Friday, September 20, 2019_PT ISSUE

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Vol. 48 - #5

Progress times Friday, September 20, 2019

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“Something you’ll never forget”

The memorial for the 21 students who passed away as a result of the Alton Bus Crash. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

•ALTON

RGV recalls 1989 Alton Bus Crash 30 years later

By Jamie Treviño Thursday, September 21, 1989 - and the memory of one of the deadliest school bus accidents in Texas history - remains vivid to families, educators and local

leaders who were there.

30 years ago, a Dr Pepper Truck collided with Mission Consolidated Independent School District Bus no. 6 at Bryan Rd. and 5 Mile Line, pushing the bus into an unfenced caliche pit filled with

10 feet of water. The accident resulted in the deaths of 21 junior high and high school students. The aftermath and resulting media attention came and went, but the crash’s legacy lives on.

Rafael Cantu had just fin-

ished his first year as superintendent at MCISD when he got the call that morning. His wife, Dolores, was a teacher at Mission Junior High who lost four students in the accident.

“It’s something you’ll

never forget,” Dolores said.

“The whole Valley came together, and the car lights were on all over the Valley just to support.”

Rafael remembers driving to the scene with Robert Wicks, the assistant super-

intendent for business and finance at the time, and finding the bus underwater as first responders were diving in. The bodies of the students

See ALTON BUS CRASH Pg. 8

• HIDALGO COUNTY

• EDINBURG

Panama Unit whistleblower announces campaign for Precinct 3 constable

Edinburg fails to adopt tax rate and 2019-2020 budget

By Dave Hendricks A former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigator who provided federal agents with information about the Panama Unit plans to run for Precinct 3 constable.

Miguel Flores, 38, of Mission resigned from the Sheriff’s Office to campaign for constable in the March 2020 Democratic Party pri-

mary. He’s running against longtime Constable Lazaro “Larry” Gallardo Jr. In 2012, when a sheriff’s deputy approached him about stealing drugs, Miguel Flores contacted federal agents. They asked him to record phone calls and participate in carefully orchestrated sting operations, which resulted in the conviction of two Mission Police Department investigators and seven

• RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Thanks to a new program at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, more than half of its undergraduate students will attend the university without having

By Jamie Treviño

Miguel Flores (Photo courtesy of Miguel Flores)

to keep people safe, Miguel Flores said, adding that he wants to build connections between officers and the

See MIGUEL FLORES Pg. 9

Members of the council and the city manager went back and forth on Tuesday, but could not come to a consensus on the property tax rate or the budget for the next fiscal year.

This Tues. Nov. 17, the Edinburg City Council held a regular called meeting at city hall. All council members and the mayor were present,

except council member Jorge Salinas.

One of the items regarding the budget had to do with an amendment of the code of ordinances for the city of Edinburg, in which the city would include a 2 percent increased adjustment for the non-civil service compensation plan, and a 3 percent

See EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL Pg. 10

• MISSION

UTRGV announces tuition-free program

By Jose De Leon III

sheriff’s deputies.

The case, which became known as the Panama Unit scandal, damaged trust in Hidalgo County law enforcement.

“I understand there’s corruption,” Miguel Flores said.

“There’s bad police officers.

I’m never, ever going to say that’s not true. It is true. I’ve lived it.”

The vast majority of officers, though, work hard

to pay for tuition in the next school year.

On Monday, UTRGV announced the most expansive free-tuition program among public institutions in the state

See UTRGV TUITION Pg. 4

UTRGV photo by Paul Chouy.

UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey announces UTRGV Tuition Advantage, the most expansive free-tuition program among public institutions in the state of Texas Monday, Sept. 16, 2019.

Pepe’s on the River burns, Mission Fire responds

By Jamie Treviño Friday the 13th proved unlucky for a closed bar and grill in Mission.

Last Friday, a large fire broke out at the old Pepe’s on the River location at 2601 S. Conway. According to Assistant Fire Chief Rene Alvarez, it took the department a few hours to extinguish the flames.

“We received a call at about 12:42 p.m. in reference to a structure fire in the area of Pepe’s on the River,” Alvarez said. “Our crew responded, and when they got on the scene they found what used to be the structure attached to an old palapa that was fully engulfed.”

This is not the first time the outdoor restaurant has dealt with environmental issues. Pepe’s on the River closed for a period in 2010 following severe flooding that was too costly to repair.

The establishment was re-opened in 2014 with new owners, who invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the property.

The location was closed at the time of the fire. No one

was hurt or injured, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation by Fire Inspector personnel.

“Our crews initiated a fire attack so we could bring it under control,” Alvarez said.

Photo courtesy of city of Mission.

Firefighters from the city of Mission work to put out a large fire at the old Pepe’s on the River location on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019.

INSIDE

Agua SUD hires attorney

The special utility district recently hired an Austin-based law firm for the Palmview sewer project during a meeting this Monday. Dave Hendricks has more details on what is happening next, inside.

INDEX

Mission News Update

Entertainment....pg. 2

We have stories this week on last weekend’s Mercado Mexicano, put on by the Mission Historical Museum, as well as coverage on this week’s Mission Housing Authority Meeting.

See inside for the latest.

Lifestyle...................pg. 3

See Pg. 4

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“It took us close to an hour to bring it under control. We were out there for a couple of hours after that to make sure we were taking care of all the hot spots and doing an overall assessment.”

See Pg. 5 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

Sports.......................pg. 6 Obituaries..............pg. 9 Classifieds...........pg. 11

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entertainment Latin America, and more.

With catering from local favorite eateries and a free take home mini-stein for the first hundred guests, tickets to Beer around the World are a must-have for the adventurous adult guest. Limited tickets to this event taking place at 8 p.m. on Saturday are available at ticketmaster.com.

Saturday is also Tejano Night, with performances

by Jaime De Anda, Raulito Navaira, and Selena – The Experience on the Bud Lite Music Stage. Sunday evening, guests will enjoy Country Night with concerts by Kevin Fowler and JB & the Moonshine, and because of popular demand, another performance by Selena-The Experience.

Fiesta De Palmas introduces the largest environmental educational event, ECORIO, designed to help build student STEAM skills (Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Math) and environmental leadership. ECO-RIO will have over 40 educational booths with opportunities to see live animal ambassadors up close. Educational entertainers will be on hand including Sky King Falconry, Contacto Animal, Phil’s Petting Zoo, Coastal Studies Laboratory, Sea Turtle Inc., and Live Reptiles with Danny Conner.

A must see is the largest dinosaur traveling exhibit in the country with over 150 museum pieces from the earliest life on earth in the Convention Center ballroom.

A scavenger hunt and mini-presentations are held throughout the festival. Kids can visit the various booths, gain stickers and show their ECO-RIO Passport for a free prize.

For more information, visit fiestadepalmas.com.

At this rate you can afford to start renovations today!

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Coming Attractions

Annual Fiesta de Palmas runs Sept. 21-22

McALLEN – The City of McAllen is set to launch the biggest Fiesta de Palma to date this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21 and 22, all taking place at the McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd.

The public can enjoy the weekend-long schedule of live international and local music, vibrant dance performances, international cuisine, and never-before-seen interactive shows and activities at this year’s festival, all for only $5 for adults while children 12 and under have free admission.

Admission to the festival allows anyone to enjoy six stages of live music and shows featuring Kevin Fowler, a Selena Tribute Band, Voladores de Papantla, ECORIO, Southern Lights-Laser Spectacular, regional and international dances, free Tequila Tasting and of course, the ever-famous Fiesta Patrias Celebration hosted by the Mexican Consulate of McAllen.

This year, Fiesta de Palmas celebrates the theme, Fiesta on Four Continents, which reaffirms McAllen’s place as an international city, with authentic Middle Eastern, Asian, European, and Latin American cuisine and culture at this year’s festival.

In fact, the Mexican artisan market, a fan favorite, will be bigger than before.

Another international sensation – Paulina Rubio – is headlining a special performance at the McAllen Performing Arts during this year’s event. Tickets are now available at ticketmaster.com.

Beer around the World is a Fiesta de Palmas first that delivers a premium international experience. Ticketholders to this limited event will sample multiple beers from faraway locales, such as Asia,

September 20 2019

September 20 • Acoustic Nights with E.J. Colbath at Ranch House Burgers II, 6 to 10 p.m., 409 Bryan Rd #105, Mission.

• Friday Night Lights at Brick Fire Pizza, 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Brick Fire Pizza, 704 E Griffin Pkwy, Mission.

September 21 • The 5x5 Oktoberfest runs from by 2 to 10 p.m. at 5x5 Brewing, 801 N. Bryan Rd., Ste. 174, Mission.

September 27 • The Valley Symphony Orchestra’s first concert, Back to School, will be held at the McAllen Performing Arts Center, 801 Convention Center Blvd. in McAllen from 8 to 10 p.m.

For tickets and information, go to valleyorchestra.org or call 956-661-1615.

• The South Texas Piano Academy Concert 2019 Series presents Mariana Corona, soprano, and Rogelio Alvarez, pianist, for a performance at 7 p.m. in the Valley Keyboards Miller Recital Hall, 900 Harvey at 10th St., McAllen. Admission is free.

September 28 • It’s Ladies Day Out from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at The Bryan House, 1113 E. Mile 2, Mission.

September 29 • The Loretto Four-Year Anniversary Brunch Bash runs 1 to 4 p.m. at the Loretto, 1233 East Griffin Parkway, Mission.

• Shoko Kinsella, piano, performs at 3 p.m. at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex, 1201 W. University Dr. in Edinburg. Admission is free. For special accommodations, call 956-665-3881.

September 30 • The UTRGV Patron of the Arts guest artist series will host Vista Trio in a performance at 7 p.m. at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex, 1201 W. University Dr. in Edinburg.

Admission is free. The varied program of chamber music with the Vista Trio, includes guest artists from Texas A&M University – Kingsville, consisting of Dr. Elizabeth Janzen, flute; Dr. Thomas Zinninger, saxophone; and Dr. Seehee Lee, piano. For special accommodations, call 956-665-3881.

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

South Texas Music Festival slated this Saturday

SAN BENITO – There will be live music and cold drinks on the Resaca this Saturday, Sept. 21, with an impressive lineup of Tejano, Conjunto and Country-western sounds slated at the South Texas Music Festival at Heavin Memorial Park, 705 N. Bowie.

Latin Grammy nominee Percy Cardona, noted squeezebox player, singer, songwriter, audio engineer and producer, will headline the festival. Cardona’s most notable achievement to-date has been touring the world, serving as the accordionist and background vocalist for the

English icon, Sting.

Other musical acts for the show include Tejano Highway 281 (Best New Group at 2012 Tejano Music Awards), Los Badd Boyz del Valle (nominee for Conjunto Album of the Year – 37th Tejano Music Awards) and Los Gavilanes.

Gates for the event open at 3 p.m. and music starts at 4 p.m. overlooking the Resaca.

Admission is $5 per person.

Children under 10 years of age are admitted free.

Food and arts and crafts vendors will also be on hand.

For more information, go to sanbenitoevents.com

Francisco Guajardo (left) has taken the helm as the new chief executive officer of the Museum of South Texas History. Shan Rankin (right) has passed the baton and retires after over 30 years of working to shape the museum into a premier regional museum preserving South Texas history.

Passing the baton, MOSTHistory welcomes new CEO

EDINBURG – The Board of Trustees of the Museum of South Texas History has announced the recent hiring of Francisco Guajardo as the museum’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Guajardo, of Edinburg, is the former executive director for the B3 Institute at the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.

“The museum has been blessed with excellent executive leadership over the years, and we are very pleased to welcome Francisco to the museum,” said Juancarlo Rendon, chairman of the Museum board. “He brings unique skills and talents that will help take the museum to the next level.”

The new CEO assumed his role at MOSTHistory on Sept. 3.

Guajardo was born and raised on both sides of the Texas-Mexico borderland.

He attended Edcouch-Elsa schools and the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in history and a doctorate in educational administration.

Guajardo taught high school and developed innovative curricular programs at Edcouch-Elsa I.S.D. between 1990 and 2002. He began his tenure at the University of Texas—Pan American (now University of Texas

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Rio Grande Valley) where he became a full-time professor and the C. Bascom Slemp Endowed Chair in Education. At UTRGV he was the founding executive director of the B3 Institute, a university wide office tasked with transforming UTRGV into a bilingual, bicultural and bi-literate institution. Guajardo has managed three multimillion-dollar federal grants and authored or co-authored more than 50 academic articles and three books, including “Reframing Community Partnerships in Education” (2016) and “Ecologies of Engaged Scholarship” (2018).

Guajardo views MOSTHistory as “a key institution that represents the history of what South Texas has been, and the possibilities of what it can be.”

Guajardo succeeds Shan Rankin, who led the museum as its executive director for more than 30 years. During her tenure, the museum became accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and grew from a small county museum into a widely respected regional history museum.

Under her leadership, the museum engaged in multiple capital campaigns that acquired adjacent properties, developed a museum complex that now occupies more than a city block and restored the museum’s cornerstone 1910 Hidalgo County Jail building. Since Rankin arrived, more than $43 million has been raised to operate and expand the museum and its services to the community.

“These achievements were accomplished because of close board and staff collaboration, and community support for these efforts,” Rankin said. “Local governments, along with state and national foundations, supported the mission, and the result is that museum visitors consistently say that MOSTHistory is one of the best museums they have seen.”

An Evening with FRIENDS to welcome Guajardo and celebrate Rankin’s legacy will be held at the museum on Thursday, Sept.

26. To become a FRIEND (member) of MOSTHistory or to renew an expired membership, and attend the event, contact Cedar Risica at 956-383-6911 or at crisica@ mosthistory.org. Go to mosthistory.org/events for more information.

MOSTHistory is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd.

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lifestyle

Remembering on 30th anniversary of bus accident

This year marks the 30th anniversary of a school bus accident that claimed the lives of 21 Mission Consolidated Independent School District (MCISD) junior high and high school students on Sept. 21, 1989.

Since the anniversary date falls on a Saturday this year, MCISD is planning a district-wide observance today. At 9:30 a.m., all district employees and students will be asked to stop what they are doing and join in a moment of remembrance.

At this specific time, students and staff can not only reflect on the impact of the accident, but to also use it as a time to individually celebrate the lives of the children, and the positive impact

they had on their families and their community before their passing.

Additionally, a small ceremony will be held at Alton Memorial Jr. High School beginning at 9 a.m. The school was named in honor of the students lost that day.

The students to be remembered are Maria Alfaro, Roberto Bazaldua Jr., Margarita Buentello, Carmen Canales, Elda P. Cruz, Raul Flores, Elizabeth Flores, Abdon Garcia, Armando Gonzalez, Ruby Lopez, Marta Amelia Lozano, Jose L. Ortega, Veronica Perez, Yesenia Perez, Roman Quintero, Apolonia Regalado, Maria Regalado, Anna Rodriguez, David Saenz, Michael P. Saenz and Alberto Vasquez.

Explaining how snake toxins are turned to medicine

McALLEN – Dr. Elda Sanchez, the director of the Natural Toxins Research Center, will give a presentation on Snake Toxins next Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. at Quinta Mazatlan, 600 Sunset in McAllen.

Venomous snakes have an arsenal of toxins in their venoms with various biological functions. While these toxins can create medical emergencies when humans are envenomed, these same molecules, once purified, characterized, and cloned could have therapeutic value in treating strokes, heart attacks, preventing the metastasis of tumors, and many other medical conditions.

Dr. Sanchez is originally from Falfurrias and is an associate professor and director of the Natural Toxins Research Center located on the TAMUK campus in Kingsville.

The (NNTRC) is an internationally renowned biomedical research center concentrating on the discovery of snake venoms that can

Dr. Elda Sanchez be used in medical applications and is the only federally funded viper resource center in the U.S. providing venom and snake-related research materials to national and international biomedical and biological research programs. The program provides native venoms, purified venom components, cDNA clones, and recombinant venom proteins to support biomedical research.

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

EVENTS

CALENDAR September 21 – Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for the Annual Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup and can sign up at texasadoptabeach.org or show up onsite to take part. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at each site, and cleanup will be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Visit TexasAdoptABeach.org to find a location.

September 21 – From 1 to 3 p.m., kids and their families can go on a Saturday Safari at Gladys Porter Zoo, 500 Ringgold in Brownsville, with the Incredible Hawk program. Meet some of the zoo’s birds of prey up close and personal. A zoo tour, arts & crafts, animal encounter and snacks are included.

Classes are $15 per child or adult with a $5 discount for GPZ members. Pre-registration is required; space is limited to 16.

Call 956-548-9453 or e-mail educ@gpz.org to register or for more information.

September 21 – Take a virtual trip to Discovery Island at Gladys Porter Zoo from 12 to 4 p.m. to explore science on an island with hands-on activities, exhibits and demonstrations.

Discovery Island is a free event with regular admission or GPZ membership. For more information, call 956-546- 7187.

September 21 – Save the date for the Cattle Baron’s Ball benefitting the American Cancer Society. “Saddle Up under the Moonlight 2019” will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. at Sophie’s “SS” Saloon, 6801 S. 10th, McAllen. For underwriting and table information, contact April Chapa at 956-682-8329.

September 23 – The next South Texas Border Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist’s monthly meeting program presents “Creatures that Come out at Night” led by City of McAllen Parks and Recreation program coordinator and Texas Master Naturalist Jessica Tanguma, and Joseph Connors, local photographer and Texas Master Naturalist. The meeting is at St. George Orthodox Church Hall, 704 W. Sam Houston, in Pharr. For more information visit stbctmn.org.

September 28 – There are seven species of sea turtles in the world, and kids and their families can learn about the turtles that visit the Texas coast during the next Saturday Safari, Tortuga Tails, from 1 to 3 p.m. A zoo tour, arts & crafts, animal encounter and snacks are included. Classes are $15 per child or adult with a $5 discount for GPZ members. Pre-registration is required; space is limited to 16 students. Call 956-548-9453 or e-mail educ@gpz.org to register or for more information.

September 29 – The International Museum of Art & Science will hold a youth art class with instruction in lino-cut prints from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Recommended for ages 10 and up, youth will learn how to block print by carving a design out of linoleum. Cost is $10 per person and $8 for IMAS members.

IMAS is located at 1900 Nolana Ave., McAllen. Call 956681-2800 for information or to register.

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

For the latest news and updates

September 20, 2019

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Court proceedings head to LJISD campus LA JOYA – Judge Keno Vasquez is bringing the “Courts to School Program” to La Joya High School for students to witness a court in action. It takes place on Friday, Sept. 20, at 9 a.m. at the La Joya High School gym at 604 N. Coyote Blvd.

Anyone attending is asked to arrive early for the court proceedings.

The Courts to School Program is designed to bring the courtroom experience into the school system by exposing high school students to the procedures and realities

of the criminal justice system. This is an actual court proceeding and has all the components of a courtroom; including the defendant, defense counsel, prosecutor, law enforcement, a probation officer, and the Program Judge.

Through the experience, is designed to help young people become more aware of their civic responsibilities, the dangers and consequences of drinking and driving, and the advantages of being law abiding citizens.

Curbing opioid abuse with no-questions collection McALLEN – In an effort to curb the misuse and addiction to prescription pain medication, Rio Grande Regional Hospital in collaboration with the City of McAllen and McAllen Police Department will host a takeback collection of unused or expired opioids on Saturday, Sept. 21.

“Crush The Crisis” will give individuals the opportunity to turn in tablets, capsules and patches of codeine, hydrocodone, demerol, oxycodone, darvon and other opioids at Rio Grande Regional Hospital. A drive-thru collection will be set up at the main entrance of the hospital on Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

According to a 2015 survey, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency stated more than 6.4 million Americans abused prescription drugs.

Prescription opioid use also is a significant risk factor or gateway to heroin

addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 86 percent of young, urban injection drug users had used opioid pain relievers non-medically prior to using heroin. Their three main sources for obtaining opioids were family, friends or personal prescriptions.

“This is a ‘no-questionsasked’ collection designed to safely capture and dispose of addictive prescription pain medications before they fall into the wrong hands,” added Cris Rivera, Chief Executive Officer at Rio Grande Regional Hospital. “If you are no longer on a medication, whether or not it has expired, it needs to be removed.”

The Crush the Crisis collection site will be staffed by uniformed security. Needles, syringes, lancets and liquids will not be accepted.

For additional information, visit hcahealthcare. com/crushthecrisis or call 833-582-1970.

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September 20, 2019

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Agua SUD hires Austin-based attorney Palmview City Council approves as ‘special counsel’ for Palmview nearly $6.7 million budget, property sewer project tax rate remains unchanged

By Dave Hendricks

PT

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Frustrated with the Palmview sewer project, which is more than a year behind schedule, the Agua Special Utility District on Monday hired an Austin-based law firm that specializes in construction litigation.

The utility board voted to employ The Chapman Firm of Austin as special counsel for the Palmview sewer project.

Asked why the utility district hired The Chapman Firm, attorney Frank Garza, who represents the board, said he couldn’t comment.

“I can’t discuss it because of legal issues,” Garza said.

Attorney Jeffrey S. Chapman, who heads the firm, specializes in construction law.

Chapman represented the city of Weslaco in a lawsuit against engineer Rolando Briones and his eponymous company, Briones Consulting and Engineering, which designed the Weslaco water treatment plant.

Weslaco accused Briones of negligence and fraud.

He settled the lawsuit for $1.3 million but denied any wrongdoing.

It’s unclear whether the utility district plans to file a lawsuit against the contractors or simply needs an attorney who specializes in construction law to handle thorny, last-minute negotiations over damages.

Construction on the $42.2 million Palmview sewer project started in March 2017.

The utility district hired Mercedes-based L&G Construction and Edinburg-based

OG Construction to install pipes, manholes and other sewer infrastructure throughout Palmview.

Mercedes-based Jimmy Closner & Sons Construction won the contract to build lift stations, which move sewage through the system. The utility district hired a fourth company, Mission-based Mor-Wil, to build the main lift station and force main, which will send the sewage from Palmview to Mission for treatment.

Delays plagued the project.

L&G Construction started work in March 2017, according to documents prepared by S&B Infrastructure, which the utility district hired to supervise the project. The contract required L&G Construction to complete the work by February 2018.

More than a year later, L&G Construction isn’t finished.

OG Construction started work in September 2017, according to documents prepared by S&B Infrastructure.

The contract required OG Construction to complete the project by August 2018.

More than a year later, OG Construction isn’t finished either.

Groundwater caused major problems for the contractors. Old engineering plans also caused headaches. And the utility district feuded with OG Construction from the beginning.

OG Construction submitted the low bid for Phase 2 of the project, but the utility board wanted to award the contract to Saenz Brothers Construction.

Attorneys for the utility

district argued OG Construction wasn’t qualified to handle the project. The utility board wanted to award the contract to Saenz Brothers, but the Texas Water Development Board, which funded the Palmview sewer project, directed the utility district to accept the lowest bid.

Members of the utility board frequently criticized OG Construction during meetings. In July, board President Lloyd Loya summarized his feelings about the situation by quoting the Randy Travis song “I Told You So.” Omar Garcia, the president of OG Construction, attended the utility board meeting Monday but declined to comment. Loya referred a request for comment to Garza, the board’s attorney.

The back-and-forth between the utility district and contractors left Palmview residents with unpaved streets, seemingly endless construction and clouds of dust.

Mayor Rick Villarreal, who frequently fields complaints about the project, addressed the situation on Saturday, when he led the City Council in prayer.

“Help these streets to get paved, dear lord, in your name. Faster than fast, dear lord, heavenly father,” Villarreal said Saturday afternoon, when he presided over a City Council meeting. “You say where two or more are gathered, there you shall be, and we firmly believe that dear lord. Nobody is perfect. And neither are the contractors that are working on this project, dear lord. We don’t put blame on the city. We don’t put blame on the Agua SUD. Just make sure that this project is done for the betterment of Agua SUD and of the city, dear lord, heavenly father.”

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By Dave Hendricks The Palmview City Council approved a nearly $6.7 million budget during a special meeting Saturday afternoon.

Administrators prepared a balanced budget, which included conservative revenue projections and a $140,000 contingency, said City Manager Michael Leo. Palmview will keep the current property tax rate.

“It’s better than what we’ve had before,” said Mayor Rick Villarreal, referring to the budget. “It’s not the greatest, but it gives us some breathing room.”

Palmview projects nearly $6.7 million in revenue during the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, according to the budget.

While the property tax rate will remain at 50.01 cents per $100 of taxable assessed valuation, Palmview will collect about $313,000 more than last year thanks to annexations and higher property valuations. Every penny adds $10 to the tax bill for a property valued at $100,000.

The city plans to spend about $5.8 million on day-today operating expenses.

A majority of the money will cover pay and benefits for 87 city employees.

of Texas that targets students with a family adjusted income of $75,000 or less.

“Basically, if you come from a working class or middle class family, you can come here and get a great education without mortgaging your future,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said Monday “It’s a game changer for the state.”

The UTRGV Tuition Advantage is open to all in-state undergraduate students, including incoming freshmen and returning and transfer students, who meet the program’s requirements.

Among the requirements include being enrolled in at least 15 credit hours. First time freshmen students need to score a 19 on their ACT test or a 1010 on their SAT test or be in the top 10 percent of their graduating high

school class. Returning and transfer undergraduate students must have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA, according to the website.

Currently enrolled undergraduates working on their first bachelor’s degree are eligible for the UTRGV Tuition Advantage grant. Undergraduate students currently enrolled at UTRGV must meet the Returning Students eligibility criteria to take part in the grant.

In 2018, the university had 28,644 students enrolled with 25,137 undergraduate students, according to the university website. More than half of those undergraduate students attending the university in 2020 will pay no tuition or mandatory fees, Bailey said.

“We strive to be the Valley’s university by putting

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gested two last-minute cuts Saturday.

Villarreal suggested that Palmview ask municipal judges to serve without pay.

Sullivan City announced a similar move in April.

Municipal judges, who sign arrest warrants and handle traffic tickets, aren’t required to be attorneys. Palmview budgeted $15,000 to pay judges.

“Do it for honor,” Villarreal said, adding that he wants judges willing to volunteer their time. “And for the city. To help us save money.”

The City Council also discussed cutting back on travel. Leo suggested city departments could reduce travel budgets by 10% or 15%.

Villarreal, however, said he wanted the City Council and city employees to avoid any travel unless it’s absolutely necessary.

“I would say if it’s mandatory,” Villarreal said, adding that city employees shouldn’t travel unless they must. “At least for this year or next year.”

Leo agreed.

“Just because we budget for it doesn’t mean we have to spend it,” Leo said.

UTRGV TUITION

from pg. 1

Now Available!

$

Palmview matches employee contributions to a retirement plan and covers 90 percent of employee health insurance premiums.

The remaining money, about $870,000, will cover debt payments.

Palmview borrowed $2.8 million in 2018, which allowed the city to start an ambulance service, partner with the Agua Special Utility District on a street paving project and fund infrastructure improvements, according to documents reviewed by the City Council. In 2019, the city borrowed another $1.2 million and refinanced old, high interest debt.

“What we’re left with is a balanced budget,” Leo said.

If the city doesn’t spend the $140,000 contingency, it’ll become part of the fund balance, along with any unanticipated revenue and other unspent parts of the budget. Palmview may use that money during an emergency.

“We’re being really, really conservative,” Leo said, adding that administrators budgeted property tax collections and sales tax allocations based on historical data. “We hope that they’ll come in higher, but at the very least we don’t want them to come in lower. We don’t want to be in that position.”

The City Council sug-

every Friday @ 5:30pm

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students first,” Bailey said.

“Our first [priority] is a student's success; having them be successful, come to school and graduate with minimal debt. This will have the largest impact of anything we’ve ever done.”

The UTRGV Tuition Advantage grant is similar to the university’s Achieve grant which assisted students with a family adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less.

Like that grant, the UTRGV Tuition Advantage grant utilizes federal and state aid, like Federal Pell and Texas Grant, scholarships and other gift aid. Any remaining tuition and mandatory fees not covered by these programs will be covered by the Tuition Advantage, according to the university website.

Among the attendees at the Monday news conference was Senator Eddie Lucio Jr., who praised the university for their attempts to lower student debt.

According to a June 2018 article from Forbes, more than 44 million owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt, with each borrower owing on average $37,172.

This barrier of accumulating student debt, Lucio Jr. said, is one that could potentially deter students from attending college. He recalled how much of a struggle it was for his parents to send him and his 9 siblings through school.

“Reducing those barriers has been a priority for UTRGV, with this announcement they’ve taken the boldest step yet in doing that,” Lucio Jr., said “This is for the students sitting in a high school classroom ...who had never considered that college is a possibility. Today, that student and others like them will learn there is a community here committed to providing that opportunity that seemed so out of reach just yesterday.”

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September 20, 2019

Mercado Mexicano celebrates culture in Mission

By Jamie Treviño

Rather than building walls, the Mission Historical Museum, along with the city and CamCoin, are building bridges to connect Mexican and American culture.

This past weekend, the museum hosted their first Mercado Mexicano at the Mission Event Center, bringing over 20 local and international vendors to sell artisanal goods, clothing and decor in the community. According to Museum Director Cindy Stojanovic, the draw of these events has grown ever since they began putting them on.

“Aside from the obvious economic and tourism benefits and impact, we also want to bring about an awareness in keeping in mind our mission - to preserve those intangible elements of our history and our culture,” Stojanovic said. “We’re finding more and more that there’s a demand for it. Every time we do these [markets], they’re pretty popular.”

This is the first Mercado Mexicano held by the museum, and it was done in conjunction with CamCoin, or Camara de Comercio Internacional, the International Chamber of Commerce.

“The artisan vendors are representative of traditional craft,” Stojanovic said. “Given the current climate, a lot

of people are apprehensive of crossing over to Mexico and purchasing these items there, which is traditionally what most people have done in the past.”

Luis Munoz, the owner of Arte Chilango, was one of the vendors present at the Mercado Mexicano. He offered a variety of goods, including handmade ceramic calaveras, wooden religious iconography and magnetic decor to those who attended the market.

“We scoured small towns in different parts of Mexico, went directly to the artisans and brought a little bit of everything,” Munoz said. “A lot of this is a dying art, so the fact that we’re able to bring it to the market in the U.S. makes a huge difference to ensure that art doesn’t end.”

Munoz is a student at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and part of the sales will be going toward his tuition. Originally from San Francisco, California, Munoz has been in the Valley for a year.

“Although technically we’re in the U.S., really culturally the U.S. doesn’t start until after the immigration checkpoint in Falfurrias,” Munoz said. “So it’s important for the community to have a connection home, so to speak.”

Munoz said the majority

of Mexican artisans are not set up to export goods, so they rely on people like him and Arte Chilango to bring the merchandise to market and raise their economy.

“Otherwise they rely on small shows within their small towns, and they can only raise their economy so much,” Munoz said. “These are the kind of shows that obviously make a difference to the Valley because it does create business, but it also financially helps back home [in Mexico] in a different way.”

Stojanovic added that by bringing these artisanal goods from across the border, they are still able to maintain the traditions of artisan vendors and provide a safe environment for the community to freely shop and interact.

“It also bridges the gap between that uneasy tension that is a little bit present right now, unfortunately,” Stojanovic said, adding that they do not charge artisans a hefty fee to set up when they hold these markets. “[Vendors] come from far away, and there’s no guarantee that they’re going to sell; we’re a non-profit so that’s not the point of it - the point of it is to bring these types of events, tradition, history and craft to our community.”

Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis on Tuesday morning.

Padilla shuffled across the courtroom with his left hand cuffed to his waist.

Alanis summarized the allegations and set bond at $5,000.

Padilla is accused of associating with Milagros M. Gomez, 36, of Weslaco and Kathy J. Morales, 31, of McAllen, who worked with him at Pharr-based Unimex Logistics.

They’re charged with stealing thousands from the company by making unauthorized credit card purchases at Dillard’s, H-E-B and other stores, according to Pharr Municipal Court records.

“Gomez admitted that she and Padilla were convicted felons and socialized outside the workplace,” according to a criminal complaint against Padilla, “and that she was aware that Padilla had made attempts to purchase ammunition using the company card.”

Adalberto Campero, who owns Unimex Logistics, confirmed that he received ammunition from Padilla, according to Pharr Municipal Court records.

After reviewing the alle-

gations, a Pharr Police Department investigator arrested Padilla on three counts of forgery and 10 counts of credit card or debit card abuse. He faces a maximum of two years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000 for each charge.

The criminal charges and allegations contained in court records, however, pose another problem for Padilla.

In November 2014, when he was sentenced to 38 months in prison, the judgment against Padilla included three years probation.

Federal law prohibits anyone on probation from associating with felons or people engaged in criminal activity.

Gomez is a felon and Morales is facing theft and forgery charges in state district court. Along with Padilla, they’re also accused of stealing money from Unimex Logistics through a series of unauthorized credit card transactions.

Padilla waived his preliminary hearing on the probation violations and posted a $5,000 bond Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane on Sept. 27 for a final hearing on the probation violations.

Federal task force arrests former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office commander

By Dave Hendricks

A federal task force on Monday arrested a former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office commander accused of forgery and credit card abuse.

The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force arrested former Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. Jose A. Padilla, 59, of Weslaco on Monday morning, said Juan Lara, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service.

Padilla — who pleaded guilty to bribery during the scandal that sent former Sheriff Lupe Treviño to prison — is accused of violating the terms of his federal probation by associating with a felon and stealing money from Pharr-based Unimex Logistics, where he worked after serving a three-year prison sentence.

“They’re claiming that he misused a credit card,” said attorney Javier Peña, who represents Padilla. “But he was specifically authorized to use that credit card.”

The federal task force arrested Padilla on Monday morning in Weslaco.

Dressed in blue athletic shorts and a blue t-shirt, Padilla appeared before U.S.

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Mission Housing Authority votes against grant funds for local senior center- again

By Jose De Leon III After appearing on the agenda for a second time, commissioners at the Mission Housing Authority voted Wednesday to once again not let a local senior center allow members of the public to enter, effectively preventing them from receiving more funding for employees.

The senior center at Mission’s Palm Plaza Development had $40,000 in funds to maintain meal operations on hold by the Area Agency on Aging after board members Irma Flores-Lopez and Connie Garza expressed concerns with the center being used by the public instead of being restricted to housing authority tenants-despite a AAA stipulation stating that the center be open to the public.

The center runs on public housing and AAA funds for maintenance and operations services, respectively. According to housing authority Deputy Director Jaime Ayala, AAA provides to the development plaza a $40,000 grant to serve as a refund to provide salaries for kitchen staff in the senior center.

Concerned with how members of the public were using the services, however, Garza reached out to AAA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to see if any violations were made, creating the hold.

No violations were found by either agencies, Ayala told the board at a meeting earlier this month. To remove the hold, Ayala said, the board had to send a letter to AAA saying they will continue to serve non-tenants in the senior center at Palm Plaza, which was denied by the majority.

The request to send the letter appeared on the agenda

again Wednesday after AAA provided to the housing authority an extension of the deadline to deliver the letter that expired at the end of the month. After a discussion that lasted a little over 30 minutes, it was once again denied by the majority.

“That’s it, its dead. The program’s dead,” housing authority Executive Director Joel A. Gonzalez said.

Both Flores-Lopez and Garza criticized Gonzalez for bringing the item back after a previous discussion, and for sending a letter to Mission Mayor Armando “Doc” O’Caña to ask that he remove them both from the board the week after the previous meeting.

“I didn’t even get a letter but you have my number and email and know where I live,” Flores-Lopez said. “If you’d have communicated with us like we’ve been asking you to since we joined the board in January, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Previously, both Garza and Irma-Flores expressed concerns with the liability of allowing non-residents in a building they said is not up to code and has a staff of parttime employees that aren’t even properly trained in CPR and other basic elderly care.

“How much money has been allocated for these employees and why do we need to depend on AAA for it,” Flores-Lopez asked. “It would hurt me to see people coming here with strangers and invade the privacy of the elderly. I’m sure they’re having a wonderful time but no one is trained in CPR or works full time. If my mom was here and was choking would we have to wait for the ambulance to arrive since the medics are trained to handle that? Why is funding being provided for elderly

activities but not to improve services that are needed?”

Gonzalez told Flores-Lopez that liability issues should not be a concern as the center is fully insured.

“Our insurance knows that the senior center receives a lot of visitors not from the Palm Plaza Development but they include them in their coverage,” Gonzalez said after the meeting, adding that he didn’t find Flores-Lopez’s concerns valid. “HUD doesn’t require [trained staff].” We’re sticking to what HUD asked us to do and provide a safe, decent, affordable home.”

Despite the constant back and forth between Flores-Lopez and Gonzalez during the meeting, a sign for an amicable relationship between the two occurred afterward when they approached each other to shake each other’s hand.

As a retired social worker, Flores-Lopez said, that action represents a positive attitude in team productivity.

“We’re having some talks.

I want him to know we mean no harm and after the meeting we talked about solutions and he told me ‘our families know each other, call me tomorrow.’” Flores-Lopez said. “There’s always a solution, I respect him. I have to take it day by day.”

The housing authority is working an alternative to the AAA funding, Gonzalez said. He said after the meeting he plans to meet with Amigos del Valle-which provides the food for the senior center-to discuss them delivering meals to the tenants instead of having it at the senior center.

“They’ll miss out on joining up at the center and being sociable, but they’ll still get fed,” Gonzalez said.

page 8 from pg. 1

September 20, 2019

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ALTON BUS CRASH

were laid out on the grass in a line, and he watched as the line grew.

“We saw some individuals running across the street, and we walked up to the rim of the caliche pit, and when you looked down you could see the bus submerged,” Rafael said. “You were able to see the number [of bodies] as they increased, and not being able to do anything… It was a very difficult time.”

The Cantus attended almost all the funerals of the students who passed. Dolores recalls walking into her third period class the next day, four students short.

“It was very hard being in that room with the children,” Dolores said, smiling as she described their presence in her classroom and their eagerness to learn.

Rafael noted that there was an immediate influx of first responders from across the RGV. After the crash MCISD received support from individual donors to help the families, and neighboring school districts offered assistance.

The football game scheduled for that week was cancelled, and a memorial was held in its place at Tom Landry Stadium. 10,000 people were in attendance.

The district was investigated to see if there was any culpability within their bus system. Rafael said that their big question was if there was anything the district could have done to prevent it.

“We had the National Transportation Safety Board from Washington come and investigate,” Rafael said.

“We were fortunate that our people had carried out their assignments - buses were maintained.”

All MCISD buses were inspected, and it was shown that they were all well taken care of. The bus driver was also investigated, and it was shown that he was doing his job and was not under the influence of anything that would have contributed to the accident.

“What came to mind was the fact that you as an administrator want to make sure that you hire good, qual-

ified personnel,” Rafael said.

“And as sad as this event was, it did demonstrate that we had done a good job of hiring good administrators, good teachers, good support staff, counselors, nurses they all responded and did what they had to do, and we appreciated that.”

The bus had landed in the water on its side, quickly filling with water. It settled at the bottom of the pit, with a foot of water above. The lack of emergency exits, along with the murkiness of the water in the pit, made it incredibly difficult for the students to escape.

“There wasn’t anything glaring where we could have prevented it,” Rafael said.

“The only consolation, if there is a consolation, was that this was a secondary bus, that it was junior high and high school students that were in the bus and not one of our elementary buses, because when the accident happened, some of them were able to open the windows and get out. If it had been our elementary students, the

number that would have perished would have been significantly more.”

Juan Carmona, a history teacher at Donna High School and dual enrollment professor with South Texas College, recently published a book entitled “The Alton Bus Crash” detailing the history of the accident and the legacy that resulted from it.

He was a sophomore in high school when he found out about the crash. The research and testimony that it took to write the book took Carmona and his brother years.

“Most kids [today] wouldn’t know that the very buses they’re riding in are designed in result of a loss in life,” Carmona said. “A lot of people don’t want to talk about it, but the end result is it gets forgotten. These poor kids lost their lives. Things are better now, but we’ll never know what those 21 kids would have done with their lives.”

Carmona noted that the Alton Bus Crash had an impact not only in the RGV, but the entire country.

“Buses that we travel in today have been completely redesigned because of that accident,” Carmona said.

“That’s why there are hatches on the roof, windows are open, they open wider, mid-sections open.”

Carmona added that the coroner ruled that the accident was survivable, but because the students couldn’t get out of the bus, they died.

“Laws were also put in to put barriers over open pits, because that thing was just completely open,” Carmona said. “In fact a couple of weeks before it [the accident], a couple of kids drove their car right into it, and one of them died. So people talked and said ‘we should do something about it,’ but nothing was done, then the bigger accident happened.”

Carmona’s book can be found at local Barnes & Noble stores or online via Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Rafael noted that the Alton Bus Crash proved that at the end of the day, everyone is family in Mission.

“It provides all of us with a reminder that we are a family,” Rafael said. “Something like this can happen at any time, and we have to be vigilant and careful and it’s something that we as an educational community can use to bring forth to our students the need to take every day

seriously and to do the best we can.”

After the incident, Alton Memorial Junior High School was named after the students lost. This morning, the entire MCISD will stop what they’re doing and have a moment of silence to reflect on their memories and the lives cut short on Sept.

21, 1989, as well as celebrate the positive impact they had on the community and their families before their passing.

“We mourn the 21 youngsters that passed away, and feel for the other 60 or so students that were involved that went through such a traumatic experience,” Rafael said. “It’s something that you think about as you travel down the 5 Mile Line and you go past the scene.

There’s always a sadness you feel for the families, and time does not erase it.”

The students to be remembered are Maria Alfaro, Roberto Bazaldua Jr., Margarita Buentello, Carmen Canales, Elda P. Cruz, Raul Flores, Elizabeth Flores, Abdon Garcia, Armando Gonzalez, Ruby Lopez, Marta Amelia Lozano, Jose L. Ortega, Veronica Perez, Yesenia Perez, Roman Quintero, Apolonia Regalado, Maria Regalado, Anna Rodriguez, David Saenz, Michael P. Saenz and Alberto Vasquez.

PlainsCapital Bank requests summary judgment in lawsuit against former Mission mayor

By Dave Hendricks Settlement negotiations between PlainsCapital Bank and former Mission Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas apparently stalled last week.

PlainsCapital Bank filed a federal lawsuit against Salinas and four corporations he controls — 3 Diamonds Inc., El Toro Builders Inc., Saltillo Group LLC, and S&F Developers & Builders — in May, attempting to collect $4 million.

During a brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa on Wednesday afternoon, attorney Diann Bartek, who represents PlainsCapital Bank, said settlement discussions “broke down” last week.

Attorneys who represent Salinas didn’t dispute that characterization.

PlainsCapital Bank filed a motion for summary judgment. Hinojosa said he would schedule another hearing after the attorneys who represent Salinas respond to the motion.

The legal wrangling between Salinas and PlainsCapital Bank started when the federal government closed First National Bank of Edinburg in September 2013. PlainsCapital Bank acquired First National Bank’s assets.

Salinas and the four corporations had borrowed nearly $8.5 million from First National Bank in 15 separate transactions from 2003 to 2013.

“PlainsCapital gave notice of default to and made demand for payment upon Defendants; however, Defendants failed to pay sums due,” according to the lawsuit.

Attorneys for PlainsCapital Bank and Salinas took the case to arbitration in Feb-

ruary. Salinas argued that PlainsCapital Bank defrauded him.

“Respondents allege the Bank committed fraud in obtaining Salinas’ execution of four discount payoff agreements that apply to at least twelve of the fifteen notes,” according to the arbitration award.

Gregory Harris, who served as senior vice president for commercial loans at PlainsCapital Bank, discussed the discount payoff agreements with Salinas during a brief meeting.

“Based on their interactions, Harris concluded that Salinas, an astute businessman with decades of experience as a real estate developer, understood that the agreements did not eliminate the entire amount due on the notes,” according to the arbitration award.

The conversation lasted a maximum of 20 minutes, according to Iliana Castillo-Garza, who testified at the arbitration hearing.

“She also testified that both she and Salinas believed the partial payments made by Salinas in accordance with the agreements were intended and accepted as payment in full on the notes,” according to the arbitration award.

Salinas also claimed that First National Bank loaned him $1 million in July 2009 to buy the bank’s stock, which made that loan void and uncollectable.

The arbitration panel sided with PlainsCapital Bank and told Salinas to pay about $4 million.

PlainsCapital Bank wants Hinojosa, the federal judge, to sign a final judgment, which would allow the bank to collect the money.

Pet of the Week

Lucky is a very friendly and playful Lab mix, she’s believed to be about 2 months old. If you would like to make Lucky a part of your family, contact the Mission Pawsible Program at 956-580-8741, M-F, 8AM5PM. The City of Mission Animal Shelter is located at 227 Abelino Farias, and is open throughout the week and on Saturdays - 9AM to 4PM. The cost to adopt is $50, which includes: Spay/ Neuter, Rabies Shot, 1st Vaccine, Microchip and Deworming. To view more animals in the Mission Pawsible Program, visit missiontexas.us.

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September 20, 2019 from pg. 1

page 9

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MIGUEL FLORES

community.

“There’s a lot of sacrifice, a lot of dedication, a lot of commitment in law enforcement, first responders, firefighters,” Miguel Flores said.

“Everybody, in general, sacrifices a lot.”

Miguel Flores said his campaign will focus on Precinct 3, not Gallardo.

“I’m not running against anyone,” Miguel Flores said.

“We are running for an office, and that’s what we are focusing on.”

Born and raised in rural Mission, Miguel Flores started working at Whataburger while attending La Joya High School. He became a general

manager, which came with a steady paycheck and opportunity for advancement.

Miguel Flores said that Whataburger treated him well, but he wasn’t passionate about the job. He wanted to become a law enforcement officer.

“It dates back to, probably, 1985. I was 4 years old in pre-kinder. And I still remember. It was career day.

I remember this Border Patrol agent walking inside the room. And I see this agent, for me, he appeared to be like a God,” Miguel Flores said during a 2017 interview, when he spent hours discussing the Panama Unit scandal.

obituaries

Henry “Harry” Polderman January 10, 1937 – September 17, 2019 MISSION – Henry “Harry” Polderman, 82, of Mission, Texas, formerly of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Goshen, Ind., died at 8:20 p.m., on Tuesday, September 17, at the Elkhart Hospice House.

He was born on January 10, 1937, in Portage, Mich., to Marinus and Anna (Huizenga) Polderman. On September 19, 1958 in Kalamazoo, Mich., he married Marlene Kay Keeney; she died January 15, 2016.

Surviving are daughter, Lisa (Floyd) Lehman of Goshen; two sons, David (Alexandra)

Polderman of New River, Ariz., Scott Polderman of Otsego, Mich.; six grandchildren; his loving companion, Carol Hill; two sisters, Alice Stickles of Orlando, Fl., Marie (Ron) Freehling of Three Oaks, Mich.; four brothers, John (Marie) Polderman of Schoolcraft, Mich., Paul (Debbie) Polderman of Portage, Mich., Bob Polderman of Mattawan, Mich., and Mike (Wendy) Polderman of Schoolcraft, Mich.

He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, and brother, Jacob Polderman.

Henry was a plant manager in the textile business for 32 years, working at Jolly Kids, Kellogg’s Industries and Biomet. He also worked in the landscaping business for 25 years. He was the owner operator of Polderman’s Country Store and Polderman’s Turf Service, retiring in 2016.

He was a U.S. Army veteran, a member of the American Legion Post 210 in Middlebury, the Moose Lodge in Goshen, and the DAV. Henry attended Palm Valley Church in Mission, Texas.

Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on

“The uniform. The badge.

The gear. And ever since, I was like ‘I want to be a police officer.’”

He accepted a low-paying job at the Hidalgo County jail, which paid less than $14 an hour.

Miguel Flores stuck with the Sheriff’s Office. He attended the academy, became a patrol deputy and eventually earned a place in the narcotics unit.

That’s when the trouble started.

In late August or early September 2012, when Miguel Flores had been a narcotics investigator for just eight months, Deputy Ge-

rardo Mendoza-Duran approached him.

Duran asked Miguel Flores to share information provided by informants, who occasionally told him where smugglers stashed drugs and money.

“I remember telling him like ‘We’re not working that much, and I’ve been getting a lot of information. I don’t mind sharing that. We can arrest them,’” Miguel Flores said during the 2017 interview. “He was like: ‘Naw. We don’t arrest them, man.

We take their shit.’”

Miguel Flores said he reported Duran to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

Monday, September 23, followed by a 2:00 p.m. funeral service at Miller-Stewart Funeral Home, Middlebury.

Services will be conducted

by Chaplain Wyatt Smith.

Burial will be in Grace Lawn Cemetery, Middlebury.

Memorials may be given to Center for Hospice Care.

Online condolences may be offered at millerstewartfuneralhome.com.

Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, at Solara Hospital in McAllen.

Mabel Johann MISSION – Mabel J. Johann, 97, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, at Mission Regional Medical Center.

Ernestina Moreno MISSION – Ernestina R. Tina Moreno, 92, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen.

Teresa Muniz MISSION – Teresa Garza Muniz, 86, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019, at McAllen Medical Center.

Dubiel Rivera MISSION – Dubiel Salinas Rivera, 45, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, in Mexico.

Sam Rutkowski MISSION – Sam J. Rutkowski, 69, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, at Pax Villa Hospice in McAllen.

Maria Vicinaiz MISSION – Maria de la Luz Vicinaiz, 84, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, at Doctor’s Hospital in Edinburg.

Hermelinda Villegas MISSION – Hermelinda “Nana” Villegas, 57, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen.

Notices Daniel Cerda MISSION – Daniel Javier Cerda, 58, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, at McAllen Medical Center.

Jesus Garcia ALTON – Jesus Garcia, 65, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, at Village Healthcare and Rehabilitation in McAllen.

Jose Garza MISSION – Jose O. Garza, 76, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019, at McAllen Heart Hospital.

Maria Gonzalez MISSION – Maria Del Rosario Gonzalez, 47, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, at her home in Mission.

Maria Gutierrez MISSION – Maria de la Luz Gutierrez, 91, passed away on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019.

Manuel Hernandez MISSION – Manuel Hernandez, 88, passed away on

agents, who referred him to FBI agents. He spent months recording phone calls and participating in sting operations.

Duran apparently became suspicious. In November 2012, he filed a formal complaint against Miguel Flores, accusing him of working with drug traffickers.

Weeks later, the FBI arrested Duran. He resigned from the Sheriff’s Office and pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge.

The Sheriff’s Office, however, kept investigating Miguel Flores.

Internal Affairs concluded that Miguel Flores hadn’t actually worked with drug traffickers but had violated the Sheriff’s Office policy on handling confidential informants. The Sheriff’s Office transferred Miguel Flores from narcotics to patrol, which stripped him of assignment pay.

He resigned in July 2013.

“Actions taken against me during and after my work with Federal Agents involving the panama unit case affected my law enforcement career at the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office. I know that I took the correct actions when I was asked to participate in illegal activities by former panama unit members,” Miguel Flores wrote, according to a copy of his resignation letter released under the Texas Public Information Act. “I no longer feel safe or comfortable working at the Sheriff's Office and have no choice but to resign my position as Deputy Sheriff effective immediately.”

Miguel Flores also filed a lawsuit against Hidalgo County, which settled the case.

The stress took a toll on his marriage. Officers responded to domestic violence calls at his house in

See MIGUEL FLORES Pg. 10

page 10 from pg. 1

September 20, 2019

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EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL

plan adjustment for civil service employees. Belinda Torres, the director of human resources and civil service director, presented on the item.

Council member Gilbert Enriquez had several questions for Torres and City Manager Juan Guerra about how the adjustments in compensation were determined and how employees were ranked within compensation ranges (entry level, middle level and high). Enriquez asked if it was determined by years served with Edinburg, or by Guerra’s discretion.

“There’s really no concrete rules that govern one level to another level from entry to middle to high,” Guerra responded. “It’s really based off of experience and productivity based on the assumptions of the city manager.”

Enriquez then asked if Guerra ever considered basing those scales on the number of years an employee has worked with the city. Guerra said that it was one option, but from his experience the number of years someone is employed in any organization “does not equate to productivity or effectiveness.”

“The intention is well by putting years in stipulation, but there are some employees who come in and in the first two, three years are doing excellent work, versus an employee who has been here

a while and does the minimum,” Guerra said. “It’s a matter of theory, I guess.”

Enriquez said productivity can be arbitrary, and asked Guerra how it was determined. Guerra responded by saying it was gauged based on the effectiveness of their department, and stated that they were aiming to hire a performance management analyst in the near future who would develop benchmarks and performance measures for the city.

“So you’re saying right now you’re basing it on opinion?” Enriquez clarified.

Guerra said yes, most of the decisions are based on his opinion on their productivity and effectiveness.

Enriquez said he was questioning this part of the item because one of the pay grades for an employee was changed more than one level, so he wanted to clarify why that was the case. He added that he hoped Guerra would consider other options in determining the pay for those individuals.

“A lot of what you just said is subjective,” Enriquez said. “And it’s not fair to the person that’s working if they’re not given a corrective plan of action.”

Enriquez continued to say that if an employee who has been there for years is getting complacent as Guerra said, they need to be given an opportunity to come in

and re-evaluate their performance so they can receive a higher wage.

Enriquez then asked why certain entry level positions were receiving increased wages, but wages for employees working for the city for four or more years was being decreased. Guerra answered, saying that the city was hoping to implement those increased wages for young people working in part-time, seasonal positions in order to remain competitive with neighboring cities hiring the same positions.

Enriquez continued to ask why none of these figures were included in the budget workshop presentation he was sent on Friday of last week. He stated that he did not attend the workshop, but received the presentation and only comparisons from last year to this year were presented, not the specific pay scale numbers he was just seeing prior to the city council meeting.

Guerra said any specific questions could have been asked during the budget workshop, and not all figures are possible to get at the workshop. He added that most cities conduct budget workshops once in the same manner.

At one point in the discussion, Mayor Richard Molina asked Enriquez how he attempted to correspond with Guerra on questions

and figures from the budget workshop. Enriquez said he sent multiple emails, and received the presentation at the same time he did, on Friday.

Ultimately, when council voted on the pay plan adjustments, the item was passed as presented. Molina, Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres and council member Homer Jasso, Jr. voted in favor of the plan, while Enriquez voted against it.

The city of Edinburg was also planning on raising their property tax rate to 0.6850 per $100 evaluation (effectively a 9.4 percent increase), but Enriquez had more questions about if any attempts were made to lower the Maintenance and Operation costs and rate.

Guerra said they looked at several possibilities, and noted that he was a fiscal conservative, but in order to help the city of Edinburg grow further, this year they need more funds to imple-

ment that growth.

“The city has been acting as if it’s been broke for quite a while, to the point where in this past budget it reduced a lot of things that we had to fix,” Guerra said. “There’s nothing wrong with that [acting as if the city is broke], it’s just a different philosophy. Right now, the city is in growth mode and is expected to do a lot of things and provide a lot of services.”

When the item came up for a vote, Torres and Molina made a motion in favor of the tax rate as presented, but Enriquez and Jasso voted against it. Leaving the item in a tie, neither the tax rate or the 2019-2020 budget were approved.

During executive session, the council, city manager and city attorney discussed the employment of City Secretary Ludivina Leal. Leal was arrested in connection to the investigation of the 2017 Edinburg mayoral election.

Leal was accused of allowing a Mission resident to use her address to illegally vote in the 2017 election.

Mayor Richard Molina, the center of this investigation, has pled not guilty to the voter fraud charges against him.

Before voting on the item back in open session, Enriquez asked City Attorney Omar Ochoa if Mayor Richard Molina should abstain from the vote, implying there may be a conflict of interest.

“No, I don’t believe that the mayor needs to abstain from this vote,” Ochoa said.

The final vote was once again a draw, with Enriquez and Jasso voting to remove Leal from the position and hire Tim Serna (the administrative assistant for the city secretary’s office) as the interim, and David Torres and Molina voting against that motion. Because of the draw, the motion died and Leal remains city secretary.

MIGUEL FLORES

from pg. 9

2013 and 2014.

His wife, Magdalena “Maggie” Flores, signed affidavits that accused Miguel Flores of hitting her, threatening to kill their children and sexually assaulting her.

Officers arrested Miguel Flores on a misdemeanor assault charge. Prosecutors dismissed the case after Maggie Flores filed an affidavit of non-prosecution.

They divorced, reconciled and were remarried.

“We did have problems, like any other couple,” Maggie Flores said, adding that she didn’t read the affidavit before she signed it. “I was mad. I signed it. Maybe if I would have read it, I would have said: ‘Hey, you know what, I didn’t say this.’”

Miguel Flores said he

never threatened to kill his children.

“At the end of the day, it was my fault,” Miguel Flores said. “I could have left.”

Miguel Flores said he isn’t concerned the issue will surface during the campaign.

“I know exactly where I stand. What I’ve done. What I’m going to keep doing,” Miguel Flores said. “And that’s why I’m here.”

Miguel Flores returned to the Sheriff’s Office in June 2018. As part of the job application process, he underwent a thorough background check.

The Sheriff’s Office reviewed the criminal case, contacted references, interviewed neighbors and spoke with former coworkers. After reviewing more than 100

pages of information, the Sheriff’s Office welcomed him back.

Miguel Flores didn’t stay long. Faced with a choice between working for the Sheriff’s Office and running for constable, he resigned in February.

To pay his bills during the campaign, Miguel Flores accepted a job with the La Joya Police Department.

“And I gave everything up because I believe in my campaign, in what we have to offer,” Miguel Flores said.

“I strongly believe that we can make a positive impact.”

Nov. 9 is the first day for candidates to file ballot applications for the March primary.

2020

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page 11

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BUY • SELL • TRADE • RENT • HIRE

THE CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIED RATE: 1 Week = $7 Make it happen, we’re located at 1217 N. Conway in Mission, TX Come on in! Our hours of operation are 2 Weeks = $10 Mon. - Fri. 8 - 5 p.m. If you can’t drop by, mail it! P.O. Box 399, Mission, TX 78573. Submit by email or pay 4 Weeks = $14 by phone 585-4893. The deadline to get your classified in is Tuesday at 5 p.m.

For Rent 2BDR, 1BA, 8010 Military Rd. in Abram, TX, fully furnished, $150 deposit/$350 monthly, light not included, 2 recamaras, 1 baño ubicado 8010 Military Rd. in Abram, TX, amueblada, deposito $150/ $350 por mes, call 956-4245691.For Sale 1/2 ACRE LOT, all frontage, very unique location on East Military Rd. in Peñitas, TX, if interested call 956-5854751.

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Home For Sale 2BDR WITH option of 3rd BDR, 2 baths, 2 car garage in a 55+ community, EVR in Mission, TX, ceramic tile throughout, ceiling fans, water softener system, all appliances, garage for 26’ motor home, and more, call 956-3215441.

Garage Sale HIGH END ANTIQUES (for serious buyers only) and Yard/Patio Sale “tools”., at Wagon City South (2707 N. Conway, Mission),

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FIVE FAMILY GARAGE sale Saturday from 8am-3pm at 127 South Canal St in Mission, lots of brand clothes and

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS Mission Consolidated Independent School District’s State Financial Accountability Rating Mission C.I.S.D will hold a public meeting at 6:45 p.m., October 09, 2019 in the Mission C.I.S.D. Boardroom, 1201 Bryce Drive, Mission, Texas.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Mission C.I.S.D.’s rating on the State’s financial accountability system.

PROBATE NO. P-39,485 CITATION BY PUBLICATION ************* THE STATE OF TEXAS

THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ESTATE OF MARGARITA FLORES, DECEASED: NORMA LINDA MONTE DE OCA, YOLANDA MARTINEZ BERNAL, THELMA CARDOZA, ARNOLDO MARTINEZ, LIBRADO MARTINEZ III, CARLOS MARTINEZ AND BLANCA RIOS, AND THEIR UNKNOWN HEIRS IF ANY, AND THE HEIRS AND UNKNOWN HEIRS OF MARGARITA FLORES, ROMANA F. CASARES, AND FRANCISCA FLORES MARTINEZ On the 15th day of July, 2019, AURELIA MATA AND DARRELL DAVIS (ALTERNATE APPLICANT) filed an application for Probate of will as Muniment of Title in a proceeding styled the ESTATE OF MARGARITA FLORES, DECEASED, and bearing Probate Case Number P-39,485 in the Probate Court of Hidalgo County, Texas.

The Court may hear the said Application for the Probate of will as Muniment of Title at 10:00 A.M. on the first Monday after the expiration of ten (10) days from the date this citation is published, at the County Courthouse in Edinburg, Texas.

All persons interested in the aforesaid estate are commanded to appear at or before the time set for said hearing by filing a written contest or answer to the Application for the Determination of Heirship should they desire to oppose or contest it. Said written contest or answer shall be filed in the office of the County Clerk of Hidalgo County, Texas, in Edinburg, Texas.

CITY OF ALTON

ORDINANCE 2019-14-0910 AN ORDINANCE FIXING THE RATE AND TAX LEVY FOR THE CITY OF ALTON, TEXAS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2019 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2020, UPON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY IN SAID CITY OF ALTON, TEXAS IN CONFORMITY WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE ORDINANCES OF SAID CITY; AND PROVIDING FOR A WAIVER OF SECOND AND THIRD READING; AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT THEREWITH. READ, APPROVED, AND PASSED on this the 10th day of September, 2019.

Salvador Vela, Mayor City of Alton, Texas ATTEST: Baudelia Rojas CPM,TRMCCMC, City Secretary

sell for health reasons, call 956-2490046 for more details.

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cently inspected, stove & refrigerator included, located in Mobile Gardens Community Park in Mission, TX, can be moved, call 920492-9277.

LEGAL NOTICE

Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for an On Premise Wine and Beer Retailer’s Permit by 39 Taqueria, LLC dba 39 Taqueria, to be located at 2813 Griffin Parkway Suite F, Mission, TX 78572, Hidalgo County. Officers of said Limited Liability Company is Jaime Montes, owner.

LEGAL NOTICE

Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Wine and Beer Retailer’s Permit by Cristobal’s Bar & Grill LLC dba Cristobal’s Bar & Grill, to be located at 515 North Conway Avenue, Mission, Hidalgo County. Officer(s) of said LLC are John Jacob Escamilla, managing member.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the City of Alton, Texas, will hold Public Hearings to be held on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 and Tuesday, October 1, 2019, at City Hall Commission Chambers, 509 S Alton Blvd., Alton TX at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following: REVIEW THE CITY OF ALTON’S JUVENILE CURFEW ORDINANCE TO DETERMINE THE NEED TO RE-ADOPT, ABOLISH, CONTINUE OR MODIFY THE ORDINANCE.

Any member of the public has the right to appear at these Public Hearings and will be given an opportunity to be heard. Please submit comments to the City Secretary, 509 S Alton Blvd., Alton TX 78573.

ATTEST: Baudelia Rojas CPM,TRMCCMC, City Secretary

The officer serving this citation shall, in compliance with the law, serve it by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in this, the county in which such proceeding is pending, for not less than ten (10) days before the return day hereof, exclusive of the day of publication and the date of publication said newspaper bears shall be the day of publication.

If this citation is not served withing 90 days after the date of issuance, it shall be returned unserved.

ISSUED UNDER MY HAND AND THE SEAL OF SAID COURT at office in Edinburg, Texas, this the 12th day of September 2019.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS PURSUANT TO L.G.C. SECTION 363.205, THAT: The Palmview City Council will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, September 30, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at Palmview City Hall located at 400 W. Veterans Blvd., Palmview, Texas, to consider the following: Adoption of the Crime Control & Prevention District FY2020 Budget and District Work Plan Members of the public are encouraged to provide input through any means available including by mail at the address above and/or by attending the public hearing.

page 12

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September 20, 2019

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