks and Excel a must, Edinburg location, send resume to everdayparty@att. net or felipemartinez58@yahoo.com. DOMINO’S PIZZA IS now hiring delivery drivers and customer service representatives for their new North McAllen location, contact Cindy at 956-6128494 to apply. Home For Sale BEAUTIFUL 3 BEDROOM/ 2 bathroom, ready for move in, large living room, spacious bedrooms, 2 car garage, fully fenced spacious yard,
Ordinance 2017-10-0822
An ordinance amending the City of Alton zoning ordinance 2001-16 by creating an overlay zone district, amending zoning districts and the zoning map to create a “design district”; providing for an effective date; providing for publication; providing for severability, and ordaining other provisions related to the subject matter hereof; waiving second and third reading. READ, APPROVED, AND PASSED on this the 22nd day of August, 2017. Salvador Vela, Mayor, City of Alton, Texas ATTEST: Baudelia Rojas CPM, TRMCCMC, City Secretary
friendly neighborhood and minutes to grocery stores, for pictures go to http: //2000w42. isnow4sale.com or for more information call Melody at 956–607–8645. Miscellaneous GIVING 2 BLUE HEELERS, 8 mo. old to a good home, also selling a new handicap scooter for $700 OBO, call 956–844–3759. Services WE PAY CASH for owner financed mortgage notes, court settlements, annuities, and lottery payments. Call 956–279–0874, leave name, number, message; $100 referral fee conditional.
STADIUM UPDATE
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need to be in place and the air conditioning functioning to remove the humidity before the press box flooring and ceiling can be installed. “The good news is we think they’re going to be delivered here early next week so we can start working on everything and we are pushing for the fifteenth, believe it or not,” Alvarado said. Mission CISD Superintendent Dr. Ricardo Lopez expressed skepticism the elevators would be ready by Sept. 15 given that they must pass state inspection before they can be used. But he made light of the delays saying Mission football teams are like rock stars on a world tour. “The kids will play anywhere, they don’t care where they play. They want to play,” Lopez said. “We’re strong. We can do it. It’s OK,” said Board Trustee Petra B. Ramirez
OPPOSITION TO WALL
infrastructure. The city’s resolution suggests the federal government instead “utilize the allocated resources to provide more cost effective methods of enforcing immigration policies such as technology and additional personnel, which would create jobs and stimulate the region, as opposed to the negative effects associated with a wall.” Among the negative effects cited are the divisions of lands belonging to private property owners as well as iconic tourist attractions like the National Butterfly Center and the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, among others. Ochoa also complimented the resolution passed the same day by Palmview’s City Commission that states the city “values inclusiveness, tolerance and diversity, and welcomes all those who seek to build a better life and raise a family here,” and that “the United States needs to adopt meaningful immigration reform that remains true to American values.” Elected officials from McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, San Juan and Alamo also passed anti wall resolutions Tuesday. “Now we need to get Al-
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Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School are set to play the Battle for Conway tonight in Donna High School’s 12,550-seat Bennie La Padre Stadium. Lopez said last week’s opening game between VMHS and Harlingen High School’s Cardinals had a robust turnout despite being played out of town. Alvarado said the stadium’s new lights were to be connected to electricity yesterday that would enable teams and bands to begin practicing on the playing field thereafter. But Rick Rivera, assistant superintendent for operations, said that won’t happen until the city’s fire marshal and building inspector gives their clearance to use the field. Rivera said administrative staff were recommending to the board that it grant an additional seven delay
days to Holchemont for delays caused by boring and trenching that was necessary to accommodate a new stadium public address system that delayed the completion by the contractual completion date. Trustees had previously awarded the company five contractual delay days due to rain and because construction was halted due to student testing days last fall. The board is expected to vote on the matter at its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday Sept. 13. The company will be fined $1,500 a day for every day the stadium is not completed after its contractual completion date. “Believe me no one wants to complete this more than we do as well,” Alvarado said. “We understand that puts you all in a bind but we don’t have control of the weather.”
ton on board,” Ochoa said. Alton City Manager Jorge Arcuate said Wednesday activists submitted their proposed resolution last week to the city and that it is being considered for placement on the city commission’s Sept. 12 meeting. “Some cities have their meetings on the first and third Tuesday of the month and we have ours on the second and fourth so we haven’t had the chance to consider it yet,” Arcuate said Wednesday. “We’re considering it for next week’s agenda but no decision has been made.” In addition to the resolutions, Ochoa said the group’s next goal is to bring RGV Congressman Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez and Filemon Vela, all Democrats, into the same room to sit down and discuss strategies to stop construction in the Valley. During the council meeting Sullivan City Mayor Leo Garcia voiced his concern over planned routes of new border fencing in areas that would separate property owners from their land as well as keeping visitors from iconic area destinations. “We can’t just cut them,
off we live there,” he said. In other business the Sullivan City Council gave approval for city administration to enter into interlocal agreements with the Agua Special Utility District and Urban County Program to construct a drainage improvement project on Pinto Road, a road prone to flooding, said City Manager Juan Cedillo. Cedillo said the project would extend from the county line to the north and Expressway 83 to the south. He said the total cost and scope of the project has not yet been finalized but he said Urban County Project was contributing $200,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds and the city would contribute about $60,000 left over from construction of the city’s splash pad. Cedillo said Precinct 3 Hidalgo County Commissioner Joe M. Flores has pledged to provide the labor and equipment and that Agua SUD’s Executive Director Oscar Cancino would be the project’s manager. Cedillo said the plan must now go before the Hidalgo County Commissioner’s Court for approval before plans can be finalized.
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PURSUANT TO THE PROVISION CONTAINED IN RULE 85.703. SUBCHAPTER F, FROM CHAPTER 85, PART 4 OF TITLE 16 IN THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, WE ARE OFFICIALLY NOTIFYING YOU THAT THE BELOW DESCRIBED MOTOR VEHICLES HELD IN OUR CUSTODY ARE TO BE PICKED UP, REMOVED AND ALL CHARGES PAID WITHIN (45) DAYS OR THESE VEHICLES WILL BE DECLARED ABANDONED ACCORDING TO TEXAS LAW. YEAR MAKE MODEL VIN# BALANCE UTILITY TRAILER $585.00 TOTAL CHARGES CANNOT BE COMPUTED UNTIL VEHICLE IS CLAIMED. STORAGE CHARGES WILL ACCRUE DAILY UNTIL VEHICLE IS RELEASED. PURSUANT TO THE PROVISION CONTAINED IN RULE 85.704. SUBCHAPTER D, FROM CHAPTER 85, PART 4 OF TITLE 16 IN THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, WE ARE OFFICIALLY NOTIFYING YOU THAT THE BELOW DESCRIBED MOTOR VEHICLE(S) HELD IN OUR CUSTODY ARE TO BE PICKED UP, REMOVED AND ALL CHARGES PAID WITHIN (30) DAYS. FAILURE OF THE OWNER OR LIENHOLDER TO CLAIM VEHICLE(S) BEFORE THE DATE OF SALE IS A WAIVER OF ALL RIGHT, TITLE, AND INTEREST OF VEHICLE(S). AND ALSO A CONSENT TO THE SALE OF THE VEHICLE IN PUBLIC SALE ACCORDING TO TEXAS LAW. 2ND NOTICE YEAR MAKE MODEL VIN# BALANCE 2011 GULFSTREAM INNSBRUCK 1NL1GTN28B1103394 $1310.00 2004 DODGE STRATUS 1B3DL46X64N234352 $990.00 TOTAL CHARGES CANNOT BE COMPUTED UNTIL VEHICLE IS CLAIMED. STORAGE CHARGES WILL ACCRUE DAILY UNTIL VEHICLE IS RELEASED.
PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Alton Planning and Zoning Department will hold a public hearing on September 26, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at the Alton City Hall Legislative Chambers, located at 509 S. Alton Boulevard, Alton, Texas in order to solicit input on the following: 1) The City of Alton is proposing revisions to the Official Zoning Map and Zoning Designations of Alton, Texas. Anyone interested is invited to attend and voice their concerns. Written comments received by 12:00 noon Tuesday, September 26, 2017, will be considered and should be addressed to: Jeff Underwood 509 S. Alton Blvd Alton, TX 78573 For questions please call Jeff Underwood, Assistant City Manager at (956) 432-0760.
Ordinance 2017-07-0822
An ordinance granting to One Gas, Inc., acting by and through its Texas Gas Service Company Division, and its successors and assigns, for a period of twentyfive (25) years from approval and acceptance of this ordinance, a non-exclusive franchise and right to enter the public ways to install, operate and maintain a distribution system within, along, across, over and under the public ways of the City of Alton, Texas for the transportation, distribution and/or sale of gas to customers and the public generally in the city; defining the words and phrases therein; providing for assignment, sale or lease of the franchise; providing that the city may enact an ordinance charging persons transporting gas through grantee’s distribution system a fee on the calculated value of such transported gas; providing for use and repair of the public ways; providing for regulation of service; establishing depth of pipelines; establishing rights and duties in the movement and alteration of pipelines; providing for indemnification of the City of Alton; providing for grantee’s rules and regulations; providing for inspection of grantee’s records; requiring grantee to pay a franchise fee; providing for conditions of the franchise; providing for construction of this ordinance upon the invalidity of any part thereof; providing for acceptance of this franchise by grantee and both an effective and an operative date thereof; repealing all other ordinances directly in conflict herewith; and providing for severability; waiving second and third reading. READ, APPROVED, AND PASSED on this the 22nd day of August, 2017. Salvador Vela, Mayor, City of Alton, Texas ATTEST: Baudelia Rojas CPM, TRMCCMC, City Secretary
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September 8, 2017
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2017
September 11, 2011 — 9-11 — is a day forever etched in the memory of Americans. It is the day the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda launched attacks on four important U.S. targets, killing nearly 3,000 people and injuring over 6,000 others. The attacks also caused over $10 billion in property damages, including damages to numerous buildings in the vicinity of the Twin Towers that were destroyed. Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger airline jets to conduct the attacks. Two of the planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon, causing a partial collapse of a portion of that building which houses the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters. The fourth plane was apparently heading for Washington D.C., but when passengers valiantly
tried to overcome the hijackers the plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Both of the World Trade Center Towers targeted in the attacks collapsed less than two hours after the first plane crashed into one of the buildings. The brave response by thousands of firefighters and law enforcement officers is heralded today as we remember the 415 first responders who gave their lives trying to protect and rescue the victims of the attacks. The U.S. House of Representatives on October 25, 2001 passed a bill declaring September 11 a national day of mourning, requesting the President to designate that day as Patriot Day. President George W. Bush declared September 11, 2002 as the first Patriot Day. This week, we join with communities all across our great nation to observe Patriot Day, Sep-
tember 11, 2017. As we mark the 16th anniversary of this tragic day that impacted many thousands of lives, we honor the heroes who gave their lives trying to protect others. This includes the firefighters and law enforcement officers who were killed during their rescue efforts. We also remember with honor those brave passengers of the fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, who thwarted the plans of their hijackers, crashing the plane in a field rather than allowing it to be used to attack another al-Qaeda target. Please join with us and millions of Americans all across this land as we pause to give thanks for our first responders — those who lost their lives, and those who live on today to bravely protect our citizens, our nation, and our freedom from tyranny. God bless our First Responders and Defenders. of Freedom.
Gerardo Perez Mayor
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Joselito Hernandez Mayor Pro-Tem
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Maria E. “Geny” Salinas Commissioner Mike Alaniz City Administrator
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