Friday, May 17, 2019_PT ISSUES

La Joya ISD Graduation Edition Recognizing Excellence In Education

Campus Chronicle

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Your Hometown Newspaper, Bringing Communities Together.

Progress times Vol. 47 - #38

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Friday, May 17, 2019

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Former mayor asks La Joya native Texas Supreme Court crowned Miss Texas to review Mission election case

By Jamie Treviño

By Dave Hendricks The Texas Supreme Court may decide whether or not Mission must hold a new mayoral election.

Former Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas filed a petition with the Supreme Court on May 6, asking the justices to review a decision by the 13th Court of Appeals.

“While the record contains undisputed evidence demonstrating orchestrated voter fraud, the party benefitting from that fraud is currently serving as Mission’s mayor,” according to the petition, which attorney Maitreya Tomlinson of Austin filed on behalf of Beto Salinas.

It’s the latest development in a year-long saga.

After two decades as mayor, Beto Salinas ran for re-election in May 2018 against City Councilman Armando “Doc” O’caña and businessman Jaime Gutierrez.

Beto Salinas won 49.96 percent of nearly 6,200 ballots cast, according to results published by the Hidalgo County Elections Department — three votes short of a majority.

Turnout surged during the runoff election, which pitted Beto Salinas against O’caña.

O’caña won about 51 percent of nearly 6,800 ballots cast, according to results published by the elections department.

Beto Salinas, though, claimed the O’caña campaign bribed voters and manipulated mail-in ballots. He filed an election contest.

After a two-week trial, state District Judge J. Bonner Dorsey handed down a decision from the bench.

“I find the evidence is clear that there was a combination or conspiracy by the campaign of Dr. O’caña to do this. And I say that because the evidence is that several members of the campaign were working together in concert to bribe voters, to take the mail-in ballots and mail them separately,” Dorsey said on Oct 5. “I find by clear and convincing evidence that the number of illegal votes was in excess of 158 — somewhere in excess of 158. There’s no way to possibly determine.”

O’caña, who denied any wrongdoing, appealed the decision.

Attorney Rick Salinas, who represented his father at trial, hadn’t actually identified 158 voters with problematic ballots. After eliciting eye-popping testimony about election fraud, Rick Salinas had asked an expert to estimate how many ballots had been affected.

Norberto “Beto” Salinas Concerned about the estimate, the 13th Court of Appeals reversed Dorsey.

“The trial court’s conclusion relied on unreasonable inferences and unsupported assumptions,” according to the opinion signed by Chief Justice Dori Contreras.

Justice Leticia Hinojosa dissented.

“In closing, the majority puts forward that its holding safeguards a voter’s right to have his or her lawful vote counted. I believe that it does not,” Justice Hinojosa wrote. “By reversing the trial court’s judgment, the majority allows lawful votes to be diluted and may dissuade voters from participating in the electoral process.”

Dissatisfied with the decision, Beto Salinas filed a petition for review with the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court reviewed nearly 1,000 petitions last year, according to data published by the state Office of Court Administration. Justices granted just 12%.

“It’s like a Hail Mary pass on their part,” said attorney Gilberto Hinojosa, who represents O’caña.

Judges shouldn’t be allowed to order new elections based on estimates, Gilberto Hinojosa said.

“When someone guesses at something, that’s not ‘clear and convincing’ evidence,’” Gilberto Hinojosa said, referencing the evidentiary standard for election contests.

If the Supreme Court accepted that argument, justices would open the floodgates for election contests.

“They would be really changing the law in the state of Texas if they accepted that appeal,” Gilberto Hinojosa said. “That’s what you have to think about. It’s not just this case, it’s the law that you make.”

Rick Salinas said the dissenting opinion from the 13th Court of Appeals made him optimistic the Supreme Court would grant the petition for review.

“And with voter fraud being so prevalent,” Rick Salinas said, “I think it’s something that needs to be looked at.”

The third time was the charm for 24-year-old Yesenia Yvette Guerrero.

Guerrero, originally from La Joya, was recently crowned Miss Texas. She is now preparing to head to La Vegas, Nevada in August to compete for Miss United States.

Since she was one month old, Guerrero has been participating in pageants. She said her mother, a former pageant queen herself, originally got her daughter involved in an endeavor that is now taking her to the national level.

“It definitely helped me become a little more extroverted,” Guerrero said.

“I was timid as a child, but being on stage and making friendships through pageantry, it really opened up opportunities for public speaking, allowed me to network myself and make connections

across the Valley.”

It was Guerrero’s third time vying for the title of Miss Texas. In previous years she competed as Miss Rio Grande Valley, Miss Hidalgo County and won as Miss South Texas.

“I wanted to show young women that if at first you don’t succeed, that’s okay, you can try again,” Guerrero said. “I never took the experience as failure because I walked away from each pageant learning something about myself.”

Guerrero credits several people for helping her get to this position, and said it takes a village to prepare.

For several weeks (about three months) before a pageant, her boyfriend does her meal preparation, her seamstress works with her on the fit and flow of her gown, her hair and makeup stylist works with photography, and

See MISS TEXAS Pg. 7A

Photo courtesy of Facebook.

Yesenia Yvette Guerrero waves after being crowned Miss Texas United States in Houston.

Alton adopts ordinance combating underage drinking

By Jose De Leon III Just in time for summer vacation, the Alton Police Department has a new tool to combat underage drinking.

On Tuesday, the Alton City Council unanimously passed a social host ordinance, a local law that holds

adults liable for underage drinking that occurs on their property by fining hosts of underage drinking parties.

The ordinance is identical to the one passed by the city of Palmview two years ago.

Like that ordinance, Alton homeowners can face a $500 fine that can increase to up to

$1,000 for repeat offenders.

“It gives the police department another tool when they approach parties that are out of control,” Alton City Manager Jeff Underwood said.

According to the Texas School Survey, alcohol is the most-used substance by youth with 22 percent of stu-

Courtesy photo.

Alton city council with UNIDAD coalition members Tuesday, May 14, 2019.

By Dave Hendricks The Hidalgo Independent School District election trial ended Wednesday with a cliffhanger.

After three days of testimony, which featured more than 50 witnesses and nearly 100 exhibits, state District Judge Federico “Fred” Hinojosa Jr. announced he wouldn’t hand down a decision Wednesday. He asked the attorneys to submit briefs and prepare for closing arguments on June 18.

“I’ve never seen such blatant disregard for the election laws,” said attorney Gilberto Hinojosa of Brownsville.

Gilberto Hinojosa represented Mentor Cantu, a Pharr firefighter who challenged Hidalgo school board

The Mission Consolidated Independent School District will be rebranding a couple of their elementary schools, each aiming to focus on either fine arts or technology and engineering.

Jamie Treviño has the details, inside.

See Pg. 8A

See ALTON ORDINANCE Pg. 8A

Hidalgo ISD election trial ends in cliffhanger Trustee Ben Arjona in November 2018.

Cantu won about 51% of ballots cast during early vot-

ing and about 51% of ballots cast on Election Day. Arjona, though, mysteriously won 79% of the mail-

in ballots. As a result, he

See HIDALGO TRIAL Pg. 8A

Progress Times photo by Dave Hendricks.

From left to right: Hidalgo ISD Trustee Ben Arjona, attorney Ric Gonzalez, attorney Gilberto Hinojosa and Mildred Escobedo Flores of Election Integrity Advocates.

INSIDE MCISD Focus Schools

dents in grades 7-12 reporting having access to alcohol at parties.

The ordinance was created after they city’s police department was approached by the Uniting Neighbors In Drug Abuse Defense Coalition, which partnered up with Palmview to bring the ordinance there. Melissa Alviar, coordinator for UNIDAD, said the ordinance will prevent several consequences that come with underage drinking.

“Whenever you have kids under the age of 21 and there’s drinking involved, there’s many things that come into factor,” Alviar explained. “Property damage, sexual assault, violent

My Tejano Awards The 2nd annual My Tejano Awards are coming up this weekend, honoring the best in tejano music.

Over 200 bands and performers are expected to appear. Jose De Leon III has the latest on what to expect at the event.

See Pg. 10A

INDEX Entertainment.......... pg. 2 Lifestyle....................... pg. 3 Sports........................... pg. 6 Death Notices........... pg. 8 Classifieds................... pg. 9

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‘Newsies’ encore performances planned May 24-25 McALLEN – The RGV premiere of the musical “Newsies” was originally performed by McAllen High School in January of this year. The show was nominated for 11 Palm Awards at the Rio Grande Valley High School Theatre Awards known as “The Palms” and garnered five awards of those – Best Lighting Design, Best Choreography, Best Actor, Best Ensemble and Best Musical.

The show is being performed two more times for the Rio Grande Valley community. Performances will be held on Friday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 25, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at eventbrite.com. Proceeds from the ticket sales will help fund scholarships for McHi Theatre students pursuing the arts in college.

The show features origi-

nal choreography, beautiful harmonies, passionate acting and a powerful true story about children rising up against corruption. Featuring the now classic songs “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” it is set in turn-of-the century New York City with the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions.

Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, Newsies features a Tony Award-winning score

by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots).

McHi students will present two encore performances of their award-winning staging of the previous Broadway musical “Newsies” on May 24 and 25.

Documentary highlights RGV underground punk music scene

The UTRGV student cast and orchestra rehearse for the upcoming “Carmen” performance. The fully-staged production features music and spoken dialogue in Spanish translation by Eduardo de Bray, with surtitles in English. (Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV Opera Theater presents ‘Carmen’

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Opera Theater will present one of the greatest operas of all time, “Carmen,” in Spanish with English captions, on May 29 and 30 and June 2.

The festival production features music and spoken dialogue in Spanish translation by Eduardo de Bray, with surtitles in English. A high-quality student cast and orchestra have been assembled for this fully staged performance.

The performances will be 7 p.m. on May 29 and 30, at the Camille Playhouse in Brownsville, and on June 2 at 2 p.m.at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on

the Edinburg Campus.

It’s a simple plot – boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets revenge – but the wonderful, dramatic melodies have made this 1875 opera the most performed in the world. Almost everyone can hum the Habanera and the Toreador Song. Set in 1820 in Sevilla, Spain, the fouract opera is offered in opera comique style – that is, with spoken rather than sung dialogue.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for UTRGV faculty, students and youth.

For more information, contact the UTRGV School of Music at 956-665-3471 or email music@utrgv.edu.

Coming Attractions

June 8 • The next Sunset Live outdoor concert will be held at the McAllen Convention Center Oval Park, 700 Convention Center Boulevard. The free, family- and pet-friendly event opens at 5 p.m. and continues until 9 p.m. Music ranges in style from Indie to Blues and the event includes outdoor activities, food trucks, beverages, and local artisans. For more information, visit mcallenconventioncenter.net.

June 10 • The McAllen Society for the Performing Arts (MSPA) program Broadway in McAllen presents Kinky Boots at the McAllen Performing Arts Center. For general information, pricing and special membership features, go to LiveinMcAllenClub.com. For questions, contact the ticket hotline at 888200-4035, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

EDINBURG – In 2014, first-time feature filmmakers Charlie Vela and Ronnie Garza took on the challenge of documenting the history of the local music scene that helped shape them as artists.

Without formal training, a crew, or funding they began production and learning along the way. In 2017 “As I Walk through the Valley” premiered to audiences at the SXSW International Film Festival in Austin.

They will speak at the Museum of South Texas History (MOSTHistory) on Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m.

The discussion focuses on the histories and stories of musicians playing in the Rio Grande Valley underground scenes throughout the decades, as told by the people who lived it.

“It is our hope to amplify stories and narratives about the region that highlight the beauty, creativity, and in-

Hog Waddle Country Concert features best in country, Tejano music SAN BENITO -- A celebration embracing country and Tejano music, as well as crowning some of the best BBQ cooks in South Texas, is scheduled in San Benito this Saturday, May 18, at the Hog Waddle Country Concert and Cook-Off. Ice cold beverages, food and craft vendors, a family carnival with rides and an animal farm are among the activities on the concert grounds from 4 to 11 p.m. at the San Benito Fairground, 551 Cesar Gonzalez Parkway off of FM 510 in San Benito.Tickets are $5 per person with free admission for children 10 years and younger. VIP passes, which feature added amenities, are also available.

Highlighting David Lee Garza y Los Musicales, one of the premier bands in the region, the entertainment is top-notch, according to Hog

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genuity of the people who live in the RGV and foster a shared sense of history,” the documentary filmmakers said.

They both grew up in the RGV punk scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s and were informed by its strong sense of community and fierce do-it-yourself (DIY) ethic. Vela has spent the last 15 years as a record producer, musician and studio owner in the RGV, documenting local music and performing.

Garza is an experimental musician, “Winter Texan,” and democracy activist, and works in video-journalism related to activism in Austin and the RGV. The program is included in the fee for regular museum admission. MOSTHistory is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd. 956-383-6911.

Riverside In-MissionTx

Waddle organizer Art Garza, who also serves as the City of San Benito’s parks and recreation director.

The country concert also showcases some of the top country and Tejano music with the Powell Brothers, Lauren Corzine and Drew & the Dancehall Dreamers, according to Luis Contreras, San Benito Museum director, who is assisting in the event.

Garza, an accordion player, formed his Tejano band that released more than a dozen albums in less than five years. He is the winner of a Grammy Award for the Best Tejano Album category for “Just Friends.”

David Lee’s unique accordion style music is readily recognized. For this reason, it is not difficult to find David Lee collaborating with other Tejano music-recording Grammy Award-winning artists like: Little Joe y La Familia, Jimmy Gonzales, La Firma, Bobby Pulido, Joel Guzman, Joe Posada, or Americana favorite artists like Kevin Fowler or Cory Morrow, T Graham Brown, Johnny Rodriguez and Johnny Bush.

The entertainment lineup includes Drew & Dancehall Dreamers, Lauren Corzine, Bo Garza, The Powell Brothers and David Lee Garza.

The Powell Brothers come from Houston, featuring folk-rock, rootsy soul, and country sounds. Drew and the Dancehall Dreamers perform their own unique style and play a variety of country, rock and Texas-style music, featuring classics and the latest hits. Lauren Corzine is a Texas raised singer/ songwriter, performing since she was 12. Bo Garza began his musical career as a side man for the Junction Band and went on to start his own group with bandmate Wally Garza and Brooks Ausborn under the name “The South Texas Wailers.”

For more information about the event or the cookoff, call 956-361-3830.

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May 17, 2019

50 years of inspiring mathematical thinkers

Our Savior Lutheran plans summer camp

McALLEN – Our Savior Lutheran Church (OSLC) in McAllen is hosting a Christian Summer Camp from 6 to 8:15 p.m. each night from June 11 to 13. OSLC is located at 1105 West Fern Avenue in McAllen.

Youths ages 5 to 12 are invited to sign up. Each eve-

ning will begin with a meal, singing and prayer, followed by the day’s scheduled group events, including games, mission/service projects and movie night.

For more information and to register, call OSLC at 956631-6121 or visit oursaviormcallen.org.

Mission residents can apply for MEDA scholarships to STC MCALLEN – South Texas College in partnership with The Mission Economic Development Authority (MEDA) invites permanent residents of the City of Mission who are interested in furthering their education to apply for this year’s MEDA scholarship.

If eligible, scholarship recipients can receive up to $3,200 to help pay for their education at South Texas College. By alleviating some of the financial burdens off students and families with the scholarship, the hope is to increase a student’s chances of matriculating for greater success in college.

The scholarship trust of $3 million has helped 420 students with a total of $782,500 awarded to date.

Over 250 MEDA scholarship recipients have received their degree or certificate from South Texas College.

To be eligible, students must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, must be a permanent resident of the City of Mission, have completed one semester at STC with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, must have a high school diploma or GED, and be enrolled at least parttime at the college. Awards are determined by semester enrollment, and the scholarship is renewable as long as students meet the continued eligibility requirement.

The scholarship application and additional information are available at studentservices.southtexascollege. edu /f i na id /schola rsh ips/ meda.html with a deadline of June 28.

Contact Javier Guajardo at 956-872-2629 or jguaja78@southtexascollege.edu for more information.

Roundtable discussions focus on NAFTA impact EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s B3 Institute will host “NAFTA 2.0: A Roundtable Discussion” from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, Education Complex, Borderlands Room 3.202, UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

The event will consist of presentations on the current economic climate and a circle conversation facilitated by Francisco Guajardo, Ph.D., executive director of

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the UTRGV B3 Institute. It includes presentations by Maria Cristina Rosas, an economist from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and local community and economic experts about the effects of NAFTA on the region.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Forrest Sparks at Forrest.Sparks@ utrgv.edu or call 512-8501544.

Pictured are the Mission school district Teachers of the Year, left to right, Irma R. Gomez, Elementary Teacher of the Year, and Amparo Rosales, Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Mission announces district Teachers of the Year The Mission Consolidated Independent School District (MCISD) announced the names of its Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year during a luncheon today honoring the Teachers of the Year for each of the district’s campuses.

The Mission CISD Elementary Teacher of the Year is Irma R. Gomez from Midkiff Elementary School. Gomez has been a teacher for 48 years, all with Mission CISD. She currently teaches kindergarten.

The Mission CISD Secondary Teacher of the Year is Amparo Rosales from Mission Collegiate High School.

Rosales teaches physical education and health and has six years of teaching experience.

She has been in her current position for four years.

Gomez and Rosales will be entered into the Region One Teacher of the Year contest, which is affiliated with the state and national programs.

EVENTS

CALENDAR

May 18 – The next Gladys Porter Zoo Saturday Safari, “Habitat Sweet Habitat,” begins at 1 p.m. Kids can learn what animals call “home.” A zoo tour, arts and crafts, animal encounter and snacks are included in each class. Cost is $15 per child or adult with a $5 discount for GPZ members.

Children must be 4 years or older to participate. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. For more information or to register, call 956-548-9453 or e-mail educ@gpz.org.

May 20 – The South Texas Border Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist’s next meeting will be with guest speaker Juan Sebastian Chavez talking about creating native plant gardens.

Originally from Columbia, South America, Chavez holds a degree in biology. With his knowledge of plant, bird and butterfly species in the Rio Grande Valley, he pursues interests in nature photography, citizen scientist programs and as a local nature tour guide. The public is invited to the free event that begins at 6 p.m. with a social time and general meeting before the 6:30 p.m. presentation. It will be at St. George Orthodox Church Hall, 704 W. Sam Houston, in Pharr.

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

AREA'S BEST BUSINESS REVIEW

PRESENTED BY METRO NEWS ©2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1-918-234-7768 HOME DEPOT, located at 120 S Shary Rd in Mission, phone (956) 583-4194, has become known as the do-it-yourself headquarters in this community. Whatever your hardware requirement may be, you’ll find it here. They feature hand tools, electrical and plumbing fixtures, power tools, lawn and garden supplies and much more, all at very reasonable prices. At HOME DEPOT, the service is always courteous and you can count on their help in selecting the appropriate items for any application. Whether you’re building a cabinet or staining the backyard fence, their experienced personnel will assist you in selecting the proper tools and supplies. The management of this well- respected store likes to feel that its good reputation is based on person service as well as durable hardware items. Quality name brand products, sensible working man’s prices and superior service are three great reasons to rely on HOME DEPOT for all your hardware needs.

We, the editors of this 2019 Area’s Best Business Review, wish to take this opportunity to recommend this well established firm to all of our readers.

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

Mission CISD honored Adelina B. Alaniz for her 50 years of service to the school district at the District Service Awards Banquet on April 23.

A math educator, she was presented with a hand-crafted wooden abacus that had a golden plate inscribed with the following words; “Your impact from 50 years of preparing students to be mathematical thinkers is impossible to calculate. Thank you!”

Alaniz was initially hired to work at Mission Jr. High as an 8th grade math teacher. She was instrumental in starting the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Number Sense program at Mission Jr. High and later at Kenneth White Jr. High and has coached multiple Texas Math and Science Coaches Association (TMSCA) Number Sense State winners.

The positions she’s held throughout her career include department head, UIL Number Sense Coach, Math and Science coordinator, Math Coordinator, Secondary Math Coordinator, Staff Development Math Presenter, UIL Presenter, and others. She is currently the Advanced Academics/UIL Coordinator.

She was selected as Teacher of the Year for Mission Jr. High and Kenneth White Jr. High. In 1994, she was selected as the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Regional Teacher of the Year, ATPE State Finalist for Teacher of the Year, and in 1998 she was selected as

the TMSCA Number Sense Coach of the Year.

One of her most memorable moments happened when she was coaching UIL Number Sense. She says that she had worked with her students diligently but had failed to sweep any of the competitions. It was a cold morning before a local UIL competition and they had an hour before it started. She and her students huddled in a corner and they started talking about their spiritual upbringing. She started asking them about their spiritual beliefs and encouraged them to give thanks in their own way since the students were from different denominations.

“We must be grateful and thankful to the Lord for the gifts we have been given. We must remain humble and ask him to help you,” she states.

“After that, we started sweeping at all the competitions.

That was what we were missing. I told my students we had found the right coach, and the right coach was the Lord.”

Her students started taking first, second, and third places in math, number sense and calculator. They were Class 5A State Champions in Number Sense in 1990, 1996, and 1998, TMSCA Class 5A Jr. High State Number Sense Champions 1987-1988, TMSCA Class 5A Jr. High and High School Grades 6-12 Individual State Champions 1990-1999, many regional and district titles.

Pictured at left is Adelina B. Alaniz, 50 years of service honoree, with Dr. Carol G. Perez, MCISD superintendent, at the Mission CISD District Service Awards Banquet.

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Lawmakers remain on threshold of passing major legislation AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers have yet to cast final votes on the marquee issues of the 86th regular session of the Legislature: the state budget, school finance reform and property tax relief.

Conference committees named by House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, must complete their work on the state budget and the other top issues hastily in order to meet deadlines and deliver the finished products to their respective chambers. While little time remains for the bodies to address other issues, many measures can make it through both houses if Bonnen and Patrick want.

The largely ceremonial last day of the session will be Monday, May 27 — Memorial Day. Meanwhile, here is a random sampling of bills passed by the House and Senate that have either been signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott or are on his desk, waiting for him to take action on them: —HB 302 by Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston, and sponsored by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola: Amends law relating to the carrying, storage or possession of a firearm or firearm ammunition by certain persons on certain residential or commercial property.

—HB 547 by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and sponsored by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock: Amends law by allowing Texans to use as proof of a hunting or fishing license a digital image of the license on their phone.

—HB 793 by Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, and sponsored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe: Amends the law relating to certain government contracts with companies that boycott

Israel.

—HB 1785 by Reps.

Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake and Sarah Davis, R-Houston, and sponsored by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston: Amends the law relating to the information required to be disclosed in a registration form for lobbyists.

—SB 450 by Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Burleson, and sponsored by Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe: Amends the law by changing from Feb. 1 to April 1 the annual deadline by which the board of directors of a Type A or Type B economic development corporation is required to submit a certain annual report to the comptroller of public accounts.

—SB 726 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and sponsored by Rep. Stan Lambert, R-Abilene: Amends the law by raising the cap on the aggregate of community development investments to 15 percent of a state bank’s unimpaired capital and surplus.

—SB 999 by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, and sponsored by Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond: Amends to the law to require the Department of State Health Services to create a state plan for education on and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

Focus: hurricane dangers Gov. Abbott on May 7 issued a proclamation to raise awareness about the dangers of hurricanes and the precautions Texans can take as hurricane season approaches.

Abbott proclaimed the week of May 5 to May 11 as Hurricane Preparedness Week, and in doing so called Texans to take steps to protect families, communities, neighborhoods and local economies.

Abbott suggested Texans visit https://gov.texas.

gov/hurricane to learn more about the steps they can take now to prepare for hurricane season, such as: —Put together an emergency supply kit; —Create a communication plan with your family; and —Know where to go.

Bush: Think about pets, too In observance of National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day on May 11, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush urged Texans to plan for the whole family, including pets, when preparing for severe weather.

“Hurricane Harvey devastated communities and left thousands of pets in need of rescue,” Bush said. “When severe weather is in the forecast, make sure your pets are prepared by creating an emergency kit.” A kit would include such items as: —Adoption information papers; —Collars and leashes; —Medicine; and —Pictures of you and your pet together.

“Remember, many temporary evacuation shelters don’t allow pets, so make sure you have a plan in place for your whole family,” Bush added.

Comptroller sends revenue Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on May 8 announced he would send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $867.7 million in local sales tax allocations for the month of May. The amount is 0.7 percent more than the monthly distribution for May 2018.

Sales tax allocations are based on sales made in March by businesses that report tax monthly, and sales made in January, February and March by quarterly filers.

By Jamie Treviño Mission gained ownership of a sanitary sewer lift station on Moorefield Road during this week’s city council meeting.

The city entered and approved an interlocal agreement with the Agua Special Utility District on Monday in order to transfer the ownership and maintenance of a sanitary sewer lift station located at 2123 W. 30th Street.

The station services only the La Hacienda Estates Subdivision, which is inside city limits and the sanitary sewer CCN. Agua SUD approved the interlocal agreement on April 30.

According to Public Works Director Robert Salinas, the station was built in 2005, and does not serve any other areas other than the subdivision.

“We service the sewer and we charge for the sewer of this lift station,” Salinas said.

Ownership of the station includes maintenance and operation. Mayor Armando O’caña asked Salinas why the station was owned by Agua SUD in the first place.

Salinas responded that the ownership of the station was brought to the attention of Public Works by manager Eddie Saenz.

“We had conversations, we visited the lift station and we looked at our sewer CCN maps and city limit maps, everything falls into the city of Mission ownership and maintenance,” Salinas said.

“Why it was done like that back in 2005, Mayor, I don’t have that answer. But we did research, we looked at several interlocal agreements that were done at that time, and

nothing appeared that was owned by the city of Mission at that time, so I guess Agua took ownership.”

Council member Gus Martinez said he had no issues with the interlocal, but wanted the city attorney to go over it to ensure there was no trailing liability or service issues in the station.

Through this interlocal agreement, Mission will be taking over the maintenance and will be liable from this point on. Interim City Attorney Bob Galligan said he had reviewed the agreement, and did not see any responsibility for any pending lawsuits or trailing liability discussed.

“I don’t know about any potential lawsuits attached, I doubt that is the case,” Galligan said. “We’re just taking over the maintenance of it and ownership of it as it is now.”

Salinas said that currently, any issues with the residents homes in La Hacienda is already taken care of by the city’s Public Works department, it was just taking over the lift station itself.

The agreement was approved unanimously by council.

During citizen’s participation Rosie Olivarez and Sylvia Rodriguez spoke, advocating against the mistreatment of animals in the city.

“We are a group of concerned citizens here to voice our concerns for the abandoned, neglected and abused animals wandering in our city,” Olivarez said, adding a quote from Mahatma Gandhi speaking on the character of a community based on how it treats animals. “Our city has a long way to go, and although we have programs in place and animals in the

pound, we are still far from making any difference.”

The group that stepped forward with Olivarez and Rodriguez were asking for the animal abuse laws already in place in Mission to be enforced. Olivarez said that animals are sentient beings, who can suffer and feel pain.

“If I run a red light, I will most definitely get a $200 plus fine. If I don’t wear a seatbelt, I’m going to get a ticket,” Olivarez said. “But if a dog is shot in the face and thrown at the city pound, nobody is responsible for him.”

Olivarez and Rodriguez held up photographs of injured pets who were left untreated by their owners, and insisted that the police department enforce the animal abuse laws more strictly.

While council did not respond during their participation, they did during their allotted comments time before executive session.

“I don’t know if we’re doing enough, but let’s enforce those laws if we can,” council member Martinez said, directing the comment to Police Chief Robert Dominguez.

Dominguez said that it is not just up to Mission PD to enforce the laws, but the county and district attorney in order to prosecute.

“The city of Mission has taken big steps to help our stray and unwanted animals for the past couple of years,” council member Jessica Ortega-Ochoa said. “We will continue to work together with our police department and our district attorney’s office to fight animal abuse with a hope to end animal abuse in the future.”

Minute Message – School lunches

by Rix Quinn It’s been a long time since elementary school, but I still remember those cafeteria lunches. Back then they cost

27 cents each…a great bargain for a hungry ten-yearold.

First choice on the cafeteria menu was meat. Most likely it came from the

PT

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Mission approves interlocal agreement with Agua SUD

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By Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

For the latest news and updates

chicken or cow family. If not, it had been an animal at some point in its past.

That meat was burger-sized, covered with batter, fried to a golden tan, and drowned in grayish-white gravy. It looked like a flying saucer in a snowstorm.

Next came mashed potatoes, the best I ever tasted.

If they were synthetic, they were of a high grade. And with the grayish gravy on top…excellent!

Then came the green beans. Some of them were blue and some were yellow, but that only added color to the plastic plate.

Finally, we were offered rolls. The first week they tasted great. After the lunchroom threw them out, we could pull them from the garbage and use at baseball practice.

For dessert, we had a choice of gelatin, some unidentifiable fruit cake, and a green cookie. We usually chose gelatin.

We had no idea what sort of fruit was in the cake. And we suspected the cookie’s green color was caused by either new frosting or very old dough.

I’ll never attend elementary school again, but sometimes – often before noon – I hunger for a nostalgic meal in a lunchroom from the 1960s.

INTRODUCE YOUR new product to customers with a short, radio-style Minute Introduction©. For more ideas on this – and an e-mailed special report – call 817-920-7999, or e-mail rix@rixquinn.com.

May 17, 2019

page 5A

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TxDot Reenacts Crash To Urge Texans To Buckle UP “Click It or Ticket” campaign targets motorists least likely to wear seat belts and aims to reduce fatalities.

AUSTIN – To launch its annual Click It or Ticket campaign and drive home that failure to wear a seat belt cost nearly 1,000 Texans their lives last year, the Texas Department of Transportation is unveiling “Kailee’s Crash,” a jarring sculpture that captures a car in mid-air just prior to impact in which a young woman lost her life.

Sixteen-year-old Kailee Mills of Spring, TX removed her seat belt for just a moment to take a “selfie” photo with a friend in the back seat.

In that moment, the driver lost control of the vehicle and Kailee was thrown to her death. Her friends, who were buckled up, sustained only minor injuries.

David and Wendy Mills,

Kailee’s parents, are traveling the state with the reenactment sculpture to urge Texans to buckle up. “We are sharing Kailee’s story in hopes that we can convince drivers and passengers of all ages to always wear their seat belts. We don’t want any other family to go through the pain and grief of losing a loved one like we have,” said David, who lives in Spring, Texas. “Kailee always wore her seat belt, but she unbuckled it for just a few seconds to take a selfie with friends, and in an instant she was gone.”

“We can’t emphasize enough that wearing a seat belt is the single most effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones from

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serious injury or death in a crash,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass.

“Many of these deaths and injuries are preventable; it’s really a shame that 8.5% of Texans are still not buckling up. It’s even more tragic to note that of those with an option to wear a seat belt this group made up 43% of crash fatalities in 2018.”

Last year, 982 people who were not buckled up died in crashes on Texas streets and highways, an increase of 6% from 2017. Seat belts pre-

vent drivers and passengers from being ejected from a vehicle, which is almost always deadly. Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 45%. That number jumps to 60% for pickup truck crashes. Despite these facts, seat belt use among pickup truck drivers and passengers continues to lag behind that of passenger vehicles. There are also fewer Texans buckling up at night (6 p.m. - 5:59 a.m.), even though that’s when nearly 60% of fatal crashes occur.

If safety alone isn’t enough of an incentive to always buckle up, TxDOT also announced that law enforcement statewide will increase enforcement of the state’s seat belt laws between May 20 and June 2. Texas law requires everyone in a vehicle to be properly buckled up or face fines and fees up to $200. Children younger than eight must be restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat, unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. If they are not properly restrained,

the driver faces fines of up to $250.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Click It or Ticket initiative in Texas is estimated to have saved 5,856 lives, prevented more than 100,000 serious injuries and saved more than $21.7 billion in related economic costs from 2002 through 2018.

To learn more about Click It or Ticket, visit texasclickitorticket.com.

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May 17, 2019

Sports week

Luciano Guerra Sports Editor

BIG7 SCHOOLS

page 6A

www.ptrgv.com/sports

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

Sharyland’s Lee: top golfer to a tee

By Luciano Guerra His name is Jummin Lee but he goes by “Jimmy” and he is one of the top junior golfers in the nation. Is he however the best boys 5A golfer in the state of Texas?

He very well could be, and he’s about to get the opportunity to prove that he is Monday and Tuesday as he competes in the UIL Golf State Tournament in Georgetown.

As a four time district champion, a two time regional champion and a four time state qualifier, with a third place finish last year, Lee certainly has earned the right to be named the All-Valley boys golfer of the year the past three years as he has. However, the one accomplishment that has eluded him is a state championship And that is what he is determined to bring back from Georgetown with him next week.

Now in his senior year at Sharyland High School, Lee was only a sophomore when he committed to continue his golfing career at what was the second ranked golf school at the time, Texas A & M University. He is now ranked 27th in the nation

in junior golf and is ranked 604th in the world as an amateur golfer.

Not many high school athletes earn the right to compete at the state level all four years of their high school careers, but with three state tournaments already

under his belt, that is exactly what Lee will be accomplishing next week. As for how he has done at state the first three times, he’s done well but not well enough for his liking.

See TOP GOLFER Pg. 7A

Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra.

Sharyland Rattler State Golf Team LtoR: Gabby Osuna senior, Paulina Flores senior, Samira Salinas freshman, Maialen Eraña junior, Carolina Cantu senior.

Two Sharyland Pioneer athletes sign on to compete at UTSA

By Jose De Leon III Sharyland Pioneer High School Seniors Obed Hernandez and Coy Burrows have spent the last few years competing in powerlifting together at their high school.

Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra.

Sharyland High golfer Jimmy Lee is out to win the state championship at the UIL Golf State Tournament in Georgetown next week.

Now, they will do the same at the collegiate level.

Both athletes signed letters of intent to compete in powerlifting at the University of Texas San Antonio during a ceremony held Friday, May 10. Hernandez is a four-year

letterman in powerlifting and a two-time state medalist in the 198lb class. Hernandez won the state championship as a junior and was the silver medalist this year as a senior.

See PIONEER SIGNING Pg. 7A

Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

Sharyland Pioneer High School students Obed Hernandez (center left) and Coy Burrows (center right) at the signing ceremony to attend UTSA on a powerlifting scholarship Friday, May 10, 2019.

Familiar foes set to face off

By John Hamann

Three Big 7 baseball teams along with another District 31-5A squad have

advanced to the Region IV quarterfinals of the UIL playoffs following impressive victories over highly ranked opponents from the Coastal Bend last weekend. The

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victories set up matchups between teams who know each other well. District 31-5A champion Sharyland High takes on La Joya Palmview while Sharyland Pioneer

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meets Rio Grande City in third round series scheduled to begin last night.

Sharyland High vs.

La Joya Palmview Sharyland continued its impressive run of victories with a 2-0 sweep of Corpus Christi King this past weekend in a best-of-three series.

The Rattlers defeated King 6-3 last Friday and eliminated them with a 2-0 win Saturday. Sharyland has won all three of their play-off games and 12 straight overall dating

back to March. The Rattlers have shown they can score by virtue of their 17-0 defeat of Edcouch-Elsa in the bi-district round. They can pitch and play defense too; two of their three post season wins have been shut outs.

Last week’s defeat of King puts the Rattlers into the third round for the first time since 2013. This year’s team does have postseason experience, however. Many of the players were part of last year’s team that advanced to the second round

and their coach, Bart Bickerton, is certainly no stranger to the playoffs. Bickerton has now been to the postseason 19 times in his 21-year career. His Sharyland teams have been to the regional semifinals three times and made a regional finals appearance in 2004. The 2-0 victory over King was the 500th of Bickerton’s career and improved the Rattlers to 30-4 overall on the season.

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Members of the Pioneer Diamondbacks baseball team celebrate their victory over #2 ranked Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial in the third and deciding game of their Area round playoff series with the Eagles.

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May 17, 2019 from pg. 1A

MISS TEXAS

her directors make them all feel important.

“My mom was there from the very beginning,” Guerrero said. “There’s so many people to list that it takes a village.”

Endless support from the Rio Grande Valley was one of the things that has kept her going in the midst of pageant jitters and adrenaline.

Guerrero described being backstage during the Miss Texas United States pageant, which was streamed on Facebook live, and getting on her phone to see the feedback from the public.

“I could see comments from people - ‘Represent the Valley,’ ‘Go RGV,’ ‘Make the Valley proud,’” Guerrero said. “That really enabled me to keep going and keep pushing, because I felt like I had a family to represent, I had all this area to represent and make proud.”

When she was 11 years old, Guerrero temporarily took a break from the pageant circuit until she was 16,

from pg. 6A

page 7A

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com citing “awkward years” that made her take a step back.

She returned in the Miss La Joya Teen pageant, and said it escalated from there.

“I wanted to feel confident and comfortable in my own skin, I wanted to push some boundaries,” Guerrero said. “I wanted to see what new doors I could open for myself.”

A trainer at TruFit, one of Guerrero’s top priorities is educating the public, particularly the youth, on the importance of taking care of your body and staying healthy.

“I want to promote my program, which is called Pump It Up - it’s about combating heart disease,” Guerrero said. “The Valley, with all the wonderful things we have, was labelled as the fourth fattest region in the nation, with obesity and heart disease being very high.”

“Being that I’m a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, I have the education, knowledge and skills necessary to make a

dent in that statistic,” Guerrero added. “And now that I have this platform to do so, I really want to use that.”

The charity and volunteer work that comes with winning a pageant crown has shown Guerrero how giving back to the community, regardless if mandated or not, is vital to keeping communities strong. She hopes to highlight the organization more through outreach so more girls can see that their chance is out there.

“Other girls across the state of Texas need to know that the opportunity is waiting for them, and they don’t feel it’s for a certain type of girl,” Guerrero said. “It’s for everybody. There’s so much the organization can offer them, especially if you plan on being your own boss one day.”

Guerrero hopes to open her own gym one day, and she feels this organization acts as a mentorship program. At the Miss Texas pageant, she recalled being backstage with

BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

is a La Joya Palmview team whose players have little playoff experience prior to this year but do have a history of post season success under coach Manuel “Ricky” Garcia Jr. who has been at the helm of the Lobos since they first opened. Garcia Jr. has guided the Lobos to eight previous playoff appearances, including three consecutive trips to the regional quarterfinals from 2014 to 2016.

This year’s team has been on quite a roll of late. A 14-2 loss to Rio Grande City on April 16 put the Lobos postseason hopes on the ropes but they finished the regular season with three straight wins and have reached the third round of the playoffs by defeating two district champions; both in one game winner-take-all games. The Lobos took down Brownsville Veterans 2-0 in bi-district and knocked off Calallen 3-2 in eight innings in the area round last week to set up the meeting with Sharyland High. The Lobos are currently 23-10 overall.

As members of District 31-5A, the two teams have already met this year, splitting their two previous games. In March, the Lobos won the first meeting on the road 6-4 and the Rattlers won the rematch 8-1 at Palmview High.

The two teams meet this time in a best-of-three series scheduled to begin last night at Sharyland High. Game 2 is scheduled for 7:30 pm tonight at Palmview High school. If necessary, Game 3

will be tomorrow at 3 pm at Sharyland High.

Sharyland Pioneer vs.

Rio Grande City District 31-5A runner-up Sharyland Pioneer is the third Big 7 team still alive after two thrilling come-frombehind victories in the area round last week against one of the top teams in the state.

After Corpus Christi Veterans won the opener 11-1 Friday, the Diamondbacks took the series 2-1 with two straight wins at Pioneer High School Saturday. Game 2 went extra innings when the Diamondbacks, trailing 1-0 and down to their last out, tied the game in the bottom of the seventh and won it 2-1 with a run in the bottom of the eighth. They fell behind 2-0 early in the decisive third game before a five run outburst in the fourth inning put them in control of an eventual 7-2 win. Pioneer opened the postseason with a 10-0 victory over Brownsville Lopez in a one game winnertake-all game in the bi-district round.

Pioneer has a core of players with playoff experience from last year and a coach with tons of it. Casey Smith has been here before as head coach at Mission Veterans from 2010 to 2017. His 2015 Patriot squad reached the regional semi-finals. The Diamondbacks have reached the post season in both of Smith’s seasons at the helm losing in the area round to Corpus Christi Veterans 2-1 in a best-of-three series last year. Timely hitting, strong

defense and stellar pitching have fueled their current playoff run. Their three postseason victories have been by a combined score of 19-3.

The Diamondbacks currently sport a 31-6 overall record.

Waiting for Pioneer is District 31-5A rival Rio Grande City. The teams split their two district games a few weeks ago in the last week of the regular season.

Rio won the first meeting 7-5 in Rio Grande City but Pioneer won the season finale on their home turf 6-5. Incidentally, the two coaches (Smith and Rio coach Rock Cortinas) met in the 2015 regional quarterfinals when Smith was at Mission Veterans and Cortinas was at Roma. Veterans won that best-of-three series 2-1.

The Rattlers are 24-101 overall so far this season. Their current play-off run includes a 2-0 sweep of Valley View in a best-ofthree bi-district series and a 2-1 series win over Gregory-Portland in a best-of-three area round series last week.

In that series, the Rattlers advanced with home victories in Game 2 (6-3) and Game 3 (5-3) after losing Game 1 (2-0).

The two teams will meet this time in a best-of-three series scheduled to begin last night at Pioneer High. Game 2 is scheduled for 7 pm tonight in Rio Grande City. If necessary, Game 3 will be tomorrow at 3 pm at Mission High School.

first runner up Lyndsay Sturgeon and praying before they announced who won.

“We said ‘whatever comes, let us just be willing to submit to God’s will,’” Guerrero said. “‘Whatever happens, this is God’s will and this is what he is calling you to do.’ So it was very nerve-wracking, and when they called my name it was unreal. Making it that far, I’m still stumbling over words.”

At the state pageant, women from the Valley took four crowns, Miss Texas, Little Miss, Pre-Teen and Junior Teen all hail from the area.

“I feel that now the Valley really made a landslide

from pg. 6A

of the day, you can’t be anyone else. The more I started loving myself and respecting my character and who I was, I found I shined a little brighter.”

The message she really wants to communicate to young girls is just that: be yourself and own that.

“I feel like it’s so easy to fall into the trap of ‘oh, I want to be just like her,’” Guerrero said. “No, you should want to be just like you.”

PIONEER SIGNING

“UTSA has an amazing track record on the national level and I wanted to be part of that,” Hernandez said. “I knew I was going to powerlift in college since my freshman year. I’m good at it. Pioneer has given me a structured way to hone my craft, have fun and get better and see other people with likeminded interests. I am prepared for UTSA.” Hernandez said he plans to major in health science with a focus in strength and conditioning.

Burrows is also a four-

from pg. 6A

at the state pageant, people are going to start looking at us in a positive light,” Guerrero said. “We have such great representation, there are so many young role models here that now have these opportunities to really showcase all the good that the Valley has to offer.”

Competing in pageants had difficult moments as well. Guerrero noted that when she first started, she found herself constantly comparing herself to others.

“I kept trying to make myself fit the mold of the crown, I tried to make myself fit whatever I thought the judges might have wanted,” Guerrero said. “At the end

year letterman in powerlifting and has been part of the Pioneer program for four years. Burrows was a regional qualifier for two years and a state qualifier this year.

Burrows said he picked UTSA due to its proximity to his hometown.

“San Antonio is close, I love the city and I can see my family whenever we miss each other,” Burrows said.

Though he still hasn’t decided what he will major in, Burrows adds that he’s excited to grow as an athlete.

“I have room to grow, this

is just the beginning,” Burrows said. “I just love seeing progress, it’s what drives me.”

Roland Neal, the boy’s powerlifting coach, praised both of his students.

“They’re dedicated, hardworking and driven. I want to thank them for their dedication to the sport and their school,” Neal said at the signing ceremony. “I have no doubt in my mind these two young men are gonna change lives in the future.”

TOP GOLFER

“I went up there my freshman year and I was tied for first after the first day but I ended up placing tenth,” Lee said. “My sophomore year I was tenth after the first day and I moved all the way up to fifth place after the second day. My junior year I was third after the first day and I stayed in third after the second day. This year I’m hoping to start strong and finish strong.”

With the state tournament consisting of only two rounds of play, it’s almost impossible to make up for a bad first round on day two.

“While anything is possible at any point, if you start off bad you either have to really finish strong or you just can’t have a bad first day,” Lee said. “So when you get to state, you have to be ready both mentally and physically.

It’s simply a matter of knowing that you have to perform when it really counts.”

So what was it that made Lee decide to take up golf in the first place? It goes back to his childhood in South Korea.

“It’s hard to say when I first took up golf because my dad had an indoor golf range in South Korea,” Lee said.

“So I would go out there to

help him pick up balls when I was three or four years old.

I was actually a speed skater and a swimmer before I became a golfer. And while I was still speed skating and swimming at six years old when we moved to America, it was the day my dad and I decided to check out some golf courses that piqued my interest in playing golf.”

“That was what led me to start attending summer golf camp at Palmview Golf Course,” added Lee. “And that was where I met this amazing coach, Carlos Espinoza, who is still my golf coach* to this day. And here I am, my fourth year at state.”

While some people may be satisfied to sit back and enjoy the kind of success Lee has already had, he has his sights set on becoming much more than the top high school golfer in the state of Texas.

“Winning the state championship is one of my shortterm goals,” Lee said. “I have a lot of long-term goals too. I like to have a good mindset on the career path that I’m taking. I know that I want to get my degree from A & M for sure, and I know that I want to leave a really good legacy in the Valley.

So therefore I do want to bring a state championship home. But my ultimate goal is to become the number one player in the world at the end of the day.”

With such a lofty goal in mind, Lee has a favorite professional golfer he believes is a good role model to help him achieve it.

“The person I look up to the most is Rory McIlroy,” Lee said. “Just because the fundamentals of his golf swing, the way he lives and everything he does really impresses me and that’s the way I see myself in the future. He’s really solid on his game plans, he’s really repetitive, he knows what he’s doing but at the same time he’s having fun with his life. He knows how to handle himself on the golf course and off, and he knows how to have fun but yet still grind on the game of golf.”

The 5A boys’ golf state tournament will be taking place Monday and Tuesday, May 20 and 21, at the White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown, Texas. *Espinoza is Lee’s private golf coach, the boys and girls’ golf coach at Sharyland High is Ashley Garza.

page 8A from pg. 1A

May 17, 2019

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

HIDALGO TRIAL

won the election by 43 votes.

Cantu filed a lawsuit.

Assisted by a team of amateur investigators — including Mildred Escobedo Flores, who operates a non-partisan organization called Election Integrity Advocates; political consultant Leslie Gower and her son, Nathan — they knocked on doors and pored over documents from the Hidalgo County Elections Department.

They also interviewed dozens of elderly and disabled people who consulted with Hidalgo City Councilman Rudy Franz before they voted. After assisting them or witnessing their signatures, Franz signed the envelopes that contained their ballots.

Texas law allows people who can’t read the ballot and people who can’t mark the ballot to receive assistance.

Franz, however, assisted many people who didn’t qualify for help.

“Mr. Rudy Franz’s signature completely covers this election,” Gilberto Hinojosa said. “In every aspect of it.”

The most egregious example Wednesday involved Juan Mendoza, 48, of Hidalgo, who works for Franz.

Mendoza assisted his aunt, Rafaela Salinas, with her mail-in ballot.

“So was Rudy Franz involved in any way with her

Notices Maria Acosta MISSION – Maria Acosta, 75, passed away on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at Amara Hospice in Edinburg.

Alvaro Barrera MISSION – Alvaro Barrera, 38, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019, at Doctor’s Hospital in Edinburg.

James Caldwell MISSION – James Caldwell, 73, passed away on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Maria Cruz MISSION – Maria Del Socorro Cruz, 86, passed away on Monday, May 13, 2019, at Mission Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

from pg. 1A

vote?” Gilberto Hinojosa said.

Mendoza denied that Franz had any involvement.

After she voted, Mendoza said he sealed and mailed the ballot.

Gilberto Hinojosa asked why Franz had signed the ballot if he hadn’t been involved. Mendoza suddenly changed his story.

Mendoza said he asked Franz to review the ballot, adding that he didn’t want to make any mistakes.

“You swore to this judge that Rudy Franz had nothing to do with this envelope.

Right?” Gilberto Hinojosa said.

Mendoza acknowledged that, yes, he testified Franz hadn’t been involved.

“So were you lying to him when you said that?” Gilberto Hinojosa said.

Mendoza didn’t answer the question. After an awkward pause, Gilberto Hinojosa moved on.

Franz himself took the witness stand Wednesday afternoon. Gilberto Hinojosa bombarded him with loaded questions, which triggered several testy exchanges.

“You prey on older people, don’t you sir?” Gilberto Hinojosa said.

“No sir, I don’t,” Rudy Franz responded. “The question, sir, ‘I prey on older

people?’ What’s the question for?”

“I’m asking you: ‘Do you prey on older people?’” Hinojosa repeated.

“To what extent, sir?”

Franz asked.

“To the extent that you take advantage of their old age in order to get them to vote or get their mail-in ballot,” Hinojosa shot back.

“Taking advantage, sir, of a person is when you mistreat them, when you take their check, when you abuse them,” Rudy Franz said. “In my category of life, I deal with these people every day. They call me to tell me to take them a hamburger because they’re hungry or because they’re so dehydrated that they need a Coca Cola. And I have to go to the Burger King to go get them one. If those are the kinds of ‘preying’ that you’re talking about, then yes.”

Gilberto Hinojosa also accused Rudy Franz of submitting mail-in ballot applications for an elderly woman with severe dementia and a woman with autism who couldn’t care for herself.

“And you think it’s alright to get a mail-in ballot with someone that doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand the voting process?”

Gilberto Hinojosa said.

Franz strenuously object-

ed to how Gilberto Hinojosa described the situation.

“I am not a doctor to determine who is ill and who is not ill,” Franz said. “I know that they’re old, but that doesn’t make them incapacitated.”

When he finished with Franz, who spent an hour on the witness stand, Gilberto Hinojosa said he believed about 50 people cast flawed ballots — significantly more than the 43 required to trigger a new election.

Attorney Ric Gonzalez of Edinburg, who represented Arjona, didn’t call any witnesses, which is common in election contests.

The evidence didn’t establish that enough people cast problematic ballots to justify a new election, Gonzalez said. Questions also surfaced about whether or not witnesses had been improperly influenced by the volunteer investigators.

“I think this was just a situation where the contestant got outworked in the campaign. Both sides do the same thing. You know that,” Gonzalez said. “They both have their people go out and try to get the voters to vote for their slates. And this time they came up short.”

John Hernandez ALTON – John Michael Hernandez, 44, passed away Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at his home in Alton. Virgil Wilson Mortuary in Mission handled the arrangements.

Jaime Martinez ALTON – Jaime A. Martinez, 54, passed away on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at McAllen Medical Center.

Eugenio Mercado Jr. MISSION – Eugenio Mercado Jr., 89, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019, at Mission Valley Nursing and Transitional Care.

Leslie Peugh MISSION – Leslie Frank “Les” Peugh, 74, passed away on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Jose Ramirez LA JOYA – Jose Guadalupe Ramirez III, 14, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2019, at his home in La Joya.

Oralia Ramos MISSION – Oralia (Salinas) Ramos, 83, passed away on Monday, May 13, 2019, at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen.

Israel Rubalcava MISSION – Israel Rubalcava, 78, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019, at at Mission Valley Nursing and Transitional Care.

Eleazar Sanchez MISSION – Eleazar Sanchez, 90, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019, at Mission Valley Nursing and Transitional Care.

Javier Sandoval LA JOYA – Javier A. Diaz Sandoval, 41, passed away on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg Ramona Treviño MISSION – Ramona Trevino, 84, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019, at Mission Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Gabriel Vela ALTON – Gabriel Vela, 44, passed away on Saturday, May 4, 2019, in Kermit.

Alfredo Vela MISSION – Alfredo Vela, 74, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2019, at Mission.

Ronald Williams MISSION – Ronald P. Williams, 82, passed away on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at his home in Mission.

ALTON ORDINANCE

crimes, alcohol poisoning and DWIs, so we’re trying to deter those activities with this ordinance.”

Alton is the fifth city in Texas to pass this social host ordinance, joining Palmview San Antonio, Odessa, and El Paso, according to a news release from the city.

Alviar said Hidalgo County is so far the only county in Texas with two cities that have this ordinance and that UNIDAD is entering discussions with Weslaco and Donna to have the ordinance introduced in those cities.

“We are taking a proactive approach to combat underage drinking so local police departments can facilitate a better environment for the youth in the city,” Alviar said. “We’re trying to make sure we hold accountable the person that provides a location where underage drinking parties occur to better

educate the community on these issues.

Alviar added that UNIDAD will provide training to Alton police officers on how to peacefully break up a party to prevent minors from fleeing the seeing under the influence and educate the public of the existence of the social host ordinance through health fairs and other community events.

“Underage drinking is a problem everywhere, so when you get to spring break or graduation, kids can get rebellious and consume alcohol,” Alton police Chief Jonathon B. Flores said.

“When you couple that with their age and inexperience, that can cause problems for our community. These types of initiatives allow us to increase the amount of safety for our community members, that's the overall goal, to keep them safe.”

By Jamie Treviño

ed to implement the focuses, and added that the campuses at MCISD already have faculty with experience in these subjects.

“One of the things our staff is very in tune with is the fact that we want to provide children with a wholesome curriculum,” Perez said. “It not only meets their academic needs, but also their social and emotional (needs).”

According to a press release from MCISD, the district has been looking for ways to improve what campuses offer to families.

“Now we’re in an era of school choice,” Perez said.

“We know that children have a variety of learning styles,

MCISD introducing fine arts and engineering/ technology focused schools in 2019-2020 school year

Elementary students with an inclination toward fine arts or engineering and technology will have the chance to explore those interests in even more depth next school year.

The Mission Consolidated Independent School District recently announced that two of their elementary schools will now have focuses in either arts (Salinas Elementary) or engineering and technology (Leal Elementary). Additionally, the 2019-2020 school year will also be opening up for eligible Pre-K3 students.

Fine Arts Academy and School of Technology and Engineering Superintendent Carol Perez said the district is excit-

See MCISD NEWS Pg. 10A

May 17, 2019

page 9A

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ORDINANCE NO. 4788 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THE SALE & ON-SITE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES – 39 TAQUERIA, 2813 E. GRIFFIN PARKWAY, LOT 1, ADAMS CROSSING SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED, AND PASSED THIS THE 13th DAY OF May, 2019.

Dr. Armando O’caña, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4789 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS AENDING ORDINANCE NO.780 DESIGNATING PLACES WHERE BEER AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY BE SOLD WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF MISSION TO INCLUDE THE PREMISES LOCATED AT 2813 E. GRIFFIN PARKWAY, LOT 1, ADAMS CROSSING SUBDIVISION, 39 TAQUERIA READ, CONSIDERED, AND PASSED THIS THE 13th DAY OF May, 2019.

Dr. Armando O’caña, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

service with good reasonable prices, call us today if you get locked out of your vehicle, 956878-3997.

LASER ENGRAVING SERVICES on different materials,

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ORDINANCE NO. 4791

ORDINANCE NO. 4792

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT RENEWAL FOR THE SALE & ON-SITE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES – ARELIS CELEBRATION HALL, 1905 W. GRIFFIN PARKWAY, LOTS 1-4, SOUTHERN OAKS, PH. I SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED, AND PASSED THIS THE 13th DAY OF May, 2019.

Dr. Armando O’caña, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT RENEWAL FOR THE SALE & ON-SITE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES – ARELIS EVENT CENTER, 1809 W. GRIFFIN PARKWAY, LOTS 9-11, SOUTHERN OAKS, PH. I SUBDIVISION

ORDINANCE NO. 4787 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A REZONING LOT 6, BLOCK 168, MISSION ORIGINAL TOWNSITE, FROM (C-1) OFFICE BUILDING TO (C-3) GENERAL BUSINESS READ, CONSIDERED, AND PASSED THIS THE 13th DAY OF May, 2019.

Dr. Armando O’caña, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4790 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT A 110’ MONOPOLE CELLULAR PHONE TOWER & ASSOCIATED GROUND EQUIPMENT WITHIN A 50’ X 50’ LEASED AREA ON PROPERTY ZONED AO-I (AGRICULTURAL OPEN INTERIM), 612 S. SCHUERBACH ROAD, BEING A 0.0574 ACRE OUT OF 7.35 ACRES OUT OF THE S. ½ LOTS 6-7 & 8, BLOCK 7, DEL MONTE, EXCLUDING 33’ OF ALL LOTS EXCLUDING THE WEST 35’ OF LOT 6 AND EXCLUDING THE NORTH EAST CORNER 0.41 ACRES READ, CONSIDERED, AND PASSED THIS THE 13th DAY OF May, 2019.

Dr. Armando O’caña, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF MISSION Draft Proposed Annual Action Plan 2019-2020 In compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rules and regulations, the City of Mission hereby announces that the DRAFT of the Proposed Annual Action Plan 2019-2020 is available for public review and comment. Further, there will be two public hearings held regarding the budget and proposed projects for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).

All interested agencies and citizens/residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the public hearing. The thirty-day comment period for this document is from May 17, 2019 through June 17, 2019. Oral and/or written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 17, 2019.

The Public Hearings will be held during City Council/Citizens Advisory Committee meetings respectively on: Wednesday, May 29, 2019 Tuesday, June 11, 2019 City Hall Council Chambers Mission Food Pantry 1201 E 8th Street 115 S. Mayberry St. 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. The Citizens Advisory Committee made the following funding recommendations utilizing the City’s 2019 CDBG Allocation of $915,349.

1) (05) Public Service Agencies - $54,000 a) (05) Silver Ribbon – $5,000 b) (05A) Amigos Del Valle/Senior Activities – $2,000 c) (05A) Amigos Del Valle/Home Delivered Meals – $18,000 d) (05A) LRGVDC/Area Agency on Aging – $7,000 e) (05B) Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley – $5,000 f) (05N) Children’s Advocacy Center – $15,000 g) (05N) CASA of Hidalgo County – $2,000 2) (14A) Housing Assistance Program- $629,875 Rehabilitation- $50,000 Reconstruction- $579,875 3) (14H) Housing Administration-$83,000 4) (21A) CD Program Administration- $148,474 Accommodations for persons with disabilities/handicapped, non-english speaking, or limited English proficiency (LEP) who may require interpreters shall be provided upon request by calling (956) 580-8670 at least three days in advance of meeting.

Persons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled may use Relay Texas at 1-800-735-2989, a text telephone (TTY) user or 711 (VOICE).

A copy of the DRAFT Proposed Annual Action Plan 2019-2020 will be available at the Public Hearing and at the following locations: Community Development Office, 1301 E. 8th Street, Mission; Speer Memorial Library, 801 E. 12th Street, Mission; and Mission Housing Authority, 1300 E. 8th Street, Mission and on the city’s website www.missiontexas.us. Written comments may be forwarded by Monday, June 17, 2019 to Jo Anne Longoria, Community Development Director (CDBG), 1301 E 8th Street, Suite 102, Mission, TX. For further information on this document, contact the Community Development Office at (956) 580-8670.

The State of Texas County of Hidalgo

READ, CONSIDERED, AND PASSED THIS THE 13th DAY OF May, 2019.

Dr. Armando O’caña, Mayor Attest: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

CONSTABLE’S SALE

Notice is Hereby Given that by virtue of a certain Order of Sale issued out of the HONORABLE 93rd District Court HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, on the 7th of February, 2019, for the sum of $12,927.34 along with reasonable attorney’s fees in the amount of $4,308.90 with interest thereon and costs of suit in the amount of $323.00 at the rate of 5% per annum from the 7th day of February, 2019, under a judgment in favor of Las Vinas Subdivision Homeowner’s Association, Inc. in certain cause in said court, No. C-3362-18-B and styled Las Vinas Subdivision Homeowner’s Association, Inc. vs. MCJ Builders, Inc. and placed in my hands for service on the 30th day of April, 2019. I, Lazaro Gallardo Jr., as Constable Pct.3 Hidalgo County, Texas, did on the 30th of April, 2019, levy on real property in Hidalgo County, Texas, described as follows, to-wit ALL OF LOTS 26 AND 27, LAS VINAS SUBDIVISION, AN ADDITIONAL TO THE CITY OF MCALLEN, HIDALGO COUNTY TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP RECORDED IN VOLUME 44, PAGE 13, MAP RECORDS IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK OF HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, REFERENCE TO WHICH IS HERE MADE ALL PURPOSES: And levied upon as property of MCJ Builders, Inc. and that on the first Tuesday in June 2019, the same being the 4th day of said month, at the court house door of Hidalgo County, TEXAS in the City of Edinburg, Texas, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (sale will begin at 10:00a.m.). By virtue of said levy and said writ of execution, I will sell said above described real property at public venue for cash, to the highest bidder, as the property of said MCJ Builders, Inc. and in compliance with the law, I give this notice by publication, in the English language, once a week for three consecutive weeks immediately proceeding said day of sale, in The Progress Times a newspaper published in Hidalgo County.

Witness my hand, this 30th day of April, 2019

Lazaro Gallardo, Jr. CONSTABLE PCT.3 Hidalgo County, Texas

AVISO AL PÚBLICO Y AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA CIUDAD DE MISSIÓN Borrador de Plan de Acción Propuesto Anual 2019-2020 En cumplimiento con los reglamentos del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD) de los Estados Unidos, la Ciudad de Mission anuncia el Borrador del Plan de Acción Propuesto Anual de 2019-2020 que está disponible para revisión y comentario al público. Además, se llevarán a cabo dos audiencias públicas con respecto al presupuesto y los proyectos propuestos para el Programa de Desarrollo Comunitario (CDBG). Se invita a todas las agencias interesadas y ciudadanos/ residentes asistir y participar en la audiencia pública. El período de comentarios para este documento es de treinta días, del 17 de Mayo del 2019 al 17 de Junio del 2019. Comentarios orales y/o escritos serán aceptados a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. el Lunes, 17 de Junio del 2019.

Las Audiencias Públicas se llevarán a cabo durante las juntas del Comité de Consejo/Comité Asesor de Ciudadanos respectivamente el: Martes, 11 de Junio del 2019 Miercoles, 29 de Mayo del 2019 Mission Food Pantry City Hall Council Chambers 115 S. Mayberry St. 1201 E 8th Street 5:30 P.M. 5:30 P.M. El Comité Asesor de Ciudadanos hizo las siguientes recomendaciones de financiamiento usando la Asignación de la Ciudad de 2019 CDBG de $915,349.

1) (05) Public Service Agencies - $54,000 a) (05) Silver Ribbon – $5,000 b) (05A) Amigos Del Valle/Senior Activities – $2,000 c) (05A) Amigos Del Valle/Home Delivered Meals – $18,000 d) (05A) LRGVDC/Area Agency on Aging – $7,000 e) (05B) Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley – $5,000 f) (05N) Children’s Advocacy Center – $15,000 g) (05N) CASA of Hidalgo County – $2,000 2) (14A) Housing Assistance Program- $629,875 Rehabilitation- $50,000 Reconstruction- $579,875 3) (14H) Housing Administration-$83,000 4) (21A) CD Program Administration- $148,474 Para personas con cierta discapacidad, personas que no hablan inglés, conocimientos limitados de inglés (LEP) y que requieran intérpretes, se les solicitará llamando al (956) 580-8670 por lo menos tres días antes de la reunión.

Las personas con problemas auditivos, ciegas/sordas o discapacitados del habla pueden usar Relay Texas al 1-800-735-2989, un usuario de teléfono de texto (TTY) o 711 (VOICE).

Una copia del borrador anual 2019-2020 estará disponible en la Audiencia Pública y en las siguientes oficinas: La oficina de Desarrollo Comunitario, 1301 E. 8th Street, Mission; Speer Memorial Library, 801 E. 12th Street, Mission; y Mission Housing Authority, 1300 E. 8th Street, Mission o ver sitio web de la cuidad en www.missiontexas.us. Comentarios orales y/o escritos serán reenviados el Lunes, 17 de Junio del 2019 a Jo Anne Longoria, Directora del Desarrollo Comunitario (CDBG), 1301 E 8th Street, Suite 102, Mission, TX. Para más información sobre este documento, comuníquese a la Oficina de Desarrollo Comunitario al llamar (956) 580-8670.

page 10A

May 17, 2019

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

Local Tejano awards show set for Sunday

By Jose De Leon III It will be a night of conviviendo as the public is invited to attend the 2nd annual My Tejano Awards, an awards show honoring the best in Tejano music this Sunday.

My Tejano Awards, an awards show created by the local company M&E Productions, will have appearances from 200 bands and performers as they recognize the past, present and future of Tejano music in the Valley.

“Here in the Valley we have a lot of talent; it’s just not recognized,” M&E Productions co-owner Estela Flores said. “We’re hoping to change that.”

The awards show will recognize several groups and individuals in 14 catego-

ries including Album of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Gone But Not Forgotten and Male and Female Vocalist of the Year.

Recipients of last year’s ceremony included Los Palominos, Selena Quintanilla, Grupo Arroyo, Cezar Martinez and Elida Reyna.

This year, the My Tejano Awards show will occur at the Mission Event Center Sunday with a red carpet opening the ceremony at 5 p.m. The public in invited to attend, Flores said, but doors will close at 6 p.m.

This year, the show will include performances and appearances by Jay Perez, Freddie Martinez, Isabel Marie, Monica Saldivar and more.

There will also be tributes to deceased Tejano legends Jimmy Gonzalez and Laura

Canales, Flores added.

The event is expected to finish by 11 p.m. General admission tickets are priced at $20 with VIP tickets priced at $35.

“We welcome everyone to come out in a gathering of all the artists and people to convivir together,” Flores said.

Previously, Flores said the idea for the award show came after her husband, M&E Productions co-owner Miguel Flores, who was inducted into the San Antonio Tejano Hall of Fame Awards.

Miguel is a longtime drummer for several Tejano bands since he was in high school.

The two have been hosting Tejano dances at the Outta Town Dance Hall for years and realized the Valley was justified in having their own hall of fame for Tejano artists

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due to what they said was strong local talent in the area.

“This is something for the artist here in the Valley,” Estela said. “No one gets recognized in the Valley even though a lot of Tejano music started here and evolved here. San Antonio has their

from pg. 8A

own Tejano music awards, but we needed to recognize Tejano music here.”

Sunday’s event is sponsored by the cities of Mission and Palmhurst, L&F Distributors, Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez, Precinct 3 Com-

MCISD NEWS

and at the same time they have various talents.”

Perez quoted developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, saying that there are multiple intelligences and children have a variety of smarts.

“Some are very artistic, others thrive with mathematics or technology,” Perez said. “Our campuses are very unique as well. The staff bring very unique skills.”

She noted that it is important for parents to know that these opportunities are available for their children to grow and get the most out of their education.

“Our staff if very innovative,” Perez said. “We have a very good place in robotics and STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] and so forth, and we just want to support our efforts.”

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Sharon Roberts said that children at MCISD will have their interests met as the focuses are embedded into their lesson plans.

“We’re looking at different ways to really engage students with the curriculum,” Roberts said. “They don’t always come to school for math and science and social studies, but they will come for other things. And

when they can see the relationship, that helps the students to be more in tune with the content.”

Perez added that because children are naturally curious, applying these focuses at the elementary level provides a seamless application for students.

“As the staff works either with STEM or the fine arts, they’re able to weave that into the basics,” Perez said.

“That really hooks children into the learning process.”

The district has already began accepting transfer requests for the focus schools, and forms can be picked up at central office, either Leal or Salinas Elementary schools, or online at the MCISD website, www.mcisd.net.

“Our staff has already been doing these things, it just has not been marketed much,” Perez said. “And now, we feel that we want to offer those same opportunities and the choice to our parents in the district.”

MCISD staff is ready for more in this regard, and Perez said they will be receiving more professional development and resources to “continue enhancing what they already have as a framework.”

Pre-K3 Program The Pre-K3 program at MCISD will be available at

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three schools. According to a press release from the district the Salinas Elementary School Fine Arts Academy will serve northern students, Escobar/Rios Elementary School will serve the more central areas of the district; and Leal Elementary School of Technology and Engineering will serve the southern area.

“The governor’s priority is Pre-K,” Perez said. “We know that early childhood provides that strong foundation for student success, and we want to make sure that our children, our second-language learners or economically disadvantaged have opportunities to develop pre-literacy and numerous skills.”

Space for these children will be limited so in order to be eligible, students “must be at least three years of age on September 1, 2019 and meet certain state eligibility requirements, including: unable to speak and comprehend the English language, be eligible for National School Lunch Program. Other criteria that can qualify a student for the Pre-K3 program include: be the child of an active duty member of the armed forces or the reserves, been in foster care, is the child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Award-qualifying peace officers, firefighters, or emergency medical first responders.”

Perez said that because the Pre-K programs in the state are a priority, hopefully more funding will eventually open up so more students can benefit and the MCISD program can grow.

“As the legislature provides that funding for Pre-K, we’re able to shift resources and reach out to our 3-yearold children,” Perez said.

“But of course, that curriculum has to be very multi-sensory, very age-appropriate, so we’re already preparing with the resources that we currently have to start opening our doors.”

The district is excited to include these new resources for parents.