November / December 2019 - RGVision Magazine

N OVE M B E R/DE C E M B E R 2 0 19 | VO LUM E 11 ISSUE 6

There’s much to be thankful for in region on the rise.

When you need help the most, these are the lawyers you’ll want.

PSJA ISD’s Allen Williams brings nature into the classroom.

How to stay healthy and fit — without a gym membership.

Pediatric Dentistry • Adult Dentistry • Orthodontics • Oral Surgery • Endodontics • Cosmetic Dentistry

Great Vibes!

Good Times!

Celebrations!

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A special thank you to all the advertisers who support this publication: You are the power behind the flywheel igniting positive change that keeps the conversation going.

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WRITERS

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Copyright by RGVision Publications Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

The opinions and views expressed in the magazine don’t necessarily reflect those of our advertisers or collaborators. RGVision magazine is published bi-monthly and circulates 12,000 copies across the Rio Grande Valley in 450 locations with a direct mail distribution to major hospitals and Superintendents within Region 1. The RGVision office is located at 801 N. Bryan Road, Mission, TX 78572.

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Over the past 10 years there have been major expansions, improvements, and regional collaborations in South Texas. Positive attraction to the Rio Grande Valley has grown, and this place receives national attention in many forms. At RGVision, we take pride in showcasing the region’s talent and many assets that improve the quality of life for those who get to live in it.

If you aren’t familiar, our regional publication promotes local people for their success and promotes the Valley for its growth. It is with great pleasure and gratitude we profile the Rio Grande Valley for what it truly is each issue. Thank you for picking up this November/ December issue. In it you will find what we are thankful for as we celebrate the holidays. We hope you continue to read online and follow us on our social media platforms for upcoming events and news. On behalf of all of us at RGVision and our board, we thank you for picking up this issue. Be inspired, be informed, and be educated!

Gwyn D. Zubia

CORRECTIONS In the Sept/Oct 2019 issue of RGVision, the article “Faces in the Valley: Chef Eugene” incorrectly referenced honors from Texas Monthly. El Divino was included among the top restaurants in the Rio Grande Valley, as determined by Texas Monthly.

The article “Taking Flight: TSTC Harlingen aerospace programs affording graduates advanced opportunities” included the incorrect byline. Marissa Soler wrote the story.

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS 2 0 19

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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 6 RGVISION MAGAZINE

72 ON THE COVER

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GRATEFUL FOR THE RGV

There’s much to be thankful for in region on the rise.

EDUCATION

State Board of the Year pg 10 Celebrating 100 Years pg 12 Advancement for All pg 14 Getting Our Hands Dirty pg 16 Pharmacy Tech Grads pg 18 CyberMission pg 20 Pay Grades & Budget Boosters pg 22 Feeding Minds & Bodies pg 28 Embracing Reality pg 30

BUSINESS

'Taking Care of Our Own' pg 32 RGV First pg 34 Financial Focus pg 36 For Richer, For Poorer pg 38 12 Lessons on Life and Money pg 40 Your Home, Your Way pg 44 Content Marketing pg 46 Sowing Seeds pg 48

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FAC ES IN T HE VA LLEY

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TOP LEG A L LEA DERS

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U NEX PEC T ED EXC ERC IS E

PSJA ISD’s Allen Williams brings nature into the classroom.

When you need help the most, these are the lawyers you’ll want.

How to stay healthy and fit — without a gym membership.

HEALTH

Personality Disorder pg 52 Small but Mighty pg 54 Heading Off the Hurting pg 56 Quality & Clarity pg 58 A Smile for All Ages pg 60 A Chance to Heal pg 64 Tracking Tech pg 66 'Pain has a Purpose' pg 68

QUALITY OF LIFE

Six Steps to Save Birds pg 76 Making Life Meaningful pg 78 Music to Our Ears pg 80 Birds in the Binoculars pg 84 We Are Dreamers pg 86 Sniffing Out Scammers pg 88 Do Your Mouth a Favor pg 90

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RGVISION ADVISORY BOARD

Each and every member of our advisory board charges RGVision with growth and commitment within our business development, social engagement, and editorial efforts. Through their feedback and contributions, RGVision will continue to help tell and share the Rio Grande Valley’s stories and extend the invitation to join the conversation.

J AV I E R D E L E O N

R O B ER T D U N K I N

M A R I T Z A ES Q U EDA

RE N E A. F LO R E S

BY R O N J AY LEW I S

ED D I E LU C I O I I I

S HAV I M A H TA N I

B I LL M A R T I N

A LB ER TO P EÑ A

M A RK P E T E R S O N

A ND R EA R O D R I G U EZ

F R ED S A N D OVA L

TO M TO R K E L S O N

V ER O N I C A V ELA W H I TAC R E

S A B R I N A WA LK ER H ER N A N D EZ

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53,000 STUDENTS.

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE FOR 13 YEARS. ideapublicschools.org

E D U C A T I O N

HCISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES NAMED STATE BOARD OF THE YEAR

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b y H C I S D St a f f projects and school transformation initiatives, commitment to a code of ethics, and placement of the welfare of children served by the school system above other motives.

The committee was impressed by the board’s collective “heart for people, service mentality, and passion for results,” their ability to see conflict not as a problem, but as a challenge, and the “great story they have to tell about what public schools can do.”

“The Harlingen CISD Board of Trustees knows that the public’s perception of the district and of public education in general begins with them,” said Robin Ryan, superintendent of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and chair of the TASA School Board Awards Committee. “They take their job as ambassadors for Texas public schools seriously.”

The HCISD Board of Trustees was nominated for the award by Superintendent Art Cavazos. “The board’s governance has allowed us to provide students with greater access to a world-class education that sparks creativity and discovery both inside and outside classrooms,” Cavazos said. “They have learned from and challenged one another so that equitable and high-impact decisions are made, and I am honored to have a seat among them.”

HCISD, located in the Rio Grande Valley in Education Service Center Region 1, serves more than 18,000 students.

The district’s board of trustees was also selected as an Honor Board in 2000 and 1977 and received the Outstanding School Board Award in 1993.

The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) named the Harlingen CISD Board of Trustees the 2019 Outstanding School Board.

The Board of the Year was announced at the Sept. 20 at the TASA|TASB Convention in Dallas. Since 1971, the TASA School Board Awards program has honored outstanding Texas school boards that have demonstrated commitment to their students and to their communities.

“This award is for our 18,600 students and our 3,000 teachers and employees who work tirelessly every day to make sure all students have every opportunity to succeed,” board President Dr. Nolan Perez said. “We have an incredible community that always comes together to support our district and it’s because of their support an amazing transformation has taken place at HCISD.” During the convention, Perez also recognized the Harlingen community and thanked Harlingen CISD Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos for his leadership in ensuring the board’s innovative and forward-looking decisions are responsibility rolled out to “create a systemic transformation in our district for the holistic education of all our students.”

The HCISD school board was chosen from among five finalists that were interviewed by a committee of Texas school superintendents. The committee’s decision was based on several criteria, including the board’s support for educational performance, educational improvement

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part of the PSJA Centennial Planning Committee.

In addition to the community events, PSJA ISD is hosting monthly Districtwide Dress Up Days where staff and students get to participate and relive the various decades. At the classroom level, all 32,000 plus students will also learn about PSJA history pertaining to each decade as part of their curriculum thanks to the PSJA Library Services and PSJA Social Studies Departments.

“Through these joint efforts we want to unite all current families, alumni, staff, and former staff members to celebrate this milestone and look forward to the next 100 years,” Vazquez-Hernandez said. “We take pride in being the only educational institution in the Tri-City area with 100 years of history, legacy, and traditions!”

Such pride and love for the district is what drew Mejia and her classmates to participate in the Centennial Kickoff and look forward to future events.

“Being a part of the PSJA Family is loving my roots.

This is where I got my foundation in education,” said the PSJA alumna, who has two children who are also proud graduates of PSJA. “What I loved most about Saturday was seeing the tremendous support from our community, the enthusiasm from our schools, and of course the beautiful PSJA Stadium. We are a very proud community.”

Anyone interested in learning more about PSJA’s Centennial Events can visit www.psjaisd.us./centennial or call the PSJA Communications Department at (956) 354-2027.

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Over 6,000 parents, staff, alumni, and community members in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District united as one Sept. 14 for the district’s Centennial Community Celebration Kick-off at the PSJA Stadium.

The once-in-a-lifetime event featured a parade of the district’s 43 schools, a performance by all PSJA ISD high school bands, and a joint cheer by all PSJA ISD high school cheer teams. It also included the district’s first-ever PSJA ISD Unified Cologuard. In addition, over a thousand PSJA ISD choir students united their voices to premiere the district's new "PSJA Family" song written

by PSJA Elementary Music Specialist Domingo Porras, followed by a grand fireworks finale.

Approximately 20 members from the PSJA High School Class of 1966 joined the festivities, which gave them an opportunity to gather with classmates and reminisce.

“It was such an honor to participate,” said retired longtime educator Bertha Montecillo Mejia. “I am a proud product of PSJA. I am so proud to be an alumni and know all the accomplishments of the district. Our class looks forward to all the events this year.”

The PSJA Centennial Community Kick-Off Celebration is the first of several events and activities that will take place during the 2019-20 school year to celebrate the district’s 100-year legacy. According to the PSJA Communications Director Arianna Vazquez-Hernandez, the year of festivities is possible thanks to various PSJA ISD departments and school staff working together as

NOV/DEC 2019

Thousands Unite for PSJA ISD’s Centennial Community Kick-Off Celebration

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IDEA

ADVANCEMENT FOR ALL IDEA-U Seeks to Provide a Different College Support to Every Student

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b y D a n y a Pe r e z

A push to reinforce IDEA Public Schools’ core goal of having every one of their students attain a college degree has turned into an opportunity for anyone seeking a flexible college option.

IDEA-U opened its doors Oct. 7, 2017, through a partnership with College for America — a division of Southern New Hampshire University — which offers online courses throughout the country and abroad.

Using a hybrid method of online courses and inperson guidance, the charter institution expanded its offerings from its former K-12 model to now include college offerings.

“It was originally a re-enrollment and recommitment strategy,” said María Esther Rodríguez Nguma, Ph.D. cofounder and managing director, in a previous interview.

“But we found that a lot of IDEA Public Schools alumni that had not been successful (in college). It wasn’t really due to not being academically secure, but life had gotten

in the way. So many of our students had to contribute to their family’s income, so they were working either fulltime or multiple part-time jobs.”

They adopted the full College for America model in which the online courses are taken in a learn-as-you-go model. Students complete the coursework at their own pace while reaching certain benchmarks.

The degree plans are offered on a flat-rate tuition of $5,500 per year, and students can take as many credits as they can handle.

But perhaps one of the biggest differences from traditional in-person or online courses is that students must also meet with mentors once per week during the four-month session. These meetings take place in-person, with IDEA-U centers located in Weslaco and Brownsville.

“We know that online degrees can be pretty lonely,” said Patti Montemayor, director of IDEA-U Weslaco. “So

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We know that online degrees can be pretty lonely. So if you get stuck in a project or don’t know how to use certain resources, we are able to provide you with that in-person support.”

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offered include associate degrees in arts, in general studies with a concentration in business, and an associate degree in healthcare management.

There are a total of seven bachelor degree options for students. Three of these are bachelor degrees of arts in management with concentrations in public administration, insurance services, logistics, and operations. Two bachelor degrees of arts are in communication with concentrations in business and healthcare management. Finally, there are two bachelor degrees of arts in healthcare management with concentrations in communication and global perspectives.

Those interested in applying can go to idea-u.org and fill out an appliation online.

IDEA-U program requirements include having a high school diploma or GED, committing 12 hours per week at the center, and a weekly mentor meeting.

The school also conducts a four-week academic onboarding, or course refresher, in which students can see whether the program works with their schedule and lifestyle — all before any tuition is charged.

“We want to make sure that all students are successful and that all students have a chance to go to college,” Montemayor said.

“It’s very low cost, so it’s very manageable … and there’s always somebody here to provide you a supportive environment.”

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if you get stuck in a project or don’t know how to use certain resources, we are able to provide you with that in-person support.”

Having this guidance can make a world of a difference for students who didn’t find their footing in a traditional college setting, or for those going back to college after many years.

Most of their students are also juggling work, family, and other responsibilities, Montemayor said, so the meetings also work to hold them accountable to their own goals.

“The priorities for (different students) are completely different, so it’s a lot of individualized coaching that the advisors have had to learn,” Montemayor said.

“Because whatever is going to work for student A is not going to work for student B.” While the meetings with advisors is one program requirement, another is to complete 12 hours at the center. IDEA-U Centers are open Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m for students to complete their hours.

These spaces are equipped with anything the students might need to achieve their goals, from technology to peer support.

“We also have student-support specialists, which are our interns who are working on their degree at a really accelerated pace, so they are able to lean on them as well,” she said. “So there is always somebody here who can help them.”

The degree pathways currently being

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GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY Hands-on Learning in the Classroom Helps Kids Assimilate Information

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by So fia Ga rci a Al ema n Building a fence, putting together a garden, or following a recipe while cooking is covertly helping students assimilate information at Pace Academy in Harlingen. Students at Pace are getting their hands dirty by taking academic concepts and turning them into projects that perform double duty to help in real-world situations. Utilizing hands-on learning keeps Pace students happy in educationally challenging situations with a final product that makes learning worthwhile.

“The premise around Waldorf education is that children and humans in general do not actually assimilate information unless they are able to put that information to use. They can remember it for a short amount of time, but if they don't actually get to use it in daily life, they will eventually forget it,” said Robin Wilson-Clipson, principal and teacher at Pace Academy in Harlingen.

One of the school's recent woodworking projects coupled as a geometry and measurement lesson, making a wooden flag out of wood pallets. In the past, students participated in building planter boxes for their garden for a similar math lesson.

“If you want your kids to really understand geometry, then you have to let them build stuff, right?” Wilson-Clipson asked.

For instance, a marketing project aimed to draw people to Hawaii using only the geographical and historical highlights students learned in their history lessons. In other cases, math lessons are infused with economic principles like paying bills and taxes.

Pace also utilizes a “main lesson book” to replace traditional tests. In these books, students present information about

their studies using appropriate visuals and self-created notes. Wilson-Clipson explains that these books accurately resemble portfolio-style presentations, a skill utilized in most workplaces today when presenting information.

“I hope that the kids have more than just an academic understanding of the world,” Wilson-Clipson said. “A misunderstanding in education is that just because someone's studied something, it doesn't mean that they've learned it. They're going to have to actually put it into use more than once in order for them to truly assimilate that information, making that information readily retrievable.

Things created in muscle memory, things that need handeye coordination like hammering a nail in place is not a skill you can reproduce from watching another person do it.”

Pace Academy motivates kids through practical problemsolving lessons all designed to help them retain information better. And according to Wilson-Clipson, all the kids love the approach.

“Our philosophy is head, heart, hands — learn it in your head, love what you're doing, and then put it to use,” she said.

“Anytime you combine those three things, you make learning fun. Kids will learn anything if you can make it fun. They're going to want to get in there and do it right. But it really takes that third element of putting it into use for them to grasp the subject. And I think that is what really makes some of the more complex subjects that we tackle possible.”

To find out more about Pace Academy, visit their website at paceacademyschool.com or visit their Facebook @ paceharlingen.

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PHARMACY TECH GRADS — 'FERRARIS IN THE GARAGE’ STC Exceptional Choice For New Industry Standards In 2020

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b y J oe y G om e z | p h ot os b y B e n B r i on e s

While new rules will change the way Pharmacy Technicians are certified starting in January, new facilities and technology make South Texas College’s Pharmacy Technology Program the exceptional choice for pharmacy technicians entering the workforce.

South Texas College Pharmacy Technology graduates have been prepared for changes in pharmacy for a long time, according to South Texas College clinical education director Roger Rodriguez.

Rodriguez says he believes upcoming changes by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) are bound to elevate the profession. New rules are set to change the way prospective pharmacy technicians enter the workforce, and South Texas College is in the best place possible to guide them.

“I had an old colleague who used to call our graduates ‘Ferraris in the garage’ because they have so much knowledge. These technicians are capable of incredible things, but we have to enable them to do it,” said Rodriguez, who is a 2010 graduate from the program at STC. “The PTCB changes will finally require students to go through school, and it's going to really improve the overall status of a pharmacy technician.”

Gone are the days when a student could take the national exam to become a certified pharmacy technician and immediately enter the workforce without formal training.

Beginning January 2020, the PTCB will require prospective students to complete an approved training program to be eligible for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam.

This is welcomed news for STC’s Pharmacy Technology program, which has helped create standards that are miles beyond minimum workplace requirements. The goal, according to faculty, is to make students hyper-ready for work in a variety of settings, including institutional, retail outlets, and mail-order pharmacies.

Higher on the career ladder from pharmacy care representatives, whose responsibilities at local pharmacies include simple money exchange and retail tasks, registered pharmacy technicians are in essence assistants to the pharmacists themselves. Most are tasked with handling medication dispensing and preparation as well as health insurance matters.

The structure of the program at STC has been designed to include both the basic and the advanced curriculum levels advocated by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy

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“A hospital simulation pharmacy allows us to do a lot of interactions with the nursing program, respiratory therapy program, and EMT programs,” Rodriguez said.

“We do different scenarios that allow our students to interact with the other departments at our Nursing & Allied Health campus.

“This drives our program,” he said. “We teach the skills, and have them apply them in simulation scenarios before they go to the pharmacies for practicum.”

If Rodriguez is the mind portion of the program, faculty member Crystal Zuniga has to be the heart and soul.

Zuniga, who is also a 2010 graduate from the program, says her specialty involves patient interaction. Her years of work in a community setting have enabled her to convey an essential human aspect to students’ education.

“I worked in an independent pharmacy in Weslaco for years and enjoyed it very much as it had a pediatric clinic next door and we filled about 1,000 prescriptions a day. We wouldn’t close until the last patient left,” Zuniga said. “I love the fact that I had that one-on-one patient interaction, and the fact that I built personal relationships with them. I know at the end of the day that I helped them feel better.

“I tell students that it’s about family and home, and if you don’t have that mentality, it will be very difficult because you need to communicate with those patients, you have to educate them, and you have to comfort them because at the end of the day they have to know it will be OK,” Zuniga said.

For more information about STC’s Pharmacy Technology Program, please visit nah.southtexascollege.edu/pharm/ or call (956) 872-3049 for more information.

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Education. Students are introduced to everything from simple patient communication and customer service before moving on to complex tasks like sterile compounding and medical therapy management.

Students currently enrolled in the program say they are already given the highest level of possible preparation for employment, and look forward to seeing other students afforded the same opportunity.

“This is a career changing program,” student Cecilia Alvarez said. “The flexibility allows for students to obtain a career while maintaining a home-life balance. The program has inspired me to also continue my education by pursuing a bachelor’s of applied technology in medical and health services management.”

Operating out of a brand new simulation hospital facility located on-site of STC’s Nursing & Allied Health Campus in McAllen, students are trained in a life-like pharmacy that is on par with anything they might find in the workplace.

From Pyxis automated medication dispensing systems to communication with pharmacy programs at STC’s simulation hospitals in Weslaco and Starr County, the only things not real are the medications themselves. In response, one registered lab assistant went so far as to simulate the colors of actual medications so students get as close as possible to working with the real thing.

While they are in the simulation pharmacy, faculty take a hands-off approach, but continuously monitor students through a network of cameras. The importance of this, Rodriguez said, is to enable students to think critically and problem solve on their own.

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CyberMission Mission EDC, CompTIA Offer Free Cybersecurity Certifications to RGV

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b y RGVi si on | p h ot os b y O m a r Di a z

Demand for cybersecurity professionals is outpacing those seeking such positions, data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, Burning Glass, and CompTIA show. However, a partnership between the Mission Economic Development Corporation and CompTIA seeks to pick up the pace for the Rio Grande Valley in offering free cybersecurity training and certifications in four industry-recognized certificates.

“CompTIA is an industry-recognized, vendor-neutral certification, so it covers the foundation and fundamentals of each one of the topics without limiting the knowledge to something that only works a given brand or device,” said Joel Garza, chief operating officer for the Mission EDC. The Mission EDC received a nearly $500,000 state grant to fund CyberMission.

“What it signals to me is the dire need for opportunities

and for workforce development programs — and for apprenticeships and for college programs to focus on cybersecurity,” Social Impact Director Cristina Garza said.

“There is a larger trend in job openings over the next few years.”

Now in its second official year, CyberMission has undergone some changes. Last year, participants were required to attend full time, earning all four certifications in 12 intensive weeks. This year, Mission EDC and CompTIA built in more flexibility for participants, offering an afternoon and evening class, and splitting the four certifications into two semesters — effectively halving the original pace.

“It’s important to note for CyberMission, these certifications are one component of your application for a job,” Joel Garza said. “If you think of the three legs of a stool, the certification is one, experience is a second, and

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“Some of the most exciting feedback that we have received from previous participants revolve around their ability to get employed because of the certifications we had.”

Cr i s ti n a G a r z a , director of social impact, Mission E DC

think when we get an experience like that, it definitely validates all the effort that goes into securing funding for programs like this to exist.”

Individuals who lack a background or education in IT or computer science are still encouraged to imply, as these courses represent a low-risk way to explore those industries.

“We’re always excited to have a diverse group of students in the cohort,” Cristina Garza said. “So if someone out there reading this has considered going into the IT field but may be scared or may think it’s not for them or that they don’t have enough experience, I would tell them to still apply.”

For

more

information

about

the

CyberMission program, including more on the courses, cohort dates, and a link to apply for the next cohort, visit cybermissionedc.com.

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participants.

“We’ve generally had a lot of interest for applications and so we have the challenge of going through the applicants and making the selections and deciding who do we want to have participate based on the impact we feel it’ll have for them and the community,” Joel Garza said.

That impact is already resonating, and the program is proving to be transformational.

Joel Garza recounted hearing from a participant who entered the program as a basketball coach looking for something different to do. Now, that individual oversees a team completing IT repairs across the Rio Grande Valley.

“Some of the most exciting feedback that we have received from previous participants revolve around their ability to get employed because of the certifications they earned through the program,” Cristina Garza said. “I

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the third would be a traditional academic setting. We have some folks who had two of those, but needed the third. We have some folks that have certification and now they’re working on ways to get more experience.”

CyberMission courses include: CompTIA IT Fundamentals, an introduction to the world of information technology CompTIA A+, the starting point for an IT career and foundation for skills across a variety of devices and operating systems CompTIA Network+, which covers designing, configuring, and managing wired and wireless devices CompTIA Security+, a global benchmark for best practices in IT network and operational security Students pay nothing to take the courses.

The program also provides vouchers for the exams taken to obtain certifications.

“The program team includes a career services coordinator that can field job opportunities to the students, provide professional development, and to connect them to other members of the industry,” Cristina Garza said. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to do as much as we can to remove all the barriers that prevent someone that could potentially join a field like cybersecurity.”

Interest in the programs exceeded expectations and accommodate 15

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PAY PAY GRADES GRADES && BUDGET BUDGET BOOSTERS BOOSTERS RGV School Districts Work to Implement House Bill 3 Funding, Stipulations

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NOV/DEC 2019

by Da nya Per ez

This summer, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a sweeping plan to overhaul education funding across the state and inject an extra $11.5 billion for pay raises and program expansions.

House Bill 3 went into effect on Sept. 1, and it increased the basic allotment from $4,765 to $6,030 per student. A portion of the additional funding must be allocated for pay raises — mainly for teachers, librarians, and nonadministrative staff — and the rest goes to programs such as full-day pre-K, special education, and college and career readiness.

The bill also calls for an average property tax reduction of 8 cents per $100 valuation in 2020 and 13 cents in 2021. It also caps tax rate increases to a maximum of 2.5 percent per year — unless voters approve a higher increase.

After Abbott’s signature, it was time for the districts to reshape their budgets, roll out the raises, lower their tax rate, and expand programs.

Mission CISD saw a total of $11.4 million in additional funding. The district already had a full-day pre-K program, which was also included as a requirement in the bill, but Superintendent Carol G. Perez said the extra funds were able to be shifted to other areas.

“We were able to leverage all of that funding because in our school district, we really need to close the achievement gap between English language learners and our special

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education population,” Perez said.

“With that in mind, we started focusing in our early college high school programming.”

Like other districts, Mission was already planning to roll out small pay increases for staff and teachers, Perez said, but this meant they were able to grow those raises.

The initial thought was to roll out a 3 percent increase across the board, or about $1,000. But the HB3 changes meant they were able to increase that to a 6.3 percent raise, or $3,500, for those with five years of experience or less, and a 7.2 percent raise, or $4,000, for those with six or more years.

The challenge now is maintaining those increases after 2021, when the bill expires and it’s up to legislators to renew or change the funding.

“We were only able to afford those hefty salary increases because of the $11.4 million,” said Rumalda Ruiz, Mission CISD assistant superintendent of finance.

“But that’s not a for sure thing for the 2021 school year … as per the funding formulas, we wouldn’t see an increase like that unless we get a 14,000 kid increase in enrollment, and I don’t foresee that.”

A similar cautious optimism was echoed by other school districts in the region. Although they were happy to offer competitive pay raises, they must now cautiously

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With limited tax increases and program expansions under the bill, the districts must now prepare for the best and worst scenarios in the upcoming legislative session.

A somewhat predictable funding source comes from student enrollment and attendance. For this reason, most districts have pushed programs aimed at attracting and retaining students.

At Mission CISD, a portion of this year’s budget will go toward the purchase of 14 vehicles that were at some point used by the Department of Public Safety.

They will now be repurposed for campus use.

“We are going to get those vehicles in shape to take them to the campuses so our campus staff can pick up kids who don’t have transportation,” Ruiz said.

Increasing attendance is a longtime focus of school districts, and part of it has to do with average daily attendance records, known as ADA, which determines how much funding the schools get.

Maintaining or growing enrollment and ADA could help maintain programs and continued raises.

And while teachers and staff are familiar with the way funding works, officials said they are working to educate them on how HB3 works now and the unknowns of the next legislative session.

“When we meet with our principals and staff, we need to be clear because every two years, this happens,” Azaiez said, adding that it’s a careful dance between educating on how funding works and not creating panic or concern.

“Our teachers work really hard and the last thing we want for them is worrying how their paycheck will look in two years,” he said.

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plan for the coming years.

McAllen ISD officials were also looking at minimal pay increases for teachers before HB3. The bill instead pumped about $18.4 million more into their budget.

Officials created a tier system in which teachers and librarians who have been between one to five years with the district received an average of a 5.67 percent increase, or $2,275, going all the way to those with 20 years or more, who received an 8.78 percent raise, or $5,000.

“In years past, teachers just got a flat-rate increase,” said Todd Miller, human resources director at McAllen ISD. “So we made an intentional effort this year to recognize loyalty and dedication of people who have been here for a while, but at the same time, not ignoring those in their early part of their careers.”

At Donna ISD, the district received about $10 million more in state funding through HB3. This in turn helped provide teachers with five years of experience or more with a minimum raise of $4,500 — after not getting pay raises for at least the last two to three years.

“Every district is different, but for us, we were already going through attrition to help offset any possible loss because you want to sustain those raises,” said Donna ISD Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez. “We did an equity adjustment, so some of them got more than $5,000.”

Azaiez said the attrition process began before news of the funding arrived, mainly to address overstaffing issues and offer some pay increases, he said. But now this is also serving to set aside funding much like at Mission.

But not all the funds were allocated for pay increases. Another big expense slated to come out of this additional funding is full-day pre-K. Some districts were already funding full-day programs out of their own budgets, so the additional funding allowed them to allocate that portion of the budget elsewhere.

For districts like Donna ISD and Mission CISD, which had half-day programs, the expense will nearly double — including staff compensation and space allocation. For now, the state funds will cover that cost, but they will have to prepare for changes in 2021.

NOV/DEC 2019

E D U C A T I O N

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E D U C A T I O N

FACES IN THE VALLEY:

ALLEN WILLIAMS PSJA ISD Educator Brings Nature to the Classroom b y Ka r i na Va r g a s | p h ot o b y J a m e s H or d

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NOV/DEC 2019

Traditionally, student learning takes place inside a classroom, within the walls of a school. Students aren’t expected to go outside during class time or get their hands dirty. One school district employee is taking steps to change that.

Allen Williams, landscape habitat specialist for PSJA ISD, says his goal is “to expose as many teachers and students to the wonders of our native flora and fauna.”

Flora is plant life. Fauna refers to animals. Both are interrelated in the Valley’s unique ecosystem and depend on future generations’ knowledge, understanding, and respect for them, which will ultimately lead to their preservation.

“Without having a relationship and an understanding of nature, which hopefully will lead to an appreciation, then there’s no reason for [students] to want to conserve it,” Williams said.

Williams has been instrumental in integrating nature and student learning through Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge’s Learning Landscapes Program.

“There truly is a lack of understanding of just how special and unique and important our geographical region is,” Williams said. “The biodiversity is incredible.”

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sometimes past midnight, making sure that everything was right,” Ramirez said. “We were excited about the curriculum that we wrote, but more excited about how it was going to impact the students.”

Ramirez said Williams helped guide both her and Grohler in their research and knowledge of native flora and fauna.

“Allen and Santa Ana guided us a lot on choosing the right plants for what organisms we wanted to attract,” Ramirez said. “So we learned a lot and there were many times that Wendy would ask Allen to come to her house so he could help her improve her garden. That’s how excited she was.”

LRGV LL has been designated as a Conservation Wrangler

by Austin-based nonprofit Texan by Nature, which was founded by former first lady Laura Bush. The conservation group’s mission, according to its website, texanbynature.org, is to “take care of the land, water and wildlife that sustain our state’s people and prosperity.”

Williams said that students’ creativity is stimulated more easily outdoors and that learning through experience helps solidify their knowledge.

“Third-graders are being tested on learning the life cycles of insects,” Williams said. “So they can learn about it in class, come out to the butterfly garden and find a caterpillar, and then find a chrysalis. Then, if they’re fortunate enough, they watch that butterfly emerge from the chrysalis. Then they’ve actually witnessed the life cycle,” he said. “So when they’re being tested on it, they’re recalling an experience that they’ve had, not something they read or watched on video.”

Laura De La Garza, official wildlife biologist for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, is a former park ranger for Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge and has also worked alongside Williams.

“I was education coordinator while I was a park ranger.

I was going into the schools and I was giving lessons connected to the curriculum,” De La Garza said. “What Allen’s vision was, was for us to take that to the next level and making connections with the gardens for the students. That’s when the science coordinators came in and used their expertise to write the new curriculum.”

De La Garza said the implementation of the learning landscapes has helped students to see the bigger picture.

“We saw kids start to make connections from small to large ecosystems. They were creating a mini refuge [through the gardens] and then from that, they realized that there was a bigger refuge so it was teaching them how it’s all interconnected,” De La Garza said. “And those are the stepping stones that we wanted to replicate when we thought about this program. So the students are making these connections through their hands-on learning and then they can take those connections everywhere that they go.”

Of PSJA ISD’s 24 elementary campuses, 20 currently have learning landscapes. With Williams’ continued leadership and guidance, other participating districts’ outdoor classrooms will continue to flourish as well.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley Learning Landscapes Collaborative, or LRGV LL, is a regional project among Donna ISD, Harlingen ISD, McAllen ISD, and PSJA ISD, and is made up of a network of organizations: Quinta Mazatlán, Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These entities work together to involve students, teachers, and administrators throughout Valley school districts to integrate native habitat gardens as outdoor classrooms.

Through Williams’ support and community outreach, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge has been able to impact countless Valley students, teachers, and community members through environmental education and the refuge’s mission of conservation.

The National Wildlife Refuge Association recently named Williams the National Wildlife Refuge System Advocate of the Year.

Together with teamwork from Williams’ colleagues and collaborators Melanie Flores, K-12 science coordinator for Harlingen ISD, Flor Gomez, elementary science strategist for Donna ISD, and Wendy Grohler, elementary science coordinator for McAllen ISD, the group created a new lesson plan based on life cycles.

“They got together over many Saturdays and created a 12-lesson plan that was based on life cycles that plugged in the local flora and fauna of the Valley and aligned it with the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills),” Williams said.

“So we’ve got a really cool program for those third graders.”

Grohler, who died in September, was an integral part of bringing learning landscapes to students and shared her love of learning and science with teachers and students alike. Grohler served as McAllen ISD’s elementary science coordinator for the past eight years and dedicated 34 years of her life to serving the RGV community as an educator.

Susana Ramirez, elementary science curriculum coordinator for PSJA ISD, also works with Williams and said his expertise in his field is obvious.

“He’s literally like a walking encyclopedia,” Ramirez said.

“He carries a little placemat. He’ll ask the kids what butterflies they want to see and then he’ll teach them what plants attract which insects. He’s very knowledgeable.”

Ramirez said PSJA ISD first started by putting learning landscapes in a couple of campuses and then joined the Friends Foundation, which supports Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge and its initiatives by providing funding and grants for conservation and educational purposes.

At the beginning of implementing the learning landscapes, Ramirez said PSJA ISD was the first to start and McAllen ISD was next. She said Grohler, who was also her personal friend, was very excited and eager to bring her district on board.

“We put in endless hours. She was very dedicated to making sure that this went right. We had to work to write the curriculum and so we spent many Saturdays together.

We were both late workers and would talk on the phone,

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Feeding Minds & Bodies Mission CISD Builds Community One Meal — and Outreach — at a Time

by Amy Casebier

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We’ve got to take care of the children’s basic needs before we can educate them.”

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director of public relations at Mission CISD. “It takes the form of everything from clothing drives to food drives to all sorts of things.”

There are numerous volunteer opportunities within the district throughout the school year, Villarreal says. During September, those volunteers aimed to get students in the classroom. The biggest thing the community can do to support the district is to make sure students get to school.

“One of the things that we know is that lessons lost can never be replaced,” Perez said. “The dynamics of the first teach can never be replaced because that’s when the rich instruction takes place, when children are able to ask questions, interact with each each other, with the teacher.”

The district is going the extra mile to make sure that happens. Dedicated buses can pick up students anywhere — Mission CISD is an open-enrollment district. And if parents are having a true emergency and can’t take their kids to school, attendance officers can get the students to classes.

“Everything is possible,” Villarreal said. “I tell them, the only thing that’s not possible is to quit. We can make it better and give you the support you need to be a successful parent.”

Learn more about Mission CISD by visiting mcisd.net.

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sites than ever. We had close to 40 sites.

We reached a lot more children.” The district retrofitted buses to become dining halls.

“It was wonderful. We’d be driving up and you could hear the kids yelling, ‘here comes the bus!’”

Even as Mission CISD provides meals to its students, it goes further to provide parents with resources for success. Nancy Villarreal, Family and Community Engagement coordinator for the district, described a number of programs designed to educate parents, including literacy, math, nutrition, and mental health, among others.

“At the end of the day, it’s building a community and continuing to grow a community,” Villarreal said. “A lot of our businesses come to us. ‘How can we help?’

They see what we’re doing and that says a lot about the community.”

Those efforts include clothing sponsorships, hygiene care packages, donations, and much more. And when it comes to giving back, that door swings both ways. Many extracurricular activities throughout Mission CISD drive to do good for the community.

“There’s a community service aspect of it all where they’re expected to give back in some form or fashion,” said Craig Verley,

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Mission Consolidated School District seeks to prepare its some 15,500 students to sustain themselves. One of the biggest ways it’s doing that is through sustenance — and making sure everyone is getting the nutrition they need to be successful.

“We’ve got to take care of the children’s basic needs before we can educate them,” said Dr. Carol Perez, Mission CISD superintendent.

Last year was the first year Mission CISD implemented a districtwide community eligibility program. All students receive breakfast and lunch for free. For families with multiple children, that could save more than $100 a week. As an added benefit, campuses with an academic activity scheduled after school can offer free supper to every student who might be there.

Mission CISD has received positive feedback from both students and parents on the supper program. One such student told Perez that it was her responsibility to make sure her younger siblings were fed since her parents both worked late.

“She said, ‘now that I get to have supper and my brothers and sisters get to have supper, now I have more time to dedicate to my studies,” she said. “One of the mothers said, ‘the time I used to spend preparing meals, now I can spend it — it’s more quality time with my children.”

The overriding goal is to make the nutritious food available and appeal to the students in a variety of ways. For example, the district noted a low participation for breakfast. Breakfast is essential to getting the day started on the right foot, but many students had other commitments, like early morning training, at the same time breakfast was offered in the cafeteria. Other students simply weren’t hungry at that time.

But once the district rolled out carts of breakfast foods in the hallways of secondary schools following first period, participation more than doubled.

“We have our summer meals,” added Rosy Woodrum, director of Mission CISD’s Child Nutrition Program. “So school’s out, but hunger is still in. This year, we had more

NOV/DEC 2019

Dr. C a ro l Per ez , M i s s i o n CISD s up e r i nte nden t

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EMBRACING

REALITY UTRGV DREAM Resource Center Marks One Year of Operation

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b y Roci o V i l l a l ob os With an undocumented and DACAmented population of around 900 students, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley community saw the need to create a location on campus where nonresidents could receive support services.

In November 2017, more than 200 protestors walked out of class to march around the UTRGV Edinburg campus demanding the creation of a DREAM center. This march took place following an announcement by President Donald Trump that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program would be rescinded.

However, a number of courts challenged the decision and a nationwide injunction allowing the program to continue was issued.

DACA was established in 2012 and has provided work authorization and protection from deportation for 670,000 immigrants who: were born after June 16, 1981, arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16, and have lived in the country since June 15, 2007. These individuals are often referred to as DREAMers.

Following the walkout, the UTRGV Student Government Association began meeting with other school organizations to discuss passing a resolution for the DREAM center. In April 2018, the resolution was approved. Late into the fall 2018 semester, UTRGV’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion and DREAM Resource Center opened its doors.

Samantha Aleman, a junior at UTRGV double majoring in Mexican-American studies and

mass communication, took part in the meetings as a member of La Union de Chicanxs Hijxs de Aztlán (LUCHA).

Aleman, 20, has lived in the U.S. since the age of 1 with a visa. After it expired a few years ago, she wanted to apply for DACA, but by the time she and her family began meeting with an attorney to discuss the application, the program was no longer available to new applicants.

As an undocumented student, it was important for her to pitch ideas on what she thought would best help other students in her situation.

“I thought if we want to help out the undocumented and DACAmented students … why don’t we have this and this and this?” Aleman said. “One of my concerns was helping people find money, because a lot of these scholarships and grants require residency.”

In addition to answering questions about financial aid, Aleman said she looks forward to other support services the DREAM Resource Center can offer.

“There are times — especially when they announced DACA was terminated — that I didn’t really have anyone to talk to it about or ask questions,” she said. “So I think that the center is a great resource for me and others to use.”

Jose Aaron Hinojosa serves as the program coordinator for the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and DREAM Resource Center and says the center helps serve as a liaison between undocumented and DACAmented students and

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program coordin ator for th e Cen ter for Diversity an d I n clu sion an d DRE AM Resou rce Cen ter at UT RGV

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J os e A a r on H i n oj os a ,

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other school resources.

“Most of the questions that come through my attention are ‘how can I come to college here?’ or ‘who can I talk to about my admissions and financial aid?”

Hinojosa said. “So we’re kind of like the middle person to connect people because sometimes they don’t feel comfortable asking at UCentral because other people are around and it’s not as private.”

In addition to connecting students to campus resources, Hinojosa has helped launch several programs out of the center, including networking socials, DREAM Zone Advocate Training, and, most recently, discussion panels.

The DREAM Zone advocate training is a four-hour workshop that students, staff, and faculty can attend to learn how they can support and empower UTRGV’s undocumented and DACAmented population.

“We offer some terminology, history on immigration policy, and we try to provide personal stories of current students or alumni,” he said. “The other part is we invite departments and offices on campus … to talk about how they specifically assist students who are undocumented or DACA.” According to Hinojosa, 200 individuals, mostly faculty and staff, have completed the training. Upon completion, the individual has the option to have their directory information posted on the UTRGV DREAM Zone Advocate webpage to let students know that they want to help.

As DACA is only a temporary protection and there is currently no path to citizenship, the future of DREAMers remains uncertain. Regardless, Hinojosa says he, the 200 DREAM Zone Advocates, and others from the university remain committed to supporting DACA and undocumented students as best as they can.

“There are certain things a university can do and cannot do, but this is one thing we can do,” Hinojosa said. “So having a DREAM Resource Center is not the only answer, and it should not be the only place on campus for students to feel safe or welcome or included, but it’s a good start.

“We’re always learning, I think, that through working together alongside one another just equals a better community.”

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Cou rtesy ph otos

There are certain things a university can do and cannot do, but this is one thing we can do. So having a DREAM Resource Center is not the only answer, and it should not be the only place on campus for students to feel safe or welcome or included, but it’s a good start.”

B U S I N E S S

‘TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN’ Harlingen EDC Delivers on Mission to Boost Retail, Industry, Education

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by Kelsey Gree ne This year proved to be a successful one for the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation in a number of areas, and it has even bigger plans for next year. According to Raudel Garza, manager and CEO of Harlingen EDC, one of the areas that showed the most growth in Harlingen was in commercial development. The City of Harlingen added the Baxter Lofts Building, a high-rise housing development; opened the Harlingen Convention Center; completed a Homewood Suites; and started construction on the new Hilton Garden Inn, which will be adjacent to the Convention Center. There were also a number of new restaurants and shops that are up and running, such as Johnny Rockets, Cheddar’s, and James Avery.

The industrial sector also made great strides this year.

Harlingen EDC worked with Poly SACHI Polymers to set up the relocation of the plastics firm to Harlingen Industrial Park from their location in Taylor, Texas. Garza emphasized further areas of expansion at Valley International Airport through the addition of new airlines, more frequent flights, and FedEx’s Express facility, bringing the airport up to rank as 71st in the

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investing in the education of the local workforce. This year, the EDC was proud to announce a collaboration between the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Harlingen CISD for the Harlingen Early College High School program, offering dual enrollment courses.

Garza highlights the importance of preparing the future workforce through higher education. The program will soon have its own campus that will additionally offer evening courses for the public through the university.

As a whole, Texas has the second largest labor pool in the nation. The labor pool in the Rio Grande Valley is highly competitive, particularly when it comes to access to ongoing educational support and training opportunities.

Texas State Technical College in Harlingen has been instrumental in providing essential technical education and training to boost the workforce. The institution provides real-world, hands-on experience to its students to prepare them for a well-paying career.

“TSTC’s main goal is to place more Texans in great paying jobs,” said Cledia Hernandez, TSTC Harlingen provost. “Our primary focus is student success and employer success. We want to make sure we help the employers of our region be more successful by getting the right talent and the right workforce prepared for them.”

TSTC plans to continue to launch programs relevant to the needs of its students and the Rio Grande Valley as a whole. That includes a lineman program coming in Fall 2020, plus incorporating performancebased programs.

The EDC has big plans for 2020 as well, specifically in terms of further business retention and expansion.

Garza says that the EDC plans to focus largely on factors that attract new investors, including gaining funding for necessary road improvements, making sure the rail sector and Port of Harlingen are equipped to handle increases in cargo shipments to and from Mexico, maximizing passenger and cargo capacities at the airport, and enhancing the amenities in the Harlingen Industrial Park, among other endeavors to continue helping Harlingen to thrive as a community.

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nation in terms of cargo facilitation.

One of the primary goals for Harlingen EDC is bringing “primary” jobs to the area through private investment. The corporation’s website defines these jobs as “jobs created by employers that sell their goods or services outside the community,” such as those found in logistics, the industrial sector, manufacturing, and education. Garza explains that these jobs bring money from outside of the area and pour it into the local economy, so these sectors are the EDC’s target for recruitment and retention. Because of the city’s growth over the past couple of years, Harlingen’s unemployment rate has dropped to 5.7-6 percent, and it is expected to drop even lower as Harlingen EDC continues to attract investors.

This year was a good year in terms of sales tax growth in addition to employment, Garza adds. Harlingen EDC is organized so that 3/8 of 1 percent of the sales tax generated, which amounts to a little over $4 million per year, is brought in for the EDC to market the community to outside companies and investors. One point of pride for Harlingen EDC this past year is one of its programs that incentivizes commercial recruitment through the refunding of generated sales taxes for retailers that meet certain requirements, such as relocating to or expanding within Harlingen.

Garza says that Harlingen is in a great location in terms of market accessibility, which opens the door to draw in more investors to the area. Harlingen is connected to major metropolitan areas through its airport, proximity to Mexico, the Port of Harlingen, and the interstate system. Harlingen’s low cost of living is another point of enticement for outside companies to relocate or expand their businesses. “Their dollar goes further here,” Garza said. This means more jobs for the citizens of Harlingen as new companies move here or opt for working with the local supply chain. “One of the things that a lot of people don’t know is that a lot of economic development is actually taking care of our own and making sure … to grow and expand and hire more of the local people.”

Harlingen EDC knows that this also requires

NOV/DEC 2019

The EDC has big plans for 2020 as well, specifically in terms of further business retention and expansion.

B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Sergio Contreras President/CEO RGV Partnership

RGV FIRST Initiative Encourages Entities to Contract Valley Businesses for Local Projects

Our region will see expenditures of $1.1 billion in state funds over the next decade for highway and mobility projects.

Medical and education facilities are being built and expanded.

Our communities across the map are seeing business and residential growth.

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All of these investments – public and private – are providing great opportunities for local companies in our region to grow

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NOV/DEC 2019

The Rio Grande Valley is brimming with growth and there’s much more on the way.

their businesses and hire more employees. We have a message in the midst of all of this activity – go RGV First.

This vision is an initiative of the RGV Partnership to further

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The recent announcement by the Texas Department of Transportation that it will spend over a $1 billion in our region for highway and mobility projects will provide great opportunities to go RGV First.

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It's now our challenge as a region to tap

and private sector entities to contract local

into these opportunities. The Partnership

businesses as they plan, design, build and

will work through the RGV First initiative

implement the services needed to make

to assist local companies as they vie for

their projects a reality.

highway project business through the

The Valley has developed a broad base of

state’s procurement process. Going local

professional services across the industrial

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and construction fields. We see RGV First

are spent on the services provided by our

as a tool to encourage the utilization of

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local companies and services they provide

The abilities and know-how of our local

as development ramps up in the Valley

entrepreneurs is demonstrated by the AON

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The fields of architecture, engineering and

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contractors, (AEC) have the local capacity

in Edinburg and soon in McAllen. The

and knowledge to handle the scope of public

AON Group successfully negotiated with

and private sector projects that will unfold in

a national franchise in utilizing local

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the Valley. The RGV First initiative will work

companies and professional services in

with public entities in requesting incentives

the planning, designing and building of his

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be utilized to call on local vendors and

first restaurant. In signage, IT, banking and construction services, they insisted local

companies for their projects.

The recent announcement by the Texas Department of Transportation

companies be used over the out-of-area companies the franchise preferred.

that it will spend over a $1 billion

That’s the spirit of RGV First and we will

in our region for highway and

encourage more of that commitment to our

mobility projects will provide great

local companies as we see a rise in the public

opportunities

First.

and private investments made in the Valley.

single

We need to capitalize on the opportunities

Metropolitan Planning Organization

coming before us and RGV First will strive to

for the entire Valley sparked TXDOT to

serve as a tool to grow our local businesses.

The

to

go

establishment

RGV of

a

infuse a wealth of state funds into our

Think local first. Think RGV First.

region to improve our infrastructure

It’s a win for everyone.

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NOV/DEC 2019

program is a platform in encouraging public

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and highways.

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expand our regional economy. The RGV First

B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Leonardo F. Chang Financial Advisor Edward Jones 4500 N. 10th St., Suite 40 | McAllen 956-630-0241

FINANCIAL FOCUS Consider Some Year-End Investment Tax Moves

LOSSES. You may have taxable capital gains, either from selling investments that have increased in value or simply from owning mutual funds (mutual fund managers constantly buy and sell individual investments within the funds). These capital gains could increase the amount of taxes you owe. If you own some investments that have lost value since you purchased them, selling them would generate capital losses that could be used to offset capital gains. Further, if you have more losses than gains, you can use up to $3,000 of your losses to offset ordinary income.

Keep in mind that selling an investment may change the allocation and performance of your portfolio.

Also, just because an investment is down in value is not necessarily a reason to sell. And once you sell an investment to generate a capital loss, you need to wait at least 31 days to repurchase it to avoid incurring what’s known as a “wash sale.” Your financial professional can help you determine if selling any investments makes sense for your situation.

Before making any of these moves, you’ll also want to consult with your tax professional. And remember that while taxes are a consideration, they should not necessarily drive your investment decisions. When investing, you need to build a portfolio that’s appropriate for your risk tolerance and time horizon and that can help you achieve your goals, such as a comfortable retirement.

Still, if you can make some tax-smart investment moves before the year is out, you may well reap the benefits next April.

It may be hard to believe, but we’re getting close to wrapping up 2019. And if you have a year-end to-do list, here’s one more item you might want to add: Lower your investment-related taxes. To help meet this goal, consider these moves you could make before the year’s end:

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NOV/DEC 2019

• INCREASE YOUR 401(K) CONTRIBUTIONS. If your employer allows it, add some money to your 401(k) before the year is out. (You can put up to $19,000 in your 401(k) or similar plan for 2019, or $25,000 if you’re 50 or older.) If you fund your 401(k) with pre-tax dollars, the more you put in, the lower your taxable income. After-tax contributions, such as those for a Roth 401(k), won’t result in tax savings for 2019 (but should reduce taxes in future years).

• ADD TO YOUR IRA. You’ve got until the April tax filing deadline to contribute to your IRA for 2019, but why wait until the last minute? You can put up to $6,000 in your IRA for the year, or $7,000 if you’re 50 or older. With a traditional IRA, your contributions may be deductible, depending on your income; with a Roth IRA, contributions aren’t deductible, but your earnings can grow tax-free — provided you meet certain conditions.

• DONATE SOME INVESTMENTS. Recent tax law changes have resulted in far fewer people itemizing their deductions. However, if itemizing still makes sense in your situation, you might want to consider donating an investment that has gained value since you purchased it to one of the charitable groups you support. You will generally be able to deduct the fair market value of the investment, and you can avoid paying capital gains taxes on the appreciation.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial advisor.

• CONSIDER SELLING INVESTMENTS TO REALIZE CAPITAL

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B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Danielle M Goslin Partner South Texas General Office 956-412-4949 dmgoslin@ft.newyorklife.com

FOR RICHER, FOR POORER Everything You Need to Know About Combining Your Finances with Your New Spouse

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NOV/DEC 2019

b y N e w Yor k L i f e So you just got married. Congratulations! Now that your wedding and all its surrounding activities have passed (without a hitch, right?), it's time to take a closer look at what marriage means for you and your spouse when it comes to finances.

It's not as exciting as wedding cake sampling, but in the long run, it’s much more important. The first step is the obvious one of sharing everything with one another. Inform your partner of your salary, investments, debts, and credit score.

It will be easier to make your shared financial action plan when you’re aware of each other's details.

Here are some quick yet important pieces of wisdom you and your partner can use to ensure your new life together gets stronger — and more financially secure — as time goes on.

COMBINE YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS AND CREDIT CARDS. Merging your accounts doesn't need to be a priority as soon as you marry, but it makes budgeting easier and more organized when your money is in one place.

A joint savings account also helps you work toward taking your next vacation or purchasing a new home.

Visit a bank together and speak to a specialist about account options. Opening multiple accounts could

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This article is provided for general informational purpose only and should not be construed as advice or solicitation of any specific products or services.

Please consult qualified tax, legal, and financial professionals before taking any action.

New York Life is an Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability/ Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

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helping you save the most money in the long run. With the Snowball method, debts are paid in order of balance size, starting with the smallest. The Snowball is may be an appropriate option if you and your spouse have had a hard time paying down debt in the past. Seeing an immediate impact by paying off small balances quickly can encourage you to continue your battle against debt.

AGREE ON INVESTMENTS AND A RETIREMENT PLAN. Investing is an important point of discussion for newlyweds — a discussion that should continue throughout marriage. Retirement may seem like a lifetime away, but it's not that far off in reality, so start your marriage on the right foot and begin preparing. A common assumption is that retirement funds are for individuals, not couples. However, there are a variety of retirement paths you can pursue together. Start by figuring out if either of your employers match retirement contributions. This is free money and should be taken advantage of. Next, research investment categories you can explore. Speaking to a financial professional might be the best place to start if you want to be guided through the world of IRAs, 401(k)s, equities, fixed income investments, real estate, or other investments. Don't assume that you need a lot of equity to start investing.

There are always options to start small now. Make it your mission to learn a little about investing each day. Before you know it, you and your spouse will have your shared money working for you.

Learn more about how to make a financial plan for you and your spouse by contacting New York Life Partner Danielle Goslin at (956) 412-4949 or dmgoslin@ft.newyorklife.com.

RGVISION MAGAZINE

help you manage your monthly expenses with one, while saving to invest with another.

Joint credit cards are part of the same conversation.

If you use a credit card that has an annual fee, having multiple cards from a shared account can reduce the fees you pay. Keep in mind that you'll be spending for two, so be cautious of running the balance up. If there’s a chance you'll be forced to carry a balance at some point, apply for a card with a low APR (annual percentage rate).

Moving forward, team up to avoid the habit of only paying the monthly minimum on your bill. Doing that may mean you actually pay more on every purchase you make.

Building credit is really important when it comes to taking out loans or signing up for services. Responsible — let's say that again — responsible credit card use is a good way to build your credit score. Get in the routine of using your credit cards consistently and never miss payments. When you're ready to make an offer on a home or purchase a car, you and your spouse will be in a better financial place. Most banks offer a credit score feature, so take advantage of that because you should always know what your score is.

TEAM UP ON DEBT. Debt is a word that can bring cold sweat and sensations of anxiety to countless people. Many of us have it in the form of student loans, credit card balances, car payments, or one silly mistake you made years ago.

Try not to panic. As a married couple, you might have double paychecks (and double debt), but in any scenario, you're a partnership and should team up on handling debt together. Sit down and be strategic about approaching what you owe, how much, and to whom. Next, devise a plan that best helps you start crossing debts off your IOU list.

The two most common systems of debt paydown are called "The Avalanche" and "The Snowball" methods.

The Avalanche method consists of paying down multiple debts in order of interest rate (from highest to lowest),

NOV/DEC 2019

Investing is an important point of discussion for newlyweds — a discussion that should continue throughout marriage.

B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Bill Martin, CFP® Vice President, Investments 1845 Capital of Raymond James, 1400 N. McColl Road, Suite 101 | McAllen 956-331-2777

PART 2 1 OF OF 4: 4:WORK MONEYSMARTER, ISN’T EVERYTHING NOT — AND OTHER HARDER WHENFINANCIAL SAVING THE LESSONS MONEY TO LEARN YOU MAKE EARLY

12 LESSONS ON LIFE AND MONEY From the Smartest People I Know … My Parents

certainly don’t want to pick on this great American company, but it is necessary to relate your effort to your expenses in order to make truly informed buying decisions. Once you know what your good or service equates to in terms of your hours of labor, you can decide if it is worth it. Do you want to work for a week-and-a-half for that little cup of joy? How about working an entire year for that status symbol luxury car? The obvious next question is how much later in your career will you have to keep working since those dollars were

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NOV/DEC 2019

In the last edition of RGVision, you received Part 1 of the 12 Lessons on Life and Money series, the first three lessons: 1. If money can fix it, it is not a problem; 2. Understand the difference between needs and wants; 3. Nothing is free. Those concepts largely dealt with healthy attitudes about money. In this edition, we are defining what money represents, how your work can produce money joyfully, and how to begin accumulating your nest egg through the discipline of budgeting.

4. MONEY = LABOR X TIME My parents helped me make the connection between the cost of my wants in terms of how many hours I had to work to pay for them. As a kid, this realization helped me exercise some self-discipline when I recognized that the newest Nikes would take days of my labor in order to wear them home. I started to weigh just how important some purchases were relative to my time. Even small daily expenses add up for us adults. After all, going to Starbucks each day for your Venti Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino for a year will total about $1,825. By my rough calculations and accounting for taxes, even with a well-paid six-figure salary of $100,000 (at about $40 per hour), an employee will have to sacrifice about 60 hours’ worth of work every year to afford this daily luxury.

I enjoy Starbucks as much as any of their customers, and

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not deposited into an account that could have increased your nest egg faster to reach a critical mass?

5. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WORK. GET PAID FOR YOUR EFFORT. Mark Twain said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I believe my parents had this quote in mind when they offered up some attitude advice and career counseling. My dad said that he enjoyed every job he ever had, except one: a poultry farm. It wasn’t that the dirty work was beneath him or that he was afraid to sweat. It was the crazy manager who told him to clean the tin roof during a lightning storm that made him quit without giving the customary two weeks’ notice.

You likely will spend almost half of your conscious life at work. So find joy in what you do. If it is a joyless job, then one of two things need to change — the job, or you. I have found that with almost anything I have done, a positive attitude made time pass faster and helped me in receiving better duties or opportunities.

One thing I discovered about myself is that I prefer to get paid for my effort. I believe it was an entrepreneurial spirit my parents instilled in me through subconscious training.

They typically paid me for jobs completed, not hours on the clock. It instilled a sense of accomplishment and drove me to work more efficiently. Too many jobs have their employees clock in and clock out without any recognition of a job well done. Today, I encourage my kids to find jobs that reward their effort.

As a teenager, I was drawn to opportunities where my pay was tied to my productivity. While pushing a lawnmower, if I moved a little faster and mowed more lawns, then I would collect more money. When waiting tables, if I was more efficient and friendly, I could serve more tables and earn more tips. Yes, it can be a bit more challenging to find an employer with performance-based pay in some career fields, yet even in traditional salaried fields you can find bonus opportunities. As an example, I am on the board of a school that gives performance bonuses to their teachers when their students demonstrate measurable academic growth beyond expectations. I believe a large part of my career satisfaction has to do with two things: helping people and almost a direct correlation of my effort and compensation. I challenge you to make your work hours more meaningful by choosing your career and your employer carefully.

Cou rtesy ph oto Bill, Au drey, an d Joh n Martin

6. BUILD A BUDGET. BE ACCOUNTABLE. In my opinion, this generation’s greatest advocate for

LESSONS FROM MY PARENTS Have your questions ready for Bill, John, and Audrey Martin in their second Facebook Live event via @ rgvisionmagazine at noon Tuesday, Nov. 12!

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COMING UP In the next issue of RGVision, accounting for risks and planning for rewards through investments.

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© 2018 Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/ SIPC © 2018 Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC Investment products are: not deposits, not FDIC/NCUA insured, not insured by any government agency, not bank guaranteed, subject to risk and may lose value.

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budgeting is debt-free disciple Dave Ramsey. He has helped more people pay off debt and discover financial freedom than any one person alive. He boiled down budgeting to a simple statement: “A budget is simply telling your money where to go.” My parents were serious about their budget. They did not allow unnecessary wants to knock their financial plan off course. They also stuck to their budget by being accountable to each other. From the beginning and still today, they have stuck to an agreement of no purchases greater than $500 without consulting each other first. That’s accountability.

They maintained their spending budget for years at a time, reviewing every so often and making adjustments to be sure it was achievable. Even as their income would increase, they spent at the same levels and saved more. They knew that there was no limit to what could be spent, observing so often the more people make, the more they spent. After their paychecks withheld for taxes and 401k, a fixed amount was deposited to a checking account to be spent and everything else was automatically deposited into a capital account for investments to grow the nest egg. That’s discipline.

Primary Care Across the RGV Winter is flu season. Now is a great time to get your flu shot.

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B U S I N E S S

YOUR HOME, YOUR WAY Caza Group Building Bespoke Houses in the Rio Grande Valley

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NOV/DEC 2019

b y RGV i s i on If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own home, then you’ve dreamed of the features it would have — the architectural style, the floor plan, even the color of the walls.

Eliseo Garza Jr., partner and builder for Caza Group, lives those dreams as his reality. Growing up the son of a mason, the magazines he collected as a child were all about homes, filling his imagination with blueprints and materials and building concepts. With 13 years of construction experience and a background in real estate and flipping houses, Garza knows what homeowners want. It’s everything he would want in a house, too.

Caza Group might be a relatively new name to the Rio Grande Valley construction industry, but the company aims to leverage innovation and expertise to bring clients a new way to build custom homes.

“I want to shift the whole building experience in the Rio Grande Valley,” Garza said. “We saw a void in the market when it came to architectural design and consumer satisfaction. I want to create something that people want.”

Caza Group partner and engineer Armando Castro Jr. is instrumental in realizing that vision. With a background in tech and a nose for good business practices, he understood the niche that Caza is filling in the region.

“There’s room for innovation. Upgrading the homes to this new age of technology is making the home more relevant to today’s needs,”Castro said.

Caza offers a unique way for clients to pick the house plan that’s right for them: collection lines. The Timeless, Exclusive and Signature packages cater to different budgets and boast bells and whistles designed to delight and impress.

Each of Caza’s packages are transparent, inclusive ways to make sure the client knows exactly what they

are getting. The Timeless package — Caza’s standard home — includes 8-foot doors, quartz or granite, and many other features that are luxurious by any measure.

The Signature package, the collection line Caza’s model home belongs to, includes everything the other packages have and more: an 8-foot-tall fence, metal or clay roof, designer tiles and light fixtures, just to name a few. Make sure to visit their featured model home at 1711 Red River Ave. in Edinburg.

Caza Group would like to banish the days of clients sweating over paint swatches and tile samples to the past.

Just like you’d trust an intricate operation to a qualified surgeon, clients can trust crafting the look, feel, and flow of their new home to the homebuilding professionals at Caza Group. Clients can expect to come to the Caza office and see color and material combinations that already work seamlessly together because they’ve been hand selected by Caza. Then, the client will choose their favorite from those curated selections.

Caza utilizes high-quality materials and products, this dedication functions both as quality control and a point of pride for Caza Group, which is passionate about beautiful, livable, functional homes.

Everything’s thought of, including smarthome capabilities using the latest technologies and products available. A home should complement clients’ increasingly connected lives — right down to strategically located ethernet jacks and IT cabinets.

Caza Group’s packages, curated selections, and forward-thinking approach all contribute to a stress-free homebuilding experience. Clients can expect expediency, communication, and efficiency throughout the process — without compromising points of personalization.

It’s your home, after all, and there’s nothing more important than home.

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photo by James Hord

Courtesy photos

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Featured Ho me 1711 Red River Ave. Ed inbu rg, T X

B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Daniel Ramirez Director of Public Relations and Marketing South Texas College

FILE 001

CONTENT MARKETING IS STILL KING

BY PUBLISHING A DIVERSE MIX OF CONTENT, SMALL BUSINESSES CAN BUILD BRAND AWARENESS, DRIVE WEBSITE TRAFFIC, AND INCREASE CONVERSIONS. SAVE

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NOV/DEC 2019

Businesses Should Aim to Provide Value to Customers — and Potential Customers

potential customers. The key to a successful blog post is it should be informative and entertaining. The point is to give the reader something to engage with whether they follow your content or happen upon it through social media.

When first starting out, think about why people would want to come to your business and build topics from there.

If you own a restaurant, for example, you could blog about specials, upcoming events, or include recipes and tips from your chef.

CREATE VIDEOS Video is one of the dominant media online, and it is an excellent way for small businesses to keep viewers engaged and to stand out from their competition. For example, an “About Us” video allows small businesses to tell their story and make a personal connection with their customers. An “Explainer Video” can help potential customers understand a business' offerings and why they should consider them.

CURRENT CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Not all of the content in your content marketing strategy has to be created by you. An effective way to build trust with your audience is to point them to other valuable information related to your industry. Sifting through content that is related to your product or service and passing it along to your customers shows you are keeping the pulse of the industry.

Content marketing is a great way to reach potential customers, and while it can seem daunting, it's not impossible. Instead of pushing unwanted ads at potential customers, you will leave them with a positive first impression of your brand. It's all about providing value, even if you don't get an immediate sale in return.

As a marketer, I understand that content marketing is an inexpensive and effective way to reach potential and current customers. By publishing a diverse mix of content, small businesses can build brand awareness, drive website traffic, and increase conversions. Despite the many benefits, small businesses often get stuck trying to figure out how to produce content on a long-term basis.

WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING? The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as "a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action."

At its foundation, content marketing is about your audience, what they value, and how you can help educate them. When done correctly, this creates a relationship and builds trust with your audience. When your audience trusts you, they're more willing to look to you when it comes time to make a purchasing decision.

To communicate with your audience, you need to produce content. Content will allow you to reach the right audience, draw visitors to your website, engage visitors into leads, and convert them into customers.

All small businesses can benefit from a greater sense of trust between their customers and their brand, more web traffic and repeat visitors, and a reduction in the cost of marketing and acquisition. Content marketing can provide all these and so much more.

HOW TO GET STARTED There are a variety of ways small businesses can deliver their content: blog posts, website pages, email, video, print collateral, and beyond.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

WRITE BLOG POSTS Blogs allow you to provide value to both your current and

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RGV Agriculture Weathers Challenges, Adapts to Demand

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b y G e or g e C ox For more than a century, the fertile fields of the Rio Grande Valley have produced row crops like cotton, grain sorghum, and corn; citrus fruit; sugarcane; and winter vegetables. But anyone who knows anything about the business of agriculture knows it’s not an easy livelihood, and one fraught with risk-taking.

South Texas growers face swings in markets and fight battles against droughts, floods, and pests. Climate change and what effect it may have on Valley agriculture is a looming question mark. Urban development has chipped away at available farm acreage.

Yet agriculture remains an economic powerhouse.

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension District 12, which encompasses the Valley, estimates crops and livestock combined were valued in the neighborhood of $731 million in 2017, according to Samuel Zapata, assistant professor and extension specialist for agriculture economics.

“That value is just the value of production, the direct impact,” Zapata said. “Then you have the multipliers, where for each dollar, you generate $1.90 to the regional economy. That will give you the impact of supporting businesses and jobs.” That math brings the total annual economic impact to almost $1.4 billion.

Change is a constant for most farmers. Decisions on what crop and how many acres to plant can depend on an ever-changing economic dynamic of supply and demand. More unpredictable factors involving weather and availability of water further complicate the equation.

“You have got to have somebody you can sell it to,” said Brownsville area farmer Paul Loop, who grows primarily cotton and corn. “You have got to be realistic with what you are growing and where it’s going. We try to have our crops sold before we even plant them, but there’s a lot of things that affect the market.”

“Agriculture is a very risky enterprise,” Zapata said. “I try to provide information and help growers apply economic principles. You have production risks, the incidence of pests and marketing involved. You really don’t know what the price will be.”

This year the Valley cotton harvest has been pretty good, Zapata said, but prices are down due in part to tariffs levied on cotton destined for China. “The new tariffs have been tough for us,” he said. “China used to be the main buyer and they are not buying from us now.”

Hidalgo County Agriculture Extension Agent Vidal Saenz said some South Texas farmers are turning

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come into the United States from Mexico from time to time, and threats appearing in Florida can reach the Valley in three to five years.

GMO crops have made a significant impact on how growers deal with pests attacking their fields. “I think it’s excellent,” Sekula said. “When you have GMOs, it reduces the amount of spray applications you have to make. The plant is resistant to the pests or the pests feed and then die off. And when you think from a farming perspective, the less pesticide, the better.”

No matter the advances, the next threat or challenge always seems just around the corner.

“For this next year, my main concern is cotton,” Sekula said. “There’s a disease called cotton blue. It’s a virus.

It’s transmitted by cotton aphids. They have found it in a couple of other states and it has been found in College Station. We haven’t seen it here yet, but it’s really on my radar for this next season.”

Loop comes from a multigenerational farming family, and he is well aware of the ups and downs he faces. This past cotton-growing season he had to replant some of his fields after too many cold nights harmed the young plants. Then prices were lower than expected. Scattered rains in August and September slowed the harvest and yields were reduced.

“There’s always something,” he said. “It’s just constant change. The weather down here is very variable. We also have these little showers than can wreak havoc on the harvest. Unfortunately, this year the rain was where we were harvesting.”

But Loop will continue his life as a farmer, and with an eye toward the future. “I was kind of born into the occupation. My dad and uncle helped us get started. We did pay our own way but they helped us a lot.”

He said each generation of his family has taken care of the land and made improvements, such as upgrades to irrigation systems. “We want to leave things better than they were with improvements on the land we farm. That’s a benefit for the future farmers.”

more to nontraditional crops like sesame seeds, canola, and oilseed sunflowers in dryland fields where there is no irrigation.

“In agriculture the farmers are planting other crops like sesame,” Saenz said. “That’s more of a drought-tolerant crop. It can withstand a drought and it rebounds when it does rain.”

The Texas Legislature passed a bill this year to allow commercial farming of hemp. Farmers are now waiting for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve the state plans, and then the Texas Department of Agriculture will finalize rules and regulations for hemp growing in the state, possibly as early as 2020.

“The Valley is ideal for hemp production,” Saenz said.

“You can do a lot with it. Fibers, feed for livestock, but the money-maker is going to be in the CBD oil extraction, especially on a smaller scale. Large scale would be for fiber.”

Scientific advances also have helped farmers in ways that contribute to harvests with genetically modified crops and modern pest management, both of which can boost crop production. Some GMO crops like cotton and sorghum are resistant to insecticides, so fields can be sprayed to kill weeds without damaging the crop, Saenz said.

“Our area is such a unique area because we don’t get many freezes. But because of that we get a lot of subtropical weather and we get a lot of insect pressure,” said Danielle Sekula, Texas Agrilife extension agent for integrated pest management. “Overall, a lot of my growers practice really great IPM.” IPM stands for integrated pest management.

Crop selection, including genetically modified strains, can mean a reduction in the use of pesticides. “It’s not just about spraying a chemical,” Sekula said. “It’s about what natural predators are present and what chemical we are going to use. We don’t want to take out pest predators.”

Sekula constantly monitors and traps bugs to identify not only current threats, but also for signs of new pests migrating into the South Texas area. She said new pests

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TOP LEGAL LEADERS

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IN THE RGV

2019 RGVi s i on S p on s or I n s i g h t

You may not ever want to be in a situation where an attorney is required, but you want the best of the best in your corner should the worst happen. Throughout the course of its 10 years, RGVision has counted itself lucky to know the following legal leaders in their respective fields of focus. And in the second iteration of Top Legal Leaders, we have found that these experts are dedicated to serving their clients to the very best of their abilities. With a wealth of experience among them, a passion for advocacy, and proven results, these lawyers are ready to go above and beyond both in and out of the courtroom.

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PERSONAL INJURY Humberto Tijerina, Tijerina Legal Group, LLC tlegalgroup.com (956) 777-7777 1200 S. Col. Rowe Blvd., Suite A4 McAllen, TX 78501 1534 E. Sixth St., Suite 201 Brownsville, TX 78520

DWI/DUI Rene A. Flores The Law Office of Rene A. Flores, PLLC reneaflores.com (956) 316-1991 403 N. Conway Ave., Mission, TX 78572

IMMIGRATION Alex Martinez The Law Office of Alex Martinez alexmartinezlaw.com (956) 540-2255 421 S. 12th St., McAllen, TX 78501

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PERSONAL LITIGATION John Escamilla Escamilla Law Firm escamillalawfirm.com (956) 618-4999 1021 Martin Ave., McAllen, TX 78504

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Awards & Recognitions • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 • Three Best Rated: Best Business of 2018 • Three Best Rated: Top 3 Best Personal Injury Lawyers in McAllen, Certificate of Excellence • National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys: Nation’s Premier Top Ten Attorney, Personal Injury • Avvo Clients’ Choice Personal Injury

H E A L T H

PERSONALITY OR PERSONALITY DISORDER?

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Psychotherapy is One Option for Hard-to-Treat Conditions or anxiety, for example. However, psychotherapy has been one popular mode of treatment of personality disorders, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for borderline personality features.

Every one of us possess a personality, a collection of uniquely expressed characteristics that influences a person’s patterns of thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and interactions (Comer & Comer, 2018). Our personalities lead us to react in predictable manner as we go through life and interact with our environment. Nevertheless, our personalities are somewhat malleable and susceptible to adjustments in response to experience. In contrast, those who suffer from a personality disorder — about 15 percent of U.S. adults — usually are not capable of adjusting their reactions in response to feedback from their surroundings. These individuals exhibit a rigid pattern of thinking and feeling as well as of behaviors that impairs their sense of self, emotional experiences, and capacity for empathy and/or intimacy (APA, 2013). Thus, their personalities can be said to be dysfunctional compared to those of most other people in their societal context. Ultimately, people with personality disorders suffer significant adaptive problems and psychological pain.

Unfortunately, personality disorders are among the most difficult psychological disorders to treat. No specific medication algorithm exists for personality features — unlike internalizing symptoms of depression

PERSONALITY DISORDERS EXPLAINED The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) identifies 10 personality disorders and classifies them into three clusters (APA, 2013).

CLUSTER A This cluster includes disorders characterized by odd, bizarre, or eccentric behaviors.

• Paranoid Personality Disorder • Schizoid Personality Disorder • Schizotypal Personality Disorder People with these disorders typically display behaviors similar to but not as pervasive as those seen in individuals with schizophrenia, namely extreme suspiciousness, social withdrawal, and odd ways of thinking and perceiving. People afflicted by these disorders seldom seek treatment as they do not acknowledge their need for help.

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The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) identifies 10 personality disorders and classifies them into three clusters (APA, 2013).

CLUSTER B The personality disorders within the second cluster can be characterized by dramatic, overly emotional, or unpredictable thinking or behavior (Mayo Clinic, 2016).

People with these personality disorders behave so dramatically, emotionally, and erratically that it is almost impossible for them to maintain healthy relationships with others.

• Antisocial Personality Disorder • Borderline Personality Disorder • Histrionic Personality Disorder • Narcissistic Personality Disorders (more commonly diagnosed)

clinicians have difficulty distinguishing one personality disorder from another due to the high overlap of their symptoms, and oftentimes resort to diagnosing an individual with more than one personality disorder. In light of this encumbrance, many clinical researchers have argued against the current categorical classification of personality disorders, and propose that instead, personality disorders should be classified using a dimensional approach.

CLUSTER C The final cluster is marked by heightened levels of anxiety.

• Avoidant Personality Disorder • Dependent Personality Disorder • Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders People with these disorders behave anxiously or fearfully. Additionally, many of the symptoms experienced by people with one of these disorders resemble symptoms found in anxiety and depressive disorders. Compared to the other personality disorders, people with one of the “anxious” personality disorders are more likely to be helped by treatment.

To learn more about personality disorders, visit: Mayo Clinic: https://mayocl.in/2nPLVXR APA Podcast: https://bit.ly/339SnvL Co-authors include Dr. Mercado’s Mental Health Lab at UTRGV: Frances Morales, Andy Torres, Stephanie Arellano, and Maria

FURTHER PERSONALITY DISORDER CLASSIFICATION The current categorical approach to personality disorders adopted by DSM-5 assumes that an individual either has or does not have a personality disorder (Clark et al., 2017). Form this categorical logic, it could also be assumed that an individual who meets the diagnostic criteria for a specific personality disorder is not significantly affected by additional symptoms not part of their diagnosis (Comer & Comer, 2018). But

ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Alfonso Mercado PH.D., Licensed Psychologist Valley Psychological Services - Assistant Professor Department of Psychology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | www.utpa.edu/psychology

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SHATTERING STIGMA Stigma associated with the diagnosis of a personality disorder is unfortunately a common occurrence within our society. In 2016, a study revealed that knowledge of these disorders among the general public and even medical professionals public is low (Sheehan et al, 2016), and can cause this population to not seek help.

Individuals diagnosed living with a personality disorder can be negatively impacted due to stigma. Educating ourselves and others can allow us as a community to improve the quality of life of this population and their loved ones. After all, it is the right for all to access clinical and social resources available for well-being improvement.

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H E A L T H

SMALL BUT

Weslaco residents will get a new medical

MIGHTY

resource

in

December

pending

necessary

licensing and approvals. The Valley Baptist MicroHospital is one of the first of its kind in the nation.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer the very first micro hospital to the Rio Grande Valley,” said Jennifer Bartnesky-Smith, chief strategy officer of Valley Baptist Health System. She explains that the term micro-hospital is a new concept within the healthcare industry as a whole, so it is a new

Weslaco’s Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital Slated to Open in December

concept nationwide.

by Kelsey Greene | p h o to s b y Ja s o n G a r z a

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Bartnesky-Smith says that it’s hard to tell how

Baptist operation wants local physicians to know that

the first year will go, but, based on the performance

they are not trying to compete with them, and they are

of Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, the

much more interested in working collaboratively to care

emergency department and inpatient care units at the

for the patients in the area. Local physicians can even

micro-hospital will be extremely busy.

apply for special privileges at the micro-hospital so that

Ronda Lewis, administrator of the micro-hospital,

they can conduct rounds on their admitted patients

clarified that the new center will be more than a free-

during their treatment. Patients in inpatient care who

standing ER. It will function as a true hospital, complete

do not have PCPs will be assigned a general physician

with a procedure room, eight-bed inpatient unit, trauma

contracted by the hospital.

service, and ancillary services including a pharmacy,

In addition to Care Continuity, another program

laboratories, respiratory services, and imaging in

that will be implemented at the micro-hospital is a

addition to a full-service emergency department,

scheduling system called InQuicker. This tool allows

which holds 14 beds. Valley

patients to check in online

Baptist Micro-Hospital will

while on their way to the

be equipped with the latest

hospital. The system will

technology,

dramatically cut down time in

including

a

64-slice CT scanner for both in- and outpatient imaging with CT, ultrasound, and radiology

capability.

The

imaging

and

laboratory

services

will

also

be

available to patients whose primary

care

physicians

(PCPs) do not have these services in their own offices.

the waiting room because the

“We are thrilled to be able to offer the very first micro hospital to the Rio Grande Valley."

Jenni f e r B a r t n e s k y - S m i t h , chi e f s trategy officer of Valley Baptist Health System

hospital will already have the patient’s

information

prior

to arrival.

Bartnesky-Smith says that another unique aspect of the Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital is that many leaders at the mini-hospital

are

people

born and raised in the Rio

The micro-hospital will be

Grande Valley. She explains

able to treat most injuries

that this is a benefit because

and

they are acutely aware of the

is

illnesses determined

unless by

it

onsite

healthcare needs in the region

case of major trauma. In those cases, the patients will

have no doubt in my mind that when we open our doors,

be transferred to the location that will best suit their

those folks are going to welcome the Weslaco and Mid-

needs. Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen has a

Valley community with open arms because they truly

comprehensive stroke center, level 2 trauma center, and

are our Valley family,” Bartnesky-Smith said.

Mid-Valley healthcare needs. After three to four years of

outpatient, or routine imaging/lab work services

data analytics, traffic reviews, and market share reviews,

— who have a PCP will have all of their records

the research showed that patients needing emergency

and whereabouts reported directly to their doctor.

or inpatient care were traveling from the Mid-Valley to

Lewis explained that doctors in Weslaco have been

either Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen or

guaranteed that they will be contacted if their patients

traveling farther west for care. Weslaco seemed ideal as

are treated at, admitted to, or transferred from the

a central location. Art Rangel, system vice president of

Valley Baptist Micro-Hospital through a system called

the Valley Baptist Health System, says that it will keep

Care Continuity, which facilitates care coordination

families closer together rather than necessitating travel

between hospitals and relevant parties. The Valley

to see their sick and injured loved ones in another city.

level 3 neonatal intensive care unit.

The location choice came from careful evaluation of

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The patients — whether they’re there for inpatient,

NOV/DEC 2019

and are passionate about serving their community. “I

.

doctors that they need the next level of care, as in the

HEADING OFF THE HURTING Trauma Surgeon Pushes Importance of Prevention When It Comes to Injuries b y RGVi s i o n | p h ot os b y J a s on G a r z a

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H E A L T H

The most affirming part of Dr. LeRone Simpson’s career is the chance to, after something has gone very wrong, help put everything back together again.

“Trauma surgery is very unique in that it offers us and the hospital the ability to treat an injured patient and bring them back to their baseline functional status,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of patients who come in after critical moment or an accident or even a gunshot wound and you help them get back to their functional status. That’s very fulfilling.”

Simpson is a trauma and critical care surgeon with Valley Care Clinics. He serves

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“A lot of the patients and cases that we see here are preventable.

So what we try to do as a trauma center is to reach out to the community before an injury even happens to reduce those numbers.”

Dr. LeRo ne Simps o n,

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basic skills to prevent fatal blood loss can be instrumental in multiple situations.

“Trauma facilities educate the public — that being schools, churches, anywhere where there’s large groups of people gathering — about if there’s a mass casualty, how to address it. How to stop the bleed,” Simpson said. “Specifically, the program here is run by [South Texas Health System Injury Prevention Coordinator] Alejandra Ortega and she has personally trained over 1,000 people in the Valley about Stop the Bleed.”

Other campaigns the trauma center works on include motorcycle injury prevention, ATV injury prevention, and other interventions.

“I think the most important thing from the trauma surgeon standpoint is the outreach to the community and the community response to the trauma center,” Simpson said.

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injury prevention,” he explained. “A lot of the patients and cases that we see here are preventable.” Consider, for example, the devastating injuries that can occur when a biker isn’t wearing a helmet, when a passenger isn’t wearing a seatbelt, when individuals drive at unsafe speeds — or under the influence. “So what we try to do as a trauma center is to reach out to the community before an injury even happens to reduce those numbers. Overall, it’s beneficial for the community.”

One of the most visible efforts has been the Stop the Bleed campaign. This nationwide initiative aims to educate the public on responding to a bleeding emergency.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, bystanders will always be the first at the scene of an emergency no matter how quickly medical professionals arrive. Knowing

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at McAllen Medical Center. Simpson earned his degree at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated his residency in Lubbock, Texas, and completed a fellowship in trauma and critical care surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and BarnesJewish Hospital.

He has practiced in the Rio Grande Valley for the past three years.

“Trauma is regional,” Simpson said. “What we see down here a lot by virtue of there’s a highway, there’s a lot of motor vehicle accidents and a lot of motorcycle accidents.

There’s also a large elderly population here, so trauma includes areas like ground-level falls.” Injuries from falls could include cerebral hemorrhage, rib fractures, and more.

McAllen Medical Center’s Level II Trauma Center comprises multiple specialties in order to offer complete care to patients. That includes trauma surgeons like Simpson, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and maxillofacial surgeons — plus additional support, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, and respiratory therapists, among others.

“It’s a whole team effort,” Simpson said, adding that designated trauma centers like the one at McAllen Medical Center are crucial in patient outcomes. “We are here for the community. Number one, we provide a service.

If someone is in a critical moment and they need medical care, that is provided here in a timely manner.”

One of the biggest — and most important — challenges Simpson tasks himself and the trauma center with is community outreach.

“Basically educating the population about the most common injuries we see here and

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t r a u m a a n d c r it ic a l ca r e s ur ge o n

H E A L T H

Quality & Clarity Your CBD Store Offers Excellent Products, Expertise in Four RGV Locations

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b y RGVi s i on | p h ot os b y E r i k We b s t e r The knowledgeable team at Your CBD Store sees a lot of people walking in who are curious about what they have to offer.

Deanna Einhorn, owner of the North McAllen, South McAllen, and Harlingen Your CBD Store locations, is happy to help educate people about CBD. “We do tell them our products are without THC. They’re all natural, organic, and they’re not habit forming. There aren’t side effects.” Your CBD Store has a fourth location in Brownsville.

And for people who are already familiar with CBD, Your CBD Store offers higher quality products and greater transparency for the ingredients in each.

Your CBD Store is the number one CBD retailer in the country, Einhorn says, and the company is looking to expand internationally. “We’re part of something very positive and to be able to share that with everybody else, to be able to help them, we’re just really excited,” she said. The RGV’s first Your CBD Store opened in January in North McAllen.

But what exactly is CBD? “CBD stands for cannabinoids and cannabinoids are something we naturally produce in our bodies. We just don’t produce the right level of them,” said Nathaniel Dominguez, store manager for Your CBD Store in Sharyland. “What the products do is they help us reach the levels we’re supposed to be at and give a boost to our endocannabinoid system.”

CBD isn’t marijuana. None of the products at Your CBD Store contain THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana responsible for getting people high. CBD is legal in all 50 states, and has benefited many.

“A lot of people start taking it and in two or three days up to a week start to notice a difference,” Einhorn said. “They start to feel better. Every story’s different.”

Your CBD Store offers a variety of products designed to offer diverse ways to experience the benefits of CBD: Water soluble CBD, which comes in a variety of flavors and dosages CBD oil tinctures in a variety of dosages and flavors, which are taken under the tongue All-natural vapes with no preservatives or artificial ingredients Gel caps Skin care products, which includes body lotion, topical relief cream, bath bombs, and lip balm Edibles, which includes hard candies, gummy candies, and honey sticks Pet products in a variety of flavors and dosages According to the Your CBD Store website, dogs and many other animals have that same endocannabinoid system — and can derive the same benefits as humans can from taking CBD. Einhorn adds that new, highly convenient, and seasonal items will be out soon, so people should check in with their local store to see what’s available.

Whether you’re looking for something for your pets, or you’re curious about trying CBD yourself, Dominguez recommends stopping

by Your CBD Store to talk to one of the professionals. The staff will get to know you, answer your CBD questions, educate you about the products available, and help determine the right one for you.

“With everybody that does walk in, we try to make everything personalized for them,” he said. So come on in to the nearest Your CBD Store to learn more about how CBD products can be useful and customized to you.

For more information about Your CBD Store and the products it offers, visit cbdrx4u.com.

WHERE’S YOUR CBD STORE? Your CBD Store has four locations across the RGV: North McAllen 5221 N. 10th St., #130

Harlingen 708 N. 13th St.

Sharyland 4901 W. Expressway 83

Brownsville 3340 Pablo Kisel Blvd., Suite B-103-A

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Relax.

We’ve got this.

We can help your business properly dispose of documents, efficiently organize and retrieve your records, and easily convert documents to electronic format. The records management experts at Lone Star Shredding can help organize your records, secure your customers’ data, and protect your business’s reputation so you don‘t have to.

www.lonestarshredding.com

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H E A L T H

A Smile for All Ages Rodeo Family Dental Teams Put Patient Comfort, Happiness First b y Kel s ey G r e e n e p h o to s b y E r i k We b s t e r

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Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics hires not only the best doctors in terms of medical certification but in regard to a high level of care, understanding, and attention, as well. Rodeo prides itself on both quality dental care and continuous improvement in its doctors and their character.

The dental work that Rodeo Dental provides entails that all specialties of dentistry — family dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and endodontics — are under one roof.

There is no need to refer patients for specialized procedures to another office because Rodeo has the full capacity inhouse, even for emergency care, and that’s for all members of the family. Dr. Adam Carson, lead dentist for Rodeo Dental-Edinburg and winner of The Monitor “2019 Reader’s Choice Award” for Favorite Dentist, chose to work in general and family dentistry because it allows him to work within a variety of aspects in dentistry rather than being limited to one specificity, and he likes that he is able to help people of all ages.

Dr. Daniel Lee of Rodeo Dental-San Benito explains that it is important to treat the whole family from kids and teens to parents and grandparents. Rodeo Dental seeks to get the whole family involved in dental education and to treat them as one unit, whether they need emergency care, routine care,

H E A L T H

or specialized care.

The doctors at Rodeo Dental are truly excited about dentistry and serving their patients well. Dr. Bartolo EspañaAustin, who is a lead doctor at Rodeo Dental’s Pharr location, says that the reason he chose to become a dentist because he was impressed by his college dentist’s good work ethic and how well he treated his patients. “He was a role model for me.” España-Austin wanted to work at Rodeo Dental because, other than having the “best patients in the world,” he knew that he would be surrounded by others who are passionate about their work. He enjoys that Rodeo dentists meet up every couple of months to discuss their practices and as well as any updates in the field. EspañaAustin says that one way that sets Rodeo Dental apart from other dentistry offices is that all of its doctors take part in community service.

Rodeo is deeply aware of the trauma that many people have experienced during prior dental appointments at other offices, and doctors and staff do their best to comfort and reassure all of their patients. One way that España-Austin attempts to comfort his patients is to try to find out about each patient’s history with their previous dentist. This gives him the information he needs in order to address any lingering fears that patients may have as a result of poor treatment.

He says that he always tries his best to accommodate his patients needs when it comes to dental anxiety.

Lee says that he does his best to put himself in his patients’ shoes and tries to be aware of how they might feel. He strives to make his patients feel relaxed, secure, and comfortable. He even sings to his younger patients. He says that doing so often helps calm down scared children because of singing’s therapeutic qualities. Carson says that he thoroughly explains every procedure to his patients so that they have full understanding of what to expect while at Rodeo. This helps alleviates anxiety and builds trust between him and his patients. Also, “giving options helps a lot” and puts a large aspect of a patient’s care in their own hands.

Lee says that he was looking for a good work culture and immediately connected at Rodeo Dental because of its warm, friendly environment created by the company, its doctors, and its staff. “They’re very gentle, very calm, and very encouraging to help you grow and improve — not only in your work but in your life goals, in your dreams, and aspirations,” he said.

Carson had a similar situation in that he was looking for a change from his previous dental office out of state. He says that living and working in the Rio Grande Valley with Rodeo Dental has been a great experience and really good for him and his family.

At Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics, it’s not just an appointment. It’s an experience.

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Dr. Daniel Lee of Rodeo Dental-San Benito strives to make his patients feel relaxed, secure, and comfortable.

He even sings to patients young and old, citing the science behind the calming effects of music.

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At top, th e den tal team at Rodeo Den tal-Mission Work to g et h er to provide th e best patien t experien ce possible. Above an d at left, Dr. Dan iel Lee of Rodeo Den tal-San Ben ito sooth e s patien ts' n erves th rou gh son g an d positive attitu de.

H E A L T H

UNEXPECTED EXERCISE How to Stay Healthy and Fit Without a Gym Membership

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by So fia Ga r c i a Al ema n

A man chooses the stairs to get to his office, or a woman merely walks into H-E-B for groceries, yet both of these people are getting their steps in for the day — maybe without realizing it. When the man skips the elevator to get to his fourth floor office, or the woman getting groceries chooses to park farther away from the door than she normally would, they are exercising.

Sneaking in these moments of exercise is more possible than someone may think. It only requires awareness and being conscious of your efforts.

In addition to reducing your risk of chronic disease, managing a healthy weight, and maintaining strong muscles and bones, “exercise also helps us feel less groggy, be more efficient, and just overall adds to your life,” said Ana Rodriguez, co-owner of Earthsome and yoga instructor for Power Up Yoga with Ane, who currently gives her classes at Boocha Boocha for Life in Weslaco.

Earthsome is a local company that specializes in a super greens powder, utilizing wholesome veggies

necessary for living a healthy life. Like supplementing our vegetable intake with a convenient powder, Rodriguez assures everyone that doing something similar with exercise during the day is not only possible, but easy to do without adding extra stress.

“You want to be healthy for your family, prolong your life, and be the best version of you,” Rodriguez said. While regular exercise is always recommended, here are eight ways to ease your way into it.

STAND UP AND STRETCH SESSIONS “Get up every hour-and-a-half to every two hours and just do a little five-minute stretch. Remembering to consciously move your body, get up from the chair, and throw your shoulders back and your arms up will aid in your body’s circulation,” Rodriguez said. An increase in blood flow or circulation in the body can help benefit the heart and carries oxygen to vital organs.

PROP YOUR LEGS UP AGAINST THE WALL AT THE END OF THE DAY

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Sneaking in these moments of exercise is more possible than someone may think. It only requires awareness and being conscious of your efforts.

TAKE THE STAIRS Luckily with devices on our phone that measure steps, it’s easy to gauge how much walking you’ve done in a day. Substituting the elevator and taking the stairs instead helps you reach your step goal for the day and gets your heart pumping.

DRINK MORE WATER Staying hydrated is a surprisingly huge part of the equation of health. It maintains healthy weight, helps you have a clear mind, optimizes better moods, and prevents certain diseases.

“I like to carry a big water jug with me because it reminds me that I need to drink all of it. I set a goal for myself, like, ‘I need to go through two of these.’ Carrying a jug ensures that you stay hydrated throughout the day,” Rodriguez said.

By being more conscious of your steps, and making a few changes to stay healthy, you’ll be “adding to your life, to your heart, and your soul,” Rodriguez said.

For more information on how to purchase Earthsome products, visit them at www. earthsomeshop.com, or on Facebook at @ earthsomeshop. And to learn more about Power Up Yoga with Ane, visit Instagram @anehere.

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PARK FARTHER AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE According to a fitness article “10,000 steps a day: Too Low? Too High?” by Mayo Clinic, “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking,” and “working up toward the goal of 10,000 steps a day.” Parking farther away from the grocery store entrance provides more steps, added hip movement, and helps burn calories.

TAKE YOUR DOG ON A WALK In addition to moderate aerobic exercise, you’re also getting fresh air — and it's beneficial for your doggies because they get to exercise, too.

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EXERCISE WHILE WATCHING TV “It’s real easy to keep watching TV, and keep enjoying your shows, but sit on a mat on the floor and stretch your legs — you’ll wake up feeling refreshed in the morning,” Rodriguez said. In addition, searching “HIIT exercises while watching TV” on the internet will render fresh options for cardio during TV time. HIIT is a workout term that stands for high intensity interval training, a series of exercise techniques that often require little to no equipment.

SWAP YOUR CHAIR FOR AN EXERCISE BALL According to Rodriguez, when you swap your usual desk chair for a yoga or exercise ball you engage your upper body muscles and increase your core strength.

It’s also beneficial because your hips and your sacrum are in a more natural position.

“If you give your hips and your legs some motion then you're adding life to yourself,” Rodriguez said.

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At the end of the day, sit facing the wall and prop your legs up against it. This helps pump blood through blood vessels within your circulatory system and relieves pressure from your feet.

H E A L T H ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Joey Williams Plexus ambassador joey@plexusathlete.com (956) 648-5699 @plexusathlete

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A CHANCE TO HEAL

We should all long for a healthy immune system to be selflimiting, meaning that your own immune system will usually kick in and fight the sickness. The key to our wish may lie in understanding your gut health. Your gut is extremely important to your mental and emotional health and plays a key role in your immune system’s ability to fight many diseases.

Fortunately, there is a new trend of “de-prescribing,” or keeping patients healthy by getting them off unnecessary drug prescriptions. One such doctor that de-prescribes is Victoria Sweet, M.D., who wrote the book, “Slow Medicine: The Way to Heal.” She describes the current system as, “Take the pill, fix the symptom, move on.” However, “slow medicine means taking the time to get to the bottom of what’s making people sick — including medications in some cases — and giving the body a chance to heal.”

My question then becomes elementary. Why don’t all health practitioners start their diagnosis with pertinent questions directed toward the patient’s gut health? The questions could include: How is your diet? What have you been eating that you know you shouldn’t eat? Are you food bingeing? How is your water intake? Are you eating enough real vegetables?

How many fast food meals do you average per week? What are your sleep patterns? Are you under stress?

Dr. Michael Ruscio stated in his latest podcast, “Health, Nutrition Functional Medicine,” that some illnesses are even misdiagnosed because not enough attention is paid to the patient’s gut health first. “It’s a great place to start.”

I have vivid memories of my first ride, a metallic green Schwinn bicycle. As an 8-year-old kid riding around the neighborhood, my status was my bike. No helmets required in those days, just hop on and ride. A favorite trick was to ride with no hands. I fancied myself a daredevil as I attempted to make a turn with my hands raised high into the air — and then down I went! This memory is etched into my mind because of the skinned knees, hands, elbows, and chin.

A serious case of road rash. However, the memory stands out for another reason: My dad’s words still ring in my ears a few days later as I was picking at a scab trying to form on my knee, “Leave that scab alone! Let God do his work!”

In our world of much needed health advice, my dad’s words have never been truer. Have you ever noticed that our perception of healing is different from injury to the outside of our body versus illnesses formed inside of our body? My dad’s advice to speed the healing of my skinned knee had definite overtones of “leave your knee alone.” He said, Mother Nature will do her job and heal your knee just fine. The key ingredients to healing the abrasion on the outside of my body were air and sunshine. “Leave that scab alone!”

Conversely, our paradigm shifts when we have an ailment on the inside of our body. Illnesses within our bodies usually warrant a different game plan: Go to the doctor. Get a shot. I cannot miss work.

But wait! Why isn’t the healing mindset that Dad imparted to us concerning the knee abrasion still valid for an ailment such as a viral or bacterial infection? Certainly, all illnesses will not require prescription medication. Why don’t we let Mother Nature take over and let our immune system do its job? Why can’t we just clean out our body, give it water, air, sleep, and sunshine, then, let our body heal itself? It sounds too simple. However, that was the very process that healed my road rash!

WHILE HEALING YOUR GUT, WHY NOT COMPLETE THE ACRONYM BIG? • Balanced blood sugar.

• Inflammation reduction.

• Gut health.

Hippocrates said that all disease begins in the gut.

Even if his premise was only half correct, wouldn’t the gut be the first place to start the healing process?

I can hear Dad telling me to stop drinking sodas and drink more water. Stop eating so much candy, and eat more fruit. Trade your fast food for more green veggies. Go to bed early. Drink plenty of water. Put the games down and go play outside. Actually, he was just telling me that given half a chance, my body will heal itself!

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H E A L T H

TRACKING

Tech Wearable Health Devices Transforming Health Care

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by Ro cio V illa lo bo s Second best to possessing a superpower is having the ability to track: the amount of steps you take in a day, your heart rate, blood pressure, and calories burned.

All of the above have been made possible through wearable health tech.

Wearable health technology devices collect the user’s personal health and exercise data and present the information either on the device itself or through a phone application. Fitbits and Apple watches are among the more commonly used wearable health tech devices.

A report on the digital health ecosystem by Business Insider found that such devices are "reshaping the future of health

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“It’s like a streetlight. It tells you when to go, when to slow down, when to stop.”

She shares her workouts and advice through her Instagram, @sweatrgv.

According to the Fortune 500 Global company Accenture, consumer use of wearable tech rose from 9 percent to 33 percent between 2014 and 2018.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley associate dean for Student Success in the College of Health Professions, Dr. Lin Wang, predicts that the trend of wearing these devices will continue to rise and that they will grow more affordable.

“I know it will for sure have much more of an impact on how we do our daily chores and help us to regulate our daily lives,” she said. “The devices are becoming much more efficient in providing different functions.”

Wang uses a step-counting app to ensure she reaches her daily goal of 5,000 steps.

As a diabetic, she said it’s crucial to keep an active lifestyle and that meeting or exceeding the 5,000 steps not only helps control her blood sugar levels, but serves another function, as well.

“Within the health and human performance department, we actually recommend regular exercise just to help with regulating the sleep cycle,” Wang said. “If I can get 1,000 or 2,000 more steps down, I get a much better sleep during the night.”

She also believes them to be a helpful tool for anyone looking to embark on a fitness journey and lose weight due to the instant feedback provided, which she said is a “great motivator.”

As the majority of research on these devices is conducted by the enterprises selling the product, Wang said further research is needed to better gauge how they can improve health and fitness.

“I would like to call for more validated research from the academic community,” Wang said. “That’s a much needed area. We need research on how to use them effectively with guidelines and for individuals to be more of an aware consumer.”

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care” by placing more control in the hands of the individual and reducing the number of visits to a doctor.

Nelda Perales, a personal trainer from Mission, uses the Scosche Rhythm to get the most out of her workouts.

The rhythm is an armband that measures heart rate, calories burned and distance.

After inputting metrics — height, weight, age — into the coordinating smartphone app, it helps the user by letting them know when their heart rate is in an optimum range.

“Knowing your heart rate is knowing if you’re doing work or not,” Perales said. “You can have a full workout and if you don’t know where your heart rate is at, you can be doing nothing. Or if your heart rate is too high, it could also be hurting you.”

According to health.com, longterm strenuous activity increases an individual’s risk of a heart attack, which is why Perales said it’s so important to not overexert yourself.

The face of the rhythm changes colors during a workout to let the user know when they’re in fat-burning zone or when they’re working too hard and need to slow down.

Perales said it is especially useful when in a competitive environment that can cause people to want to keep pushing themselves to “one up” their neighbor.

“If I’m in cycling class and I’m going really fast and my heart rate is too high, I’m probably going to want to keep going,” she said. “But if I have my heart rate monitor on I’ll slow down, even though the beat is faster or everyone else is going faster.”

She purchased her rhythm four years ago as a means to track how many calories she burned during a workout in order to meet her goal. These days she prefers it for the heart rate feature and wears it for various types of workouts — high intensity interval training, cycling, running, weight lifting, barre — and recommends it to all of her clients.

“Whether you’re just starting off [exercising] or are already an advanced athlete or trainer, it’s easy to use,” she said.

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‘PAIN HAS A PURPOSE’

Weslaco Psychotherapist Roxanne Pacheco Helps Others Through Loss

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the same thing.

“It’s been the hardest but the most gratifying part of my life,” she said. “I always say that [my daughter] has had a greater impact after death than when she was still alive because to this day, there’s people that come in completely heartbroken and they’re able to find a purpose and that’s what I’m about — helping people find that their pain has a purpose.”

Since 2013, Pacheco has been a psychotherapist who specializes in trauma and complicated grief. She treats clients of all ages who have experienced abuse, loss, and other situations. The path to healing is different for everyone, and Pacheco incorporates a different approach for each.

“I’ve heard from my clients that they like that I do different modalities,” she said. “Inner child, music, yoga, laughter yoga — you name it, I’ll incorporate it. Whatever’s going to work for them. They like the eclecticism.”

Clients must take action — and follow through — to work through their trauma. It’s not enough just to talk about it, Pacheco says.

“Some of the most challenging moments is seeing where a client can be, but them choosing to stay where they’re at out of safety, out of fear of ‘what if,’” she said.

Whenever applicable, Pacheco uses a faith-based approach with her clients. It helps even when trying to answer hard questions, or addressing anger toward God allowing such situations to occur.

“At the moment of that abuse, I don’t know where God was because I do believe that evil does exist, but I do know that He was there to hold you and to strengthen you and to help you along the way,” Pacheco said. “I do believe He carried you through. Right after that moment, He was right there to carry you through.”

Bad things can happen to anyone, at any time, but there’s one thing that’s important to keep in mind, Pacheco says.

“Trauma is real, but so is healing.”

Roxanne Pacheco is a licensed clinical social worker, certified clinical trauma specialist, and certified mental health integrative medicine provider. Contact her at The Counseling Center, 1009 S. Utah Ave., Suite A, Weslaco, TX 78596, call (956) 520-8700, or email rpachecolcsw@gmail.com.

When Roxanne Pacheco was seven months pregnant, doctors told her that her daughter would be born with heart defects so severe they recommended an abortion.

“I said, ‘no. However she comes, that’s the way God sent her,’” Pacheco said. “I prayed for a miracle.”

Her daughter was born Nov. 8, 2003, and died in her third open-heart surgery that next February. Pacheco was surrounded by her family’s love and support, but it was a man named Jesse who managed to break through her walls and reach her.

“I thought was super courageous because he came and he kind of just sat with me and he said, ‘you know, one day it’s going to make sense. One day it’s going to be OK,’” Pacheco remembered. She lashed out at the advice, certain that he had no idea what she was going through.

As it turned out, though, Jesse had also lost a child.

Pacheco recalls breaking down and truly grieving then.

“Shortly after that, I got a box in the mail,” she said, pointing to a white box on a shelf in her office. The memory box contains a lock of her daughter’s hair, her handprints and footprints, and a note from Jesse. “In that note, he writes about how one day I was going to use my pain for a purpose. When I received that, that’s when that seed started to blossom.”

Pacheco went back to school. Two years after her loss, she was working in Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in the children’s oncology ward. The day forever seared in her memories is one when she asked a little girl how she could help.

The girl told Pacheco that she was ready to go — and that she could see angels in the room ready to take her — but that her mother wasn’t ready. Reeling, Pacheco talked to the child’s mother, repeating what Jesse had told her, and adding that the mother would need to be strong and tell her daughter that it would be OK to leave.

“I get so emotional because that was the first time I was able to see that my pain had a purpose,” Pacheco said. “She went in, she talked to her daughter, and she came out. Not even 30 minutes later, the daughter had passed.”

From then on, Pacheco found a niche in counseling parents whose children were in critical condition. She often used her own experience to give comfort to others who were enduring

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L I F E

There’s Much to Be Thankful For in Region on the Rise

by Amy Casebier

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We are the Rio Grande Valley. We are four counties intertwined, flowing along the Rio Grande to the Gulf of Mexico. Author and Valley native Gloria E. Anzaldúa called this place a third country — both distinct from and enriched by the mingling lifeblood of the United States and Mexico.

If you know the Valley, you know its magic. We are the RGV. We are jacaranda fluttering against a cerulean sky.

Yellow and fuchsia bursting above fence lines on your commute home.

We are a place unlike any other.

We have challenges that shouldn’t be ignored, and yet: We still have so much to be thankful for.

We may swelter in the summers, but the heat makes swimming pools and a sea breeze on South Padre Island that much sweeter. We are connoisseurs of cold fronts, rolling car windows down at the hint of coolness. Patio diners beneath shade trees and backyard barbecuers after dark. Wary of downpours, delighted by raindrops. Dazzled by rare freezes, tiny snowdrifts stacked on hibiscus blossoms, sleet sluicing through mesquite.

We even welcome overcast days, variations on the wonderful weather that brings so many down to spend the winters with us.

We’re thankful for those Winter Texans. They remind us not to take for granted the things we have access to year round — parks, eateries, shopping options, Mexico. And they contribute to this region in tangible ways.

We may swelter in the summers, but the heat makes swimming pools and a sea breeze on South Padre Island that much sweeter.

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We’re thankful for our safety, and for our security. When reports and assumptions from outside the region don’t reflect the place we call home, we come together. And when there is a crisis, we rise to the occasion.

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This remarkable place we live has nearly a thousand officially identified points of interest across its four counties through Explore RGV, a Valleywide website and smartphone app organized by the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council. There is truly something for everyone here. From shopping options to museums and parks, movie and performing arts theaters to parks and hiking, Explore RGV placed this region in the palm of both residents and visitors alike.

Whether you’re looking for your local library or scouring the skies for a bird on your life list, there’s an app for that — and a place.

We’re thankful for our safety, and for our security. When reports and assumptions from outside the region don’t reflect the place we call home, we come together.

And when there is a crisis, we rise to the occasion. We buy inflatable boats and wade into floodwaters, knocking on doors — as Good Samaritans were documented doing in recent inundations.

We organize donations, load them in our truck beds, and drive to get them into the hands of the people who need them the most.

We don’t wait for politics. We mobilize. We open our doors. We do what it takes.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship Business and Tourism Research Center compiled data from surveys distributed to Winter Texans in a 2017-18 comprehensive report. The report’s executive statement reveals that most Winter Texans come here for the good weather, the low cost of living, the friendly people, and the things to do. While they’re here, the report states, they’re visiting pulgas and historical sites, attending festivals and musical performances, and trekking to the beach and nature centers. All of those activities tally up to a $528 million contribution to the Rio Grande Valley economy, the UTRGV research center found.

The cities that jewel the crown of the Rio Grande Valley offer multiple draws to potential residents, and national organizations are taking note. An August article by Indeed Hiring Lab ranked Brownsville among the best cities to live in based on salary and cost of living. By other analyses and measurements, such as an October compilation by Niche, Brownsville ranked ninth in the country for cities with the lowest cost of living. McAllen took 22nd.

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Eight such women banded together to take action when they witnessed a situation that needed a remedy. This year, the Angry Tias and Abuelas of the Rio Grande Valley received recognition from the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization in Washington, D.C., for the group’s efforts to provide information, assistance, and relief for stranded asylum seekers.

We are a frontier of opportunities.

We’re in the business of opening doors, of forging pathways.

Take IDEA Public Schools. This district dedicates itself to getting every single of its students to college — some 100,000 estimated by 2022, according to IDEA’s website. And in its years of existence, it has delivered on that promise. IDEA students apply to colleges, and the overwhelming majority matriculate each year.

But things happen. Life can have a way of upsetting even the best made plans. And when IDEA saw that some of their alumni — and other students — weren’t completing their degrees, they didn’t lose faith in the process. They innovated, and from college experiences gone awry sprung accessible and flexible plans that helped not only

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IDEA alumni, but other nontraditional college students, as well.

There are so many roads to take when your destination is success. And so many definitions of success. We roll out the red carpet at the very beginning. A growing number of school districts offer pre-K programs for children as young as 3. Each school year, there are more campuses dedicated to the pursuit of fine arts, the study

Dual enrollment partnerships between districts and higher learning institutions allow students to thrive, many of them earning associate degrees, certifications, and college experience alongside their high school diplomas.

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of STEM — or full STEAM ahead.

More and more high schoolers amass knowledge and experience that hasn’t always been available at that level. Dual enrollment partnerships between districts and higher learning institutions allow students to thrive, many of them earning associate degrees, certifications, and college experience alongside their high school diplomas.

Expansions of Career and Technical Education programs grant educational access to courses like cybersecurity, drone operation, cosmetology, welding, culinary arts, and much more.

A leg up to run. Wings to fly. A future as bright as the stars. As bright as Mars.

SpaceX, our starry-eyed tenant, promises astronomical growth for both Brownsville and the Valley as a whole.

Entrepreneurs have the chance to test the limits of a trilliondollar space industry as they locate their niche to support the spaceport. And in constellations of growth around and adjacent, more housing, more businesses, more jobs, more workers, better skills, better jobs, better roads, busy ports, booming commerce, a Valley in full bloom.

We can be — and are — so many things.

A silver mist turrowing the plowed field. Ocelots pacing the tangled thorn. Palm fronds shimmering in the breeze.

We are the Rio Grande Valley.

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SpaceX, our starryeyed tenant, promises astronomical growth for both Brownsville and the Valley as a whole.

Entrepreneurs have the chance to test the limits of a trillion-dollar space industry as they locate their niche to support the spaceport.

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SIX STEPS TO SAVE BIRDS

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st o r y a nd pho t o s b y Qui nta Ma z a tl á n | Cent e r f or U r b a n E col og y | J oh n B r u s h

They have to follow the 2x4 rule — no more than 2 inches apart in height and 4 inches apart in width. At night, we can reduce our outdoor lighting by turning off unnecessary lights or using downward facing lights, both of which lure nocturnal migrants down into danger.

DRINK BIRD-FRIENDLY COFFEE. Much of the coffee we drink is grown in full sun, meaning those fields are vast monocultures (kind of like a big lawn) that do not support birds. Sun-grown coffee also typically uses more pesticides.

Shade-grown coffee, on the other hand, leaves canopy trees that help migratory birds survive. You can buy shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee in Quinta Mazatlán’s gift store.

USE LESS PLASTIC. Many birds, particularly seabirds, die from ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic. Avoid single-use plastics as much as possible, and make sure to recycle whatever you can!

AVOID USING PESTICIDES. The biggest problem with pesticides is that they do not just affect our targets. They can kill wildlife directly and indirectly on up the food chain.

In addition, they can even cause harm to humans. Whenever possible, limit pesticide use, and when using them, follow all safety precautions.

You may have seen the news lately: numerous headlines and reporters proclaiming the loss of billions of birds across North America. The scientific paper behind the outcry, “Decline of North American Avifauna,” summarizes its results in one sentence: “Cumulative loss of nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, across most North American biomes, signals a pervasive and ongoing avifaunal crisis.” Put simply, the state of our continent’s birds is troubling.

Yet there is hope. Some groups of birds that had been struggling in the 20th century have seen dramatic turnarounds. Wetland birds, like ducks and geese, actually increased by over 10 percent, and raptors (hawks, eagles, and falcons) have also made a strong comeback. Both of these success stories are due to conservation actions, such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the banning of the pesticide DDT. Here are six actions we can all take to help our North American birds toward recovery.

SAVE AND RESTORE BIRD HABITAT. Habitat loss and alteration threaten birds around the world. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, for example, between 90-95 percent of our natural habitats have been destroyed or degraded. Despite the vastness of the problem, we can still make a difference in a space as small as our yards. By limiting food-desert lawns and adding native plants, we can create habitats that sustain many of our favorite birds.

KEEP CATS INDOORS. Despite being cute and cuddly (well, sometimes), cats are instinctually predatory, and will hunt native animals whether they are well fed or not. In the United States alone, outdoor cats kill roughly 2.4 billion birds per year. Keeping cats indoors not only will help save the lives of birds and other wildlife, but it’s also better for our cats — outdoor cats typically live less than five years, whereas indoor cats often live upwards of 17 years.

MAKE YOUR WINDOWS BIRD-FRIENDLY. Collisions with windows kill between 365 and 988 million birds in the United States each year, with homes being responsible for 44 percent of those deaths. We can reduce the number of sickening thuds during the day by adding screens, films, paints, or other ways to break up reflections. Here is the key:

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L I F E

MAKING LIFE MEANINGFUL Laura Warren Ogletree Makes Her Mark on Rio Grande Valley

by Amy Casebier

She did work for the former president of Mexico, Carlos Hernandez de Gortari, the Mexican state of Chihuahua, and hospitals before moving to Birmingham, Alabama. Alabama was where she married her first husband and worked on high rise facilities, hospitals, and did research work.

When she moved to McAllen in 1995, it was to work for international firms.

“One of my mentors and best clients, Mr. Alonzo Cantu, and also Mr. Ray Hunt of Hunt Oil, both told me in the same week that they were tired of seeing make money for other people,” Warren said. “So they persuaded me to go on my own and you don’t forget that. They’re still my clients and they’re very good friends. I’m very lucky to have somebody that has believed in me for all those years.”

Nearly 15 years ago, Warren Group Architects opened its doors. Warren is the president and principal, and the organization has left its distinctive stamp on many Rio Grande Valley landmarks. Warren Group has been behind the McAllen-Miller International Airport expansion, the Art Village on Main in McAllen, new projects for Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, and the interiors for the Hidalgo County Courthouse, among numerous others. The organization also does work nationwide.

Even though her work keeps her very busy, there’s more to life than it, Warren says.

“Your life has to have better meaning than just work and make money,” she said. “I was raised like that. My father, my mom have always been individuals that were involved.”

Two of some of the first people Warren befriended when she first moved to McAllen were Mike Allen and Keith Patridge — then the president and executive vice president, respectively, of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation.

“I guess I have come full circle because I just finished

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When Laura Warren Ogletree was 7, she could read her future career path as plainly as a blueprint: She was going to become an architect.

But coming from a conservative Lebanese family living in Mexico, she was discouraged from pursuing work in a maledominated industry. That “a lady of a nice family” shouldn’t be hanging around men.

“I said, ‘well, I’m going to be an individual and not be defined by gender but by what I do,’” she remembered.

So her father challenged her to do something about it.

At 16, she began working as a draftsman at an engineering office. She wore multiple hats in this position: designing, but also doing mechanical work, plumbing, electrical installations, and other construction projects.

“Throughout college, I started gaining a list of clientele that I’d be doing work for,” she said. “I haven’t looked back since that.”

A s c ha i r m a n o f t h e M c A ll e n ED C, Laur a War r e n w e nt to Chi na with a Mc Al l e n d e le g a t io n . S h e r e ce ntl y r e tur ne d f o r f o l l o w up m eetin gs a n d t o p r e s e n t a t t h e Wo r l d Tr a d e Or gani z ati o n.

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La ura Wa r r e n v is it e d O a kr i dge Na ti ona l La b o r a t o r ie s w it h t h e M c Al l e n ED C.

Cour te sy ph otos. Lau ra Warren leads a citywide leadersh ip w or ks hop at th e McAllen Con ven tion Cen ter.

One of the projects she has been most passionate about was the McAllen Rotary Club. Rotarians’ efforts to eradicate polio around the world inspired Warren, whose beloved aunt had the disease. Warren was the third woman accepted into the McAllen Rotary Club — and the club’s first female president.

“Our daily work brings a lot of stress. As much as we love what we do, if you’re successful, that comes with a level of stress,” she said. “Being able to be involved in anything that brings the best in people is energizing, so that’s what I like.”

being chairman of that board 24 1/2 years later,” Warren said. “In my opinion, it’s one of the strongest boards in the Valley — if not the strongest. To be the first woman chairman after 23 years is also something special.”

Warren’s community involvement spans to many organizations beyond her two-year stint chairing McAllen EDC’s board. She has also held board positions with the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone and the McAllen Intermodal boards, a two-year term chairman for the board of the International Museum of Art & Science, president of the International Women’s Board at then-UT Pan American, Quinta Mazatlán, and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, among others.

“I’m a little bit hyper. I don’t sleep much,” she joked, before turning serious. “You know, you find out if you’re going to give one or two hours a week — but well dedicated, be present, do the right thing — you can do a lot just with two hours a week.”

Warren advises avoiding getting involved in a specific community organization just because somebody else is doing it — or for personal gain.

“You should be doing something because you want to, because it’s your passion,” she said. “Just the mere fact that you improve somebody’s life or give hope, then your life has better meaning.”

There’s no time like the present to begin giving back, Warren says, adding that when her children were younger, they mobilized their peers to raise money to donate backpacks to the McAllen Rainbow Room, give back to veterans, and comfort children who might have encounters with police.

WORDS OF WISDOM Laura Warren Ogletree shared some additional pieces of advice: that you’re not good at because somebody else is going to do things better in those.”

“Invest in yourself and your education to create your own opportunities.”

“The best opportunity that is going to come your way is the one “No one is going to believe in you if you don’t believe in

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you give yourself.” yourself first.”

“It’s always hard to start something. If it isn’t, it’s not going to have any value.”

"Take the time to laugh.”

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“Work on the things that you’re good at more than the things

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At t h e g r o u n d b r e a k in g f o r the H i d a l go Co unty C o u rt h o u s e, w h e r e t h e War r e n Gr oup i s p r o v i di ng i n t eri o r a r c h it e c t u r e s e r vi ce s .

Music to Our Ears L I F E

Iconic Valley Symphony Orchestra Enters 67th Season

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by Karina Va r ga s | ph o to s b y Ja s o n G a r z a The Rio Grande Valley, rich in Hispanic culture, is a mecca for the arts. Take a stroll around some of its oldest cities’ downtown areas and you are sure to find evidence of food, art, and music. While many of these influences come from Latin roots, there are some art forms from other parts of the globe that have stood the test of time.

The Valley Symphony Orchestra was first established in 1952 by a group of volunteer musicians from the formerly named University of Texas-Pan American. It was the first orchestra of its kind for the RGV region. At the time, symphony performances were geared more toward metropolitan areas and bigger

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up tremendously from when we would play at the old civic auditorium that no longer exists to now playing at the larger venue, right now really is the time for record growth and expansion. So it’s an exciting time — it really is.”

Now, the VSO has grown into an over 90 musician orchestra and over 100 volunteer members of the Valley Symphony Chorale.

These musicians and chorale members are multifaceted in their skills and talents; many hold professions as educators, medical physicians, college professors, and fine arts directors when not performing with the orchestra.

Kristen Gerhard, a violinist for the VSO, is beginning her sixth season with the orchestra

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cities. Current music director and conductor for the VSO Maestro Peter Dabrowski, who is originally from Warsaw, Poland, joined nearly two decades ago in 2001 and has had a major role in shaping the orchestra into what it is today.

Jonathan Vasquez, marketing and development coordinator as well as a violinist for the VSO, says he has seen major growth in the last few years under Dabrowski’s leadership.

“Through [Dabrowski’s] programming and through his presence in the community, I think the VSO has seen the largest growth since its inception,” Vasquez said. “I think really it’s been in these last five years the orchestra has picked

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have here. He’s all about presenting an attractive program not only to the audience but the musicians, as well.”

The next upcoming and one of the most highly anticipated concerts is the VSO’s winter/holiday season performance, named A Touch of Frost. It will be held Friday, Dec. 13 at the symphony’s usual venue, the McAllen Performing Arts Center.

The impressive auditorium was completed in fall 2016 and was projected to cost $44.9 million. It boasts 93,741 square feet of space, has an 1,800 seating capacity, three levels of seating, restrooms on every floor and elevators as well as railed staircases for visitors to use.

The 2019-20 symphonic season’s final performance on March 27, Concert 5, is one of the most varied and exciting concerts that the VSO will ever have, according to Vasquez.

“That’s gonna be a finale that nobody wants to miss,” he said. “That concert has not only orchestral symphonic works, but it also has a violin soloist and the incorporation of a new composition that was made just for VSO by a local composer, Dr. Justin Writer, and it has a collaboration with a musical ensemble — the nationally awarded Mariachi Atzlán from UTRGV,” Vasquez said. “We’re talking about the biggest varied concert that we’re gonna see here in a long time.

Maestro Dabrowski is really making this program about our region using our regional talents and designing it in a way for us.”

To find out more about the Valley Symphony Orchestra or to learn how you can help support their mission, visit their website at valleyorchestra.org. Ticket prices start at $25 and can be purchased through ticketmaster online. Purchasing a season ticket package offers regular concert-goers a total savings of $85. Follow VSO on IG and Twitter @valleysymphony or find them on Facebook at Valley Symphony Orchestra.

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this fall.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Gerhard said of her experience with the VSO. “Maestro Dabrowski is organized. He knows precisely what he’s going to work on in rehearsals. I like the music that he picks. And we have a lot of fun in rehearsal and performance.”

Gerhard said one of her most memorable moments playing with the VSO was during rehearsal.

“I enjoy the sausage-making of music,” Gerhard said. “We had just begun rehearsing in the new UTRGV practice halls.

It’s beautiful and the acoustics are really nice. Our very first rehearsal there, at eight o’ clock on the nose … the lights went out! Automatically. We were suddenly in the dark and we were playing a piece of music we’d never played before.

And the orchestra kept playing in the dark! It was a lot of fun.”

The VSO holds various performances and events for the public. Their symphonic season, concerts for the general public, runs from September through May, with five total concerts. The orchestra also performs the Chamber Concert Series, which showcases internationally renowned artists, as well as the Children’s Education Concerts, which students enjoy on field trips. These performances began in 2000 and were created to expose and educate RGV children to the arts, cultural diversity, and music education.

The VSO can also be hired to perform at private events, but must be requested in writing eight to 12 months in advance. Interested parties can find the email request form on the “contact” tab of valleyorchestra.org.

This symphonic season’s title is Symphony by Design.

“One of the things that that title means to Dr. Dabrowski is that he designs these programs to be the most attractive to our people here in the RGV,” Vasquez said. “That’s really what he’s been known for. He really caters to the audience that we

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BIRDS IN THE BINOCULARS Explore RGV Debuts New Birding Adventure Guide

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b y R GV i s i on Cooler weather and a change of the season brings many visitors to the Rio Grande Valley. Fall migration occurs, where multitudes of birds wing their way into the region — much to the delight of birders and other outdoors enthusiasts.

To mark this special time of the year — and to invite more people to experience the incredible birdwatching opportunities available in the RGV — Explore RGV has released a Birding Adventure Guide perfect for both novice and advanced birders.

“We wanted to produce a tool for families and people that have interest in beginning this kind of hobby, it’d be a great starting point,” said Ron Garza, executive director of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council.

“This tools serves as a beginner-friendly way to catalog and visit our region’s great birding locations. Even those folks that have been birding before, can use it as a treasure hunt and make it a personal challenge to visit all those sites.”

The Birding Adventure Guide can be found on GoExploreRGV.com/Birding. The webpage includes listings of recommended birding sites, an interactive map of the sites, a downloadable guide, and resources.

“A lot of those locations are either free or low cost, so it gives families and individuals that live in the Valley a very

low-cost hobby,” Garza said. “Ecotourism is a big driver for our economy, the website and guide allows visitors from outside the Valley to more easily plan trips.”

Explore RGV’s Birding Adventure Guide isn’t the only initiative celebrating Rio Grande Valley birdwatching right now. This year’s Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival is scheduled from Nov. 6 to Nov. 10. The Harlingen festival includes field trips, speakers, programs, and much more.

“It’s a great festival — I know a lot of people look forward to it,” said Richard Moore, a local wildlife photographer who takes part in the event. Last year, the festival marked 25 years, hosting 600 participants, according to festival registrar Tamie Bulow. “Obviously, it’s a boon to the economy. I think that’s one of the most remarkable things about the wildlife in the Valley, is the economic value of it.”

Birding and ecotourism contribute $463 million to the Rio Grande Valley’s economy each year, a 2011 Texas A&M University study found.

RGV birding also enjoyed the spotlight in a recent Netflix documentary called Birders. Moore was among those featured in the 37-minute documentary, which explored birding on both sides of the border. It includes locations like Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Los Fresnos, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in

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Mission, Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville, and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Alamo, to name a few.

Those four sites are also among the locations listed in the Birding Adventure Guide. More birds have been documented at Laguna Atascosa alone than at any other national wildlife refuge in the country, Moore says.

Explore RGV launched in late 2018 as a grant-funded smartphone app and website organized by the LRGVDC. As a part of this project, the LRGVDC identified hundreds of unique treasures across Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties to feature in the listings. The project aimed to highlight both well-known and lesser-known gems for both residents and visitors.

Recently, Explore RGV has started announcing city partnerships to enhance regional buy-in to the Valleywide marketing campaign. Cities taking part so far include Alamo, Brownsville, Combes, Edinburg, Elsa, Harlingen, Laguna Vista, Los Fresnos, Los Indios, Lyford, McAllen, Mission, Palm Valley, Pharr, San Benito, South Padre Island, Sullivan City, and Weslaco. (GoExploreRgv.com/ partner-cities) “I think it’s a really neat idea,” Moore said of Explore RGV. “It gives you right at your fingertips the opportunity to look at all the different places to visit in the Valley — not just birding, but other places you can go for cultural interpretation and just to do stuff with the family.”

Because the directory is so extensive, this year, the LRGVDC has leveraged local experts to help curate the listings based on categories special to the region.

That’s where the new Explore RGV Adventure Guides come in handy.

“Explore RGV is so comprehensive,” Garza said. “With nearly 1,000 listings, we wanted to devise an option that categorized it in a simpler format. If someone had a specific interest, you have it in a simple-to-read, very usable and shareable format. That’s a cool thing. You can easily share this with people that don’t live in the Valley. It helps us market our own assets.”

In Explore RGV’s downloadable Birding Adventure Guide, one side features 44 birding sites, complete with name, address, phone number, website, if available, and directory link on GoExploreRGV.com. On the other side, Moore helped identify eight of the most sought-after birds in the RGV to include with pictures and descriptions, such as the green jay, buff-bellied hummingbird, white tail hawk, aplomado falcon, and others.

“We brought in experts in that field to decide,” Garza said. “Birding’s very unique because you could almost bird from your backyard in the Rio Grande Valley, but

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we wanted experts to come up with a list of our top birding destinations.”

The LRGVDC will use a similar approach to subsequent Adventure Guides.

“The birding adventure guide is really only the beginning,” Garza said. “We hope over the course of the next year to develop more guides that people can use to simply navigate our own assets.”

If nothing else, the Birding Adventure Guide will help people get out and enjoy the nicer weather.

“I think birds are a good excuse to get outdoors,” Moore said. “There are so many beautiful birds and of course this is the best place in the United States to see birds.

That’s pretty telling, right there, when you just happen to live in the four-county area where there’s more birds than any place in the country.”

Visit GoExploreRGV.com, download the app, or follow Explore RGV on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube @GoExploreRGV

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TEDx McAllen Elevates Valley’s Visionaries to an International Stage

‘WE ARE

DREAMERS’

b y D a nya Per e z | p h ot os b y J a s on G a r z a

Out of many words written on sticky notes across a white board, one stood out to the group: Dreamers.

Aside from the now-automatic political connotation, for this group of educators, community organizers, and professionals from the Rio Grande Valley, the word had different meanings.

From the dream their ancestors had when they arrived to the region to their own dream of getting to where they are or where they are heading, it was the word they were looking for to encompass the experience of many of their colleagues, families, and friends.

This was part of the planning to get to this year’s TEDx McAllen event on Nov. 12, where 15 nominated speakers who have contributed to the Valley’s colorful tapestry will share the stories to a selected audience — and ultimately, to the world.

The theme, “We Are Dreamers,” came from the idea that in this region, everyone is familiar with the pursuit of a dream.

“We are using the word in a very broad way,” said Marcos Silva, the lead organizer for this event. “We are thinking that you have reimagined something that was not there and you are working towards that.”

The talk is the second independently organized McAllen event and part of TED — the nonprofit media organization that hosts talks under the slogan “Ideas Worth Sharing.”

In this case, Silva, an educator and counselor who works for IDEA Public Schools, submitted his application early in the year after attending a TED event for educators. About three months later, he was approved and hit the ground running with all the

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planning necessary.

“Since the onset we knew that this was a community-organized event,” Silva said. “So what we did is that we launched a public application to be part of the committee. People shared it and we got a good group of people who applied.”

There are 15 people who agreed to be involved, and the group ranged from those who were both familiar and unfamiliar with the event but wanted to share their knowledge.

It’s not the first time Silva gets himself into such planning.

For the last two years, he and his students have held their own student-focused, Valley-proud and nationally recognized event called South Texas Ideas Festival — where high school students get to hear the stories behind the ideas of local entrepreneurs, community organizers, and others.

This time, the goal is to open the stage to those who wanted to share what makes the dreams of the region so unique and important.

The community was invited to nominate speakers. There were 215 speakers nominated and they were all invited to apply for one of the 15 spots. About 80 nominees actually went through with the application and the committee then selected the final 15.

The group consists of a wide array of backgrounds: the charity of Sister Norma Pimentel, the advocacy of Leo Benavides, the space exploration of Michael Fossum, and many more.

“Even though I usually talk engineering, I think that for this particular talk, it might be something more personal,” speaker Karen Lozano said. “I think it’s just a great topic because in reality, everything starts with a dream and an idea.”

Lozano, a mechanical engineering professor at UTRGV recognized for her work and research on nanofiber technology and production, has conducted many talks on her expertise. But this time, she said, her message is not focused solely on those with an interest in science.

Lozano recalls the exact moment she told her mother, “I want to be a scientist.” She was in fourth grade and living in Mexico, she recalls, and at the time there was no precedent for a women in science.

“My mother was kind enough to tell me not to do that,” Lozano said. “(Back then) scientists were not usually women, and scientists were not usually Mexican. Everything was against me.”

Alex Macias, CEO of GrainChain,

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a platform that aims to facilitate secure transactions between farmers, suppliers, and buyers. Macias will be a TEDx McAllen speaker

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“I am very proud of where I come from and what I’m doing, so I think that if I can inspire one kid to push that boundary to do a little more, it’s worth every minute of being on that stage.”

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The talk will also be somewhat new to speaker Alex Macias, CEO of GrainChain, a platform that aims to facilitate secure transactions between farmers, suppliers, and buyers.

Macias has given talks around the world about the importance of sustainability in agriculture as a necessary food supply, and the role of technology in streamlining processes to ensure fair and secure transactions to all the parties involved.

But this will also be the first in a stage where a broader audience will get to hear the message from his personal perspective and the dream behind his venture.

“This was the first opportunity that I’ve gotten to not have to speak about individual products, but more about our social goal,” Macias said. “I am very proud of where I come from and what I’m doing, so I think that if I can inspire one kid to push that boundary to do a little more, it’s worth every minute of being on that stage.”

The speakers worked to finetune their message with the help of the planning committee and both Lozano and Macias said they were very excited to hear what everyone has to share.

On his part, Silva is already thinking of the next event. He said the best part has been being exposed to all the talent and ideas that the region has to offer. The worst part is not being able to choose everyone.

Weeks before this year’s event, the team was working to narrow down the more than 400 applications to be in the audience to the 100 spots available. If he gets approved for another, Silva hopes to make it into a bigger event knowing there was plenty of interest to participate and attend.

The challenge this year has been getting the community itself and even the city to financially support the event. So the hope is that after seeing their own people volunteer their time to share all that’s good with the region, more people will buy in and offer their support, too, to grow the platform.

And while there is the overarching TED theme of sharing inspirational ideas, Silva said as an organizer, he has gotten a different expectation for this event.

“I think for me the bigger (expectation) is that we do a good job at really showcasing the true essence of the people in our community and to be on a platform that is equal to the rest of the world. I think that’s something our community needs and deserves,” Silva said.

L I F E ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Tijerina Legal Group, PC tlegalgroup.com 956-777-777

LEGAL CORNER

SNIFFING OUT SCAMMERS

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Tijerina Legal Group Gives Tips on Identifying Scams After a Wreck If someone comes knocking on your door offering help, hours or days after you’ve been in a car crash, chances are, it’s too good to be true.

It’s also a crime categorized as a felony. “‘Ambulance chasers’ is not necessarily a term for an attorney, but of someone that’s literally chasing an ambulance, or chasing where an ambulance is going to go, to see if they can get the information for the person that was involved in the car crash. But it’s a lot more involved than that,” said attorney Humberto Tijerina of Tijerina Legal Group. “That’s the part that is illegal.”

Ambulance chasing — or barratry — happens often in the Rio Grande Valley, he added. Many of Tijerina’s clients have been illegally solicited by shady lawyers and their co-conspirators.

“Clients are getting calls three to four hours after the crash happened saying, ‘hey, we heard you were involved in a crash.

We’re calling from a hospital charity service to follow up on your medical treatment and offer you a free medical evaluation and services,’” Tijerina said. Another trick they will use is to say, “we’re calling you from the insurance company — and we would like to come by your house to evaluate the damages on your vehicle and let you know what options you have to get your car repaired.” All of these are elaborate lies to get in front of the person who was involved in a crash and take advantage of him or her by getting them to sign a contract with an “ambulance chaser.”

“So one of the main questions that our clients have is, ‘how did they get my number?’ Well, let’s do some quick thinking,” Tijerina said. “If the ambulance chaser is visiting a person at their hospital bedside or even at their home right after a crash, what are the ways this happens? Usually we see that first responders, such as employees of the hospitals and ambulance emergency service providers, get paid to be part of the conspiracy to commit the felony of barratry by selling a victim’s contact information to the ambulance chasers. Even worse, these co-conspirators are violating federal HIPPA regulations, which are there to protect a client’s information from being shared with anyone else.”

Essentially, the ambulance chaser solicits the victim of the car crash for legal, medical, car repair, or other services — multiple entry points for the crime to occur. If the ambulance chaser can get the victim to work with any of the crooked entities, the ambulance chaser gets paid. This incentivizes them to be very convincing and say whatever they need to say in order to get the person to sign the documents.

“Not only does it seem legitimate, but when people call, they’re so good with the story they tell: They say things like, ‘We’re calling you because we care about you and we want to make sure everything’s OK,’” Tijerina said. “Just remember, if these guys are willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get that case, whoever is working with them is going to be willing to lie, cheat, and steal to not give the client the money they deserve.”

So if you receive a call or a visit from someone offering “free services” and trying to steer you to a particular lawyer or doctor, those are red flags for someone committing the crime of barratry.

Fortunately, our state representatives have taken numerous steps that people can follow to protect themselves from this crime.

“There’s actually an opportunity for somebody that’s been solicited to be able to make $10,000 if they have the needed proof and have a lawyer file a lawsuit to prove that they were solicited illegally,” Tijerina said. Also, in the past few months, the Texas Rangers have deployed billboards that include the phone number (512) 424-2160 to call if someone is a victim of barratry.

Because ambulance chasers often use “burner” phones that they regularly throw away and attempt to protect themselves with paperwork, it’s important to read what you’re asked to sign.

The most important thing to remember is to never trust anyone that shows up at your doorstep — or, if you’re at a hospital, at your bedside — offering you any kind of services after you’ve been involved in a crash. And if someone does show up at your doorstep, ask for a business card and take photos of their vehicle and license plate before they leave. “Get as much information as you can, build up a case for yourself,” Tijerina urged. “If you’re working with an attorney from the beginning, the attorney can help you with all these things to make sure that we root this sickness, so to speak, out of the legal community. It really tarnishes the whole image of the legal community.”

In order to avoid all of this and protect yourself, it’s essential that immediately after a car crash, you call a reputable law firm so that you can have the support you need if you’re approached by an ambulance chaser.

COMING UP In the next issue of RGVision, Humberto Tijerina takes readers through how to get their vehicle fixed after a wreck — and how to identify reputable repair shops.

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RGVision Food Fave

DO YOUR MOUTH A FLAVOR Frankie Flav’z Craft Burger House of Harlingen Evolves

by Ka r ina Va rga s phot o s by Ja mes Ho r d In central downtown Harlingen resides Frank Macia’s first sit-down restaurant, Frankie Flav’z Craft Burger House. Macias first started his business five years ago in the form of a food truck and has since expanded to two more locations in Harlingen. The first one, located at The Point on Harrison Avenue, opened May

2017. The newest location went up on Sunshine Strip in June.

In Frankie Flav’z first few years of business, it has become a popular food hub for both locals and tourists.

Jesse Luna, a San Marcos resident who has family in the Valley, says he makes it a point to eat at Frankie Flav’z every chance he gets.

“I don’t get to come down as much as I’d like, but when I’m here, I always make sure I stop by and eat at least once with my family or friends,” he said. “The El Luchador burger is my go-to. It’s amazing.”

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Despite his restaurant’s success, Macias didn’t start out with a career path in the food industry in mind.

“The way I started was, I was cooking lunch for my wife to take to work. She’s a nurse at the hospital,” Macias said. “At the time, I was actually going to school for nursing and getting ready to become an LVN.” Macias was making meals such as burgers, brisket sandwiches, and grilled chicken club sandwiches. After trying his food, his wife’s coworkers were interested in purchasing lunches.

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“So I made them lunch one day and from there, it just spread like wildfire. People were liking what we were making,” Macias said.

With the demand and newfound business opportunity, Macias knew he wanted to open his own restaurant.

A food truck was his first means of getting into the restaurant world. With the help of his brother-in-law and head chef, Chris Ramos, Macias took a leap of faith and opened Frankie Flav’z in August 2015.

“Him and I, we stuck to our guns,” Macias said. “There were some days we did really well, there were some days we did really bad. But we always had a following.”

That following helped Macias stay in business and grow his mobile restaurant into his first brick and mortar establishment at The Point, located at 115 E. Harrison Ave in May 2017. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Macias said he was approached by a business owner who had a bar with an available kitchen and offered him a partnership opportunity.

“I didn’t think I was going to open up something as fast as we did, but the opportunity was there,” he said. “So I knew I had to seize the moment. If you don’t try, you never know.”

Frankie Flav’z second restaurant location at 711 N. 77 Sunshine Strip opened two years later in June 2019.

This location has more extended hours than the original establishment, cooking from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

Customers can look forward to monthly Sunday brunch events from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with discounted popular This year, Macias won the annual Humanitarian Award brunch menu items like mimosas and chicken and waffles. from the Harlingen Rotary Club due to his way of giving Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to midnight, Macias said back to his community by helping feed those affected by the restaurant has acoustic live the recent floods. Macias also earned music for its patrons to enjoy.

Valley Morning Star’s 2019 Reader’s “I didn’t think I was The restaurant has both beer Choice Award for Best Hamburger. going to open up and wine options on the menu, Last year, Macias had the honor something as fast as we with one of the latest refreshing of hosting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in drink offerings being a “wine-ahis restaurant. did, but the opportunity rita,” formulated with a wine base “He came to do his final thought for was there. So I knew and agave for sweetness. his campaign. That was pretty cool,” I had to seize the “We specialize in a lot of craft he said. moment. If you don’t try, beer,” Macias said. “We support As for the future of Frankie Flav’z, local craft breweries from Austin Macias sees more expansion ahead. you never know.” all the way down to Mission.

“I want to mimic the concept and We’ve got four beers out of 5x5 take it to McAllen and Brownsville,” Frank Macias, owner of Frankie Flav’z Craft Burger House, on Brewing Company in Mission he said. “I’m looking forward to transitioning from a food truck to a on tap. We’ve got 15 beers on what’s next.” traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant tap total.”

For more information on Frankie Flav’z Since opening his establishments, Macias has gained latest news and upcoming events, follow their Facebook page, recognition and distinction for his culinary creations. Valley Frankie Flav’z, or visit their official website, frankieflavz.com. To Morning Star named Frankie Flav’z Best Food Truck its place an order for delivery, visit grubhub.com, seamless.com, or first two years in business. In 2018, Macias won the Small doordash.com. For any other inquiries, call The Point location in Business Award from the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce.

Harlingen at (956) 230-2043.

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