February 13, 2015 - Progress Times Issue by Progress Times

Friday, February 13, 2015

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Chiefs say AG’s asset forfeiture reform won’t affect them

By Julie Silva n years past, it just made good business sense for local police departments to go to the federal government when seizing cash, valuables and vehicles they believed was being used for illegal activity. The agencies did not have to pursue criminal charges to take ownership of the goods, called civil asset forfeitures. The assets became the defendants in the case, and if they called in the federal government, local agencies could keep 80 percent of the seizures and federal agencies kept 20 percent.

On a state level, former district attorney Rene Guerra requested 40 percent of the seizures, leaving local agencies with 60 percent. However, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder threw a curveball in the seizure process in January. Holder signed an order prohibiting the federal government from adopting forfeiture cases that do not relate to public safety concerns, like weapons and child pornography. One exception is if the federal agency is working on a joint investigation with local law enforcement officials. On the U.S.-Mexico border, the frontlines of human,

drug and money smuggling, those types of seizures happen daily and the profits, which must be spent for law enforcement purposes, can add up. Palmview Police Chief Chris Barrera recently reported to city officials that more than $1 million in seizures had been submitted to federal courts in different cases still pending. Barrera doesn’t believe Holder’s order will affect Palmview’s procedures. After attending a training workshop in San Antonio on asset forfeitures Tuesday, Barrera said Holder’s order applied more to agencies that conduct a lot of highway inter-

dictions outside of a federal task force. When Palmview makes a big bust on the highway, officers call in one of two investigators who are assigned to federal task forces, and those investigators involve the federal agencies from the beginning of the case, Barrera said. The city of Mission’s police force also has four officers assigned to federal task forces. Otherwise, Palmview will go through the state, and newly elected DA Ricardo Rodriguez has said he’s looking at tweaking the percentages. “We don’t want to take advantage of the municipal-

ities because of that,” Rodriguez said. “Obviously, forfeiture monies can be used in so many ways to have their office functioning and our office functioning as well. Of course, at the end of the day, they’ll keep more than what we would keep.” If Rodriguez follows through on lowering the percentage, Barrera said he’s sure the state office will see a larger workload because the turnaround on state cases is quicker than federal cases, which can get more complicated, crossing over into different jurisdictions in different states. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is still working

on cases dating back to 2006. In 2012, the city of Palmview, which has an annual budget of about $4 million, spent $345,000 on new police vehicles and $370,000 on building improvements, according to equitable sharing agreements filed with the federal government. The next year, the city spent another $72,000 on vehicles, $46,000 on vehicle equipment and $46,000 on radios, laptops, tablets and night vision goggles. All of it was purchased with money seized through civil asset forfeitures.

See COUNTY 14

‘Musica Alegre’

FULL-DAY PRE-K

Students from La Joya ISD showcase their conjunto roots at annual festival. Progress Times photo by Lea Victoria Juarez

La Joya showcases conjunto talent

By Lea Victoria Juarez

Muñoz aims to reinstate early learning

By Lea Victoria Juarez arciela Garza has her bilingual prekindergarten class planned down to the minute. First, the question of the day. Next, the alphabet. Then, students practice their vocabulary. “Vocabulary is very important,” Garza said. But each activity can only be done in about a 20-minute span because the 3 and 4-year-old students’ attention will start to waver. She reads the students the sentence of the day, reminding them how it’s structured – capital letter at the beginning, space between words, a period at the end of the sentence. She goes over the formation of the letters, how they sound – one day focusing on Spanish, the next day on English. Then, there’s music class, followed

by language arts again. The students repeat and respond, and before Garza knows it her morning is gone. “My mornings are very short,” said the William Clinton Elementary teacher. “I have to do it as fast as I can, so I can cover as much as I can.” The students have a routine and it usually takes them about six weeks to get it down, according to the teacher of six years. By the time these students reach kindergarten, they need to know letter names, their shapes and sounds. They should know how to write a proper sentence, count up to 20 and be able to identify shapes and colors. Although Garza said preparing her students for the next grade isn’t a difficult task, many teachers don’t

See FULL-DAY PRE-K 14

Marciela Garza’s La Joya prek class splits their morning language arts lesson with their music/physical education class. LJISD is one of the few districts in the state that kept a fullday prekindergarten program following state budget cuts in 2011. Progress Times photos by Lea Victoria Juarez

“We definitely want to put forward education initiatives that are beneficial not only to our district, but to our state as well.” – Sergio Muñoz

lthough some of the boys of La Joya High’s conjunto bands had a difficult time expressing in words how they feel about conjunto music, they had no problem huddling for an impromptu performance in their director’s office. Cecilio Garza counted them off on his guitar and the three student musicians fell in line with their instruments – one squeezing an accordion, the other slapping a bass and another plucking a 10-string guitar. “The sound, more than anything, it’s lively,” said Garza, the La Joya High School conjunto director. “The first stuff we started playing in the Valley was polkas, which we got from the Germans and the (Poles) and the Czechs. So we started doing our version of conjunto music, but really up-tempo. To me it’s musica alegre – happy music.” Local accordion players ages 21 or younger had the opportunity to showcase their talent at Texas Folklife’s ninth annual Big Squeeze contest at La Joya High Saturday. Each year the non-profit organization

“When I see these younger guys trying to execute our music, it excites me.” – Carlos Guzman

travels the Lone Star State in search for the top accordion players. This year, finalists will move on to perform at the Austin Bullock Texas State History Museum on April 25, where they will compete for a prize package valued at more than $4,000. South Texas natives made the German-rooted music their own circa 1950 to form the tejano subgenre. It’s an upbeat melody, with the organ-like accordion as the star in each piece. “In conjunto, the accordion, it becomes a part of you and you express yourself with it,” Garza said. Armando Gonzalez of La Joya’s JV conjunto band tested his talents at the Big Squeeze. The 15-year-old couldn’t gauge his performance and merely shrugged at the thought, but just because he has been playing for less than a year, doesn’t mean he wasn’t mentally prepared.

See MUSICA ALEGRE 14

INSIDE

New parks and rec director takes the reins

Mission hires Lupe Garcia, former Palmhurst city planner, to take the place of Julian Gonzalez, left to take job as Hidalgo city manager. See story page 3

INDEX

Entertainment | pg. 2

Lifestyle | pg. 6

Sesin new Drainage District manager

La Joya ISD super gets 5 percent bump in pay

During a special meeting on Monday, the Drainage District No. 1 Board of Directors appointed Raul Sesin, P.E., CFM as general manager. See story page 5

Opinion | pg. 4

Sports | pg. 8

After a rare split vote, school district board approves a salary increase, but declines to extend contract for Alda T. Benavides. See story page 3

Obituaries | pg. 13

Classifieds | pg. 15

entertainment

Exhibit by blind artist Nigenda opens at IMAS

cALLEN – The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) will welcome its latest exhibit “Thresholds: Retrospective” by photographer Gerardo Nigenda (19682010) from Feb. 19 to June 7. The opening reception begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday,

Completes basics

rmy Pvt. Alejandro Herrera and Pvt. Luis Solis have graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. after nine weeks of training ranging from classroom studies to combat skills and field training exercises. Herrera is the son of Alejandro Herrera of Mission. Solis is the son of Alma L. Moreno of Alton and a 2014 graduate of Mission High School.

Feb. 19, and the exhibit runs through June 7. “Thresholds” is unlike any other photography exhibit presented IMAS, due to the artist’s loss of sight at the age of 25. For Nigenda, photography was not a literal description of an image but the sensation he had based on the experiences that led him to take photographs. In one of his last interviews, Nigenda explained, "The photos I take are experiences, what I smell, touch

and listen to. The memories of these experiences are my negatives. I have them in my mind. When I read [Braille], I remember and locate where it was or what it is. It does not matter if I do not visually describe what is in the photo as long as I describe the feeling I had when I took it. So I selected the material to print. It did not matter if one image was better than the other technique or better aesthetically; the point was to express what I felt."

Nigenda began his trajectory in photography in 1999 at the age of 32, when he would photograph with a pocket Yashika camera gifted to him by North American documentarian Mary Ellen Mark. His work has been exhibited in Mexico, Spain, U.S.A., Russia and Ecuador. For more information, call 682-0123 or email info@imasonline.org. The reception and exhibit are included in the regular price of museum admission.

formance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors open for the general public at 7 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Senior Ambassadors and the University of Texas-Pan American Men’s Chorus. The Senior Ambassadors

are a group of 45 to 50 senior men under the direction of Virgel Kroeker, and the UTPA Men’s Chorus is a group of student musicians directed by Dr. David Means. Dr. Means is the head of the choral music department at UTPA and the accompanist for the festival choir. Guest conductor for this festival will be Matthew Oltman, Director Emeritus of the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer. He is currently on the faculty of Texas State University. All men who love to sing and have sung in a choir in the past are invited to be a part of the event. Organizers have set a goal to bring together a chorus of 275 to 300 voices. Held for the first time in 2013, there were 260 singers that participated in this festival two years ago and will continue to be held every other year. The evening performance features the Senior Ambassadors, UTPA Men’s Choir, Harlingen High School Men’s Choir and the 300 voice choir. The will perform “Let All Men Sing,” “Coney Island Baby/We All Fall” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Although the concert is free and open to the public, donations at the door are requested to help cover expenses. Tickets are available from any choir member and will also be available at the door.

300 voices join for Men’s Choral Festival

t’s the largest Men’s Choral Festival in the Rio Grande Valley, and it takes place on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the PSJA Oso Dome located at 1229 S. Veterans Blvd. in San Juan. After an afternoon of rehearsals, the grand per-

February 13, 2015

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Coming Attractions

February 13-15 · The Mission Historical Museum presents Artisan Market Days, a Mexican-themed market extravaganza from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and on Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Musical entertainment for the threeday event features bands, folklorico dancers, historical skits and more. The museum will also host a “love bird” program on Feb. 14 with “Tacos, Tragos y Trio” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The ticketed program includes an evening of entertainment by folk music artists Rumbo al’ Anacua followed by Trio Bolero music and a gourmet taco dinner. Tickets are $25 per couple and can be purchased at the museum. Seating is limited, and early ticket purchase is encouraged. February 14 February 14, 21, 28 & March 7 · The Upper Valley Art League invites the public to the opening reception for 2015 Photography & Digital Imaging Exhibit from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Kika de la Garza Fine Arts Gallery, 921 E. 12th Street in Mission. The exhibit will be on display through March 10. The free event is open to the public, and drawings will be held throughout the evening. Hors d’oeuvres and a beverage buffet will be served. Mini receptions will be hosted from 2 to 6 p.m. on the following three Saturdays – Feb. 21 and 28 and March 7. Exhibitor photographers will be on hand to share techniques used. Call 583-2787 during gallery hours for more information. Email inquiries to uval.texas@gmail.com. · The Second Annual Heart Beat featuring Blasterjaxx opens at 7 p.m. at Bog-

gus Ford Events Center, 3000 N. Cage in Pharr. Tickets are $37.50 per person, available at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. · Valentines night offers a nostalgic “Barbara and Frank” tribute with the Vegas act of Sebastian Anzaldo and Sharon Owens singing the hits of Barbara Streisand and Frank Sinatra. “The Way We Were” show is a 90-minute performance of the duos’ signature hits. Opening act is McAllen’s 11-year-old singing sensation Katie Blackwell accompanied by Knox Jones on the guitar. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the McAllen Civic Center, 10th Street and Expressway 83. Tickets range from $21 to $111 plus fees. Tickets are available at Joyce’s Boutique, 120 S. Broadway in McAllen, the McAllen Convention Center Box Office at Ware Rd. and Expressway 83 and ticketmaster.com or 800-7453000. For more information, call 358-2755. · The Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum presents the Ninth Annual Valentine’s Dance “Noche de Ronda” and Scholarship Fundraiser featuring Noe Pro and the Band. It takes place from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight at the San Benito Knights of Columbus Hall, 826 E. Stenger Street. Admission is $20 per person. Proceeds will go to support the organization and its scholarship fund. For tickets and table reservations, call Rey Avila at 2451666. Tickets are also on sale at the San Benito K.C. Hall at 399-4257, or Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce at 423-5440. Reservations must be made by Feb. 12. · The Pharr Community Theater and St. George’s Orthodox Church will celebrate

See COMING ATTRACTIONS 7

February 13, 2015

Reminiscing...

La Joya ISD super gets 5 percent raise in evaluation

By Julie Silva a Joya ISD’s Board of Trustees granted Superintendent Alda T. Benavides a 5 percent raise, but declined to extend her contract Wednesday night in a rare split vote. After a nearly two-hour executive session in which one of the items discussed was the superintendent’s evaluation, board members came back into open session and trustee Esperanza “Espie” Ochoa motioned to give Benavides a one-year extension. Trustee Oscar “Coach” Salinas broke in and said he wanted to make his own motion, granting a 5 percent raise but keeping Benavides’ original contract end date of 2018. Benavides’ current salary is $225,000. “It was a high evaluation for her,” Salinas said. “Her contract still runs through 2018.” Salinas said the board extended Benavides’ contract two years last year and two years the year before that.

The board, which votes unanimously on most issues, rejected Ochoa’s motion, with only Ochoa, Board President Johnn Alaniz and trustee J.J. Peña voting in favor of the contract extension. Trustees then unanimously supported Salinas’ motion. Benavides has served as La Joya Independent School District’s superintendent since 2006. She’s a product of the district herself, having graduated La Joya High School in 1971.

After the meeting, Alaniz said all seven board members are happy with the job Benavides is doing. “We just thought it was going to send a bad message to the district that we weren’t going to give her an increase, so we wanted to give her at least a one-year extension,” Alaniz said. Alaniz said the board went over things that need to be improved in executive session, though he declined to give details on what was discussed. “We looked at some issues of her leadership abilities compared to her administration team doing what we feel needs to be done as a board and brainstorming the best things to do to improve in certain areas,” Alaniz said. “Just like anything else, you’re going to have your good things and your bad things. You have 30,000 kids, and you’re never going to be satisfied.”

our office after the filing deadline for that particular election, other than paid advertisements. Timely candidacy announcements are published in the news section of this paper free of charge. The candidate is allowed to include anything relative to his or her qualifications, education, professional, career and family background, as well as the vision relative to the office sought. Disparaging statements about one’s opponent are

not appropriate for such announcements and will not be published. Announcements are subject to editing for libel and excessive length. Candidates may drop off their announcements, along with a photo, at the Progress Times office, 1217 N. Conway Ave., Mission, Texas, or email it to news@progresstimes.net. Candidates are asked to include the name of the person submitting the announcement and a daytime telephone number.

Alda T. Benavides

Notice to political candidates

esidents interested in running for office in Alton, Sullivan City, and Sharyland Independent School District have two weeks to turn in their applications for candidacy. The deadline to file is Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. Election Day is May 9. In Alton, the mayor and Place 1 commissioner seats are up for a vote. Incumbents Salvador Vela and Arturo Galvan Jr. already have begun advertising for reelection. Sharyland ISD only recently moved from an atlarge system to a place system, and places 3 and 4 are up for election. Trustees Fernando Ramirez and Eddie Montalvo’s terms are expiring. Places 2 and 4 in Sullivan City also are up for election. It is the policy of Progress Times that the filing deadline also is the deadline to submit candidacy announcements for the news section of this paper. In accordance with this newspaper’s policy, we will not publish political announcements submitted to

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GPZ offers walking tours

BROWNSVILLE – Gladys Porter Zoo’s docents are conducting walking tours around the zoo upon request. Docents not only provide a tour of the facility, but also tell variety of stories from the history of the zoo to animal anecdotes. The tour can be customized to the participant’s level of interest, mobility and time available and are included with regular admission or zoo membership. The tours are available year round for

individuals, couples and groups of any size. To schedule a tour, call the Education Department at 548-9453 or email educA@ gpz.org at least one week in advance for prior arrangement.

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30 Years Ago This Week

Mission hires new parks and rec director

ission has hired Lupe Garcia, former Palmhurst city planner, to take the reins of the parks and recreation department. Garcia, who’s lived in Mission all his life, said the job suited him well as he’s had experience managing people and overseeing construction. The new position allows him to stay rooted in Mission. “There’s a lot of improvements we’re going to focus on, like park beautification,” said Garcia, who’s already been on the job two weeks. “We’re going to fix up all of our facilities and add irrigation to the parks.”

Incumbent Olivarez sought a second term. Leo Olivarez filed for reelection on the Mission City Council, Place 2. “We need to unite and work together. The future of Mission depends on what we do today,” Olivarez said in an announcement. Norma Davis sought Place 3 on the council Norma Davis, parental involvement program facilitator of MCISD, announced her candidacy for Mission City Council, Place 3. “I strongly believe that good government should be the servant of all people and not their master. I have a strong sense of urgency about increased public involvement – to return our city government to all the people of our community,” Davis stated in her announcement. Wood home was set to get a historical marker David Gregg Wood Sr. had a California style bungalow built in 1917 at 1215 Doherty in Mission. Wood came to Mission in 1908 and served as one of the early mayors and city councilmen. In 1985, Richard Kemp and his wife, who bought the house from the heirs of Pioneer Wood, owned the home. A La Joya boxer was a Golden Gloves champ Aladin “Dino” Garza, a 5’5” 132-pound power-punching machine, established himself as a top contender in the state in the lightweight division. Garza won the Regional Golden Gloves Tournament in Corpus Christi, where he floored two fighters in the second rounds. Coached by then-La Joya Police Chief Humberto Flores, Garza and Domingo Salinas II of La Joya Boxing Club were readying to compete in the state tournament in Ft. Worth.

opinion By Ed Sterling Texas Press Association

STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS

USTIN — Last week, the Senate Finance Committee began groundwork for its budget-writing duties with public hearings on four consecutive days. Led by Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Grapevine, the 15-member panel heard testimony from the offices of the governor, comptroller and attorney general. Input also was received on state pension funds, courts and payments on state debt. The budget is an estimated $4.5 billion for all “general government” functions and an increase of $200 million has been proposed for 2016-2017. The panel also received testimony on the state government’s fraud and corruption investigation body that for three decades has been a division of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. Then-Gov. Rick Perry’s veto of the Public Integrity Unit’s funding in 2013 is the subject of ongoing court action. Nelson said no funding for the unit had yet been placed in the budget. Chris Kyle day proclaimed Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed Feb. 2 as Chris Kyle Day in honor of the U.S. Navy SEAL credited as the military’s most prolific sniper. Kyle, who retired in 2009 and was living with his family in Midlothian, was shot and killed along with fellow Texan Chad Littlefield at a shooting range in Erath County on Feb. 2, 2013. Ten days later, Kyle was buried with full honors in the Texas State Cemetery. Abbott called Kyle “the face of a larger force for freedom that has made this country the bravest, strongest and freest in the history of the world,” and added, “Today, we commemorate his passing, and we honor his service and

the service of his comrades in arms who have joined him to defend our great nation.” Patrick moves on gun bills Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who earlier suggested he was not aware of enough support to bring up concealed handgun legislation, on Feb. 2 referred two such bills to the body’s State Affairs Committee: SB 342, relating to providing for the open and concealed carrying of handguns without a license and to related offenses and penalties; and SB 346, relating to the authority of a person who is licensed to carry a handgun to openly carry a holstered handgun. Also, Patrick asked the committee’s chair, Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, to schedule a hearing as soon as possible on SB 11, the “campus carry” bill. Speaker announces chairs Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, on Feb. 4 named 38 standing committees of the House of Representatives. Straus named as chairs the following House members: Tracy O. King, D-Batesville, Agriculture & Livestock; John Otto, R-Dayton, Appropriations; Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, Business & Industry; Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, Calendars; Jim Murphy, R-Houston, Corrections; Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, County Affairs; Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, Criminal Jurisprudence; Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, Culture, Recreation & Tourism; Susan King, R-Abilene, Defense & Veterans’ Affairs; Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, Economic & Small Business Development; Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, Elections; and Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, Energy Resources; Also, Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, Environmental Regulation; John Kuempel, R-Seguin, General Investi-

gating & Ethics; Gary Elkins, R-Houston, Government Transparency & Operation; John Zerwas, R-Richmond, Higher Education; Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, Homeland Security & Public Safety; Charlie Geren, R-River Oaks, House Administration; Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, Human Services; John Frullo, R-Lubbock, Insurance; Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, International Trade & Intergovernmental Relations; Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, Investments & Financial Services; John Smithee, R-Amarillo, Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence; and Harold Dutton Jr., D-Houston, Juvenile Justice & Family Issues; And, Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, Land & Resource Management; Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, Licensing & Administrative Procedures; Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, Local & Consent Calendars; Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, Natural Resources; Dan Flynn, R-Van, Pensions; Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, Public Education; Myra Crownover, R-Denton, Public Health; J.M. Lozano, R-Kingsville, Redistricting; Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, Rules & Resolutions; Doug Miller, R-New Braunfels, Special Purpose Districts; Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, State Affairs; Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, Transportation; Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, Urban Affairs; and Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, Ways & Means. In addition, Straus named two select committees and chairs: Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Tomball, chair, House Select Committee on Emerging Issues in Texas Law Enforcement; and Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, chair, House Select Committee on State and Federal Power and Responsibility.

February 13, 2015

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Reader: City should reconsider banning release of commercial butterflies

o the editor: The Nov. 28, 2014, story in the Progress Times (“Mission Aims to Protect Butterflies”) presents a very one-sided view of a complex issue. The ordinance rolls two very different issues together and casts legitimate businesses as being linked to excessive collecting and profiteering from a trade in butterflies. It makes sense to ban butterfly collection on areas like NABA’s Butterfly Center and public spaces; however, butterfly sales is a different issue. This legitimate industry is in all respects similar to the trade in beneficial insects. Butterflies are more colorful and appealing than spider mites predators, but no different in concept. Butterflies do have a greater emotional appeal and this is largely the basis for the long-standing anti-release policy by NABA. The Mission City Council apparently made no effort to examine both sides of the issues. Sure, butterflies are shipped chilled in envelopes. They are cold-blooded, go dormant and do not damage themselves when shipped this way. Reputable butterfly breeders enclose clear instructions on how to safely warm and release them. This is not abuse but rather a tested method for shipping that ensures their safe arrival and release. Members of industry trade groups adhere to ethical codes that do not support shipment into unsurvivable conditions. We routinely get

requests to ship butterflies to places like Chicago in February. We turn these down and educate the customer why we do so. We propose alternative examples of how to do releases under favorable conditions. For example, the customer could release inside a butterfly pavilion, outside on a 6-month anniversary when the weather is warm, or donate butterflies to fundraising for a favorite charity. The comparison of butterfly farms to puppy mills illustrates how NABA’s policies have been inserted into the ordinance. Reputable butterfly farms carefully disinfect and regularly test their butterflies for disease. Ensuring healthy butterflies is a prudent business decision. Bad butterflies do not generate repeat customers. It is also unethical to rear in disease-prone conditions promoting poor animal condition. While raising butterflies in groups can sometimes enhance disease transfer, so can sending kids to school. However, you don’t ban schools. You protect your children against disease by vaccination and hand-washing. The Mission City Council’s action against butterfly releases is akin to banning theme parks because measles spread at Disneyland because kids did not get vaccinations. There are a few bad farms out there. In animal husbandry, there are people abusing their animals. Horses, dogs, and cats are starved to death,

penned in large numbers or left isolated. But there are far more responsible operations that truly care for animals and provide them optimal conditions. We are very fond of our butterflies. Raising them is a labor of love, but no one gets rich raising butterflies. Butterfly farmers that we know work diligently to raise healthy butterflies. They have butterfly gardens, teach school groups, support teacher activities with discounts, sell to academic researchers, support fundraisers at hospices with releases, and provide joy or comfort at weddings and funerals. It is emotionally draining when discussing a release at a young child’s funeral. A picture of a butterfly landing afterwards on the small coffin makes one very aware of our responsibility to do this right. We urge the Mission City Council to reconsider banning releases of commercially raised butterflies. In Texas, individuals carry firearms and make decisions of life and death. Surely, individual Texans can decide whether releasing butterflies is a good idea. The public deserves thoughtful regulations that do not restrict their freedom to celebrate nature and life (or death) with butterflies, one of nature’s great symbols of beauty and transformation. Signed, Barbara Dorf Tracy Villareal Big Tree Butterflies Rockport, Texas

Sen. Cornyn, Rep. Cuellar introduce bills to encourage public-private partnerships at border

A S H I N G TON—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) introduced the Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2015 in the Senate and House of Representatives. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would encourage public-private partnerships to boost staffing and make infrastructure improvements at

U.S. ports of entry without adding to the deficit. “Trade is vital to the economy of communities in the Rio Grande Valley and all of Texas, which is why it is so important to find ways to increase the efficiency and amount of trade processed at our ports of entry,” Cornyn said. This legislation is based on input from border community leaders and is endorsed by: the United

States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Border Trade Alliance; Texas Border Coalition; Rio Grande Valley Partnership; Cameron County; City of Eagle Pass; City of Mission; City of McAllen; City of Harlingen; City of Pharr; Anzalduas International Bridge; McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge; Pharr International Bridge; and the Starr-Camargo International Bridge Company.

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

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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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February 13, 2015

Mayor raises objections to portable food sales within the city

By Kathy Olivarez ayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas questioned rules regarding food trucks in Mission at Monday’s meeting as the city council considered approving a conditional use permit to a portable food vendor outside Panaderia Nuevo Leon, 4009 N. Inspiration Road. Because the unit has been in that location for two years, and there have been no complaints, the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended a three-year permit over a one-year permit. But Salinas objected, asking if the vendor paid sales tax, and said he did not pay property taxes like other food vendors in the city. He also questioned whether the vendor had proper sanitary conditions like hot running water, refrigeration for uncooked foods, and the ability to keep his facility as clean as it would be if it were located in a building. Salinas said vendors who owned or rented buildings had higher overhead and could not sell their wares at as low of prices as those who had portable units. Some merchants were complaining to him about being unable to compete at a fair price. He also contended some merchants were not paying any sales tax on their revenues. He said he knew this was a fact because he had checked on a particular unit after he received a telephone call complaining about it. If a vendor is paying sales tax, he or she should have a license from the state comptroller on the wall in visible sight of customers. Salinas did not feel it was fair to give a permit to a vendor who was not paying sales tax or property tax, giving him an edge over competition that does pay taxes. After the meeting, Salinas said a woman had called him and complained her son

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had gotten food poisoning after buying food at a portable unit similar to the one in question because the food had not been kept at the right temperature. They also need adequate trash receptacles for disposal of uneaten food and supplies, he said. “We need to rework the portable food ordinance to see that vendors must have units providing hot water for cleaning and refrigeration to assure the food is kept cool until it is cooked,” Salinas said. “They must also be checked to see if they have a license to sell food from the State Comptroller’s Office because they will have to pay taxes like other food vendors if they do. I am going to see that city staff reworks the ordinances governing portable food sales before I allow another permit to be granted.” Virginia Townsend, of Objective Watchers of the Legal System, was at the meeting and backed up the Salinas’ proposal. Townsend said it is a growing trend in the Austin area to eat lunch provided by portable vendors near the workplace. She added there was a manufacturer on Shary Road who was outfitting portable food units and selling them. “The time to make sure these units are safe to prepare food for consumption is now,” she said, “Before the matter gets out of hand.” In other action, the city heard its annual audit report prepared by Long Chilton, LLP. The council was told the city had received a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting and auditors had rendered an unmodified report as a result of the audit. The 2014 audit report showed the city’s net position as $168,806,278. The net investment in capital assets amounted to $145,779,585. There were unrestricted funds of $11,231,693 and a restricted net position of $11,795.000. Mission Economic De-

velopment Corporation had a net position of a negative $10,175,421. Salinas said it was the duty of MEDC to borrow money and to incur debt on behalf of the city. Total revenues for 2014 were $50,974,633 while program revenues generated amounted to $13,566.968, which was added to other revenues of a negative $37,407,665. General revenues and transfers amounted to $39,432,296 for a total change in position of $2,024,631. The city’s total fund balance stood at $8,397,372. Under proprietary funds, the utility department had operating revenue of $19,271,444 and expenditures of $15,106,327. The solid waste department had operating revenue of $6,351,523 and expenses of $7,257,689. There was a net change in revenue of a negative $995,978 leaving a positive balance of $937,971. Of major concern was the golf course budget, which has shown expenditures over revenues for the past several years. Revenues for 2014 were $910,677 while expenditures were $1,346,891, a loss of $436,214. Salinas was concerned over the negative long-term receivable/ payable of $1,575,520. He said something would have to be done about the golf course to correct the trend of losing money. Under police matters, Chief Robert Dominguez was authorized to accept a grant of $57,488 to keep a fulltime police officer to track youth going through the juvenile justice system and to make sure they were doing what the court ordered. The police department was authorized to accept a Texas Department of Homeland Security State Administrative Agency Local Border Security Program for

See MISSION 10

Hidalgo County names engineer Raul Sesin to lead Drainage District

DINBURG – For the first time in two decades, the Hidalgo County Drainage District has a new leader at the helm. During a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 9, Drainage District No. 1 Board of Directors, which is comprised of the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, appointed Raul Sesin, P.E., CFM as general manager. Sesin, who has served as the county’s Planning Department administrator since 2001, replaces Godfrey Garza, just one week before the district’s management contract with Garza’s company, Integ Corp, expires on Feb. 16. “I am fully committed to this position and ready to get to work,” Sesin said to the board following his appointment. A licensed engineer, Sesin

has more than 21 years of experience in preliminary and final design, construction management, preparation of plans and specifications, estimates, feasibility studies and client relations. He is also a certified floodplain manager. His new post comes with an annual salary of $190,000.

Sesin said his top priority will be to evaluate the district’s operation to ensure accountability and transparency to the taxpayer and the general public. “Transparency is the key. I want the taxpayers to know where their money is going and how it is being spent,” Sesin said. In an effort to keep the public informed about the many phases of current and future drainage projects, Sesin said he plans to begin posting maps, cost estimates and timeline breakdowns of past, current and future projects online. He will also update the Drainage Master Plan and plans to assess the status of the Raymondville Drain project, which has been in the works for more than 20 years.

See SESIN 10

lifestyle

February 13, 2015

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NEWS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | PHOTOS

Smithsonian exhibit comes to UTPA Feb. 17 E DINBURG – “Journey Stories,” a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution, will open Feb. 17 at The University of Texas-Pan American Library and be on display in the Library’s Shary Room through March 27. The exhibit’s theme is immigration, migration and transportation, suggesting that everyone has a journey. UTPA is one of only six places in Texas that the exhibit will travel to this year. It has been scheduled to coincide with the 2015 Festival of International Books and

Arts (FESTIBA) on March 4 to 8. An opening reception will be held Feb. 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. Regular hours to view the exhibit, which is free and open to the public, are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In conjunction with “Journey Stories,” the library is hosting a speaker series. Several faculty members and local historians will make presentations while the exhibit is here: • Feb. 17, 6 p.m., UTPA Ballroom, book launch for “Living the Dream: New

BETWEEN the bookendS

Speer Memorial Library

12th St. & Kika Loop • Mission • 580-8750

By William Renner he public is invited to join in on the next book discussion at Speer Memorial Library in Mission on Tuesday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. The next book is “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” and it takes place in the library’s Community Room. For 2015, we are providing an added incentive to participate in our Morton’s Book Club. Speer Memorial Library was the recipient of the Texas Reads Grant and will make free copies available, while supplies last, to people who sign up for the discussions. In Berlin, during World War II, a boy named Bruno returns home from school to find that his family is packing and preparing to move far away, to where his father’s new job awaits. Bruno must leave his school and friends, and the only place he has ever lived. Outside the family’s new home is a tall fence with barbed wire at the top. On the other side of the fence,

away in the distance, Bruno can see some large buildings and low huts, and people who all wear striped pajamas. One day, Bruno, who has no other children to play with, goes far away from his house, walking along the fence as it stretches endlessly toward the horizon, until he sees a boy his age sitting on the other side. Bruno starts a conversation with him and the two become friends, sharing their very different life stories, unaware of the dangers of associating with one another. Written by John Boyne, and first published in 2006, the book is a moving and well written story, a work of historical fiction depicting a Nazi extermination camp as seen through the eyes of childhood innocence. For more information, or to sign up, call 580-8750 or 580-8754 or stop by the library at 12th Street and Kika de la Garza Loop in Mission. This title is also available as an eBook at http://mission. lib.overdrive.com.

Immigration Policies and the Lives of Undocumented Latino Youth,” Dr. Jessica L. Lavariega Monforti; • Feb. 19, 12 p.m., Schilling Room (Library 2.101). “We Were Here First: Early Indians of the Rio Grande Valley,” Dr. Russell Skowronek; • March 10, 12 p.m., Schilling Room, “Orphan Trains,” Dorothy Lund Nelson; • March 12, 12 p.m., Schilling Room, “Poems About Travel,” Emmy Pe-

rez; • March 24, 12 p.m., Schilling Room, “Travel Writing: Sharing Your Journey Stories with Others,” Dr. Phil Zwerling; and • March 26, 12 p.m., Schilling Room, “Songs About Travel,” Dr. Andrés Amado. For special accommodations or more details, contact Virginia Haynie Gause, media and marketing librarian, at 665-2303 or vgause@ utpa.edu.

Volunteers needed for Martin Watch

n Saturday, Feb. 21, a kick-off event is planned for Project Martin Watch, a citizen science program at the Edinburg World Birding Center (EWBC), 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd. The EWBC is installing its first Purple Martin house, and after the introductory class weekly monitoring begins in April. Purple Martin Watch is a continent-wide scientific project where volunteers monitor martin nests from the beginning of nest construction until the last fledgling has left. The data collected by the Project Martin Task Force will help scientists determine the population’s reproductive success

throughout its habitat range. The EWBC is inviting interested individuals ages 16 and up to attend an “Introduction to Project Martin Watch” on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The program will include a presentation on Purple Martins and their migrating habits, information on how to volunteer for the project and training on collecting data and installing/maintaining a Purple Martin house. The program fee is $2. Project Martin Task Force members will meet to collect data every Tuesday and Saturday, from April through July. No expertise is need; call 381-9922 to register.

3-D shoot slated for Feb. 22

he Mission Skeet & Trap Club and RGV Bowhunters Club are hosting a 3-D shoot from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22. It takes place at the Mission Skeet & Trap Club facility, on Conway Ave., one-half mile south of Expressway 83. Awards will be given for first through third place win-

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ners in the following categories: men, women, young adult, youth, cubs, and mini cubs, and compound bows and traditional. There are 15 new Rinehart animal targets. Fees are $10 for members; $15, nonmembers; $5, youth under 13; and $10, youth ages 13 to 17. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. For more information, contact Reyes L. Cortez at 424-6528 or call the club office at 583-5996.

Free Society News Announcements

Quinceanera, engagement, wedding, milestone anniversary* and milestone birthday** announcements are run FREE of charge in the Progress Times. The quinceanera, wedding, anniversary and birthday announcements should be submitted no later than two months after the event date. Engagement announcements must be submitted no later than three weeks prior to the wedding date. Quinceanera and milestone birthday photos are upper body, single column of the individual only; no group shots. Engagement, wedding and anniversary photos of the couple are run two columns in size. For questions or to obtain the appropriate form to submit with a photo, send an email to communitynews@ progresstimes.net, call the Progress Times at 585-4893. Please include a contact name and phone number for all inquiries.

Annual Mennonite Relief Sale slated for Feb. 14

he annual Mennonite Relief Sale, set for Saturday, Feb. 14, is a festival, auction, garage sale, children's art contest and more. This family event is free for everyone and takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rio Grande Bible Institute, 4300 S. Closner in Edinburg. While shopping, there will be activities for children, live music, a food court featuring traditional Mexican food, baked goods, a cake walk with prizes, and the international artisan and fair-trade goods displayed by Ten Thousand Villages.

The auction starts at 10:30 a.m. for a variety of items, including handmade quilts, woodcrafts and more. Proceeds benefit local and international relief efforts of the Mennonite Central Committee. Over the past 14 years local volunteers have raised more than $200,000 for relief efforts through the local event.

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Events Calendar

Feb ruary 14 – The Mission Lighthouse chapter of Aglow International will meet at 4 p.m. at Taco Ole, 2316 N. Conway in Mission free merienda. The power of prayer is this month’s topic. For more information, call Liza Rayo at 776-8505 or Connie Escamilla at 279-7887. Feb ruary 14 – In the next Saturday Safari, “Top Zoo Chef,” children and their parents can help Gladys Porter Zoo dieticians feed some of the zoo animals after a class on what the animals eat. Safaris begin at 10 a.m. Tour, arts and crafts, animal encounters and snacks are included. Fee is $15 per adult or children for ages 4 and up. To register, call 548-9453 or download a registration form at www. gpz.org. Pre- registration is required. The zoo is located at 500 Ringgold in Brownsville. Feb ruary 14 – The International Museum of Art & Science will hold “Winter Texan Saturday” for seniors age 55 and over from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s included in the price of general admission. Receive a guided tour of IMAS, free coffee and donuts and a program on technology. General admission to IMAS is $5 per person. For more information, call 682-0123 or visit www.imasonline.org. Feb ruary 15 – Head to Gladys Porter Zoo, 500 Ringgold in Brownsville, for a “Valentine’s Day” themed Animal Play Day. Play Day will begin at 11 a.m. at Gorilla Island and move on to surrounding exhibits throughout the day. This event is included with admission. For information, call 546-7187. Feb ruary 16 – The South Texas Border Chapter Texas Master Naturalist invites current and former members of the Texas Master Naturalist program, along with the general public, to attend the first general meeting of the year at 6:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M Allied Health School, 1101 E. Vermont in McAllen. Guest speaker Tiffany Kersten will speak on the “McAllen Nature Center: Potential and Opportunity in an Urban Habitat.” For more information, contact Marisa at stxbordertmn@gmail.com. Feb ruary 19 – Parents and children can create an easy sculpture using flowers and plaster during this week’s Family Fun Night at the Old Art Studio at the International Museum of Art & Science, 1900 W. Nolana in McAllen. The program, from 4 to 6 p.m., is $2 per person, supplies included, in addition to the regular museum admission price. Seating is limited. Call 682-1564 for more information. Feb ruary 20 – The Mission Computer Club will meet at 10 a.m. in the Speer Memorial Library Community Room. All levels of users are welcome to attend, and meetings are free. Contact Edna Morales at the library at 580-8478 for more information. Feb ruary 26 – Parents and children can learn about botany while creating a unique pot during this week’s Family Fun Night at the Old Art Studio at the International Museum of Art & Science, 1900 W. Nolana in McAllen. The program, from 4 to 6 p.m., is $2 per person, supplies included, in addition to the regular museum admission price. Seating is limited. Call 682-1564 for more information. Feb ruary 28 – The Saturday Safari, “Measuring Up,” begins at 10 a.m. at Gladys Porter Zoo located at 500 Ringgold in Brownsville. Children and their parents can help zookeepers record the weights and lengths of the zoo’s animals. Tour, arts and crafts, animal encounters and snacks are included in the $15 fee per adult or child, ages 4 and up. To register, call 548-9453 or download a registration form at www.gpz.org. Pre-registration is required. To see the complete Events Calendar for the coming weeks, go to www.ptrgv.com.

February 13, 2015

AMJH Science Bowl team qualifies for National Science Bowl for second year in a row

he Alton Memorial Jr. High School (AMJH) Robo-Rangers defended its Regional Science Bowl Championship over the weekend, qualifying the team to compete at the National Science Bowl event that will be held in Washington, D.C., April 30-May 4. This will be the second year in a row AMJH has sent a team to the national event. It will be one of only four middle school teams to represent Texas at the National Science Bowl. Only 50 middle school teams from around the country advance to the national competition. The members of the championship AMJH team (AMJH Team 1) are: Carlos Hernandez, Emily Barragan, Priscilla Quintero, Vanessa Quintero, Brandon Balderas. They are coached by Sammy Rivera, Robert Granados and Jesus Barrera. The Mission Jr. High School Team 1 placed second at the regional event. Team members were:

Pictured are the middle school regional Science Bowl champs from Alton Memorial Jr. High School. Front row, from left to right,, are: Brandon Balderas, Carlos Hernandez. On the middle row are: Coach Robert Granados, Vanessa Quintero, Emily Barragan, Priscilla Quintero, Coach Jesus Barrera; and Coach Sammy Rivera is on the back row.

Damien Gonzalez, Melanie Pena, Jaden De Leon, Alexis Aranda, Adal Ordonez, Briana Diaz. Their coaches were: David Land, Jesus Razo, Carolina Barrero.. A second team from AMJH placed seventh at

Winners named in Mission Quilt Show

inners were announced at the Mission Historical Museum’s awards ceremony for the annual Mission Quilt Show on Friday, Feb. 6. Jim Brunson, publisher of the Progress Times and the Winter Texan Times, announced the winners. Best of Show Award went to Angie Wilson with “Gathered at the Manger.” In the machine-quilted bed quilt category, first place went to Yellie Bick for “Waste Not-Want Not”; Karen Eck, second place, New Dawn Blue Print; and third place, Margie Rexroad, “Irish Chain Flower Basket.” In the hand-quilted bed quilt division, first place was awarded to Myrna

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Whigham, “Family Flowers”; second place, Sandra Newland, “Flower Basket”; and third place, Shirley Corpe, “French Braid.” For wall hangings, Angie Wilson took first place with “Gathered at the Manager”; second place, Sandi Carstensen, “Boo Hollow”; and third place, Kathleen Carrizal-Frye, “My Mexican Christmas.” The miscellaneous division first place award went to to Dona Fabyan for a table runner, and Jane Pronovost took first place in mixed media for “Loco Pescado.” Receiving the most votes for the Viewer’s Choice Award was Gerald L. Brauer for his “Amazon Star.”

the Regional Science Bowl. Team two consisted of Aileen Cantu, Farith Elvira, Antonio Navarro, Daniel Martinez, and Isla Coronado. The 2015 Regional Sci-

See SCIENCE BOWL 10

Class of ’80 reunion is June 27

he Mission High School Class of 1980 will celebrate their 35th Class Reunion on Saturday, June 27, from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Mission Community Center with a dance and dinner. With the theme, “Let the Good Times Roll,” the evening of music and food will be highlighted with Class of ’80 memorabilia. Other events are being planned and will be announced later. For more information, contact Alice Chapa Gonzalez at 225-3652, Irma Flores Lopez at 789-9429 or Tito Garza at 607-7796.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

St. Valentine’s Day with a dinner and performance at 7 p.m. at St. George’s Orthodox Church Hall, 704 W. Sam Houston in Pharr. A performance of “The St. George’s Valentine Radio Show” will follow the dinner. Seating is limited and pre-purchased tickets for $14 per person can be purchased Monday through Friday through Feb. 13 between 6:30 to 6 p.m. at the Carnahan Theater, 317 W. Gore in Pharr. For tickets or more information, call 648-2036. February 15 · The Senior Ambassadors will perform at Split Rail RV Park in Mission at 7 p.m. February 18 · The visually perplexing, yet always entertaining, Blue Man Group, arrives at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo with their very particular style of humor and unspoken look on life. The one-night performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $42 to $62 per person. Go to ticketmaster.com or call 800-7453000. February 19 · The Valley Symphony Orchestra celebrates their 63rd year at the Tango Argentino Symphony Gala 2015 at the McAllen Convention Center Ballroom. The event begins with a reception and silent auction at 6:30 p.m. The Argentinian dinner is at 7:30 p.m. The Valley Symphony Orchestra will perform with featured guest artists Daniel Binelli on the bandonéon and Polly Ferman on the piano. Individual tickets are $150 and available at the Box Office by calling 661-1615. For more information, call Vivian Vargas at 661-1615 or via email to admin@valleyorchestra.org. February 19 · Rumbo al’ Anacua will perform live at 6 p.m. at Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center, 600 Sunset in McAllen. The music from Rumbo al’ Anacua keeps the tradition of music performed under anacua trees, backyards and

Texas. From its repertory the duo performs old musica ranchera along with original compositions of blues and folk music. The performance is included in the $3 per person admission price, payable at the door. For more information, call 681-3370. February 19-22; Feb. 26-March 1 · The Pharr Community Theater presents “The Chisolm Trail,” written by Romeo Rosales Jr. and directed by David Cid. The two-act western comedy, drama and adventure of South Texas history will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Performances are at the Carnahan Auditorium, 317 W. Fore, Pharr. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for anyone under age 18. Tickets will be sold one huor before each show. For more information, call 648-2488 or 655-9308. February 20 · See Juan Gabriel at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo for a one-night show beginning at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets run from $86.50 to $197 per person and are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. · Gene Watson performs with Johnny Lee and Johnny Rodriguez at Boggus Ford Events Center, 3000 N. Cage in Pharr. Doors open at 6 p.m. Reserved seat tables are $33.50 and $39.50. Standing room only tickets are $30.50. Buy tickets at ticketmaster. com or by calling 800-7453000. February 21 · The Museum of South Texas History’s 25th Annual Pioneer & Ranching Crafts Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A celebration of the Rio Grande Valley’s pioneer and ranching heritage, the indoor and outdoor festival features artisans providing authentic craft demonstrations, hands-on activities, music and dance performances suitable for all ages. Visitors will enjoy a interactive and entertaining event while learning about South Texas traditions and foods.

from pg2

the regular admission price. Prices range from free for children ages 3 and under. The museum is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 N. Closner. Calll 383-6911 for more information. February 22 · The Newsboys band with the “Got Faith?” concert series performs live in a night of music, ministry and more at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo. The show, “We Believe, God’s Not Dead,” begins at 7 p.m. and doors open at 6 p.m. The concert line-up includes Audio Adrenaline, Finding Favour and Kairy Marquez. Reserved tickets are $25, $40, $55 and $70 with group discounts of $5 off per ticket of 10 or more tickets. Purchase tickets at ticketmaster. com or by calling 800-7453000. Meet and greet tickets are available by calling 3582755. · The Rio Grande Valley Concert Band will perform at Enchanted Valley Ranch in Mission at 3 p.m. To become a member of the band, contact Gene Goede at 682-9225. February 27 · Bling it up for the final UTPA Alumni Ball, “Boots and Bling,” at the Boggus Ford Events Center, 3000 N. Cage in Pharr, at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit student scholarships. Tickets are $100 each and can be purchased online at bronccountry.utpa.edu/alumniball or at the UTPA Alumni Center in Edinburg, 2402 S. Closner Blvd. For ticket information and accommodations, call 665-2500. To see the complete Coming Attractions calendar, go to www.ptrgv.com.

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HUSKIES BOYS TAKE 16-6A OPPONENTS TO THE MAT F By Luciano Guerra

or the first time in school history the Juarez-Lincoln boys wrestling team has won back-to-back district championships. Their impressive 49-point margin of victory over runner-up

PSJA Memorial and 76-point margin over third place Nikki Rowe made it possible for the Huskies to add the District 16-6A title to the District Dual Meet, the Coyote Invitational and the Centex Wrestling Tournament championships they had previously claimed this season.

SPORTS BRIEFS District 16-5A Championship Meet Wrestling Results Veterans Memorial, Sharyland and Sharyland Pioneer were among the 12 schools that competed in the District 16-5A Wrestling Championships last Wednesday and Thursday at Sharyland High School. Here are those three schools’ team and individual results from that meet: Team rankings (points) Boys teams: 2nd place Sharyland High (175), 3rd place - Pioneer (171), 8th place - Mission Veterans (71). Girls teams: 4th place Mission Veterans (104), 5th place - Sharyland (81), 11th place - Pioneer (0).

Individual results (weight class) Boys district champions: Isaac Cavazos, Pioneer (106); Luis Hinojosa, Sharyland (120); Ruy Troche, Sharyland (145); Mark Faucette, Pioneer (170); and David Rodriguez, Sharyland (285). Girls district champions: Karime Flores, Mission Veterans (128); Ana Pulido, Sharyland (165); and Klarissa Blanco, Mission Veterans (185). District 16-6A Championship Meet Wrestling Results Juarez-Lincoln, La Joya, Palmview and Mission High were among the 12 schools

See SPORTS BRIEFS 12

In addition to the team title four Huskies wrestlers claimed individual district championships during the two day meet held at Mission High School’s Neuhaus Gymnasium last Friday and Saturday. Seniors Esequiel Rodriguez, Andres Gonzalez, Rene Loredo and Edgar Delgado all swept the competition in their respective weight classes to take four of the 14 individual district championships. As Juarez-Lincoln boys’ wrestling coach Armando Resendez shared, winning the district title is an achievement a year in the making. “Winning back-to-back district championships was one of our goals ever since we won district last year,” Resendez said. “Palmview our sister school did that four years ago so that was our goal.” Next up for the four newly-crowned

“I wanted revenge this year and I got it.” – Edgar Delgado

district champs, and for all District 16-6A wrestlers that placed fourth or better at the district meet, will be the Region IV-6A meet which is taking place today and tomorrow at the Blossom Athletic Center in San Antonio. “Nine of our boys qualified for the regional meet and one will be going as an alternate,” explained Resendez. “We had four wrestlers that placed first, one that placed second, two that placed third and two that placed - all of whom qualified for regionals.” As the district champion in the 160 lb. weight class, Andres Gonzalez will be competing at regionals for the second year in a row. “Last year I placed second at district, fifth at regionals and I went to state as an alternate,” said Gonzalez. “Unfortunately the opportunity to wrestle at the state

ABOVE: The scorecard may say 4-2 for for Andres Gonzalez of Juarez Lincoln but the victory belonged to McHi mere seconds before the final horn blew. Gonzalez made a reversal to earn two additional points with two seconds remaining. LEFT: Esequiel Rodriguez won the 145lb weight class in a little over three minutes by pinning sophomore Enrique Leal from Rowe. Esequiel is in his final year of high school. Progress Times photos by Mike De La Cruz

meet was not presented to me last year. That’s why my goals are to wrestle my best at regionals and advance to state again but not as an alternate this time.” Having placed second at district his sophomore year and having just won his sec-

ond district championship in a row Esequiel Rodriguez (145 lbs.) is now a three-time regional qualifier. The fact that he did not get to compete at last year’s regionals due to an injury has him setting his

See WRESTLING 12

Lady Patriots to play Lady Vikings

By Luciano Guerra hen it comes to high school sports teams, consistency is a difficult thing to achieve. A team can be up one year and down the next. As a result, putting together a run of double digit years in which a particular team has qualified for the playoffs is almost unheard of. One exception to that however is the Veterans Memorial Lady Patriots basketball team. As a result of their recently completed District 31-5A season in which they compiled an 8-4 record, the Lady Patriots have punched

LEFT: Veterans Memorial’s Rosa Silva dribbles past an Edinburg Vela defender during the fourth quarter of the Lady Patriots 56-46 loss to the Lady Sabercats. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra

in bi-district playoff Lady Rattlers and Lady Lobos advance

their ticket into the playoffs for the 11th year in a row. As the second seed in the district, Veterans Memorial will be going up against the Brownsville Pace Lady Vikings in the bi-district round of the playoffs Monday of next week at 7 p.m. on their own home court at Veterans Memorial High School. While Veterans Memorial has had great consistency when it comes to making the playoffs, advancing into the second round has not been something Coach Rafael Cantu Jr. and his Lady Patriots teams have

See BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS 12

February 13, 2015

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Northside pool to be renovated

By Lea Victoria Juarez ission CISD and the city of Mission have been discussing renovations to the Northside Pool since March 2014, but after months of back-and-forth regarding the memorandum of agreement for the city pool, the two entities look to be nearing the end of deliberation. The facility needs to be brought up to ADA compliance and because public school code is stricter than city code, MCISD will be overseeing the project to ensure everything is done properly. Updates would be done on the swimming pool itself and the surrounding facility, which includes restrooms, locker rooms, concession and a paint job. The cost will be split

February 13, 2015

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50/50 between the district and Mission city, but the two are still trying to negotiate the final number with the help of the swimming coaches. Superintendent Ricardo Lopez said in the worst-case scenario the cost would be around $2.2 million, but he hopes to get it under that limit. Once the project is completed, it is possible the Mission school district will take over ownership of the swimming facility. The district would then lease the pool to the city for summer recreation. “We do have manpower to hold the pool,” Lopez said. “The last thing we’re looking for if we agreed is making sure there’s no added cost on the district’s end to incur the full use of the pool exclusively to us.” Throughout the process,

the aquatic consultant has been Calvin T. (CT) Brannon of Brannon Corporation. In each round of discussion, he has conducted the feasibility study and it is likely Brannon Corp will be the engineer chosen for the project, according to Rick Rivera, executive director for facilities and maintenance construction. “They were also the engineers and designers for the pool at Bannworth and also the renovations on Mayberry pool that were done a couple of years ago,” Rivera said. “So he is confident and experienced in the Mission area with the pools, so more than likely that’s the engineer that we’ll be bringing forward if everything goes well with the city in our discussions.” Although it hasn’t been a linear process, City Manager Martin Garza said he and the city are dedicated to developing a quality facility. “We want to make sure that this project is something that we can proud of,” Garza said. “We’re fully committed to getting this project completed to getting the standards to whatever the school district and general public needs.”

SESIN from pg 5

Sesin holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Alabama. Born in Matamoros and raised in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Sesin moved to Mission in 1994 and is the proud father of daughter Zoe Isabella, 18, a sophomore at the University of Texas-Pan American.

SCIENCE BOWL from pg 7

ence Bowl brought together teams from a 13-county area, including magnet schools, charter schools, and private schools. The Regional Science Bowl was sponsored by

Mission CISD Special Olympics athletes bring home medals from Winter Games

leven Special Olympics athletes from Mission Consolidated Independent School District competed in the recent 22nd annual Winter Games in Austin. They competed in bowling and brought home 10 medals. The results for the athletes from Mission High School: Adrian Rodriguez, first place; Milton Cerda, first place; Robert Wheat, first place; Arturo de la Rosa, second place; Maria Rojas, fourth place The results for the athletes from Veterans Memorial High School: Armando Sanchez, first place; Jessie Sandoval, first place; Celestino Ramos, first place; Omar Trevino, second place; Elidia

Garcia, second place; Sebastian Llamas, third place. About 2,500 athletes came from across Texas to compete in one of three sports: bowling, powerlifting, or volleyball. In addition to their

competitions, these athletes also participated in opening ceremonies, athlete village, victory dance, closing ceremonies, and clinics and sport demonstrations.

aying that drug cartels are “ramping up” their efforts as the Texas National Guard prepares to leave the Rio Grande Valley next month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Tuesday that he’s seeking an additional $12 million to keep the troops there through May. Beyond that, he added at a Capitol news conference, he would work to get a supplemental bill to fund deployments through August, in the hopes that the Texas Legislature would pass a budget that includes deployment funding beyond that. The Senate’s budget includes about $815 million for border security, which is more than the previous seven years combined. “Under no circumstances should we have a complete pullout of the National

Guard next month,” Patrick said. “We have that [$12 million], and we need to spend that money to keep the Guard there.” The National Guard was deployed last summer in response to the surge of unaccompanied minors and family units, mainly from Central America, who breached the Texas-Mexico border. Former Gov. Rick Perry ordered up to 1,000 troops in response. That was in addition to a surge of Texas Department of Public Safety officers, which Patrick said would remain in place. Patrick did not say if any of the Guard members' duties would change should the $12 million be approved. They are currently used for surveillance and other support roles and do not have arresting powers. The lieutenant governor also predicted another surge

of illegal immigration this spring and summer because of what he said was President Obama's refusal to enforce immigration laws. State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said Tuesday that he supports the DPS surge to combat the area’s problems. “We have a problem down on the border, we have drug trafficking, we have human smuggling, we have guns going south,” he said. But Hinojosa disagreed that his region needed the National Guard, adding that money earmarked for the Guard deployment could be better spent on DPS resources and equipment. “I support maximizing and using the military assets, surveillance drones whatever we have” with DPS, he said. “I don’t think it’s effective to

HESTEC at The University of Texas Pan American. The Science Bowl is hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of Science and Math. The teams are com-

prised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as their coach. The competition is an intense, fast-paced, game-show style competition testing the knowledge of the students in: Biology, Chemistry, Life Science, Earth Science, Physics, Energy, and Math.

A featured event at the National Science Bowl for middle school students is the Electric Car Competition. Students design, build and race battery-powered model cars. This tests the creative engineering skills of the students as they gain hands-on experience in the automotive design process and also with electric battery technology. At last year’s National Science Bowl, the team from AMJH finished tenth at the National Electric Car Competition.

Patrick wants $12M to keep Guard on border By Julián Aguilar The Texas Tribune

MISSION

$175,000 to be used for overtime. Purchase of a security system for city hall that will monitor all doors to make sure no one in going in through doors that they should not be entering was approved. Doors not open to the public will have key codes that employees will use to open doors. The cost of the system is $19,927. Approval to write off uncollected utility debt in the amount of $19,974 was

from pg 5

approved. This included $18,575.93 for residential usage, $1,354.92 for commercial usage and $28.20 for inactive accounts. Caroline Mendiola of Sharyland ISD and Guadalupe Garcia of Mission Parks and Recreation were nominated to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Board. Carl Davis was nominated to the Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame by Mayor Beto Salinas.

See BORDER 11

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page 11

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Mission CISD crowns the district’s top spellers

fter starting with a field of 36 competitors, it took about an hour to whittle that number down to one person, who is this year’s top speller in Mission Consolidated Independent School District. Djennae Addison, a fourth grader from Alton Elementary School, won this year’s annual district spelling bee. Addison will now advance to the 27th annual Rio Grande Valley Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 7, at the South Texas College Weslaco Campus. Juan Carrillo, a fifth grade student from Cantu Elementary School came in second place. The third place finisher in this year’s district spelling bee was Kitana Garza, a sev-

enth grader from Mission Jr. High School. The other top spellers who competed in this year’s Mission CISD District Spelling Bee were: Raquel Vargas, Alton Elementary School; Joshua Lake, Bryan Elementary School; Donovan Serna, Bryan Elementary School; Ruby Chacon, Cantu Elementary School; Hayley Rodriguez, Castro Elementary School; Liliana Gonzalez, Castro Elementary School; Oscar Cano, Cavazos Elementary School; Luis De La Riva Ruiz, Cavazos Elementary School; Janae Cortez, Escobar/Rios Elementary School; Keyla Pulido, Escobar/Rios Elementary School; Madison Garcia, Leal Elementary School; Eduardo Reyes,

UTRGV offers assistance finding money for college on Super Saturday Feb. 21

tudents can receive help in finding money to finance college expenses for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley this fall. All future Vaqueros are invited to Super Saturday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the UTPA Campus Visitor’s Center where the Office of Student Financial Services will

BORDER

have thousands of guardsmen on the border. I think it’s counterproductive.” Border security was the top concern for 37 percent of Texas Republicans, according to an October 2014 poll conducted by the University

provide free one-on-one assistance to students and their families in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) forms for college financial aid. Jael Garcia, associate di-

See UTRGV 14 from pg 10

of Texas and the Texas Tribune. Immigration followed at 26 percent. That’s compared with 7 and 9 percent of Democrats that identified border security and immigration as their top concerns, respectively.

Leal Elementary School; Damian Rodriguez, Marcell Elementary School; Jorge Salinas, Marcell Elementary School; Antonio Lopez, Midkiff Elementary School;

Carolina Arellano, Midkiff Elementary School; Mikaela Martinez, Mims Elementary School; Naudrina Garcia, Mims Elementary School; Alexia Novelo, O’Grady El-

ementary School; Danilee Alaniz, O’Grady Elementary School; Sherlyn Farias, Pearson Elementary School; Jared Garza, Pearson Elementary School; Jonathan Pams, Salinas Elementary School; Melanie Rivera, Salinas Elementary School; Bryan LEFT: Kitana Garza, third place; Djennae Addison, first place; Juan Carrillo, second place

Alvarez, Waitz Elementary School; Leslie Saenz, Waitz Elementary School; Victoria Salinas, Alton Memorial Jr. High School; Jacklin Acosta, Alton Memorial Jr. High School; Darlynn Barrera, Mission Jr. High School; Nicole Khachikian, K. White Jr. High School; Lisa Garza, K. White Jr. High School; Jose Cerda, R. Cantu Jr. High School; Cazzandra Rojas, R. Cantu Jr. High School.

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February 13, 2015

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BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS from pg 8

been able to achieve recently. As for what it will take to change that trend Cantu said, “It’s going to take a total commitment to be ready and not leave anything up to chance - a commitment that will need to be there every second of every practice as we prepare for our first round game. When you’ve given it a great effort as we have this season you can’t just let things slip by. It’s do-or-die now and we just need to give it everything we have.” Veterans Memorial’s most recent loss came at the hands of the undefeated Edinburg Vela Lady Sabercats in both teams’ district finale Tuesday evening. While Lady Patriots’ senior guard Maria Torres would much rather have ended the regular season with

Boys

Basketball Standings

DISTICT 30-6A Overall District GB 25-7 9-2 McAllen High McAllen Memorial 18-12 8-2 .5 Palmview High 20-12 6-4 2.5 16-14 6-5 3 McAllen Rowe -----------------------------------------------La Joya High 21-12 5-5 3.5 12-17 2-8 6.5 Mission High Juarez-Lincoln 6-22 0-10 8.5

Girls (Final)

DISTICT 30-6A Overall District GB 21-12 11-1 McAllen Rowe Palmview High 20-10 9-3 2 McAllen Memorial 17-14 8-4 3 15-17 5-7 6 McAllen High ------------------------------------------------Juarez-Lincoln High 7-25 3-9 8 8-24 3-9 8 Mission High La Joya High 8-24 3-9 8

Overall District GB DISTICT 31-5A 26-5 10-0 Edinburg Vela Sharyland High 25-5 9-1 1 3 Veterans Memorial 27-6 7-4 Roma 10-16 4-6 6 ------------------------------------------------Sharyland Pioneer 15-14 3-7 7 Valley View 13-18 3-8 7.5 Rio Grande City 8-22 0-10 10

Overall District GB DISTICT 31-5A 23-8 12-0 Edinburg Vela Veterans Memorial 19-13 8-4 4 Roma 20-12 8-4 4 20-13 7-5 5 Sharyland High ------------------------------------------------Rio Grande City 17-16 5-7 7 6-21 1-11 11 Valley View Sharyland Pioneer 3-29 1-11 11 Note: BOYS - Teams above dotted line are in position to make playoffs. GIRLS - Teams above the dotted line have qualified for playoffs.

a win, she saw several things she liked about the way she and her teammates played against one of the top teams

in the Valley. “The Vela game is definitely going to prepare us better for the playoffs,” expressed Torres. “While we didn’t win we worked hard and we were able to see what we have and what we will be able to use in the playoffs. Even though we fell behind early we never gave up and that’s something we’ve been working on all season.” As a sophomore Andrea de la Garza is in her second year on the Lady Patriots varsity squad. Like Torres, de la Garza believes that playing the Lady Sabercats just prior to post season play will be beneficial in the long run. “This was like a warm-up game for the playoffs,” said de la Garza. “We did some great things tonight. We had

WRESTLING

sights high in this his senior year. “My goal is to place in the top three at regionals and hopefully advancing to state,” shared Rodriguez. Rene Loredo, who placed third in 182 lb. weight class at district last year is competing in the 195 lb. class this year. Like his teammates he too is looking forward to placing high enough at regionals to qualify for state. “Last year I missed qualifying for state by one place. It will be a great accomplishment for me to qualify this year because I’ve been trying for the past three years,” said Loredo.

great passes and took some great shots so if we can do that against a team like Vela we should be able to do it in the playoffs as well.” “Sometimes we lose our confidence but once we click together and we get our confidence back we play really great,” added de la Garza. “But we have to play as a team and trust each other. Once we do that we play great together.” As for what it will take for the Lady Patriots to go deeper into the playoffs than just the first round, Veterans Memorial junior post Rosa Silva said, “We really need to work together. We need to make every minute count, even in our practices. Everything is going to count on the court once we’re in the playoffs so whether we win or lose will depend on how hard we work.” As District 31-5A’s fourth seed, the Sharyland Lady Rattlers, and as District 30-6A’s second seed, the Palmview Lady Lobos, are the only two other Big 7 schools’ teams to qualify for the playoffs. The Lady Rattlers will be playing the winner of tonight’s one game seeding playoff between the Mercedes Lady Tigers and the Donna Lady Redskins. The date, time and location of that bi-district match-up will be determined later. The Lady Lobos will be playing Del Rio in the bi-district round of the playoffs Tuesday February 17 at 7 p.m. at Laredo Martin High School. from pg 8

Edgar Delgado, who fell one point short of earning a district title last year, had extra reason to celebrate his championship in the 220 lb. weight class this year. “I was extremely happy to have won district this year,” expressed Delgado. “I wanted revenge this year and I got it.” In addition to their four district champions Dimas Polomo, Pedro Perez, Rene Beas, Ricardo Villegas and Valentin Cervantes are all regional qualifiers for the Huskies while Manuel Corral will be making the trip to San Antonio as an alternate.

Veterans Memorial’s Rosa Silva pulls down a tough rebound. Progress Times photo by Luciano Guerra

SPORTS BRIEFS

that competed in the District 16-6A Wrestling Championships last Friday and Saturday at Mission High School. Here are their team and individual results from that meet: Team rankings (points) Boys teams: 1st Juarez-Lincoln (247), 5th - Palmview (130), 7th - La Joya (103.5), 13th - Mission (58). Girls teams: 3rd - La Joya Palmview (115.5), 4th - Juarez-Lincoln (112), 7th La Joya (91), 12th - Mission (36) Individual results (weight class) Boys district champions: Raymond Sarmiento, Palmview (106), Fuad Chagollan, Palmview (132), Esequiel Rodriguez, Juarez-Lincoln (145), Andres Gonzalez, Juarez-Lincoln (160), Rene Loredo, Juarez-Lincoln (195), Edgar Delgado, Juarez-Lincoln (220) Girls district champions: Leslie Oliva, Juarez-Lincoln (95), Anglica Hernandez, Juarez-Lincoln (128), Daisy Ramirez, La Joya (165), Keyla Gutierrez, Palmview (215). Region VIII-6A Swimming and Diving Meet Results La Joya and Mission High were among the schools that competed in the Region VIII-6A Swimming and Diving Meet last Friday and Saturday at the Margaret C. Clark Aquatic Center in Brownsville. Here are those two schools’ team rankings and state qualifiers from that meet: Team Rankings (points) Boys teams: 11th - La Joya (65). 14th - Mission (34) Girls teams: 18th - Mission (4) State Qualifiers (points) Boys 1-meter Diving: Alfonso Ramirez - La Joya

from pg 8

High, (291.95) Region VIII-5A Swimming and Diving Meet Results Veterans Memorial, Sharyland and Pioneer High were among the 24 schools that competed in the Region VIII-5A Swimming and Diving Meet last Friday and Saturday at the Corpus Christi Independent School District Natatorium. Here are those three schools’ team rankings and state qualifiers from that meet: Team Rankings (points) Girls teams: 6th - Sharyland (166), 9th - Pioneer High (94), 13th - Veterans Memorial (37). Boys teams: 3rd - Sharyland (263), 10th - Veterans Memorial (80), 13th - Pioneer (52) State Qualifiers (time) Boys 100-Yard Backstroke: Luciano FariasRamirez - Sharyland (56.73) Sharyland Rattlers Football Players Honored Six Sharyland Rattlers football players, all seniors, were singled out recently for achieving excellence either on the field or in the classroom. Linebacker Edgar Garcia was named to the 2015 Texas High School Coaches Association’s (THSCA’s) First Team Academic AllState team while wide receivers James Cole and Zack Townsend and halfbacks Loredo Guerra and Marco Sanchez were named to the 2015 THSCA’s Second Team Academic All-State team. Sean Landez was named to the Associated Press First Team All-State team and to the Texas Sports Writers Association’s Second Team All-State team as a defensive back and to the Padilla Poll’s First Team All-State team as a defensive back and as a punt returner.

February 13, 2015

obituaries

Rafael Acevedo Jr. ISSION – Rafael Acevedo Jr., 76, passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Mission Regional Medical Center. He was born to Rev. Rafael and Dora Acevedo on April 20, 1938, in Oilton. Survivors include his wife, Dolores Acevedo; stepsons, Daniel and David Cruz; brother, David Acevedo; and sister, Eva Casey. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. Rafael Acevedo and Dora Acevedo, brothers, Hilario “Lalo” Acevedo Sr. and Ezequiel Acevedo Sr., a sister Emma O. Canales. Ines G. Garcia ISSION - Ines G. Garcia, 73, passed away on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at her home in Mission. Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Alfonso Garcia; children, Maria Yolanda Gonzalez, Alfredo Garcia, Benito Garcia and Cecilia Garcia; siblings, Angie Pompa, Irene Chavez, Jose Hector Gomez and Floridor Gomez; and five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A funeral service was held on Feb. 10 at First Missionary Baptist Church in McAllen. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen. Robert W. Heath HARR – Robert “Bob” W. Heath passed away on Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at his home. Mr. Heath was born in Mattoon, Ill. on Sept. 4, 1920, to William Thomas Heath and Sally Lily. He lived in Kansas, Ill. most of his life. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He He was employed on a mail train and worked as an electrician by trade. Upon retirement in 1983, he moved to Mission and then settled in Pharr where he worked at Texas Trails. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, was a deacon at the First Baptist Church in Mission and was a 50year member of the Masonic Lodge. Survivors include his daughter, Carol Sue Heath of

California, and six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by two. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara Lee Brown; daughter, Judyth Ann Harshey; brothers, Edward and James; and sisters, Virginia and Betty. A memorial service was held on Feb. 8 at Texas Trails. Joaquin Mendoza Jr. ISSION - Joaquin Mendoza Jr., 26, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, in McAllen. Mr. Mendoza was born on July 28, 1988 in McAllen to Joaquin and Blanca Mendoza. Survivors include his parents, Joaquin and Blanca Mendoza; sisters, Ana Maria Alegria, Blanca Garcia and Susana Mendoza; and broth-

Notices

Ines G. Garcia MISSION – A funeral service for Ines G. Garcia was held on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at First Missionary Baptist Church in McAllen. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission. Rodolfo Garcia MISSION - Rodolfo Garcia passed away on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at his home in Mission. A funeral service was held on Feb. 7 at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission. Burial followed at San Jose Cemetery in Mission. Armando Garza MISSION – A funeral service for Armando Garza was held on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, at Ric Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission. Burial followed at Garden of Angels Cemetery in Abram. Maria San Juanita Gonzalez de Ramirez LA JOYA – Maria San Juanita Gonzalez de Ramirez, 63, passed away on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Edinburg Regional Medical Center. Jose R. Juarez MISSION – Jose R. Juarez, 89, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at

er, Francisco Mendoza. Following visitation on Feb. 6, his remains were cremated. Thomas William Miller ISSION – Thomas William Miller, 89, of Mission, passed away on Feb. 4th, 2015, at the Waterford Gardens in Mission. Mr. Miller was born in Pipestone, Manitoba, on Nov. 3, 1925, to Bert and Esther Miller. Survivors include his sister, Eileen Rhuda of Nova Scotia. He moved from Pipestone to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the 1940s where he finished school and worked for the fire department. He joined the Army and was sent to Belgium and Holland a few days prior to the conclusion of WWII. He married Emily in 1947 and moved to Lansing, Mich. where he had a career at General Motors and later retired to Mission.

Doctors Hospital in Edinburg. A funeral mass was held on Feb. 6 at St. John of the Fields Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission. William Martin MISSION - William Martin, 79, passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Mission Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Maritza Moreno MISSION –A funeral service for Maritza Moreno was held on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Mission. Burial followed at Lord and I Cemetery in Palmview. Jesus Jose Perez MISSION – Jesus Jose Perez, 88, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, at his home. Maria M. Sanchez MISSION – Maria M. Sanchez, 54, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at Amara Hospice in Edinburg. Luisa Villescas MISSION – A funeral service for Luisa Villescas was held on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, at Grace Community Church in Pharr. Burial followed at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission.

AMJH Robo-Rangers after the recent TCEA Area 1 Robotics Competition

AMJH robotics teams make competition history

he Alton Memorial Jr. High School Robo-Rangers robotics teams dominated at the annual Texas Computer Education Association Area 1 Robotics Competition held this past weekend. The Area 1 consists of seven counties that include: Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Web, Willacy, and Zapata. The Robo-Ranger teams from AMJH swept the top three places in both the arena

ach Mission Consolidated Independent School District campus has made a selection for Teacher of the Year at its school. These top educators are now being entered into the Mission CISD Teacher of the Year program. It is from this program, that one elementary and one secondary teacher will be selected to represent Mission CISD in the Regional Teacher of the Year contest. Mission CISD has had the Regional Secondary Teacher of the Year three years in a row. Last year, Jesus Razo from Mission Jr. High School was selected as the District Secondary Teacher of the Year and the Region One Secondary Teacher of the Year. Prior to that it was Rosbel Pena and Yvette Nevarez from Alton Memorial Jr. High School. The District Elementary Teacher of the Year last year was Fred Estimbo from Castro Elementary School. The 15 elementary Campus Teachers of the Year for this year are: Sandra Pena, Alton Elementary School;

CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD 4501 N. McColl. - McAllen CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 29th & Dove - McAllen 618-0884 CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Missonaries • 580-2570 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH 911 N. Main - McAllen 686-4241 CONWAY AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH 1 Mi. 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 1300 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 PALMVIEW APOSTOLIC CHURCH 7612 W. 6 Mile Ln. Mission • 735-2569

ROAD TO SALVATION ASSEMBLY OF GOD 239 W. 2nd St. - La Joya 1312 Oblate • 585-3261

OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS One-half mile South Leo Avenue La Joya • 585-5223

SAN CRISTOBAL MAGALLANES & COMPANIONS PARISH

3805 Plantation Grove Blvd., Ste. 5

OUR LADY OF FATIMA CHURCH 6634 El Camino Real • Granjeno 279-4159

SAN MARTIN DE PORRES 5 mi. N. Conway, 1/2 Mile West Alton • 585-8001 & 585-8002

IGLESIA BAUTISTA BETANIA 851 S. Breyfogle Rd. • 585-5688

OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH 2.5 miles S. Conway (FM 1016) Mission • 279-4159

ST. JOHN OF THE FIELDS CATHOLIC CHURCH 1052 Washington Ave. • 585-2325

IGLESIA BAUTISTA CRISTO EL REY 1600 E. Bus. 83 - Mission

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH 620 Dunlap • 585-2623

IGLESIA BAUTISTA COLONIAL 3713 N. La Homa Rd. • 585-5332

OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY CHURCH 923 Matamoros St. • 581-2193

ST. PETER & ST. PAUL EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2310 N. Stewart Rd. 585-5005

IGLESIA BAUTISTA DEL VALLE 217 W. Mile 3 Rd. • 424-1602 Palmhurst

PALM VALLEY CHURCH 1720 E. Griffin Pkwy. 585-3203

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

FREEDOM LIFE CHURCH 2214 W. Griffin Pkwy. • 519-7000 Mission GRACIA DIVINA MINISTRY 4122 N. Conway • 584-3112 GREAT OAKS COMMUNITY CHURCH 2722 N. Conway • 451-5500 Mission IGLESIA ADVENTISTA DEL SEPTIMO DIA 1725 W. Griffin Parkway 581-9008

IGLESIA DEL PUEBLO 7500 West Expressway 83 581-1900 IGLESIA DEL DIVINO REDENTOR 1020 North Los Ebanos Rd 585-5898

PEÑITAS BAPTIST CHURCH 1/3 Mile S. of Exp.83 on FM 1427 583-6236 PRIMERA BAPTIST CHURCH Corner of 6th & Oblate 585-4711

LA RESPUESTA CHURCH 405 W. 12th Street • 585-0787

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

MISSION CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 1 mi. E. 495 • 585-6683

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

NEW HOPE AT THE BORDER 905 N. Conway • 585-4122

RIVER OF LIFE CHURCH 901 S. Shary Rd. (Located in the Holiday Inn Express Conference Room) 451-4838

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

Mission • 580-4551

ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH 1119 Francisco • 585-2701

TEMPLO BIBLICO 5 Mile/Conway • 581-4981 or 585-3831 TEMPLO EVANGELICO, M.B. CHURCH La Joya THE DOOR CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

810 E. Veterans & La Homa Suite F.

Palmview Crossing Plaza 212-1594/424-1984

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 3701W. 3 Mile Line • 585-3261 WEST MISSION LUTHERAN FELLOWSHIP Pleasant Valley Ranch 7320 W. Exp. 83 • Mission 583-7667 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 NEAL KING (retired) DARRELL DAVIS ESMERALDA GARCIA (retired) 301 E. Tom Landry • Mission • 585-1622

and invention intermediate competitions. It was noted by judges and Area 1 Director Patricia Abrego that this was the first time in TCEA history that an entire school team swept first, second, and third place in both categories. The Robo-Rangers also earned second place in the Advanced Arena competition. This brought the total trophy count for AMJH to seven of the possible 12 trophies at the competition.

Other Mission Consolidated Independent School District robotics teams also earned some of the other remaining trophies. The teams that placed first and second in their categories automatically advance to the TCEA State Championship Robotics Competition to be held in Duncanville, Texas, on May 2. Teams that finish a close third place can also advance to state pending a wildcard invitation by TCEA.

Campus teachers of the year announced

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

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IMPLEMENT COMPANY, INC. MISSION 585-1618

  

 





 

Gina Garza, Bryan Elementary School; Melissa Lopez, Cantu Elementary School; Alexandro Zavala, Castro Elementary School; Aurora P. Gonzalez, Cavazos Elementary School; Annabel Quintero, Escobar/Rios Elementary School; Rosalinda Barbosa, Leal Elementary School; Rose Hamdan, Marcell Elementary School; Donna Robles, Midkiff Elementary School; Jessica Flores, Mims Elementary School; Maria E. Najera, Newcomers Academy; Lorena Rodriguez, O’Grady Elementary School; Belinda Carrera, Pearson Elementary School; Leovigildo Cantu, Salinas Elementary School; Janie Mandujano, Waitz Elementary School. The nine secondary Campus Teachers of the Year are: Sammy Rivera, Alton Memorial Jr. High School; Jose Delgado, R. Cantu Jr. High School; David Land, Mission Jr. High School; Jose L. Sanchez, K. White Jr. High

School; Nellie Kvapil, Mission Collegiate High School; Victoria Rojas, Mission High School; Ramiro Reyes, Mission Options Academy; Cynthia Villarreal, Roosevelt Alternative School; Jeff Espino, Veterans Memorial High School. Each of these teachers is now being tasked with filling out a questionnaire used in the Texas Teacher of the Year program. The questionnaire will be reviewed by a panel of judges selected from the community. These judges will make the final selection of the two teachers to represent Mission CISD in the regional competition. The judges’ decision will be announced at a special Teacher of the Year Luncheon to be held during Teacher Appreciation Week, Friday, May 8. Each campus Teacher of the Year will also be honored by the district administration and Board of Trustees during this special luncheon.

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UTRGV

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Mission City Council will hold a Regular Meeting on February 23, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 1201 East 8th Street, Mission, Texas in order to consider the following: Rezoning: The Easternmost 60’ of the South ½ of Block 8, Citriana Heights Subdivision, from (C-2) Neighborhood Commercial to (C-3) General Business If a zoning is amended during the public hearing, it shall be pursuant to the City of Mission’s Amendatory Zone Policy Statement. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Anna Carrillo, City Secretary NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE CITY OF ALTON, TEXAS CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION

from pg 13

rector for student financial services, said most students who complete the FAFSA or the TASFA are significantly more likely to continue with postsecondary education. “However, many students and parents are not familiar with the process and need assistance,” Garcia said. “Super Saturday is a perfect event to provide students and families specialized assistance in completing tax returns, submitting financial aid applications, and guidance on scholarship applications.” T h e r e will also be workshops

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Commissioners (the Governing Body) of the City of Alton, Texas (the City) will convene at its regular meeting place in the City Hall, 509 S. Alton Boulevard, Alton, Texas 78573, at 7:30 o’clock P.M., time on March 24, 2015, and, during such meeting, the Governing Body will consider the passage of an ordinance or ordinances and take such other actions as may be deemed necessary to authorize the issuance of one or more series of certificates of obligation in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $950,000.00 for the purpose or purposes of paying contractual obligations of the City to be incurred for making permanent public improvements and for other public purposes, to-wit: (1) construction of lines, plumbing connections, manholes and lift stations to expand and improve the sanitary sewer system and its maintenance (2) construction of road improvements, including appurtenant sidewalks, street lights, traffic signage and signals and drainage systems; and (3) the payment of professional services related to the construction and financing of the aforementioned projects. The certificates of obligation (the Certificates) will be payable from the levy of an annual ad valorem tax, within the limitations prescribed by law, upon all taxable property within the City and from a lien on and pledge of gross revenues derived by the City from the operation of the City’s utility system. The Certificates are to be issued, and this notice is given, under and pursuant to the provisions of the Certificate of Obligation Act of 1971, as amended, Texas Local Government Code, Section 271.041 through Section 271.065 and Chapter 1502, as amended, Texas Government Code. Baudelia Rojas, TRMC|CPM City Secretary City of Alton, Texas

available on college saving, planning, and financial literacy along with university organization booths. Campus tours will be available to students and their families. Daycare will also be provided. “This college fair will be a family event and there will be food, prizes, and scholarship opportunities,” Garcia said. Those who are unable to attend the Super Saturday event at UTPA, can visit Super Saturday events other local higher education institutions are hosting. The University of Texas at Brownsville, South Texas College’s campuses in McAllen, Weslaco, and Rio Grande City and Texas State

FULL-DAY PRE-K

have a full day to utilize. La Joya ISD is one of the few districts in the Valley that was able to maintain a fullday prekindergarten program after Texas did away with about $200 million in state grants in 2011. Throughout the Valley, districts were forced to cut the day in half or discontinue the program altogether, affecting low-income families that couldn’t afford alternative educational options. But this legislative session, State Rep. Sergio Muñoz, D-Mission, hopes to pass House Bill 391, which would reinstate funds dedicated to the full-day prekindergarten program. “Studies show consistently that the sooner you can educate a child and provide them the skills or structure necessary, then the potential for them to be successful in grades after that are much higher,” Muñoz said. “We definitely want to put forward education initiatives that are beneficial not only to our district, but to our state as well.” According to a Harvard graduate study, more than 2,000 students in the Boston Public Schools’ prekindergarten program showed improvement in children’s language, literacy, math, cognitive and emotional development skills. Under the Texas Education Code, chil-

February 13, 2015

Technical College in Harlingen will be providing identical services for all students looking to apply to UTRGV. Students and their families attending Super Saturday are encouraged to bring parent and student 2014 completed tax returns with W2 statements. If parent and students have not completed the 2014 tax returns, bring all W2 statements and any other statements showing income such as 1099 statements or Social Security/SSI statements. Students should bring their personal identification number (PIN) from www.pin.ed.gov. For questions, contact FAFSASuperSaturday@cftexas. org or call (956) 665-2958. from pg 1

dren who are non-English speakers and come from low-income families qualify for fullday prekindergarten. But even with a full-day program, time in the day is still a factor. In addition, the demands for kindergarteners have slowly risen throughout the years because of state testing. “I used to teach pre-K when it was half a day. We barely had enough time for everything,” said Fernando Hernandez, an instructional advisor at Clinton Elementary. “The math requirements are increasing every year because of the STAAR test. I think that’s why there’s a big change in the pre-K requirements.” The prekinder students’ abilities don’t go unrecognized by kindergarten teachers either, according to Marciela Garza. “They learn to follow rules, they learn about discipline, they’re already ahead from learning letters and names. Most of the students go very well prepared to kinder,” Garza said. HB 391 already has a committee assigned, according to Muñoz, and is one step further to making it to the floor. Since the statewide budget cuts in 2011, Texas’ economic conditions have reached a point that allows for these grants, Muñoz said, adding that responses have been positive among the community, but now it is the committee’s job to get the rest of his state colleagues on board. “There’s always questions about what type of students you’re trying to reach, who’s going to pay for it and how much is it going to cost,” Muñoz said. “But you can’t really put a dollar amount to the positive impact or investment you’re making in a child’s life.”

COUNTY

from pg 1

MUSICA ALEGRE

from pg 1

Over in Mission, Police Chief Robert Dominguez still remembers seizing $1.4 million from a stash house a couple of years ago. Over the past few years, Mission PD has spent $150,000 on overtime, more than $1 million on communications and computers, $650,000 on electronic surveillance equipment. But Dominguez said it’s not just about the new equipment. “We’re trying to seize as much property as we can from them to put that extra burden on them,” Dominguez said. Both Dominguez and Barrera said they went through the federal government whenever possible on asset forfeitures because it meant a larger percentage to their respective local agencies. Dominguez said he understands the federal government’s position because the additional cases are putting more burdens on federal prosecutors, but he doesn’t think the move will affect Mission PD because the new district attorney has said he’s willing to work with them. But the practice has drawn opposition. In 2001, the American Civil Liberties Union launched a campaign against what they called, the government’s “license to steal.” Ads featured a classic Uncle Sam pointing a finger and stated, “I want your money, jewelry, car, boat and house.” Barrera emphasized regular civilians have nothing to worry about. The department doesn’t budget around a certain amount of forfeiture money, but instead uses it to enhance policing in the community. “We’re seizing these monies because it’s either drug related or because it’s a big money laundering scheme,” Barrera said. “The taxpayers are paying not paying for this; the drug money is paying for this.”

“Just play with confidence,” Gonzalez said flatly. Competitors will find out April 3 if they will perform in Austin. La Joya ISD also hosted its sixth annual Conjunto Festival Saturday at the La Joya High School Fine Arts Auditorium. Palmview, Juarez Lincoln and La Joya high school each had a JV and varsity band perform covers of popular conjunto songs such as “Para Quererte Mas” and “Palabra de Hombre.” The young men of the craft donned their team uniforms that generally consisted of a cowboy hat, boots and jeans. Grammy-winning artist and Mission native Carlos Guzman was a guest performer at the festival, playing his early 1960s breakout hit “Vestida de Blanco.” As a seasoned conjunto artist, Guzman was enthusiastic about the students’ performances. “To see this young generation with that excitement and the desire to continue with our tradition, our culture, is fantastic to me,” Guzman said. “It’s amazing and I love it.” There were few hiccups in the production, such as missed notes in a song, but Cecilio Garza said the overall he was proud of his students. Even though the show didn’t go on without a hitch, the important thing for Guzman was that the show went on, period. “There’s so many genres of music nowadays. So I wouldn’t like to see our music, culture, especially from our region, to stay stagnant,” Guzman said. “When I see these younger guys trying to execute our music, it excites me.”

theclassifieds February 13, 2015

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ORDINANCE NO. 4189 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A REZONING 7.765 ACRES OUT OF LOT 296, AND OUT OF ABANDONED CANAL ROW, JOHN H. SHARY SUBDIVISION, FROM AO-I (AGRICULTURAL OPEN INTERIM) TO R-1 (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 9TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2015. Norberto Salinas, Mayor ATTEST: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4190 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS GRANTING A REZONING A .87 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF THE NORTH 600’ OF THE SOUTH 1016’ OF LOT 282, JOHN H. SHARY AND A .97 ACRE TRACT OF LAND OUT OF THE NORTH 600’ OF THE SOUTH 1016’ OF THE EAST 330’ OF LOT 282, JOHN H. SHARY SUBDIVISION, FROM AO-I (AGRICULTURAL OPEN INTERIM) TO R-1A (LARGE LOT SINGLE FAMILY) READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 9TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2015. Norberto Salinas, Mayor ATTEST: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4191 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY THE COMPLIMENTARY OFFERING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FOR ON-SITE CONSUMPTION FOR A SOCIAL AND/OR CULTURAL EVENT ON FEBRUARY 14, 2015 AT THE MISSION HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 900 DOHERTY, LOTS 1-7, BLOCK 161, MISSION ORIGINAL TOWNSITE SUBDIVISION READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 9TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2015. Norberto Salinas, Mayor ATTEST: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4192 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 780 DESIGNATING PLACES WHERE BEER AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY BE SOLD WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF MISSION TO INCLUDE THE PREMISES LOCATED AT 910 N. BRYAN ROAD READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 9TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2015. Norberto Salinas, Mayor ATTEST: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

ORDINANCE NO. 4193 AN ORDINANCE GRANTING TO AEP TEXAS CENTRAL COMPANY, ITS SUCCESSORS AND PERMITTED ASSIGNS, A NON-EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN AND OPERATE LINES AND APPURTENANCES AND APPLIANCES FOR CONDUCTING ELECTRICITY IN, OVER, UNDER AND THROUGH THE STREETS, AVENUES, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC PLACES OF THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS READ, CONSIDERED AND PASSED, THIS THE 9TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2015. Norberto Salinas, Mayor ATTEST: Anna Carrillo, City Secretary

page 15

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STATE OF MICHIGAN IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF OTTAWA **************** Case No. 14 – 78345 – AY Notice of Hearing by Publication (Petition for Adoption and Termination of Parental Rights)

§ §

Adoption and Parental Rights In the Matter of:

Dominik James Rubio

TO: All interested Property Owners and Owners of Properties Within, and all Taxpayers in Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement District No. 19, Mission, Texas.

D.O.B. 12/27/2008 _______________________________________________ To: ANDREW JAMES RUBIO

Please take Notice that a hearing will be held by the Board of Directors of Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement District No. 19 on the 27th day of February 2015, at 9:00 a.m. at the Hunt Valley Visitor’s Center at 3506 Los Milagros, Mission, Texas 78573, to consider whether or not to exclude certain property from the boundaries of the District pursuant to Texas Water Code, Sections 51.754-51.758. The property is described as two (2) tracts of land containing 1.78 acres and 3.91 acres, more or less, out of Lot 124, John H. Shary Subdivision, a more particular description of the property proposed for exclusion is available at the offices of the District located at 3930 Plantation Gove, Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas 78572 (telephone no. 956-584-5653). The ground stated for the exclusion is that the property proposed for exclusion will be used for non-agricultural purposes, and no longer requires irrigation. Any and all interested property owners and taxpayers of the District shall have the right to appear and be heard at said hearing and to offer evidence for or against the exclusion of said lands, or any part or parts thereof, and on any question pertinent to the exclusion of such property from the boundaries of the District.

A Petition for Stepparent Adoption and a Supplemental Petition to Terminate Parental Rights of Noncustodial Parent were filed on September 29, 2014. A hearing will be held on this matter on: Thursday March 5, 2015 at 1:15 pm at: 12120 Fillmore Street, West Olive, MI 49460. You should be present at this hearing. This hearing will determine if the stepparent is able to adopt your child and may terminate your parental rights. Your failure to respond to this notice may preclude a later proceeding and result in the termination of your parental rights. If you do not appear at the hearing, the Court may enter a judgment for adoption of your child and termination of your parental rights. To request a copy of the Notice of Hearing, Petition for Adoption, and Supplemental Petition to Terminate Parental Rights of Noncustodial Parent, call the Ottawa County Clerk, Family Court Division at (616) 786-4100. To view information about your rights, including how to obtain a lawyer, go to https://www.miottawa.org/Courts/Legal. Dated February 2, 2015.

This NOTICE given as of this 30th day of January 2015.

NEWTON PLONT PLLC Stephanie L. Newton Attorney for Petitioner 40 Pearl Street NW, Ste 800 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 802-0333 stephanie@newtonplont.com

HIDALGO COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NO. 19.

LA JOYA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCE GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS FOR THE YEAR ENDED AUGUST 31, 2014 Data Control Codes

10 General Fund

REVENUES: 5700 5800 5900 5020

0011 0012 0013 0021 0023 0031 0032 0033 0034 0035 0036 0041 0051 0052 0053 0061 0071 0072 0073 0081 0099 6030 1100

T otal Local and Intermediate Sources State Program Revenues Federal Program Revenues

7080

Instruction Instructional Resources and Media Services Curriculum and Instructional Staff Development Instructional Leadership School Leadership Guidance, Counseling and Evaluation Services Social Work Services Health Services Student (Pupil) T ransportation Food Services Extracurricular Activities General Administration Facilities Maintenance and Operations Security and Monitoring Services Data Processing Services Community Services Principal on Long T erm Debt Interest on Long T erm Debt Bond Issuance Cost and Fees

Facilities Acquisition and Construction

Intergovernmental:

Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues Over (Under) Expenditures Refunding Bonds Issued Sale of Real and Personal Property Capital Leases T ransfers In Premium or Discount on Issuance of Bonds T ransfers Out (Use) Payment to Bond Refunding Escrow Agent (Use) Other (Uses)

Total Other Financing Sources (Uses)

3000

Fund Balance - August 31 (Ending)

10,707,845 13,419,846 291,175 -

256,606

T otal Governmental Funds

1,508,198 $ 857,481 33,206,300

33,123,189 229,147,834 58,592,303

35,571,979

320,863,326

25,859,832 557,228 2,898,460 775,213 1,030,901 1,395,206 1,703,277 251,502 11,399 9,997 3,461 1,046,834

161,269,884 6,389,776 5,563,369 4,128,706 16,229,435 11,526,109 2,825,879 3,363,742 8,975,008 19,969,979 9,118,105 7,254,771 26,805,175 3,572,012 1,011,812 1,152,754

1,506,138 -

11,156,429 13,419,846 291,175 9,670,269 256,606

262,482,527

24,418,866

37,049,448

323,950,841

9,122,694

(10,732,740)

(1,477,469)

(3,087,515)

93,184 1,339,200 (10,122,006) (40,000)

20,239,883 9,830,587 1,749,910 (21,709,813) -

108 (108) -

20,239,883 93,184 1,339,200 9,830,695 1,749,910 (10,122,114) (21,709,813) (40,000)

(8,729,622)

10,110,567

393,072 116,054,086

(622,173) -

279,100 $

8,164,131

Other Intergovernmental Charges

Total Expenditures

3,266,333 10,419,793 -

EXHIBIT C-3

Non Major Governmental Funds

13,686,126

448,584 -

Capital Outlay:

1300

135,410,052 5,832,548 2,664,909 3,353,493 15,198,534 10,130,903 1,122,602 3,112,240 8,975,008 19,969,979 9,106,706 7,254,771 26,795,178 3,568,551 1,011,812 105,920

Debt Service:

Net Change in Fund Balances Fund Balance - September 1 (Beginning) Prior Period Adjustment

1200 0100

28,348,658 217,870,560 25,386,003

50 Debt Service Fund

271,605,221

Total Revenues EXPENDITURES: Current:

OTHER FINANCING SOURCES (USES):

7901 7912 7913 7915 7916 8911 8940 8949

services

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116,726,258

The notes to the financial statements are an integral part of this statement.

(1,477,469) 2,551,729

622,173 $

(61,213) $

1,013,047 $

1,380,945 (1,706,570) 118,605,815 840,060 117,739,305

page 16

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February 13, 2015