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Vol. 48 - #21

Friday, January 17, 2020

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INSIDE

09/01/2020 12:06:25 PM 2020 HIGH SCHOOL

HOME OF THE THE

BIG7 SCHOOLS

83rd Annual Texas Citrus Fiesta

Next week several TCF events will be happening. See the Texas Citrus Fiesta Inc. website and Facebook for dates and times, and be sure to pick up next week’s issue of the Progress Times for the TCF Special.

Agua SUD Director

The special utility district swore in Franco Lopez as the Director of District 3 during Monday’s meeting. Jose De Leon III has more details, inside.

See Pg. 5

SPORTS

We have stories on volleyball and basketball this week, featuring highlights from La Joya games and honors earned by two Lady Patriots. Check out our sports section for the latest.

See Pg. 6

INDEX

Entertainment....pg. 2

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

Death Notices......pg. 8

Classifieds..............pg. 9

Supplement of the

Nancy Ramones, address the Sharyland school board of trustees during a special meeting Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

• MISSION

Sharyland community members speak out on alleged hazing incident By Jose De Leon III Details on an alleged hazing incident involving students at Sharyland Pioneer High School last semester remain unclear, angering community members. During a special school board meeting Wednesday, Sharyland Pioneer students and community members confronted the school board over what they say is inaction on the school district to punish the students involved. “My son is on the swim team and I want to know if this actually happened or if it’s just hearsay and if the school will do enough to address it,”

Rosalia Romero, a parent attending the meeting said. “It’s frustrating that we’re finding out about this through gossip instead of the board letting us know.” Details of the hazing incident came out publicly following an article from The Monitor that was published Tuesday. The article says a student was the victim of an “inappropriate” hazing incident involving members from Pioneer High School’s swim team last fall that was investigated by a Corpus Christi law enforcement agency. Among the students from Sharyland Pioneer High School who addressed the board were Nancy Ramones, a senior who says she personally

knows the victim. According to Ramones, the students involved in the hazing incident were suspended to the district’s Alternative Education Program-while the victim had to transfer to a different school. “The people involved only got AEP, I don’t feel it was fair they came back to the school and the victim had to move schools because he couldn’t go back to somewhere he was violated,” Ramones told the board. Prior to her comments, Ramones said students had been aware of the incident since the Christmas break and that the student doing the hazing

• MISSION

Lions Park to become the first all-inclusive park in Mission

Mission Housing Authority board tours facilities By Jose De Leon III

By Jamie Treviño Lions Park will be transforming into an inclusive community staple that gives every resident the opportunity to roar. Mission Parks and Recreation Director Brad Bentsen presented an item that authorized the department to engage an architect’s services for a preliminary park design for Lions Park during this week’s regular council meeting. The restructuring of the park would feature all-inclusive playground equipment open to children and young people of all needs. Lions Park, located at 1500 Kika de la Garza Loop, is classified as a neighborhood park. Currently it includes two baseball fields, a playground, two picnic tables, six covered picnic shelters, a Scout hut, Community Center, restrooms and the Texas Citrus Fiesta Office. “Services will include the inclusive playscape design, overall park redesign, a recycling satellite center and redesign of the Mission Community Center,” Bensten said. “There’s four stages for this project.” Mayor Armando O’caña asked all members of the council to nominate a firm before voting. Council member Beto Vela was the first to bring up ARKiiFORM, LLC, an approved architect currently underway on the Mission Historical Museum and Speer Memorial Library roofing projects, as the architect for Lions Park. Mayor Pro-Tem Norie Gonzalez Garza suggested hiring the same architects who handled other all-inclusive parks recently opened in the RGV, including those in Hidalgo and Harlingen,

See MISSION COUNCIL Pg. 4

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See HAZING INCIDENT Pg. 8

Leroy Alaniz (right) is sworn in as municipal judge for the city of La Joya by Mayor Isidro Casanova (left). Progress Times photo by Jamie Treviño.

• LA JOYA

La Joya names new municipal judge By Jamie Treviño Leroy Alaniz was named the new municipal judge for the city of La Joya this week. During a regular meeting held Tues. Jan. 14, Alaniz was appointed and sworn in surrounded by his family. La Joya Mayor Isidro Casanova spoke highly of Alaniz’s character. “After the resignation, it took me a while to decide who would be the person that we want as our municipal judge,” Casanova said. Alaniz is replacing Alejan-

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dro “Alex” Cantu, who submitted a letter of resignation from the position on Dec. 21, 2019. Alaniz was a member of the city council years ago, according to Casanova. “[He] is also a U.S. Marine,” Casanova said. “He’s a very honest person, [he has] integrity and is a professional. He is a tough person who is going to be willing to help others, and that’s what it’s all about.” City Administrator Jacqueline Bazan presented an item

See LA JOYA NEW JUDGE Pg. 4

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Mission Housing Authority resident Fedelia Valdez doesn’t mind not using her air conditioner. The 73-year-old resides at the housing authority’s three-story high rise building and says that she’s fine with just the ceiling fan to keep her cool in her one-bedroom apartment. Besides, she told Mission Housing Authority board members, ants fly out of her AC unit every time she has it on. “You can tell there’s something under the wall there,” Valdez said as she pointed to her AC unit. Valdez recounted this to members of the Mission Housing Authority who were touring the premises Saturday, Jan. 11. Board directors and department heads had orientations that same day to discuss their roles and set goals for the housing authority. This was followed by a tour of the housing authority’s high rise building and other living facilities for residents. “The purpose is to give an orientation to the board for them to be familiar with

See MISSION HOUSING Pg. 8

Fedelia Valdez (center) speaks to Mission Housing Authority Vice President Irma Flores-Lopez and Executive Director Antonio “Tony” Sandoval during a tour of the housing authority facilities Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

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January 17, 2020

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UTRGV Ballet Español ‘Spanish Nights’ recital is Jan. 23-25

EDINBURG – The UTRGV College of Fine Arts Dance Program will host Spanish dance performances by the UTRGV Ballet Español, a group of dance majors focused on flamenco and other Spanish dances as part of their required dance courses. It is planned for multiple performances Jan. 23 to 25 at the Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg campus, 1201 W. University Dr. The UTRGV Ballet Español also will present “Spanish Nights,” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23; 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25; and

10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, for public schools that have made reservations. Ballet Español, under the direction of Sonia Chapa, provides students the opportunity to study a range of Spanish dance styles, including bailes folkloricos that represent different regions – flamenco, the art of the gypsies of Spain and its “palos” (forms), such as alegrías, tangos, solea, bulerías and siguiriyas. The ballet also includes Escuela Bolera, a style of classical dance and music from the 18th and 19th centuries in which classical ballet princi-

ples of turnout combined typical Spanish arm movements with castanets and flamenco footwork and folkloric steps, to create classical Spanish dance works like “La Boda de Luis Alonso.” The Ballet Español presents formal public and school concerts every spring and smaller events on campus and for the community throughout the year. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children, seniors and students with I.D. For more information, contact the Dance Program office at 956-665-2230 or utrgv.edu/dance or

iTheatre presents improv Jan. 24-25

WESLACO – iTheatre will host Improv at the Tower and Improv After Dark in two shows each night on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24 and 25. The shows will be held at the historic Tower Theater at 120 S. Kansas Ave. in Weslaco. The family-friendly shows

begin at 7 p.m. followed by a “mature audience only” show at 9 p.m. both nights. Tickets are $10 per person. Improvisation Theatre, or improv, is a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters and dialogue of a game, scene or story are made up

in the moment. Often improvisers will take a suggestion from the audience, or draw on some other source of inspiration to get the spontaneity of laughter started. Tickets are available at iloveit.live.

PCT plans open auditions Jan. 22-23

PHARR – The Pharr Community Theater will hold open auditions January 22 and 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for a two act comedy, in Spanish, entitled Una Huelga Singular, written by Jose Manuel Alvarez. The play will be directed by Seres Jaime Magaña. The theater is located at 213 W. Newcombe Ave. Pharr. The plot centers around Teresa Pacheco from Mexico City, a housewife on the

verge of a nervous breakdown. All of her household, including her husband Rafael, her teenagers, her mom, dad, her mother-in-law and her seductive neighbor Gloria are driving her crazy. Once she decides, “no mas,” she takes a stance for household equality and gets the whole country interested. Auditions will be cold reading from the script on a first come first serve basis, no

appointment necessary. Roles are available for three women and three men between ages 35 and 75 and two teens, a boy and a girl, between 13 and 17. Rehearsals will run Feb. 3 through March 31 in the evenings and performances are scheduled from April 1 to 19. For more information, text or call 956-451-3987 or 956655-9308.

UTRGV to host Costa Rican pianist Matarrita

BROWNSVILLE – The UTRGV Patron of the Arts will host Costa Rican pianist Manuel Matarrita in a concert, part of the Guest Artist Series, at the TSC Performing Arts Center, 90 Taylor Ave. in Brownsville. The performance will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7pm, and admission is free. Matarrita actively performs as a soloist and collab-

orative musician. His performance offers a tour through dance genres present in the piano repertoire of Latin America representing the authored works from Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Curaçao and Costa Rica. Rhythms recreated in these compositions, such as the waltz, emanated from the European tradition, but are

musically colored with a particular expression differing in each country. Other regions, such as Argentina, offer an inexhaustible spectrum of native and peculiar rhythms. The concert also includex an original composition, “Desvaríos sobre La Botijuela,” a tribute to the Latin American tradition of piano dances. For special accommodations, call 956-882-7025.

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Coming Attractions

January 17-19 • The Harlingen Community Theatre, 1209 Fair Park Blvd. presents “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – Abridged.” The comedic parodies of Shakespeare’s 37 plays are performed by only three actors. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 per adult and $10 per child and will be sold at the door. Acceptable payment forms include cash, checks and debit/credit cards. For information, call 956-412-7529, email playhousefairpark97 at gmail.com or go to harlingencommunitytheatre.org. January 17-February 8 • The Mission Historical Museum (MHM) 14th Annual Quilt Show will be on display at the museum, 900 Doherty in downtown Mission. An awards reception, with Turning of the Quilts program, will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17. Admission is free. For information, call 956-580-8646. January 18-19, 25-26 • The Harlingen Performing Arts Conservatory presents the musical stage production of Beauty and the Beast at the Harlingen C.I.S.D. Performing Arts Center, 3217 W. Wilson Rd. Performances will be held at 10 a.m., Jan. 15; 7 p.m., Jan. 18; and 2:30 p.m., Jan. 19, 25 and 26. Tickets are $10 and $15 and available at hcisdpa.org. January 18 • The International Museum of Art & Science will host a landscape painting workshop for seniors at 10 a.m. The workshop includes a historical look at landscapes and a look at works in the IMAS collection. Those who register will paint their own landscape with acrylics. Instructor is Roni Cortez. Cost is $10 per person and includes museum admission. January 22 • The UTRGV Patron of the Arts presents the U.S. Air Force Band of the West: Dimensions in Blue in the Guest Artist Series at 7 p.m. at the TSC Performing Arts Center, 90 Taylor Ave. in Brownsville. Admission is free. Dimensions in Blue, comprised of the USAF Band of the West’s jazz ensemble, features 14 o talented musicians travelling over 30,000 miles and entertaining over a million people

each year. For special accommodations, call 956-882-7025. January 23 & 25 • UTRGV Ballet Español presents “Spanish Nights Flamenco” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex, 1201 W. University Dr. in Edinburg. The performance will showcase the colorful costumes and elegant Spanish dance techniques the students have been taught by faculty dance leader Sonia Chapa. Admission is $8 adults and $5 students/seniors (students must current school ID for discount). Tickets will be available at the box office or by calling 956-665-2230. January 24 • UTRGV Ballet Folklórico presents Huateque 2020 at 7:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex, 1201 W. University Dr. in Edinburg. General admission is $10 and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets will be sold at the door. January 25 • The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley will host its annual Farm Dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Food Bank RGV, 724 N. Cage Blvd. in Pharr. Proceeds support Gem Valley Farm, a community garden at the Food Bank. “A Night in Tuscany” will begin with a cocktail hour on the farm followed by a five-course meal with locally sourced and natural foods. Tickets are $125 each, available at the Food Bank RGV or online at foodbankrgv.com. Seating is limited. For more information on tickets or sponsorships, contact Philip Farias at 956-904-4513 or pfarias@foodbankrgv. com. January 28 • The UTRGV Patron of the Arts Distinguished Artists Series spring concerts include a performance on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, at 7 p.m. on the Edinburg Campus, by The Low-Frequency Trio. Founded in 2016 by Antonio Rosales (bass clarinet), Juan José García (doublebass), and José Luis Hurtado (piano), its members are active in the international contemporary music scene, and have collaborated with more than 20 young and established composers in the creation and performance of innovative new works for their unique instrumentation. The complete schedule and tickets are available at patron.utrgv. edu. For more Coming Attractions, go to ptrgv.com

Looking at wildlife through a global lens McALLEN – Professional wildlife photographer Hector Astorga will share his images from photography expeditions spanning five continents at Quinta Mazatlan next Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m., as he presents “Nature Through The Lens: Capturing Wildlife Around the Globe.” Astorga’s passion for nature and the outdoors began as a child in his native country of Honduras. Currently, he is the ranch manager at the Santa Clara Ranch, a photography ranch that hosts nature photographers from across the globe. He leads and con-

ducts photography tours and workshops at multiple locations in North, Central and South America, Europe and Africa. Astorga is also a multiaward winning wildlife photographer. He has consistently won the country’s top professional photography contests, including those sponsored by Wildlife in Focus, National Wildlife Federation, North American Nature Photography Association, Valley Land Fund, and Nature’s Best Windland Rice International Awards. He will display a collec-

tion of his photographs spanning 10 years, and narrate his journey from his early beginnings as an amateur wildlife photographer in South Texas to becoming a full-time photographer traveling the world. Astorga will also share insights in wildlife photography from photographic composition and understanding wildlife behavior to viewpoints and positioning techniques, and more. Admission is $3 per person. Quinta Mazatlán is located at 600 Sunset Dr. in McAllen. For more information, call 956- 681-3370.

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MCISD board chosen as H-E-B award finalists

H-E-B has announced the Mission Consolidated Independent School District (MCISD) Board of Trustees as a finalist in the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program. This is the 19th year for the awards program, but only the sixth year in a row that H-E-B is recognizing five public school boards to highlight the importance of strong leadership at the board level. To determine overall statewide winners, a panel of judges will visit each of the five finalist school board districts. This visit will include campus tours and talks with administration, staff, parents, and community members. Winners will be announced at the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards ceremony on May 3 at the La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio. If selected, one or more school boards will receive up to a total of $25,000. The Mission trustees include Charlie Garcia III, president; Minnie RodgSpeer Memorial Library 12th & Kika Loop Mission • 580-8750

ers, vice president; Jerry Zamora, secretary; Patricia O’Caña-Olivarez, member; Petra Ramirez, member; Dr. Sonia Treviño, member; Veronica Mendoza, member. “It has been such an honor to work with this board and I am so proud of their dedication and commitment to the students, staff, and community,” said Dr. Carol G. Perez. “Since they are true public servants it is exciting to see them named as finalists in a prestigious, statewide awards program like this. To find this out during School Board Recognition Month is wonderful timing.” Since the inception of the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, the program has awarded more than $11.5 million in funding to benefit outstanding Texas public schools. This year, H-E-B will award a total of $82,500 to the finalists and school boards, who will go on to compete for even greater cash prizes at the statewide level.

BETWEEN THE BOOKENDS

By William Renner The public is invited to Speer Memorial Library in Mission on Tuesday, Jan. 28, for a discussion of the book Where the Crawdads Sing. It takes place in the library’s Community Room at 5:30 p.m. in Spanish, and at 6:30 p.m. in English. In 1952, in the marsh country of coastal North Carolina, six-year-old Kya Clark watches from the porch as her mother, suitcase in hand, walks down the lane to the road, never to return. Soon, Kya’s siblings, and then her abusive, alcoholic father, depart as

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well, leaving her to fend for herself among the estuaries and forests and marsh lands, with only the occasional assistance of some kind-hearted neighbors. Years later, in 1969, a mysterious murder in a nearby swamp draws the attention of the local sheriff— and of the local community. Their prime suspect is the wild, beautiful, and misunderstood creature known as the Marsh Girl. Written by retired wildlife scientist Delia Owens, and first published in 2018, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once a murder mystery novel, a beautiful tale of qui-

IMAS to host homeschool science fair

EVENTS

CALENDAR

January 18 – The Edinburg World Birding Center staff invites the public to be Naturally Creative and “discover the fun of nature” at 2 p.m. with family-friendly activities ranging from making magic mud to crafting magical Admission is $2 for members and $4 for nonmembers. Registration is required; call 956-381-9922 for more information or to register. The EWBC is located at 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd. January 18 & 25 – The Edinburg World Birding Center will host “Birds & Treats” programs at 9 a.m., with warblers as the topic for Jan. 18 and owls for Jan. 25. Admission is $3 for members and $5 for nonmembers. While enjoying refreshments, visitors will mingle with local experts and then move on to the presentation and/or walk. Registration is required at least two days prior to program. For more information, call 956-381-9922. The EWBC is at 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd. January 19 – Mission’s Council #2698 of the Knights of Columbus will host a Texas Bar-B-Q for $9 a plate. The top sirloin butt, cole slaw, ranch beans and trimmings will be take-out only from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pick up plates at St. Paul’s Catholic Church parish hall, 1119 Francisco St., Mission. For tickets, contact any Knights member or Tim Nensel at 319-321-0236. Plates can also be purchased at the door. One hundred percent of funds are donated back to serve the community. January 25 – The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) hosts UTRGV Department of Philosophy Dr. Bradley Warfield presenting “Why We’re Often So Bad at Talking to Each Other Online” at 2 p.m. Warfield offers a perspective to explain why has developed a lack of quality, respectful discourse online. The talk is included with museum admission. Call 956-681-2800 for information. IMAS is located at 1900 W. Nolana Ave., McAllen. January 25 – On the last Saturday of the month, the Edinburg World Birding Center will open its doors for free to the public. This month’s theme is outdoor games from 2 to 4 p.m. Throughout the day, there will be puzzles, crafts, games, and other activities. Binoculars, children’s garden play sets and Junior Ranger field packs are available to borrow free of charge with a valid picture I.D. EWBC is located at 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd. Call 956-381-9922 for information. January 25-26 – The UTRGV School of Medicine’s Institute of Bioethics and Social Justice is hosting the inaugural Clinical Bioethics Symposium at the UTRGV School of Medicine auditorium, 1210 W. Schunior St., Edinburg. The two-day conference will explore ethical questions and concerns in healthcare with a focus on training and professional networking for ongoing dialogue, support and collaboration. Preregister by Jan. 14 at utrgv.edu/som/institute-of-bioethics-and-social-justice/symposium/index.htm. Registration fee is $200. For special accommodations or more information, contact Mallaly Aleman at 956-296-1551 or Mallaly. Aleman@utrgv.edu. (For more Events, go to ptrgv.com.) et solitude, and a poignant story of coming of age in close communion with nature. Copies of the book are available to check out for those who sign up for the book discussion. Stop by

the Speer Memorial or call at 956-580-8754 to reserve a copy. This title is also available as an eBook and an eAudiobook at hidalgocotx. rbdigital.com. The library is located at 12th St. and Kika De La Garza Loop.

McALLEN – The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) is hosting a Homeschool Science Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the museum. IMAS is located at 1900 W. Nolana in McAllen. The community is invited to view the science projects and join participants for a reception from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. that day, followed by an awards ceremony. Winning projects will be on view for the public through Sunday, Jan. 26. IMAS has moved full STEAM ahead this academic year with a diverse schedule of workshops for homeschool students held on the first Wednesday of each month from September through May. Homeschool students explored the scientific method, earth science, extreme weather, and the foundations of art last fall. In 2020 participants will explore robotics, life science, marine biology, art history, and coding. Participating students fall in two categories – elementary and middle school.

Homeschool students work collaboratively to build and program their robot for an obstacle course at the IMAS Homeschool Robotics workshop in early January.

Sign up for Resaca City Bike Tour SAN BENITO – Cyclists across the Rio Grande Valley are invited to participate in the Fourth Annual Resaca City Bike Tour. It takes place around the resacas of San Benito with three separate races – 20 mile, 40.4 mile, and a 62.2-mile – on Saturday, Feb. 8. The race starts at Heavin

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Prizes will be awarded for a top award in each category level and an IMAS Scientist prize. Judging is based on the use of scientific inquiry, completion of project by participant(s), and creativity. Presentations and judging will take place from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The judging panel includes a local civil engineer, a UTRGV professor, a BBVA Advisory Board Member, and an IMAS Board Member and retired chemical engineer. In the months leading up to the science fair, IMAS homeschool workshops have laid the foundation for the scientific method and inquiry process. Workshops provide a diverse and challenging curriculum for all group levels. General IMAS admission rates apply and WIC and EBT cardholders can visit the museum for $1 per person (up to four people). The event is free for IMAS Members. For more information and to register for homeschool workshops in advance, visit theimasonline.org or call 956-681-2800.

Memorial Park, 705 N. Bowie, and all three races begin at 7:30 a.m. Entry fee is $25 until Jan. 31 and $30 after that date, with a no refund policy. Medals will be given to all participants. Only the first 100 registrants receive T-shirts. Register at https:// bit.ly/2QdxdtM.

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January 17, 2020

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Governor’s domestic terrorism task force meets at Capitol

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott last week convened the quarterly meeting of his Domestic Terrorism Task Force at the state Capitol. “We must work together to develop meaningful solutions to fully eradicate domestic terrorism in the Lone Star State,” Abbott said in explaining the purpose of the meeting. “Just as domestic terrorism takes many forms, this task force is committed to developing comprehensive and evolving defense strategies to ensure a safe and secure future for every Texan,” Abbott added. Abbott’s office said the task force analyzed prevention strategies against domestic terrorism in the form of cyber attacks and discussed the importance of good “cyber hygiene.” Task force members include Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other high-ranking state, county and federal officials. DPS releases reports On Jan. 7, the Texas Department of Public Safety released two reports: the 58page “Assessing the Mass Attacks Threat to Texas” and the 49-page “Texas Domestic Terrorism Threat Assessment.” In releasing the documents, DPS Director Steven McCraw said it is critical to evaluate public safety vulnerabilities. To further its mission in preventing acts of violence and terrorism, the DPS is urging Texans to report suspicious activity to their local law enforcement or through the iWatchTexas program, a system that captures and connects potential criminal, terroristic or school safety-related threats. Both reports are available online at dps.texas.gov/ news.htm.

Disaster is declared Drought conditions have caused a state of disaster in 17 Texas counties, Gov. Greg Abbott declared on Jan. 3. The declaration applies to the counties of Bandera, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Karnes, Kendall, Kinney, Llano, Maverick, McCulloch, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, Williamson, Zapata, and Zavala. Significantly low rainfall and prolonged dry conditions continue to increase the threat of wildfire and pose an imminent threat to public health, property, and the economy. In the declaration, the governor authorizes the use of all necessary available resources of state government and its political subdivisions. Injury statistics posted The Texas Department of Insurance on Jan. 3 referred to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing there are more workers in shopping malls and retail outlets that get sick and injured than in any other private industry sector in Texas. An estimated 33,200 retail workers in Texas suffered a job-related illness or injury in 2018, as compared to 12,300 in construction, 17,700 in transportation and 20,400 in manufacturing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 25% of these injuries required Texas retail workers to lose a day of work, while about 5% of the injuries required employees to lose 31 days or more of work. The median time off for injured retail workers in Texas was five days. “There are more retail workers in the state getting injured than employees in construction, transportation or even on factory floors,” said Chris D’Amura, director of workplace safety at the Texas

Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation. “We’re seeing a lot of retail workers with sprains, strains, tears and overexertion. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the longer workdays, expanded schedules and irregular shifts can negatively affect the mental and physical health of retail workers,” D’Amura said. “When you add less sleep and more crowd stress, it’s not surprising we start seeing more accidents. Falls from ladders, slips on floors and trips over boxes and equipment were cited among the most common causes of injuries in the retail industry. Overexertion due to lifting, lowering and repetitive motion is also a high cause of injury in retail,” D’Amura added. Paxton reacts to ruling State Attorney General Paxton on Jan. 6 welcomed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruling that parties protesting the relocation of Confederate monuments at the University of Texas do not have standing to pursue their lawsuit. “This case was correctly dismissed months ago for lack of standing, and we are pleased that the Fifth Circuit agreed with our arguments and affirmed the district court’s decision,” Paxton said. “As the court recognized, the plaintiffs had no legal injury from the university’s decision to move property on its campus.” The bronze statues of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Albert Sidney Johnston and John Reagan were moved in 2015 and 2017 to the Briscoe Center for American History on the university campus, where the figures are part of an educational display.

whenever I’d attend this panel at Sharyland I didn’t take anything the panelists were saying seriously,” Torres said. “I’d find everything they were saying to be cliche and forced but now I’m repeating a lot of what they said because a lot of what the panelists were saying is true.” The hour long panel invited students to ask questions directed at any or all panelists about their experiences in college. Questions ranged from asking the panelists about their living situations in college, a skill they wished they’d have mastered in high school to use in college (the panelists agreed on the answer of time management), how to deal with homesickness and medical emergencies at school. “Panels like these to help high school students because as college freshmen, we’re almost on the same level as

them and we actually know a lot of people in the audience,” Garza said. “It’s easier for us to relate to them and them to us because we are very familiar with the fears and questions they have. Whenever I attended these panels, I felt like they were helpful so I wanted to be helpful and include my own experiences.” Sua Cho said she decided to join the panel to advocate for students to attend college outside the area. She was the only panelist attending a college outside the state and like the other panelists, advocated for students at Sharyland to take their school work seriously. “I’ve noticed a lot in college that people think that high school was the end of their journey, but it’s actually the beginning of your real

Sharyland High holds 5th annual alumni panel By Jose De Leon III

For the fifth year in a row, graduates from Sharyland High School returned to their alma mater to discuss their freshman year of college to current Rattlers. Held Thursday, Jan. 9, the Sharyland High School 5th annual alumni panel invited seven students in colleges across the state and country to return to Sharyland High School to talk to high school students in the form of a Q&A panel. We hope the panel makes the transition easier for high school students when they go to college because these students are able to gain an idea of unexpected things that occur, the struggles and hardships the college freshmen faced and make plans to face that and deal with that,” Sharyland High School Counselor Carol Santiago said. “It helps them start thinking about the things they need to do while they’re in high school because sometimes we’ll get a senior who says ‘Well I wish I knew as a freshmen which classes were important’ and other similar comments and this will help with that. The seven students were Sua Cho, who is attending George Washington University in Washington, D.C. to study international affairs; Oscar Garcia, a student at the University of Houston who is studying computer engineering; Diego Lopez, who is attending Rice University and studying mechanical engineering; Eduardo Torres and Javier Lopez, who are studying at Texas A&M to study biomedical science and mechanical engineering, respectively; Laura Garza, an undeclared student at the University of Texas at Austin, and Daniel Montalvo, who is studying computer science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. “It’s weird being here,

See SHS ALUMNI Pg. 5

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regarding the reimbursement to the Hidalgo County Urban County Program for the PJ Garza Road Project, which has been closed. “It [the project] involved paving PJ Garza Road, and this was a project allocated last year,” Bazan said. “Road construction began last spring of 2019.” Bazan noted that the county approved the road improvement project, but halfway through the paving it was discovered by a landowner in La Joya that the road is private, and the property that was being paved was privately-owned. “Because of that employee, and because of what the owner presented to the city as well as to Urban County, documents were reviewed and it was concluded that the road was private,” Bazan said. “Because it was a non-public road, a road that was not dedicated to the city of La Joya, it failed to qualify for an Urban County road project to improve that road and pave it.” Paving on PJ Garza Road stopped in 2019. The project has been closed by Urban County, and because of the discovery that the road is private, La Joya had to pay the county $55,000 as a reimbursement “due to the error.” “The moneys have already been paid back and reimbursed to Urban County,” Bazan said. “It was of the utmost importance to do that, because if we had not done that we would be excluded from participation in the Urban County program. Our city still has a lot of money left to fund other street improvements.” According to Bazan, the $55,000 (taken from city funds) will be used in the program’s reserves for the city, and will come back to La Joya. “As to what project they’re going to be allocated to, we don’t know yet,” Bazan said. “But they are going to be used towards future projects that [council] will approve.” Casanova and City Attorney Roberto Jackson said that somebody had to be at fault for the oversight. “We need to go ahead and find out what

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liability the engineer may or may not have in this matter,” Jackson said. “If there’s some liability, I’m sure they’re bonded, so we may be able to go that route.” Jackson added that the citizens should not bear the burden of the city’s mistake. “They didn’t commit the error, it was committed at the professional level,” Jackson said. “We need to know where it was committed. We need to do a little more research on that.” City council also took several items into executive session, including a presentation by Frank Garza on Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) violations on the city of La Joya Sewer Plant. Garza is acting as special counsel for the city, hired to “assist in submissions with TCEQ and violations” the city was notified about. “I’ve got a team working on this, I’ve been in contact with your city manager,” Garza said. “We’ve got a presentation to provide you [council], but we are going to get into some sensitive areas that I think are best discussed in executive session because I am going to provide some legal counsel as well and I’d rather not do it in public.” Garza said he was recommending executive session so they wouldn’t waive any attorney/client privilege, even though it was an audit. “My role will be to discuss the legal issues that will come with these TCEQ claims or violations,” Garza said. “Some of them are being disputed, not most of them, but I’d like to discuss the strategy in executive.” When council returned from closed session, they approved a motion asking the city manager to proceed with what was discussed in executive. Another item taken to closed session was a presentation by J.R. Betancourt on the agreed upon procedures and internal evaluation by a Certified Public Accountant. Following executive, council made motions to enter into a contract with J.R. Betancourt to conduct an audit as discussed with legal in closed session.

MISSION COUNCIL

in order to save money on the inclusive playscapes. Council member Jessica Ortega-Ochoa asked if ARKiiFORM, LLC would still be able to act as the architect for the preliminary park design. The city has an approved list of ten firms to choose from, and ARKiiFORM’s Charlie Garcia III has already been hired as the architect for the roofing projects. Bentsen said they were looking at the other architects on the list approved by the council because they were instructed not to go with a firm already occupied in a Mission city project. “The direction I received was to try and find one [an architect] that wasn’t currently engaged so we could have 100 percent of their time and involvement in this current project,” Bentsen said. Gonzalez Garza and O’caña voted for EGV Architects. Ortega-Ochoa, Vela and council member Ruben Plata voted for ARKiiFORM to take on the project. Garcia, who was in the audience, was asked if they would be able to take on the additional project and start immediately. He said that yes, they have the staff and ability to do so. Ortega-Ochoa said that she voted for ARKiiFORM because they were the only architect present at the meeting, and he is from Mission, they should take on the redesign. It was approved by council, who expressed excitement for the project. The city also awarded a

contract to American Contracting U.S.A. for the roof replacement projects on the library and museum. An evaluation committee, which included the city engineer, purchasing director and Garcia, looked at four bids before recommending the contractor. Mike Silva, a firefighter for the city of Mission, made a public comment during the meeting expressing his disdain for the handling of a grant that had the potential to award the fire department with $500,000. “I come before you today to express how extremely upset and frustrated we are with the whole grant process that has come to light recently in the past week,” Silva said. Silva said that firefighters travel to the capital to advocate for their fellow public servants and residents of Mission, and one of their goals is to bring money to the city. He added that the firefighters have been working with Representative Oscar Longoria (HD 35) to get funding for equipment so money wouldn’t have to be taken out of the city’s budget. “He [Longoria] was able to get us $2 million for the border fire department communities here,” Silva said. “And it’s upsetting that we won’t be getting any of that money.” Silva explained that the reason the Mission fire department won’t be receiving any grant funding was because the city-contracted grant writing company Hol-

lis Rutledge & Associates, Inc., specifically Rutledge, failed to meet the Dec. 2 deadline and instead submitted it Dec. 20. “That makes us not eligible for that funding,” Silva said. “Who loses out? The citizens of Mission, and the firefighters.” Silva said the department is there and are trying to help bring funding to the city and community. He also noted that Rutledge is consulting with other cities in the area, and is able to complete those grants and turn them in on time. “And when it comes to the city of Mission, he fails to do his job,” Silva said, pointing out members of Longoria’s staff in the audience who worked to ensure money was allocated to Mission (had the grant been submitted on time). “For that not to happen is unacceptable.” In Silva’s comment, he asked the council to end the contract all together. “Do we need to have an internal grant writer? Do we need to look into someone else to come in here and do the job? Because obviously he failed to do his job,” Silva said. “I hope you’ll recommend what the firefighters recommend - and I’m speaking on behalf of them - is terminate his contract for the failure, that he did not do his job.” During executive session, council reviewed Rutledge’s Grant Consultant Contract for “errors and omissions.” No action was taken on the item.

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Agua SUD gains new director A new face joined the Agua Special Utility District Monday after former director Roger Hernandez officially stepped down from the board. Franco Lopez, 35, was sworn in by state Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa after Hernandez stepped down to serve in the La Joya City Council. “I want to see what I can do for the people north of the county and bring more water to them,” Lopez said. “I’m just here for the people and hopefully do right by them.” Lopez, who works for the La Joya school district’s transportation department, is the cousin of Peñitas Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Lopez. Agua SUD President Lloyd Loya described Lopez as a man who has been involved in the political scene for a while now. “He’s a local, a rate payer and has been around the political scene and I think it’s his time to do his due diligence,” Loya said. “I know he donates to a lot of events and it was his time. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this.” Lopez’s swearing in comes after the utility district’s new single member district went into effect at the end of the 2019 calendar year. As previously reported last month, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2552, which replaced the city and county-based seats with

Franco Lopez (left) being sworn in as on the Agua SUD board of directors by state Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa Monday, January 13, 2020. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

single-member districts and required each member of the board to represent a sub-district containing “one-seventh of the total number of residents in the district.” Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill last June. Lopez will serve as the director for District 3, a stretch of unincorporated land north of Palmview which serves 8,100 people. District 3, along with Districts 1 and 2, will appear on the May 2020 ballot. Lopez said Monday he is not sure if he will seek reelection for his seat. “I’m going to be here for now and see what happens.” Lopez said.

SHS ALUMNI

Sharyland High School alumni (from top left) Oscar Garcia, Daniel Montalvo, Diego Lopez, Javier Lopez, Sua Cho, Eduardo Torres and Laura Garza. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

life,” Cho said. “Sharyland has a lot of good opportunities to let people gain experience but people don’t want to do that. They want to pursue other things and have fun but a lot of experience you gain in high school will help in college. It’ll make a difference for you in real life.” Cho and the rest of the panelists recommended to students that they take advantage of the programs the school has to offer such as the Go Center, a counseling department dedicated to assist students in their college applications, and to take dual enrollment and AP courses to gain college credit. Another tip to survive college is to remember to have fun, Lopez said. “There’s some people that will go to college at a good university and get terrified of it,” Lopez said. “They have to remember to have fun and be social. Go to sports games and explore the university and join a club or two. It’s possible to balance a social life in college.”

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VOTE ABIEL FLORES FOR HIDALGO CO. COURT AT LAW 9 This includes excerpts from the Voter Fraud Trial that took place in September 2018 (pgs 79-115). This is sworn testimony by a witness in the voter fraud case indicating that Patty O’Caña-Olivarez was tampering with witness testimony and/or obstructing the witness from testifying. For Pamela Durr’s entire sworn testimony, you may request this information as it is public record.

By Jose De Leon III

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REPORTER’S RECORD VOLUME 6 OF 12 VOLUMES TRIAL CAUSE NO. C-2637-18-B APPELLATE COURT CAUSE NO. 13-18-00563-CV NORBERTO ‘BETO’ SALINAS ) IN THE DISTRICT COURT ) ) vs. ) 93rd JUDICIAL DISTRICT ) ) ARMANDO O’CANA ) HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS PROCEEDINGS September 27, 2018 THE WITNESS: Good morning. THE COURT: Good morning. Please have a seat. Now, have you already been sworn in as a witness? THE WITNESS: Yes, sir. THE COURT: All right. Fine. The lawyer is going to ask you some questions. Now, a number of our witnesses prefer to testify in Spanish rather than English. THE WITNESS: English. THE COURT: All right, fine. Would you state your name for the record, please. THE WITNESS: My name is Pamela Durr. THE COURT: D-U-R-R. Okay, thank you. Mr. Salinas, you may go ahead. PAMELA DURR,having been first duly sworn, testified as follows: DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. SALINAS: Q. (BY MR. SALINAS) I’m going to show you what’s been introduced into evidence as Contestant’s No. 52. Do know who this person is? A. No, sir, I just found out who she is a couple of days ago. Q. All right. And during these proceedings how is it that you found out who she was a couple of days ago? A. Apparently, I believe it was yesterday. (83) Q. All right. So I want you to go back and look at Exhibit No. 52. Do you see that lady here inside the courtroom? A. Yes, sir. Q. Okay. And can you please point her out and identify her with just -A. She’s sitting right over there (indicating). Q. And what is she wearing? A. A black blazer with a red blouse and I believe it’s a black skirt. MR. SALINAS: Okay. And, Your Honor, let the record identify that she’s identified Mrs. Patty O’Cana, the same individual seen in Exhibit -THE COURT: The record will so reflect. MR. SALINAS: Thank you. Q. (BY MR. SALINAS) Now, Mrs. Durr, did you have a discussion with her here outside the courthouse or inside the courthouse? A. Outside the courthouse. Q. Okay. And when she approached you, what was the discussion about? Without telling us what she told you, give (84) us an idea what the discussion was about. A. About -- it was about -- the discussion was about that I was being video recorded while I was sitting in the van that picked me up to go vote the second time.(85) Q. Okay. And with reference to the conversation, did Ms. O’Cana identify to you who had recorded you? A. No, sir. Q. Okay. Did she tell you what was the date when you were recorded? A. I believe she did. Q. Okay. And do you remember without guessing, only if know, what was the date of that? A. I do not -- I do not remember the date. Q. Okay. And in any which way, shape or form, did you -- what was your overall impression when you were talking to Ms. O’Cana, what were you feeling when she was talking to you? A. I can’t tell you the word I said, but I told her “What the F, was I being blackmailed or what? I can’t believe what’s happening,” but it happened. Q. Did you -- did you get the impression that there was an effort being made to keep you from testifying? MR. HINOJOSA: Your Honor, I mean, what is -THE COURT: Overrule the objection. Go ahead. Q. (BY MR. SALINAS) Did you get the impression, ma’am, that there was an effort being made to keep you from taking the stand testifying?(86) A. No. Q. Okay. So when she told you about the recording, did you know about the recording already? A. No, I did not know. Q. All right. A. I was not aware of it. Q. Okay. In the discussion, and I think I mentioned it a little while ago when you were talking to her were you aware about the recording? A. Not until she showed me about the recording that she had on her phone. Q. (By MR. SALINAS) Okay. So she actually showed you the recording that was on her phone? A. Yes, sir. Q. All right. And in the recording that she showed you from her phone, was she trying to indicate that you had said something different than what is seen on an affidavit that was prepared by you? A. Yes, sir. Q. All right.(87) Q. Okay. Was it before you had a discussion with Mrs. O’Cana? A. Yes, it was. Q. All right. And what she showed you on the phone, can you briefly tell the Court what it was that she showed you from her cell phone? A. It was just video that apparently it was my voice that I was being recorded and I was saying that I didn’t get paid for nothing or -- I did not get paid for voting and she asked me if I wanted to proceed seeing the video that she had as evidence or whatever on her phone and I told her no. Q. So basically she showed you a video that was on her phone that she tried to use to keep from you coming here today and testifying? A. Yes.(90) Q. Is that the way you took it? A. Yes, sir. Q. Okay. Now, do you ever remember seeing your face in that video? A. No. Q. Okay. Did she ever show you your face in that video? A. No. Q. Did she tell -- mention to you who had recorded that video? A. Nope.(91) MARY LOPEZ BUITRON, CSR, RPR Certified Shorthand Reporter Political Ad Not Authorized by the Candidate, Paid by Domingo De La Garza, 816 Travis Street, Mission, TX, 78572.

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January 17, 2020

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SPORTSweek

Luciano Guerra

www.ptrgv.com/sports

Sports Editor

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

Mission Veterans Lady Patriots’ Bella Dominguez, who finished her senior season with the most digs in the nation, prepares to serve the ball during a game against the Rio Grande City Lady Rattlers. Courtesy photo by Adrian Ibarra.

Mission Veterans Lady Patriots’ Kassandra Lerma, who finished her senior season with the third most kills in the nation, prepares to spike the ball against a Pioneer Lady Diamondbacks’ defender. Courtesy photo by Adrian Ibarra.

Lady Patriots’ duo receive All State honors By Luciano Guerra Their high school volleyball careers may have ended over two months ago, but for Bella Dominguez and Kassandra Lerma of the Mission Veterans Lady Patriots, the post season honors keep coming. And their most recent accolades have them both being named to the 2019 5A Texas Sports Writers Association’s All-State Volleyball Second Team. How high of an honor is this? The fact that Dominguez and Lerma are the only two high school volleyball players in the Rio Grande Valley to be named to either the First, Second or Third All State team should leave no doubt as to how exclusive a club this is. Lerma, a four-year letterman and two-year captain for the Lady Patriots, is no stranger to off-the-court recognition for her on-court play. As a sophomore she was named the All District Defensive Player of the Year. As a junior, she was the All District Best Blocker of the Year and was named to the All State Honorable Mention team. And this year as a senior, she was named the MaxPreps AVCA Player of the Week, the RGV Sports Player of the Week, All District Best All Around player and All Area Best Hitter. While Lerma has accumulated quite an impressive array of awards and received a veritable plethora of recognition over her four year volleyball career, being named to an All State team is something special to her. Even if she wasn’t sure what it all meant at first. “When I first heard about it I didn’t really

know what to think,” Lerma said. “But then when I told my parents and my sisters, they let me know how big of a deal it was. Being picked for that makes me feel both proud and shocked at the same time. But I’ve worked hard and I’ve given up a lot of my free time to practice, practice, practice, so I am very honored by this.” Volleyball is in Lerma’s blood. Not only is her mother, Diana Lerma, the head volleyball coach at Mission Veterans, but pretty much every female member of her family has not only grown up playing volleyball, but they have gone on to play at the college level. This includes her older sisters, Sonia and Gabby. When asked when she began playing volleyball, Lerma said, “I remember being younger and my sisters starting to play but I was too small because the ball was bigger than me. But my Mom was already telling me to pass to the wall, pass to the wall, and she just kept pushing me until I started getting it. And when I started clicking, then she started putting me in games.” That early start and all her hard work since then have definitely paid off. So much so that even though Lerma has received scholarship offers to play volleyball for Division II schools, she is holding out for a Division I school offer. And why is this? “All my sisters and I do is talk smack about volleyball,” Lerma said. “We’re always arguing about who is the best. So my plan is to get a Division I scholarship out of my four years so that I can finally say, ‘See? I’m the best.’”

See STATE HONORS Pg. 7

Second half success

La Joya takes two from Juarez-Lincoln By John Hamann

One year after winning only four district games the entire season, the Lady Coyotes of La Joya High won their fifth in six tries this season by defeating the Lady Huskies of Juarez-Lincoln 51-22 Tuesday night as part of a girls/boys basketball double header at Juarez-Lincoln High school. The win helped La Joya keep pace with PSJA North in the District 30-6A standings. The two teams are currently tied for second place, one game behind McAllen Memorial. The Lady Coyotes turned a close game at the half into a rout by holding the Lady Huskies to just five second half points. After jumping out to a 13-2 lead in the first quarter behind a pair of three pointers from Kassandra Chavez, the Lady Huskies had the deficit down to five by the end of the quarter with three pointers of their own from Abigail Pena and Guadalupe Briseno. The Lady Coyotes extended the lead to eight by halftime with ten second quarter

Juarez-Lincoln’s Luis Flores takes a rebound away from La Joya’s Mikey Saenz as fellow Coyote Bernie Vera gets in on the action, during the first half of the Coyotes’ 72-67 come from behind victory over the Huskies Tuesday night. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra.

points, getting eight of them from Melady Renteria at the free throw line. Four points from Jessyca Alvarez in the second kept the Lady Huskies within striking distance. Juarez, however, managed only three points in the third quarter and five overall in the second half in dropping their sixth district game of the year. With Renteria in foul trouble, Viviana Rios took over running the attack for the Lady Coyotes in the third, scoring five of her eight points on the night. Maggie Guajardo added seven points in the fourth while Renteria sank four more free throws to finish the night as the games’ leading scorer with 16. Juarez Coach Irlanda Amador had her team ready but just couldn’t get the ball to drop most of the night. “Defensively we’re getting a lot of stops. The defense is there, we just have to convert.” The real story has been the turnaround made by the Lady Coyotes. Last year at this time the team was in the middle of a losing streak that erased a 2-0 start to district. They never recovered. This year, so far, has been different. “We have a lot of commitment this year,” said Renteria. “A lot of us want to get better. At practice, all the time we go hard. There is a lot more sacrifice this year.”

See COYOTES OVER HUSKIES Pg. 7

January 17, 2020

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Mission’s Madero Bridge Project still up in the air By Jamie Treviño The status on the Mission/ Madero-Reynosa International Bridge is still pending. The presidential permit to build the rail bridge is on the verge of expiring, environmental and feasibility studies conducted in the area are out of date and interlocal agreements with other municipalities have been tabled multiple times. Last week and this week council met to discuss other financial plan options for the project. Last Friday morning, a conference call drew a quorum of city council members (Ruben Plata, Jessica Ortega-Ochoa and Mayor Pro-Tem Norie Gonzalez Garza) to the Mission Center for Education and Economic Development. Council member Beto Vela and Mayor Armando O’caña were not able to attend, but were briefed on the potential financial plan for the project before and after the call. Rene Ramirez, the Chief Executive Officer for Fino Advisors LLC, was part of

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HCRMA specifies the responsibilities of both parties. Mission’s duties would include the advanced project development work (funding), work authorizations, feasibility analysis, the extension of the permit, the facilitation of studies, right-of-way-records and the environmental process as well as a United States sponsor overseeing Mexican permitting efforts. The HCRMA would act as the “performance manager,” supervising the services for the advance project development work, contract management and an audit of the services to be provided to Mission. During the regular called meeting, the interlocal agreement was discussed briefly by the mayor and council before being taken into executive session. Gonzalez Garza was concerned about the environmental studies becoming too “stale.” O’caña was adamant that the interlocal be signed, saying that in private meetings with the state department he was assured they would

honor the existing environmental studies if the city is granted an extension on the presidential permit. “I am not against the bridge, and I want to make that clear,” Gonzalez Garza said. “I believe that a bridge does have positive economic development effects hopefully here in the city of Mission.” Gonzalez Garza noted that she had just received some documents regarding the development that day, and was not ready to move forward on approving the agreement. Council went into executive session to discuss the interlocal agreement under legal counsel. Public-Private Partnership Ramirez’s presentation to council began with a disclosure statement and disclaimer noting that the contents of the presentation were not signifiers that Fino and the private equity firm would be officially entering any deals with Mission. He also explained how a public-private partnership works.

with 1:48 left in the game to put the Coyotes in front for good. Trujillo led all scorers on the night with 22 points, with a total of 12 coming from the charity stripe. Camara finished with 21 for the Huskies but was held to just three in the second half. Juarez as a team managed only 21 second half points. The loss dropped them to 0-4 in district play. The rough start hasn’t distracted Huskies coach Adrian Trevino from what he wants his team to get done this year. “By no means am I disappointed. We are not the team that we were last year. We’ve been in a lot more games. Right now we are looking at possibly making a mess at the bottom (of the standings), looking at the teams that we have left, to see if we can steal some games. If we can just stay close enough to win them and maybe get over that hump of experience and win a close game, I think it will be a big thing for us.” The Coyotes were excited

to win this one, as evidenced by the huge roar coming from their locker room as they exited it after the game. “Everyone was contributing,” said Vera, who finished the night with 14 points. “That’s what made us get over that hump.” “We were down the first three quarters by quite a lot,” said Trujillo, “but we were able to fight through adversity and bring it back for the win.” Coach Eric Montalvo was proud of the team effort. “Thankfully the kids battled. They battled all the way through and stayed focused. We stuck to our defensive principles and they came through.” The Coyotes next game figures to be a battle too. District leader PSJA North visits the Coyotes tonight in the second game of the double header. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

COYOTES OVER HUSKIES

Rios agreed with Renteria. “Definitely what we do in practice. We are putting in a lot of work this year.” Coach Juan Luis Gonzalez said the turnaround started before the season. “When we started playing in the summer, we started (saying) “You know what, we can compete.” We started winning a few games and then, all of a sudden you start getting that little confidence. Now we’re not competing, we’re more like; “Hey we got to win,” That’s the biggest difference from last year to this year.” The Lady Coyotes’ next game is a big one as they close out the first half of district play when they host PSJA North tonight in a game that will break the second place tie the two teams are currently in. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 pm. La Joya High made it a sweep in the boys’ half of the double header with a hard fought 72-67 win over the Huskies. The win evened out

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the conference call. Fino Advisors, a power trading fund in partnership with a multi-billion dollar international private equity firm, expressed an interest in possibly developing the Madero Bridge as a vehicular or vehicular/rail bridge. Fino requested existing feasibility studies and reports from the city, which they looked over prior to the conference call. Based on what Ramirez had to say, however, the development of the bridge is still up in the air due to the uncertainty with the presidential permit. This Monday, the city council met before the regular called meeting for a workshop regarding a potential interlocal agreement with the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority (HCRMA), as well as a presentation by Ramirez on a potential public-private partnership with Fino Advisors LLC. HCRMA Interlocal Agreement The interlocal proposed between Mission and the

the Coyotes record at 2-2 in district, currently good for fifth place. More importantly, they are just one game back of the three teams tied for second. McAllen High, McAllen Memorial and McAllen Rowe are all 3-1 in district. PSJA North leads the standings at 4-0. Putting the ball in the basket was not an issue for either team in this game. The Huskies came out hitting from long range, netting six three pointers in the first quarter (two each from Raymond Camara, Kenneth Gonzalez, and Adan Alvarez) as they built a 28-16 lead. The Coyotes’ Bernie Vera had nine points in the first to try to keep it close. Ten different Coyotes, including Vera, contributed points over the next two quarters to help La Joya cut the Huskies’ lead to six by halftime and to one going into the fourth quarter. The fourth saw five lead changes and three ties, the last at 67 all before Juan Trujillo hit two free throws

STATE HONORS

Whether or not Lerma will get to brag to her sisters about playing for a Division I school is yet to be determined, however there is something that she can brag about already; the fact that she is third in the nation in kills with 862! And not to be outdone, Dominguez is the national leader in digs with 1,157! With stats like that, it should come as no surprise to anyone that over their four year tenure as members of the Lady Patriots volleyball team, Lerma and Dominguez have been instrumental in leading their team to a perfect 60-0 district record. So while they have both received more than their share of individual honors and recognition, they have all come en-route to achieving the kind of team success that is a testament to their, and their teammates, hard work and dedication. Like Lerma, Dominguez is a four-year letterman and a two-year captain for the Lady Patriots. And like Lerma, Dominguez is no stranger to off-the-court recognition for her on-court play. Recognition that includes being named to the All District Second Team her sophomore year, to the All District First Team her junior year and being named All District Libero of the Year in this, her senior year. When asked what being named to the All State Second Team means to her, Dominguez said, “It means a lot. I remember when Jackie (Howell) and Mackenzie (Gerlach) were named All State last year, all I could

think about was what a big accomplishment that was. So when my Dad sent me a screen shot of my name on the All State Second Team, I thought to myself, ‘Oh wow, I did that.’” Dominguez, who is already planning on going to school at and playing volleyball for Victoria College in Victoria, Texas, shared what being a member of the Lady Patriots for the past four years has meant to her when she said, “It has meant a lot because coming in here I’ve met some of the friends that I’ve had all four years of high school. I’ve created so many good bonds with my teammates and I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to train and always be competitive.”

As for Coach Lerma, who has been the head volleyball coach at Mission Veterans for 16 ½ of the school’s 18 years, she has seen many of her players receive scholarships and gone on to play at the college level. So while she takes great pride in her players being honored and recognized on the district, area, state and even national levels for their athletic achievements, she takes the most pride when they receive academic honors. And such is the case with two of her players this year; Veronica Cantu who has been named to the All State All Academic Second Team and her daughter Kassandra who received All State All Academic Honorable Mention.

Public-private partnerships are a collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company for the financing, building and operation of projects regarding public transportation networks, parks and convention centers. Ramirez mentioned Fino’s partner on this endeavor, but would not disclose the name of the company due to their “high profile nature.” The company prefers to stay anonymous until Fino and the city are further along in the process, but boasts “over six billion under management” and over 200 infrastructure and renewable energy projects with a total asset value “in the tens of billions” to date. In the potential partnership with Mission, the trading fund would enter a 50year concession and pass ownership of the bridge “in good working condition” to the city. According to the presentation, 50 years is a standard return in this type of project. For the life of the agreement, Fino’s partner

would operate the bridge. The presentation also included that any costs incurred before financially closing on the partnership will not be funded by the developing partner, rather the city will be reimbursed “upon a successful financial close.” In the next weeks Fino (along with the undisclosed company) will be working on the viability of the projects and their estimations based on the current feasibility agreement, which includes growth rates, commercial truck viability and rail value. They intend to up with a plan to either acquire an extension on the presidential permit or check the cost/ benefit of applying for a new permit all together. The RMA’s tabled interlocal agreement will be brought up again, along with other items, during a special called meeting to be held next Wed. Jan. 22 at 4 p.m.

Mission First United Methodist Church

Sunday Services:

8:00 a.m. Informal 9:00 a.m. Contemporary 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Traditional 5:00 p.m. Spanish Worship Join us for communion the First Sunday of every month.

Dinner with Friends every Friday @ 5:30pm

Everyone is Welcome!

Soup & Sub Fundraiser Feb. 25th, 2020

Mission TX 78572 (956) 585-1665

www.missionfumc.com

83rd Texas Citrus Fiesta “Space Odyssey Adventure” Coronation of King Citrus & Queen Citrianna Thursday, January 23, 2020 - 7pm Mission High School - Neuhaus Gym $5 General Seating - $10 Reserved Seating

Parade of Oranges

Saturday, January 25, 2020 - 3pm Parade run south on Conway Ave. from FM 495 to 1st St. - Mission, TX

Fun Fair

10am - 10pm, Saturday, January 25, 2020 Live Music, Food, Vendors, Craft Vendors & Much More Leo Peña Placita Park - 9th St. & Conway Ave. - Mission, TX Meet the City of Mission’s Pet of the Week: He’s an adorable chestnut and white lab mix named Dave. He is about 3 months old and is extremely loving and friendly. If you would like to give Dave a forever home, 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, First Vaccine, Microchip and Deworming. To view more animals in the Mission Pawsible Program, visit missiontexas. us.