March / April 2020 - RGVision Magazine

M ARC H/AP RIL 2 0 2 0 | VO LUM E 12 ISSUE 2

OUTSIDE THE BOX Affordable Attic’s culture of innovation fosters superior customer service.

LIVING HISTORY RGV educators dispel notion of ‘brain drain’ in area booming with opportunity.

Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home serves patriots in RGV.

FELINE FRIENDLY Palm Valley Animal Society celebrates Community Cat Program, rebranding.

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

Great Vibes!

Good Times!

Celebrations!

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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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Harlingen CISD PSJA ISD South Texas College Bill Martin Sergio Contreras Leonardo F. Chang Dr. Alfonso Mercado Tijerina Legal Group Quinta Mazatlán

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Praising people for their success and complementing the Valley for its growth. That is the purpose behind RGVision. For too long the Rio Grande Valley hasn’t been on the national radar unless it involved violence, obesity, or immigration issues. Since 2009, we have been seeing the impact RGVision has made by sharing success stories with positive content and distributing them throughout our region. The more stories we share, the more we can shape the conversation about our home. Our cover story does just that — dispelling the notion that the RGV is a place people want to leave and providing readers with some positive insight as to what’s to come for this area. Thank you for picking up this issue. We hope that you continue to be educated, inspired, and informed. Mark 4:21-22

Karina Vargas Rocio Villalobos Nathaniel Mata Jose De Leon III Danya Perez

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS 2020

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VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2 RGVISION MAGAZINE

32 ON THE COVER

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BRAIN GAIN

RGV educators dispel notion of ‘brain drain’ in area booming with opportunity.

EDUCATION

Hands-On Training pg 10 A Love of Learning pg 12 'Come Home, Pay Less' pg 14 Allies in Education pg 16 District Champion pg 18 Study Session pg 22 Character Development pg 24 'Edutainment' pg 26 Engineering Transition pg 28 Setting the Standard pg 30 Youth of the Year pg 30

BUSINESS

Road Map pg 40 12 Lessons on Life and Money pg 42 Financial Focus pg 44 Growth Takes a Village pg 46 Blueprint Blossoms pg 48 SEO Kung Fu pg 52

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S ELF- S TORAG E OU T S IDE T HE B OX

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LIVING HIS TORY

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FELINE FRIENDLY

Affordable Attic’s culture of innovation fosters superior customer service.

Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home serves patriots in RGV.

Palm Valley Animal Society celebrates Community Cat Program, rebranding.

HEALTH

Pets and Mental Health pg 54 'Back On Their Feet' pg 56 A Path to Normalcy pg 58 High-Quality Standards pg 60 Splendid Smiles pg 62 'It's Your Health' pg 64 In the Right Direction pg 66 8 Years 'Texas Strong' pg 70

QUALITY OF LIFE

Life Coach pg 72 Damage Control pg 78 Sidebar pg 80 Magnificient Monarch pg 84 Faces in the Valley pg 86 Meals with Wheels pg 90 Artsy Valley pg 94

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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.

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B I LL M A R T I N

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TO M TO R K E L S O N

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E D U C A T I O N

HANDS-ON TRAINING Harlingen CISD Apprenticeship Academy Preparing Students for the Workforce

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MAR/APR 2020

b y C r i s t i n a G a r ci a Harlingen CISD graduates students college, career, and community ready by preparing them for their futures through strategically crafted curriculum and programs.

That’s why the district created its Academies — educational programming and pathways offered to high school students.

The district’s first academy, the Apprenticeship Academy, provides students with an opportunity to earn industry certifications at no cost.

The Apprenticeship Academy offers courses and certifications in architectural design, carpentry, electrical, masonry, plumbing and pipefitting, welding, and HVAC and sheet metal.

The industry certifications are recognized by employers across the state and country. Students obtaining certifications by completing a series of high school courses and passing exams are ready to enter the workforce upon

graduation from high school.

In the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning pathway within the Apprenticeship Academy, students acquire knowledge and skills in safety, principals of HVAC theory, and begin hands-on training through the installation of HVAC and refrigeration equipment.

Students in the HVAC Technology II course practiced fusing copper pipes recently, a skill necessary to maintain and install air conditioning systems in residential and commercial buildings.

“I like doing hands-on things,” said Harlingen High School South senior Santos Torres. “I don’t like the idea of having to work in an office at a desk. After high school, I plan on continuing in this industry.”

Torres, a student in the Apprenticeship Academy, decided to enroll in the HVAC & Sheet Metal pathway to “try something different.”

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The classes, he said, proved to be what he was searching Apprenticeship Academy. for as a student.

Within the electrical pathway, students learn to install, “I like this program because it gives me new things to maintain, and repair electrical power, communication lines, do, and it teaches me things I didn’t know before,” he said lighting, and control systems in homes and businesses. after brazing two pieces of copper pipe together with his Students in the electrical pathway graduate with classmates. “I’ve always been interested in working with National Center for Construction Education and Research tools and around new environments every day.” certifications in the core curriculum and electrical Level 1, Torres plans to attend college to further his career in the certifications also offered at community college.

HVAC industry.

On average, the cost of one semester of junior college or To succeed in HVAC, students must want to persevere, trade school amounts to about $1,800. At HCISD, however, he said. students have the opportunity to complete courses offered “This class is fun, and I think other people should try it,” at junior college and technical trade schools at no cost to Torres said. “It will show you something different that you students or their parents. didn’t know before.”

“Here at HCISD, we are super proud to provide our students Completing the certifications and the program are not a with choices and opportunities necessary for long-term cakewalk, however. success,” Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos said. “Specifically, “You need to study because the tests aren’t easy,” Torres our Apprenticeship Academy has been graduating students said, noting that the hands-on component with nationally recognized certifications of the class keeps him motivated and on and knowledge they need to enter into his toes. the workforce.”

“This class is fun, When Torres and his classmates worked Apprenticeship Academy teachers, and I think other on the brazing project, they engaged in a as well as HCISD administration, meets people should try friendly competition to see who could do with industry experts biannually to ensure it best. the district is preparing students for the it. It will show you The copper pipes in air conditioning something different future workforce. systems must be joined together with The teachers, administrators, and that you didn’t heat in a way that ensures they will sustain industry experts formed an Apprenticeship know before.” pressure and temperature for years. Not Academy Committee focused on bridging all technicians have the same skills. the gap between K-12 education and Harlingen CISD, however, is training the workforce.

Sa nt os Tor r e s , Harlin gen H i gh Sch ool Sou th sen ior future technicians with the skills necessary The committee met in November to to provide clients and customers with topdiscuss the needs of the current workforce. quality workmanship.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino “It doesn’t cost you anything within HCISD to become lauded the district’s efforts and provided feedback about industry certified — just your time and effort,” said HVAC new industries making their way into the Rio Grande Valley. teacher Martin Villareal, himself a former student of the Companies, he said, are in search of local talent who can school district. provide top-quality work.

Villarreal spoke with middle school students recently Industry experts from reputable contractors such as as part of the district’s efforts to educate the incoming SpawGlass and organizations such as the Harlingen freshman about the opportunities offered in high school.

Manufacturers Association are members of the committee.

“In HVAC, you gotta be part carpenter, welder, pipefitter, “We are immensely grateful to our committee members for and electrician,” he told the students. “The more you know, volunteering to provide our teachers and administrators with the more valuable you are to future employers.” important feedback about our Apprenticeship Academy,” Villarreal began working in the HVAC industry from an Cavazos said. “Our students are on the path to success, and early age when he worked for his father’s independently we will continue evolving to meet the needs of the future run business. by educating our students with the skills necessary to After working in the industry for decades, he decided to communicate, collaborate, think critically, and be creative.” teach students all he has learned throughout his years as High school students may enroll in the academy courses an HVAC expert. at their home campus. The courses may be added to their “I try to push our students as much as I can,” Villarreal school day schedule. said. “Through teaching, it allows me to pass this on to the For more information about the Apprenticeship Academy’s next generation.” seven pathways and courses, visit www.hcisd.org/academies HVAC is just one of the seven pathways within the or contact HCISD directly at (956) 430-9530.

MAR/APR 2020

E D U C A T I O N

E D U C A T I O N

A LOVE OF

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MAR/APR 2020

LEARNING PSJA ISD’s Early Childhood Program Promotes Play-Based Learning for Children Ages 3 and 4 Aware of the importance to instill a love of learning among students at a young age, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District has developed a program to support children through their first years of school.

The PSJA Building Blocks Program provides highquality learning experiences to ensure children ages 3 and 4 are ready for school. An important component of the district’s Early Childhood Department, the program works with students in the district’s elementary schools, Hidalgo County Head Starts, and local childcare centers

to increase access to high-quality Pre-Kinder Program and Kinder Readiness.

The program was launched during the 2018-19 school year and is possible thanks to a Community Partnership Grant of $1.69 million from the Texas Education Agency.

The grant is aimed to help the program become a state model for early childhood.

“We want to encourage our students to love learning,” said Community Partnership Grant Manager Abby Gonzalez. “At PSJA ISD, we are doing so by promoting

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E D U C A T I O N

play-based learning activities in our elementary classrooms and even at our partner daycares.”

According to Gonzalez, as part of the grant, TEA has been working very closely with five schools selected to pilot the program, partner daycares, and Head Starts. The schools selected to implement the program and help lead the efforts to make it a state model include Berta Palacios Elementary, Augusto Guerra Elementary, Amanda GarzaPeña Elementary, Daniel Ramirez Elementary, and the PSJA Early Start Pre-K School.

Over the last school year, teachers and administrators at these campuses have received specialized trainings from early childhood experts, school readiness kits, library books, and a focused curriculum.

For Palacios Elementary Principal Michelle Cardoza, being part of the PSJA Building Blocks Program has had a tremendous impact on her campus.

“Our teachers have had the opportunity to participate in professional development sessions to enhance their instruction and learn about how 3- and 4-year-olds process information and make connections via playbased opportunities,” Cardoza said. “Play-based learning captures the attention of our students as they learn via interaction. They are so engaged and able to connect their learning to the world around them.”

Studies show that play-based learning is more effective than direct instruction for 3- and 4-year-olds, according to the PSJA Early Childhood Program Director Maricela Cortez. As a result, play-based learning is something that is being promoted throughout all PSJA elementary schools.

“Teachers in all of our elementary schools have been introduced to the importance of play-based learning during staff development sessions,” Cortez said. “By partnering with organizations and local daycares, we are also making sure to set the right foundation for our students’ educational success.”

Play-based learning provides students with opportunities to laugh and learn through fun activities that help them develop a positive attitude toward school readiness. Currently, PSJA ISD’s Early Childhood Program is partnered with over 50 local childcare centers.

“We want our students to reach their full potential,” PSJA Superintendent Dr. Jorge L. Arredondo said. “By increasing kinder readiness, we know our students will set a strong foundation of lifelong learning."

PSJA ISD accepts students living anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley. Registration for the 2020-21 has started. To learn more or register, visit www.psjaisd.us/ pointsofpride.

We want our students to reach their full potential. By increasing kinder readiness, we know our students will set a strong foundation of lifelong learning."

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MAR/APR 2020

Dr. J or g e L . A r r e d on d o, PSJA Su perin ten den t

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E D U C A T I O N

‘COME HOME, PAY LESS, GET AHEAD’ Opportunities Abound at South Texas College for Summer Transient Students

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MAR/APR 2020

b y Jo ey G o m e z | p h ot o b y B e n B r i on e s Now is not the time to slow down, according to Chloe Perez.

In fact, Perez is especially vocal about the need for a school that can keep up with the frenetic pace she endures as she looks ahead to medical school by the end of this year.

Inspired by family, Perez, 19, says she is on the fast track to pursuing a doctorate in pediatric genetics and has actively leveraged all of her resources to achieve this goal. On her journey, South Texas College has stepped up to ensure she gets there without missing a beat.

“My grandpa suffered from Parkinson's disease and I saw how Parkinson's took a toll on his life,” Perez said. “I began to realize that there was little to no research being done and not many specialists down here to begin with.

We had to drive six to eight hours to see a doctor, so it

inspired me to look for ways to provide more specialties here in the Valley.”

Originally from Rio Grande City, Perez said she graduated from STC with an associate degree in biology while she was still in high school. Perez realized that eventually getting into medical school was going to take some grit, so right after she graduated, she opted to take summer courses at the college before heading to Texas A&M in the fall. This was in summer 2019.

Nearly a year later, Perez says she looks forward to returning to STC in summer 2020 to complete a course in organic chemistry, which puts her one step closer to graduating with her bachelor’s degree in biomedical science by December.

“I entered A&M with so many credits, and I saved so much time and money by attending STC,” Perez said.

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“The summer's also a great time to take a course because when you are taking the class every day, there's no brain drain waiting another 48 hours or another four days before seeing it again.”

Dr. Kelli Da vis, di r e ctor of STC’s U ni v e r s i ty Re la t io n s , Tr a n s fe r, and A r ti cul ati o n Ce nte r Of f i ce

need us.”

Davis estimates that over the course of the summer, possibly half of students on campus are transient students. In her capacity not only as the college’s transfer representative but also as a faculty member in mathematics, she says she has worked with students from the University of Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and the University of Texas in Austin, to name a few.

“These students understand the benefit that they can come home, pay less, and get ahead,” Davis said. “The summer's also a great time to take a course because when you are taking the class every day, there's no brain drain waiting another 48 hours or another four days before seeing it again.”

If You Aren’t At Your Last Job...

Why Is Your 401(K)?

STC’s transfer office offers these strategic points to students in order make the most out of their summer experience: • Take classes to get ahead; this also helps to ease the load for the remaining semesters.

• Retake any classes that don't meet the expectations of your desired transfer institutions.

• Maintain a good GPA. • Create a list of all courses you will take in the upcoming semesters, making sure you meet the minimum credit hours.

• Connect with transfer admissions counselors at the schools on your list. If you cannot find the information, meet with representatives at the Transfer Center to get assistance.

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Financial Advisor

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Students who are interested in transfer opportunities or summer courses at STC can visit the college’s transfer office website at academicaffairs.southtexascollege.edu/ transfer-center/index.html or call (956) 8722659 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for more information.

To learn more, call today.

MAR/APR 2020

At Edward Jones, we can explain options for your 401(k), including leaving the money in your former employer’s plan, moving it to your new employer’s plan, rolling it over to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or cashing out the account subject to tax consequences.

MKD-8652B-A

“I'm grateful to know that basically all my courses transferred into the biomedical science degree and it was so easy. I have to admit that I was worried at first about some courses not transferring because I didn't want to throw away two years for nothing.

“When I met my advisor here, she sat down with me and she compared the classes and it turns out that basically everything transferred and I was super happy because I started off with junior level courses.”

South Texas College has long been considered by students as the ideal place to get ahead while they are home for the summer.

Students are encouraged to begin the admission process in the spring. Pending preapproval from their respective schools, applying to STC can be a formality for most transfer students as long as they make sure their course learning outcomes align, according to representatives from the college.

“A lot of students will reach out to me in the spring semester and ask about our course offerings,” said Dr. Kelli Davis, director of STC’s University Relations, Transfer, and Articulation Center Office. Davis is often the first point of contact for transfer students, and utilizes an array of resources to assist them.

“Students often begin looking for the matching course number with respect to the course at their institution, and a lot of times I can match those courses for them,” Davis said. “Sometimes I also need to help them with the research side of it to make sure that their school doesn't require preapproval because some institutions want to view the syllabus or the final exam — it just varies — (but) we do our best to help them if they

E D U C A T I O N

ALLIES IN EDUCATION Sylvan Learning Offers ISD Partnerships for 2020-21 Supplemental Educational Programs

by Brenda Garza

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MAR/APR 2020

Like never before, almost every school district in the Rio Grande Valley is progressively spending more on local marketing and targeted advertising to keep students enrolled in their ISD. So what are schools doing to retain their student population?

For the most part, schools are adding extra courses that will help students achieve their academic goals like tutoring and prep courses — including programs that will ignite students’ imagination or even attract them to a new field of study unknown to them.

With federal, state, and local governments providing numerous routes to help fund supplemental educational programs, many schools are adding Sylvan Learning to enrich and advance their students through academics.

help increase student achievement and campus ratings by creating a new curriculum to assist in the areas of need.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Sylvan builds a new course by first surveying students, analyzing their responses, and then providing clear data of what the student population is needing or requesting. For instance, schools might add a service learning and reflection course for young volunteer enthusiasts who want to become educated, motivated, and empowered to be ethical and involved citizens. Others might add Sylvan’s Personal Statement courses to teach students how to write clear, cohesive, and heartfelt personal statements for their college applications. Some could opt for Sylvan’s Leadership, Networking, and Public Speaking courses, which teach students how to effectively speak in public, as most lack the tools or confidence to do so with ease.

Sylvan recognizes that all schools are different and as a result tries to accommodate each with individualized programs.

Where can your school find the funds to provide these supplemental programs?

Sylvan works within the guiding principles of the school’s current grants and funds. Through funds and grants, such as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Gear UP, Migrant Education Program, Texas Title I Priority School, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, school improvement funds, and discretionary funds, to name a few, schools are able to add supplemental educational programs accordingly.

This and every school year thereafter, how will your school keep students meet their academic goals?

As new school year scheduling begins, add Sylvan Learning to your 2020-21 school budget. For more information on Sylvan Learning programs and school partnership opportunities, call (956) 682-9800.

WHY SYLVAN? Sylvan uses a data-driven instructional model that allows for customization of academic programs. These effective models and programs are backed by scientific research to ensure the best quality. This allows students to cultivate their skills to do better academically, and gives them the confidence to thrive in every aspect of life.

Sylvan’s list of supplemental educational services grows year after year, continually equipping itself with more up-to-date, advanced curriculums. Sylvan promotes science, technology, engineering, and math with its STEM Educational programs and encourages health science and pre-law with its Ivy League Series. While many schools prefer fun educational courses like STEM, others focus on boosting college readiness with Sylvan’s ACT/SAT/TSI Prep seminars and boot camps or improving STAAR performance and increasing academic growth with Sylvan’s ACE It! Tutoring and SylvanSync programs.

But what if schools want something more than what Sylvan provides? No problem. Sylvan can assist schools to

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E D U C A T I O N

DISTRICT CHAMPION ERI’s Grant Support Key to Monte Alto ISD Programs

As a small school district, Monte Alto ISD depends on grants to help provide its 869 students with as many opportunities as possible.

“In spite of us being small and secluded, we’re offering the best that we can offer to the kids to get them ready,” said Dr. Rosie Cobarrubias, Monte Alto ISD superintendent. “We want to prepare them to go out into the world and make a difference and they’ll be ready.

“And they’ll be competitive with other students from anywhere in the country.”

Thanks to the School Redesign Grant, Monte Alto ISD’s well-prepared students now have access to welding and patient care technician certifications. Educational Research Institute, a Harlingen-based grant writing company, secured the funding through the grant, which awarded $1.5 million for both the middle and high school campuses for a total of $3 million. Of the 10 grants awarded in Texas, Monte Alto ISD received two of them.

ERI also helped Monte Alto Early College High School obtain a $500,000 continuation grant.

Last year, more than 70 percent of the district’s senior class earned an industry-based certification. Monte Alto ISD provided resources to the students every step of the way — right down to steel-toed boots for welding classes. That program in particular has been a cause for excitement among students, Zepeda said.

“Kids are already telling you when they’re freshmen and sophomores, ‘I’m going to be in welding, Miss,

remember,’” she said. “They’re already seeing that as a pathway. They already see that as something they can do. It’s exciting to see kids wanting to do that.”

The grant has also helped build the teacher workforce with additional training, and provided students and staff members with laptops. Each classroom also has a large, interactive flat panel for instruction through the grant.

“It was phenomenal because along with this grant came a lot of monies that were attached to it, so we were able to provide a lot of programs that were going to be beneficial to the kids,” Cobarrubias said. “Those are skills that these kids will take with them for the rest of their lives and they’re going to make just a big difference not only in their community, but wherever they decide to live.”

ERI has gone above and beyond serving the district, Zepeda said, recalling when the grant organization sent over boxes of Monte Alto ISD-branded planners to help students get organized — and when it deployed a Kona Ice truck so that teachers could enjoy a sweet treat during the afternoon of a training session.

“Maggie’s an advocate for Monte Alto,” Zepeda said, referring to Maggie Rodriguez, senior grant specialist at ERI, who works closely with the district on grants. “‘Tell me what you need,’ she’ll tell me.”

If your district is interested in learning more about what Educational Research Institute can help you achieve, contact ERI’s office today at (956) 365-4100.

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E D U C A T I O N

STUDY SESSION IDEA-U’s Academic Onboarding Program Eases Nontraditional Students Back into Learning

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do have weaknesses, well, you can definitely work on those,” Ruiz said.

There are no graded assessments that would affect students’ grade point average for their degree program, and any assessments that students do complete are purely for the students’ benefit.

“During onboarding, it’s more of a hands-on process,” Ruiz said. “We actually really help them build their growth mindset — and not only their growth mindset, but also really learning the key factors that will go along with online learning.” Some of the skills that IDEA-U seeks to enhance for their students are “self-pacing, time management, and really honing in on being able to be self-driven.”

Onboarding gives students the opportunity to refresh old skills, as well. Hernandez explained that students get back into the habit of using mathematics, reading, and writing skills while in onboarding.

“It’s a refresher. So if you’ve been out of college for some time, if you’re not in practice reading, writing, or comprehension, you’re going to put those skills back into practice,” she said. “It’s the time to ask questions, plenty of questions.” They can also pick a few new skills. “Maybe for students who have been out of college for a long time, they’re actually able to learn new skills, maybe computer skills. So, we’ll sit with them and we’ll assist them with any technological skills or any other things they need.”

IDEA-U has received positive feedback for the onboarding period. “We found that students really appreciate that time because students — as excited as they are to start the program — sometimes they don’t realize not only the time commitment, but also the financial investment it takes to start within their degree,” Ruiz said. “So they really appreciate that trial period to allow them to see if they can actually be committed.”

Visit IDEA-U.org to learn more.

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IDEA-U offers affordable options for adults who want to obtain their associate or bachelor’s degree. Many of IDEA-U’s students are nontraditional students, meaning that they are either a little older or in a different place in life than the typical fresh-from-high school college student.

“A lot of our students are parents,” said Roxanne Ruiz, a college completion advisor with IDEA-U. Adults who are accepted to the college program are given the opportunity to warm back up to being students again through an Academic Onboarding program, which is a five-week process held on IDEAU’s campus. Through this initiative, new students can ease their way back to being prepared for school rather than being thrown headlong into concepts, schedules, and practices they haven’t touched in years.

Ruiz, along with Grace Hernandez, another of IDEA-U’s college completion advisors, explained what happens after a student is accepted at IDEA-U. The first step is for students to attend a two-and-a-half-hour orientation, which has a threefold purpose for its attendees. One of the main goals for the orientation is that “students get to know each other,” Ruiz said. “It allows them to meet other students starting in their cohort … to lean on each other for academic and emotional support throughout the program.”

Hernandez agreed.

“It also allows them to build a sense of community,” she said.

Hernandez continued with the second primary purpose for the orientation.

“We’re going to outline the expectations within our program,” she said. Part of those expectations are that students are required to come to the IDEA-U center for 12 hours per week and meet with their mentor for 30 minutes a week. Hernandez said that they also make sure students understand that “we’re providing them with the support that they need throughout the program.”

Hernandez added that the orientation also helps students determine whether IDEA-U offers what they were looking for when they applied. “They’re able to not only meet others but they’re able to learn and see if this is the right program for them,” she said. “It’s kind of like a trial period for them.”

Throughout the five weeks for the onboarding program after the orientation, students are able to continue gauging whether IDEA-U is a good fit for them as they assess where their academics currently are.

“During onboarding is an excellent time to find out what your strengths are and if you

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Character Development Theater Education Provides High Schoolers Creative Outlets b y Ro c i o Vi l l a l o b os | p h ot os b y J a s on G a r z a Being involved in high school theater often means staying at school past dark to rehearse lines and create sets and waking up early on Saturdays to continue the work. It also means making friends who become like a second family and developing skills, such as discipline and time management.

Michael Morales is the theater director for Edinburg ISD’s Robert Vela High School. He’s led the program since the school opened in 2011 and said the level of support the students have for one another never fails to amaze him.

The school puts on five main stage productions each year, which involve around 60 students who are either actors or work behind the scenes.

“By the time opening night happens the crew has seen this show probably 75 times already,” he said. “But if you pipe into any room, you’ll hear them make comments like, ‘wow, she’s really great in that number,’ or ‘oh my gosh, his voice.’

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the Valley, adding she is especially proud to work for the PSJA North theater department.

“When you join our program and walk through that door, we create an environment that allows students to find out what their talents and skills are and provide them with the tools and opportunity to let those talents and skills grow and flourish,” she said. “When a student realizes they’re good at something, they start to walk a little taller and have a sense of pride in their work and who they are, and that just evolves into figuring out who they are.”

Comedian and actress Cristela Alonzo is one of the most successful talents to have graduated from PSJA North, but even if a student chooses to pursue a different path, the directors agree they will be wellequipped for success.

And while many of the graduates have "made it" in professional theater and acting, that is not their aim. Rather, director Bryan Honl said they just want them to make a difference in the world.

“We always say we’re not sending our kids out to become the next great star; we’re sending them out to become the next great leaders,” he said. “I'd say that we teach students to tell stories and that people who tell the stories make the reality that the rest of us live in.

“And that’s really what it is. If you can tell a story — your story — you can change the world around you.”

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“The level of responsibility that they learn from, ‘this is my job and these 59 other kids are counting on me to make sure I get this done this done beautifully and with the level of expectation we have here,’ I think that responsibility they’re taught is crucial,” he said.

Wherever life takes them after high school, Morales said, above all, his desire is for them to remain humble and professional.

Another growing theater program in the RGV is that of PSJA North. According to one of the school’s drama directors, one out of every five students enrolled auditioned for their most recent musical.

The school has been around for over 30 years and the directors say it's common that the current theater student’s parents were also involved in the program when they were in high school.

Director Thomas Green said he sees students grow their confidence through the program and that it can serve as an outlet for them to get through difficult times.

“I’ve seen really shy people that never really uttered a word, and now you can’t get them to stop talking,” he joked. “Also some kids come to school just for theater. It’s saved a lot of lives. It’s changed them and gotten them in great places.”

Another director, Jackie Zepeda, has been with the program for 11 years — at one point working alongside her father, Gilbert, who is well-known in the local theater community.

She’s been around theater since she was a child and said she’s observed theater to be one of the fastest-growing programs in

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“No audience member will ever see these kids there in the back holding a spotlight, and that’s what they have to do for twoand-a-half hours. They get no recognition, just their name in the playbill, but they get excited about seeing somebody else succeed and that’s just like, isn’t that what you want?”

He added that teenagers are often perceived to be “unbothered” or not invested in the things around them, but what he sees in his job has proven otherwise.

Despite some stress he’s experienced as the director — like the time a trailer full of costumes and props was stolen in San Antonio the night before the group’s oneact play performance (it was recovered by police with everything intact mere hours before they performed) — Morales said the role is his dream job.

One special thing about theater, he said, is how students of all sorts of backgrounds and interests are brought together.

“They end up leaning on each other a lot more than they expect,” he said. “For example, ‘I know I can ask you for help and you’ll be there,’ that’s a big takeaway.”

While about half of the students don’t continue to pursue theater education in college, Morales said taking theater helps to build their character. The program recently put on a production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and one student was given the task of creating a stained-glass window for the set. She was given three months to complete the project and every couple of weeks, Morales would check in with her. He said the result was a sight to behold.

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‘EDUTAINMENT’ After School Programs Offer Numerous Benefits to Students of All Ages

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b y Roci o V i l l a l ob os At Little Medical School, students from kindergarten through 12th grade begin preparing for a future in health care through interactive activities. The STEM-based enrichment program offers a range of courses written by certified physicians and educators that include “little doctor school,” “little nursing school,” “wilderness medical school,” “little veterinarian school,” and more.

Little Medical School is an international franchise with a location in McAllen, which offers after school lessons, summer camp, spring break workshops, and more. The organization operates year-round and the classes are taught at a variety of schools.

Program Coordinator Angela Villarreal, known to the students as “Teacher V,” said the purpose of the

school is to “plant the seed” of the medical field into the children. She and the instructors refer to the program as “edutainment,” or educational entertainment.

“All this stuff they’re learning they’re able to take outside of the classroom,” she said. “Right now is the time we want them to be intrigued and having fun, because once they get into medical school, it’s time to buckle down and be serious.”

Villarreal taught in private and public schools for nine years before joining Little Medical School. She said it’s great for students to be involved in an after-school program — whether it’s dance, martial arts, music, or Little Medical School — because it gets them to use different parts of their brain.

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I think the best encouraging thing is to ask your child, ‘what did you learn?’ and even go home and practice it."

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any child can get at that age,” she said. “Time goes by very, very quickly and before you know it, they’re in school full time and then they graduate and leave. While they’re little, have as much of them as possible and take advantage of it.”

Although Little Medical School aims to get children interested in becoming doctors, nurses, veterinarians, dentists, and other medical occupations, Villarreal said if they decide to pursue a different career after all, the takeaway lesson is that they can do anything they set their mind to.

She explained when children are very young and are asked what they want to be, they’ll often reply with “princess” or “Olympic gold medalist.” As they get older, she said the aspirations of children in low-income households tend to change dramatically.

Rather than aiming to be president or an astronaut, they aim for careers that do not require post high school education.

“You see that a lot in the RGV,” she said.

“So what we’re trying to encourage here is for them to maintain that princess and president status from when they’re young all the way to high school.

“Because if you want to be president of the United States, you just have to love politics and be engaged in what you’re doing and have that perseverance. Our whole job is to encourage them and say, ‘you just gotta love what you’re doing and you can get there most definitely.’”

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“A student’s day is very repetitious. Their schedule is the exact same schedule they’ll have all semester long,” she said. “So taking an enrichment program that’s interactive and that doesn’t require you to stay in your seat — they can laugh and have fun — is fantastic.”

According to Villarreal, more than 400 students were enrolled in the fall 2019 semester. She adds the instructors undergo extensive training and many are medical students themselves at the UTRGV School of Medicine. The student to instructor ratio is around 15-to-1 and a new lesson is taught each class session, which could be the different systems of the body, CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, or how to treat a sprained ankle, to name a few.

In addition to preparing the students for a career in medicine, she said the program helps boost their social skills and cognitive development. To keep their children interested in learning, Villarreal urges parents to continue engaging with them after the lesson.

“I think the best encouraging thing is to ask your child, ‘what did you learn?’ and even go home and practice it,” she said. “You can practice on a teddy bear and let your child show you what they learned. Or if they’re an older student give them some scenarios and say, ‘how would you be able to help that person?’ Continue that higher order thinking.”

As for pre-K children, she said the best way to prepare them to thrive in school and in life is to just talk and play with them.

“Parents are the number one enrichment

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A ng ela V ill a r r ea l , p r o gr am coor d i na to r a t Little Medical Sch ool

Engineering Transition

Raul Benitez, a sophomore studying civil engineering in College Station, dreams of one day opening his own engineering firm.

“It goes way back into my life. I originally started wanting to be an architect as a kid — I just really like the whole thing of designing things, drawing,” he said. “But then, as I grew older, I found about how civil engineering is a more raw area, a more expanded version of architecture — that’s what drew me into civil engineering.”

Jessica Chapa, a sophomore studying biomedical engineering in Brownsville, hopes to design things that change the lives of those less fortunate.

“When I researched all the different types of engineering, biomedical was the only one that caught my attention — like, really caught it — because it involved what I liked academically but it also involved helping people in ways that I was really interested in, such as prosthetics or medical devices,” she said.

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Texas A&M-Chevron Engineering Academy at TSC Provides Countless Benefits

by RGV isio n

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“The most exciting part would have to be the variety of options. Students have among 22 different majors which they can choose from."

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recognize the value of the program.

“Even though you’re in a community college to start your basics, your final will be a Texas A&M engineering degree,” he said, recommending the academy to others who might be interested in engineering. “They shouldn’t feel like their engineering degree would be less valuable than if they started at A&M. You’re still a Texas A&M student. You’re still getting a Texas A&M studentlevel education.”

Benitez also mentioned how close all of the classmates in his cohort became. Since the academy’s establishment in 2017, each cohort has had about 20 students, on average, Patlan said.

Chapa also highlighted the camaraderie in the academy.

“I think my most favorite parts about the program is we have such good friendships among the classmates, so that has really helped in the college experience and also to study together,” she said. “It has been a really great experience because we all have the same classes — so we have to get along.”

She added that students should take advantage of the smaller class sizes at TSC. “It’s easier for you to organize study groups or for you to understand the professor when it’s a small class because he can take more time to explain it better,” she said. “It’s good being here at TSC first because you have a good foundation of all of the core courses that you’re going to need once you move.

“I also thought it would be good for me to transition to college through this program because it would be a way to stay close to home, but it would still force me to move out after a certain amount of time.”

Students interested in applying to be a part of the fall 2020 cohort of the Texas A&M-Chevron Engineering Academy at Texas Southmost College have until June 30 to do so. Check “Yes” on your ApplyTexas application to TSC when asked if you are interested in applying to the program, or visit https://bit.ly/2SR0nzJ for more information.

These students belong to one program spanning two campuses and offering countless opportunities: the Texas A&M-Chevron Engineering Academy at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville.

This academy is a co-enrollment transition program between TSC and Texas A&M. Both high schoolers and current TSC students can apply for the experience, which includes one or two years taking the basics in Brownsville before moving to College Station to finish off an engineering degree.

“Students really appreciate that a program like this exists — not many students have the opportunity to go to a larger university right off the bat,” said Fernando Patlan, an instructional assistant at TSC who acts as an intermediary between that campus and Texas A&M. “A lot of students when they arrive here realize that there are certain skills that they need to own, so a lot of them brush up on their studying skills on anything it is that they may be lacking in.”

Students taking courses on the TSC campus in Brownsville have the same benefits and access to resources as students attending A&M in College Station.

TSC students take the trip to College Station about six times per year to experience everything from watching football games to competing in invention competitions to attending informational sessions on which specific majors within engineering to pursue.

“The most exciting part would have to be the variety of options,” Patlan said of the academy. “Students have among 22 different majors which they can choose from.

Unless you attend a large university, most universities do not give that many options to their students. Also, just the fact that you can begin locally I think is one of the great benefits. The affordability really is a big factor for students.”

Cost influenced Benitez’s decision to apply to the academy, as he was the first of his siblings to attend college — and just a year older than his sister, who also had her sights set on higher education. But it was the quality of the education he was receiving that helped him

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Setting The Standard Parental Involvement Can Create Generations of Students That Love to Learn

by Nathaniel Mata Her mother was the first in her family to attend college and she’s hoping to empower those who might also represent first-generation college-educated students.

“My mom navigated college and she’s collegeeducated on her own,” Chavez said. “She remembers what it was like not having her mom be able to help her and she took pride being able to be an asset to me and my friends and my teachers.”

Her own personal experience helps her be the liaison for students that might be the first in their family to apply

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A child’s success has little to do with the child. Infants need nurturing. Toddlers are like sponges, imitating and copying those that help them grow. Parental and guardian involvement is crucial to success in and out of school.

By the time kids become school-age, they take a lot of what they learned at home with them — including the ability, interest, or even love for learning.

Desiree Chavez lives and educates along the border in Mission. She teaches 10th grade English at IDEA College Prep Mission in the same community she grew up in.

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By the time kids become school-age, they take a lot of what they learned at home with them ­— including the ability, interest, or even love for learning.

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higher on tests, pass their classes, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, be more positive in their attitude toward school, graduate, and continue their education,” Anzaldua said via email.

In the age of students growing up around so much technology, Anzaldua said that’s another area parents can’t ignore.

“The increased use of technology and social media has a strong presence in everyday lives, especially the younger population,” she said. “Parents/guardians need to keep a watchful eye and try to keep up with all the latest trends.”

That’s no small task with how quick media moves, but it can be the difference between cyber safety or something much worse.

Children have the ability and capability to develop a lifelong passion and drive to love learning and excel in the classroom and in life.

“The most invaluable resource is having a parent and teaching connection relationship,” Chavez said. “It shows the student that we are working together to make you successful, but we’re also going to do whatever it takes.”

She explained that these relationships can be beneficial to the entire family.

“When you have that involvement, you’re educating their parents as well and then that sets them up to help younger siblings,” Chavez said. “It’s just that continued success. We see a chain effect and it’s invaluable. I got to see it from my mom’s perspective and now I get to see it from other parents' perspectives.”

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for higher education.

“A majority of our demographic live below the poverty line,” Chavez said. “The reason that these parents put their students at our campus is because they know that we’re going to work together as a team in order for their child to be successful. When we are able to have that connection between the parent, and the student, and the teacher.

It really does take a village for a child to be successful.”

From NPR to Business Insider to GreatSchools.org, experts agree that the success of children and students starts at home and expands to the environment they live in.

Another positive in a strong parent-teacherstudent connection is shared success when a student excels.

“My favorite thing to do is to meet again later, maybe at a report card night, or to call their parents and say, ‘hey, so-and-so passed this test and we see great improvement from our last meeting.’ It’s not always calling when things are bad — it’s also about that gloat,” Chavez said. “It invigorates the child, the parents, and as a teacher, myself, as well.”

At nearby McAllen ISD, Lorena Anzaldua focuses on parental involvement as federal programs strategist.

She explained that involvement in a student's life comes with a myriad of benefits.

“A number of different studies all point to the same results, research indicates that parents involved in their children’s education are more likely to: earn better grades, score

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BRAIN DRAIN GAIN RGV EDUCATORS DISPEL NOTION OF ‘BRAIN DRAIN’ IN AREA BOOMING WITH OPPORTUNITY

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those who might have left to come back. Having some of the young people leave the nest to acquire experience in another city with different opportunities is also not a negative.

“I think it’s important for a certain percentage of our young adults to leave and then come back because they bring back other experiences,” she said. “I think it makes us richer, and it makes us a stronger community.”

That was the personal experience of Marcos Silva, college counselor at IDEA Quest and co-founder of the South Texas Ideas Festival. He is part of the small percentage of those who left the Valley, acquired work experience, and returned to apply his skills in his hometown.

Silva is also not a fan of the term “brain drain,” but understands the need that some of the region’s young people might have to leave the nest for a wide variety of reasons.

“About five years ago before we started STXI, I was trying to test community engagement within my students and one of the questions that I snuck in was ‘If I could leave the Valley, would I?’ and about 98 percent of the kids said yes,” Silva recalled.

Seeing that most of his students did think about leaving made him think that while most of them will end up staying, what would happen to the region’s civic engagement if most of its young talent wishes they could leave?

In efforts to entice the kids in their region, Silva began using more place-based learning in his lessons. The method uses local resources to learn concepts such as policy and government, while also learning what is at play in their own communities and how it impacts their everyday life.

“There’s a lot of concepts within education that are very valuable,” Silva said. “But let’s use our own community to learn about them and hopefully create really strong bonds and a really strong connection between our city and the students so that when do leave, there is a pull to come back

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The thought of having the smartest and most talented young adults leaving a city to find better education or working opportunities has forever been echoed in possibly every single nook and cranny of the U.S. But there are some bucking this very idea right here in the Rio Grande Valley.

At the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Luzelma Canales, the university’s senior associate VP for student success, challenges people to stop thinking of this term and start paying attention to all the talent that remains, those who leave and come back, and even new arrivals who set roots in the region.

When asked if she believes in the idea of “brain drain,” her immediate response was, “I’m not certain that it exists.”

Canales, who has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, cited the fact that across the country, 85 to 90 percent of people stay within 50 miles of their home. In the Valley, she said, 85 percent of the kids who go to college immediately after high school stay within the four area institutions.

“I think that every community feels like they have this big exodus of people, but I’m not certain that it exists,” Canales said. “It’s mainly felt in key positions such as engineering or other high level professional positions. We might not have them in the Valley yet. However, with the growth of infrastructure, you start seeing a lot more of the civil engineers staying.”

As a city adds professional opportunities, it doesn’t only entice those who are growing up there to stay. Canales pointed out that there are also

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and change the place.” examples of opportunities that have It is easy for students or young professionals to forget or been developed and could help keep completely ignore what the opportunities and needs of their students within the area. own community are if they are not exposed at an early age, “We used to have to import doctors to Silva cautioned. And while big cities are touted as the places the Valley and I remember growing up feeling to be, there’s a chance to teach them that the Valley can offer offended of why our doctor didn’t understand its own unique opportunities. why I had to take my grandma and why I had to Through place-based learning, educators could expose be there,” Canales said. “And now I think about all of students not only to the concept but to real-life efforts and these young, beautiful Latino doctors that we have that are decisions happening in their own city. Attending community originally from the Valley and how they do get it.” and local government meetings could easily be turned into an The same can be seen in the field of education, she said, important lesson, as well as inviting local leaders to visit the where the great majority of educators and top administrators classroom to talk about what is going on around them. are either from the area, or have remained in the area long “I think we are unique in our own culture, and sometimes enough to get to know the opportunities well. we don’t see that and we forget our own resources,” Silva With that said, having students or young professionals said. “So we look at cities like New York, or L.A., and we see relocate to the Valley and build their careers there is just as cities that are flashy and we want important to the Valley’s diversity to be like that, but obviously we and growth, she pointed out, live in a different terrain. So we can an asset that sometimes gets be unique in our own way and not dismissed when talking about “brain necessarily mimic another place.” drain.”

Knowing what is coming down But one thought that both the pipe as far as education or educators echoed was the negative job opportunities within their own connotation of referring to this flow community could be the drive of students as “brain drain,” which needed to keep young talent both said implies only the smart interested in the region. But also youth are able to leave the area and knowing what the area lacks could those that stay are not as smart or also attract those who left to come talented.

Ma r c o s Si l v a , college cou n selor at I DE A Que s t and co-fou n der of th e Sou th Texas back and build those resources for “When I think about ‘brain drain,’ I deas F estival new generations.

I think that it automatically implies While he fully encourages his that the people that stay here don’t students to apply for colleges and other opportunities that necessarily have a future or don’t have a ‘brain,’” Silva said. might take them out of the Valley, Silva said it is scary to think Roadblocks keeping young people from becoming some students are leaving without actually getting to know engaged have many times been created unintentionally, he the community. said, making many of the important processes within a city So efforts such as place-based learning or STXI — a uninviting or unattractive to young generations. But instead festival where students from all across the region get invited of focusing on the roadblocks, organizations could do a to hear from local professionals from all walks of life — could better job at giving young people a place at the table. be important assets to build those connections before young “We fall into this routine about making things work and talent leaves the nest. making things happen. We do it because we know there’s a “If we can do a better job in our education system to need, but sometimes we forget to make people passionate connect our kids to the Valley at a younger age, there would about the work that we are doing,” Silva said. “If we do a be more of a pool of opportunities for them to come back,” better job at explaining why hunger is a big deal and how it Silva said. affects our community … then we can have more students Canales points out to UTRGV’s School of Medicine who would want to come back and volunteer again, or come and the growing healthcare community in the region as back and want to work with you.”

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“I THINK WE ARE UNIQUE IN OUR OWN CULTURE, AND SOMETIMES WE DON’T SEE THAT AND WE FORGET OUR OWN RESOURCES.”

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YOUTH OF THE YEAR Service-Driven 16-Year-Old Honored by Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV b y Kel s ey G r eene | p h ot o b y Wa l d o Pa l om a r e s One Rio Grande Valley student hopes to impact her community as a future leader and advocate.

The process to be selected for the honor is quite rigorous and competitive.

“Seven Youth of the Year candidates competed to become the 2020 Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV Youth of the Year,” said Adriana Rendon, CEO of the Boys

& Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV. “Nominees complete a packet detailing their club service, school, and community involvement. The packet includes essays, school transcripts, and letters of recommendation, and then candidates deliver a three-minute speech on the topic ‘What the Club Means to Me’ in front of a panel of five to seven judges made up of local community leaders.”

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“I hope to continue to share my story so that my peers invest in their community to make a change and a real difference. I hope to be a leader that continues to be passionate about improving local issues.”

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Dan iela Rivera , a t le f t , j uni o r a t ID EA Co l l e ge Pr e p, on bein g recogn ized a s t he Yo u t h o f t h e Ye a r by the Boy s & Gi r l s Cl ub s of Edi nbu rg RGV

SUNDAY MARCH 1 + Wedding and Quincenera Fair

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WEDNESDAY MARCH 4 + 49th Annual McAllen Mayor's Prayer Luncheon - Tommy Bowden

SAT-SUN MARCH 7-8 + 2020 Texas Chess Association Scholastic Meet

SAT-SUN MARCH 14-15 + Saxet Gun Show

FRI-SUN MARCH 20-22 + Rio Grande Valley Home and Garden Show

FRI-WED APRIL 3-8 + Texas Transit Association

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MAR/APR 2020

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given me the opportunity to share my voice locally and even nationally.”

Rivera has big plans for the future.

“I plan on becoming a lawyer and coming back to my community and my club to impact programs that affect child education and nutrition in my local area,” she said. “I hope to continue to share my story so that my peers invest in their community to make a change and a real difference. I hope to be a leader that continues to be passionate about improving local issues.”

Rendon added that one thing that stood out for her about Rivera’s application is that “naturally, she is very a passionate advocate for the Club and how it has impacted her. That really resonated when she went in front of the judges. We are so proud of her and have no doubt that she will continue to do great things in her future.”

Rivera will represent Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV in Austin from March 22 through March 24 to compete for Youth of the Year at the State level.

Every year since the 1960s, Boys & Girls Clubs of America across the nation select one outstanding student as the Youth of the Year. This award is the highest honor that members of the Club can achieve.

The Youth of the Year program was established thanks to the Reader’s Digest Foundation more than 60 years ago. The title is designated based on a student’s considerable contributions to their community, school, family, and their Boys & Girls Club. The award also takes special notice of significant personal hurdles that the student has been able to overcome in their lives.

RGVISION MAGAZINE

This year, 16-year-old Daniela Rivera, a junior at IDEA College Prep, was chosen as the winner of the title for BGC of Edinburg.

Rendon explains that Rivera was recognized “for her sound character, leadership skills, and willingness to give back to the community.”

Rivera has given back to her community and her Club through a number of volunteer programs as well as helpful initiatives that serve those in need. In her community, she shows compassion by regularly volunteering at food banks and nursing homes, and she is also passionate about helping her peers who may be struggling.

“She started Care Closet, an initiative that is specifically geared toward having readily available hygiene items for those youth and teens who need them and may not have access,” Rendon said. Within the Club, Rivera has served as a mentor for younger club members for three summers in a row, and she volunteers on a regular basis to help out with programs and initiatives for current members.

When Rivera first became a member at Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV almost 10 years ago, she lacked confidence while using English. Partially due to her involvement with the Club, she feels much more comfortable using her second language and now has the desire to be a voice for those in her community.

“They are my second family,” Rivera said of the Club. “They have been there for me for almost 10 years, and I’ve grown close to the staff and programs provided here. I feel safe coming here. They have given me so many great memories, and I’ve created lasting friendships here. The Club has really

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MAR/APR 2020

Completing I-69 Essential to Mobility and Economic Opportunity for RGV Texas is growing fast — you can feel it when you drive our highways. There are more than 1,000 new Texans every day and those coming from other states and other countries don’t bring any roads with them.

Texas must quickly build more roadway capacity to keep pace with this growth.

Building Interstate 69 is an important part of the solution and it is essential that it be completed sooner rather than later.

The initiative to build Interstate 69 stretching from Brownsville, to Harlingen, Pharr, McAllen, Mission, and Laredo in Deep South Texas to Houston and on to Texarkana started in the early 1990s at the same time the United States, Mexico, and Canada were developing the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA took effect in 1994 and has had a profound impact on the growth of the Texas economy. Now, 25 years later, with the passage of the new modernized version of NAFTA, the need for I-69 is even greater.

According to the Texas Comptroller's office, ports of entry within the state of Texas accounted for nearly $740 billion in international trade in 2018. Texas has 29 official ports of entry that serve as critical gateways to global trade.

“The Rio Grande Valley region is one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S.,” said David A. Garza, Cameron County commissioner and board member of the Alliance for I-69 Texas. “Development of I-69 will continue to spur economic development and support the dire need of transportation infrastructure for the 11.7 million pedestrians and close to 1 million freight trucks that transport people and goods though our region’s 13 border crossings.”

The I-69 route in Texas covers nearly 1,150 miles. That’s equal the distance from Corpus Christi to Chicago. A total of 207 miles of the I-69 System, including I-369, I-169, and I-2 in Texas, have been added to the Interstate

Highway System so far.

Interstate 69 is being developed as a series of incremental upgrades to existing highways — US 59 from Laredo to Texarkana, US 77 from Brownsville to Victoria, US 281 from McAllen to US 59 at George West, and SH 44 from US 59 to Corpus Christi — including a multimillion improvement to the interchange at I-2 at I-69C in Pharr.

Thanks to the region’s local elected leadership, the newly formed Rio Grande Valley MPO will collaborate with TxDOT to align with their mission of delivering a safe, reliable, and integrated transportation system that enables the movement of people and goods.

One-third of all Texans live in the counties along the I-69 System, including the fastgrowing communities near the Rio Grande and in the expanding Houston urban region.

Today’s Texas population of 29 million is projected to grow to 47 million in 25 years and undoubtedly there will be millions more living along I-69, which serves Gulf Coast manufacturing, all the Texas seaports, busy inland border ports, military bases in Corpus Christi and Texarkana, and diverse agricultural regions including the forestry industry in East Texas. Furthermore, it will bring new economic development opportunities to every region and help reduce congestion.

The original 41,000-mile interstate highway system was fundamentally an eastwest system designed to connect the East Coast and the West Coast. In Texas, the result was I-10, I-20, I-30, and I-40 carrying traffic east and west. Interstate 35 is the only north-south part of the interstate system that carries traffic into and out of the state.

It is simply not possible to expand Interstate 35 enough to carry the traffic we have and that is coming. Completing Interstate 69 will create a second north-south border-to-

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border route to allow freight and the traveling public to move more efficiently.

The challenge in getting any highway built is finding the money to make it happen. Most people are unaware that the program that built the Interstate Highway System with 90 percent federal funding ended decades ago. Today, new interstates like I-69 must be built by the state with funds that come from state and federal sources. All projects, including those on I-69, must compete for funding against every other project across the entire state.

The existing highways that make up the I-69 route are already part of a major freight corridor for trucks that deliver things like groceries, fuel, furniture, lumber, grain, drilling equipment, military equipment, raw materials, and manufactured goods. Texas has seen dramatic growth in freight moving by truck in the past 20 years and projections indicate that will double over the next 25 years.

The RGV Partnership, Cameron County, Hidalgo County, Mission EDC, Harlingen EDC, Cameron County RMA, Hidalgo County RMA, City of McAllen, and the City of Pharr are engaged with The Alliance for I-69, which is an organization created in 1994 with a well-earned reputation for persistence in pressing for development of I-69.

The champions of I-69 have much to cheer about in 2020. This year, the Texas Transportation Commission authorized funding for more than 60 projects on the I-69 System over the next decade with a cost of almost $6 billion. While this level of investment indicates the importance of I-69 to the state, there remain many miles to be funded.

As such, the Alliance thanks and urges federal and state officials to continue to pursue ways to speed up the completion of I-69. Texas needs I-69. We do not want to bear the cost of not completing I-69.

Funding Means More I-69 Projects Are on the Way B U S I N E S S

The Texas Transportation Commission is moving quickly to deploy new funding authorized by Texas voters and allocating a significant amount of this funding for the development of I-69.

Roadway Restoration 6 miles - $10 million

Loop 390 Upgrade Environmental Work/Design Fort Worth Dallas

Tyler Polk

Laredo District

Upgrades I-37/I-69 Overlap - $64 million La Salle

I-69/I-35 Flyover $27 million

McMullen

I-69/I-35 Direct-Connects 2 Projects --$57 million Premont Relief Route $78.4 million

59

Duval

281

SH 186

Hidalgo

15 Miles of Freeway to Brooks C/L -- $194 million

Extend I-2 at La Joya $126 million Monterrey

Riviera Relief Route $120 million

Upgrade Interchange $19 million

69E

4 Miles Freeway Extension -- $38 million

Harlingen

69C

I-69C/I-2 Interchange $303 million I-69 Connector Corridor Feasibility Study

Construction Underway or Begins Soon Study and Design Projects Costs shown are for construction and do not include design, right of way and utility relocation costs (average +20%)

2 0

Congressionally Designated I-69 System in Texas Interstate Highway System & Regional Toll Facilities UTP Funded: 2024 - 2029

Brownsville

Illustration does not reflect all ongoing project activity

Add Lanes South of BU59 $10 million

UTP: Construction Begins 2020 - 2023

SH 550/I-169 Expansion $16.8 million

Cameron

Reynosa

4 Upgrade Projects Completing Kenedy County - $167 million

Frontage Rds San Benito $18 million

Willacy

McAllen

Add Access Rd. South of US 87 -- $7 million

8 Miles Freeway, Ricardo South -- $95 million

Kenedy

77

22 Miles South of Rosenberg Under Construction

Upgrade to Freeway Underway -- $28 million

Driscoll Relief Route $120 million

3.4-Mile Freeway Extension -- $45 million

Starr

Reconstruct, Widen to 12 Lanes -- $173 million

El Campo US 59 Loop Under Construction

Aransas

Kingsville

U.S.

Galveston

Reconstruct I-69 With I-45 $1.62 billion

Reconstruct to 10 Lanes $210 million

Yoakum District

Calhoun

Falfurrias Brooks

Jim Hogg

7.5 Miles Freeway South of Rachal - $58 million

Matagorda

Corpus Corpus Christi District Christi

Kleberg

Pharr District

Upgrade Gap Projects Partial Funding

Upgrade to Freeway South of SH 186 -- $80 million

U.S.

Reconstruct I-69/I-10/I-45 Interchange - $873 million

Reconstruct 3 Bridges $56 million

Wharton

SH 44 - Violet Rd Overpass $38 million

San Patricio

Nueces

Alice

Laredo

Zapata

Sinton

Robstown

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U.S.

69W

37 Jim Wells

Webb

2 Projects at I-69/I-35 Interchange - $84 million

Refugio

Bee

Live Oak

Freer

59

Jackson

Refugio

Brazoria

El Campo

U.S.

Goliad

George West

Study of Loop 20 At-Grade Sections

Houston

Harris

Wharton

Victoria Edna

Beeville

3.9-Mile Gap Contract $102 million Orange

Liberty

Rosenberg

Colorado

Victoria

Interchange at I-37 & 3 Miles Freeway -- $127 million

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Chambers

Lavaca

Dewiďż˝

Karnes

ClevelandHardin

5 Miles of Freeway & River Crossing -- $175 million

25

50

100 Miles Don Rodman - 11/22/19

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MAR/APR 2020

Sinton Loop Upgrades $80 million

Dimmit

Waller

District

Fort Bend

Hanseman Overpass $9 million

Refugio-Woodsboro Route Study Underway

Livingston Beaumont

San Jacinto

Houston District

Gonzales

Corrigan Relief Route $158 million

.

El Campo Loop North of SH 71 $35 million

Angelina

Trinity

Montgomery

Aus�n

Diboll Relief Route $142 million

Sabine

Lufkin

Lufkin District

I-69/I-610 Interchange Under Construction -- $259 million

Upgrade Wharton Relief Route -- $225 million

Shelby

Nacogdoches

Mainlanes Cleveland North to C/L -- $48 million

7 Miles of Freeway $208 million

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Houston

Mainlanes Shepherd South to C/L -- $68 million

Austin

US 84

U.S.

Mainlanes South of FM 2021 $33.4 million

Shreveport

Carthage

Panola

Rusk

Killeen

Overpasses at Jacaman, Del Mar, Shiloh, University and Airport -- $95 million

20 Marshall

Nacogdoches

San Antonio

Bridge Replacement at I-20 -- $9 million

Marion

Harrison

Nacogdoches South Interchange -- $83 million

Mainlanes Moffett to SH 103 $13.6 million

Zavala

Atlanta

3 Upgrade Projects at US 259 Interchange -- $88 million

Waco

4 Loop Frontage Rd Projects $101 million

Cass

Upshur

FM 1794 Interchange $20 million

207 miles of the I-69 System, including the I-2 connector, have been added to the Interstate Highway System to date. Upgrade projects now underway will add more miles over the next few years.

Upgrade to Freeway $95 million

Roadway Restoration 6 Miles - $11.6 million

Morris

Atlanta District

Marshall Relief Route I-20 to US 80 -- $154 million

Texarkana

Bowie

Titus

RGVISION MAGAZINE

The latest annual edition of the 10-year Unified Transportation Program includes more than 60 projects on the I-69 System with an estimated construction cost of almost $6 billion. Of that total approximately $4.2 billion is scheduled to go to construction in the next four years.

Almost $3 billion will go toward reconstruction of sections of I-69 and adjacent roadways bordering Downtown Houston. Another $1.8 billion in UTP funding covers 28 projects that are in development for construction in the 2024-2029 period.

CR 116 Interchange $25 million

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369

An increasing number of Interstate 69 projects are under construction or will be over the next few years.

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 4 OF 4: THE SUCCESSFUL HATCHING OF YOUR NEST EGG

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

RGVISION MAGAZINE

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MAR/APR 2020

Last issue I shared how to systematically build wealth by paying yourself first, dealing with life’s obstacles by using insurance to reduce risk, and the need to separate money for its intended use and invest it appropriately for that use. In my last installment in this series, I am focusing on finishing the race of wealth building by achieving financial freedom, continuing to have purpose beyond your career, and how to live a fulfilling and graceful life.

years of marriage despite their income multiplying. That spending discipline allowed them to be hyper-savers, avoid high interest debt, and provide complete freedom to choose their daily activities when they walked away from their careers at a relatively young age. Through sound investing and planning, they have stayed on this “sabbatical” for 27 years and counting!

What does that freedom look like? For many people that may mean starting a dream business, volunteering, spoiling grandkids, or traveling. For my RGV parents, they worked long hours without pay to accomplish something of significance and they loved every minute of it. Many of my business owner clients decide to continue to do what they love, growing their business and helping others through the employment the business provides. There is no right solution for everyone. However, without the saved wealth, there is no choice — just another day of work to pay the bills.

10. MONEY = FREEDOM According to Proverbs 22:7 (NIV), “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” You can never truly be free if you have not paid off debt and built a nest egg that allows you to choose your day’s activities.

When my parents decided they needed a life change around age 50, they didn’t call it retirement. Preferring the term “undefined sabbatical,” they gave themselves the freedom to return to work if they ran out of money or things to do — whichever came first. Their expenses, lifestyle, and spending had barely changed in almost 20

11. RETIRE TO SOMETHING, NOT FROM SOMETHING There are retirement plans, and then there are plans

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12. GIVE GENEROUSLY IN TIME, MONEY, AND GRACE Thankfully, I was blessed with wonderful examples of generosity in my life. I had parents who sacrificed money and time to church, civic organizations, and other institutions that they believed served humanity for a greater good. In San Antonio, I can remember my mom and stepdad volunteering to clean up the grounds at church and doing so much for my grandparents and extended family. In the Rio Grande Valley, my dad

Any opinions are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC

LESSONS FROM MY PARENTS Have your questions ready for Bill, John, and Audrey Martin in their fourth Facebook Live event via @rgvisionmagazine at noon Monday, March 9.

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and stepmom left successful careers in their very peak earning years to make a real and positive impact on our environment by creating the world’s richest wildlife photo contest to promote habitat conservation.

Throughout my childhood, I was provided examples of how to serveothers.

At my core, I do not believe you can live a truly happy and fulfilled life if you are only focused on you. Our own joy is multiplied when we show our gratitude for our blessings by volunteering our time, money, and grace.

My most enjoyable days have been spent swinging a hammer with fellow Rotarians on a Habitat for Humanity house, sweating with my kids at our church’s Mission Service Project repairing homes for the less fortunate in our community, and working alongside my beautiful wife at our church’s Inside Out projects. I do not bring up these items to congratulate myself; rather, I want to encourage you to experience the fulfillment of being a blessing to others and working for a cause greater than yourself.

Thank you for following me through this journey of these lessons. I look forward to continuing to share stories with RGVision in coming issues. God bless you and your family!

RGVISION MAGAZINE

to retire. Imagine retirement as a long sea voyage.

You would not set sail without a destination, adrift in the middle of the wide ocean. However, this is all too common. Too many people reach an age or stage in life where they are “supposed to” retire without something to do, nowhere to go, and no one to spend the time with. It is lonely, unhealthy (physically and mentally), and for many, depressing. Just because you can take social security or qualify for a pension doesn’t mean you are ready to retire.

It is important that you have a plan for what you will do when you reach retirement. If you enjoy the routine of work or your business, keep doing it, since age alone should not determine when you stop. If you have had enough of work and its stress, then move on to life’s next great adventure! Experiment with your interests, take your vacation days, and test drive your plan. Start making this plan while you are able to enjoy your blessings and be a blessing to others. Very rare is the person who on their deathbed wishes for one more day in the office.

MAR/APR 2020

B U S I N E S S

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

RGVISION MAGAZINE

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MAR/APR 2020

New Rules for Retirement Plan Contributions, Withdrawals

If you’ve had an IRA or 401(k) for a long time, you’re probably pretty familiar with the rules governing withdrawals and contributions — because, for the most part, they haven’t changed in years. And you may also know what’s going to happen to your IRA if you leave it to someone as part of your estate plans. But we are about to see some changes — and you should be aware of how they may affect your individual situation.

Here’s the story: Congress recently approved legislation called the SECURE Act, which, among its many provisions, includes several that should be of particular interest to IRA and 401(k) investors.

The first of these changes deals with the money you take out of your IRA and 401(k). As you may know, under the old rules, you were required to start taking withdrawals — known as required minimum distributions (RMDs) — from your traditional IRA and your 401(k) when you turned 70 1/2. Of course, you did not have to wait until that age, but if you didn’t take your full RMDs on time, the shortfall would typically be subject to a 50 percent tax penalty. Under the Secure Act, the RMD age has been pushed back to 72.

This higher age could benefit you by giving your IRA and/or 401(k) more time to potentially grow on a taxdeferred basis. On the other hand, by waiting until you’re 72, you could be forced to take larger RMDs, which are calculated by dividing your account balance by your life expectancy, as determined by IRS tables. And these RMDs are generally taxed at your personal tax rate.

The second big IRA-related change concerns the age limit for making traditional IRA contributions. Previously,

you could only contribute to your traditional IRA until you were 70 1/2. Under the Secure Act, however, you can fund your traditional IRA for as long as you have earned income. So, if you plan to work past what might be considered the typical retirement age, you have the opportunity to add a few more dollars to your IRA. Another SECURE Act provision deals with early withdrawals from your IRA and 401(k). Usually, you must pay a 10 percent tax penalty when you withdraw funds from either of these accounts before you reach 59 1/2.

But now, with the new rules, you can withdraw up to $5,000 penalty-free from your IRA or 401(k) if you take the money within one year of a child being born or an adoption becoming final.

The new rules also might affect your loved ones who stand to inherit your IRA. Under the old rules, a nonspouse beneficiary could stretch taxable RMDs from a retirement account over his or her lifetime. Now, most non-spouse beneficiaries will have to deplete the entire account balance by the end of the tenth year after the account owner passes away. So, this change could have tax implications for family members who inherit your IRA. You may want to consult with your estate planning or tax professional regarding this issue.

Keep the new rules in mind when creating your retirement strategies. The more you know, the better prepared you can be to make the appropriate moves for you.

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

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GROWTH TAKES A VILLAGE HEDC, HCISD, TSTC Rely on Partnerships to Develop Talented Labor Pool for Harlingen’s Future

RGVISION MAGAZINE

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MAR/APR 2020

by RGV isio n | pho to b y E r i k Web s ter Harlingen is known as a medical hub in South Texas, and the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District, and Texas State Technical College in Harlingen are rising to the occasion to provide a skilled workforce to fill those jobs.

“We have two hospitals and we have several behavioral health hospitals that also add to the demand for more trained healthcare workers,” said Raudel Garza, Harlingen EDC CEO. “Then there’s the UTRGV School of Medicine that’s producing some of the future doctors for this region, but those doctors need a lot of support. That’s really where we see the vacancies in job positions.”

Led by Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos, Harlingen CISD responded by reshaping how the district educates its students.

“We started this about five years ago where we realized that one of our underpinnings in HCISD was going to be health sciences,” Cavazos said.

The district is one of the few that has a medical high school. On this campus, students can choose one of six pathways of study, including dental, pharmaceutical, and biomedical research.

“All the way from Pre-K 3 all the way to a medical degree — all offered here and everything in between. Think about that,” Cavazos said. “It’s an incredible landscape that is filled with opportunities for growth and development.”

Likewise, Cledia Hernandez, TSTC provost, has kept her finger on the pulse of

job demands in the area. TSTC offers LVN and LVN-RN programs, among others, and one of the latest cohorts had a 100 percent pass rate on a challenging exam.

“We’re very proud of what our students go through — they are very dedicated students,” she said.

Creating the educational opportunities to facilitate highly trained workforces — and bring employers into the area to hire them — is where the partnerships that Harlingen EDC, Harlingen CISD, and TSTC are working to form come in to play.

“We recognize in our respective areas that this is very important work that we’re doing and we can’t do it alone,” Cavazos said. “I often say that the kids are waiting for the adults to get it right. And it’s the adults that can bring the people to the table to develop the partnerships.”

At TSTC, partnerships come in the form of leveraging relationships with experts in their respective fields to help tailor training and programs for students.

“We have advisory committees for all of our programs made up of industry leaders,” Hernandez said. “These advisory committees are the ones that oversee and give guidance to our programs to make sure that the labs that we have in place, the machinery that we have in place, is up to par and relevant to what they’re requiring in their industry.”

This close collaboration also extends to RGV school districts like Harlingen CISD to pave the way for students to arrive at TSTC prepared.

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“We partner with not only employers but also with ISDs to make sure that that pathway that they’re coming to our institution is seamless,” Hernandez said.

“So how can we better align? How can we be able to collaborate and make sure that they’re already coming in with the necessary skill sets that they need?”

The desire for meaningful change to provide excellent resources for students is also apparent at Harlingen CISD. “Partnerships are valuable, but it also showed us that opportunities are out there if you want them,” Cavazos said, highlighting Harlingen CISD’s early college high school program with TSTC. “From

B U S I N E S S

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“We have a very capable workforce thanks to the educators in the region.”

Ra u d e l G a r z a , CE O of Harlin gen E con omic Developmen t Corporation

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job opportunities for our citizens. What they’re looking for is a great place to do business, great access to markets — which Harlingen has — and typically the number one thing they’re looking for now is labor and talent,” he said. “We have a very capable workforce thanks to the educators in the region.”

Partnerships and future growth in Harlingen are bright — so much so that more and more people are interested in staying and working in Harlingen instead of leaving the area after obtaining their education.

“We’re beginning to see the pendulum swing,” Cavazos said. “Kids want to stay.

If they have meaningful opportunities for employment, they’re going to stay.”

RGVISION MAGAZINE

that partnership stemmed the courage, the boldness, the appetite to transform our school district. When you think about that, when the adults get it right, and you’ve come to the table, what we’re blessed with here in HCISD and in the Harlingen community is that everybody’s saying, ‘pick up the phone, let’s talk, can we get this done?’ The appetite to get things done for the betterment of our kids is always at the forefront.”

All of this translates to better jobs and opportunities for Harlingen residents, Garza said.

“From the economic development standpoint, we’re always looking to try to encourage companies to come in to create

MAR/APR 2020

Stu den ts pass th rou gh between classes ou tside th e offices of th e Harlin gen E con omic Developmen t Corporation on th e campu s of Texas State Tech n ical College in Harlin gen .

B U S I N E S S

Blueprint Blossoms Community Comes Together on Developing Sharyland Project

RGVISION MAGAZINE

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MAR/APR 2020

b y RGVi s i o n | p h ot os b y M a r k P u e n t e In mid-January, the inside of the Center for Education and Economic Development in Mission bustled. Maps unfurled over desktops, furniture was moved around, and a team of architects, urbanists, designers, town planners, and other professionals from Able City and Dover, Kohl & Partners conducted public workshops and pored over options for Killam Development’s new 3,400-acre project near Sharyland Plantation.

“The goal of the workshops was to involve the community in the planning of the master-planned community,” Daniel Silva, CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation, wrote in an email. “The goal of the new development is to be very community based and the Killams wanted to make sure to include the right type of housing, quality of life, retail, and entertainment.”

Over the course of a single week, a number of public discussions and open studio opportunities awaited those who wanted to add their input on the

development. Topics ranged from housing options and arts and culture to health and wellness and child friendly design.

“A lot of individuals had their reservations and fears of what could possibly be built in their backyard,” Silva wrote. “The meetings allowed them to voice their concerns and be reassured that a lot of attention will be given to developing the 3,400 acres in a very beneficial way.”

Around 400 people in total took part in the planning process, which included everyone from elected officials, teachers, young professionals, and even high schoolers, who told the planners what it would take to get them to stay in the RGV, Silva wrote.

“It’s been a really amazing week. We started with a kickoff presentation on Monday, we talked to all kinds of people with technical meetings and stakeholder meetings and public meetings, and now we’ve arrived at the big show,” said Jason King of Dover, Kohl &

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“We have a very capable workforce thanks to the educators in the region.”

D a ni e l S i l v a , CE O of th e M i s s i on E con omic Developmen t Cor p oration , on th e Sh arylan d Pl a ntation -area developmen t

building parks, and preserving key farm fields; providing something different from the norm as a new development; constructing safe, comfortable, and interesting streets for walking and biking; and creating a prosperous but still affordable region.

“It is not a common occurrence to

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see level of development such as this take place in such a quick amount of time,” Silva wrote. “The property has sat dormant for roughly 10 years and its a breath of fresh air to see that their development schedule is very aggressive and we will start to see major changes by the end of 2020.”

Silva added that the development, which spans parts of Mission and McAllen, will bring tremendous growth to his city, drawing retail, industrial, and commercial development as well as residential development for families. Everyone from job seekers to school districts stand to benefit.

“The Killam family has been amazing to work with. They are very respectful of our ideas and listen to our needs,” Silva wrote. “I believe they want what is best for Mission and the entire RGV and they will work very closely with the EDC and the City to accomplish everyone’s goals.”

Learn more about the project and stay up to date by visiting ImagineRGV.com.

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“The Killam family has been amazing to work with. They are very respectful of our ideas and listen to our needs. I believe they want what is best for Mission and the entire RGV.”

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Partners during the final presentation that covered what participants said they wanted to see happen with the development.

During that presentation, attendees had the opportunity to peruse posters, polls, surveys, and word clouds developed throughout the week. King took everyone through a virtual tour of what the community could possibly include, such as tree-lined residential areas situated within walking distance of retail necessities, covered playgrounds, public parks with water features, and more.

“We will have an opportunity to see a huge portion of our city that has not been utilized turn into a development that will include features that we have only previously experienced outside of the Valley,” Silva wrote of the project.

“We will be able to call it our own and the entire RGV will benefit.”

The five biggest overarching ideas for the development included connecting to existing communities and recognizing the Valley’s unique identity, increasing access to nature,

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Ra u d e l G a r z a , CE O of Harlin gen E con omic Developmen t Corporation

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Self-Storage Outside the Box Affordable Attic’s Culture of Innovation Fosters Superior Customer Service b y Affo r d a b l e At t i c | p h ot os b y E r i k We b s t e r “Affordable Attic prides itself in designing storage facilities with service offerings that center around a great customer experience,” said Azael Gomez, director of marketing and real estate development.

“We value our customers and work continually to ensure that the Affordable Attic experience stands uniquely apart from any other self-storage company.”

At all Affordable Attic locations, customers can expect 24/7 gate access, video cameras, clean, well-lit facilities, climate-controlled storage units of all sizes, month-to-month no hassle contracts with no hidden fees, and free locks for units.

“When first driving up to an Affordable Attic property, you can see that we are not just another storage facility,” Johnson said. “We seek to be the storage facility that thinks outside the box.”

At select locations, additional offerings include conference room access, Wi-Fi, moving trucks for rent, and the ability to accept and send deliveries — services not offered at more traditional storage facilities. “These are especially helpful

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In 1994, CEO and developer Darrel Johnson established the Affordable Attic Self Storage’s culture of service and innovation with a single, yet simple observation: Climate-controlled storage was not offered in the Rio Grande Valley.

“I was working in real estate at the time,” Johnson said. “I had a client tell me they had to rent two condos upon moving to the Valley — one for he and his wife and one to store their furniture. In that moment, I thought to myself, ‘I need to introduce climate control storage to South Texas.’” The vision of the Affordable Attic was born.

Twenty-six years later, the Affordable Attic offers self-storage at 11 premier locations across the Valley, providing a collection of amenities at each location designed with customers in mind.

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Gomez said. For years, Affordable Attic properties have led the storage industry in using green energy sources at each of its facilities.

Trusted by thousands of customers across the Rio Grande Valley for the past 25 years, the Affordable Attic customer experience is like none other.

To experience a business where quality meets excellence, visit your local Affordable Attic Plus for all your selfstorage and high value storage needs.

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the best services possible, but to also provide quality employment for our great team members.”

Through the years, Affordable Attic has taken measures to reduce its carbon footprint by using alternative energy sources while significantly reducing its annual energy consumption across its locations. “We pride ourselves in not only taking care of our properties but also pushing ourselves to do our part in taking care of the environment around us,”

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for Affordable Attic’s commercial clients,” Gomez added.

The latest innovation introduced first to the Rio Grande Valley by Affordable Attic’s team is Freedom Vault, the first private high value storage solution in the area offering an alternative to traditional bank safety deposit boxes.

Unlike a bank, Freedom Vault has designed a proprietary FV Security Protocol, which takes security to the next level, safeguarding items such as firearms, coin and currency collections, jewelry as well as all types of important documents. Freedom Vault provides customers peace of mind allowing them to strategically store valuables in a commercial vault to guard against burglary, home invasion or natural disasters. The three locations in Harlingen, Edinburg, and Pharr are easily accessible Valleywide.

“Innovation is what we do best,” Johnson said. “After 25 years in business, we are one of the last remaining locally owned and operated self-storage companies in the Rio Grande Valley. Our goal is to continue local ownership and operations for years to come and to provide not only

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SEO KUNG FU RGVision Utilizes Search Engine Optimization to Boost Businesses on the Web b y R GV i s i on

When you’re looking for a new outfit, are you more likely to buy from the trunk of someone’s car, or from the shelves of a reputable retailer? If your company doesn’t have a website — what RGVision CEO Gabriel Puente calls a digital storefront — you may be turning away potential business because of a lack of perceived

internet credibility.

But it’s not enough to simply choose a cookie cutter template and throw your website up online to get your business out there.

“Something we asked ourselves as a company a while back when we were running the publication when it came

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“It’s important to not only just have a digital storefront, but you want to engage the users.”

G a b e P uente, R GV i s i o n CEO

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Google’s coveted “3-pack” — the three top businesses that appear beneath the map on the first page of a Google search result.

This is different from Google Ads — paying to appear as the top search result on the first page.

“I’ve seen how expensive Google Ads may be but at the end of the day, consumers are smart — we know what we’re looking for, so whenever you do see that little ad button at the top of the search, you will know that that was paid for,” Puente said. “It’s not a true resource and it’s not a true credible source that maybe I would look for. I would look for the top three in the 3-pack that don’t have that little ad symbol.”

RGVision has helped several clients rank high organically on Google, helping people who search for those types of services notice them better.

“Reach out to us — we would love to talk to you and just give you our insight as far as what we’ve been able to find in the past 10 years of doing this,” Puente said. “We’re here for small businesses and what’s important for us is to give those small businesses the education, the tools, and the resources to make an educated decision when it comes to marketing your business.”

Curious about what people see when they search your business online? Visit RGVisionMedia.com/Analyze-Your-Business to use our free tool!

Open Wednesday thru Sunday at 1017 W Shasta Avenue McAllen 53

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to content creation and storytelling was, we’re writing these stories, but who cares?”

Puente said. “We take that same approach whenever we’re creating websites. We go into depth and we ask our clients to get to know them a little bit more, understanding their services, and asking them what are people looking for and how are they coming up with a solution to some of those problems?

“It’s important to not only just have a digital storefront, but you want to engage the users.”

RGVision creates high-quality web content on both the front end and the back end — services that are rare for just one company to offer. The digital team is experienced in employing the principles of SEO — geotagging, long-tailed keywords, load speed, and other factors — and crafting engaging content to help tell your company’s story and build your credibility with potential leads online.

It’s an intensive, dedicated process that the team affectionately refers to as “SEO kung fu.”

“We call it SEO kung fu because we really believe it’s an art,” Puente explained. “There’s a lot of things that our digital marketing team does on the back end. Where the art comes in is creating the content and understanding how to do that because it truly is an art — and that’s where we come in as a creative agency.”

Implementing local SEO in this process helps businesses rank organically in

H E A L T H

PETS AND MENTAL HEALTH:

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A Helping Paw, Fin, and Wing Animal companionship has become increasingly more popular over the last years. The most recent National Pet Owners Survey shows that currently 67 percent of all U.S. households include at least one pet. Likewise, the U.S. Census has reported that the number of pet owning households is 84.6 million, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

news, sharing time with one’s pets can help us de-stress, ease worries, and help us cope with everyday life.

PETS IN ACTION: IMPROVING QUALITY WELLBEING A survey conducted by the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute in 2016 showed that 74 percent of pet owners stated having a pet improved their mental health and 54 percent said it improved their physical health. This benefit is widely acknowledged by health professionals, with 97 percent of family physicians in the U.S. endorsing the health benefits that pets provide to their owners (Herzog, 2018).

Among the scientific community there is an emerging body of research recognizing and supporting the impact that pets can have on our mental health. To date, there are more than an astoundingly 6,300 peer-reviewed journal articles exploring this relation (Hoy-Gerlach, Vincent, Lory Hector, 2019).

THE IMPACT OF OUR LOYAL COMPANIONS It is undeniable that pets bring many benefits into our lives. Our furry, feathery, scaly, and prickly pets not only provide us with companionship, but they can also be considered as an extension of our family. Across various dimensions of mental wellbeing, pets have been associated with improved quality of life. Whether walking one’s dog around the block after a long day at work, playing lasers with your cat after an exhausting commute, or redecorating one’s fish or turtle tank while awaiting

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It is undeniable that pets bring many benefits into our lives. Our furry, feathery, scaly, and prickly pets not only provide us with companionship, but they can also be considered as an extension of our family.

MORE HELP FROM PEOPLE’S BEST FRIENDS Additional data from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute reported benefits for specific clinical populations: • Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia • It has been documented that pets have improved the quality of life of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, as well as the quality of life of their caregivers.

• Older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease experienced a decrease of required nutritional supplements, and an increase of weight and appetite after the introduction of an aquarium.

• Autism Spectrum Disorder • With companion animals, children diagnosed with

Co-authors include Dr. Mercado’s Mental Health Lab at UTRGV: Stephanie Arellano, Stephania Navarro, Erin Tovar, Andy Torres, Maria Sevilla, and Frances Morales.

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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A BOND THAT HELPS US COPE While pets can serve as a powerful form of support, they by themselves do not substitute professional help.

Seeking adoption in shelters, or volunteering in them, can be an inexpensive means of obtaining or interacting with pets. Both adopter and adoptee can provide each other with quality time that can improve both their quality of life.

Dogs and cats are among the most common choices for a pet; however, other animals, such as fish, birds, turtles, snakes, and insects, can also be loyal companions to help us through the stressors of daily life — or even help us cope with mental health symptoms.

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ASD demonstrated heightened social behaviors.

• Children diagnosed with ASD receiving Animal Assisted Intervention achieved greater socioeconomic functioning and independence.

• PTSD & Trauma • Animal Assisted Intervention reduced severity of PTSD symptoms.

• Service dogs for veterans with PTSD have shown to have reduced prescription drug reliance for their mental health and pain.

• Mental Health • Past research studies have supported dog walking as an approach for social opportunities, from incidental social interaction to new friendship development.

Thus, evoking protective factors to social wellbeing.

• Increased perception of social support and decreased symptoms of loneliness, stress, and anxiety have also been found in research.

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An article published by the American Psychological Association in 2011 reports that pet owners noted “greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extraverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied than non-owners.” Similarly, a Harvard Medical School article published in 2016 described that individuals receive unconditional love and support from pets, which can provide us with feelings of security.

Additionally, caring for our animal companions can give us a sense of purpose and responsibility, which can lead to validation.

Yet the role of pets in our health extends beyond the aforementioned ones. It is worth mentioning that sometimes pets take on an even more vital role in a person’s life. For instance, for people afflicted by some mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or PTSD, the comfort of having a pet can be therapeutic. These types of pets are called emotional support animals (ESAs). ESAs are animals prescribed by a licensed therapist or psychiatrist with the purpose of helping their owners to cope with emotional and difficult issues. However, an ESA does not require the same extensive training as a service animal or a working dog does.

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‘BACK ON THEIR FEET’ Valley Baptist Harlingen Orthopedics Team Excels in Patient Care b y RGVi s i o n | p h o to s b y M a r k P u e n t e a n d A m y C a s e b i e r Mary Kay Moriarty stands at a table, concentrating on matching differently shaped wooden tiles to corresponding patterns printed on paper. This task is part of her rehabilitation for a broken femur at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen.

“It’s encouraging, it’s nurturing, and I would say it’s also challenging at times — everybody encourages you to do a little bit more every day and they make you want to do that,” she said of her experience there.

Moriarty is one of many patients who have experienced the quality care of the Valley Baptist orthopedics team, a group of individuals dedicated to working seamlessly to

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deliver excellent outcomes for all.

“Our patients here locally can turn to Valley Baptist Medical Center for comprehensive care and treatment,” said Dr. Rick Bassett, chairman of the center’s orthopedic surgery department. "Many times, a person will have to travel hundreds and hundreds of miles just so you can get this kind of treatment, but we offer this now to our patients here.”

Not having to travel or be transferred to other facilities is key in a patient’s treatment.

“The care of the patient does not only involve operation. It involves family care. It involves social care,” said Dr. Joseph

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Tejon, traumatologist at Valley Baptist. “If you don’t “I had a patient and I introduced myself and he told me, transfer the patients, the family comes to visit them. ‘Elvira — that was my mother’s name who passed away They have less stress, they have less worries. Even the a couple years ago,’” recalled Elvira Bowe, a circulating transfer alone — if you have a major trauma, to take you registered nurse. “He said he was feeling very anxious from here to San Antonio, it takes three hours. Many and was worried — he told me he could see his mother. things can happen to you on the road.”

I gave him my condolences and I told him, ‘your mom is Valley Baptist’s success in both orthopedic trauma with you — everything is going to be OK.” cases and total joint replacements is drawing more Patient care is what makes a difference at people to Harlingen to seek care.

Valley Baptist.

“We’ve been lucky enough and “What really counts are fortunate enough to be helping people,” Bassett said. “Yes, an “We do a great job and we institution is nice and equipment people throughout the community here, but in particular a lot of people is nice. What really counts is take care of our patients now come down from across the the commitment of the medical very well — like family.” country to take care of their knees personnel and physicians to and their orthopedic needs down care in their community. They Jo s ep h Lop e z , orth opedics OR nur s e at Valley Baptist Medical Cen ter here,” said Jaime Dones, a physician routinely are recognized for the in Harlin gen assistant who works with Bassett. compassion they show and I “It’s been nice to help people from am always happy to be able to everywhere.” introduce patients to our nurses Valley Baptist completes more than 1,000 total knee and therapists because of the quality they give. I like to replacements every year — not to mention the countless brag about our department a little bit because they do trauma cases the orthopedic surgery team addresses. so well.”

“My favorite part is, number one, helping the patients Cutting edge operating rooms, equipment, and get back on their feet, helping them get better,” said Gilbert treatment that reduces chances for infection and gets Salinas of Valley Baptist’s orthopedic department. “They patients back to their normal lives as soon as possible is come in, they can’t see the light. They have something a level of excellence that is par for the course here. broken. We get them to where they can finally see the end “I want the community to know that they can have result — that they’re going to get better and they’re going confidence in this hospital and the orthopedic team that to recover from their injuries.” we have here at Valley Baptist,” said Joseph Lopez, a Sometimes, it’s the little touches that matter, like nurse who mainly works in the orthopedics OR. “We do playing a patient’s favorite music in the operating room, a great job and we take care of our patients very well — or reassuring them when they’re nervous. like family.”

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H E A L T H

Jo r g e A l v ar e z , CEO a nd cl i ni ca l d i r e cto r of N ova Vita Welln ess Cen ters, ch ecks Dr. Pau l Sale’s vit a m in i V i nf us i o n r e ce ntl y at the cl i ni c. S ale saw su ccess with N ova Vita’s ketamin e treatmen ts.

A Path to Normalcy Nova Vita Patients Continue to See Success with Ketamine Therapy

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b y RGVi s i o n | p h ot os b y A m y C a s e b i e r When Dr. Paul Sale, professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, first heard about the ketamine IV infusions offered at Nova Vita Wellness Centers in Edinburg, he was skeptical.

“It seemed like just another fad — something that hadn’t been tried, something that folks were selling. But then I started reading the research, and I became more and more convinced that this had real possibilities for me,” he said.

Sale has battled depression and anxiety since 1986. The illnesses, his PTSD, and the accompanying medication were starting to affect Sale’s work. He examined the scientific, double-blind studies on ketamine therapy for depression, consulted with his medical professionals, and went to Nova Vita to meet with Jorge Alvarez, the CEO and clinical director of the center.

“It reminded me very much of a spa-like setting,” Sale said, recalling what he felt walking in through the doors of Nova Vita. “The front desk staff was so friendly.”

That same afternoon, Sale had his first ketamine infusion. Nova Vita provided an Uber to and from the appointment. The Nova Vita team considered Sale’s comfort throughout the treatment — from applying lidocaine on the site of the IV so that he wouldn’t feel the needle, to providing a weighted blanket and headphones tuned to relaxing classical music.

Sale experienced positive results after his first treatment. When he saw his therapist, his anxiety PTSD scale numbers had gone from the highly abnormal range to the near-normal range.

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At top, Jessica of N ova Vita Welln ess Cen ters in serts an I V in to Dr. Pa u l Sale’s vein . Above, Sale relaxes du rin g h is vitamin I V in fu sion . Belo w, S a le demon strates wh at a ketamin e in fu sion treatmen t was like as h e re c eiv es a vitamin in fu sion .

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"I can’t believe it. Before, I was having trouble getting out of bed since October,” Sale said. “I was getting out of bed and I continued to work, but I could really see my productivity go down. For me, it’s made the difference between night and day. The treatment provides a way to get back to normal.”

Sale represents the latest success story at Nova Vita.

Alvarez remembered other patients at the center, like a suicidal, combative, self-medicating 16-year-old who had been in and out of behavioral health facilities. After her third infusion, she began eating again, dancing, and interacting with her family.

“After her fifth infusion, her mother said, ‘my God, we got my daughter back,’” Alvarez said.

Another patient was wheelchair-bound with chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. After the third infusion, she walked out of Nova Vita. After her sixth infusion she surprised her husband, who worked in the oil fields, by running into his arms at the airport as he arrived back home.

“She just broke down. She said, ‘thank you so much.

This has given me my life back and I just can’t believe what it’s done for me and my family,’” Alvarez recalled.

As more people in the Rio Grande Valley experience the success of ketamine therapy through Nova Vita, the treatment has also gained wider acceptance in the rest of the country. Alvarez is a member of the American Society for Ketamine Physicians, an organization that had its second conference last year. California has over 300 ketamine clinics, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson made its own spray version of the treatment, and certain states have approved the treatment as a part of workers’ compensation. Some new studies even suggest that ketamine could be used to help prevent PTSD in soldiers, Alvarez said.

“Watching this drug work on patients has been amazing,” he said. “I would like the community to know that there’s no gimmick here. There’s no scam. This drug really works. Do the research on your own — it’s out there.”

Nova Vita also provides a range of vitamin IV infusions in addition to ketamine therapy. The center will soon start trials for CBD and ketamine infusions aimed at tackling chronic pain, Alvarez said.

Alvarez urges people experiencing depression, anxiety, pain, and other issues to reach out.

“Do not try to go through these conditions on your own because they will only progress,” he said. Alvarez welcomes people to give his office a call for a noobligation consultation. “We are professionals here.

We’re very experienced with the ketamine drug and we’re here for you. Please come out if you are suffering or you have a loved one that’s suffering from any of these conditions.”

Sale agreed.

“Mental health problems don’t go away by themselves,” he said. “There are always new and innovative treatments, so I would recommend that folks take a look at the research.”

Learn more about the treatments that are available at Nova Vita Wellness Centers by visiting novavitacare.com.

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Your CBD Store Embraces Regulations to Benefit Customers

HIGHQUALITY STANDARDS

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by Kelsey Gree ne | p h o to b y Ja s o n G a r z a In November 2019, the Food and Drug Administration cracked down on CBD distributors for marketing materials claiming that the product might have some health benefits for various aches, pains, and ailments. The crackdown came not because the claims are necessarily untrue, but because there has not yet been enough significant and methodical scientific research on the effects of the product. Although the FDA’s restrictions on what CBD distributors can say in promoting their products may affect these companies’ bottom lines for a short period of time, some producers of CBD are supportive of the changes and encourage the FDA’s move for more regulations.

Your CBD Store is a rapidly growing distributor of CBD products manufactured by SunMed/SunFlora Inc. Adam Campbell, SunFlora’s director of sales, explains that strict regulation of CBD will help weed out poor sources of CBD or unethical distributors. “Regulation can only help us as a company and as an industry,” he said. “The faster we can get some of the bad actors in the CBD industry, the better we can serve the public.”

SunMed Chief Science Officer Dr. Anthony Ferrari agrees and adds that companies that already distribute quality products ethically shouldn’t have any issues with further regulation. "Any clarity on CBD would mean that new product innovation could happen with clear rules on how those would be labeled as well,” he said. “The dietary natural supplement market actually has fewer restrictions for testing compared to CBD, so we are confident that the real good players in the industry could easily adapt to any regulatory standards that are required.”

If you still have questions about CBD and would like to learn more, the Rio Grande Valley is home to four different Your CBD Store locations from McAllen to Brownsville.

The Your CBD Store staff are an excellent source of information and are passionate about their work within the CBD industry. Consider visiting to learn more about their products and services — and try some free samples!

Until November, there hadn’t been much regulation on the industry, and companies are still working to move toward compliance. This means that the market might still be saturated with poorly sourced CBD products from companies trying to make a quick buck with oversold (and currently unfounded) benefits.

“If you go on Amazon right now, you'll find hundreds of ‘CBD’ products that contain zero CBD and have health claims all over the bottle,” Ferrari said. “We want the FDA to change that and allow for consumers to be able to find a trusted brand that has amazingly sourced ingredients.”

Campbell bolsters this point, saying that FDA regulation can help customers discern quality CBD products.

“We do believe that the FDA has the ability to supply clear rules making as the USDA continues to do,” Ferrari said. “We see this as a public health issue without regulation on the market, and it is a core reason that we as a company work with the USDA and other state regulators as closely as possible to find common-sense solutions.”

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H E A L T H

Splendid Smiles Rodeo Dental Orthodontists Delivering Excellent, Attainable Care

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b y RGVi s i o n | p h ot os b y E r i k We b s t e r Last year, Dr. Senan Ziadeh, an orthodontist, started seeing a patient at Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics who, in her father’s words, never smiled.

“Just seven months into the treatment, he took me aside and he said, ‘I’ve never seen my daughter taking selfies, smiling to her friends, and doing FaceTime. I’ve seen her smiling to the camera for the first time just last week,’” Ziadeh recalled. “He almost cried. That was a touching moment for me.

“Creating a beautiful smile for a patient is a big impact for a lot of people.”

Ziadeh is one of many dedicated and talented orthodontists who make up the team at Rodeo Dental. Orthodontics addresses both the aesthetics and health of a smile in patients of all ages, tackling issues like teeth crowding, crooked teeth, damaging bites, and more.

“It gives better self-confidence and just promotes the overall health of their mouth and body,” Dr. Suliman Salman

said of orthodontics.

Now, in 2020, Salman added, there are many options for straightening a smile. Traditional silver metal braces are still among the choices, but clear and gold brackets are also on the table. Rodeo orthodontists also offer Invisalign — a series of clear plastic trays designed to slowly realign teeth. All these options are effective treatments, though patients can remove Invisalign trays to eat and brush their teeth. Traditional braces stay on for the duration of the treatment.

Salman was careful to make the distinction between receiving Invisalign through a trusted professional like the orthodontists at Rodeo versus mail-order aligners.

“Doing it with a doctor, you’re actually getting a treatment,” he said. “Mail orders, you’re buying a product. A doctor who is overseeing your treatment is not just looking to straighten your teeth. They’re looking at your overall health of your mouth and your body.”

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At left, Dr. Su liman Salman , left, Dr. Ru ss McCracken , cen ter, an d Dr. Sen an Ziadeh , righ t, examin e orth odon tic patien t in formation at Rodeo Den tal & Orth odon tics in Weslaco.

At far left, McCracken tou ch es base with th e orth odon tics team. Below, McCracken examin es an orth odon tic patien t du rin g a regu lar appoin tmen t in Weslaco.

patients and they want to come in they want to fix their smile and we’re able to deliver that,” McCracken said. “Everybody enjoys being around each other. It’s basically very much a team effort and you see that from start to finish when you walk in the doors.”

The entire Rodeo team enjoys coming to work every day, contributing to an excellent company culture.

“I can tell you the environment we have here, the culture we have with Rodeo, could be one of the best environments you could work,” Ziadeh said. “It’s always been fun.”

That culture means that patients can expect some of the highest quality care available whether they’re children or adults.

“I’m most passionate about making orthodontics accessible to everybody in the community,” Salman said. “I like that every single person that comes into Rodeo seeking orthodontics is actually able to afford it — the best care you can get.”

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Patients who go through an office like Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics for their aligners have the opportunity to talk to their doctor throughout the treatment. They can have any concerns addressed, provide input on the process, and decide if they’d like something different. Patients have a chance to develop a genuine relationship with their orthodontist at Rodeo, whom they will see typically on a monthly basis during the process.

“That’s the fun part,” Rodeo orthodontist Dr. Russ McCracken said. “Every visit, we continue to ask how the progress is. We like to get feedback from the patient and see if there’s any customizations that they want in particular.”

Ziadeh agreed.

“We like to keep every single visit memorable for them to make it fun,” he said. “We always joke around with each other, we joke around with the patient. We’re doing our work, we’re delivering the best treatment we could do to the patient, but at the same time, we’re here to have fun.”

That commitment to making visits fun is what sets Rodeo Dental apart from other practices, Salman said.

“We’re looking to change the way that we’re providing care for patients so it’s not just about treatment, it’s about making going to the dentist or the orthodontist a fun experience,” he said.

That fun comes from waiting rooms full of things to do, balloons and goody bags, pop spirit celebrations, and a special orthodontics-themed spring break bash in March.

“We have a lot of festivities going on. We also have a lot of good discounts, as well,” McCracken said. “It’s a good time for the kids and the families to come in and take advantage of that.”

Patients aren’t the only ones having fun at Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics.

“Every day is enjoyable. It’s the fact that we get to treat

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H E A L T H

‘It’s Your Health’ Dr. Luz Pettle Offers Practical Advice, Dedicated OB/GYN Care to Rio Grande Valley Patients

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MAR/APR 2020

by RGVi s i o n | p h o to b y Jo h nny Q u i r oz

It’s Your HealthThe reason Dr. Luz Pettle, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with Valley Care Clinics, decided to live and work in the Rio Grande Valley is simple.

“There is no snow here,” she said, deadpan. “Ever.” She received her training at the University at Buffalo-SUNY in Buffalo, New York — a city that receives, on average, 93.4 inches of snow every year, according to National Weather Service data.

SERVING WOMEN Pettle’s self-described Dr. Luz Pettle offers sarcastic brand of humor is something that patients look comprehensive care to her forward to, as it sets them Rio Grande Valley patients: at ease during their visits • Prenatal services to her office. She provides • da Vinci robotic surgery comprehensive women’s • Minimally invasive procedures services from low- and high-risk • Annual gynecologic examinations pregnancy care to minimally • High risk obstetrics invasive surgery with the da • Endometrial ablation Vinci Surgical System.

• Office hysteroscopy “I love using the da Vinci • Infertility robotic system because the • Fibroids articulations in the robot’s arms are like a surgeon’s • Ovarian cysts hands,” Pettle said, adding • Endometriosis that she can use the system • Abnormal uterine bleeding on everything from small • Abnormal pap smears hysterectomies to addressing • Birth control large fibroid uteruses. “They • Mammograms articulate just like a surgeon would but without having to cut a person open. From 10 centimeters to these small incisions the size of my pinky.”

Minimally invasive surgeries have lower risks than traditional surgeries, including less risk of bleeding, a lower likelihood of infections, and a faster recovery time — meaning her patients can get back to their lives as quickly as possible. Instead of downtimes of weeks and months, patients are only looking at days and weeks of recovery.

“Come to your visits. Come see us.

We’re going to take really good care of you and that’s the most important first step to long-lasting health.”

Dr. Luz Pettl e, Va ll ey Care Cli nics O B/GY N

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Pettle helps pave the way for her patients to be active participants in their own health care. She encourages all women — especially teenagers and young adults — to discuss safe sex and reproductive health with their gynecologists during regular visits. It might be an awkward or uncomfortable topic for some, but open communication can facilitate the best health care and choices for women and their futures.

“It’s your health, it’s your reproductive health, and you want to have a baby when you’re ready to have a baby,” Pettle said. “Starting longacting reversible contraceptives or even contraceptive pills early on will help not only regulate your period, but will help you decide when and if you ever want to have children.”

Visit valleycareclinics.com/find-a-doctor/luz-pettle to learn more about the services Dr. Luz Pettle provides or to schedule an appointment online, or call (956) 682-6146. She practices at Valley Care Clinics Sugar Road OB/GYN, 4302 S. Sugar Road, Suite 206, in Edinburg.

RGVISION MAGAZINE

It’s a goal that extends to her waiting and exam rooms, as Pettle recognizes that “nobody wants to be in the doctor’s office for two or three hours.” She and her team strive to care for patients as efficiently as possible to minimize wait times.

Pettle also offers down-to-earth advice for new mothers that stems from her own experience with motherhood.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself as a mom,” she said. “I constantly have to tell myself, ‘you can’t do everything perfect 100 percent of the time.’

“Be a good mom. Your kids will love you.” Being there when it matters most should take priority over striving for perfection in every single moment, she explains.

But the most crucial thing a mother can do for her children takes place before they’re even born: obtaining adequate prenatal care.

“Come to your visits. Come see us,” Pettle urged. “We’re going to take really good care of you and that’s the most important first step to long-lasting health.”

MAR/APR 2020

H E A L T H

H E A L T H

IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION

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MAR/APR 2020

A Healthy Lifestyle is Made Of Daily Choices, Chances to Improve

by Nathaniel Mata Not sure who needs to hear this, but health is a lifelong

calendar, not just when it’s time to set resolutions.

journey — and each of those journeys is one-of-a-kind.

She is the lone licensed and registered dietician on

With that said, many of us end up using the turn of

staff at PR Nutrition Consulting, the business that she

New Year’s as the time to challenge our extra baggage

started five years ago. Along with dietary advice, her

and inactivity head-on.

practice also sells portion-controlled meal prep and

Well, it’s not January anymore. This is the time of year

offers cooking classes.

that we have to face the mirror and decide if it’s time to

“The focus should always be a balanced meal,”

buckle down and get back on track or just decide “better

Rosales said. “It’s easy to grab something if you’re in a

luck next year.”

hurry and that meal wasn’t balanced. Something was

For dietitian Peggy Rosales, her goal is to help Valley

missing … whether it’s protein, whether it’s a healthy fat,

residents find healthy eating habits throughout the

maybe it’s a complex carb that we’re missing.”

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RGVision Ad for QM (Monarch 2020).pdf

H E A L T H

1

Monarch Sat, March 21

“When it comes down to setting goals we should always try to aim for realistic goals. Nothing like 10 pounds in a week. We pack on the weight in long periods of time so it’s probably going to take a little while to lose that.�

1pm to 6pm

2020

Pe ggy Ro sa les, d ie t iti a n

D. G. Bentley

Healthy habits start in the home and if you

dog outside or listening to an audiobook

have children, it is a family affair. Childhood

when you exercise or finding a gym partner,

obesity, for example, often reflects the

someone that can hold you accountable.�

His philosophy echoed Rosales: digestible

said. “Usually what I hear is ‘oh, we go out to

than getting discouraged. “It’s about baby steps, right? If you’re C

eat a lot.’ Well, who has the money? You’re

going from no days of exercise, zero activity

buying the food for them. Obviously they’re

a week, you can’t just be like ‘I’m going to

kids. They’re going to eat what tastes better.�

work out six days a week.’ It’s not going to

to

Rosales,

part

of

the

trouble with New Year’s resolutions is the expectation to see drastic change in a short period of time. “When it comes down to setting goals, we should always try to aim for realistic goals,�

M

Y

happen,� Gutierrez said. “You have to CMbe very determined.�

MY

Having a plan to enter the healthy realms CY

is key to sustained success. Gutierrez said CMY

that once the habit is formed, it will start to feel missing from your routine.

K

Rosales said. “Nothing like 10 pounds in a

“It’s going to be part of your lifestyle

week. We pack on the weight in long periods

and if you ever don’t work out, you’re going

of time, so it’s probably going to take a little

to feel it,� he said. “If you don’t brush your

while to lose that.�

teeth, you feel like you’re missing something

If you’ve never studied behavior, her next

— it’s something you're used to. Eventually,

quote might be impactful knowledge to

you could get that ‘runner’s high’ or just

jot down.

those endorphins.�

“They say it takes 21 days, three weeks, to

As a strength and fitness coach for his

build a good habit,� Rosales said. “It’s hard

clients, he says that adding weights on top

to make these huge changes or want to see

of a cardio regimen can do wonders for

huge results when it takes a lot of time to

your body.

build a habit.�

going to help you change your body,� he said.

Academy of Sports Medicine) certified

"If you reach your plateau with your cardio,

personal trainer at Gold’s Gym in Mission.

weightlifting will help you break that.�

Even though not everyone’s goals are

So if it’s springtime and you are falling

having a ripped body, any change takes

short of your goals, don’t fret. You have a

targeted action.

whole life to live with the potential to turn

Gutierrez said. “Whether it’s walking your

Mayor’s Bug Parade Bug Costume Contest • Fun Educational Crafts • Scout Badge Activities • Caterpillar Tot Corner • Upcycle Fashion Show • Arts & Crafts • Food • Speakers • Garden Tours • Arts & Vendors • Music & Dance • Cooking Demos • Farmers Market • Native Plant Sales • •

“Muscle naturally burns fat, so that’s

Jesus Gutierrez is a NASM (National

“You have to find the right thing for you,�

A Pollination Celebration Dress As A Bug

the page to something healthier for the long haul.

Tickets $5 (2 & Under FREE)

www.ticketleap.com Search: Monarch Fest

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67

MAR/APR 2020

diabetes, I kind of link to the parent,� Rosales

steps to promote accomplishments rather

.

“If a child is overweight or say they have

RGVISION MAGAZINE

environment and available food options.

According

QUINTA MAZATLĂ N

1

Dr. Theodore Pettle is on a mission to eliminate colorectal cancer Did you know that tens of thousands of people die from colorectal cancer each year?

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Dr. Pettle wants you to know that this disease may be preventable with a screening called a colonoscopy.

This pain-free test not only can detect lesions and polyps; it can also remove those that are pre-cancerous or cancerous growths. Dr. Pettle has performed thousands of these tests, saving lives in the process, including those who never experienced symptoms like change in bowel habits, blood in the stool and weight loss.

SPEAK TO DR. PETTLE ABOUT YOUR SCREENING OPTIONS IF YOU ARE:

• Age 50 or older • African American and age 45 or older • Or have a family history of colon polyps or colorectal cancer

Get screened!

It saves lives. Maybe yours.

Get social with us For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimxination notice, visit our website. 200128-7681 1/20

Theodore Pettle, MD 1801 S. 5th Street, Suite 214 McAllen, TX 78503 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT:

Schedule online at valleycareclinics.com or call 956-616-5427.

Accepts Medicare, Medicaid and most medical insurance plans (A prescription from your doctor may be required; check with your insurance provider for details.)

H E A L T H

8 years ‘TEXAS STRONG’ South Texas All Hazards Conference Serves as Training Resource to Thousands

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b y J os e D e Le on I I I

With more than 3,000 first responders and public health officials expected to attend, the South Texas All Hazards Conference is quickly becoming one of the biggest conferences in the state for emergency response preparedness.

That’s according to Hidalgo County Emergency Management Coordinator Rick Saldaña, who is overseeing the only free all hazards conference in the state.

“Hidalgo County has one of the state’s largest and most active public works response teams that deal with flooding, sewer, water, and public health issues,” Saldaña said. “We’ve responded to Hurricane Harvey, Ike, and other disasters to assist, but it was always hard to attend a state emergency management conference.”

The McAllen Convention Center will be home to the 2020 South Texas All Hazards Conference from March 26 to March 27. The two-day event will provide

a forum to advance homeland security and emergency management training and capacity for Texas and the border as emergency response personnel prepare and train in an all hazards capacity.

The conference is being funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services and is supported by various partners, Saldaña said.

“The conference will center its theme on ‘Texas Strong,’ because in Texas, when citizens see each other in need, they step up, and they answer the call,” Saldaña said. “We hope to train as many people as possible from the lowest level to the highest level in emergency response management.”

The first ever South Texas All Hazards conference had 532 attendees. Last year’s seventh annual conference had 3,262 attendees, a number that this year’s conference is expected to surpass.

“It’s free. Nowhere else in Texas do you see this

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first responders,” Saldaña said. “This is not open to the public. This is only open to first responders and government institutions as people from multiple departments and agencies ranging from the National Weather Service to the U.S. Coast Guard. The main thing we want people to walk away with is knowing they can attend no matter their status. We all get to meet each other before we end up side by side in response situations. If we train our own, our response time will be minimal because we won’t have to wait for other emergency response teams outside the Valley to come here. We help each other out and if we need more, then we get outside teams. We can start quickly to help ourselves.”

According to Saldaña, there are several conferences across the state designed to train emergency response personnel in Texas. The biggest is the Texas Emergency Management Conference held every May in San Antonio. However, it was always hard to send people there due to travel and lodging expenses.

“We were only able to send the management staff members to the conference but the workers doing the physical work didn’t have access to the training,” Saldaña said. “So nine years ago, we decided to do something unique in Texas: our own hazards conference to target the people responding. We thought, ‘why can’t we do this in the Valley? We should be doing this here. The Valley is large, there’s a desire to learn so much.’”

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happening,” Saldaña said. “It allows smaller communities and cities like Alton or Sullivan City or Hargill to send several people instead of sending only one or two people to San Antonio. We are bringing national and state figures to come in and participate in this conference.”

The conference will include several panels and sessions with multiple discussions and training on several topics such as proper medical response, dealing with equipment and response, to dealing with emergencies from school shootings to the coronavirus, Saldaña said.

Nearly 50 speakers will be presenting at the event, including Alexander Smith, who has worked with U.S Department of Homeland Security, and Admiral Brett P. Giroir, the current assistant secretary of health.

Other topics that will be discussed include the correlation between PTSD and first responders, employee safety in a scene, how to handle social media after an emergency, and security in schools, which includes discussions on bullying and school shootings.

Seventy vendors will also be present at the two-day conference to provide critical preparedness information and resources to help empower participants with the necessary tools to prepare for a hurricane, natural disaster, or mass fatality situation.

“The purpose of this conference is to provide training at a state and national level at no cost to as many local emergency

MAR/APR 2020

With more than 3,000 first responders and public health officials expected to attend, the South Texas All Hazards Conference is quickly becoming one of the biggest conferences in the state for emergency response preparedness.

H E A L T H

LIFE COACH Personal, Professional Betterment Through Performance Coaching

by Ro cio V i l l a l o b o s

culture. After that, the philosophy-based

For anyone looking to improve, grow, and develop — whether in the workplace or in

training begins. The sessions can be done

one’s personal life — they don’t have to do it

over the phone or face-to-face through

alone; there’s a service that can help.

video chat.

Allen Tappe founded the Tappe Group,

“We talk with them about the difference

a performance coaching business, after

between being a leader in life and being a

returning to the U.S. from South Africa,

victim,” he said. “Many times, you see a shift

where he spent time in ministry. He said

when they see they’ve got the power to choose

that experience led him to recognize a need

— the power to not be victims — and as a result

in the marketplace for someone to help

they’re more stable.”

He adds the difference between philosophy-

others through challenging times, be it “with

based

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MAR/APR 2020

employers … their health, or just with the challenge of

and

performance-based

training

is

that the former leads to lasting results and not just

life and family.”

temporary change.

So in 1995, he opened the practice to use the lessons he learned as a tennis coach, mortgage banker, minister,

The company is based in north Texas but accepts

professional speaker, and author to “help people

clients nationally. Over the years, Tappe said his

become more effective in their own lives.”

company has worked with more than 50 industry groups

“We try to help people get to a place where they

ranging from dentistry to real estate and everything in

claim their spot,” Tappe said. “Part of that flows from

between. Typically, an employer reaches out to Tappe

challenging them to make sure they have fitness in life,

Group to help improve the office dynamics and increase

not just physical, but philosophical.”

productivity. The organization works with single individuals as well.

Upon receiving a new client, the company’s first step is to take an assessment of the organization or

“Wherever people are, we fit,” he said. “We apply our

individual in order to create a “purposed performance”

skills in helping them help their people. We just know if

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H E A L T H

“If we’re working with someone who is really stuck in a rut and struggling doing what they’re doing, we’re able to help them discover why they’re doing what they’re doing. We want them to know their reason why and that the way they respond each day is a choice they get to make.”

All en Ta ppe, Ta p p e Gr oup f o und e r

we’re able to help their employees and help

money, being a more effective leader and

them get much more healthy in their lives.

successfully

That’s going to be better for those people, as

said to achieve what they’re aiming for, he

well as for those that employ them.”

stresses creating a “focused life plan” over

terms are often used interchangeably. The purpose of the Tappe Group’s personal coaching is to help people make choices for themselves and understand those choices.

“If we’re working with someone who is really stuck in a rut and struggling doing what they’re doing, we’re able to help them discover why they’re doing what they’re doing,” he said. “We want them to know their reason why and that the way they respond each day is a choice they get to make.”

Through coaching, Tappe said he’s seen people “do a full 180,” claim their power, and rise to become some of the “most valued” people in their departments. And

just setting a goal.

“In those life plans we help them discover their reason, purpose, and direction,” he said.

“Then we’re able to break down dimensions and put in play some things that will help.”

The Tappe Group assists clients of all ages, from teenage athletes to business owners in their 60s, and the coaching can last from a couple of sessions to years — some clients have been with him since the start, for over 20 years.

And while the coaching helps guide the individual toward where they want to be, Tappe said it’s their job to hold themselves accountable and remain consistent.

“We don’t think motivation can be done to people. We think motivation has got to

occasionally that reflection, according to

be found within,” he said. “You need to have

Tappe, leads them to quit what they’re doing

that ‘reason why.’”

and pursue their true passion.

Some of the aspirations the Tappe Group’s clients have included making more

If you’re interested in coaching from the Tappe Group, you can book a consultation through their website, tappegroup.com.

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MAR/APR 2020

the latter title “signals limitations,” but the

Tappe

.

coach over life coach because he believes

conflicts.

1710 North Ed Carey, Harlingen, TX (956) 365-4100 | (956) 365-4300 www.erigrants.com

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Tappe prefers the title of performance

handling

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H E A L T H

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H E A L T H

Living History a facility that is funded not by the federal government but by the Texas Veterans Land Board, which was created in 1946 after the Second World War. Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home sits on 12 acres. The building itself is surrounded by lots of grass and wellkept landscaping, but the true beauty is the compassion and honor inside of the nursing home that is dedicated to serving veterans and their families.

Almost every wall is adorned with

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There is no Veterans Affairs Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. However, veterans in need of emergency care, acute inpatient medical and surgery care, or mental health have options.

There are VA Clinics in Harlingen and McAllen and many area hospitals offer programs to ensure benefits are fulfilled.

One area where veterans care shines in the Rio Grande Valley is long-term care for some of the eldest heros in the community.

Around-the-clock, extended care exists at

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b y N a th a ni el M a t a | p h ot os b y J a s on G a r z a

MAR/APR 2020

Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home Serves Patriots in RGV

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H E A L T H

images and paintings of monumental moments in U.S. history — battles fought on land or sea for the freedom we still enjoy.

Rooms are decorated with personal photos of important events from each veteran’s life. Roaming the halls — among a 24-hour staff of nurses and caregivers — are the men who flew overseas and put their lives on the line.

There is a special connection with the WWII vets. It was the largest group when the home opened and the VLB was created to take care of WWII vets.

That lives on at the McAllen facility.

Estimates say there are between 300,000 and 400,000 surviving WWII vets in the entire country. Sixteen million served in the war.

“Those guys are celebrities here,” Texas VLB on-site representative Jose Bustamante said. “When we go out into the public and someone sees a World War II cap — a lot of them end up getting a free meal because of that.

People want to pay back and show their appreciation. To us, they’re our main group. That’s what we started with when we first opened. At one point we had 91 of them, and now we have 21. We’re losing them every week. Of course, eventually, there won’t be any left.”

A tradition that the home follows is the “final salute.” When a veteran dies, they are taken out on a gurney draped in a burial American flag that will be presented to the next of kin. Many of these bodies are laid to rest at the State Veterans Cemetery in Mission — another VLB property funded in Austin.

Marlene Mendes’s role as activities director is to fill up the calendar with engaging events to make sure the patriots “feel alive” during their golden years.

The home hosts a range of guests to serve the residents. On a given week, they’ll have visits from barbers and music therapists. They take trips to

“It’s like paying them back for their service to the country. They sacrificed their health.

A lot of them sacrificed their most important years. After all these years it’s time to pay them back. Now we’re serving them.

Jo s e B us t a m a n t e, Texas Ve te r a ns Lan d Board on -site r e p r e s e nt ative at Alfredo G on zalez Texas State Veteran s Home

the grocery store and have the chance to attend non-denominational church services or Catholic Mass. Residents have access to a range of therapies.

“Having them feel alive and having them feeling important, especially that they’re veterans,” Marlene Mendes said of the home’s primary mission for its residents. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. It is important to keep them active that way they won’t dwell.”

So what do heroes enjoy in their free time? Well, it isn’t much different than other peers their age.

“Bingo! They enjoy bingo, chalupa, and they love volleyball,” Mendes said with a laugh. “Don’t mess with their bingo, though.”

On any day you can see patients moving around or being helped to do so. Breakfast is served in a large hall or taken directly to the rooms.

Each individual in the facility gets personalized care at a price that, Bustamante said, is usually covered depending on time in the service or severity of any disability.

“It’s like paying them back for their service to the country,” Bustamante said. “They sacrificed their health.

A lot of them sacrificed their most important years. After all these years it’s time to pay them back. Now we’re serving them.”

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As WWII veterans advance in age, finding them is becoming increasingly rare.

Coming across a Pearl Harbor survivor, who was on hand when the United States was jolted into action due to the attack in Hawaii, is like spotting a unicorn.

Clyde Eidson was there that morning of Dec. 7, 1941, “the day that will live in infamy.” Now he lives at the State Veterans Home where he can share his stories.

The Latham, Kansas, native was stationed at the naval base that was under attack, but he worked with submarines, which were relatively unscathed that day.

“I was in the barracks at the submarine base, at that time I was going to submarine school,” Eidson said. “I heard a lot of gunfire and they were shooting at buildings and anything they could see. I didn’t understand what that was all about until I found out it was an attack without warning.”

As a naval cadet, he didn’t even have a rifle of his own.

“Somebody gave me a rifle and I was shooting at the airplanes with a rifle. I couldn’t hit anything, I don’t think,” Eidson said. “It was a terrible time.”

That event launched his 30 years of service with the United States Navy. In a few short months, he was doing clerical work on submarines that were a force in the Pacific Ocean, sinking Axis ships through the entire conflict.

He continued to climb the ranks and eventually worked as a submarine inspector. He was able to board one of the first nuclear submarines before retiring and settling in the Valley.

His story is one of the few remaining. One that will soon be history only living in books.

One of many that the Alfredo Gonzalez Veterans home works every day to preserve.

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L I F E ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

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

LEGAL CORNER

DAMAGE CONTROL

Tijerina Legal Group Helps with Injuries Both Seen and Unseen After a Car Crash Injuries from a car crash can range from minor to life-threatening.

Some of the most common ways people get hurt in a vehicle accident include:

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MAR/APR 2020

• Whiplash • Back injuries • Knee injuries

children, or employees who don’t get compensated when they cannot come to work. Still, it is essential to make the time and be proactive in getting the care that is necessary to address injuries from a car crash.

“People don’t think about those consequences. They think about, ‘hey, I don’t want to deal with that kind of stuff. It takes too much time,’” Tijerina said. “This is the only chance that people get to make a claim against the insurance company. If you don’t take that chance and do things the right way and have somebody that’s going to be able to help you do it, you could be screwed for the rest of your life with the neck and back pains of a 70 year old when you’re only 30.”

Car crash injuries suffered in your early 20s could negatively impact the way you pick up your children in your early 30s, for example. If you don’t do anything about your injuries when they happen, then waiting a few weeks could often be too late to receive medical help to address lingering health issues — and have an insurance company accept responsibility for any such medical treatment.

If you’re not sure how to get your injuries treated after a car crash — or how to get compensated for your visits to the doctor —Tijerina Legal Group is there to take care of the Rio Grande Valley community and help assist in accessing the resources needed to receive medical treatment and fair compensation.

Tijerina Legal Group strives to provide superior service by keeping on top of the latest legal trends, medical options, and embracing ongoing education through reading books and articles on how best to assist our clients. Hundreds of positive online reviews from previous clients speak for themselves.

“I pride myself in making sure that if a client is in here and I’m available, I want to meet them,” Tijerina said. “I want them to know who their lawyer is — that their lawyer actually comes into this office and is getting the work done and is making sure that the cases are being handled the right way.”

• Ankle injuries • Wrist injuries • Concussions

Out of all the injuries that can come up, head injuries can be hard to spot — and deadly if they go untreated.

“That’s one of the first things we screen for,” said attorney Humberto Tijerina of Tijerina Legal Group. “When somebody comes in, we have a test that we administer to clients to check for some of the major signs of a traumatic brain injury. We ask certain questions to make sure that they’re not having these kinds of injuries, because that’s definitely something you want to catch right away, and even though we leave the true diagnosis to doctors, sometimes it’s missed and we always strive to serve our clients to the best of our ability.

“All of these are injuries after a crash are injuries that can and should be compensated by the insurance company,” Tijerina added.

“But if you don’t have somebody that knows how to properly document these types of injuries and damages, they’re going to lose against the insurance company.”

Tijerina urges people who have been injured in a car crash to get the proper treatment, which includes attending doctors visits beyond an initial emergency trip to the hospital. If too much time passes between going to the hospital and following up with specialists, physical therapists, or other medical professionals, “it works in favor of insurance companies, which means that they won’t fairly value your claim to provide full and fair compensation for your injuries,” Tijerina said.

“If you’re in pain and all you have to prove your pain is a hospital bill, insurance companies love that kind of claim because as more time passes, and you don’t get medical treatment for your injuries, then the insurance company has a chance to say you’re not really that injured,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to most insurance companies that you have children to feed or a demanding work schedule; if you don’t have proof of your injuries, then you will not receive fair compensation for them, regardless of the reasons you may have.”

Tijerina sympathizes with parents who have to take care of small

COMING UP In the next issue of RGVision, Humberto Tijerina gives tips on making sure clients are choosing the right doctor to address their injuries.

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RGVision Food Fave

Sidebar Local Speakeasy Brings Taste of Nostalgia to RGV

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Tucked away in the heart of Edinburg inside Puig Business Center lies Sidebar, a fine dining establishment that is known for its old-world style inspired by Prohibition-era speakeasies.

First opened Dec. 18, 2018, by physical therapist and entrepreneur Robert Puig, Sidebar lives within the walls of a restored historical building.

The structure once was an icehouse dating back to the 1930s, then was home to The Edinburg Daily Review from 1965 to the mid- to late-’90s, when it closed.

The concept for the business had been in Puig’s mind for a long time before it came to fruition.

“I’d been planning Sidebar since I was about 12,” he said. “Hospitality and design are my passions, and this was an opportunity to let that go wild.”

Puig said the name is a play on words.

“It’s kind of like two terms,” he said. “Some people think it literally means a bar on the side of something. To judges, attorneys, and politicians, it refers to meeting outside of the presence of the jury. It goes back perfectly to the courthouse.”

When Puig first decided to restore the building to its former glory, he said it had been vacant for anywhere from 13 to 15 years and needed a lot of work.

“It was a wreck,” Puig said. “It took about six weeks to sandblast and expose all of the original brick. I started to see what it could be.”

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Puig salvaged certain items from the past, such as an old printing press from the Edinburg Daily Review, and found a new use for it.

“They were gonna throw it away.

We said, ‘absolutely not,’” he recalled.

“So we salvaged brick and built an archway around it and put it in the lobby so that everyone can see the history of the building — so we don’t lose that vital piece of Edinburg history that this building is.”

Puig wants to be sure he honors the history of the building.

“I have people come in and say, ‘I was in this building when I was a kid,’” Puig said. “When you hear those stories, it’s amazing.”

Other artifacts from the building’s newspaper days are showcased, such as printing plates and a newspaper from the ’60s. Puig wants customers and visitors to see the evidence of Sidebar’s history as well as hints of legal relics such as law books and justice scales that represent its close proximity to the Hidalgo County Courthouse.

The inside of the building has a historic, elegant and secretive feel. A posh art gallery greets you first, then you pass by a lounge. As you walk in through the rounded exposed brick archway, notes of soft, live jazz music surround you. Deep, amber lighting illuminates the original brick walls, vintage chandeliers (one originally hailing from a Chicago theater), and red velvet upholstered high-backed benches hugging dark walnut tables where handcrafted food and beverages are served.

The built-in shelving behind the bar is backlit with the same soft, warm glow and is lined with bottles of wine and liquor along with accents of law books. Here, customers order drinks made with the freshest ingredients from the bar’s signature cocktail menu.

Head bartender Tomás Cantú, who has been bartending for over 11 years, said Sidebar’s cocktail menu stays true to the classic time period.

“Every single one of these cocktails predates 1939, and they go back as far as the 1840s. We try to

“I did this to raise the bar.

There’s no reason people should have to leave the Valley to experience something nice.”

Ro b er t Pu i g , own er of Sidebar keep as close to the original recipes as possible,” Cantú said. “All the cocktails are tried and true, all now well over 100 years old.”

According to Cantú, Sidebar prides itself on not taking shortcuts.

“We make our own grenadine from scratch with pomegranate

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juice. That’s the way it should be, not that fluorescent red stuff that people buy over the counter that has that artificial flavor,” he said. “We squeeze all our own juices in house — lemon, lime, grapefruit — every day. We make our own honey syrup and agave.”

Cantú said his love for his craft drives his success.

“I find myself very fortunate to be able to make a living doing what I love,” he said. “When I came on, I was really happy to be a part of this, because in the Valley, there’s not a whole lot like this. We’re constantly trying to better our craft, our techniques, and the recipes.”

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experience something nice.”

Of course, Puig needed the right team to carry out his vision.

“My general manager Ruben Gomez, that guy can paint and draw like no one I have seen. He’s a true artist,” Puig said. “We have an artist behind the bar, Tomas, who is an outstanding bartender mixologist, we have an artist in our passionate Cordon Bleu Chef Danny Aguilar trained in the kitchen, and then an artist who designed it. You put those four artists together and you create something magnificent.”

Puig said he wants customers to continue to “step into his dream.”

“If I can create something beautiful and long standing that puts the Valley on the map, that’s what I want,” he said.

Sidebar is located at 215 E. University Drive in Edinburg. Its hours of operation are 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Saturday. The restaurant’s phone number is (956) 348-2424. Connect with Sidebar on Facebook or on Instagram @sidebar215. To make reservations, see their menu, or for more information, visit their website at sidebar215.com.

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Sidebar’s menu features simple categories like “teasers,” “land,” “sea,” “the garden,” and “treats,” which makes it easy to find something for everyone to enjoy.

Executive Chef Danny Aguilar said in planning the menu, he wanted to stay true to the speakeasy period theme but also include a taste of regional flair.

“There’s nothing really South Texas that says speakeasy, so I try to incorporate a little bit of the flavors that people recognize,” Aguilar said. “Like the Red Star — it’s a play on rellenos, but we do it our way: jumbled up crab meat, roasted red peppers, Hollandaise sauce. The Smoked Salmon Nachos is a play on bagels and lox. We try to make things familiar, recognizable, so that way it’s not too exotic, but still has that professional touch to it.”

In creating Sidebar, Puig said he wanted to bring an upscale, memorable restaurant experience to the area.

“Growing up down here, all I would ever see was, if you want a nice experience, you’ve got to go to San Antonio or Dallas or Austin. And it wears on you, you know? I’m proud to be from the Valley,” he said. “I did this to raise the bar.

There’s no reason people should have to leave the Valley to

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Magnificent Monarch

Migration

by Jo hn Brus h , Ur b a n E c o l o gi s t, Qui nta M a z a t l á n

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Th e lif e cy cl e of a m ona r ch b utte r f l y e ntai l s tran sformation s from egg to caterpillar to pu pa to bu tterfly.

The monarch butterfly is thought to have been potentially named in honor of various kings, both real (King William III of England) and fictional (Danaus, greatgrandson of the Greek god Zeus). However, it could easily be called “monarch” because of its migratory prowess — the king of migratory butterflies.

This beautiful orange, black, and white insect can migrate vast distances, traveling from as far north as Canada to Michoacán, Mexico — a trip that can span over 2,500 miles (or 80 million butterfly body lengths). To put this into perspective, a person of average height in the United States (roughly 5 feet, 6.75 inches) would have to walk roughly 225,000 body lengths to reach San Antonio.

Unlike a bird, the monarch butterfly is incapable of making the round-trip journey in its lifespan; rather, it takes multiple generations. The last generation of the summer, the over-wintering generation, is the one that makes the long southward migration to Michoacán, Mexico. It then takes three to four subsequent generations (each usually living less than 5 weeks) to complete the journey north.

Scientists have often studied how monarchs make

their incredible journeys, but there is still much to learn.

We do know this, however: the North American monarch butterfly population has drastically declined — up to 90 percent over the past two decades. These declines are thought to be in part caused by loss of milkweed and nectar plant habitat, along with pesticides.

There are ways to help the monarch butterfly, and national efforts like the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge are helping to spread the word. One of the easiest ways to help a monarch is by planting native milkweeds and native nectar plants in your yard, which also benefits all the other pollinators that are so important for a healthy ecosystem.

At Quinta Mazatlán’s upcoming Monarch Celebration, March 21, there will be opportunities to learn more about monarchs butterflies and purchase native plants to help them. Hope to see you there, and long live the monarch!

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FACES IN THE VALLEY:

CAYETANO BARRERA Historian Pushes to Preserve Rio Grande Valley’s Legacy b y N a th a ni el Mat a | p h ot os b y J a m e s H or d Mission native Dr. Cayetano E. Barrera III is a historian from a long line of pioneers.

He practiced as a doctor, served as a board member, and was always an asset to his community, to the Rio Grande Valley.

In 2000, while walking the grounds of the State Capitol in Austin, he realized a glaring omission.

After making a call to a Capitol official, his fears were confirmed: There was no memorial, statutes, or mention of any Tejano and Mexican history on the Capitol grounds.

“There was not a single one thing mentioned the Mexicanos, the Spanish, nothing that mentioned that history of Texas,” Barrera said in his McAllen home.

Bronze statues memorialized defenders of the Alamo, soldiers in World War I and World War II, and the SpanishAmerican War, but until Barrera’s coalition of supporters, there was nothing to honor the original Texans — los Tejanos.

Barrera can trace his roots to the conquest of Mexico and loves to tell the story of his forefather, Francisco Montaño, one of Hernán Cortés’ men who climbed to the top of Popocatépetl in Central Mexico. His mission was to extract materials for munitions from inside the active volcano.

“He drew the short straw and they lowered him down and they got enough sulfur to replenish Cortés’ supply of gunpowder and conquer Mexico,” Barrera said, telling the story like a fable.

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Southwestern Medical School for his M.D., which he received in 1963.

Before starting his professional life, Barrera was drafted into the Vietnam War as a medic, where he served for nine months before the de-escalation of tensions.

He and his wife Yolanda of 57 years created many memories together.

She grew up in Edinburg as a music and piano enthusiast.

His first impression of her was a developed photo in her band uniform. He was in school with one of her cousins.

She earned her own distinctions, such as the American Heart Association’s “Heart of Gold” and City of Palms’ “McAllen Outstanding Women of the Year.”

Many of her years after 1970 were dedicated to IMAS. The couple had a strong hand in its creation and success.

“The museum guild started and we would help out with the museum store and we would take turns running the gift shop,” Yolanda said. “We would learn a lot and it was really the first museum in the Valley.”

Barrera’s expertise with the area and with local commerce has earned him a spot “they won’t let me give up” on the senior advisory board for the McAllen Economic Development Corporation.

His roots trace to Mexico’s colonial past and through his illustrious life, Barrera was able to preserve history for thousands in this area. His vision allows for visitors to Texas’ Capitol in Austin to remember and document a history that includes every piece, no omissions.

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His whole life he worked to showcase history. He served on boards for both the International Museum of Art & Science in McAllen and the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg and even sat on the building board for IMAS. Local and academic support wasn’t hard to find. The difficult part was pushing through the bureaucracy.

“I started getting a group together a group. That just came naturally,” Barrera said. “Fortunately, there were so many people that said, ‘yeah, that’s right,’ and everybody just jumped in.”

The process included passing three bills and took 12 years of fundraising and planning, but it culminated with then-Gov. Rick Perry’s signature in 2009. Armando Hinojosa’s art was finally revealed in Austin in 2012.

Stepping into Barrera’s home is like walking into a living, breathing museum curated by someone who holds regional history close to his heart. Barrera has done enough and uncovered enough in his life to be an exhibit himself.

There is art on the walls, a high ceiling, and an open floor plan. A grand piano with pictures that span several decades is situated next to a bay window that illuminates the room with no lights.

Barrera said his father was the first Latino to graduate with a medical degree in the state. His early education was spent at a boarding school in Laredo because his parents were able to give him opportunity away from rampant segregation and lack of opportunities for Mexicans in the Valley.

He returned to graduate at Mission High School and then continued to Baylor for undergraduate and University of

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RGV Foodies Embrace Rise of Food Trucks

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b y Ka r i na Va r ga s | p h ot os b y B a r b a r a D e l g a d o As the RGV food scene grows and branches out, so does its number of food trucks. These mobile restaurants were once only found in big cities, but with the help of local food truck parks and Valley residents’ adventurous tastes, they are gradually becoming more popular and in-demand.

One Valley food truck park, The Broken Sprocket, has shown promise and success in its first few years of business.

Tony Estrada, president of The Broken Sprocket, first opened his Brownsville food truck park in March 2016. “I wanted to give my city something better than the regular restaurant and bar,” the Brownsville native said. “When I moved down here, back home, is when I brought the concept with me.”

Estrada said for his proprietors, food trucks sometimes serve as a test or stepping stone into opening a traditional

restaurant. Of course, sometimes owners will choose to stick with solely food trucks or a combination of the two types of restaurants depending on what they are looking for.

“I think we’re sort of an incubator for brick and mortar — they actually go hand in hand,” Estrada said. “Instead of investing a ton of money into a brick and mortar restaurant, you can just come with me and then build a following — basically, see if people really, really want your content. When you’ve built a big enough demand and you feel like you want to go ahead and open a restaurant, you can. And by all means you can keep the truck if you want to do both.”

That’s exactly what Frank Macias, owner of Frankie Flav’z restaurant in Harlingen, did after opening his food truck a little over five years ago, at a time when there were not many food trucks

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around.

In a previous interview, Macias said he felt more comfortable starting off his restaurant journey on a smaller scale.

“I was ready to open a restaurant, but I didn’t know what to expect,” Macias said. “I told myself I was going to open up a food truck because there’s a lot less overhead and the expanse of the investment is not as high as a restaurant.

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 grow his mobile restaurant into his first brick and mortar establishment at The Point.

Frankie Flav’z food truck is still around today, although Macias said it is mostly used for catering.

While Estrada acknowledges that the business side of things can sometimes be highly competitive, he said he wants

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has different types of food trucks circulating through to bring variety to customers.

“We’ve had pizza trucks here, we’ve had taco trucks, we currently have a torta truck, a gordita truck, an organic vegan truck, Pachamama, we’ve had barbecue before — they should be coming back. We do plan on getting other food trucks here, like little pop-up shops,” Flores said. “So we really want to make all of our customers happy and cater to their tastes.”

Flores said The Yard strives to maintain its inclusive status and regularly sees customers of all ages, from college students to tourists to couples on date night, as well as families with children.

“We see a mix of everything because we are family friendly.

We see a lot of young children and babies with their parents.

We have games like Jenga and cornhole that we see people of all ages playing,” Flores said. “We’re also pet friendly. We’ve had animal benefits and events here, like Yaqui Animal rescue, PAWS, Tito’s for Dogs, pet clinics. We want the community to come by, try new food, hang out and also have something fun for themselves, their families and their pets.”

The Yard is open from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and opens earlier for brunch on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. For additional information, they can be reached at (956) 887-1302. See their latest happenings on FB or Instagram @theyardmcallen.

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to see his community thrive and his proprietors experience success at the end of the day.

“There is competition obviously but with me, my concept is working more hand in hand with it,” he said. “We can help each other out, whether it’s testing the market or trying something new.”

The Broken Sprocket is located at 6305 Paredes Line Road in Brownsville. Regular business hours are from 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Friday and from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. They can be reached at (404) 644-7202. To see what events are coming up, visit their FB or Instagram page @ thebrokensprocketrgv.

The City of McAllen has also welcomed a myriad of food trucks into its historic downtown entertainment district. The Yard, known for its variety of food choices and late hours, is located at 401 S. 17th St. Another food truck hot spot, McAllen Food Park, is located at 10 N. Broadway and holds a monthly event, Food Park Unplugged, every third Friday each month from 8 to 10 p.m. with free admission, shopping, and live music for guests to enjoy.

The event is always family and pet-friendly. Inquiries can be directed to (956) 682-2871.

Marina Flores, manager of The Yard Foodtruck Park, said they officially opened Jan. 24, 2019, and recently celebrated their one-year anniversary. According to Flores, The Yard typically

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FELINE FRIENDLY b y J os e De Le on I I I | p h ot os b y J a s on G a r z a

Palm Valley Animal Society Celebrates Community Cat Program, Rebranding

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It’s a common sight in several Valley neighborhoods: stray cats roaming the streets.

Sometimes they are friendly and cared for by neighborhood residents sharing the outdoor cats. Other times, they’re scraping by for survival.

However, thanks to a recently implemented program at the newly branded Palm Valley Animal Society, neighborhoods will see less stray cats.

Last summer, PVAS implemented the Community Cats Program, which spays and neuters stray cats before releasing them back out onto the streets. This program was made possible through a partnership between the Best Friends Animal Society, PVAS, and the Best Friends/Maddie’s Fund Embed Program. This program serves the cities of Edinburg, McAllen, Hidalgo, Palmview, Palmhurst, La Joya, and addresses in Hidalgo County that are outside of Pharr and Mission city limits.

“Instead of kidnapping cats from the street

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“We cannot do this alone — we need help from outside organizations and people in our community. We’re kicking off a new chapter in animal welfare in Hidalgo County and will need everyone on board.”

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we’re more unified,” Lewis said.

In July 2019 PVAC entered into a formal partnership agreement with Best Friends Animal Society. Supported by funding provided by Maddie’s Shelter Embed Project in the Rio Grande Valley, the partnership provides staffing, equipment, and supplies for the organization to advance its mission to reach a 90 percent live-release rate, or “no-kill.” Efforts have been informally underway with Best Friends staff working on-site in Edinburg since 2017 and will continue through 2020. PVAS’s live release rate has grown from 34 percent to 69 percent since Best Friends’ arrival, one of the highest increases in the nation.

“Two years ago we were the number one in the entire country with the most animals euthanized due to many reasons from lack of space and illness,” Lewis said. “As the only open intake shelter in the county, we were taking more than 100 animals a day every day and only 34 percent of our animals had live outcomes. Last year, instead of euthanizing 20,000 animals, we saved them. We’re very proud of our team.”

To take part in the Community Cats Program, contact the PVAS CCP Team by phone/text at (956) 249-0117, or by email at cats@pvactx.org.

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“These are cats living in the community.

Maybe they do have someone who is a member of the community taking care of them while the cats live in the streets so we see them as members of the community,” Kowalksi said. “The public is being made aware of so much more of the program and I hope it spreads like wildfire.

We hope to continue to keep the shelter at a much lower population.”

Lewis agreed with Kowalski and emphasized the need for community support for PVAS. “We cannot do this alone — we need help from outside organizations and people in our community,” Lewis said.

“We’re kicking off a new chapter in animal welfare in Hidalgo County and will need everyone on board.”

As part of this new chapter, PVAS took on a new identity last December when it announced a name change from the Palm Valley Animal Center to the Palm Valley Animal Society. The organization’s two facilities, located on Trenton Road and Expressway 281 in Edinburg, will now be known as PVAS Trenton Center and PVAS Laurie P Andrews Center.

“The name change for our second location (formerly the Laurie P. Andrews PAWS Center) was confusing people. Now,

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and keeping them here, we spay and neuter them and put them back in the street where more than likely, someone who already lives there and is taking care of them can continue to do so,” PVAS Board Director Keely Lewis said. “The difference is they’re not going to have kittens next spring. Our live release record for cats was at 10 percent two years ago.

It’s now at 70 percent.”

According to Community Cat Program Coordinator Sarah Kowalski, the program is a success and has on staff one veterinarian who performs spaying and neutering surgeries on cats. The program is looking into hiring a second veteran to continue the success of the program.

“The cats that come in are accepted as long as they are eligible and healthy and of age and come from a neighborhood where they are thriving so they can get spayed and neutered and microchipped. We want to help fix those colonies overflowing with cats,” Kowalski said. “Before this program started, we had five rooms at our second location dedicated to cats that were full.

Today, there are just three almost empty rooms. We never thought we’d see so many empty kennels.”

The “Community” in the program name comes from the amount of support PVAS is hoping to receive from the public.

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Keely Lewis, Palm Valley Animal Society board director, on the society’s Community Cats Program

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Artsy Valley Art Appreciation, Venues Expanding Across the RGV

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b y Roci o V i l l a l ob os with acrylics.”

Hinovations also hosts painting birthday parties for up to 10 people.

During the art walk, attendees can take a self-guided tour through participating art studios, museums and galleries in McAllen — many of which are located at the Art District Business Center.

Hinovations is just one street away and is switching a few things up for the year 2020.

Rather than showcasing several artists work at the gallery during Art Walk, Hinojosa has decided to focus on one artist per month. She said when she puts out a “call for art” she receives submissions from all over — Harlingen, Edinburg, Mission — and even from out of the country. The mediums also vary — paintings, ceramics, sculpture, wall installations.

What Hinojosa prefers to showcase is modern art.

Having visited galleries across the country, Hinojosa said she’s observed art from the Valley to have a “unique” look.

“Our artwork is outstanding from the Valley,” she said. “It’s very innovative and progressive and modern. … Right now, we see mostly artists are being influenced by what’s going on in the Valley or what’s going on in the border.

“We have a lot of cultural work related to the region and we’re always glad to show that.”

In 2017, the Brownsville Cultural Educational Group created an art walk of their own in downtown Brownsville called “Noche de Arte.”

Noche de Arte is the third Friday of each month and has more than 14 participating galleries, studios, and venues. To keep up with the latest galleries, check out their Facebook page in which the studios also regularly post calls for art.

Likewise, Harlingen hosts an Art Night the last Friday of each month.

Hinojosa said about half of the artists she knows in the

All across the Valley, from South Padre Island to Roma, venues are popping up to showcase the work of local artists.

Just last year, the Art Business Incubator at South Padre Island opened to “promote arts-related businesses” and the McAllen Art Walk has been going on for over a decade.

Raquel Hinojosa is the owner of Hinovations Art Gallery, which participates in the McAllen Art Walk, held the first Friday of every month between September and May. Hinojosa has been involved in art since she was 19 and received a fine arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

In the years she’s had her gallery, she’s noticed people become more aware of the arts. However, she pointed out that many are still unaware of the RGV’s thriving art scene.

“We network a lot, so we invite a lot of people that don’t have any knowledge of art,” she said. “We always get, ‘I didn’t know you were here. I didn’t know any artists existed in the Valley.’ So we’re always surprised and a little sad to hear that.”

One way Hinojosa is working to spread art appreciation and awareness is through “Art on the move,” an outreach program in which Hinojosa takes pieces of art to schools in different cities. The program goes as far as Roma and Hinojosa is often invited to speak for career days.

Additionally, she teaches a variety of art classes at her studio for people of all ages and skill levels — whether an amateur or intermediate artist.

“We teach different genres and art styles so the students repeating can experience new ways of painting,” she said. “We’re doing everything from drawing with watercolors, charcoal, pencils, ink, and pens, to painting

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on the island.

The incubator also hosts a variety of workshops instructed by artists. A "Happy Henna” workshop is set for March and “Hibiscus Cross Painting” for April.

While the RGV art scene is steadily growing, as evidenced by numerous art festivals and galleries across the region, Hinojosa said in order for it to continue thriving and expanding, people need to support local artists.

“When people come and see artwork and purchase artwork it creates positive energy between the buyer and the artist,” Hinojosa said. “The artist feels energized and appreciated because their art is out there and they are encouraged to continue creating. We just encourage people, if even not to purchase, just go and visit art venues and support our local scene.”

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RGV are able to sustain themselves through their art, while the other half takes on other jobs. While the Art Walk is one way to promote local artists and help them sell their works, another way is through collaborations with organizations.

Hinovations recently collaborated with Yaqui Animal Rescue and had several artists paint animals from Yaqui.

Once sold, half the proceeds went to the artist and the other half to the no-kill, nonprofit rescue center. Hinojosa said they try to do several collaborations a year.

“Most organizations are seeing the benefit of using art as a means to fundraise and it’s a win for everyone,” she said.

“Not only do they raise funds for their organization, but the artists get more recognition and we get to create an income for them.”

Edinburg is also a big celebrator of the arts. The city’s Cultural Arts Division puts on a number of events and festivals throughout the year.

In July, the city has Fridafest to celebrate Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s legacy. The event’s mission is the “empowerment of women in all aspects” and for six years has highlighted local female artists and performers.

Noche de Arte is not the only lower Valley venue celebrating local artists. In South Padre Island, the Art Business Incubator accepts five artists into the program and provides them with studio and gallery space with, according to its website, the purpose of sustainably supporting the growth of art culture in the community.

After the year is up, the artists are to operate independently

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