February 2, 2018 - PT ISSUE

For All TCF Coverage See Section B Inside Friday, February 2, 2018

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Vol. 46 No. 25

‘Unlimited fun’ Cicis holds red-ribbon cutting ceremony

By Jose De Leon III Despite being open for more than a month, Palmhurst’s Cicis Pizza held a red-ribbon cutting event to mark the occasion of the city’s newest establishment.

Located at 4415 N. Conway Ave., the new location brings its well-known unlimited pizza, pasta, salad, soup and dessert buffet to the city.

“We kind of had a soft opening to prepare ourselves for this day, Cindy Benavidez, who co-owns the franchise location with her sister-in-law, Cecilia, said Wednesday. “We’re bringing unlimited fun into the city just like we do with all our other locations. It’s closer to all the smaller towns who now don’t have to drive all the way to a bigger city to try this pizza.”

Cindy and Cecelia both own the other Cics in the Valley, which has locations in Mission, McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen and Weslaco. According to Cecilia, the Palmhurst location, which at

48,000 sq. ft., boasts the biggest arcade room out of all the other Valley locations.

Cindy said the Palmhurst Cicis will partner up with Midkiff Elementary School for a hands-on, interactive field trip for children from Pre-K to 5th grade known as Cici’s Lunch & Learn where students will learn everything from how to make a pizza to how to run a business.

Founded in 1983, the pizza chain based out of Irving, Texas has over 430 restaurants in 32 states according to the Cicis website. Cicis has been ranked by the consultant company Technomic as the “most craveable pizza chain,” and Entrepreneur magazine recognized Cicis on its Franchise 500 list in 2015.

Hours of operation at Palmhurst’s new Cicis are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. This location marks the sixth Cicis in the Rio Grande Valley, 249th

Cicis’ franchise owners Cindy and Cecelia Benavidez (center) at the red-ribbon cutting ceremony of the Palmhust Cicis location Wednesday. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III in Texas and 430th system-wide, the release stated.

For Palmhurst Mayor Ramiro J. Rodriguez Jr., Cicis isn’t just a new restaurant in his city, it’s a sign of growth for the city.

“People are coming to Palmhurst because it is the

area on the grow,” Rodriguez said. “Development is here, the people are friendly, our sales tax revenues keep increasing and our community of 2,700 people all support us like we all support them.”

Rodriguez said that there are more openings planned

in the plaza that houses Cic’s such as a new taqueria, a bakery and a health food store.

“People are coming, the growth here is so wide open and residents will want variety,” he said, pointing out that along the same area that Cicis is at there are several

nearby restaurants such as a Chick-fil-A, an Applebee’s, a Pizza Hut and Panda Express.

“These places are family-oriented and that can only mean good things for the community,” he said.

a salary of $225,000.

With the latest pay raise, Benavides’ salary now stands at approximately $248,062.

“The extension to the contract is not only a vote of confidence for me as a superintendent, but for all of the La Joya ISD staff that is working diligently every day to move this district forward,” Benavides said in a statement. “It allows us to help keep the momentum going since we clearly recognize that there is still much work to be done.

A special thanks to our board of trustees who help lead this district.”

According to school board Vice President Armin Garza, the board as a whole is satisfied with Benavides as their superintendent.

“She does great work and is respected by her peers, it’s a huge task to lead a district of our size,” Garza said. “I believe we’re all satisfied with the work she’s doing.

And we believe in her. In the coming years, we will continue this relationship.”

By Kathy Olivarez

changes that would possibly adversely affect their property values,” he said.

After discussion, the Council denied the request.

The second controversial request by Olaguer Bauza was the rezoning of more than half an acre located on the Meadow Creek Golf Course near the 18th hole at the intersection of Inspiration Road and Mile 1 South.

Bauza explained they needed money to renovate the golf course so they wanted to change this portion into a commercial strip that would have a donut shop, a Subway and a pizza shop The money from the sale of the property will help finance the improvements on the golf course and that there would still be 18 holes of golf available as only the end section was being sold.

A petition with 39 percent opposition was presented to the Council. John Young

spoke to the Council saying there was already heavy traffic from the nearby school and residents feared more traffic as a result of the new businesses. A total of 67 letters protesting the change was presented to the council, with some residents questioning if a commercial area could be built in a public golf course, leading City Mayor Norbeto “Beto” Salinas to ask engineer Julio Cerda if the commercial site would be on the golf course. Cerda explained that rezoning of the site was the first step to subdividing the property so that it would no longer be on the golf course. Requests for this rezoning could possibly be requested within the next two weeks. Notification will be posted in the newspaper.

The third controversial zoning was for a rezoning from R-1 to C-2 for a 0.407-

La Joya ISD super gets 5 percent pay raise, contract extension

By Jose De Leon III

The La Joya Independent School District’s Board of Trustees granted Superintendent Alda T. Benavides a five percent raise, as well as a one-year extension on her contract with the district.

The unanimous decision to grant Benavides this extension came at Monday’s school board meeting, according to School Board President Oscar “Coach” Salinas. At her yearly evaluation, trustees scored her as “exceptional” on every area, Salinas said.

“We strongly believe she’s done an outstanding job,” Salinas said Wednesday.

“We have areas that need improvement, but so does every district. There’s always room for growth but at the end of the day, we are proud to have her still be with us.”

Benavides has served as La Joya Independent School District’s superintendent since 2006. She’s a product of the district herself, hav-

ing graduated La Joya High School in 1971.

According to a February 2015 Progress Times article, the school board previously extended Benavides’ contract for two years the year before that and for two years the year prior to that.

At that February 2015 meeting, trustees approved a five percent pay raise for Benavides, who at the time had

La Joya ISD Superintendent Alda T. Benavides. Courtesy photo

Three controversial zoning requests had the Mission City Hall Council Chambers overflowing with people during the Monday city council meeting The first was a request for a conditional use permit for a drive-thru store to be located at 4109 Mile 1 South Road, at the intersection of Bentsen Palm Road. Numerous residents of the adjacent subdivision were present to protest the construction of the proposed business, saying it would bring more traffic to their quiet residential area Reynaldo Gonzalez questioned when the designation of that lot had been changed to commercial, as residents had not been notified of the change.

“It was unbelievable that resident who paid taxes in the area were not notified of

See MISSION COUNCIL Pg. 8

INSIDE

La Joya Coyotes soccer locks up wins in district opener

Mission Quilt Show The mission Historical Museum is accepting entries for its annual Mission Quilt Show program, set for Feb. 17.

Entertainment | pg.2

UIL announces new realignment The latest realignment from the University Interscholastic League shakes things up across the Valley. Sports writer Lucianno Guerra has the details.

Sports reporter Bryan Ramos caught all the action between the Coyotes and Lady Coyotes soccer teams as they faced off against the Mission eagles Tuesday

See Pg. 5

INDEX

Council chambers overflow with zoning protesters

See Pg. 8

See Pg. 7

Lifestyle | pg.3

Sports | pg. 6

Obituaries | pg. 9

Classifieds | pg. 11

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entertainment

UVAL Photographic Art Show set for Feb. 10

The Upper Valley Art League (UVAL) annual “Photographic Art Show” will open with a reception on Sat. Feb. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Kika de la Garza Fine Arts Center, 921 E. 12th St. in Mission. The exhibition will include artwork by members of UVAL’s Photography Group and general membership. Admission is free to the opening reception and the exhibition, which runs through March 3.

Capturing life’s moments with photos has increased dramatically now that cameras come with phones. But, UVAL members strive to elevate the process of picture taking to art. To do so,

they take three things into consideration: 1) the visual elements of art such as line, shape, value, texture and color; 2) organization of elements on the picture plane through balance, movement, proportion, dominance, economy and space to create a harmonious and varied composition; and, 3) developing an image that attracts and engages the viewer.

The learning curve is steep, and, ultimately, the photographic artist seeks to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. The public will again have the opportunity to vote on their favorite artwork. The work chosen will receive the “People’s

Choice Award” and will be used to promote next year’s exhibition. Last year’s winner was “San Diego Panorama” by Fernando Torres.

The Photography Group meets at UVAL on the first Saturday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The group serves members by encouraging the development of their photographic skills through education, exhibitions and sharing with other members.

The UVAL gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, go to uppervalleyartleague.org or call 956-5832787.

HWS workshops simplify creative composition, design The Hidalgo Watercolor Society is hosting Susie Short, an out-of-town guest instructor, to teach two workshops on “Creative Composition and Design Simplified.”

Short will teach in two, three-day sessions: Part 1 is

Feb. 8 to 10, and Part 2 is Feb. 12 to 14. Classes run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each. Each session is $155, but it is not necessary to take the first session before taking the second one.

An experienced water colorist, before moving back to

northern Texas, Short taught for the paint vendor Daniel Smith.

To register for the workshops, contact Joyce Capen at 231-629-2914 or email capen1jl@cmich.edu

Noche De Ronda dance features New Variety Band SAN BENITO – The Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum will host its 12th Annual Pre-Valentine’s Day Noche De Ronda” Dance and Scholarship Fundraiser featuring the New Variety Band on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 8 p.m. to midnight at the San Benito Knights of Columbus Hall, 826 E. Stenger Street. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The New Variety Bnd was founded in 1985 by Arturo Gutierrez and Shelby Medina. Leading the band is one of the best duets in the

Tejano music circuit, showcasing the talents of Agnes Torres and Arturo Gutierrez, who have been nominated for duo and vocalists of the year several times at the Tejano Music Awards in San Antonio. Among their songs are “Como Tu Mujer,” “Por Tu Maldito Amor” and “La Pareja Ideal.”

Over the years they recorded over 15 LPs and videos for Sony, CBS and Capitol Records. They have appeared on the Johnny Canales and Aqui Rogelio TV shows multiple times and

toured in Mexico and across the United States. Torres was inducted into the Buddy Holly Museum in Lubbock in 2005.

Admission is $20 per person. All net proceeds support the museum and the annual Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame Scholarship fund.

For tickets, call Rey Avila at 956-245-1666, the San Benito K.C. Hall at 399-4257, or the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce at 956-4235440.

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Coming Attractions

February 2, 2018

February 2 • The McAllen Chamber of Commerce Creative Incubator, 601 N. Main St., hosts “Trees: Arboles” by Roel Flores. Visit the exhibit on display at the McAllen Creative Incubator during Art Walk from 7 to 9 p.m.

The exhibit will remain on display for the entire month. Flores’s accomplishments has garnered numerous awards and received the National Arts & Humanities Proclamation from President Obama in 2013. For more information, contact Laura Robles at lrobles@ visitmcallen.com or 956-682-2871.

• The Valley Symphony Orchestra presents América, América at 8 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Center, 801 Convention Center Blvd. The concert celebrates vibrant symphonic music from countries like Brazil, Cuba,and Mexico. The guest artist of the evening will be UTRGV Mariachi Atzlán.

Single tickets for all concerts are currently on sale and range in price: orchestra, $58; front of the house, $48; and back of the house, $38. For tickets, visit valleyorchestra.org, go to ticketmaster.com, call 800-745-3000 or visit the McAllen Performing Arts Center box office weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

February 2-4 • The Brownsville Museum of Fine Art will play host to Brownsville’s first Latino Comics Expo. It includes the Brownsville Latino Comics Expo Student Short Film Awards, cosplay contest and after party, panel discussions, workshops and vendors. Tickets are free for kids through 8th grade when accompanied by an adult. Student and senior tickets are $6, and adult tickets are $10. Early bird tickets purchased before Feb. 3 are $5 for students/seniors and $8 for adults. Tickets are available at lcxbrownsville.com.

February 2 & 5 • The Pharr Community Theater (PCT) open auditions for The Tragic Corrido of Romeo & Lupe. Auditions will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., at the PCT located 213 W. Newcombe Ave. in Pharr. There are roles for seven women and for 10 men ranging in ages 17 to 65. No appointment is necessary; auditions will be cold readings from the script.

Rehearsals begin in early February, and the play will run in late March and early April.

For more information, call 956-239-0412 or 956-655-9308.

February 2-4, 11, 16-18 & March 8 • The Ballet Folklórico UTRGV presents Alegría 2018 in eight shows. Performances are Feb. 2, 3, 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Feb. 4, 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg campus and, finally, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Brownsville TSC Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for se-

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS niors and students; and $5 for children. For advance ticket information, visit utrgv.link/ alegria or call the Dance Program office at 956-665-2230. Tickets will be available at the PAC Box Office one hour prior to the event.

February 3 • A workshop on calligraphy versal lettering will be led by Jonathan Blocher from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $55 for UVAL members and $65 for nonmembers. All supplies will be furnished. Classes must be paid at the time of registration. Register at the UVAL gallery at 921 E. 12th St. in Mission. Call 956-583-2787 for information.

February 9 • Brielle Frost (flute) performs at 7 p.m. for the UTRGV Faculty Artist Series at the TSC Arts Center in Brownsville. Admission is free and open to the public. Frost will be joined by Juan Pablo Andrade (piano), Krista Jobson (flute) and Natalie Haugeberg (cello) to perform a variety of works by Telemann, Tann, Naudot, Demersseman, Karg-Elert, and Skoumal. For information, call 956882-7025.

February 10 • The City of Granjeno’s 12th Annual Friendship Festival opens with a parade at 10 a.m., and the festival grounds are open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Festival activities include a Show and Shine car show, arts and crafts, food vendors, Kiddie rides, live music and more. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 956-227-7127 or 956-519-0032.

February 10-March 17 • The Mission Historical Museum 12th Annual Quilt Show opens Feb. 10 and runs through March 17. An awards reception and “Turning of the Quilts” program will take place on Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. The museum is located at 900 Doherty in Mission. Admission is free. For information, call 956-580-8646.

February 11 • The next Chamber Music Concert Nights performance by Viol Consort begins with a pre-concert talk on at 6:30 p.m., followed by the performance at 7 p.m. at the McAllen Public Library auditorium. The performance features a selection of baroque music for string orchestra, starting with Telemann Overture Suite “Les Nations” followed by two of the most representative baroque concertos for strings by the Italian composers Antonio Vivaldi and Francesco Geminiani.

For more information, call 956-616 9668.

• The UTRGV Patron of the Arts hosts a performance by pianist Dr. Kenneth Saxon featuring the neglected and favorite works of Chopin, Beethoven, and Bach. The concert will be held at 3 p.m. at the TSC Arts Center in Brownsville and is free and open to the public. For questions, call 956-882-7025.

(For more Coming Attractions, go to ptrgv.com)

lifestyle

Learn to garden in South Texas

SAN JUAN – Workshops on “Gardening in South Texas” will be hosted by the Deep South Texas Master Gardeners, in conjunction with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, in two sessions – Feb. 10 and 17. Both sessions will be held at the Hidalgo County Multipurpose Center for Precinct 2, 509 E. Earling Rd. The registration deadline is Feb. 7.

Learn the basics of what and when to plant, dealing with pests and diseases and Rio Grande Valley soil and soil amendments.

The Feb. 10 session covers herbs, vegetable gardening, bees in urban settings, tree care and maintenance

and Texas native and superstar plants.

The Feb. 17 class covers soil, water and fertilizing, composting, drip irrigation, weed identification and removal and plant pests and diseases.

Registration fee is $65 per person, or $90 per couple, for both sessions. To attend only one session, registration is $35 per person. Each registration includes lunch (for single or joint registration) and one handbook and flash drive per registration. Additional books are $20, and the flash drive is $10.

To register, or, for more information, call 956-3831026 or 800-638-8239.

LJISD senior makes school history

LA JOYA – “… I always wanted my name to be the first one on the empty AllState Choir plaque that hangs at the entrance of my choir room. I worked hard for four years, each time getting closer, and closer – until I finally made it!”

For Priscilla Valencia, a LJ Juarez-Lincoln High School choir senior, her journey to state started back in September with district auditions, where only 20 advanced to regionals in November. After succeeding in the Pre-Area round, Valencia participated in the Area competition where she earned second chair in Alto 2 for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) AllState Mixed Choir – placing her among the top 200 in the state – and making school history at the same time.

But, her journey really began much farther back than that.

“My older sister inspired me to join choir when I was in 7th grade, but it was my choir director, Mr. Joshua Watkins who helped and pushed me to be the best,” said Valencia. “I love to sing, and it feels great to compete and sing alongside my friends. I hope to be an example for others that achieving goals is definitely possible.”

Priscilla Valencia Over 27,000 choir students from across Texas schools begin the audition process in early fall to make it to the TMEA state level. This year, Priscilla was the only student from La Joya ISD and the first in LJ Juarez-Lincoln HS history to earn the award.

Valencia will travel to the TMEA state convention Feb. 14 to 17 in San Antonio where she will meet and rehearse with the other 199 students who comprise the All-State Mixed Choir before performing for an audience of over 10,000 music educators, parents and family.

“I’m most excited about coming back to Juarez-Lincoln HS 40 years from now, and seeing my name at the top of the All-State plaque,” Priscilla added. “…and I’m especially proud to be the first in my school’s history to make it to the state choir.”

February 2, 2018

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

John Brush to speak on wintering birds

EVENTS

CALENDAR February 2 – The Mission Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Masquerade Marketplace, a $5 jewelry and accessory show, runs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mission Regional Medical Center (MRMC), 900 S. Bryan Rd. in Mission, in meeting rooms A, B and C at MRMC. Cash, credit and debit cards will be accepted. Proceeds benefit the MRMC Auxiliary, a philanthropic arm of the hospital.

February 6 – The Green Bees of Green Gate Grove presents their 15th Annual Quilt Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no entrance fee. Green Gate Grove is located at 2135 S. Bentsen Palm Dr. in Palmview. The show will include bed quilts, wall hangings, wearable and miscellaneous textile art and vendors. Drawing tickets for a quilt will be available at the show. Proceeds are used to continue the group’s community service projects. Lunch will be also available to purchase. Call Jan Schaeffer at 956-583-8969 for information.

February 10 – The Second Annual Resaca City Bike Tour in San Benito will be held at Heavin Trail Park with 20, 40.4 and 62.2 mile rides and medals for all who participate. For details and to register, go to chamberofsanbenito.com.

February 16 – The Mission Historical Museum (MHM) “Turning of the Quilts” program and awards ceremony for the 12th Annual Mission Quilt Show will be held at 2 p.m.

Admission is free and open to the public. MHM is located at 900 Doherty and 200 E. Tom Landry in Mission. For more information, call 956-580-8646.

(For more Events, go to ptrgv.com.)

Save the date for Pioneer & Ranching Crafts Day EDINBURG – Put on a pair of boots and head over to the Museum of South Texas History to celebrate Pioneer & Ranching Crafts Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. This community festival will offer a day filled with entertainment and demonstrations that illustrate the crafts and traditions of early farming and ranching in South Texas and northeastern Mexico.

This year’s theme celebrates the multitude of bootmakers in the Rio Grande Valley – some for multiple generations. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the history and craftwork of regional works.

Families and visitors can also experience ranch-style cooking and craft demonstrations

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with music by Texas Sweethearts and Pepe Maldonado y su Conjunto. Returning for spectacular folklorico performances are the Edinburg Folklorico Dance Team and Conceptos Entidad Dancistica. Children’s activities and artisan vendors will be scattered throughout the museum grounds for a better family experience.

For the latest updates on this special family event, please visit mosthistory.org/ events or call the museum at 956-383-6911.

The event is included in regular museum admission.

The Museum of South Texas History is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd. in Edinburg.

Call 956-383-6911 for information.

McALLEN – The staff at Quinta Mazatlan invites the public to hear John Brush speak on “South Texas Wintering Birds” on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. Quinta Mazatlan is located 600 Sunset in McAllen.

Brush will focus on the histories and identifications of the local wintering bird community in south Texas, highlighting both the common wintering species and rare species which have been spotted in the park, including the blue bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina).

Born to an ornithologist and a biologist, John from an early age was interested in nature. Birding trips to Mexico, including an encounter with a Gray-collared becard (Pachyramphus major), cemented his interest in birds.

John Brush

He earned a master’s in biology from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2016, where he studied the bird community of suburban neighborhoods in McAllen and Edinburg. He currently works as an urban ecologist for the new Center for Urban Ecology at Quinta Mazatlán.

Admission is $3 per person. For information, call 956-681-3370.

TOTOS meet is Feb. 4

WESLACO – The Tip of Texas Orchid Society will host Ron Midgett of New Earth Orchids at their next meeting on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. His topic will be “Oncidinae Intergeneric Hybrids—What Are They and How Do I Grow Them?’

All meetings are held at the Valley Nature Center, 301 S. Border in Weslaco Midgett began growing orchids in 1969 in the orchid-rich environment of Southern California. Since then, he has grown orchids in different regions of the U.S. and in the Caribbean. Currently, he resides in Santa Fe, N.M. He is a breeder with an emphasis on Cattleyas,

Paphiopedilums, and Oncidinae.

Several cultivars from his crosses have received American Orchid Society (AOS) awards. He is an accredited AOS judge and has judged in the Taiwan International Orchid Show. He has authored articles published in Orchids and most recently in the Orchid Digest. He was given the prestigious Ernest Heatherington award for his article, “Beyond Sc. Beaufort—A 20 Year Odyssey in Cattleya Breeding.”

There will be orchids for sale at the meeting and a variety of orchid supplies available for purchase.

LA FERIA – Visitors will have an opportunity to see an area of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge as its being restored. A fivemile caliche road will be open for visitors to ride their bicycles on Saturday, Feb. 3, starting at 10 a.m.

Cyclists will pass through coastal prairies, salt water

bays and freshwater wetlands. Wildlife seen may include pelicans and other water birds, raptors and nilgai antelope. Wide tire bikes are recommended.

Reservations are required as parking is limited. Call the refuge at 956-244-2019 to make a reservation.

Bicycle the Bahia Grande Feb. 3

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February 2, 2018

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By Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott and the governors of California, Puerto Rico and Florida on Jan. 24 asked U.S. House and Senate leaders to hurry up and pass supplemental disaster funding, and to send the legislation to President Trump.

“Over the past several months, we have received numerous assurances that adequate disaster funding was imminent,” the governors wrote in a joint letter.

“Its continued delay only exacerbates ongoing uncertainty in devastated areas.

Simply put, the communities devastated by these storms cannot be completely put back together until the federal government makes good on its promise to our citizens. If ever there was a time and role for the federal government to urgently help its citizens rebuild communities damaged by epochal disasters, now is the time to step up and fill that role.”

The letter, signed by Abbott, California Gov. Jerry Brown, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott, was addressed to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California.

The governors also said in their letter, “While no longer front page news in Washington D.C., ongoing suffering becomes more acute the longer Congress waits to finish its work and pass a substantial disaster supplemental funding package” for critical relief measures in communities damaged by “epochal disasters.”

Paxton files DACA brief Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Jan. 25 was joined by 12 other states in filing a court brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that would prevent the Trump administration from phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in March.

The ruling, issued by a U.S. District Court in California earlier in January, blocked the federal government from phasing out DACA, an Obama-era policy.

Paxton, in the text of the 36-page brief, informed the Supreme Court that Texas would be forced to consider whether to file suit challenging the June 15, 2012 memorandum by President Obama that created DACA and provided for its continued implementation. It is furthermore stated that such a challenge would be brought

by June 15, 2018, in order to avoid issues about the possible application of a six-year statute of limitations.

“Without this court’s prompt intervention, the district court’s injunction could last for over a year, frustrating the very purpose of the executive’s decision here of promptly terminating disputes about the legality of a past policy by taking an undisputedly lawful course going forward,” Paxton said.

Special Ed: Survey open The Texas Education Agency on Jan. 23 made available an online survey to solicit feedback from the public on its draft corrective action plan for special education.

The survey, available on the agency’s website, is open to anyone wishing to provide

input on the draft plan.

At the direction of Gov. Abbott, the TEA drafted an initial corrective action plan concerning support and delivery of special education services in public schools.

The draft addresses issues identified in a recent federal monitoring report, including the proper identification of special education students and assuring access to services at the local level.

Reported: 6 measles cases The Texas Department of State Health Services on Jan. 23 announced that six measles cases among unvaccinated people in Ellis County were being investigated.

DSHS officials have advised health care providers in the area to take precautions and consider measles as a possible diagnosis in patients with a fever and rash in addition to a cough, runny nose or conjunctivitis.

The highly contagious nature of measles means it is possible that more cases will occur in the community.

People involved in the outbreak have connections to Waxahachie and Midlothian, state health officials said.

DPS implements HB 1729 The Texas Department of Public Safety on Jan. 25 announced that customers applying for or renewing a driver license, identification card or commercial driver license may donate $1 or more to the Sexual Assault Evidence Testing Grant program.

As of Jan. 8 the program — administered by the Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor — had received more than 8,900 donations for a total of nearly $25,000, the DPS reported.

Saturday, March 3 is the tentative date McAllen city commissioners have set for the run-off election to replace Richard Cortez on the city commission.

Commissioners settled on that date after first considering Saturday, March 10 and Saturday, March 17 dates and after a lengthy discussion of Texas election laws and working around the March Texas party primaries set for March 6.

Cortez had to resign his District 1 seat when he announced he is running for the Democratic nomination for Hidalgo county judge, so the commission called a special election last Saturday, January 20, to fill Cortez’ unexpired term.

Tim Wilkins and Javier Villalobos made it to the runoff. Dr. Joseph Caporusso ran third. Commissioners decided to officially canvass the votes on Monday, January 29.

At the special election, 1,358 people voted early and in-person, with lawyer

Javier Villalobos coming in first with 505 votes, or 42 percent; businessman Tim Wilkins with 472 votes, or 35 percent; and Dr. Joseph Caporusso with 375 votes, or 28 percent.

City Attorney Kevin Pagan initially recommended a March 10 date for the run-off election, telling commissioners that was City Manager Roy Rodriguez’ recommendation. Rodriguez said that he and the staff picked that date in order to give candidates more time to campaign. That sparked conversation about whether or not the two candidates would want to keep momentum or take a breather.

Candidate Tim Wilkins, sitting in the audience, got the mayor’s permission to speak and objected to the date, commenting that Saturday March 10 “falls during Texas Week, Spring Break.

That’s a terrible day. People will be out of town. If you can consider a weekday, which would be unprecedented, it needs to be consid-

ered.”

Rodriguez said they had taken Spring Break into consideration “but we felt like, if we are going to impact people who are going to be traveling, that they could plan to vote before they left’” to which Wilkins replied, “That’s a ridiculous statement, Roy. I’m sorry.”

Replied Rodriguez, “Thank you, Tim. I appreciated that.”

After doing some research, City Attorney Pagan came back later in the meeting with the Saturday, March 3, recommendation, and that’s what the commission adopted. It has to be officially set when they do the vote canvass.

The winner will fill the three-and-a-half years left in Cortez’ term. He resigned to run for the Democratic nomination for Hidalgo County Judge.

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1217 N. Conway • Mission, TX (956) 585-4893 MEMBER 2018

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

The Progress Times (USPS 971-420; ISSN 0890-2666) is published each Friday by Savy Publishing, LLC, 1217 N. Conway, Mission, Texas 78572, (956) 585-4893. Subscriptions $20 annual in Hidalgo County; $30 outside of Hidalgo County. Second class postage paid in Mission, Texas 78572. ©2018 Savy Publishing, LLC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the PROGRESS TIMES, P.O. Box 399, Mission Texas 78573.

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Letters to the Editor are welcome but must conform to certain guidelines. All letters must be original, dated, signed and bear the complete name, address and phone number of the writer/signer. No photo copied letters will be printed. No letters addressed to others will be printed. Letter content must be relevant to concerns and interests of Mission and the surrounding area. Relevance is determined by the editor.

Anonymous cards or letters are neither read nor printed. Letters may be submitted by e-mail to letters@progresstimes.net, but must include the author’s name and daytime phone number.

February 2, 2018

page 5

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Rat Pack to appear at Travel, Health & Wellness Expo

The experts say good music, fun and laughter is good for your health.

Great entertainment just one of many good reasons to attend this year’s McAllen Travel Health & Wellness Expo on Feb. 13-14 at the McAllen Convention Center.

Headliners for this year’s entertainment will be “The Rat Pack,” featuring Las Vegas style tribute performers as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Marilyn Monroe.

The Dean-O-Holics recreate the music and fun of Dino, Frank and Sammy – The Rat Pack. The atmosphere? Pure Las Vegas circa 1960. The Act? Strictly Rat Pack; Frank, Dino and the gang bring back memories of yesteryear. It’s live. It’s 18-karat fun.

The show starts with Dino, the emcee of the evening, ad-libbing and warming up the crowd with the rest of the pack following suit shortly after. The group works their way through all the years of the Rat Pack, not just

the 1961 Sands era, which most of the Rat Pack Tributes shows usually cover. The show is more of a tribute to the style of music and that golden era than to the artists themselves, although the voices are remarkably close to the originals. The best is that fun is contagious. One is never sure who is having more fun, the audience or the performers.

The Agency While this year’s Expo organizers were searching far and wide to bring you top entertainment, they didn’t have to travel far to sign one of the Rio Grande Valley’s best local bands – The Agency – to entertain folks who attend this year’s Travel, Health & Wellness Expo.

Known as “the best classic rock band in South Texas,” The Agency is celebrating 25 years of performances. The Agency is a Rio Grande Valley-based fivepiece veteran band that has been entertaining people throughout Texas since 1993. The band specializes in authentic versions of rock, soul and Motown clas-

with “The Rat Pack” Tribute

sic hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s. They also play a variety of dinner jazz, swing, country, waltzes and more.

Composed of seasoned musicians who grew up with classic rock, The Agency is well known for finely crafted vocals, tight, blended sound and danceable arrangements.

So, put your dancing shoes on and come on down to the Travel, Health & Wellness Expo for a great time – and it’s all free. Free admission, free entertainment, free door prizes, free health screenings and lots of exhibitors offering you special Expo deals.

The McAllen Travel Health & Wellness Expo will be held Feb. 13 and 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the McAllen Convention Center. Come early for the free health screenings and stay for the massages, health care solutions, nutritional and travel information available from over 80 exhibitors participating.

Museum seeks entries for Turning of the Quilts presentation will be judged by a panel of independent judges, with ribbons awarded for first, second and third places in each category. Best-of-Show and Viewers’ Choice ribbons will also be awarded.

Entry forms will be accepted at the museum through Wednesday, Jan 31, if space is still available. If you would like to enter your quilt, you are urged to register early, because space is limited.

EXPERIENCE

The show opens Saturday, Feb. 10, and runs through Saturday, March 17. An awards reception and Turning of the Quilts program will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16.

The Mission Historical Museum is located at 900 Doherty and 200 E. Tom Landry, in Mission. Admission is free. For more information, please call the museum at (956) 580-8646.

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A Turning of the Quilts program will be presented at the Mission Historical Museum Quilt Show at 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16. A knowledgeable quilter who is familiar with quilting traditions and history will present and discuss vintage quilts. The public is invited to the program and to visit the Quilt Show, which will be on display beginning Feb. 10 at the museum.

The Mission Historical Museum is accepting entries for the annual Mission Quilt Show and also for for its “Turning of the Quilts” program to be offered Feb. 16 at the quilt show hosted at the museum.

Antique Quilts The museum is looking for antique, vintage, or just interesting quilts for this program. The quilts are presented stacked on a bed. As each quilt is shown, it is carefully turned down to reveal the next quilt, until all have been presented. A knowledgeable presenter will talk about each quilt as it is shown.

The museum will be accepting vintage quilts through Saturday, Feb. 3.

Quilts can be brought in Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Provide as much information as you can about the quilt, such as who made it, how old is it, how you got it, etc. Viewers would also be interested in any stories associated with the quilt.

All quilts will be handled by trained and knowledgeable individuals.

“Turning of the Quilts” will be presented as part of the awards ceremony at the 12th annual Mission Quilt Show at the Mission Historical Museum at 2 p.m. Feb. 16. The awards are sponsored by the Winter Texan Times.

Quilt Show Entries Entries for the regular quilt show competition will be accepted in three categories: hand-quilted bed quilts, machine-quilted bed quilts, and wall hangings. The show is open to all quilters, both Winter Texans and yearround residents.

Quilts and wall hangings exhibit entries must be ready to hang with a sleeve for display purposes.

Entries are accepted on a first-in, first-accepted basis.

Because of limited space, the museum reserves the right to close entries before the deadline. This will allow for the best possible presentation for all entries.

To allow for the broadest representation, participants may submit only one item per person. Any quilt entered in this show within the past five years is not eligible for entry this year. The quilts

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February 2, 2018

Sports week

BIG7 SCHOOLS

page 6

www.ptrgv.com/sports

Covering Mission, Veterans Memorial, Sharyland, Pioneer, La Joya, Palmview & Juarez-Lincoln Sports

Diamond backs-to-back

By Luciano Guerra One year after claiming the first swimming district championship in school history, the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondback boys’ swim team made it back-to-back district titles by leaving the competition in their wake at last Friday’s 31-5A District Swim Meet held at the Bannworth Aquatic Center in Mission. You could even say that the Diamondbacks, who bettered the second place Sharyland Rattlers by 37 points (171 points to 134 points), swam circles around their district opponents at this meet, but only figuratively of course.

While Pioneer’s dominance over the district runner-up Rattlers was impressive, the fact that they almost doubled the third place Roma Gladiators’ score of 88 points and more than doubled the fourth place Mission Veterans Patriots’ score of 81 points was even more-so.

In addition, Diamondbacks swimmers won five individual events and one relay event to take six of the 11 events. The Rattlers took first place in the other five events, three individual events and two relays, giving the two Sharyland teams a first place clean sweep over the remaining 31-5A teams.

Pioneer junior Andrew Adkins took first place in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard freestyle and was a member of the Diamondbacks’ first place 400-yard and the second place 200-yard freestyle relay teams. In only his second year of competitive swim-

ming, Adkins was pleasantly surprised by how well he did at this meet.

“I expected to get first place in at least my individual events, but I did not expect to hit the times that I hit,” Adkins said. “I was really impressed by my times. They were all my personal bests.”

Having qualified for the UIL Region VIII Swim Meet in all four events, Adkins shared what he is looking forward to the most at this meet when he said, “The competition. In the 100 breaststroke, I’m going to go in seeded first I believe and between me and the third seeded swimmer, there’s only a one second time difference. It’s going to be a really close race. It’s going to be fun.”

Sophomore Trevor Heath is no stranger to winning district championships. He took first place in the 200-yard medley and the 500-yard freestyle as a freshman last year. This year he took first place in the 200-yard IM, the 500-yard freestyle and as a member of the Diamondbacks’ 400-yard relay team.

Having qualified for the regional meet in three events last year, Heath has bettered that mark by qualifying in four events this year. When asked what he’s looking forward to the most about the regional meet, Heath said, “I’m really looking forward to two of my events, the 500 and the IM. I have two swimmers that have beat me in each event so I’m going to have to really push it to get

there.”

While Heath has achieved more in his two years of varsity swimming than most swimmers achieve in four, he credits his team for making it all possible.

“Being part of this team means so much to me,” Heath said. “I’ve never been part of a team that has done so much for me. I never would’ve been able to do any of this without my team supporting me in the end.”

The only other Pioneer boys’ swimmer that took first place in an individual event last Friday was sophomore Ethan Saenz. He pulled off what may have been the upset of the meet when he outswam the top-seeded swimmer, Sharyland’s Javier Suarez Moreno, in the 50-

yard freestyle.

“I was seeded second by more than a second,” Saenz said. “I prayed that I would do my best and I beat him by a couple of milliseconds.”

Saenz placed second in the 100-yard butterfly and was a member of Pioneer’s relay teams as well.

Pioneer head swimming coach Arnold Perez is no stranger to winning district championships. As a matter of fact, he led Mission Veterans to 10 district championships in a row prior to taking the job at Pioneer. Even with all that success, Perez says that he has never coached a team quite like this one.

“In my tenure at Mission Veterans and in the time I’ve been here at Pioneer, I have never had these kind of kids

Some of the members of the Pioneer boys’ swimming team that won their second District 31-5A championship in a row last week. Pictured here from left to right are Diego Garza, Julian Perez, Ethan Saenz, Andrew Adkins, Trevor Heath, Marc Rodriguez and Jae Herrera. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra

that work so hard and that swimming is everything to them,” Perez said. “They come in, they’re not afraid to work, they want to work and they do all the intervals and they want more. If there’s a vacation or a holiday, they get mad if we cancel practice. They are a special breed of kids.”

Pioneer junior Marc Rodriguez made it back-to-back district championships in the 1 meter diving event by bettering the field in this event for the second year in a row.

Fellow Diamondback diver Luis Ponce took second place.

In the girls’ 31-5A District Meet, the Roma Lady Gladiators took the title with 144 points, the Mission Veterans Lady Patriots were the runner-ups with 131 points, the Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks placed third with 115 points and the Sharyland Lady Rattlers placed fourth with 89 points.

Individual district champions included Mission Veterans’ Karla Castillo (100 and 200-yard freestyle) and Sharyland’s Sarah Chandler (500-yard freestyle). The Lady Patriots also took first place in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The UIL Region VIII Swimming and Diving Meet is taking place today and tomorrow at the CCISD Natatorium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The UIL State Swimming and Diving Meet is scheduled to take place Feb. 16 and 17 at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center, at the University of Texas at Austin.

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February 2, 2018

page 7

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La Joya locks up wins in district opener Coyotes, Lady Coyotes off to good start in 30-6A

By Bryan Ramos District 30-6A soccer has officially kicked off and La Joya and Mission boys’ and girls’ programs clashed in intense battles at Tom Landry Stadium that came down to the wire.

The Lady Coyotes (16-31, 1-0-0) have been rolling through non-district action and the team’s good play continued Tuesday night in their 30-6A opener as they edged out the Mission Lady Eagles 2-1.

After 15 minutes of back and forth between the Lady Eagles and Lady Coyotes, it was La Joya sophomore Kayla Ochoa who broke the game open and found the back of the net with a ball off her right foot midway through the first half.

The second half was scoreless until an action-packed final 10 minutes.

Ochoa broke free into the Mission box but was fouled by two Lady Eagles attempting to put a stop to her run.

Ochoa knocked the penalty kick in to put the Lady Coyotes up 2-0 with 9:10 left to play.

Facing desperation, the Lady Eagles converted with 4:15 left on the clock, but the last-minute effort was too little too late.

Ochoa, a midfielder who rocks bright green cleats, has been money in her first two years for the Lady Coyotes.

The sophomore’s two goals against Mission boosted her number of goals scored to 16 on the year in only 20 games.

Ochoa, who described herself as a happy person, was all smiles after the game and credited the team’s success to their unity.

“I’m a very happy person and I like to push the team for more,” Ochoa said after her two goal performance.

“I think that it’s unity, we always encourage each other to be in practice every day, get those laps in, to support everybody as a team because teamwork is the key to success. We’re a good team and

I really appreciate being a part of it.”

La Joya Lady Coyotes Head Coach Lupe Moreno told his team before the game he wanted to go home with three points or no points and was proud of the effort that brought his team its first district victory.

“It’s always good to start district with a win, it’s a tough district so we needed these three points,” Moreno said. “The girls have worked very hard since the summer and it’s always a pleasure to see what you’ve been working for paying off.”

Moreno has instilled a playoff mindset in his team and are aiming for postseason success. The Lady Coyotes finished fourth place in District 30-6A but were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round. Moreno thinks this team, although young with only four seniors, gives the Lady Coyotes a good chance get into the postseason and hopefully go further than the year before.

“Playoffs; that’s our goal,” he said. “Last year we made the playoffs, this year we have a better team and the goal is to go further than just the first round of the playoffs.”

After the girls’, it was the boys’ turn to get in on the district opening fun.

The match between the Coyotes and Eagles was competitive from the start as players on both sides were fighting for every inch they could get. When it was all said and done, there were four yellow cards and a red card handed out.

The scoring started in the second half when La Joya’s Edgar Palomares struck a ball with his right foot from 15 yards out to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead with 24:30 remaining. Mission immediately responded by turning its attack up a notch leading to a goal from speedy junior John Cortez to tie the game at 1-1 which eventually sent the game into a penalty kick shootout situation to decide

Mission junior midfielder Aaron Rodriguez goes up high for a header during the first half of the Eagles’ 2-1 (pks) loss to the La Joya Coyotes Tuesday night. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra the winner.

In the shootout, it was La Joya goalie Andre Ramirez who shutdown the Eagles attempts, coming up with two big blocks and forcing one shot to go wide left. La Joya’s Edgar Cortina, Julio Cabello and Adrian Aguirre each knocked in their penalty kicks to give the Coyotes a 3-1 victory in the shootout.

Ramirez said he was in the Eagles’ heads during the shootout. La Joya Head Coach Alexandro Davila said the Coyotes have practiced and prepared for the exact scenario which paid off big time Tuesday night.

“We practiced PKs yesterday, it was about 80 or 90 PKs and he (Ramirez) took them all,” Davila said.

“Towards the end he was becoming tired and they were getting after him but tonight he came through. He came through with a couple of stops there that were magnificent and it’s a 1 v 1, it’s a disadvantage because he didn’t have the ball but he came through and I’m very proud.”

Davila said the road win

MHS criminal justice students moving on

Students from the Mission High School (MHS) Criminal Justice Department program have qualified to advance to state level competitions in five different categories after competing at the recent regional Texas Public Service Association competition held in Weslaco.

The state competitions will be held in Houston in March.

In team competition, the blood spatter team placed first at the Weslaco competition. Team members are Angel Flores, Ryan Vick and Miranda Neagle. This is the first year this category was used in competition at regionals. The cell extraction team placed first with team members Zackery Clemons, Enoch Perez, Gerry Esquivel, Nathaniel Hernandez, Fabian Ahumada and Ramiro Marquez. And, the crime scene investigation team moves on after earning second. Team members are Noevelyn Garza, Angel Flores and Miranda Neagle.

For individual categories, Zackery Clemons qualified for state in the male fire obstacle course with a second place finish, and Alexis Aranda will compete in the fire search and rescue maze category at state after placing second.

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Mission TX 78572 (956) 585-1665

Sunday Services: 8:00 a.m. Informal 9:00 a.m. Contemporary Dinner with 10:00 a.m. Sunday School Friends every 11:00 a.m. Traditional Friday @ 5:30pm 11:00 a.m. Childrens Church 5:00 p.m. Spanish Worship

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in the district opener gives his team confidence and furthers his belief that the Coyotes are bound for a successful season.

“It’s going to be games like this, scrappy games, hard games, tough games so we feel confident going forward after coming to Mission and taking two points,” he said. “We can do something special. We have an experienced team so we can only get better.”

La Joya is back in action tonight as they host McAllen High with the Lady Coyotes kicking off action at 6 p.m., followed by the Coyotes taking the field at 8 p.m. at La Joya Stadium in La Joya.

Mission will have an opportunity to bounce back on the road in their district match against McAllen Memorial with the Lady Eagles set to start at 6 p.m. and followed by the Eagles at 8 p.m.

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page 8

February 2, 2018

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La Joya ISD FFA holds first Showmanship Show The La Joya ISD FFA Programs held their 1st ever intra-district Pack Classic Showmanship Show this Tuesday, January 30 at La Joya High School. This was a great opportunity for the

FFA programs in the district to showcase and be ready to win at the upcoming competitions and at the RGV Livestock Show, according to release from the district.

El Paso Feed Store and

Sunglo Feeds were gracious enough to sponsor 22 buckles that were awarded to the student exhibitors.

A big thank you to Sammy Castañeda from Sunglo, Joe Saenz from El Pase Feed

Store, DJ Wernecke - Judge, LJ Palmview HS Ag Teachers, Mr. Requenez and Mr. Solis, Mr. Canales, Juarez Lincoln High School Ag Teacher, and Mrs. Gonzalez La Joya High School Ag

Teacher.

Special thanks to Mr. Ruben Trevino, LJISD CTE Director, Mr. Sam Garza - Asst.

CTE Director, Principal Antonio Cano-LJHS, Principal Mrs. Solis- JLHS, and Prin-

cipal Bonnie Ayala-PHS, for allowing this show to take place.

Pig Showman

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Senior Grand Showman- Arlette Ramirez, Senior Reserve Showman- Catalina Hernandez, Senior 3rd Overall Showman- Clarissa Lopez, Intermediate Grand Showman- Luis Delgado, Intermediate Reserve Grand showman- Kaylee Silva, Intermediate 3rd Overall ShowmanSamantha Hernandez, Sub. Junior Grand Showman- Kristine Gonzalez, Sub. Junior Reserve Grand Showman- Juan Diego Delgado, Sub. Junior 3rd Overall Grand Showman- Jade Garcia. Courtesy photo

Senior Grand Showman- Armando Garza, Senior Reserve Showman- Miguel Gonzalez, Senior 3rd Overall Showman- Jose Julian Garcia, ntermediate Grand Showman- Alexandra Gamboa, Intermediate Reserve Grand showman- Leeann Lopez, Intermediate 3rd Overall Showman- Ryan Zamora, Sub. Junior Grand Showman- Kristine Gonzalez, Sub. Junior Reserve Grand Showman- Jose Herrera, Sub. Junior 3rd Overall Grand Showman- Victoria Solis, Junior Grand Showman- Gustavo Garza, Junior Reserve Grand Showman- Madison Gamboa. Courtesy photo

UIL unveils new Valley districts in 2018-2020 realignment The University Interscholastic League (UIL) unveiled its football realignment for the Valley’s 6A and 5A school districts for 2018 and 2019 Thursday morning at the Region One Education Services Center in Edinburg.

As part of this realignment, La Joya High, Juarez-Lin-

coln and Mission High will continue being part of 306A but Palmview will not.

PSJA High and PSJA North are both being added to 306A while the three McAllen schools will remain.

As for the 5A schools, Mission Veterans will no longer be in the same dis-

trict as Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer. Instead, the Patriots will be part of 16-5A Division I along with Palmview, the four Brownsville schools, PSJA Memorial, PSJA Southwest, Rio Grande and Donna High.

The Rattlers and the Diamondbacks will be part of 16-5A Division II along with Edcouch Elsa, Laredo Cigarroa, Mercedes, Roma and Valley View.

Two arrested following Mission kidnapping

Two women were arraigned under aggravated kidnapping charges following an incident that occurred

last weekend in rural Mission after an unidentified man said he was taken from his home at gunpoint.

The arrest came after Sheriff’s Deputies were called to rural Mission Sunday, Jan. 28 at around 9:47 p.m. in reference to a kidnapping.

Deputies met with the 27-year-old victim who said he was forced into a truck, beaten while in transport, and later dumped at an unknown location, according to a news release by the Sherriff’s Office.

Deputies observed the victim suffered visible injuries to his head and body as a direct result of the assault, the release stated. The victim was taken via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Sheriff’s Investigators met with the victim who recognized his ex-girlfriend,

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32 year old Cynthia Alvarez, and her sister, 35 year old Natalia Alvarez, among those inside the truck at the time of the kidnapping and heard Cynthia tell the men, “That’s him” before they started to assault him, according to the release.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, which led to the arrest of both women for aggravated kidnapping charges.

Cynthia and Natalia were taken before Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Homer Jasso Wednesday, who charged them with Aggravated Kidnapping, a 1st Degree Felony punishable with up to 99 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Each was given a $30,000 cash surety bond and then committed to the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center.

This is an ongoing investigation and those with more information are urged to the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 956-6688477.

Sullivan City resident killed in Mission motorcycle crash A 20-year-old Sullivan City resident died Monday afternoon following a fatal motorcycle crash in Mission.

Kevin Chavana was pronounced dead after being transported to McAllen Medical Center by helicopter following the collision, which occurred at the 800 block of north Shary Road at around 1:39 p.m according to police spokesman Lt. Jody Tittle.

The accident occurred when the driver of a box truck pulled out of a private drive on the west side of Shary Rd to turn north, causing Chavana, who was traveling on the southbound lane, to collide with the truck.

Tittle said Chavana was wearing his helmet and speed was not a factor in the accident.

February 2, 2018

obituaries Roberto Bazan Jr. PALMVIEW– Roberto “Betito” Bazan Jr., 68, passed away on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, at his home in Palmview.

Mr. Bazan was born in McAllen on Sept. 3, 1949, to Roberto and Enedina Bazan.

Survivors include his children, Roberto Bazan III of Mission, Rita Bazan of Palmview and Ruben Bazan of McAllen; siblings, Adela Peña, Adelina Alaniz and Connie Muñoz of Palmview; and four grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; maternal grandparents, Leandro and Alejandra Garza; and paternal grandparents, Nicasio and Adela Bazan.

A funeral mass was held on Jan. 30 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were Jack Lester, Joe McLaughlin, Edelmiro Garcia, Lalo Villarreal, Hector Gandaria, Juan Salinas, Juan Treviño, Javier Treviño, Gerardo Alaniz, J.J. Peña, Sergio Muñoz Jr., Jaime Lopez and Rey Garza.

Basilia Gonzalez PALMVIEW – Basilia P. Gonzalez, 87, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018.

Mrs. Gonzalez was born on in Peñitas on March 19,

1930, to Camilo and Maria (Cuellar) Perez.

Survivors include her children Raquel Chatriwala, Rogelio Gonzalez, Rolando Gonzalez and Rebecca Ramirez; and siblings, Baudalia Perez, Camilo Perez and Sigifredo Perez.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ramon Gonzalez; children, Ramon Gonzalez Jr., Rosalva Sosa and Roel Gonzalez; and her parents.

A funeral mass was held on Jan. 30 at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Abram. Burial followed at San Jose Cemetery in Abram.

Funeral arrangements were under the care of Rivera Funeral Home in Mission.

Maria Guerra MISSION – Maria Garcia Guerra, 87, passed away on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, at her home in Mission.

Mrs. Guerra was born June 21, 1930, to Ignacio Garcia and Francisca Rodriguez in Mission.

Survivors include her children, Guadalupe Guerra, Juan Manuel Guerra, Ramiro Guerra, Ruben Guerra, Alfredo Guerra, Gerardo Guerra, Gabriel Guerra, Israel Guerra, Jaime Guerra, Rene Guerra, Anna Maria Gonzalez, Lydia Rodriguez and Rosie Guerra; 31 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Antonio Guerra Jr.; parents, Ignacio Garcia and Francisca Rodriguez; son, Antonio Guerra III; granddaughter, Melissa Guerra; and brothers, Santana Garcia and Ignacio Garcia Jr. A funeral mass was held on Jan. 29 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed

at San Jose Cemetery in Mission.

Donald Wills MISSION – Donald Lee Wills, 80, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, at Waterford Gardens in Mission.

Mr. Wills was born on Feb. 18, 1937, to Nellie and Orville Wills on the family farm outside of Edinburg.

After graduating from high school, he had a lifelong career in the oilfield industry.

Don is survived by children, Donna Greene and Charles Wills; and seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 1201 E. Fern Ave., in McAllen.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be given St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Notices

Julia Bautista MISSION – Julia Bautista, 83, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, at her home in Mission.

Alfredo Castillo MISSION – Infant Alfredo Peña Castillo, 19 days old, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2018, at his home.

Ricarda Castillo MISSION – Ricarda Castillo, 48, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, at her home in Mission.

Kevin Chavana SULLIVAN CITY – Kevin Chavana, 20, passed away on Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, in Mission.

Raymond Herman MISSION – Raymond Herman, 83, passed away on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Alondra Hinojosa MISSION – Alondra Hinojosa, 22, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Maria Huerta-Salazar MISSION – Maria D. Huerta-Salazar, 74, passed away on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, at Doctors Hospital in Edinburg.

Delbert Hupp MISSION – Delbert Clyde Hupp, 84, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018, at Pax Villa Hospice in McAllen.

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

CITY COUNCIL acre site out of Lot 265 John H. Shary Subdivision. The site is owned by Councilwoman Norie Gonzalez Garza who wants to relocate her business to property she already owns. She abstained from discussing the matter.

The site is currently zoned for low density residential and Garza intends to retain the residential use on the back portion of the property and build a smaller home for herself there.

Residents protested the C-2 zoning in the midst of their residential properties but the council approved the request after discussion.

In other action, Council authorized solicitation of bids for competitive proposals for a tennis center to be located at Birdwell Park. The three existing courts will be refurbished and an additional 13 courts will be added along

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

3805 Plantation Grove Blvd., Ste. 5

Mission • 580-4551

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

KING, GUERRA, DAVIS & GARCIA ATTORNEYS AT LAW

DAVID H. GUERRA

Lorraine Miller MISSION – Lorraine E. Miller, 86, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, at McAllen Medical Center.

Santiago Rios PEÑITAS – Santiago Cortez Rios, 76, passed away on Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Anacleto Rodriguez ALTON – Anacleto Rodriguez, 77, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, at his home in Alton.

Ramiro Rodriguez MISSION – Ramiro Rodriguez, Jr., 64, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, at McAllen Medical Center.

RCJH CyberCavs qualify for State Ralph Cantu Jr. High CyberCavs competed in the annual TCEA area event in Edinburg at Robert Vela High School on Jan. 13. Out of six teams, the CyberCavs #5, took second place in the Intermediate Inventions event, which now qualifies them for the State competition on April 7. Team members are Daniela Gonzalez (7th grade), Angela Meshoulam (7th) and Jasmine Lozano (7th) are pictured with their coaches Daniel Reyna, Catalina Gomez, Laura Alvarez and Manuel Villarreal.

ChurCh DireCtory BREAD OF LIFE CHURCH 2820 N. Conway Ave. • 581-1411

page 9

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DARRELL DAVIS

301 E. Tom Landry • Mission • 585-1622

MISSION AUTO ELECTRIC, INC. DBA

ER MAE EPQOU IW PMENT

Commercial Lawn Equipment “Since 1954”

915 West Bus. 83 • Mission, tX 78572 • (956) 581-7433

from pg 1 will modified trail lighting. A pro-shop, concessions and restrooms will be added. The site will also include picnic structures, a covered pavilion over the exiting basketball court, an enlarged walking trail and a parking lot.

Brad Bentsen, Director for Parks and Recreation said the design would meet the standards set by the United States Tennis Association to accommodate USTA tournaments, and accommodations for local and regional tournaments for the Sharyland and Mission School districts.

The project will be paid for with a city contribution of $500,000 and a matching grant of $500,000 from Texas Parks and Wildlife which will be met with a matching grant of $500,000 from Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation.

Authorization was given

to accept a contract between All Children’s Nutrition Program and the Boys and Girls Clubs of American for a grant that would provide supper to children involved in the after-school program with permission from their parents.

The Mission Police Department was authorized to receive a grant from the Office of the Governor for $39,381 to purchase rifle resistant bullet proof vests for patrol officer, bridge officers, traffic officers and SWAT officers. There is no cash match required from the city.

At the request of Assistant City Manager Ada Lerma the City of Reynosa was approved to sign a Sister City document with the City of Mission during the Mayor’s Brunch on Saturday during the Texas Citrus Fiesta.

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February 2, 2018

Neighbors upset about new Peñitas cemetery ground checks on anyone who wants to start what the state calls a “perpetual care” cemetery. The company deposits part of the proceeds from each plot into a trust fund, which covers maintenance expenses.

Santos said the cemetery will include trees, landscaping and a 200-foot buffer between the plots and the property line. At the request of neighbors, Santos agreed to build a fence between the cemetery and nearby homes — even though some already have chain-link and block walls.

“We did go round and round with the city,” Santos said, adding that the delays cost him time and money.

“But I’m just glad we were able to move forward.”

Santos also met with concerned neighbors.

“There’s fewer concerned residents,” Romero said.

“But there’s still concerned residents.”

Luis Esquivel

A man called the Sullivan City Police Department after Esquivel broke down his door, according to the police report. The homeowner held him at gunpoint until officers arrived.

Esquivel pleaded guilty to burglary of habitation, a second-degree felony. State District Judge Letty Lopez sentenced him to four years in prison.

“However, the Court, after due consideration, is of the opinion and so finds that the ends of justice and the best interests of the public and the Defendant are served in this cause if the imposition of the sentence is suspended and the Defendant is placed on community supervision under the direction of the Court,” according to the judgment.

After the judge suspended the prison sentence, jailers released Esquivel on Nov. 16.

He struck again two weeks later.

Sullivan City police arrest serial burglar after adult daycare heist

By Dave Hendricks

Luis Esquivel stole everything but the kitchen sink from Mi Generacion adult daycare in Sullivan City.

After damaging the kitchen door, Esquivel grabbed 30 eggs, five bags of chicken, 3 pounds of ground beef and several cans of corn, according to the criminal complaint against him. Apparently concerned about how he’d cook the haul, Esquivel also snatched pots, pans and kitchen knives.

The Nov. 30 burglary at Mi Generacion left owner Cecilia Chapa furious.

“They keep letting him go all the time,” Chapa said.

“It’s scary.”

Sullivan City police arrested Luis Alberto Esquivel, 27, of La Joya on Jan. 24 at the Los Ebanos ferry.

Charged with burglary of a building, a state jail felony, Esquivel remains at the Hidalgo County jail and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Jailers know Esquivel well — they’ve booked him 20 times since 2008 on a dizzying array of burglary, theft and other charges, according to Hidalgo County and Starr County records.

“He’s been in custody numerous times,” said Maj. Carlos Delgado, a spokesman for the Starr County Sheriff’s Office.

After several arrests in Starr County, he returned to Sullivan City in August 2017.

Many neighbors remain angry they didn’t know about the cemetery plans.

They also want Peñitas to halt construction.

“The problem is I can’t go into a lawsuit on behalf of some citizens knowing that we’ll lose taxpayer dollars,” Romero said. “And I anticipate that we’ll have to pay out in a countersuit.”

Longoria, Romero, Peñitas Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez, Peñitas City Councilman Jose Roel Flores and Hidalgo County Precinct 3 Commissioner Joe Flores met with neighbors at John F. Kennedy Elementary School on Jan. 24.

They brought a site plan showing the cemetery layout and a rendering of the ceme-

tery gate, but reiterated that state law doesn’t allow Peñitas to regulate the cemetery.

“The county and the city can’t stop them,” Joe Flores said, adding that he hopes the cemetery owner will reach a compromise with neighbors.

About 15 people attended the meeting, including Miguel and Maribel Benitez, who own a home immediately east of the cemetery.

“I felt like the trust between city leaders and ourselves was broken. It was not expected and no one had said anything about a cemetery being built,” said Maribel Benitez, 50, of Peñitas. “We just felt like they really did not care about their community members.”

The area floods after

about two hours of rain, said Miguel Benitez, 51, of Peñitas. He brought photos showing flooding on 11th Street.

Precinct 3 and Peñitas will work together to address any drainage problems, Flores said, adding that federal money allocated after Hurricane Dolly may be available for the area.

Maribel Benitez said she’s also worried the cemetery will make for an awkward neighbor.

“Sometimes we want to go out there and make some barbecue or have a party,” Maribel Benitez said. “And it’s going to be kind of weird: us partying while someone is mourning the death of a loved one.”

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

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Neighbors aren’t happy about plans for a new cemetery in Peñitas, but they can’t stop The Lord & I Funeral Home from burying the dead next door.

The Texas Department of Banking approved the cemetery last year, according to state records. Construction started near 11th Street and U.S. 83, taking the city and nearby homeowners by surprise.

“I think everybody agrees: It’s unfortunate,” said state Rep. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission. “It puts the city in a tough predicament.”

Under state law, the Texas Department of Banking regulates “perpetual care cemeteries” in cities with fewer than 5,000 residents. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 4,700 people lived in Peñitas during 2016.

The Lord and I Cemetery Inc. purchased a nearly

24-acre property behind the AEP Texas substation north of U.S. 83 and west of 11th Street, according to Hidalgo County property records.

Workers cleared brush and built a small road, which links the funeral home parking lot on 11th Street to Diamond Avenue.

City Manager Omar Romero said The Lord & I Funeral Home didn’t notify Peñitas about the cemetery or construction on the property.

“And the reason that I didn’t go to the city and ask for permits is the state said that I don’t need to do that,” said John David Santos, who owns The Lord & I Funeral home and serves as president of the corporation that controls the cemetery.

Santos said he simply wanted to serve the community and never wanted to cause any problems.

Texas Department of Banking conducts back-

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By Dave Hendricks

ProgressTimes

page 10

The City of Palmview Planning and Zoning Board will hold a Special Meeting on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers at 400 W. Veterans Blvd in Palmview, Texas to consider the Following: Rezoning: Being A 30.633 Acre Tract of Land, Situated in Hidalgo County, Texas a remaining Portion of Lot 107, All of Lot 106, and all of Lot 103, Block 3A, Goodwin Tract Subdivision No. 1 and No. 2 From: Agricultural Open Interim (AO-I) To Single Family Residential (R-1) Rezoning: A 0.70 of an AC Tract of Land, Out of Lot 4, Block 3, Mission Groves Estates, Hidalgo County, Texas.

From: General Business (C-3) To Single Family Residential (R-1) Rezoning: Lot Two (2), Wise Subdivision From: Duplex-Four Plex Residential (R-2) To General Business (C-3)

The Public is invited to attend.

Annette Villarreal, City Secretary, City of Palmview, Texas

theclassifieds February 2, 2018

page 11

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

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USE HAPPY JACK Flexenhance Plus to relieve arthritic joint & muscle pain in older dogs..Border Enterprises (956-487-2570), (kennelvax.com).

MOVING SALE, Gibson 8 place setting dinnerware memorable plates, tools, miscellaneous household items, 1240 E. Bus. 83 Lot #59, Mission.

City of Alton

Public Works Department

JOB OPENING

Seeking to fill a job opening for a CDL Driver Position. Two year minimum experience preferred. Position open until filled.

Please submit application at 509 S Alton Blvd, Alton, TX 78573 For any questions contact Rudy Garza, Public Works Director at (956) 432-0760

PUBLIC NOTICE The Mission City Council will hold a Regular Meeting on February 12, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 1201 East 8th Street, Mission, Texas in order to consider the following: Rezoning: Lot 1, Tex-Mart No. 43 Subdivision, from (AO-I) Agricultural Open Interim to (C-3) General Business; and Rezoning: Lots 1 & 2, Dollar General Mission (Mile 3) Subdivision, from (AO-I) Agricultural Open Interim to (C-3) General Business If a zoning is amended during the public hearing, it shall be pursuant to the City of Mission’s Amendatory Zone Policy Statement.

Anyone interested is invited to attend.

Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

PUBLIC NOTICE The Mission Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a Regular Meeting on February 14, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 1201 East 8th Street, Mission, Texas in order to consider the following: Rezoning: 3.00 acres out of Lot 28-6, West Addition to Sharyland Subdivision, from AO-I (Agricultural Open Interim) to C-1 (Office Building); Rezoning: 6.01 acre tract of land out of Lot 26-12, West Addition to Sharyland Subdivision, from AO-I (Agricultural Open Interim) to R-1A (Large Lot Single Family Residential); Rezoning: The East 5 acres of the North 10 acres of the South 20 acres of Lot 27-8, West Addition to Sharyland Subdivision, from AO-I (Agricultural Open Interim) to R-1 (Single Family Residential); Rezoning: A tract of land containing 73.087 acres of land being a part or portion of the Southern part of Porcion 52, from (PUD) Residential to (PUD) Public; Rezoning: 0.59 acres out of the North 1.35 acres out of Lot 202, John H. Shary Subdivision, from C-1 (Office Building) to C-4 (Heavy Commercial); and Rezoning: The East 0.41 acres of the West 11.80 acres out of Lot 202, John H. Shary Subdivision, from C-1 (Office Building) to C-4 (Heavy Commercial) Adoption of Ordinance #____ Amending Article III Sections 1.9, 1.10, and 1.11of Appendix A of its Code of Ordinances allowing for the extension of any nonconforming uses of structures, or of structure and land combination, which were manifestly arranged or designed for such use If a zoning is amended during the public hearing, it shall be pursuant to the City of Mission’s Amendatory Zone Policy Statement.

Anyone interested is invited to attend.

Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

- JFK

Make it happen, we’re located at 1217 N. Conway in Mission, TX Come on in! Our hours of operation are Mon. - Fri. 8 - 5 p.m.

If you can’t drop by, mail it! P.O. Box 399, Mission, TX 78573 Submit by email or pay by phone 585-4893.The deadline to

Classified Rate: 1 Week = $7.00 2 Weeks = $10.00 4 Weeks = $14.00

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS/ SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA AVISO DE DISPONIBILIDAD DE FONDOS/ENMIENDA SUSTANCIAL The City of Mission will conduct several public hearings to solicit comments from interested residents and agencies for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The City is expecting to receive notification of the proposed fiscal year 2018 CDBG allocation, which is estimated to be $872,197. Comments received will be considered for preparation of the City of Mission’s Five Year Consolidated Plan and Strategy 2018-2023 and Action Plan FY 2018/2019 and/or substantial amendment for Action Plan FY 2017-2018. In addition, a public hearing to discuss a substantial program and budget amendment to the Action Plan FY 2017-2018 is scheduled on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at City of Mission Council Chambers, 1201 E. 8th Street, Mission TX 78572 at 5:30 p.m. The substantial amendment will eliminate the activity for United Charitable fbo Heroes Haven in the amount of $2,000.00, allowing those funds to be reallocated for another activity. Interested parties are encouraged to attend and make their views known.

These funds can be utilized for activities benefiting low/moderate income areas and/or persons. We are accepting funding request forms for CDBG funds for Fiscal Year 2018 (October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019) and/or substantial amendment for Action Plan FY 2017-2018. Applications can be picked up at the address listed or download from the City’s website, www.missiontexas.us. The applications are due in our office by 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 02, 2018.

La Ciudad de Mission conducirá varias audiencias públicas para solicitar comentarios de residentes y agencias interesadas en el Programa para el Desarrollo Comunitario (CDBG, por sus siglas en inglés). La Ciudad estima recibir una notificación para la recepción de fondos por un total de $872,197 para el año fiscal 2018. Los comentarios recibidos serán considerados para la preparación del Plan Consolidado y Estrategia 2018-2023 de Cinco Años y el Plan de Acción FY 2018/2019 de la Ciudad de Mission y/o una enmienda sustancial para el año fiscal 2017-2018. Además, una audiencia pública para discutir un programa sustancial y una enmienda al plan de accion al presupuesto para el año fiscal 2017-2018 está programada para el Martes 13 de febrero de 2018 en la Cámara del Consejo de la Ciudad de Mission, 1201 E. 8th Street, Mission TX 78572 a las 5:30 p.m. La enmienda sustancial eliminará la actividad de United Charitable fbo Heroes Haven en la cantidad de $ 2,000.00, permitiendo que esos fondos sean reasignados para otra actividad. Los interesados podrán asistir a estas audiencias y exponer sus puntos de vista. Estos fondos pueden utilizarse para actividades que benefician a zonas y/o personas de bajos/moderados ingresos. Estamos aceptando formularios de solicitud de fondos para CDBG para el año fiscal 2018 (1 de octubre de 2018 hasta el 30 de septiembre de 2019) y/o una enmienda sustancial para el año fiscal 2017-2018. Las aplicaciones pueden recogerse en la dirección indicada o descargarse del sitio web de la Ciudad, www.missiontexas.us. Las aplicaciones deben presentarse en nuestra oficina antes de las 5:00 p.m., del viernes 2 de marzo de 2018.

CDBG funds may be used to finance any activity that accomplishes one of the following national objectives.

Los fondos del programa CDBG pueden ser utilizados para financiar alguna actividad que logre uno de los siguientes objetivos.

1. Principally benefits low and moderate income persons/Este programa beneficia principalmente a personas de bajos recursos.

2. Aids in the prevention or elimination of slum and blighted áreas/Ayuda en la prevención o eliminación de barrios marginales y zonas deterioradas.

3. Meets a need having a particular urgency/Responde a una necesidad de urgencia particular.

Public Hearings are scheduled as follows/Audiencias públicas están programadas de la siguiente manera: DATE/FECHA: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 PLACE/LUGAR: City Hall Council Chambers 1201 E. 8th Street Mission, TX 78572 TIME/HORA: 5:30 PM

Tuesday, April 10, 2018 Aldea “Learning” Center 1300 Aldea Drive Mission TX 78572 5:30 PM

Accommodations for persons with disabilities/handicapped, non-english speaking, or limited english proficiency (LEP) who may require interpreters shall be provided upon request by calling (956) 580-8670 at least three days in advance of meeting. Persons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled may use Relay Texas at 1-800-735-2989, a text telephone (TTY) user or 711 (VOICE).

Para personas con discapacidades/discapacitados, personas que no hablan inglés, conocimientos limitados de inglés (LEP) y que requieran intérpretes, se les solicitará llamando al (956) 580-8670 por lo menos tres días antes de la reunión. Las personas con problemas auditivos, ciegas sordas o discapacitados del habla pueden usar Relay Texas al 1-800-735-2989, un usuario de teléfono de texto (TTY) o 711 (VOZ).

SHARYLAND ISD EXHIBIT C-3 STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCE GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS FOR THE YEAR ENDED AUGUST 31, 2017 Data Control Codes

10 General Fund

REVENUES: 5700 5800 5900 5020

0011 0012 0013 0021 0023 0031 0032 0033 0034 0035 0036 0041 0051 0052 0053 0061 0071 0072 0073 0081 0095 0099 6030 1100

Total Local and Intermediate Sources State Program Revenues Federal Program Revenues

$

Total Revenues EXPENDITURES: Current:

Instruction Instructional Resources and Media Services Curriculum and Instructional Staff Development Instructional Leadership School Leadership Guidance, Counseling and Evaluation Services Social Work Services Health Services Student (Pupil) Transportation Food Services Extracurricular Activities General Administration Facilities Maintenance and Operations Security and Monitoring Services Data Processing Services Community Services

Debt Service:

Principal on Long Term Debt Interest on Long Term Debt Bond Issuance Cost and Fees

Capital Outlay:

Facilities Acquisition and Construction

Intergovernmental:

Payments to Juvenile Justice Alternative Ed. Prg. Other Intergovernmental Charges

Total Expenditures Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues Over (Under) Expenditures

OTHER FINANCING SOURCES (USES):

7901 7912 7915 7916 8911 8940 8949 7080

Refunding Bonds Issued Sale of Real and Personal Property Transfers In Premium or Discount on Issuance of Bonds Transfers Out (Use) Payment to Bond Refunding Escrow Agent (Use) Other (Uses)

Total Other Financing Sources (Uses)

0100

Net Change in Fund Balances Fund Balance - September 1 (Beginning)

3000

Fund Balance - August 31 (Ending)

1200

$

37,013,566 49,541,908 1,532,819

Total Governmental Funds

Nonmajor Funds $

7,693,258 2,146,898 9,184,847

$

44,706,824 51,688,806 10,717,666

88,088,293

19,025,003

107,113,296

46,928,941 1,104,516 813,024 2,101,696 4,935,928 3,165,187 38,637 645,651 3,172,074 63,136 6,415,006 2,603,440 9,155,377 967,172 1,231,008 4,830

3,679,721 49,697 169,821 89,703 17,210 1,378,050 29,215 5,919,205 112,706 33,922 235,829 2,681 212,784

50,608,662 1,154,213 982,845 2,191,399 4,953,138 4,543,237 67,852 645,651 3,172,074 5,982,341 6,527,712 2,637,362 9,391,206 969,853 1,231,008 217,614

769,785 93,716 150

3,879,999 4,431,872 132,566

4,649,784 4,525,588 132,716

3,162,546

-

3,162,546

11,285 457,873

-

11,285 457,873

87,840,978

20,374,981

108,215,959

247,315

(1,349,978)

(1,102,663)

30,468 8,308,533 (9,312,733) -

8,040,000 1,030,000 1,383,354 (9,282,969) (10,900)

8,040,000 30,468 9,338,533 1,383,354 (9,312,733) (9,282,969) (10,900)

(973,732)

1,159,485

185,753

(726,417)

(190,493)

(916,910)

25,404,373

877,638

26,282,011

24,677,956

The notes to the financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

$

687,145

$

25,365,101

page 12

February 2, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

John

Jimmy

FLYNN

McDERMOTT Ian

THOMAS

Sean

EMERY Dan

HILL

Michelle

WRIGHT

Tues. & Wed. February 6 & 7, 2018

BOGGUS FORD EVENTS CENTER 3000 N Cage Blvd., Pharr, TX • 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

FREE ENTERTAINMENT will be showcased from country to classic to pop.

Presented by Medipac (US) International Inc.

www.snowbirdextravaganza.com

FREE ADMISSION

to enter the McAllen Convention Center and experience the show. Parking is free.

FEATURE AREAS

at the show offer workshops, exhibits and the comfort of our hospitality center.

For sponsor and exhibitor information please call 1-800-326-9560

www.facebook.com/snowbirdextravaganza