Friday, June 8, 2018 - PT ISSUE

PT

progresstimes

progresstimes

progresstimes

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS GUIDE

2018 SEASON

SEE INSIDE

progresstimes

www.ptrgv.com Friday, June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | 50 Cents

Vol. 46 No. 43

Leo Peña Park renovations to be completed in August

By Jose De Leon III

A little after two months since breaking ground, progress is being seen at the Leo Peña Placita Park to make the park ADA compliant and move the amphitheater to the west side of the park.

Located at the corner of Business 83 and Conway Avenue, the park has been undergoing renovations that will make it match the recent Streetscape Project done a couple of years ago to brighten up the downtown Mission area, according to Mission City Manager Martin Garza.

“Leo Peña Placita Park is not a small project,” Garza said. “It’s not just renovating a park, it’s also supporting our cultural events that we normally have there and part of our downtown improvement project. We’re dealing with several issues here.”

The $1.4 million project was approved during a Mission city council meeting last January. Federal funds from the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council will pay for $746,759 and the city of Mission will fund the final $698,114 through a mix of money from their general fund balance, leftover funds from a a 2009 bond and a drainage assessment at no expense to the taxpayer, Garza added, noting that the city’s finance department has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for the past 15 consecutive years.

As part of the renovations, the amphitheater would be changed so that the stage is on the west side of the park instead of in the center. The new design would allow for

more seating in the amphitheater in grassy areas where people could bring their lawn chairs and sit if they did not want to go down into the amphitheater.

Access to the theater will be via stairs or by ADA approved ramps so people with limited mobility will be able to get up and down without difficulty.

A large, citrus-colored canopy will cover the amphitheater seating area to provide protection from the rain and the sun as well. Garza said demolition would be done “in-house” by city employees to save on the cost of the project.

So far, crews from McAllen-based D. Wilson Construction Company have laid out the foundation for the amphitheater, the hardest part of the project-construction Manager Roger Perez

With the Valley’s record high summer heat making its annual appearance, a new water park is providing a venue where families can cool down.

The La Joya Independent School District has recently opened the water park, natatorium, tennis courts and basketball courts in the Sports and Learning Complex to the public for the summer. The facilities, lo-

cated at 1801 Western Rd. in Mission, will remain open until the weekend before Labor Day. The district is also offering several classes to young people in La Joya, opening up the opportunity for kids to learn to swim, refine their tennis skills and gain traction in golf. According to the Sports & Learning Complex director, Victor Garza, everyone is really eager to see how all the facilities will be

See LJISD WATER PARK Pg. 11

By Jose De Leon III

For Alyssa Mireya Garza, valedictorian at Mission High School, there is one thing at her high school she will not miss: construction.

“The school has been under construction since my freshman year,” Garza said.

“We’ve had to eat at the gym since the cafeteria was being remodeled and I barely got to eat at the cafeteria for the first time two days ago.”

Garza said this before the commencement ceremony for graduating seniors held Kids enjoying the new La Joya ISD Water Park at Thursday, May 31 at the the Sports and Learning Complex located at 1801 McAllen Convention Center.

Western Rd. Photo courtesy of Nelia Garcia and Garza referred to the camthe LJISD Sports & Learning Complex.

tinue to have an outdoor performances here,” Garza said.

“The park is known for having several events such as the Winter Texan Welcome

and the National Night Out, we want to keep those events here as we work to beautify the city.”

Crews from D. Wilson construction work on the amphitheater as part of the renovations for Mission’s Leo Peña Placita Park. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

Students in the MHS ‘class of construction’ honored

La Joya ISD opens Sports & Learning Complex to public

By Jamie Treviño

said, adding that the park should be ready by late August.

“We’re within budget and on schedule, we want to con-

pus’ construction project that started in 2016 as part of a $33 million bond program to renovate the campus.

As part of this construction, the plan included building 38 classrooms, a new cafeteria with capacity for 1,000 students, a new agricultural sciences building, an expansion of the old band hall to incorporate all fine arts and a new entrance with a more centrally located administrative office area.

Because of this construction, the 2018 Mission High School graduating class had a nickname, according to Principal Edilberto Flores.

See MHS GRADUATION Pg. 4

Caroline C. Cerda Palmview High School Valedictorian

In last week’s La Joya Independent School District Campus Chronicles, the Palmview High School salutatorian speech was printed in place of the valedictorian’s speech by mistake. Below is the speech given by the PHS valedictorian, Caroline C. Cerda, last Thursday at the Palmview High School graduation ceremony, held at the State Farm Arena.

“Throughout our time at Palmview High School, we all have gone through many experiences, good and bad, together and alone.

We have made new friendships and new relationships, gone through heartthrobs and heartbreaks. There have even been times when many of us have been lost or confused in certain situations, but with the help of our peers, we have always been able to overcome anything.

We have been together for the past four years of our lives and we are finally here.

If you stop to think about it, we have spent more time with one another than we do with our own families.

For some of us, high school was where we first met, but for many of us, high school was just a continuation of life-long friendships.

We look back at all the memories we have created with one another and can’t help but be glad for everything that has taken place and led us to where we are today.

We have accomplished great things so far, and I have no doubt we will continue to do so after our high school years have come to an end.

A lot of people say that graduation is the end of the best years of our lives, but in reality, it is only the beginning of something much greater. As Michael Dell once said, “As you start your journey, the first thing you should do is throw away that store bought map and begin to draw your own.”

Congratulations Class of 2018, let our new journeys begin.”

Caroline C. Cerda

INSIDE

PT

progresstimes

progresstimes

The first representative of the City of La Joya was recently sworn in to the Agua SUD board. Dave Hendricks explains the significance of this and more, inside.

progresstimes

See Pg. 8

INDEX

Entertainment | pg.2

progresstimes

Agua SUD makes history

Lifestyle | pg.3

Rio Script Pharmacy

• Immunizations available year round – no appointment needed • 10 Minute Prescription Refills – By phone or in person • 90 day prescriptions available!

• Specialty Compounding Available! • Full Line DME supplies and wheelchairs • Free Delivery Valley Wide ( now serving Rio Grande City and Roma) • All insurance welcome (Medicaid/medicare/workman’s comp/chips/private pay)

City of Peñitas Update

Progress Times Summer Hours

This week brings nformation about Peñitas renewing the city manager’s contract, as well as the new permanent prescription drop box available to the public.

Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

(Closed 12 - 1 p.m.)

Friday 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

See Pg. 8

Sports | pg. 7

Obituaries | pg. 9

Apple Pharmacy #1 2501 N 23rd St B, McAllen 956-627-6652 Apple Pharmacy #2 810 E Veterans Dr. Palmview 956-352-6485 RioScript Pharmacy 2308 Expressway 83, Penitas 956-271-1064

Classifieds | pg. 11

Apple Pharmacy #3 (formerly Paloma’s Pharmacy) 909 Buss. Park Dr, Mission 956-424-6268

Your Friendly Neighborhood Pharmacy

* Free Valley Wide Delivery

entertainment

June 8, 2018

page 2

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Coming Attractions

STC art exhibition opens June 9 The Upper Valley Art League is hosting the exhibition of “Fotowerks, STICK, and Friends,” art developed through South Texas College. It will open with a reception on Saturday, June 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Kika de la Garza Fine Arts Center, 921 E. 12th St. in Mission. The public will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite artwork.

The exhibition runs through Saturday, July 7, and is free and open to the public. Pictured is the collaborative “RGV Mother Nature Self Portrait” by Rebecca Velazquez, Veronica Valzquez and Ana Flores. For information, call the UVAL gallery at 956-583-2787. (Photo by Ana Flores)

Magic Dork to appear at Quinta Mazatlán

McALLEN – The Magic Dork, aka John O’Bryant, is visiting Quinta Mazatlán on Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m. for a night of magic entertainment. The show is filled with illusion, comedy and audience participation.

Originally from San Antonio, O’Bryant is one of the most in-demand magicians.

As a child, he began performing magic as a hobby for his family and friends until age15. He then began producing and promoting his

own comedy magic shows for birthday parties and other family-oriented events until it took off and eventually became the number one magic show in the San Antonio area.

Park admission is $3 per person which includes the program.

Quinta Mazatlán is located at 600 Sunset in McAllen.

Call 956-681-3370 for information.

John O’Bryant, the Magic Dork, will appear at Quinta Mazatlán on June 14.

June 9-10 • Collector Mania 7 will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days at the Pharr Events Center, 3000 N. Cage, with a line-up of vendors, and celebrity autograph and photo opportunities.

Entrance is free for veterans and active military with valid I.D. and children under age 13 with paid adult admission.

Standard admission is $13 plus fees and $20 plus fees for a two-day pass. Go to ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000.

June 12 • The Upper Valley Art League will hold two art classes for youth with instruction in collage from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and painting from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Each session is $25, payable by check or cash at the time of registration. Space is limited.

Call UVAL at 956-583-2787 to sign up. Ask at the time of registration how Girl Scouts can earn a badge with the workshops. UVAL is located at 921 E. 12th St. in Mission.

June 14 • The Museum of South Texas History presents Summer Nights at the Museum from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Featured is the River Frontier exhibition showcasing the heritage of South Texas and northeastern Mexico from prehistory to the end of the Mexican War of Independence. Activities such as atlatl throwing, the archaeological dig pit and rebozo wrapping return this year. The event is included in the regular admission price. Active duty military personnel and up to five family members receive free admission. MOSTHistory is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd. in Edinburg. Call 956-383-6911 for more information.

June 16 • Space Rockers, the new 80’s and 90’s party band, performs at the Pharr Events, 3000 N. Cage, from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Price Level I-$27.50 plus fees Reserved seating general admission is $27.50. Standing room general admission is $17.50. For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000. For VIP tables, call 956-827-8349. For information, call 956475-3434.

June 19 • The Upper Valley Art League will hold two art classes for youth with instruction in drawing from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and photography from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Each session is $25, payable by check or cash at the time of registration. Space is limited. Call UVAL at 956-583-2787 to sign up. Ask at the time of registration how Girl Scouts can earn a badge with the workshops. UVAL is located at 921 E. 12th St. in Mission.

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

EWBC plans Summer Survival Series EDINBURG – Put survival skills to the test this summer at the Edinburg World Birding Center on Wednesdays and Fridays, June 20 to 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. Field experts will teach participants outdoor survival skills and

then put it to practice in an action-packed survival competition to determine who has what it takes to survive and find the treasure.

Adults and families are invited to participate in the trainings during this exciting event, happening on Wednesday and Friday, June 20, 22 and 27. It culminates in a challenge on Friday, June 29.

The Summer Survival Series admission fee is free. Space is limited, and registration is required. To register, call 956-381-9922.

Participants must be 5 years or older to participate and accompanied by an adult if under 16 years of age.

“Good Books Radio,” which has been airing on 88FM, the Rio Grande Valley’s Public Radio Station, for several years, is hosted by Dr. John Cook, associate professor and chair of the UTRGV communications department. (Photo by Maria Hernandez)

UTRGV-produced radio show helps readers discover new books

By Maria Elena Hernandez EDINBURG – If you ask the host of “Good Books Radio” for a summer reading list, it would be a very long list.

“I can’t think of a book that I wouldn’t recommend,” says Dr. John Cook, the show’s host, associate professor and chair of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley communications department.

“Start with LBJ’s ‘1968.’

That would be a good place to start.”

It also would be the subject of the program he had just recorded.

“Good Books Radio” has been airing on 88FM, the Rio Grande Valley’s Public Radio Station, for several years. Cook partnered with UTRGV communications professor Dr. W. F. Strong to produce the program and by the UTRGV video production team in the University Marketing and Communications department.

When he and Strong started “Good Books Radio,” they focused on interviews with non-fiction writers.

“And we provided a show a week, which is now aired two times on Thursday and twice on Sunday,” he said.

“I focus a lot on wellness, spirituality and history.

Those are the primary topics I get interested in the most; politics – sometimes.”

Cook said that while he wants the books to be interesting to his audience, they also have to interest him, since he reads the books. It’s

something he learned that surprises some of the authors he interviews.

“Apparently, some people do not read them, but I can’t imagine doing a 30-minute interview on a book without having read it. So I always read them,” he said.

It really is critical for Cook to be well-informed, as there are plenty of people listening.

“Somebody will hear my voice and say, ‘Are you John Cook? I listen to your program,’” he said. “It’s flattering, just flattering. But the thing I like best about it is that it’s good for everyone to know what books are out there.”

The communications associate professor said he’s concerned that people aren’t reading books as much anymore.

“The other day, I was on Facebook and one of my graduates was asking for books to read. He said, ‘I’ve read two books since I graduated, which was more than I read in the previous five years.’ That concerns me, because I really believe that in order to have critical thinking skills, you have to read,” Cook said.

That isn’t a problem for Cook, though. With a stack of books in his office and an inbox full of requests for interviews, there is a wealth of material for “Good Books Radio” to explore.

“I really enjoy it,” Cook said with a smile. “I hope to continue this as long as I live.”

Student STAAR test results available online

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will be making student STAAR test scores available to parents online beginning June 13. It gives parents a jumpstart tool to waiting for confidential student reports to be mailed out.

Parents can log in to the Texas Assessment Management System to view their child’s state test scores. Go to texasassessment.com/ and click on “Log in to Student Portal” and follow the steps.

For step-by-step instructions to access the information on

the TEA website, go to the Mission Consolidated Independent School District website at mcisd.net under the “Parents” link at the top of the page. The instructions will be found at the top of that “Parents” page.

A BETTER VALUE for Valley Memorial Families AT-NEED DIRECT CREMATION SERVICES ONLY SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATE

790

$

00

*Includes basic service of the funeral director and staff, tranfer of the remains to the funeral establishment, transfer to and from crematory and the crematory fee. One coupon per cremation service and cannot be combined with other offers. expires 12/31/2017.

www.prepaidfunerals.texas.gov

VALLEY MEMORIAL For more information please call:

956-994-1238 Part of the

Dignity Memorial® network

June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

Mission REALTORS are pleased to provide their endorsement and support to Mission Mayor Norberto "Beto" Salinas in his re-election efforts.

After careful consideration we believe that Mayor Salinas' efforts now and in the future are aligned with our mission to protect private property rights.

His work includes the following:

• Strong opposition in 2014 and 2016 in the creation of a Healthcare Taxing District other wise known as Proposition 1.

• Support to lower the cap on Assessed Values for residential homesteads.

• Efforts to continuing to lower tax rate to Mission residents.

• Successfully attracting more businesses, jobs and economic development into the city.

ELECTION DAY

IS TOMORROW SATURDAY

June 9, 2018 I truly appreciate the support of the Mission Realtors and the Texas Association of Realtors. Thank you for your endorsement. I am committed to continue to work hard for all citizens in Mission. Thank you again for your confidence in me. * P a i d

f o r

b y

t h e

N o r b e r t o

B e t o

S a l i n a s

C a m p a i g n

A c c o u n t

page 3

page 4

June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

Police arrest Mission man during game room raid Tomas Tijerina: Why vote for Beto Salinas Tomorrow is June 9th, 2018. It will be Election Day for the Runoff between Mayor Beto Salinas and his challenger, Dr. Armando O’Cana. The election is not about “Good vs. Evil.” Both candidates are nice guys. It’s about who is qualified to manage our $116,000,000 budget and who is able to keep the City growing as it has for the past 20 years.

The answer is simple. Beto Salinas is the only candidate qualified to do that and here is why. Beto has proven himself to be a goal setting leader. He has used his leadership skills for the benefit of The City of Mission.

When he combines leadership with his well honed business experience and his refined business and financial acumen, Mission is the winner.

Beto’s political relationships have brought millions of dollars to the city. He is on a first name basis with past and present Governors, Presidents, Senators and Representatives from both sides of the border. These relationships have saved the taxpayers of Mission thousands and thousands of dollars.

The list of projects completed is more than impressive. The Anzaldua Bridge Project had been on the books since the 70’s.

Beto made it a reality. Our public facilities are a model for other cities. Our roads are improving on a daily basis and they are the envy of many towns and cities across the valley. With his sights set on the completion of the Madero Bridge Project you can be sure that it will happen.

Beto’s opponent has revealed himself to be a “tax and spend” candidate with what

appears to be a poor understanding of how projects are funded. The process seems to be ignored when his 100 day plan of action calls for unprecedented spending while freezing taxes for one year. As for his supposed collaboration on recent improvements to the City, I could not find one employee that had ever seen Dr. “O” at city hall except for the Monday meetings. One did say they had seen him checking his mail in the summer time. (When school is out) A question lingers about this candidate’s qualification to run or vote. The city charter states that a candidate must reside in the city… The candidate’s responses to questions about his residency are troublesome.

He used words like “my primary residence.”

That sounds like a legal loophole. His water usage was certainly not normal and he has since blocked access to his account. Does anybody wonder why a neighbor never came forward to dispel any doubts about the candidates residence? Some neighbors from outside of the city on North Shuerbach did come forward and they said they thought he lived there (on Shuerbach).

For the last 20 years, Mission has enjoyed low taxes while growing the City. Why take a risk with the 100 Day Plan of Disaster.

Vote for the only candidate on the ballot that can do the job that we expect. He has proven himself year after year. We have no doubts as to where Beto lives. He is a friend. He is our Mayor. Please, get your friends and family together and go vote to protect the quality of life we enjoy in Mission. Vote smart! Vote to keep more of your money! Vote for Beto Salinas!

MHS GRADUATION

from pg 1

“This class will forever be remembered as the class of construction - and they know what we’re talking about,” Flores said. “They’ve done four years of school in a place of constant changes on campus due to construction. Their endurance, perseverance, uplifting attitude will be the catalyst for their success. This class will be missed.”

In her speech to the graduates, Cris Valdez, the district’s interim superintendent, urged the students to reflect on the legacy they leave behind.

“We’re here at the cusp of your next years of your life as you leave a legacy at Mission High School,” Valdez said. She then quoted a line from the acclaimed Broadway Musical “Hamilton.”

““What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see,” Valdez said. “Your Mission High School seeds have been planted; believe that they will grow as an outcome of the settings we’ve all created. It’s been a delight sharing this remarkable journey with you and I guarantee that even though this journey with Mission CISD is coming to its grand finale, you will be remembered.”

Before her valedictorian speech, Garza said her graduation ceremony felt surreal.

“I’ve been preparing for this since I was in the fourth grade but it doesn’t feel real.

I don’t think anything will settle in until I’m onstage about to give my speech and looking at all my friends and family,” Garza said. “It’s a

good feeling to know everything you’ve worked for is coming.”

In her speech, Garza praised her classmates for surviving high school amidst all the ongoing construction, which she said is a sign of their endurance.

“We all have the potential to thrive and overcome adversities,” she said. “If we can survive these brutal years of construction and eating at the gym, we can do anything.

As we begin this new chapter in our lives, it is essential to remember that when difficult times emerge, a positive time is coming shortly. After all, stars can’t shine without darkness. Now let’s go show the world what Eagles are made of.”

ProgressTimes UNBELIEVABLE!

Even this kitten can’t believe you’re not a subscriber to the newspaper already!

12 mos. $20

By Dave Hendricks When police raided a game room near the McAllen airport last month, they arrested a 20-year-old Mission man for working the door.

The McAllen Police Department arrested Juan Angel Varela, 20, of Mission on May 25, when the Special Investigations Unit raided the game room, according to McAllen Municipal Court records.

Investigators believe Varela guarded the gate, allowing patrons to enter and exit the game room, according to the criminal complaint against him. Varela also had keys to the slot machines.

“Mr. Varela is looking forward to having his day in court,” said attorney Eric Jarvis of McAllen, who represents him.

An anonymous tip and a lucky break led investigators to the eight-liner establishment, according to court records.

In April, a tipster told the McAllen Police Department about illegal gambling at a building on the 4500 block of South 10th Street — southeast of the McAllen airport.

Whether or not police investigated the initial tip remains unclear.

In mid-May, though, an investigator working a border security assignment conducted surveillance on the building.

By Jose De Leon III

scan this code with your smartphone

6 mos. $10

Julian Rodriguez Gonzalez

Vilma Nathalie Castillo

Robinson Ronald Jimenez Several cars entered and exited a parking lot hidden behind a white fence. The investigator stopped one of the cars and started questioning the driver.

After initially saying he’d just left a shop, the driver admitted he’d actually just left a game room, according to the criminal complaint.

He also told the investigator about another game room on Old South 10th Street, but asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation.

The Special Investigations Unit started planning an undercover operation.

When investigators returned, the building on the 4500 block of South 10th Street had closed for the day.

However, the second game room on Old South 10th Street appeared busy.

Officers conducted another traffic stop. The driver provided a phone number for the second game room, but it had already closed for the night.

The Special Investigations Unit had better luck the next day.

When they called the phone number, a guard opened the gate. Waitresses welcomed them to a white mobile home packed with slot machines.

“The female waitresses all had the same beige carpenters apron around their waists where they kept currency,” according to court records.

Undercover investigators played the machines, but

Juan Angel Varela

didn’t win any money. Another pair of investigators had better luck, winning $30.

The waitresses paid cash.

The Special Investigations Unit started drafting arrest warrants and raided the game room on May 25.

Varela attempted to run away, according to the criminal complaint against him.

When police caught him, Varela claimed he was just a customer.

Officers charged Varela with evading arrest. After he posted bond, Varela went to the police department to retrieve his car — and police arrested him again on three misdemeanor gambling charges.

Investigators also arrested: > Vilma Nathalie Castillo, 30, of Edinburg, who is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a state jail felony; gambling promotion, a Class A misdemeanor; keeping a gambling place, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of gambling devices or equipment, a Class A misdemeanor. > Jaime Torres Nava, 34, of Hidalgo, who is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a state jail felony; gambling promotion, a Class A misdemeanor; keeping a gambling place, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of gambling devices or equipment, a Class A misdemeanor. > Julian Rodriguez Gonzalez, 40, of McAllen, who is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a state jail felony; gambling promotion, a Class A misdemeanor; keeping a gambling place, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of gambling devices or equipment, a Class A misdemeanor. > Robinson Ronald Jimenez, 37, who is charged with keeping a gambling place, a Class A misdemeanor. Jail records don’t list an address for Jimenez.

Palmview purchasing second ambulance

Like Us on Facebook

Hidalgo County

Jaime Torres Nava

Out of County

6 mos. $15

12 mos. $30

In preparation for growth in the city of Palmview, the city council is taking steps to ensure there is an expansion in the services the city provides to residents.

After the city approved two rounds of annexations last year that will bring in more than 3,680 residents once the annexation goes into effect at the end of the month, the city launched an in-house, 24 hour EMS service last February.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, council members approved the purchase of a $165,000 ambulance that will be housed at the second fire station on Showers Road and Expressway 81. This EMS will be able to provide services to the city’s south side where the annexation is taking place at.

“The plan is to get approval today to get the unit in

by October because we know a lot of the annexed areas the city will be responsible

for will be where our (Winter Texans) will be arriving,” Palmview Fire Chief Jerry Alaniz told the council. “We want to be able to service them.”

The need for the ambulance is a result of the city receiving a least 75 emergency calls per month but having to refer at least eight of them to a backup service provider, Alaniz said.

“The need is there for a second unit,” Alaniz said.

The city also approved this year’s Capital Improvement Plan- a five year plan which identifies capital projects for the city and equipment purchases, provides a planning schedule and identifies options for financing the plan.

Interim City Manager Leo Olivares explained to the council that the capital improvement plan is ultimately a blueprint on how the city can finance projects that is supposed to be updated yearly.

Among the projects listed

www.ptrgv.com

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

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

www.ptrgv.com 1217 N. Conway • P.O. Box 399 • Mission, Texas 78572 (956) 585-4893 - Fax (956) 585-2304

in the plan are to renovate the city hall and the city’s fire station.

“We’ve identified a few and looked at basic needs, specifically the fire department which needs work in their building. It has been neglected, we need to expand it,” Olivares said. “We are authorized to move forward with it but are not committed to buying anything,” Olivares said. “These are projects that have been approved but city is not obligated to finance it.”

The highlight of the capital improvement plan, Olivares said, is that it expects an increase in revenues coming to the city once the Agua Special Utility District finishes with their sewer project in the city.

“We’ll have an increase in national retailers, property and sales taxes which will give the city additional bonding capacity to fund bigger projects,” Olivares said.

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.

LETTER GUIDELINES

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.

June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

“Mission is My Vision”

page 5

New Voice, Your Voice, Your Choice

I would like to Call to Action all citizens of Mission: • For those who voted - I thank you once again.

Thank you citizens of Mission for making this a historical election with over 5,000 votes already recorded.

The time is NOW, let your voice be heard!

This is a call for action to come out and vote tomorrow.

Elect Armando “Doc” O’caña For Mission Mayor RUNOFF ELECTION

•

ELECTION DAY: JUNE 9

Bryan Elementary Castro Elementary Mission High Celestino Ramirez School Cafeteria School Cafeteria School Neuhaus Gym Fire Station #3 1300 Elm Drive (Bryan & Elm)

200 S. Mayberry (Mayberry & Citrianna)

1802 W. 18th (Cleo Dawson)

1804 N. Shary Road

Political Ad Paid for By Candidate

If you would like more details, feel free to call me 956-222-5739

Mission EDC program empowers future business women

By Jose De Leon III With a severe lack of representation of Hispanic women in the workforce, a career readiness program in the City of Mission hopes to change that by empowering high school girls in the city.

That’s according to Cristina Garza, the programs director for Mission Economic Development Corporation.

“Hispanic women make less than two percent of the workforce in technology and we still have a hard time recruiting women to [corporate] level positions,” Garza said. “The reality is, there’s been countless studies that show when women are supported and allowed to create wealth for themselves, cities do better...The more possibilities you give people to have financial mobility, the more they are able to give back to their community in return. It’s a cycle that everyone benefits from.”

To jumpstart this financial mobility, Garza created the year-long internship program Career Readiness and Empowerment of Women, or CREW. As part of this program, 11 female students from Mission CISD’s T-STEM Early College High School and Mission Collegiate High School were

selected to participate in a year-long internship program where they learned the soft and technical skills needed to succeed in the Entrepreneurship and STEAM fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

The intern’s last day of the program was Friday, June 1 when each intern presented to the class their presentations on business ideas they had as well as a website each intern built from scratch for their proposed business.

“We’ve done a lot of career development doing resume workshops, cover letter writing workshops and every week we’ve had a speaker-a successful woman in the STEAM field-sharing their experiences to these teens,” Garza said.

The projects the interns presented ranged from a health app called Lockheart; a censored entertainment platform for Mission CISD students called Primary; Guiding Light, a social website where teens can offer advice to other teens; the study guide game Tutor Quest and the Lotus Project, which helps low income women receive feminine hygiene products.

Angelina Ayala, the creator of Guiding Light, said

she benefited a lot from the program and hopes to revisit her website within three years to implement it outside a class setting.

“I was shy at the beginning, but one of the things we went over is public speaking and other skills that helped me be more outspoken,” Ayala said. “It’s very important for more women to know this and have their own voice in any job they take.”

Laura Zavala, an incoming senior at Mission Collegiate High School, presented to her cohort the organization Lady City. Lady City, she explained, is a career development program that she hopes will increase female employment in the Valley.

“The idea started at CREW where I was given the knowledge that women face a lot of barriers in the workforce and I had no idea these existed,” Zavala said.

“Whenever I’d research a specific career, I wouldn’t run across things such as the wage gap and the glass ceiling and I didn’t have many people to warn me about these issues until recently.

Now I want to help the women in the Valley deal with these issues as they find a career.”

Zavala said she will more than likely revisit Lady City

Cristina Garza (center) with the graduates of the first Career Readiness and Empowerment of Women cohort Friday, June 1 2018. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III

in a few years as Team No Sleep, a McAllen-based startup company, reached out to her to buy the project from her.

“They reached out to me via social media and were really impressed with it, but I had to explain to them it was a school project and not an actual career project,” she said. “I can probably make it get off the ground once I

graduate, I can see myself heading this project and developing it more.”

At the end of their presentations, Garza surprised each of the interns letting them know they would each be awarded with a $1,000.

“I want these students to gain confidence and understand that they are capable of doing anything they want,” Garza said. “Many of them

are scared of the idea of doing a business plan, speaking in public, and yet these projects were meant not just to learn what it’s like to run an organization, but also to understand that they can do it.

Progress Times Distinguished Student of the Week: Daniella Pena

By Jamie Treviño Daniella Pena has been diligently preparing for her future since she was nine years old.

A member of the Veterans Memorial High School Class of 2018, Pena will be attending Cornell University in Ithaca, New York this fall.

The eldest of three children, Pena aims to be a heart surgeon, a dream she has been working toward as long as she can remember.

At the age of nine, Pena found herself unsatisfied with cartoons and television aimed toward children. After her discovery of Mystery Diagnosis, a medical documentary drama series in which patients who cannot find a proper diagnosis for their ailments search for and find doctors who can discover what their rare medical condition is, Pena was hooked.

“I remember watching that and thinking wow, I want to be a doctor, but I don’t want to be like the doctors on that show that don’t know what they [the patients] have, I want to be able to help people all the time, not just most of the time,” Pena said. “So I started keeping a journal, and each show I would watch I would record the symptoms, the diseases they would be mistaken for, and what it really was and the survival rates.”

Looking back at her jour-

nal, which she kept in order to have a reference point to consult if she was ever unsure of an ailment, she smiled at the misspelled words and was proud to see how far she had come.

Pena’s decision to journey into the medical field was solidified in the fifth grade, when she was diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia and her family could not find a surgeon in the Rio Grande Valley who could perform the necessary procedure. After travelling to Nashville for treatment, Pena’s passion for medicine grew even stronger.

“Eventually, way down the line, once I’m already a heart surgeon, I plan on coming back and hopefully starting my own practice,” Pena said. “So I can provide the service I wasn’t able to have when I needed it to the people here.”

Pena began volunteering at Mission Regional Hospital and McAllen Heart Hospital her sophomore year of high school, doing service work she is drawn to. She will be attending Cornell as a Cornell Tradition Fellow, and will have the opportunity to participate in service-oriented projects and make the most of her time in college.

“There’s a lot of benefits to it,” Pena said. “One of them is they fund for you to go somewhere and do a service project, an internship, so

that’s exciting.”

Academically inclined thanks to the motivation of her grandparents and parents, Pena credits her family for driving her the most toward success. Her grand-

parents moved to the United States from Mexico in order to give their children better opportunities, and education was their top priority.

“My grandparents never got the opportunity to even

Daniella Pena

finish elementary school,” Pena said. “So they always pushed that for their children. My mother was the first to finish high school and go on to college. She encouraged her six younger siblings to do the same, and they all went on to earn a degree. I owe all my success to them, they’ve always encouraged me, and without them I wouldn’t be here today.”

For the student who considers a 94 a bad grade, Pena is most looking forward to the rigorous workload Cornell has to offer during the pursuit of her undergraduate degree. She knows going out there and pursuing the world will prepare her for medical school.

“I’m hoping it will be challenging and I’ll learn a lot,” Pena said. “And I’ll be prepared for medical school and the rest of my life.”

While she looks forward to continuing her academic career, setting a good example and modelling high expectations for her entire family, Pena will miss her parents and siblings more than anything.

“Even though we fight and they drive me crazy sometimes, I tuck them in every night [her brother and sister],” Pena said. “They can’t sleep without it. And sometimes we sing together, there are certain songs that we like, and we laugh. My mom, for this whole past

year, she’s been stressed. She hasn’t cried, she’s strong, but I know she probably will once we’re over there and they’re dropping me off.”

Someone who loves math, this summer Pena will be helping her younger brother’s teacher prepare him and other students with pre-algebra so they can take algebra during the school year. She also recently got her pharmacy technician certification, and is currently applying for a full-time summer job as a pharmacy tech.

“My plan is to go and make the most of it,” Pena said. “Go to the best schools I can, to get the best preparation. It’s a long journey, it’s 16 years in total of education, but I think if you have a passion for it, and that’s what you know you really want to do for the rest of your life, you should go for it. As the saying goes, you’ll never work a day in your life if you do what you love.”

Progress Times Like Us on Facebook

lifestyle

June 8, 2018

page 6

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

BETWEEN THE BOOKENDS

Speer Memorial Library 12th & Kika Loop Mission • 580-8750

By William Renner Join us at Speer Memorial Library in Mission, on Tuesday, June 19, for a discussion of Between a Rock and a Hard Place, to take place in the library’s Community Room at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend and discuss the book.

It is 2003, and hiking and biking in wilderness areas is the life for Aron Ralston.

And, as an employee of an outdoor accessories store in Aspen, Colo., he has the perfect job to complement his love of the outdoors.

Saturday, April 26, Ralston hikes through the rock-strewn canyon lands of desolate southeastern Utah.

Also, he hopes to photograph the beauty of the rocky desert landscape, and some very ancient Native American artwork as well. But his plans

suddenly change when he becomes trapped in the rocks – alone.

First published in 2004, Between a Rock and a Hard Place is the inspiring biographical account of the author’s predicament. At the mercy of his remote surroundings, and with no escape and no one knowing his location, he had only one option other than death.

Copies of the book are available for check out to those who sign up for the book discussion. This title is also available as an eBook at hidalgocotx.oneclickdigital. com.

For more information, to sign up, or to obtain a copy, call William Renner or Rose Alvarez at 580-8754 or 5808750. Speer Memorial is located at 12th and Kika De La Garza in Mission.

Butterfly Center plans Community Camp Outs The National Butterfly Center (NBC) in Mission is offering “Community Camp Outs,” tent camping, on a limited basis to the general public this summer.

The campouts will be held on June 23, July 14 and Aug. 11. The events are overnight sleepovers running from 6 p.m. on a Saturday to 8 a.m. on Sunday. Cost is $40 per tent.

There will be planned outdoor activities led by NBC

staff, such as a night hike, owl hunt, and black lighting for insects and moths.

A community campfire will be provided, complete with s’mores to toast over the logs.

Pre-registration is required. Sign up at nationalbutterflycenter.org.

The NBC is located at 3333 Butterfly Park in Mission. Call 956-583-5400 for more information.

+

=

BIG SAVINGS Ana Alvarado 2000 E. Business 83 Ste. G • Mission, TX

956.205.2850 email: anaalvardo@allstate.com

Insurance and coverage subject to terms, qualifications and availability.

Allstate Vehicle Property Insurance Co., Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. Northbrook, Illinions © 2018 Allstate Insurance Co.

98486

Auto Home Life Retirement

HEROES award $9,800 in scholarships On Thursday, May 24, the Mission HEROES organization awarded seven scholarships at an event held at Shary Municipal Golf Course. Each recipient received $1,400 to use for the 2018 fall semester at their respective university. Award recipients seated, left to right, are Hubert Bazan IV, Mia Sanchez, Adam Barrera, Erica Perez, Dennise Sanchez and Kazzandra Meza. Not pictured is Brianna Garcia. HEROES board members, standing, same order, are Mission’s Chief of Police Robert Dominguez, City Manager Martin Garza Jr. and Fire Chief Gilbert Sanchez, along with Eddie Olivarez, Dr. Armando Ocana (president), Steven Austin (treasurer) and Rene Lopez (secretary emeritus). Board members not shown are Joe Aguilar (vice president), Omar Saenz and Dennis Burleson. Emeritus board members are Delmar Fankhauser, Leo Longoria and Rick Saldana.

Mammoths, river surveying opens ‘Summer Nights’

EVENTS

CALENDAR June 9 – The Coastal Bend Beekeepers Association hosts Justinn J. Jones, of Jones Ag Group in Bishop in a presentation about honey bee biology and behavior. It will be held at Gladys Porter Zoo, 500 Ringgold in Brownsville, from 12 to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. There will be a live bee display for visitors to observe. Coastal Bend Beekeepers is a nonprofit organization to educate the public and beekeepers and serves South Texas.

June 9 – Head to Gladys Porter Zoo at 500 Ringgold in Brownsville for World Oceans Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The celebration features activities, speakers and exhibitors.

Then, from 12 to 2 p.m., learn about bees and beekeeping, from Justin Jones, on “RGV Project: Honey Bee Biology and Behavior.” A live bee display will also be available for visitors, which will be chaperoned by staff who will answer questions. Call 956-548-9453 for information.

June 12 – Registration for Operation Imagination Summer Camps planned this summer by the International Museum of Art & Science, 1900 W. Nolana Ave., McAllen. The camps will run each week from June 12 to Aug. 17, Tuesdays to Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is for children in grades 1st through 8th. Cost is $160 a week for IMAS members and $180 a week for nonmembers. For more information and to register, call 956-681-2800.

June 13 – Registration ends this day to sign up for Camp Freedom, an overnight camping experience for Rio Grande Valley youth ages 7 to 14 who have Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The camp runs June 27 to July 1 at the Valley Baptist Retreat and Conference Center – Camps on the Rio – in Mission. Sponsored by the South Texas Juvenile Diabetes Association and the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Department of Pediatrics, it gives youth an opportunity to participate in a safe camping experience under the supervision of trained camp counselors and medical staff. For more information and to apply for a spot, visit STJDA.org.

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

Progress Times

Sunday Service Times: Adult Sunday School 9:30 AM Sunday Worship 10:30 AM Wednesday Services: Adults, Teens, Kids 7:00 PM

Like Us on Facebook

EDINBURG –Imagine a time where great flocks of mammoths grazed on the prairies of South Texas and journey with Colonel José de Escandon on his survey of the Rio Grande during Summer Nights at the Museum on Thursday, June 14, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Museum of South Texas History.

The museum will be filled with demonstrators dressed in interpretative and reproduction costumes, and exhibits will include hands-on activities to enhance imagining living in South Texas and northeastern Mexico hundreds and even thousands of years ago.

A scavenger hunt will guide participants through activities such as hunting mammoths, digging through an archaeological pit, creating native rhythms, learning the survival skills of Coahuiltecans, packing Spanish treasure chests, knot tying,

building a casa mayor fort, making tortillas and learning which items were traded in and out of South Texas and northeastern Mexico. Children who successfully complete the scavenger hunt will be entered into a drawing for a prize that includes items from the museum store and a certificate for a free kid’s meal.

The “True Tale of San Juan de Carricitos” puppet show engages the audience through participatory activities. Enjoy the story of José Narciso Cavazos Gonzalez who describes Spanish colonial life and the lands of South Texas and northeastern Mexico with Bright Eyes, a Tampacuas woman, who lives on the lands.

Admission is included in the regular admission price.

For information, call 956383-6911.

LJISD added to ‘Healthiest Schools’ list

LA JOYA – The Alliance for a Healthier Generation recently announced that all eight of La Joya ISD’s Middle Schools, along with Enrique Camarena Elementary, have been added to the annual list of America’s Healthiest Schools by achieving the 2018 National Healthy Schools Bronze Award.

Throughout the year, the campuses have made their schools a healthier place for students and staff. Healthier Generation recognizes schools that meet or exceed stringent standards set by its

Healthy Schools Program for serving healthier meals and snacks, getting students to move more, offering high-quality physical and health education and empowering school leaders to become healthy role models.

This coming fall during the America’s #HealthiestSchools campaign, will be seen by millions through local and national media outlets, such as USA Today, The Huffington Post, Woman’s Day and more.

Medicaid • Medicare • Workman’s Comp • Chips • Private Insurance

The Only Pharmacy You Need Fast Prescriptions

in 10 minutes or less, with refill service by phone or online Specialty Compounding Available

Friendly Service

from an experienced and caring team of pharmacists and technicians

Free Delivery Valley Wide Store Hours:

Flu, Pneumonia & Shingles Vaccines

Monday-Friday

Medical Equipment

Saturday

with or without an appointment, covered by most insurance plans Full Line DME supplies and wheelchairs Prescriptions | Allergies | Pain Relief | First Aid | Digestive Aid | Vitamins & Supplements | Baby Needs | Personal Care | Household & Cleaning | Diabetic Shoes and Supplies | Adult & Childrens Diapers

Alberto Vela, R.Ph.

583-2700 1242 E. Bus. 83, #7 - Mission

Fred Morón, R.Ph.

581-5499 2120 E. Griffin Pkwy. - Mission

9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

June 8, 2018

page 7

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

Sports week

THE

BIG7 SCHOOLS

www.ptrgv.com/sports

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

Mission Mustangs Youth Football

Isaiah Perales III, known as IP3, finds some open territory to run during the first drive of the Mission Mustangs’ Texas Youth Football Association Spring Bowl championship game against the Southside Colts at the McAllen Sports Park. Perales would later score on the drive and the Mustangs would win the championship. (Photo by Henry Miller)

By Henry Miller MCALLEN - During the first break for his team,

Mission Mustangs football assistant coach Omar Trujillo walked onto the field and brought the team over.

“You think you have this one in the bag,” he yelled.

“You think it’s going to be easy and you already won it?

Well, go out there now and do it.”

It was during the first series of the Texas Youth Football Association Spring Bowl Championship and the Mustangs were heavily favored against the Southside Colts out of Houston.

More than 30 teams from around Texas came to participate in the annual championship recently, one of two the association holds each year, the other being in the fall. The TYFA has chapters in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Killeen, San Antonio, West Texas and the Valley. This year’s spring championship was held at the McAllen Sports Complex.

Following Trujillo’s words, the Mustangs did exactly what they set out to do, scoring on the first drive and on three more drives in the first half alone. With temperatures at 100 degrees or higher for the second straight day, and a long trip back, Southside forfeited before the second half began and the Mustangs won the senior division title, their third spring title in the past four years.

“We play as a unit and we make sure everybody is accountable,” Trujillo said.

“We will hold our kids more accountable than some of the high schools. Even after they have left us and gone to play high school if we see them not acting in what we believe is an appropriate manner, we’ll call them out on it.”

The association has different age groups divided into divisions. The Mustangs,

with eighth-graders, fill the roster with players from Mission, PSJA, Harlingen and even a couple of Brownsville schools. Other TYFA Valley teams that competed in the spring championships came from Harlingen and Pharr.

Kids as young as 4 years old can compete in the Flag Division. Pads, helmets and tackling are added with the Tykes (ages 7-8), Rookies (9-10), Juniors (11-12) and Seniors (13-14).

Most of the Mustangs have been together for as many as six or seven years.

“The RGV doesn’t compete too much in the fall, because it interferes with junior high sports and for us to stay in the good graces and not take players while teams are building their players, our teams don’t participate.” Trujillo said. “But we’ve dominated the spring with these kids.

“They have been building this team since they were 6 or 7 and when we first started they would get scared when they would hear teams coming from the big cities. But when you play them enough you realize that bigger, stronger or faster doesn’t always matter when it comes to team play versus individual play.”

Late in the half, Mustangs’ player Aiden DeLeon had a severe injury to his leg and had to be taken off the field and to a nearby hospital.

It dampened the sprits on a day the Mustangs dominated. They also had easy wins on Saturday over the RGV

Wolfpack and Houston 713 Cardinals.

Trujillo said that the team is not only loaded with talent that will make noise at their respective schools, but that it comes down to chemistry and all the years they have been together.

“They trained since they were in first or second grade and know what’s expected – when a coach talks, you listen,” he said. “That’s the way it has always been.”

Trujillo remembered a game where he needed a player to run in and substitute but when he called for him, the player didn’t have his helmet on – he wasn’t ready.

“I ripped him,” he said.

“It’s not acceptable. They are all representing our organization and we don’t take those things lightly. And just because they’re not with us doesn’t mean that they stop doing what they’ve learned.

It’s about respect and being accountable. We instill that in all of them.”

The TYFA was founded in 1995 and according to its website states that its mission is to “provide young athletes with opportunities to compete and win at some of the highest levels of youth football and cheer in an environment free from discrimination and prepare these athletes for lifelong contributions to society; to embrace equality, academic achievement and diversity through competition of sport.”

Local sponsors to help pay for new scoreboard a Sharyland High School stadium

By Jose De Leon III For the next three years, the Sharyland Independent School District will receive $120,000 per year from 12 local businesses to help the district pay for the new, $800,000 scoreboard at Sharyland High School’s Richard Thompson Stadium.

This was announced during the Tuesday, May 29 Sharyland board of trustees meeting when the board unanimously approved the purchase of a new scoreboard for the Richard Thompson Stadium, replacing the one that has been in place for over 13 years at Sharyland High School.

“They don’t make parts for it anymore,” former district Superintendent Robert O’Connor said at the meeting. “There’s no option besides going out for another scoreboard and the board made the right choice in waiting until we had sponsors to pay for it.”

The sponsors O’Connor referred to include Plains Capital Bank, Spikes Ford, Chick-fil-a, Raising Canes and El Patio Restaurant.

The district is working with

the sponsors to receive the $120,000 that will help the district pay for the new scoreboard, the district’s financial director Jaime Ortega said.

The district is committed to pay $200,000 for the scoreboard but the remaining $600,000 will come from the sponsors as part of a five-year payment plan the district has with the South Dakota-based manufacturing company Daktronics to make the new scoreboard.

“These sponsors are guaranteed to have a panel or space devoted to them on the scoreboard-depending on their level of sponsorship,” Ortega said.

The Mission branch of Plains Capital Bank and Spikes Ford dealership, for example, are committing to be gold anchor sponsor, meaning that for the $25,000 they each are giving to the district per year, they have a panel reserved for them near the top of the scoreboard, Ortega said.

The gold sponsors also receive four reserved season tickets for home games, 1 VIP parking pass, two 15-second TV commercials on the stadium and 12-month

roadside advertising.

Chick-fil-a, Stars Scholarship Fund, the insurance firms CL Frates and PCI are “Silver Anchor Sponsors” meaning that for the $12,500 they each give to the district per year, they have a panel devoted to them underneath the “Gold Anchor Sponsors.”

The silver sponsors also receive two reserved season tickets for home games, one 15-second long TV commercial, one 12-minute-long digital still and six months of roadside advertising.

Digital sponsorships are also available for sponsors.

They include the “gold quarterly Digital Sponsor” made up by Raising Canes and Linebarger Insurance. For $5,000 a year, each sponsor will receive a 12-minute long digital still, two graphic announcements and three months of roadside advertising.

For $2,500 each, El Patio Restaurant, ROW Surveying, MLG Security and Pete Jaramillo Insurance are “Silver Quarterly Digital Sponsors,” meaning that they will each receive a six-minute long digital still and one graphic announcement.

Even though no date has been set for the completion of the stadium, which district Director of Maintenance Mark Dougherty said could take up all summer, Ortega hopes the scoreboard will entice the current sponsors.

“We’re hoping that once they see the scoreboard and see how nice it is, they’ll recommit to a new agreement,” Ortega said. “Even our old scoreboard had sponsors who have been with us for 10 years so we feel pretty comfortable with some of these sponsors.”

Ortega said the deal to finalize the financial commitment from the sponsors could be signed by the end of this week.

“It’s something the district needs and we’re trying to make sure the district can secure it with the least impact on our taxpayers,” Ortega said of the new scoreboard.

The current scoreboard at Sharyland High School’s Richard Thompsons Stadium. During the summer, it will be demolished to make way for a $800,000 LED scoreboard. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III

Transforming Lives...

La Joya ISD

scan this code with your smartphone

Like Us on Facebook

ProgressTimes

Transforming Communities!

Join us for our Sundowners every Thursday !

Summer Specials Begin Memorial Weekend May 25th Monday - Sunday $20 18 holes includes 1/2 cart $15 9 holes includes 1/2 cart

1910 Hole-In-One Dr. Mission, TX 78582

7am - 6pm 956-585-6330

page 8

June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

Citing 'outstanding' work, Peñitas renews city manager's contract

by Dave Hendricks The Peñitas City Council renewed City Manager Omar Romero’s contract last week, approving a two-year agreement with the same salary.

Members spent just five minutes in executive session on June 1 before approving the contract extension, which will keep Romero employed through 2020. The contract includes a $72,600 annual salary, standard benefits and a car for city business.

“He’s done an outstanding job ever since he came over to the city,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Alex Guajardo.

“We’ve seen the growth in the city. We’ve seen the way he attracts businesses.”

The City Council hired Romero after City Manager Oscar Cuellar Jr. abruptly resigned in July 2015.

Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez and the City Council received more than a dozen applications for the job but weren’t impressed by the resumes.

They took a chance on Omar X. Romero, 34, of McAllen, who worked for Oscar R. Gonzalez CPA and Associates — his grandfather’s firm. Romero had a business and accounting background, but he’d never worked for a city before.

That paid big dividends for Peñitas, which benefited from Romero’s business connections.

“One hundred percent of

what we do is dedicated to growing the city,” Romero said. “Whether it’s focusing on road projects, improving drainage (or) attracting new retailers.”

Working with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization, the city made progress on several long-planned road projects.

The Department of Transportation approved an advance funding agreement for the extension of Liberty Boulevard from U.S. 83 to Mile 3 Road last month.

“Which is a major project that’s been in the works for 10-plus years,” Romero said.

State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and state Rep. Oscar Longoria worked with the city to push the Liberty Boulevard project forward, Romero said.

Peñitas also plans to extend Diamond Avenue east and south to Business 83.

Funding for the Diamond Avenue project will come from a partnership between Peñitas, the city’s twin economic development corporations and a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, which leverages property taxes for infrastructure improvements.

Diamond Avenue is an integral part of a long-term plan to develop the property, which will generate sales and property tax for Peñitas.

While focused on development, Romero finished several pending projects.

Peñitas opened a splash pad, annexed a neighborhood near Corina Peña Elementary School and acquired property from the La Joya Independent School District for a new park. The Peñitas Police Department purchased new vehicles, new uniforms and new weapons. And the city created a volunteer fire department.

“Those projects — some were slated prior to me coming onboard,” Romero said.

“But we were able to facilitate getting them all started and moving forward with their completion while I was here.”

Romero also became a major player in western Hidalgo County politics, publicly supporting candidates for the school board and the Agua Special Utility District.

“The city is growing the way it is, at the pace that it’s growing — a lot of it has to do with the leadership under Mr. Romero,” Guajardo said.

of Mission, Palmview, Peñitas, parts of La Joya, Sullivan City and a slice of Starr County.

When the Texas Legislature created the utility district, lawmakers set aside four seats on the seven-member board for city residents and three seats for rural residents.

Mission, Palmview, Peñitas and Sullivan City received seats on the board. La Joya residents already had a separate, city-run utility system — so lawmakers didn’t set aside a seat for them.

Recent annexations, however, made the Havana community part of La Joya. Residents of Havana, along with people on the city’s east side and north side, depend on the utility district for water service.

That irked Salinas, who thought La Joya deserved a seat on the utility board.

“The citizens of La Joya have been neglected,” Salinas said,

adding that the board didn’t adequately represent them. “And we feel that we should be part of what happens with Agua SUD.” Data provided to the Texas Legislature last year demonstrated the disparity.

Parts of Mission served by the district had just 51 utility connections last year, but state law reserved a seat on the board for Mission.

Meanwhile, parts of La Joya served by the district had 324 utility connections last year.

State law, though, didn’t reserve a seat for a La Joya.

La Joya forced the issue during March 2016, when the city filed a lawsuit against the utility district.

With early voting just weeks away, La Joya asked state District Judge Israel Ramon Jr. to stop the May 2016 election.

Ramon refused and quickly dismissed the lawsuit.

Omar Romero

Peñitas permanent prescription drop box made available to the public

By Jamie Treviño Providing the community a place to safely and anonymously dispose of old, unused prescription medication, the City of Peñitas, in conjunction with the Alliance for Drug Abuse Prevention (ADAP) Coalition, the Peñitas Public Library, the Peñitas Police Department and the Hidalgo County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, has unveiled a permanent prescription drop box in the Peñitas Public Library.

The drop box is meant to be a proper disposal method of prescription medications no longer being used by a person. This particular drop box will only accept pills.

Vianca Vyeira, the ADAP Coalition Prevention Specialist, spoke about the importance of providing a prescription drop box to this area of the Rio Grande Valley. Before the unveiling of the new box in Peñitas, the closest prescription drop box was located in Palmview.

“Everything we do is in regards to prevention, specifically substance abuse, and substance use such as underage drinking and prescription drugs,” Vyeira said. “It’s something that’s accessible to the community, it’s safe and it provides them with an alternative way of disposing of medication.”

Vyeira said that proper disposal of prescriptions is

(from left) Dr. Armando O’caña, Juan C. Fuentes from the ADAP Coalition and Peñitas Assistant Police Chief Alejandro Morales unveiling the city’s new permanent prescription drop box, located at the Peñitas Public Library.

Progress Times photo by Jamie Treviño.

vital to the safety of the community - throwing medication in the trash means it is still accessible for other people who may abuse it and it can contaminate the natural environment. If it is thrown in a sink or toilet, it can also end up polluting the area.

“As far as pills go, that’s why we have the drop boxes,” Vyeira said. “It won’t take liquids, it won’t take syringes, so no liquids or sharps. It’s just pills for now, but we still feel that’s at least a step in the right direction as far as reducing that accessibility.”

The permanent prescription drop box also displays what kind of drugs can be disposed of and what drugs will not be allowed. According to Vyeira, at the various events hosted by the ADAP Coalition, people have been asking for this kind of drop box.

“Hopefully it will encourage them and empower them to do something proactive in their own homes,” Vyeira said. “Whether they have children or not, prescription drugs can be misused and abused not just by youth, but also adults. So we want to make sure we are reducing that accessibility all across our community.”

The project was grant funded, and therefore did not cost the city any money to install. The medication left at the drop box will be removed and cataloged by the police department and then subsequently picked up by a member of the ADAP Coalition, who will then take it to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for proper disposal.

mittee affiliated with Mayor Salinas, his wife, City Commissioner Mary Salinas; and his daughter, school board Trustee Frances A. Salinas — supported Arriaga.

He won nearly 67 percent of the vote, defeating union orga-

nizer Juan Jose “J.J.” Luna, according to results published by the Hidalgo County Elections Department.

“Now they're going to have a voice,” said utility board President Roger Hernandez.

Police chief makes history as first La Joya representative on Agua SUD board

by Dave Hendricks

La Joya police Chief Adolfo Arriaga made history Monday, becoming the first person to represent the city on the Agua Special Utility District board.

Arriaga took the oath of office Monday afternoon at the utility district headquarters in Palmview, where a standing-room-only crowd witnessed the swearing-in ceremony.

“I do want to thank all the people that voted for Adolfo Arriaga,” said La Joya Mayor Jose A. “Fito” Salinas, who administered the oath. “He’s making history today because La Joya has never had a representative on this board.”

More than 15,000 customers in western Hidalgo County depend on the utility district for water and sewer service.

The utility serves a small part

While the lawsuit flopped, the commotion caught the attention of state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, who authored a bill to address the city’s concerns.

Senate Bill 814 replaced a county seat on the utility board with a new seat for La Joya.

Former Executive Director Oscar Cancino opposed the bill, telling lawmakers the move would reduce representation for rural customers.

“The City of La Joya currently holds only 2% of the Agua SUD service connections,” according to a letter Cancino sent to state lawmakers. “Removing an at large seat would leave over 9,000 connections with 2 representatives instead of 3.”

Lawmakers passed the bill anyway and candidates started filing for the new La Joya seat during January.

La Joya Citizens Working Together — the political com-

The Marketplace Business and services Directory

ONE COMPANY. ONE AGENT. Top Soil, Caliche, Sand, Mulch, Gravel River Rocks & Boulders, We Deliver www.riotechyard.com Utility, Enclosed, Tow Dollies & Hot Shot Trailers For Sale and Rent - Call For Pricing www.riotechtrailers.com Mini Roll-Off Containers Delivery & Pickup to local landfill $29900 / 7 day rental www.rgvminirolloff.com

956-287-0800 2113 West State Hwy. 107 McAllen, TX 78504

Hours: Mon-Fri:8am - 5:30pm • Saturday: 9am - 3pm Sunday: Closed

MANY WAYS TO SAVE.

Let me help you save time and money.

Protecting more of your world with Allstate makes your life easier. And it can put more money in your pocket. Bundle your policies and you can save een more. Why wait? Call me today.

Ana Alvarado 2000 E. Business 83 Ste. G • Mission, TX

956.205.2850 email: anaalvardo@allstate.com

Auto Home Life Retirement

Insurance and coverage subject to terms, qualifications and availability. Allstate Vehicle Property Insurance Co., Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. Northbrook, Illinions © 2018 Allstate Insurance Co.

TO ADVERTISE IN THE MARKETPLACE BUSINESS AND SERVICES DIRECTORY CALL 956-585-4893 FOR MORE INFORMATION

June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

obituaries Betty Abbenante MISSION – Betty Abbenante, 88, passed away on Wednesday, May 30, 2018.

A native of Ohio, Mrs. Abbenante spent most of her adult life in Mission. She was active in the Catholic Church community.

Survivors include her children, Jeanne Keck , Josie Abbenante, Kathy Howell, Mary Avenanti, Anne Lawhon, Frank Abbenante, Susan Abbenante, Grace Rivers, Cristina Abbenante and John Abbenante; and 10 children, 25 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John F. Abbenante; mother, Bernice Adelphia; father, John Bridenbaugh; sister, Jeanne Bridenbaugh; step-father, Bert Adelphia; and granddaughter, Michelle Keck.

A funeral mass was held on June 5 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission.

Maria Barrera MISSION – Maria O. Barrera, 91, passed away on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at her home in Mission.

Mrs. Barrera was born in Ciudad Mier, Tamps., Mexico on April 3, 1927, and was a member of the Catholic Church.

Survivors include her children, Manuel Barrera, Rene Barrera, Graciela Barrera and Anna Olivarez; siblings, Julian Salinas, Cooky Alvarado and Janie Saldivar; and six grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years,

Severo Barrera; daughter, Irma Barrera; father, Amado Salinas Garcia; mother, Manuelita Garcia de Salinas; and brother, Heraclio Salinas.

A funeral mass was held on June 6 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Mission.

Brad Wood BRAZORIA/MISSION – William Bradford “Brad” Wood was born in McAllen on Valentine’s Day 1950 to Myrtle Bess Rome and William Ellis “Bill” Wood of Mission. His beautiful blue eyes with that mischievous twinkle opened in Heaven on April 28, 2018, while sleeping peacefully in the arms of his soulmate and wife of 36 years, Leeda, at Methodist St. Catherine’s Hospital in Katy, Tex. Survivors include his wife, Leeda Wood, of Mission; sons, William Bradford (Dora) Wood II, McAllen, and Jason Mathew (Heather) Wood, San Antonio; daughter, Leeda Catherine Wood, Denver, Colo.; grandchildren: Randy and Lawrence Wood of McAllen; Timothy

Wood, US Army, South Korea; Nicholas Wood, Edinburg; Aiden and Alexis Wood of San Antonio; sister Lynne (Jim) Day of San Benito; and nieces, Debbie Mudd (Brian) Tucker; Marilyn Mudd; Jennifer Day (Don) Stout; and Stephanie Day (Ray) Melendez.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Myrtle Bess Wood; stepmother Teona Jasman Buck Wood; sisters Ginger Wood, Marsha Redding Kennedy, and Bobbie Kay Mudd Parish; and grandson Christopher Samuel Wood.

Brad valiantly fought back through a sudden onset of a rare autoimmune disorder, Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG), frequent hospitalizations and 4 months of dialysis from December 2008-May 2009, and achieved longterm remission. But myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) diagnosed in June 2016 led to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in December of 2017. Despite the best efforts of leukemia specialists at M.D. Anderson (MDA) in Houston through April 2018, Brad was unable to achieve remission and lost his battle during physical rehabilitation at St. Catherine’s.

Brad had a huge heart and was generous with his love and assistance to many throughout his life. He was a life-long member of First Presbyterian Church in Mission, graduated in the Class of 1968 from Mission High School, and attended Pan American University majoring in Finance. A loyal and dedicated employee of

Weaks Martin Implement Co. in Mission from the age of 16 until retirement at the age of 62 on December 31, 2012, a span of 46 years, he served as parts manager for the majority of that time.

As parts manager, he was honored to achieve #1 parts department sales for all US John Deere dealerships on several occasions but was always near the top in many other years. He enjoyed many weekends chilling on the beach at South Padre Island. In the 1990’s, Brad became first a licensed Texas Realtor and then Real Estate Broker, working as a sales agent for Cimarron Real Estate and later as broker/owner of River Rock Real Estate, Mission. He loved golf and enjoyed playing with many friends, starting at Shary Golf Course as a child and continuing as a long-time member of Cimarron Country Club, playing golf and serving for many years as president and member of the Cimarron Board of Governors.

The family wishes to thank those who walked this journey with us through the past 10 years: Dr. Robert D. Martinez and Dr. Roberto Mangoo-Karim for saving Brad’s life and his kidneys from WG at Doctors’ Hospital at Renaissance (DHR) McAllen; special loving care and support from Macrina Guillen and Ashley Villegas at South Texas Kidney; Dr. Guillermo Lazo and all the

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

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

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

staff for their loving care while in treatment for MDS at South Texas Oncology; many doctors from DHR prior to transfer to MDA in2017, but especially Dr. Jacob Birnbaum who maintained contact and provided his love and support throughout, from AML diagnosis in McAllen through treatment in Houston and Katy; and all the doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses, patient care specialists, case managers, and many others who touched our lives and became part of our family during our 4 ½ months of hospitalization at MDA and St. Catherine’s.

In honor of Brad’s wish that his life be celebrated and not mourned, the family will be present for visitation on June 15, 2018, from 5-9 pm at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home, 621 E Griffin Parkway, Mission. Celebration of life service will begin at 7 pm, with a religious service led by childhood and lifelong friend Dr. Pat (Sandy) Riley.

Following will be family sharing of loving memories of Brad, and friends are encouraged to share Brad stories and memories with all, as well. The family will be wearing clothing and attire reminiscent of Brad’s life and loves, and ask that friends consider doing the same: golf, John Deere, beach, fishing, or Hawaiian theme.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing in Brad’s memory to Halo House, a Houston-based organization whose mission is to help save the lives of cancer patients battling leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma by providing them with fully furnished temporary housing at a very low cost while they are undergoing active treatment for their cancer at the Texas Medical Center. Donations can be made through a

page 9

donation link at https://www. halohousefoundation.org, or by mail to Halo House Foundation, 4010 Blue Bonnet Blvd #209, Houston, TX 77025; or to any charity of your choice.

Cremation arrangements through Dixon Funeral Home, Brazoria, Tex. Celebration of life services through Ric Brown Family Funeral Home, Mission.

Notices

Eufemia Cabrera ALTON – Eufemia Cabrera, 77, passed away on Monday, June 4, 2018, at Amara Hospice in Edinburg.

Anselmo Flores MISSION – Anselmo Flores, 64, passed away on Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Melecio Garcia MISSION – Melecio Garcia, 87, passed away on Monday, June 4, 2018, at McAllen Medical Center.

Maria Gutierrez MISSION – Maria Del Socorro Gutierrez, 71, passed away on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at her home.

Idolinda Hernandez MISSION – Idolinda (Codina) Hernandez, 80, passed away on Friday, June 1, 2018, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Juana Prado MISSION – Juana Escalera Prado, 87, passed away on Friday, June 1, 2018, at Edinburg Regional Medical Center.

Maria Saenz MISSION – Maria De Los Angeles Saenz, 65, passed away on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, at Briarcliff Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of McAllen.

Guadalupe Quintero MISSION – Guadalupe Olvera Quintero, 78, passed away on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen.

page 10

June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

You d l u Co n i W

A Family 4-PACK of tickets to

SCHLITTERBAHN NEW BRAUNFELS • CORPUS CHRISTI • SPI

U p to a $208 Value

HOW TO ENTER: to Progress Times  Subscribe free E-mail newsletter at www.ptrgv.com Subscribe to PT Print Edition

 Subscribers automatically entered in PT Rewards Contests.

NOW THROUGH JULY 31, 2018

Call 585-4893

to order & pay by phone

Subscribe Online www.progresstimes.net/subscribe

or email us at: subs@progresstimes.net to request your subscription.

Cannot be combined with any other subscription offer.

June 8, 2018

LJISD WATER PARK

used during the first summer the complex is open to the public.

“It’s pretty neat to see,” Garza said. “They’re able to bring out the family and have an affordable day together and enjoy.”

The water park opened on Memorial Day, and has seen several hundred people each day since. Last Sunday, the park had its biggest turnout yet, and parents are happy to see their children out and about in a safe environment.

“We needed this to keep

our kids away from being out on the streets, or being at home on the computer or phone, social media, or just being stagnant at home and not doing any physical activity,” Garza said. “And more importantly, they can come in and do things as a family.”

While it closes on Wednesdays for maintenance and training, the LJISD Water Park is open six days a week from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

According to Garza, it has drawn people from all over the Rio Grande Valley.

from pg 1

“We had 804 people come in on Sunday,” Garza said.

“We even had a large family from Rio Grande City make a day out of it.”

The goal of the park is to provide a fun way for families to spend time together and not break the bank. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for kids age 0 to 17, and $5 for senior citizens 55 and up.

Because no outside food or drinks are allowed into the park, LJISD sells concessions, offering burgers for $3, hot dogs, pizza, burritos

theclassifieds

1 Week = $7.00 2 Weeks = $10.00 4 Weeks = $14.00

buy • sell • trade • rent • hire $1,000 deposit, call 956-369-0732.

NEW MISSION HOUSE, 1502 Dunlap Ave. Mission, 3Bdrm/ 2Ba, BV/ CA/H, 2 car carport, fenced, no pets, no bills included, available now, walking distance to Mission High School, $1,000/ mo.,

Free FREE CUTE KITTENS, text 956545-2463.

Garage Sale GARAGE SALE AT 100 Castillos Diamantes in Mission

Saturday & Sunday, June 9-10 and Saturday & Sunday, June 16-17 from 8am-3pm, clothes, shoes, bags, holiday decorations, toys, etc.

NOW HIRING A/C & Refrigeration Technicians, minimum of 3 years experience, call All Tech Heating and

STAY CONNECTED EVEN ON THE GO!

Cooling, 3308.

and nuggets for $2 and several combos, chips, sweets and drinks. Due to the large turnout last Sunday, the park even temporarily sold out of burgers.

“It does very well, so prices are very inexpensive,” Garza said. “We try to keep them low so we don’t drain and put a strain on the families.”

The summer programs being offered to LJISD students have already begun registration. The swimming classes have already been booked through mid-July, with spots still available for

Classified Rate:

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

For Rent

page 11

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

956-519-

Services ROSEMARY’S HAIR SALON, special men’s haircut $4 and women haircuts $5 and

up, special also for 55+, perms $35 and up, 1003 Lee St., Mission, open Mon.-Sat., 9:30am5pm, call for your appointment today 956-458-8254.

Now

HIRING Mr. G’s Fireworks

is looking for responsible persons to operate fireworks stand. Must stay on premises & be over 21 years of age.

Call: (956) 399-3469

SUBSCRIBE TODAY, AND WE’LL DELIVER IT TO YOU

only $20 per year 956.585.4893 www.ptrgv.com

NOTICE OF PRIVATE NONPROFIT SCHOOL MEETING June 19, 2018 1:30-2:00 p.m.

Central Office Building Mission, TX 78572 Notice is hereby given that a private nonprofit school meeting will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, in the Mission CISD Central Office Building, located at 1201 Bryce Drive, Mission, Texas.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the possibility of participation in Mission CISD’s Federal Funding.

Interested Private Non-Profit Schools must hold a current 501 (c) (3) status and serve eligible Mission CISD students. For additional information, please contact Kim Risica at 956-3235550 or at kmrisica@mcisd.org

the end of July and early August.

Xavier Samuel Escobedo, a supervising senior lifeguard at the LJISD Sports and Learning Complex, said that it was great to see how many people were utilizing the facilities.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Escobedo said. “Everybody seems to be pretty happy. I’m hoping it gives the younger kids a chance to learn how to swim.”

Escobedo, who also is one of the teachers for the youth swimming programs, said that being able to teach

people how to swim is something they can take with them wherever they go, including South Padre Island.

“It’s a big impact that parents want their kids to learn [to swim], especially at the younger ages,” Escobedo said. “Because, of course if they take them to the beach, South Padre, or the Six Flags water park, if they do their lessons here, if they learn everything that they’re supposed to, they don’t have to be worrying about it.”

The complex hopes to

See LJISD WATER PARK Pg. 12

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 to info@progresstimes.net or pay by phone 956-585-4893.

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

THE STATE OF TEXAS NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT: “You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do (does)not file a written answer with the clerk who issued to this citation by 10:00 A.M. on the Monday next after the expiration of forty-two (42) days after the date of issuance of this citation and Petition, a default Judgment may be taken against you.”

TO: Ray Ramon, DEFENDANT(S) GREETINGS: You are herby commanded to appear by filing a written answer to the Plaintiff’s Original Petition at or before 10:00 o’clock A.M. of the Monday next after the expiration of fortytwo (42) days after the date of issuance of this citation the same being the on this the 31st day of May, 2018 before the Honorable Rodolfo “Rudy” Delgado, 93rd District Court of Hidalgo County, Texas at the Courthouse of said county in Edinburg, Texas. Said CITY OF MISSION’S ORIGINAL PETITION, REQUEST FOR PERMANENT INJUNCTION AND REQUESTS FOR DISCLOSURE filed in said court on the on this the 22nd day of January, 2018 in this case numbered C-0250-18-B on the docket of said court and styled CITY OF MISSION VS. RAY RAMON Said petition was filed in said court by Attorney JAIME TIJERINA, 1201 E. 8th ST., Mission, TX 78572.

A brief nature of the suit is as follows: PLAINTIFF(S) PRAY FOR DAMAGES IN AN AMOUNT TO BE PROVEN AT TRIAL, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ACTUAL DAMAGES, DIRECT AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ATTORNEY FEES AND TAXABLE COURT COSTS. The officer executing this writ shall promptly serve the same according to requirements of law, and the mandates thereof, and make due return as the law directs.

ISSUED AND GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL of said Court at Edinburg, Texas on the on this the 31st day of May, 2018.

page 12

June 8, 2018

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

A message from Beto

This election is about the city we want, the city we dream of

MCISD administrators speak at Mission Lions Club Cris Valdez, Mission C.I.S.D. interim superintendent, and Sergio Peña, Career and Technical Education director, were invited to speak at a May Lions Club meeting. Valdez spoke to the group about the district’s effort to ensure all MCISD students were college, career and military ready by the time they graduate. Peña spoke on things happening in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. He informed those in attendance that some students enrolled in the program are earning certifications and/or associate’s degrees before graduation and on CTE related competitions. Pictured, left to right, are Lion Jim Brunson, Cris Valdez, Lion Vidal Rodriguez, Lion Adela Ortega, Lion Minnie Rodgers and Sergio Peña. For more information on the CTE program, email Peña at spena52@mcisd.org or call at 956323-5508.

LJISD WATER PARK

from pg 11

eventually start holding adult swim lessons, aqua aerobics and more. Garza said that they may even be able to host these programs during the regular school year, if scheduling permits it.

Along with the water park and natatorium, the planetarium has also been made open to the public with limited showings of educational documentaries and films so they can serve both athletic and academic needs. This Wednesday, they had their first two screenings of Dynamic Earth and Oasis in Space.

The next screenings will take place June 29 and July 11 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The matinees have limited seating, and the $3 admission will include arts and crafts for families before the films are shown.

“We do the hands-on activity, it’ll be painting or coloring, arts and crafts,” Garza said. “We’ll also have the Ford NGL [Next Genera-

tion Learning] in conjunction with the migrant department, there will be a rocket launching camp through La Joya ISD, and we’re going to be hosting that here.”

Garza hopes the complex as a whole gives families in the area a chance to experience a fun day at a reasonable cost.

“All they need to do is come out and bring their sunscreen and enjoy a day at the park,” Garza said. “These are opportunities given to the students and their families that perhaps they would not get even travelling to the island, Schlitterbahn and such.

And more importantly, those same opportunities are family-oriented and inexpensive at the same time.”

Parents of La Joya students can register their children for classes at the Sports & Learning Complex, or call (956) 323-2148 for more information about the water park and facilities.

By Jose De Leon III

March primaries.

“It was probably overwhelming to a lot of people having to vote so many times,” O’caña said in a phone interview. “I think we will see an increase of total votes. I know approximately 1,500 people voted election day in the regular election, I estimate that number will increase by over 2,000 people on Saturday.”

Despite the potentially higher turnout, the votes will only represent a fraction of the 38,345 Mission residents who are registered to vote. At the May 5 general election, only 6,202 total votes were cast.

“I don’t want to use ‘voter apathy’ as the reason for a lack of participation, but it might be a possibility,” O’caña said, adding that as part of the campaign ads for the runoff election he’s focused on radio interviews and digital ads on Facebook.

“We have people who don’t want to get involved in expressing their opinions as a voter...but voters need to wake up and express their opinion even if they are for or against me so we can have a mayor saying ‘I had 51 or more percent of all eligible voters, not just 51 percent of people who voted.’”

Salinas, meanwhile, said despite sending out television and print ads reminding people to vote Saturday, he is not worried about the low voter turnout. He argued the lack of more participation is good for the city.

“Everything is fine, there’s no problem in the city of Mission so when you have a city that is doing well with no problems...people are not going to vote because it is going fine,” Salinas said. “It’s always been like that, I’m fine with it. When you have everything running smoothly in the city. People are happy and just don’t vote.”

Election day is tomorrow from 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. at the following locations: Bryan Elementary School at 1300 Elm Drive; Castro Elementary at 200 south Mayberry Street; Celestino Ramirez Fire Station #3 at 1804 N. Shary Road and Mission High School at 1802 Cleo Dawson Street.

Mission mayoral candidates: higher voter turnout expected tomorrow

Both mayoral candidates in the city of Mission are touting the possibility of a higher voter turnout for the City of Mission runoff election set for tomorrow, and they have the numbers to back it up.

According to unofficial results from the Hidalgo County Elections Department, 5,037 participated in early voting held from Tuesday, May 29 through Tuesday, June 5. This is an increase from the 4,664 people who participated in the early voting for the May 5 general election.

That election saw incumbent city of Mission Mayor Norbeto “Beto” Salinas receiving 49.97 percent of 6,174 ballots cast, falling just three votes shy of a majority win, according to the county elections department.

His opponent, city of Mission councilman Armando O’caña, placed second with 41.63 percent of ballots cast while businessman Jaime Gutierrez placed a distant third.

Hidalgo City Manager Julian J. Gonzalez won about 42 percent of ballots cast for the Place 4 seat in the mission city council, meaning he’s facing off against attorney Gus Martinez in the runoff after Martinez received about 36 percent of the ballots.

The early voting counts for the runoff elections surpassed the counts for the general elections despite only lasting for one week, while the early voting cycle for the general election lasted eight days.

“Some of the people that should’ve voted in the [general election] didn’t go, and now that we were so close in winning we’re in a runoff,” Salinas said in a phone interview Wednesday. “The runoff has made it very enticing for more people to come out and invite others to vote.”

O’caña agreed with the mayor that the runoff served as a way to give potential voters a second chance if they missed out on voting during the May election. He argued that people may not have participated last month due to its closeness to the

The citizens of Mission expect a mayor to work hard each and every day to make life better for their families. I am a full-time mayor – ready – willing – experienced and prepared to take this office for another four years and humbly ask for your support.

Leadership is about choices.

Our choices are based on our values.

From a young age, I was taught the importance of living by your values. As your mayor, I will continue to wake up every day focused on building the city of our dreams.

My “Can Do” attitude and leadership style has helped our City flourish over the last 20 years.

This is my commitment to you.

I will continue to work the four year plan on a daily basis. The city has done well enough under my leadership to reduce the tax rate by 16 cents. We have also seen more jobs and infrastructure and an all time low bond indebtedness. Due to this we are able to give back to our city and our community in the form of: • Tax reductions o Taxes have dropped from .64 to .48 cents over the last 20 years o A plan for a reduction of 9 cents within the next four years by with new businesses to help defray the cost by bringing in more sales revenue.

• Merit based wage increases o City employees are continuously receiving pay increases based on their personal performance. o We are currently researching other local municipalities with similar populations to conservatively increase our minimum wage.

• I am on the job all day long and continue to search for ways to save our city money. o In 2014 the contract with BFI was removed which resulted in saving over $5 million that may now be used towards purchasing trucks, containers and street overlay projects necessary.

Jobs and Infrastructure

Over the last 20 years I have been committed to new developments and bringing in more businesses that have supplied jobs for our citizens. Quality infrastructure supports businesses, improves productivity and keeps our city moving forward.

• Unemployment rate is now at 5.9% - down 7.9% since 1998 o Creating jobs and building our economy with new infrastructure funding to fix roads, bridges and water treatment systems. o Retail sales are up nearly 3% over last year. We are proud of the retail sector and we’re working to develop more in the city.

• Mission Event Center o Cost was nearly $16 million paid for by the MEDC & TRZ – no funds from the general fund / city budget were used o $8 million will be recovered within 2-3 years from sales of commercial property • Anzaldua Bridge o Due to powerful negotiations, Mission has zero debt o We own 23% o I have served as Vice Chair of the board alongside Leo Montalvo and John David Franz for 20 years.

• Madero Bridge ownership will be 44% o Financing for this will come from grants and partnerships with the City of McAllen and Hidalgo o Infrastructure for the surrounding area will cost nearly $45 million and $20 million has been secured and set aside from grants obtained.

Prosperity

• We currently have approximately $33 million in reserves • We are financially sound.

• Residential and commercial total value has increased 406% since 1998, from $810 million to $4.8 billion • Bond indebtedness is at an all-time low • All these huge projects have been made possible under my leadership and with the support of the City Council members, the City Staff, all of our citizens that serve on various boards created for the betterment of our city.

Future Plans

Our plans for the future of our great City of Mission is transparent and available for anyone to see through the Public Information Act. I have a 4 year plan to build a bridge, keep taxes low and keep the status quo.

We are Fiscally Conservative and Financially sound!

Let’s Keep Mission In Good Hands RE-ELECT MAYOR

Bet

Salinas

Election Day: June 9, 2018

POLITICAL AD PAID FOR BY CANDIDATE - 500 E. 9TH ST. MSSION TEXAS