January 8, 2016 - Progress Times Issue

Friday, January 8, 2016

www.ptrgv.com | 50 Cents

“I think we’re all going to win”

79th TEXAS CITRUS FIESTA Schedule of Events “CITRUS, CARTOONS & COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS”

Pablo “Paul” Villarreal (far left) and Abraham Padron (third from the left) meet and greet the attendees of the backyard gathering for Team Liberty.

Team Liberty holds block party

By Lea Victoria Juarez said. “We’re there by the people, so we have to act for hat unites the men the people.” of Team Liberty is Palmview resident and their connection to friend Alex Cantu hosted the community, according to the slate party with his wife State Representative Oscar at Encantado Circle. Cars Longoria (D-35). lined the street, around the Team Liberty consists of corner and filled the empty Longoria, Precinct 3 Com- lot across the street from the missioner Joe Flores, Jus- home where music sounded tice of the Peace Luis Gar- for the backyard party. za (Place 1), Justice of the Each candidate took their Peace Marcos Ochoa (Place turn on the mic, thanking the 2) and Tax Assessor & Col- guests and briefly promoting lector Pablo “Paul” Villar- their platform. It’s not the real. The slate also includes team’s first gathering and it 398th District judge candi- won’t be the last. Longoria, date Keno Vasquez and state who is running unopposed, representative (D-36) candi- said the members stay in date Abraham Padron. communication and priori“We understand that tize their availability to the we’re politicians but at the public. very essence, we’re just reg“Any little barbecue or ular people that got elected shindig that’s done, we try to to these spots,” Longoria reach out and meet with ev-

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erybody so we can see what their interests and concerns are,” the state representative said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, what your position is within the community, your voice will be heard.”

Padron, who is running against State Representative Sergio Muñoz, said he is trying to stress the importance of his position to community members who may not know the job of a state representative. He is focusing especially on voters between ages 18 and 29 because that demographic has the lowest voter turnout rate, according to the United States Elections Project.

Team Liberty’s goal is to allow people to meet the candidates, so they can be more educated about who they are voting for.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re young, old, rich, whatever; you still have one vote,” Padron said. “It’s a precious vote that you have.

We need to make sure that we use.”

Commissioner Joe Flores, who is running against the young gun Daniel Diaz, said he feels the team members will get majority votes because Liberty’s unity derives from their willingness to do right by the people.

“I think we’re all going to win,” Flores said. “I’m very positive and I feel that the people are going to come out and make a difference for us.”

Early voting is Feb. 14 and Election Day is March 7.

Local mariachis prepare for contest season T

By Lea Victoria Juarez

hree mariachis in the area qualified for the Texas Association of Mariachi Educators’ state competition, Feb. 6 in San Antonio.

Los Coyotes from La Joya High School, Los Lobos from Palmview High School and Mariachi Toros de Plata from Mission Veterans Memorial High School sent in recordings to a panel of judges in December and received news on Sunday that they qualified for the all-state contest.

But it’s not the only state competition for which the groups have to prepare.

For the first year ever, the Universal Interscholastic League is holding a mariachi competition known as the Spring Mariachi Festival Pilot. The qualifying contest is Feb. 27, and every high school varsity mariachi will compete to advance to the state competition, March 11 and March 12. The UIL competitions are not affiliated with the TAME contest.

ROYAL RECEPTION BALL Saturday, January 23 7 p.m.-12 a.m.

Mission Community Center 1420 E Kika de la Garza $50 per person ROYAL CORONATION OF KING CITRUS & QUEEN CITRIANNA Thursday, January 28, 7 P.M. $5 General Seating, $10 Reserved Mission High School Neuhaus Gym 1802 W Cleo Dawson St. PARADE OF ORANGES Saturday, January 30 Line up starts at 11 a.m. on 2 Mile Line and Conway, Parade starts at 3 p.m.

Along Conway Ave. from FM 495, South to 4th St. FUN FAIR EVENTS FIESTA FUN FAIR SATURDAY, January 30 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Leo Pena Plazita 9th St. (Business 83) & Conway Free Admission Food Vendors, Arts & Crafts, Entertainment VAQUERO COOK-OFF All Day at Leo Pena Plazita 9th St. (Business 83) & Conway

Mariachi Toros de Plata from Mission Veterans Memorial High School

“Mariachi has been struggling for years to be recognized as a viable source of music,” said Ruben Adame, the La Joya ISD Fine Arts Director. “UIL has taken a stance in recognizing the fact that mariachi music is an integral part of what many of our young musicians are exposed to at many of the high schools all over the state.”

The La Joya ISD mariachi program was founded in 1982

by Emilio Cantu; it was the first of its kind in the Valley.

Adame has been in music education since 1985 and said there weren’t many mariachi programs back then, but there has been an “enormous”

amount of interest since then.

“Probably because of universities that have mariachi programs (and) the involvement of professional mariachis in the mariachi movement in the state...those things have pushed mariachi to the forefront,” Adame said.

The TAME competition is a head-to-head contest that ranks each mariachi based on final score, tallied by the panel of judges.

For UIL competition, each mariachi will be evaluated on their individual performance based on a rubric that has been established by UIL. Within those rubrics, they’re awarded the division between 1 and 5.

Liverpool Legends return to the Valley

INDEX

PRODUCT COSTUME SHOW Saturday, January 16, 2 p.m.

Mission Community Center 1420 E Kika de la Garza Tickets $5 per person

In addition, judges can select special awards such as outstanding soloist or section.

Adame said the difference in scoring shouldn’t affect the way the mariachis prepare for contest.

“Ultimately, you’re trying to be the best that you can be in whatever you’re preparing,” the fine arts director said. “The head-to-head competition is more stressful because you’re trying to beat someone. With UIL, you’re trying to be the best that you can be and trying to put out the best product that you can put out there.”

FIESTA FUN RUN Call 956-580-8760 Mission Parks & Recreation MISSION HISTORICAL MUSEUM Fiesta Display 900 Doherty, Mission 956-580-8646 HEART OF AMERICA CARNIVAL January 21-31 FM 495 & Conway.

FIESTA TICKET OFFICE 220 E. 9th Street, Mission Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

For information call (956) 585-9724 or visit www.texascitrusfiesta.org

INSIDE

Mission double homicide leads to investigation

Lady Eagles coach has home court advantage

The Grammy nominated Beatles tribute band will hold two performances in Edinburg and Harlingen on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23.

An unknown disturbance that occurred at a home in rural Mission resulted in an apparent shooting around 3 p.m., Dec. 26.

Mission High school alum Roy Garcia has returned to the same basketball court he played in for four years.

See story page 2

See story page 6

See story page 8

Entertainment | pg. 2

Lifestyle | pg. 3

Opinion | pg. 4

Sports | pg. 8

Obituaries | pg.10

Classifieds | pg. 11

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entertainment

Liverpool Legends in the RGV for two shows only

DINBURG – Get ready to step back in time with the Liverpool Legends bring back the era when the Beatles were at the top of the charts and John, Paul, Ringo and George wowed the music world. The Beatles changed music around the world.

They will be in the Valley for two performances—on Jan. 22 at the Edinburg City Auditorium and on Jan. 23 at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium. The show begins at 8 p.m., and doors open at 7:30 p.m. There will be entertainment and beverages outside before the show.

The Grammy nominated Liverpool Legends were handpicked by Louise Harrison, sister of the late George Harrison. The group was selected for their voices, musical abilities and uncanny resemblance to the original Beatles they portrayed. They are the only

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Beatles tribute show with a family tie back to the original Beatles.

The Liverpool Legends have performed their show for 10 years in Branson, Mo. where they have been named Best New Show, Best Show and twice were voted the Visitors Choice Award for Best Show.

When not performing in Branson, they are on the road nationally and internationally to sold out shows.

They have performed at the Rose Bowl, recreated a concert done by the Beatles in Busch Stadium and headlined at International Beatles Week in Liverpool, England where 100,000 Beatles fans crowded onto Victoria Street to hear them perform.

Prices range from $39 balcony to $55 for prime seats. For tickets, call Ticket Zone at 956-631-1411 or go to topboxtickets.com.

Showdown at Santa Maria: Man vs. Bull

By Kathy Olivarez

A GLORIA – The next bullfight at Santa Maria Bullring will be seeing bulls from the same lineage as those that were used 1500 years ago in Spain where the art of bullfighting originated. According to Fred Renk, owner, the bulls are four years old and full grown weighing up to 400 kilos.

The upcoming bullfight on Sunday, Jan. 10, features highly-acclaimed matador Cesar Casteñeda, currently the fourth ranked bullfighter in Mexico, and Leal Montalvo of Monterrey, who is trying to unseat Casteñeda. The

bulls they will be fighting are the biggest ever fought at the Santa Maria Bullring, said Renk. They are the grandsons of Clarenero, the bull who was pardoned in Spain over 15 years ago.

No fighting bull is ever used twice in the ring. “They learn as much in 20 minutes in the ring as an adult learns in 20 years. If you put them in the ring with a matador a second time, they’ll get you,” said Renk.

The difference between fighting in Mexico and in the United States is that it is much more dangerous. In the United States bullfights are bloodless. There can be no lancing of the bull to

lower blood pressure or going for the kill at the end. In the United States, the matador must grab a rose taped to the kill spot on the bull’s back – signifying the kill.

Tickets for this Sunday’s bullfight are available at the Progress Times, 1217 N. Conway, in Mission, 5854893, and at Border Tire at Business 83 and Mayberry Rd., Mission or calling 5858473. Reservations can be made by calling the bullring at 481-3300. The gates open at 1 p.m. The bullfight begins at 4 p.m. sharp. Food and beverages are available at the concession stand.

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Longest Causeway 10K Run/5K Walk is Jan. 9

ORT ISABEL – The 32nd annual Longest Causeway Run and Fitness Walk will be held Jan. 9 starting in Port Isabel.

Everyone who finishes the 10K Run/5K Walk will receive a finisher metal.

The 10K race offers cash prizes awarded for first, second and third place overall winners and first, second and third place winners in each division, both male and female. Age groups range from under 13 to 80-plus in five-year increments.

Prize awards range from $200 to $500. The awards ceremony will be held immediately following the race and scoring at Louie’s Backyard.

The 10K race course starts at the Port Isabel Community Center, 213 Yturria Street. It ends at the tented area in front of Louie’s Backyard, 2305 Laguna Blvd., South Padre Island.

The 5K fitness walk starts at the Port Isabel Community Center and finishes at the Father Balli statue on South Padre Island. This is a fitness walk, and no prizes will be awarded to those who finish first. No pets are allowed during the race/walk.

Registration for the 10K run is $30, while registration for the 5K fitness walk is $25. Participants may check in at the Port Isabel Chamber Monday through Thursday, the week on the

Coming Attractions January 9

• The Hidalgo Watercolor Society’s (HWS) annual watercolor exhibit opens with an artist’s reception from 7 to 9 p.m. in the gallery at 921 East 12th St., Mission. The public is invited to view the works of local and Winter Texan artists at the free event. The exhibit runs through Feb. 5. Gallery hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

January 10

• The Rio Grande Valley Concert Band will perform at Tip-O’ Texas RV Park in Pharr at 3 p.m. For now and in the future, musicians with band performance experience are invited to join. The band has a special need for players of clarinets, flutes and percussion instruments. Contact Gene Goede, director, at 682-9225 for information.

January 15-17

• “Monster Jam” trucks will be ripping through State Farm Arena in five huge shows. Start times are 7:30 p.m. all three dates, with 2 p.m. shows on Saturday and Sunday. The Pit Party on Saturday is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Trucks scheduled to appear include Grave Digger, Team Hot Wheels, El Toro Loco, Monster Mutt Dalmatian, Zombie Hunter, Captain’s Curse, Doom’s Day and Mad Scientist.

Tickets for all events range from $10 to $52 and are available at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

Prices go up $2 the day of the event. Pit Party passes are available at participating Metro PCS locations or through the State Farm Arena box office.

January 21

“Conjunto Nights at the Chicho” takes place at 6:45 p.m. at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, 225 E. Stenger Street, San Benito. Suggested admission is $5. For information, contact Soledad A. Nunez at 244-0373.

January 22

• Emmanuel and Mijares will be performing at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 to $175 per person and available at ticketmaster. com or by calling 800-745-3000.

January 23

• The Marine Military Academy Boxing Tournament will be held in Peacher Hall on the MMA campus; first match begins at 2 p.m. The entry fee for spectators is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. This is the first boxing tournament for MMA to host in 25 years and is dedicated to Sgt. Maj. Fred Robertson, head boxing coach and former drill instructor at MMA. Robertson, a Marine who has worked at MMA since July 1987, will retire for the second time in his life at the end of the school year. MMA is located at 320 Iwo Jima Blvd.

For information, call 423-6006.

January 24

• The Rio Grande Valley Concert Band will perform at Rio Valley Estates in Weslaco at 3 p.m. For now and in the future, musicians with band performance experience are invited to join. The band has a special need for players of clarinets, flutes and percussion instruments. Contact Gene Goede, director, at 682-9225 for information.

(To see the complete Coming Attractions calendar, go to www.ptrgv.com.)

event. The chamber will be closed Friday to prepare for the event.

Early registration has concluded. Late registration will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, and from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Port Isabel Community Center. The 10K is $35 for runners and $25 for walkers. No credit cards can be used during late registration. There will be no refunds. Timing chips and bibs will be handed out at late registration on Friday and Saturday at the community center.

Participants are encouraged to park at Louie’s Backyard and take the early shuttle back to Port Isabel.

There will be shuttles running back to Port Isabel, but expect long delays due to heavy traffic.

Varela exhibit opens

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cALLEN – The International Museum of Art & Science, in cooperation with the McAllen Public Library, presents the artwork of local artist Benjamin Varela. His work, “Urban Landscape that Speaks the Hopes of Humanity” will be on view at the McAllen Public Library lobby through March 4. For more information, call the museum at 682-0123 for more information.

Palmview High in ‘Grease’ musical

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A JOYA – The Palmview High School Interact Theatre & Lobo Choir will present the stage musical “Grease” this weekend, Jan. 8 to10. It will be staged at the Alejandro H. Saenz Performing Arts Center, 604 N. Coyote St., La Joya.

Performances will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are $6 per person, available at the door.

The time-honored musical of youthful relationship angst and coming of age was originally written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The Palmview High production is directed by Yadira Gonzalez, with musical direction

by Esperanza Medina and technical direction by Isidro Martinez.

For information, call Velma Cisneros at 323-2898.

lifestyle

Tickets on sale for Fiesta Luncheon Jan. 28

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ISSION - The Mission Historical Museum will host the History of the Texas Citrus Fiesta Luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 12 p.m. at the MHM annex, 200 E. Tom Landry.

The Texas Citrus Fiesta has remained an exciting celebration since its beginnings in 1932. At that time, Mission civic leaders decided to promote the citrus industry through a festival featuring decorated streets and store windows, a parade, coronation of a king and queen, a court with ladies-in-waiting, a queen’s ball, exhibits for citrus growers, and a variety of contests and activities.

Today, TCF directors continue the traditional events and others added since 1932. The creativity inspired by the festival, the recognition of regional participants, and the experienced planning needed to

accommodate thousands of residents and visitors combine to make Mission’s annual Texas Citrus Fiesta a premier event in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Join the MHM staff when Karen Gerhardt Fort, author of various history books on the Rio Grande Valley including Mission and the Texas Citrus Fiesta, presents the unique account of a celebration that has been a unique part of Mission’s history. Both books are currently available for purchase at the museum.

Tickets for the luncheon are $12. They can be purchased at the museum during regular hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seating is limited.

MHM is located at 900 Doherty. For questions or additional information, call 580-8646.

January 8, 2016

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

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Mission Quilt Show starts Jan. 9

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Knights to serve up sirloin BBQ

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Quilt Guild offers classes

he Mission Historical Museum’s annual Mission Quilt Show, beginning this Saturday, Jan. 9, will present 23 quilts in three categories: machine-made bed quilts, handcrafted bed quilts and wall hangings. The quilters are vying for awards, and MHM patrons can vote for their favorite with the Visitor’s Choice award.

On Friday, Feb. 5, the annual awards show will be nights of Columbus Council 2698 in Mission will serve up a Texas-sized barbecue luncheon on Sunday, Jan. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be served up at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 1119 N. Francisco Ave., in Mission.

Plates are take-out only

he Rio Grande Valley Quilt Guild will be offering classes as part of their “Schoolhouse” program. The classes held on Fridays, run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Texas College campus in Weslaco, Building G. Classes are $10 for members and $35 for non-members. The $25 pays for membership in the RGV Quilt Guild.

On Jan. 15, Sharon DeGarimore will present “Hand Carved Quilting

held at 2 p.m. with a special “Turning of the Quilts” program. Anyone who has an antique quilt they would like shown, can contact museum archivist Vernon Weckbacher at 534-5679 or stop by the museum.

Located at 900 Doherty, the museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.

for $8 each. Each plate has slow-cooked, sliced top sirloin butt, coleslaw, ranch beans and trimmings.

Tickets may be purchased at the St. Paul’s Catholic Church office, or at the door on the day of the barbecue.

All funds will be used for the Knights’ philanthropic efforts in the community.

Stamps.” There is an extra $3.50 for this session to pay for quilting supplies.

On Feb. 5, Carol Hovar will present “Little Bunny Foo Foo,” incorporating rabbit making into quilting, March 4, Nancy Reisinger will teach “Sunburst Flowers: No Sew Applique.”

These classes are part of the ongoing series “RGVQG Schoolhouse.” For more information contact Karen Kill at schoolhousergvqg@ gmail.com.

All Valley RV Show is Jan. 14-16

1932 Texas Citrus Fiesta Queen Citriana I Marguerite Daniel

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Between the Bookends

By William Renner oin us at Speer Memorial Library in Mission, on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m., for a discussion of “one of the greatest forgotten stories of World War II,” “The Secret Rescue.” It takes place in the library’s Community Room and is open to the public.

In November, 1943, a group of American nurses and medics of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron board a military transport plane on a mission to evacuate wound-

Dorothy Lund presents story of ‘Orphan Train Riders”

Dorothy A. Lund Nelson will present a program on the “Orphan Train Riders” on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 1:30 p.m. at Fiesta Village, 205 S. Stewart Rd. Doors open at 1 p.m. Open to the general public and to all ages, admission is $5. Fiesta Village is located at 205 S. Stewart Rd. in Mission.

Because of the popularity of this event, the park will host her in a repeat of the program on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

For over 30 years, Lund has continued to keep the story alive as she shares the amazing story of over 200,000 children being “placed out” across the United States by train. Though this is a great American story of an unusual and monumental migration across the country, it is not in the history books; only recently have novels been written about these children.

Lund, a former teacher and activities director for long term care, has a lively and interactive way for all to experience the adoption or indenture process in the period of 1854-1929.

The National Headquarters for Orphan Train information is located in Concordia, Kan. At their 2011 National meeting, she was presented the “Volunteer Lifetime Award” for “someone who has been involved for 15 years or more and continuously supports the work of the National Orphan Train Complex and Museum.”

ed troops from the front lines of combat in Italy.

Pushed off course by a powerful storm, their plane is forced to land in Nazi-occupied Albania. They must survive severe winter weather as well as evade capture by enemy forces.

Sick and hungry, the group wanders through mountainous terrain, aided by villagers who risk their own lives to help them. Meanwhile, Allied military officials are planning a daring rescue attempt.

The Secret Rescue, written by Cate Lineberry and first published in 2013, revives the forgotten story of the stranded medical team,

The annual All Valley RV & Outdoor Show will be held Jan.14-16 at the Mercedes Livestock Showgrounds in Mercedes. The show opens 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and admission is $5 per person.

One of the largest shows of its kind in the United States, it is put on by the Texas Recreational Vehicle Association.

For the second year in a row, it has expanded from RVs and mobile homes to include a variety of equipbringing to light details that had been kept secret for decades.

Copies of the book are available to those who sign up for the book discussion.

For more information, or to sign up, call 580-8750.

Speer Memorial Library is located at 12th St. and Kika De La Garza in Mission.

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ment and vehicles that might appeal to RV and motor home owners wanting to enjoy the outdoors and RV lifestyle with items ranging from towable vehicles and motorcycles to boats to storage sheds and trailers.

Vendors will also be on hand offering food and drink beverages for those wanting to linger.

Events Calendar

Jan uary 9 – The next monthly meeting of Aglow International Spanish Lighthouse Chapter of Mission will be held at Emmanuel Adult Day Care, 704 E. Griffin Parkway, Ste. 100, Mission, at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast. For more information, call Lisa Gomez at 776-8505; Delia Bazan, 240-5813; Gaby Rodriguez, 240-6607; and Connie Escamilla, 279-7887.

Jan uary 9 – Take the family to the Edinburg World Birding Center for a presentation to learn how some birds got their names and what makes them interesting. Choose from one of two sessions: 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. During the morning session, learn how bird characteristics, location and natural history help scientists name birds. Families are invited to attend the afternoon session, which will include a presentation of some folklore tales that contributed to how some birds got their names. Admission is $3 for adults; $2 for senior citizens, students and children; and free for ages 5 and under. Reservations are recommended. The EWBC is located at 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd. For more information, call 381-9922.

Jan uary 9 – San Benito Market Days, with local vendors, live music and food, takes place in downtown San Benito from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Batts Street at the railroad tracks.

Jan uary 14 – Learn the songs of birds and birding-by-ear from Cliff Shackelford at 6 p.m. at Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center, 600 Sunset in McAllen. Shackelford has been the statewide nongame ornithologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife for almost 19 years.

Admission is $5 per person. For information, call 6813370.

Jan uary 14 – Take a tour the Museum of South Texas History during the MOSTHistory Happy Hour from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with beverages, appetizers, live music and a historic tour of the 1910 Jail. The program will include a historic tour of the 1910 Jail before renovations begin and a chance to view several artifacts and documents from the museum’s collections. Tickets, in advance only, are $10 for individuals 21 and over, and limited guests will be admitted. RSVP tickets can be purchased at the museum’s admissions desk or over the phone with a major credit card at 363-6911. The museum is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd. in Edinburg Jan uary 14 – Head to the Edinburg World Birding Center at 6 p.m. to sit by the fire, enjoy snacks and learn the facts and myths about moths. Reservations required by Jan. 13; seating is limited. Admission is $3 for members; $5 non-members. The EWBC is located at 714 S. Raul Longoria. Call 381-9922 for info.

Jan uary 15 – Luciano Guerra from Mission presents “Birding Texas Style” at 6 p.m. at the Edinburg World Birding Center. Admission is free. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Seats are limited; call to reserve a spot. The EWBC is located at 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd. For info, call 381-9922.

Jan uary 16 – Aglow International McAllen Community Lighthouse will host a complimentary prayer breakfast at 9:30 a.m. For location and directions, contact Criselda Alvarado, president, at 534-7941 or via email at Criseldalvarado@gmail.com. This month’s speaker is Isabel Segovia, minister at Abundant Grace Community Church in Edinburg and is a professional trainer, mediator and facilitator. She serves on the Aglow International Area Board of South Texas as vice president of Lighthouse Development.

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By Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS

Texas sues EPA over new ozone standards

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January 8, 2016

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USTIN — The State of Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Dec. 23 filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its new ozone standards rule.

Eight other states have filed separate lawsuits against the new rule: Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin.

On Dec. 28, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton explained his reasoning for state’s taking legal action, saying the EPA “has lowered the ozone standard placed on states to a level that is inappropriate and unrealistic and is based on flawed science” and the changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard would impose a serious financial burden on the Texas economy for dubious public health benefit.

“Areas of the country that fail to comply with these impossible standards will be subject to costly new regulations that will harm our economy and kill jobs,” Paxton said, adding: “Texas has proven that we can reduce ambient ozone concentrations without stifling growth, and my office will continue to defend our state from the EPA’s harmful and overreaching regulations.”

Disaster is proclaimed Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 27 certified that the severe winter weather and tornadoes that began on Dec. 26 caused a disaster in Collin, Dallas, Ellis and Rockwall counties. On Dec. 31, Abbott added Wichita County to the list.

Abbott declared a disaster in those counties, and in doing so, authorized the use of “all available resources

of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster.”

The National Weather Service reported 12 tornadoes were confirmed within a matter of hours in the North Texas region in the afternoon and evening of Dec. 26, and 11 deaths were attributed to those tornadoes. In calendar year 2015, the NWS reported 76 tornadoes in North and Central Texas, the most on record since the agency began keeping detailed records of tornadoes in 1950.

In other disaster-related news, on Dec. 24, Abbott announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency had granted his request for 16 counties affected by severe weather in October.

Those counties include: Bastrop, Bosque, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Hidalgo, Hill, Jasper, Liberty, Navarro, Newton, Travis, Walker, Willacy and Wilson.

AG issues scam warning Attorney General Paxton on Dec. 28 cautioned Texans “to be aware of disaster scams in the wake of a disaster declaration in four North Texas counties.”

“As our communities work to rebuild and recover from the storms, my office will work diligently to protect Texans from scams perpetrated by those who look to take advantage of our citizens in these unfortunate circumstances. The loss of lives as a result of these deadly storms is a tragedy for our state, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” Paxton said.

Under state law, once the governor issues a declaration, vendors are prohibited

from charging exorbitant prices for necessities such as drinking water, food, batteries, generators, towing, clothing, medicine, lodging, repair work and fuel during and after the crisis, Paxton added.

New TxDOT chief named The Texas Transportation Commission on Dec. 17 announced its selection of James Bass as the Texas Department of Transportation’s new executive director, effective Jan. 1.

Bass has been serving as the agency’s chief financial officer since 2005. He began his TxDOT career in 1985, working summers in the Fort Worth District and as an engineer aide in the Austin District while earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of Texas at Austin. In November 1999, Bass was selected as finance division director of TxDOT before becoming chief financial officer.

Agency approves projects The Texas Transportation Commission, at its December meeting, approved 34 roadway improvement projects using Proposition 1 funding.

Proposition 1, approved last November by Texas voters, dedicates a portion of oil and gas tax revenue to the state highway fund.

Commissioners so far have approved final contract awards on 165 of more than 200 planned Proposition 1 projects across the state.

The projects, totaling more than $520 million worth of roadway construction, rehabilitation and restoration, will enhance the safety, mobility and connectivity in our state, the agency stated in a Dec. 23 news release.

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TEXAS

ongress is often characterized as a place of partisan bickering and gridlock—where debate and partisan rancor is widespread, but little is actually accomplished. Too often, this assessment has proven accurate. But last fall, the American people decided to change that, sending a Republican majority to the U.S. Senate. Since January, and under Republican leadership, the Senate has delivered on our promise to pass legislation to help American families, grow our economy, and keep us safe.

At the beginning of the 114th Congress, I introduced the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act—legislation aimed at defeating the scourge of human trafficking in this country. Human trafficking is a horrendous practice that, tragically, can be found in every state. Fortunately, members in both parties, and in both Chambers, understood the great need to urgently fight this reprehensible practice.

Legislators from across the political spectrum united under a common cause: to help victims of modern-day slavery recover and rebuild their lives. In the spring, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act passed with 99 votes in the Senate, and paved the way for these brave survivors—some young children—to find a path to healing. It’s now the law of the land.

Congress also tackled major issues concerning our national security. This fall, both Chambers overwhelmingly passed the National Defense

John Cornyn TIMES

Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA is integral to ensuring that our military is resourced, trained and ready for action when called upon.

And in the wake of several serious security breaches of federal government computer servers over the summer—and the brazen theft of the personal information of millions of Americans—the clear need for robust cyber security legislation became even more apparent. So, the Senate passed the Cyber Information Sharing Act to give the public and private sectors the tools to act more nimbly when attacks are detected.

We’ve also passed legislation to grow our economy not just for today, but for years down the road. In June, Congress passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation. TPA is a blueprint for pending and future trade negotiations—one that ensures that American farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers get the best deal possible. By setting the ground rules on agreements with countries in Asia, Latin America, and Europe, TPA opens doors of opportunity to our country’s businesses around the world, and is essential to growing our economy.

But perhaps the most significant achievement was confronting entrenched policy problems that proved too divisive or complicated to tackle in the past.

In April, Congress came together to bring about much-needed reform to the payment system for doctors who treat Medicare patients.

The legislation preserved

seniors’ access to care, and ended years of uncertainty for physicians.

Congress also passed the first significant education reform since 2001. The Every Student Succeeds Act ensures that parents, teachers, and local school boards will hold the reins to their children’s education, not the federal government.

And for the first time in more than a decade, Congress passed a multi-year transportation bill—the result of hard work across party lines over the course of this year. Passage of this bill marked an end to years of short-term extensions, and will allow states the freedom and flexibility to plan for and deliver major transportation and infrastructure projects across the country. This will help make our nation’s transportation system safer and more efficient, and lays the groundwork for even greater economic growth.

Last fall, Republicans set the bar high for the new Senate majority. We pledged to get back to work, and to create and pass substantive pieces of legislation. We did that, and proved that inaction didn’t have to be the norm.

Effective governance and principled leadership doesn’t shy away from confronting long-standing, seemingly intractable policy problems head-on.

As we look to the year ahead, our work is far from over. But by keeping the American people in the drivers’ seat, we will continue to deliver real solutions for our country.

Preventing cervical cancer – vaccinations and screenings

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By Dr. Ana M. Rodriguez

anuary is Cervical Health Awareness Month — a time to focus public attention on the need for women across the country to get screened for cervical cancer and for boys and girls to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus when they are eligible.

All women are at risk for cervical cancer. It occurs most often in women over age 30, with approximately 12,000 women in the United States diagnosed annually.

Of these women, about 4,000 will die, most of whom never received the HPV vaccination or did not receive regular screenings for the illness.

Texas has one of the highest rates of HPV-related cervical cancer in the nation.

Hispanic women have the highest rate of cervical cancer of any ethnic group, with rates about 60 percent higher than those of non-Hispanic whites. Women living in the Rio Grande Valley have a 30 percent higher incidence and mortality rate from cervical cancer than those living in other parts of the state or country.

Fortunately, cervical cancer is one of the most easily preventable cancers. Pap and HPV testing, coupled with appropriate treatment for abnormal or precancerous cells, can prevent cervical cancer before it develops.

HPV vaccination can prevent the disease as well.

According to the National Cancer Institute, widespread adoption of a three-dose HPV vaccination for all boys and girls ages 11 to 12 has the potential to reduce cervical cancer deaths around the world by as much as twothirds.

Unfortunately, widespread adoption of HPV vaccination has not occurred in Texas or the United States.

The 2012 National Immunization Survey reports only 30 percent of Texas females aged 13 to 17 received all three doses of HPV vaccine.

Nationally, the rate is only slightly higher at 33 percent.

The goal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 80 percent adherence by 2020.

As an investigator with the Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas project, I am part of an interdisciplinary group of researchers examining important questions about cancer screening and the quality of treatment, follow up and ongoing supportive care for cancer patients and survivors in Texas.

I am currently working with colleagues at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center on proposals to develop HPV vaccination programs serving predominantly high-risk populations in Texas. Other countries that have implemented strong HPV vaccina-

tion programs have at least 70 percent of children vaccinated.

Let’s work together to prevent cervical cancer.

Make sure your children receive the three-dose HPV vaccine at the appropriate age. Schedule regular cervical cancer screenings if you are a woman over age 21.

Vaccinations and screenings do work!

Ana M. Rodriguez is an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

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1217 N. Conway • Mission, TX (956) 585-4893 MEMBER 2015

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

The Progress Times (USPS 971-420; ISSN 0890-2666) is published each Friday by Mission Publishing Co., 1217 N. Conway, Mission, Texas 78572, (956) 585-4893. Subscriptions $20 annual in Hidalgo County; $25 outside of Hidalgo County. Second class postage paid in Mission, Texas 78572. ©2015 Mission Publishing Company, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the PROGRESS TIMES, P.O. Box 399, Mission Texas 78573.

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

January 8, 2016

Texas open carry law now in effect

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By Brittany Asbury eople are likely to see more openly carried handguns throughout Texas, following the open carry law that went into effect Jan. 1.

House Bill 910 allows handgun owners in Texas to obtain a license to openly carry a firearm if using a shoulder or hip holster.

Those who already hold a Concealed Handgun License can open carry without requiring an additional license. No additional fee or training is required for those who hold a concealed carry license as of Jan 1. However, training for new applicants will include proper use of holsters and secure carrying of open handguns.

The Texas Department of Public Safety website states an Open Carry License is obtained in the same manner as a concealed carry license.

Eligibility requirements for applicants: • must be 21 years of age or older unless active duty military • may not have any felony or some misdemeanor convictions • may also be disqualified for chemical or alcohol dependency, certain psychological disorders and restraining orders The standard fee is $140 for a new application, or $70 for a renewal application.

Various discounts or exemptions may apply, such as fees of $70 and $35 respectively for a new or renewed application by a senior citizen (at least 60 years old when applying) and at no cost at all for active military.

Restrictions There are restrictions on where handguns can be taken, but most places will have a sign posted to indicate a gun-free zone.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, carrying a handgun of any kind, open or con-

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cealed, is still not allowed in places that specifically deny entry with an open or concealed handgun. This includes courthouses, bars, racetracks, theme parks, any polling place during elections and airports.

Businesses can either post separate signs in both English and Spanish denying entrance to concealed or openly carried handguns, or are legally able to ask carriers to leave the premises. Businesses may also call law enforcement to ask handgun carriers to leave.

Whataburger, H-E-B, Target, Starbucks, Chipotle, Chili’s and Sonic have already announced their nogun policy.

Handguns, concealed or not, are currently not allowed on college or university property, but that will soon change.

Campus Carry Law Senate Bill 11, known as Campus Carry, extends specific rights to carriers of licensed concealed handguns beginning August 1, 2016. This new law will allow a licensed person to carry a concealed handgun on the grounds of colleges and universities. However, the law allows the president or other executives of the colleges and universities to create gun-free zones on campus and rules that carriers of concealed handguns will have to follow while on campus grounds. Storage of licensed handguns in university or college-controlled residences are also under the authority of the president and executives of the campus.

Visitor regulations Winter Texans and other out-of-state visitors may be interested to know that Texas has a reciprocal or unilateral agreement with most states to honor out-of-state concealed carry licenses; a complete map can be found at the website of the Texas Department of Public Safe-

ty. A reciprocal agreement means that residents from Texas can carry concealed in the other states, and non-Texans can carry either open or concealed in Texas.

Eleven other states have a unilateral agreement with Texas, which means that while residents of those states with a Concealed Handgun License may carry either openly or concealed while in Texas, Texans with a CHL will have to reapply in those states in order to carry a concealed handgun.

The states are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington.

There are six states – Oregon, Minnesota, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Wisconsin – who have no agreement at all with Texas, and residents from these six states may not carry concealed (or open) in Texas without applying for a license, just as Texans must also apply for a license to carry a concealed handgun if traveling in those states.

Lea Victoria Juarez contributed to this article.

Texas Officials Criticize Executive Order on Guns

By Matthew Watkins, The Texas Tribune Texas’ elected leaders lashed out Tuesday at President Obama’s executive orders prompting more background checks during gun purchases. But those officials offered no specifics on how they planned to fight Obama’s actions, and some gun rights advocates dismissed the president’s proposals as mostly insignificant.

While Gov. Greg Abbott said that Obama “trampled” on the Bill of Rights, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the ideas “political posturing and more propaganda.” But no immediate official action was announced by state leaders.

“Despite the President’s latest attempt to undermine our liberty,” Abbott said in a statement, “Texas will take every action to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Texas has a penchant for suing over Obama’s executive orders. But it’s unclear whether there are any plans in the works. Any lawsuit would probably be filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Asked if the AG’s

office was pursuing one, Paxton spokeswoman Cynthia Meyer said the office was “keeping a close eye on the issue.”

Paxton said in a statement that he stood ready “to fight back against any overreach that will deny or infringe on” the rights of gun owners.

In a post on his Facebook page, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said the announcement showed “why we need to elect a Republican President who will not overstep his authority and who will protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Obama tearfully announced his executive actions from the East Room of the White House on Tuesday.

He said he plans to increase the number of vendors who are required to conduct criminal background checks when they sell guns. He said he will also hire more federal employees to handle those reviews and require dealers to inform federal authorities when a gun sold online is lost or stolen during transit.

Obama also ordered U.S. attorney’s offices across the state to step up their domestic violence prevention ef-

forts.

The Obama administration has said his actions are clarifications and interpretations of current law. No actions from Congress are needed. And the ideas are modest compared with new gun control laws that Obama has tried and failed to pass.

Edwin Walker, president of Texas Law Shield, which provides legal services to gun owners, agreed that the orders were simply a clarification of how the law should be interpreted and enforced.

Obama can’t add new restrictions, so the orders appear to be aimed for a purely political effect, Walker said.

“It really won’t change much,” he said. “However, what he is hoping it will do is ignite a fire” that spurs more legislative action on guns.

The state would only have a reason to sue if the Obama administration were ordering the states to do something different than what they are currently doing.

“I don’t see anything in his orders that would do that,” Walker said.

But Texas leaders said Obama is going too far.

police officers from outside the city to work their events on security detail,” Bermea said. “What the city manager wants is to have the local police department to care of it that way we know what’s going on.”

The application fee for the permit will be $30, not including the fee for the officers, and it must be approved by either the police chief or the city manager.

The renewal fee will also be $30.

No action was taken on the item at the meeting because the ordinance needs to be read three times before any possible action.

The council approved

two resolutions -- authorization to surplus used items such as equipment and furniture, and the updates to the rotating schedule for towing and wrecker services.

A surplus auction is tentatively scheduled for early February. The city will eliminate all vehicles that have been seized and are currently stored, along with any kind of surplus that they have as far as police units and any equipment. City Manager Omar Romero said this is mostly to spare them the expense of storage units.

“This is just to eliminate the extra surplus that the city has gathered over the years,” Romero said to the

council. “A lot of it is obsolete, but the law requires that we have to declare it surplus and attempt to sell it before I bring you anything to declare obsolete for storage.”

Regarding the wrecker service schedule, when a vehicle is towed and impounded, a certain rotation is followed in order to not show favoritism to any specific towing business.

Council also approved a zoning variance for Lot 13 of the Barcelona Heights subdivision. The road will be extended anywhere from 2 feet to 3 feet up the curb to allow for the subdivision to grow.

See TEXAS OFFICIALS 12

Penitas city council meeting highlights

By Lea Victoria Juarez

The city council discussed ordinances, resolutions and zoning at the Jan. 6 meeting.

Residents of Penitas might soon have to acquire a permit for events where security guards will be on site.

On the city council’s agenda, was the first reading of the ordinance that requires off-duty police officers to work as security guards within the city limits.

Chief Roel Bermea said the reason for this was to ensure law enforcement is aware of the town’s happenings.

“We noticed when there’s events, people are hiring

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Mission double homicide leads to investigation

By Lea Victoria Juarez double homicide occurred in rural Mission Dec. 26, 2015.

The victims were identified as Rodrigo Villanueva Alvarez, 24, and Juan Camorlinga Torres, 43.

An unknown disturbance occurring at a home on the 6100 block of Dario Street was reported to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office around 3 p.m. When deputies arrived at the home, they discovered the bodies of the Alvarez and Torres with apparent gunshot wounds. Further search of the property resulted in the discovery of firearms, more than $50,000 and 37 bundles of marijuana, which were weighed at about 414 lbs.

Alvarez was living at the home where the shooting occurred, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office. Investigators believe

that Torres and other suspects went to the home in an attempt to steal the narcotics, leading to an exchange of gunfire between them and the persons at the home.

Sheriff’s investigators have identified two of the suspects that arrived at the home with Torres -- 37-yearold Alberto Garcia Ocañas and 50-year-old Ramon Aguilar Jr. Both Ocañas and Aguilar are wanted by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office on warrants for capital murder.

The investigators released a video of the incident to the public, which is posted on the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office facebook page. The video has no sound.

The video opens up on a blue car under a canopy, a man in yellow sitting on a bench next to the car and a man in blue sitting in the passenger seat of the car.

At the 3:33:00 video time-

stamp, the man in yellow looks up, motions to the man in blue, who then gets out of the front passenger seat.

The two look to the same direction and break into a run toward the left side of the screen, outside of camera view.

Just as the two are exiting to the left side of the screen,

a man in a long sleeve button up shirt runs across from the right side of the screen, pointing a gun in the direction the first two men ran.

The man in the long sleeve button up disappears to the left of the screen, out of camera view, and three more men run in from the right side of the screen and follow the di-

rection of the other men.

At the 3:33:14 timestamp, none of the men are in the camera frame. Exactly one second later, three men come from the left side of the screen and run to the right, looking back from the direction they came. The man in yellow nor the man in blue are part of this group.

One of the men appears to be

out of context or misunderstood, leaving a false impression of their actions and motives.

“Some of the local governments in the Valley and in my legislative district already were providing this and other vital public information services, but now more of our elected leaders are going to do the same beginning this month,” Canales said. “This measure makes it state law that elected officials cannot take away the right of the people to see for themselves on the Internet what is being said and done in their name.”

As finally approved by the Legislature during the spring of 2015 and signed into law

by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 17, 2015, HB 283 applies to “district board of trustees for a school district that has a student enrollment of 10,000 or more, an elected governing body of a home-rule municipality that has a population of 50,000 or more, or a county commissioners court for a county that has a population of 125,000,” according to the legislation.

This law also covers met-

ropolitan rapid transit authorities, regional transportation authorities, and municipal transit departments.

Canales said he encourages area elected leaders in the Valley, who represent smaller populations, to also put their meetings on the Internet, even if the new state law does not require them to do so.

“Technology has improved so much that a community can use even a smartphone to record, with good quality in the audio and video, their public meetings, and the costs to get it online, such as posting them on YouTube, is very little, if no cost,” the state lawmaker said. “Testimony on this law last spring found that a county in west Texas, with a population of 11,000, was already doing it.”

The main author of HB 283 was Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Frisco, with Canales serving as one of several coauthors, and the sponsor of the measure was Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe.

Key provisions of the law require the affected school districts, cities, counties,

metropolitan rapid transit authorities, regional transportation authorities, and municipal transit departments to: Make a video and • audio recording of reasonable quality of each regularly scheduled open meeting that is not a work session or a special called meeting; and • Make available an archived copy of the video and audio recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the Internet.

According to the bill analysis by the House Research Organization, which is the research arm of the House of Representatives: The law requires each regularly scheduled open meeting that was not a work session or special called meeting to be recorded and for an archived copy of the recording to be made available online.

The governmental bodies are not required to create a separate website for the purposes of the bill and instead may use an existing publicly accessible video sharing or social networking website to host the recordings.

A governmental body that

running and simultaneously shooting behind him. At 3:33:21 the frame is empty again.

The video cuts to another camera and the timestamp reads 3:34:10. The scene opens up on two vehicles -a two-door truck and type of SUV -- in the lower left corner of the screen. A man, who appears to be the man in the long sleeve button up, walks to the passenger side of the SUV, while the truck backs out.

From 3:34:13 to 3:35:23, the man in the long sleeve button up walks back and forth between the two vehicles, motioning to both drivers. He finally gets into the passenger side of the SUV and the two vehicles drive out of view at 3:35:34.

The Criminal Investigations Division can be contacted at 383-8114. Anonymous information can be given at 668-8477.

Public meetings must be videotaped, posted online

By David A. Díaz

E

January 8, 2016

Legislativemedia@aol.com

ditor’s note: This article has been edited for length and clarity.

The key public meetings of elected governmental bodies in the larger school districts, cities and counties in Texas, including many in the Valley, must now be videotaped in their entirety and made available on the Internet under a state law coauthored by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, which went into effect on January 1, 2016.

“House Bill 283 will improve transparency and access to our government leaders by ensuring that recordings of open meetings are now easily available to the people,” said Canales.

“Many people do not have the available time to attend city council/commission, school board, and county commissioners court meet-

ings because they are working, spending time with their families, or lack access to transportation.”

During the public hearing on HB 283 held on Monday, May 11, 2015 before the House Committee on Government Transparency, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas announced its support for the goals of the legislation.

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, founded in 1978 and led by a volunteer board of directors, is a non-profit 301(c) (3) organization devoted to promoting open government and protection of the First Amendment rights of free speech and free press, according to its website.

The House District 40 legislator also said it was important for public officials to provide the unedited visual/ audio recordings of their actions on the Internet so their comments cannot be taken

O

already maintains a website is required to provide links to the archived recording in a conspicuous manner on its website.

HB 283 requires that these recordings be made available online no later than seven days after the meeting and would have to be available online for at least two years after the recording was first made available.

The law allows an exemption in the event of a technical breakdown, or a catastrophe that interfered with a governmental body’s ability to conduct a meeting as defined in Government Code, sec.

551.0411. After a breakdown or catastrophe, governmental bodies would be required to make all reasonable efforts to make recordings available in a timely fashion.

The law also allows governmental bodies to broadcast regularly scheduled open meetings on television.

The bill is effective on January 1, 2016 for that purpose, and applies only to an open meeting held on or after the effective date.

Mission FFA district-wide community challenge benefits local food pantries

ver the course of several weeks before the recent holiday break, the students and staff of Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) were encouraged to help the community in many ways. One way was through a special project planned and coordinated by the Mission High School FFA Chapter.

The district-wide community challenge consisted of a food drive to benefit the City of Mission Food Pantry and the food pantry run by the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.

After all the donated, non-perishable food was picked up from all the district schools and facilities, the FFA Chapter, city offi-

Pictured are district officials, city officials, pantry officials, and members of the Mission FFA Chapter before loading the donated food for delivery to the two food pantries; and a picture of what the donated food looked like as it was being brought to the Mission High School Ag Building to be counted and divided for donation. Courtesy photo cials, and church officials Mission High School, first High School, third. were shocked and very place; Mission Collegiate The Elementary campleased with the results. The High School, second; Roo- puses that collected the students and staff of Mission sevelt Alternative School, most were: Leal Elementary CISD donated 45,336 items. third.

School, first; Waitz ElemenThe donations are being split The junior high schools tary School, second; Bryan between the city and church that collected the most were: Elementary School, third. food pantries.

Mission Jr. High School, The top prizes for individThe high school campuses first; R. Cantu Jr. High ual elementary school homethat collected the most were: School, second; K. White Jr. rooms were: Edith Chapa, O’Grady Elementary School, first; Rene Garza, Pearson Elementary School, second; Gina Garza, Bryan Elementary School, third.

The top collections among the junior high school homeroom teachers were all from R. Cantu Jr. High School: Nichole Morales, first; Vanessa Salinas, second; Chris Barrera, third.

The top high school homeroom collections were all from Mission High School: Oneida Saenz, first; Silvia Lopez, second; Isela Gomez, third.

The non-teaching departments with the most collections were: Mission High School, first; Central Office, second.

Mission High School FFA Chapter members will get prizes earned by the winners of the district-wide community challenge delivered to the appropriate schools and classroom soon.

January 8, 2016

Hispanic Heritage Foundation Honors Local Student Jimmy Carter Early College High School senior Tabitha Uranga received a bronze award from The Hispanic Heritage Foundation. She was one of 21 award recipients at the Rio Grande Valley regional Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards ceremony on Dec. 10.

As the bronze medalist in the engineering and mathematics category, sponsored by ExxonMobil, Uranga was awarded a $1,000 scholarship to support her plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or criminal justice at The University of Texas at Austin.

Established by the White House in 1987, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) is an award-winning nonprofit that identifies, inspires, prepares and positions Latinos to lead in the classroom, community and workforce.

The Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards program offers educational grants to Hispanic high school seniors chosen by regional selection committees based on their academic achievement, leadership, community service, category focus and an essay about the important role their heritage played in their success.

MHS student qualifies for national Microsoft competition Mission High School senior, Jin Gao was invited to represent the state at the Certifport 2015 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship held in Orlando, Florida. Gao was invited as a result of his excellent score and time for a qualifying Microsoft Office Excel 2013 Certification Exam.

At the U.S. National Championship, one student per competition track is named the U.S. National Champion and advances to the MOS World Championship competition.

W

ith the goal of becoming a full professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Amy Weimer is taking full advantage of a new faculty support and mentoring program that began this fall at the university.

Since September, Weimer, an associate professor of psychology, has been attending a yearlong series of workshops and presentations as a participant in the Associate to Full Professor (ATFP) Program overseen by the Office of Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Diversity.

“I was excited to participate in the program because it offers the opportunity to learn more about important topics related to promotion, like how to enhance my research productivity through collaborations,” said Weimer, who came to UT Pan American in 2006 as an assistant professor.

“It also helped me find a mentor who could work one-on-one with me toward meeting my career goals,” she said.

Participants are required to attend eight presentations and interactive workshops that span the 2015-16 academic year. Topics range from reviving your research agenda and managing career life after tenure, to securing internal and external funding, publishing, and networking for advancement.

“A common thread throughout the sessions will consider potentially unique challenges that STEM women, Hispanics and other underrepresented faculty at the associate professor rank experience post-tenure,” said Dr. Marie Mora, associate vice provost for Faculty Diversity at UTRGV. Upon successful completion of the program, the 22 faculty members from across all UTRGV colleges and both main campuses who were accepted to participate this academic year will receive $500 in supplemental travel to help support the presentation of research/creative work at a major academic/ professional conference.

MENTORSHIP Part of this faculty-support program is matching participants with a mentor to

Cuellar plans control efforts for invasive plants

WASHINGTON –Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) announced the inclusion of provisions to speed the control and removal of Carrizo cane and other invasive species along the Rio Grande in the government funding bill. This is a continuation of Congressman Cuellar’s years-long leadership on this environmental and security issue.

Carrizo cane is a fast-growing invasive plant species that has overtaken many patches of land along the river. The cane can reach a height of over 25 feet in as little as 12 months and presents considerable obstacles for national security and the protection of our 1,255-mile Rio Grande border by reducing visibility within enforcement areas for the U.S. Border Patrol.

“In addition to providing those attempting to cross our southern border with a place to hide, Carrizo cane chokes waterways, erodes banks and water canals, damages bridges, and inhibits native biodiversity,” Cuellar said.

The recently-passed omnibus appropriations bill includes language directing

CBP to work with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board; other federal, state, and local stakeholders; and the Government of Mexico on efforts to control Carrizo cane and other invasive species along the Rio Grande River.

“An effective eradication program will give our CBP and Border Patrol agents greater visibility while enhancing officer safety when patrolling Texas’ southern border,” Cuellar said.

In order to help meet Governor Greg Abbott’s border security priorities, the Texas Legislature in mid-2015 gave the responsibility of controlling invasive Carrizo cane along the Rio Grande to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.

“Amid a diversity of complex issues, we must develop a long-term, landscape-scale Carrizo cane control program that will necessitate funding from a variety of sources,” said Johnny Oswald, Program Administrator for the Rio Grande Carrizo Cane Eradication Program at the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.

The omnibus appropria-

TEXAS OFFICIALS

UTRGV develops program to support advancement of mid-career faculty

By Gail Fagan

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support their career development.

Weimer said her mentor,

Dr. Frederick Ernst, UTRGV professor of psychology, has been an exemplary role model for her throughout her time at the university.

“He has been supportive, encouraging and genuinely motivated to help me advance in my career,” she said. “There are many challenges that mid-career faculty face – for instance increased, post-tenure service demand and decreased funding opportunities since we are no longer ‘early career status.’ But talking through how others have positively coped with these challenges can be encouraging and help us solve problems that we all face.”

See UTRGV 10

Reminiscing...

30 Years Ago This Week

David Alvarez makes all-state cross country Mission High School senior David Alvarez is the only runner from the Rio Grande Valley to be selected for the AllState Cross Country team.

Ruiz candidate for county judge Hidalgo County Clerk J. Edgar Ruiz decides to end all speculation by announcing his formal intention to seek the democratic nomination for Hidalgo County Judge.

MCISD closes year of growth, challenges Mission educators remember the year 1985 mostly for the changes mandated by House Bill 72, the all-inclusive legislation resulting from a stuffy done by the Governor’s Elect Committee on Education.

Derek Dooley on all-south Texas team Derek Dooley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dooley, an all-district performer in District 32-5A, has been named to the All-South Texas Football Team

“The president may not personally like it, but we have the constitutional right to protect ourselves, our families and our businesses,” Patrick said. “If the president’s goal is to sincerely help protect Americans he should make it easier to legally purchase, train and use their weapons of choice for protection than trot out phony new regulations to stand in their way.”

Republican members of the Texas congressional delegation also raised complaints.

“The president’s actions punish law-abiding citizens.

Our country would be much safer if he were half as tough on criminals as he is on innocent Americans,” U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, said in a statement Tuesday.

The order “is a blatant

tions bill requires that CBP brief Congress within 120 days with an action plan that includes resource requirements and efforts to the approval of new biological control agents. The plan will address progress made, a plan for working with stakeholders to make future progress, strategies under consideration by other federal agencies as well as state and local stakeholders, and efforts to also work with the Mexican government to eradicate or control Carrizo cane on the Mexican side of the river. from pg 5

abuse of his executive authority,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas. “This is a misguided and unconstitutional power grab, and I will not stand for it.”

But U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, said that Obama’s actions would help reduce gun violence.

“The President’s decisive actions today will strengthen background checks, protect communities through better enforcement, improve mental health services, and fuel research to make guns safer,” she said in a statement.

U.S. Sen. and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said Tuesday that Obama’s executive actions on gun “aren’t worth the paper they’re written,” reiterating his promise to repeal every “illegal and unconstitutional” executive order

upon taking office.

“This has been the most anti-gun administration in the history of our country,” Cruz told reporters before a campaign event in Cherokee, Iowa.

Discussing the anticipated order on Monday, Cruz extended his criticism to Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, calling it “entirely backwards” that Obama and the former secretary of state want to impose new gun restrictions as the country faces the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.

“We don’t beat the bad guys by taking away our guns,” Cruz said. “We beat the bad guys by using our guns.”

Morgan Smith, Abby Livingston and Patrick Svitek contributed to this report.

January 8, 2016

page 8

Lady Eagles coach has home court advantage

W

By Luciano Guerra

Mission Lady Eagles’ head basketball coach Roy Garcia II gives his team last minute instructions prior to Mission’s game against the Palmview Lady Lobos Tuesday evening.

Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra

ho says you can’t go home again?

Not Roy Garcia II, that’s for sure. Twenty-seven years after graduating from Mission High School, Garcia has returned to his alma mater and to the same gymnasium he played basketball in for four years. His return is not as a player of course, but as the new head coach of the Lady Eagles basketball team.

Garcia, who is following in his father’s footsteps as a head basketball coach at Mission High School, has taken over a program that has struggled as of late, including the past three years under former head coach Raquel Carmona.

Will the fact that Garcia has returned to his home court help the Lady Eagles return to their former glory?

Only time will tell. If he can come anywhere close to repeating the success that his father Roy Garcia Sr. had as

ers have hampered his efforts thus far.

“With one freshman, three sophomores, three juniors and four seniors on the team we have a good mix of younger and more experienced players,” Garcia said. “However, we had two of our players, senior Ashly Diaz and junior Clarissa Gonzalez, out with concussions early-on and we just got Emberly Garza back from being ineligible about five games ago. Emberly is our only returning starter and our best allaround player, so we’re glad to have her back. Her knowledge of the game is up there and I just wish we had more players like her.”

Four games into their District 30-6A schedule, the Lady Eagles are still looking to earn their first district

win. Their most recent setback was Tuesday night’s 55-21 loss at the hands of the Palmview Lady Lobos.

Not all of the Lady Eagles’ losses have been as lopsided however.

“We’ve had close games against teams like Juarez-Lincoln and Economedes, and the girls competed well, but we lost both those games by a total of three points,” added Garcia. “While I was not happy about the losses, I was happy to see that it actually bothered the girls to lose those games. When it bothers them to lose games like that, you know you’re making strides. With all the hard work they’re putting in, it should bother them because the harder you work the less likely you are to give in.”

“These girls have really

the Eagles boys basketball coach during his 28-year tenure at Mission, the Lady Eagles’ future will be bright.

While some may wonder if the younger Garcia’s hiring had more to do with his father’s long and successful tenure at Mission than it did with his own qualifications, a look at his resume should be enough to prove that is not at all the case.

“After graduating from Mission High School in 1989, I went on to graduate from the University of Texas-Pan American,” Garcia said. “I then became a men’s basketball graduate assistant at Texas A&M University in Kingsville for two years while I attained a master’s degree in kinesiology with a specialization in athletic administration. I then moved on to St. Edwards University in Austin where I was a first assistant while I attained a master’s of Art in Human Services in Sports Management degree. After that I

coached two years at Centenary College, a Division 1 school, in Shreveport, Louisiana.”

“Then after my Mom passed away, I wanted to be closer to my father and the closest position I could get was as the head girls basketball coach at Mathis High School. We went 28-8 and advanced into the regional tournament that year,” added Garcia.

After one year at Mathis High School, Garcia took the first assistant coaching position at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke for two years. He then became the head boys’ basketball coach at Raymondville for two years before moving on to PSJA High school where he coached the boys’ basketball team for four years. He then moved on to Juarez-Lincoln High school where he was boys’ first assistant head coach for one year and the girls’ head coach for another. Garcia

took the position of first assistant boys basketball coach at Edinburg Economedes High School last year.

While Garcia has been somewhat of a nomad over his coaching career, his goal all along has been to return to Mission. That is why he applied for coaching positions at Mission High twice before.

“I applied for the head boys job when Coach Toro Martinez got the job and then I applied three years ago for the girls’ head coaching job when Coach Carmona got the job,” explained Garcia.

“I’ve always wanted to return to Mission to give back to the community I grew up in. When this opportunity came up I jumped on it and thankfully they offered me the position and gave me the opportunity of trying to turn this program around. If at all possible I’d like to end my career here and I know that if that is God’s will, it will be done.”

come around when it comes to competing this year,” added Garcia. “They’ve come together as a family

and they’ve formed a sister-hood. They’re really starting to play for each other instead of just for

themselves.”

In their loss to the Lady Lobos, the Lady Eagles

Lady Eagles shooting for a winning season

T

By Luciano Guerra urning a struggling basketball program around takes time, but the Mission Lady Eagles and their new coach are shooting for as quick a turn-around as possible.

With former Lady Eagles’ head coach Raquel Carmona’s three-year tenure having come to an end last year, 1989 Mission High School graduate and former Eagles’ basketball standout Roy Garcia II has taken over the Lady Eagles basketball program. And while his new team is off to a slow start, Garcia’s determined to improve on the 3-9 District 30-6A season the Lady Eagles struggled through last year.

However, injuries and a shortage of returning start-

See LADY EAGLES 9

Mission freshman Ariel Sanchez drives on the basket as Palmview junior post Edna Ovalle defends, during the third quarter of the Lady Eagles’ 55-21 Tuesday night loss to the Lady Lobos. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra

January 8, 2016

page 9

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

Lobos hoopsters reloading for playoffs

T

By Luciano Guerra he Palmview Lobos boys basketball team is coming off a historic season. Their 64-58 bi-district round victory over Laredo United South, the 23rd ranked team in the state, last year was the first-ever playoff win in school history.

With it being an all-senior starting five that rewrote the record books at Palmview High School however, the 2015/2016 season is shaping up to be a rebuilding year for the Lobos.

In his sixth year as the Palmview head boys basketball coach, Andy Saenz has never been one to shy away from a challenge. And a challenge is exactly what he is facing this year as he looks to lead an experience-challenged Lobos’ team to what could be their fourth playoff appearance in the past five years.

“In our area round playoff game against Harlingen South last year our best player, Orlando Munoz, tore his ACL in the first quarter,” Saenz said. “We were ahead at that point in the game but

we ended up losing by three points.”

“Fortunately our mostly-senior roster came through for us and kept the game close,” added Saenz.

“However now we’ve graduated everybody except for two non-starters that have returned this year. The rest of the kids are from the JV team but they’ve been working hard and trying to get acclimated to competition at the varsity level.”

Saenz believes that had it not been for Munoz’s untimely injury and the season-ending broken leg another starter, Anthony Magallon, suffered earlier in the year, last year’s Lobos could’ve advanced to the regional tournament. With that group of starters gone, Saenz will be counting on two of last year’s back-ups to lead the way this year.

“It was a senior ball club last year but Armando Alaniz and Jacob Salinas were coming off the bench for us so they did play some minutes,” explained Saenz. “As my two returners, they are leaders on the team this year.

Ever since the end of last year

they both stepped into their roles as leaders. They’ve taken their position by the horns and they’ve gone with it, no questions asked.”

Saenz knows that if his new group of starters is going to have any chance of makng it four playoff appearances over the past five years, they are going to have their work cut out for them.

“I’ll say this about our district; you’ll have to bring your A-game every night,” shared Saenz. “Obviously we’ve gone out scouting and Mission defeated McAllen High soundly by about 20 points, Nikki Rowe only beat Juarez-Lincoln by six or seven points and La Joya stayed right with Memorial. That says a lot about our district.

From top to bottom, there aren’t going to be any easy games.”

The Lobos opened their District 30-6A schedule Tuesday evening with a 5452 overtime victory over the Mission Eagles. Despite the win, Saenz expressed extreme disappointment over the play of his team.

“First of all I want to apologize for our play,”

3 Emberly Garza, 10 Estefania Moreno, 12 Ashly Diaz, 13 Kimberly Barrera, 14 Brianna Juarez, 15 Deborah Gonzlez-Quintero, 20 Ariel Sanchez, 21 Ashley Sanchez, 23 Clarissa Gonzalez, 24 Cassandra Ortiz, 25 Bianney Vasquez, 30 Brittany Garza, 40 Nadia Vazquez

LADY EAGLES trailed 12-0 at the end of the first quarter but made a game of it in the second quarter by scoring 11 points. In the second half however they only managed to put an additional 10 points on the board while the Lady Lobos scored 31.

When asked what positives he can take from a loss like that, Garcia said, “The positive is that when the girls do exactly what I ask of them and they go hard doing it, they do well.

When we got to our spots in the press break like we were supposed to to break it, we broke it. When we ran the half-court offense like we were supposed to, we got good looks and we scored.”

from pg 8

Another positive that came out of Mission’s most recent loss was the minutes that some of the younger girls were able to get in.

“I moved four JV girls up to the varsity for the Palmview game and three of them got into the game,” explained Garcia. “So we played young against Palmview.”

Next up for the Lady Eagles is an away game against the La Joya Lady Coyotes next Tuesday at 6 p.m. They will then finish up their first round of district play next Friday night at 6 with a home game against the Nikki Rowe Lady Warriors.

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Palmview senior Brandon Hernandez and Mission’s Israel Cortez both reach for a rebound during the fourth quarter of the Lobos’ 54-52 overtime victory over the Eagles Tuesday evening.

Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra

Saenz said immediately after the game. “We played terribly. This is one of the most terrible games we’ve played all season long. We try to prepare them as best we can

and it’s my fault that we made as many mistakes as we did. There were a lot of mental lapses and they came from players that have the experience.”

“But I hope that this is a wake-up call for our team,” added Saenz. “However a win is a win and I’ll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day.”

1 John Castanon, 5 Damian Quintanilla, 10 Fernando Ochoa, 20 Brandon Hernandez, 21 Mando Alaniz, 23 Ever Perez, 23 Dante Olmeda, 30 Jacob Salinas, 34 Paco De La O

January 8, 2016

www.ptrgv.com | www.strgv.com

page 10

UTRGV Ernst said the program put an official status on the mentorship relationship he has had with Weimer since he was chair of the search committee that recruited her.

“Our meetings are where we discuss things that may be important to her in this continuing and formative stage of her career,” he said.

“We’ve even had a garage sale together.”

And, he learned new things from Weimer – par-

from pg 7

ticularly her skill at putting students in better touch with the activities faculty do as researchers – so the program was mutually beneficial.

“My practices with students in the laboratory have become more effective because of my relationship with Amy. She taught me a lot about doing that because we get together and do joint projects with our students,” he said.

SUPPORT, AWARE-

obituaries

Obituaries Reynol Baez Jr. ALTON – Reynol “Pollo” Baez Jr., 39, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, after battling brain cancer.

Survivors include his wife, Alma Cardenas; daughters, Kyana and Kayli; parents, Orelia and Reynol;

Notices

Tirso R. Acevedo Jr. MISSION – Tirso R. Acevedo Jr., 85, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016 at Mission Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Gerald Athrop MISSION – Gerald Athrop, 91, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, at his home in Mission.

Francisca Dimas MISSION - Francisca Dimas, 89, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at her home in Mission.

Amalia Elizondo PEÑITAS – A funeral mass for Amalia Elizondo was held on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Peñitas.

Burial followed at Lord & I Cemetery in Palmview.

Maria Isabel Esparza MISSION – A funeral service for Maria Isabel Esparza was held on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at Rivera Funeral Home in Mission.

Burial followed at Lord & I Cemetery in Mission.

Jesus Garza MISSION – Jesus Garza,

and sister, Rebeca.

A funeral mass was held on Jan. 6 at San Martin De Porres Catholic Church in Alton. Burial followed Valley Memorial Gardens.

Rosetta Bray MISSION – Rosetta Bray, 85, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, at 54, passed away on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at his home in Mission.

Guadalupe Gomez III MISSION – Guadalupe Gomez III, infant, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen.

Oscar Hunnicutt MISSION – Oscar Hunnicutt, 90, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, at his home in Mission.

Tomasa P. Martinez MISSION – A funeral service for Tomasa P. Martinez was held on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission. Burial followed at San Jose Cemetery in Mission.

Ronald McDaniel MISSION – A memorial service for Ronald “Ronnie” McDaniel was held on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at Trade Winds recreation Hall in Mission.

Juanita Moreno MISSION – Juanita Moreno, 60, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at

NESS The ATFP program was developed under UTRGV’s ADVANCE grant, which is intended to increase the representation and advancement of women faculty, particularly Hispanics, in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. However, all tenured associate professors at UTRGV, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, college, or academic discipline who expect to apply for promo-

tion to professor in the next three to five years were encouraged to participate.

Mora said few programs nationwide focus on supporting associate professors’ transition to full professor. As faculty become tenured, she said, they often are surprised to encounter increased expectations for service that take away time to be actively engaged in publishing and research.

“Research is critical for faculty to achieve promo-

tion to full professor, as they should be nationally recognized in their fields as experts in a particular area or topic,” Mora said. “That is difficult to achieve when research time is limited.

Family pressures and responsibilities can also take away this research time.”

Mora said the program aims to raise awareness about time usage and ways faculty can use their service commitments and activities to enhance or complement

other faculty responsibilities, such as writing and teaching.

“We also hope to help faculty refocus or reenergize their research and how to use mentoring and networking to increase their success,” she said.

For more information, contact the office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Diversity at (956) 665-8997.

Mission Regional Medical Center.

Mrs. Bray was a retired nurse and owner and operator of Sleepy Hollow Trailer Park.

Survivors include her children, Charlotte Johnston of Corpus Christi, Versie Marks of Corpus Christi, Bruce Bray of Mission, Sandra Wilson of Alaska and Joy Vardaman of Mission;

and eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

A funeral service was held on Jan. 2 at Ric Brown Familly Funeral Home in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery in McAllen.

Juan Manuel Gonzalez MISSION – Juan Manuel Gonzalez, 92, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, at Solara Hospital.

Survivors include his wife, Gilberta Ayala; children, Juan Manuel Gonzalez, Javier Gonzalez, Hilario Gonzalez, Maria Salinas, Gloria Gonzalez, Francis Gonzalez and Julieta Gonzalez; and 22 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his son, Jose Luis Gonzalez.

A funeral service was held on Dec. 30 at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission. Burial followed at San Jose Cemetery in Mission.

Omar Hector Ochoa ALTON – Omar Hector Ochoa, 58, passed away on Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, at his home.

Mr. Ochoa was born on Jan. 30, 1957, in Mission and was employed as a truck driver.

Survivors include his wife, Margot R. Ochoa; children, Bianca Ochoa and Rian Ochoa; mother, Alberta Ochoa; and siblings, Olivia Ochoa, Oscar Ochoa Jr., Orlando Ochoa and Orville Ochoa.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Octavio Ochoa, and father, Oscar Ochoa Sr.

A funeral mass was held on Dec. 31 at San Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Alton. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery in McAllen.

Andres Palomo MISSION – Andres Palomo passed away on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.

Mr. Palomo was born in La Estrella, Zacatecas, Mex., on Nov. 26, 1923 and immigrated to the United States in 1963.

Survivors include his wife, Maria Dolores Palomo; children, Humberto Palomo, Juan Manuel Palomo, Jose Luis Palomo, Maria Palomo, Julia Palomo and Rebecca Palomo; and four grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Maria de Jesus and Hilario Palomo; siblings, Maria Rita Ramirez and Luis Palomo; and children, Simon Palomo and Esperanza Palomo.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, Jan. 8, at Templo Biblico in Alton.

Burial follows at Garden of Angels Cemetery in Abram.

Raymundo E. Trdla MISSION – Raymundo E. Trdla, 94, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2015, at Paxvilla Hospice in McAllen. Mr. Trdla was a World War II Veteran and served in the U.S. Navy attached to the U.S. Marine Corps as a corpsman during the Pacific Theater. He was employed for 35 years as the chief maintenance director at McAllen Medical Center.

Survivors include his children, Mary Margaret Jaks, Ray Trdla Jr. and Genevieve Trdla; siblings,

Lillie Mae Guerra and Col. Joseph R. Trdla (Ret.); and three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Carmela; parents, Joseph and Antonia Trdla; and sister, Lita Haider.

A funeral mass was held on Jan. 4 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen.

Hermila Ybarra MISSION – Hermila Ybarra, 88, passed away on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at Mission Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Mrs. Ybarra was born on June 16, 1927, in Diaz Ordaz, Tamps., Mexico.

Survivors include her children, Alfredo Jr., Ana Y. Guerra, Amancio, Amando, Aroldo, Arturo and Alma Saldaña; sister, Eulalia Garcia;13 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Manuel Garcia and Herminia Lopez Garcia; husband, Alfredo Ybarra Sr.; and siblings, Carlos Garcia, Maria Inez Martinez, Maria del Jesus Garcia, Guadalupe Cantu, Yolanda Flores, Manuela Hernandez and Donaciana Agurrie.

A funeral service was held on Jan. 4 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Peñitas. Burial followed at Los Ebanos Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Joaquin Guerra, Javier Guerra, David Ibarra, Jorge Villarreal, Aroldo Ibarra Jr. and Jason Nicholas Saldaña.

Mission Regional Medical Center José G. Pena MISSION – José G. Pena, 64, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 at his home in Mission. A funeral service was held on Jan. 4 at Lord & I Funeral in Peñitas. Burial followed at Lord & I Cemetery in Palmview.

Maria Ramirez MISSION – Maria Ramirez, 64, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, at Amara Hospice in Edinburg. A funeral service was held on Jan. 4 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Garden of Angels Cemetery in Abram.

Martha A. Salinas MISSION – A funeral service for Martha A. Salinas was held on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission.

Burial followed at Garden of Angels Cemetery in Abram.

Servando Vela MISSION – A funeral service for Servando Vela was held on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 at his home. Burial followed at Lord and I Cemetery in Palmview.

ChurCh DireCtory

BREAD OF LIFE CHURCH 2820 N. Conway Ave. • 581-1411 CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD 2322 N. McColl. - McAllen 682-2092 CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 5609 S 29th St. - McAllen 682-4881 CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Missonaries • 580-2570 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH 911 N. Main - McAllen 686-4241 CONWAY AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH 2215 N. Conway • 585-2413 EL FARO BIBLE CHURCH 15 miles W. of Mission on Exp. 83 Sullivan City, TX • 585-5617 EL MESIAS UNITED METHODIST 209 E. 6th • 585-2334 FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH 3 miles N. Shary Rd. • 581-1465 FAITH FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH 1 mile N. Exp. 83 on Tom Gill Rd. 519-6311 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 1302 Doherty • 585-1442 FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 12th and Miller - Mission 585-7281 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1102 Ash St. • 585-4829 for worship schedule.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1101 Doherty • 585-1665

NORTH MISSION CHURCH OF CHRIST 1410 E. Mile 3 Rd. • 585-0146 Palmhurst

FREEDOM LIFE CHURCH 2214 W. Griffin Pkwy. • 519-7000 Mission

NORTH PALMVIEW APOSTOLIC CHURCH 7612 W. 6 Mile Ln.

GRACIA DIVINA MINISTRY 11809 N. Shary Rd. • 584-3112

ONLY THRU JESUS 1511 E. Mile 2 Rd. Mission • 918-760-1625

GREAT OAKS COMMUNITY CHURCH 2722 N. Conway • 451-5500 Mission IGLESIA ADVENTISTA DEL SEPTIMO DIA 1725 W. Griffin Parkway 581-9008 IGLESIA BAUTISTA BETANIA 851 S. Breyfogle Rd. • 585-5688 IGLESIA BAUTISTA CRISTO EL REY 1600 E. Bus. 83 - Mission IGLESIA BAUTISTA COLONIAL 3713 N. La Homa Rd. • 585-5332 IGLESIA BAUTISTA DEL VALLE 217 W. Mile 3 Rd. • 424-1602 Palmhurst IGLESIA DEL PUEBLO 7500 West Expressway 83 581-1900 IGLESIA EL DIVINO REDENTOR 1020 N. Los Ebanos Rd 581.-4774 LA RESPUESTA CHURCH 405 W. 12th Street • 585-0787 MISSION CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 1 mi. E. 495 • 585-6683 NEW HOPE AT THE BORDER 905 N. Conway • 369-3603

OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS One-half mile South Leo Avenue La Joya • 585-5223 OUR LADY OF FATIMA CHURCH 6634 El Camino Real • Granjeno OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH 2.5 miles S. Conway (FM 1016) Mission OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH 620 Dunlap • 585-2623 OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY CHURCH 923 Matamoros St. • 581-2193

RIVER OF LIFE CHURCH 901 S. Shary Rd. (Located in the Holiday Inn Express Conference Room) 451-4838 SAN CRISTOBAL MAGALLANES & COMPANIONS PARISH

3805 Plantation Grove Blvd., Ste. 5

Mission • 580-4551

SAN MARTIN DE PORRES 5 mi. N. Conway, 1/2 Mile West Alton • 585-8001 & 585-8002 SPIRIT OF PEACE EV. LUTHERAN CHUCH 3104 Los Milagros Mission • 581-1822 ST. JOHN OF THE FIELDS CATHOLIC CHURCH 1052 Washington Ave. • 585-2325 ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH 1119 Francisco • 585-2701 ST. PETER & ST. PAUL EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2310 N. Stewart Rd. 585-5005

PALM VALLEY CHURCH 1720 E. Griffin Pkwy.

585-3203

SHINING LIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH 6 1/8 N. Doffing Rd. (FM 492) 580-4078

PEÑITAS BAPTIST CHURCH 1/3 Mile S. of Exp.83 on FM 1427 583-6236

TEMPLO BIBLICO 5 Mile/Conway 581-4981or 585-3831

PRIMERA BAPTIST CHURCH Corner of 6th & Oblate 585-4711

TEMPLO EVANGELICO, M.B. CHURCH La Joya

PRIMERA IGLESIA DEL VALLE APOSTOLIC ASSEMBLY 210 N. St. Marie. • 585-8651

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 3905 W. 3 Mile Line • 585-3261

PROMISE LAND CHURCH 2300 E. Palm Circle (Corner of 495) Mission, TX 78572 • 624-9307

VALLEY FELLOWSHIP 1708 E. Griffin Parkway Mission • 424-7200

MISSION AUTO ELECTRIC, INC. DBA

ER MAE EPQOU IW PMENT

Commercial Lawn Equipment “Since 1954”

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

KING, GUERRA, DAVIS & GARCIA ATTORNEYS AT LAW

DAVID H. GUERRA

DARRELL DAVIS

301 E. Tom Landry • Mission • 585-1622

IMPLEMENT COMPANY, INC. MISSION 585-1618

  

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theclassifieds page 11

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autos

FOR SALE 1995 white Lincoln Town car, mileage 149,208, nice garage kept, $3,750 OBO 541-5313551.

2004 TOYOTA CAMRY 5 speed, 125,000 miles, Falcon tow equipment installed, $4,700, 317-507-0685.

fifthwheels

2012 HEARTLAND BIG Country 3650RL, 39.5 Fifth Wheel road ready, must see to appreciate, $39,000.

870-421-2407 Leave a message.

2001 31’ ALUMASCAPE Holiday Rambler Fifth Wheel with 2 slides, complete with golf cart, 42’ carport, 12’ canopy for golf cart, shed 9’x10’ with metal siding for golf cart, BarBQ with built over cover. Asking $10,000 OBO, 956-3752373.

2000 SUNNYBROOK 5TH Wheel, 27 ft., full slide, occupied now but will vacate, $6000, 815-6561301, Citrus Valley RV 2901 West State Highway 107, #838.

2005 MONTANA 36 ft, 3 slides, 2 a/c, arctic package, 2 TV’s, satellite, $18,500 OBO. 2001 F-250 Super Duty Crew Lariat 7.3 diesel, 111,000 miles, 50 gal aux tank, hitch, excellent condition, will sell as package $31,500 or 5th wheel separate, 402-450-7836 or 402-450-7756.

2004 WILDERNESS, 28FT. rear kitchen, 1 slide, new carpet, tires, brakes, very clean, 956-781-9421.

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LAUREL HILL CEMETERY Plots, Mission Texas, 2 Plots, Block #33, $1500 each - front section - 2 Plots, Block $43, $2000 each - front rows, call 956-703-3010.

GE STOVE FOR Sale: Electric Stove in working condition. White color. $50. Call 956-5341100.

R E F R I G E R AT O R FOR SALE: Excellent condition. One year old. 26 cu. ft., Frigidaire side-byside with icemaker and ice and water dispenser. $400.

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Catering para sus fiestas Dona Mary, 956-655-4661.

Oracion Al Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo, tu que me aclaras todo, que iluminas todos los caminos para que yo alcance mi ideal, tu que me das el don divino de perdonar y olvidar el mal que me hacen y que en todos los instantes de mi vida estas conmigo, yo quiero en este corto dialogo agradecerte por todo y confirmar una vez mas que nunca quiero separarme de ti por mayor que sea la ilusion material.

Deseo estar contigo y todos mis seres queridos en la gracia perpetua. Gracias por tu misericordia para conmigo y los mios.

La persona debera rezar esta oracion 3 dias sequidos sin decir el pedido. dentro de tres dias sera alcanzada la gracia por mas deficil que sea. (Publicar en cuanto se recibia la gracia).

Agradece gracia alcanzada.

M.C.

January 8, 2016

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2 BEDROOM, 2 Bath, Deck Country Palms RV Park, $900.yr. for sale or rent, 507-4298945 and lot for sale at Royal Palms, Alamo.

5’X16’ CARGO Trailer, new tires, $2,000, 608-4031810.

2 BEDROOM, 2 Bath, all electric brick home, 2 car garage, nice patio overlooking golf course, fully furnished in nice park in Mission, TX, available now 1086 sq.ft., ceramic foyer & baths, nice hall with activities & pool, $89,900, negotiable, call 715309-2209.

2002 NEW VISION, 38’ Triple Axle, 5th Wheel plus contents, asking $10,000, phone Frank 956545-0637.

DIAMOND PLATE STORAGE box.

49Lx15Wx15H, sealed sloped lid with locks. $100 OBO 816-7184232.

ROSCOE-GLENN, 3 wheel trike & bicycles, repairs & parts, call 956-270 -2679 or 956-5298804.

WOODTURNERS: PEN MAKING material all half price for more info. call 956-647-5831.

2002 EZGO GOLF Cart, gas, new battery, complete rain enclosure, 470270-8971.

FOR SALE FOUR Goodyear tires, 8 ply, 15 inch, used 1500 miles, Bluebonnet RV Mission, 989-772-5178.

TRAILMATE EZ ROLL Regal, 3 wheel trike, good condition, large seat, basket, $350, 870-404-7874.

GOLF CAR SERVICE and Repair, check out our crown batteries, set of 6-6volts $606, set of 6-8volts $648 and set of 4 -12volts $678, 12 months warranty, made in USA, call 956-599-9071 or 956-783-3946.

BERNINA 830E WITH Embroidery Module all accessories, all hoops, plus jumbo hoop, rolling case, Stitch regulator. Just serviced and updated $6,000 and a Bernina Quilt Table $1,000, call 956318-3496.

grills, hand made rugs, & lots more, 1320 E. Bus. Hwy 83 Lot 59, Mission.

YARD SALE - JAN 8 & 9 @ 8am, 305 Cooper Lane, La Feria, furniture, freezer, bedding, etc.

PARK WIDE SALE, 690 North Williams, San Benito, 8am12pm, Jan 9th, lots of household items.

JAN 8 & 9 and

Personal classified rate: $7 for 15 words

25¢ each additional word thereafter

Business classified rate: $15 for 15 words

25¢ each additional word thereafter

Jan 15 & 16, Large power washer, lots of tools of all kinds, vacuum cleaners, grills, hand made rugs, and lots more, 1320 E Bus Hwy 83, Lot 59, Mission.

homes4sale

LAKEWOD VILLAGE, HARLINGEN, gated community, 55+, 2 BR, 2Bths, carport,

rocked yard, Assoc. fees $360/ year, own ground, furnished, updated, $75,000, across from club house, pool, 515-2708867.

RETAMA VILLAGE, MISSION, 2br, 2ba, RV port home w/50ft FHV, covered RV parking, tiled Pergola covered courtyard, corner lot,

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

If you can’t drop by, mail it! P.O. Box 399, Mission, TX 78573 Order by phone 585-4893 with a major credit card.

The deadline to get your classified in is Tuesday at 3 p.m.

furnished, gated 55+ community, $235K, see website Retamarentals. com for pictures of 3700 Heron Way, Open House every Sunday, 2-4 pm., 321-480-4999.

miscellaneous

PERFORMING CLASSIC COUNTRY, 50’s & 60’s, Big Band, Gospel for shows and/or dances Valley wide, call anytime 605-

770-8947.

TREADMILL, USED IN good condition, $100 or best offer. 956424-9423.

mobilehome

FOR SALE IN Aladdin Villas - nice home, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, completely furnished, you own land, adjoining home is a covered area to park camper or bus, must see to appreciate, 712-

660-2503.

MOBILE HOME WINTER Green Estates- you own the land- 2 bedroom, 2 baths, Texas room, nice furniture, all carpeted, all electric, completely furnished, lots of storage space, big carport, everything is ready to move into, call 712-6602503.

garagesale

2 FAMILY GARAGE sale, clothing, toys, furniture, lots of baby items, Thursday & Friday, Jan 7-8, 8:30 a.m., 421 W. 12th St. Mission.

JANUARY 8, 9 & 15, 16, lg. power washer, lots of tools of all kinds, vacuum cleaners, DRIVERS

CDL-A Owner Op’s. Earn great money. Round trip Dedicated Lanes Texas to Tennessee.

Home 2-Days a week.

855-971-8526

Help Wanted Drivers CDL-A: $2500 Sign-On Bonus! Long Haul US/Canada. Steady Miles!

Monthly/Annual Bonuses!

Health & Dental after 90 days. 855-645-7789.

FOR SALE

1980 CAT SCRAPER 613B SERIAL 71M1709 READY TO WORK $10,000

CALL 956-585-2131

Sharyland Independent School District: Public Hearing Notice Sharyland Independent School District will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m., January 19, 2016 at the Sharyland Pioneer High School Auditorium Mission, Texas.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district’s Academic Performance Report for the 2014-15 school year.

In accordance with Texas Education Code Chapter 39, each district’s board of trustees is required to publish an annual report that includes the TAPR, campus performance objectives, a report of violent or criminal incidents, and information received under Texas Education Code §51.403(e) from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The board of trustees is required to hold a hearing for public discussion of the report.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Mission CISD will hold a public hearing for discussion of the 2014-2015 report, know as the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) on Wednesday, January 20, 2016. The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Mission CISD Central Office Boardroom, 1201 Bryce Drive, Mission Texas. The TAPR is published annually and details district and campus performance.

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PHS vs MHS Boys & Girls

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January 8, 2016