La Feria News | February 3, 2021 by La Feria News

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 3, 2021 THROUGH FEBRUARY 9, 2021

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Your Community Newspaper, Serving the Heart of the Rio Grande Valley VOLUME 98 NUMBER 5

Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show makes changes to shows and competitions by Nelda Briones | LFN

RGVLS to makes changes to shows and competitions cont.

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La Feria softball preview

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For years the Rio Grande Valley Livestock show has been a family tradition for many in the Valley. School-aged kids getting to show their livestock and families getting together to see the many things the show has to oďŹ&#x20AC;er from going out to watch the parade, seeing exhibits, riding on carnival rides, eating some delicious food, and of course, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not forget the awesome entertainment. Some school districts also hold their spring break around the week of the show so they could attend the week-long event. This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes will be made. According to the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page they had made adjustments to their schedules this year. The Jr. Livestock Show, Horse Show and other FFA, 4-H, and youth competitions will still be held in March, as they

Photo courtesy of Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Facebook Page had previously announced earlier. These events will be limited in attendance. In addition and unfortunately, they will not be having their open breeding shows as they are directing their attention and energy to the Jr. Exhibitors. As for the rest of the events, the rodeo, carnival,

concessions, exhibits and entertainment are now being scheduled for May 7-16, 2021, pending the COVID-19 health status. RGVLS â&#x20AC;&#x153;The modifications for 2021 have been put in place in eďŹ&#x20AC;orts to present a safe, healthy and productive event for

our Junior exhibitors,â&#x20AC;? RGVLS General Manager Manda Correa said. The safety of our yout, and families is of utmost importance to us here at RGVLS.â&#x20AC;? According to the Rio Grande Valley Lives Stock show website, in 1939, the Rio Grande Valley Livestock

Show and Agricultural Exposition, the forerunner of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Show, was organized as a project of the Mercedes Chamber of Commerce. The first Show was held in 1940 on the grounds of a local livestock sales yard with make shift pens and lean-to sheds. The show continued to be held on this same property until 1949 when it moved to its present location at 1000 North Texas in Mercedes. In 1947, the Show was incorporated and chartered as a non-profit educational organization with a Board of Directors representing all of the four southmost counties of Texas. Up until 1955, all livestock was shown primarily in tents. By 1979 all exhibits which were once housed in some 12 tents were in permanent building located on slightly over 100 acres. In 2005, the Coliseum and Hog Barn were demolished and a Multi-purpose Event Center was built with the help of grant monies received from... Cont. Page 2

Santa Rosa ISD hosts NASP instructor certification The Love AďŹ&#x20AC;air By: Nandy Ekle

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UTRGV, TCMHCC partner to talk pandemic challenges Courtesy Photo

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Doc Talk ....................pg. 3 Classified ..................pg. 4 Sports ........................pg. 5 Activity Page .............pg. 6 Puzzles .......................pg. 7

SANTA ROSA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Santa Rosa Independent School District hosted a National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) instructor certification training Jan. 21. Nine people earned their NASP Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) certification and can begin teaching archery to school students. The training was part of the school districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Outdoor STEM Youth Leadership Project funded by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Community

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activities throughout the school year and summer months. Superintendent Dr. Angela Gonzalez said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very proud of the archery program here at Santa Rosa. Like many extra-curricular activities, archery is not only fun, it oďŹ&#x20AC;ers lifelong benefits. It particularly helps students learn to focus and filter out distractions.â&#x20AC;? To learn more about starting a school archery program, contact Trevino at (956) 636-9800, ext. 150 or altrevino@srtx. org. To learn more about the NASP program, visit NASPschools.org.

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instructor, began the archery program at SRISD 11 years ago and has seen many students benefit from this non-traditional sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students have increased their self-confidence, improved their school attendance and raised their academic performance after being part of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s archery program,â&#x20AC;? Trevino said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen the self-esteem and selfconfidence of students go through the roof when they hit the bullseye for the first

time. Once students taste success, they want more of it.â&#x20AC;? According to Burnie Kessner, archery coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife, Santa Rosa High School was one of the first schools south of San Antonio to participate in the state NASP tournament. SRHS has qualified for the state archery tournament the past three years. Trevino said the school district will sponsor archery tournaments for NASP-certified schools as well as archery academies. It will also sponsor camping, hiking, kayaking, fishing and other outdoor

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2 • FEBRUARY 3, 2021 • LA FERIA NEWS

Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show makes changes to shows and competitions

Cont... the U.S. Department of CommerceEconomic Development Administration. Volunteers from all walks of lifebankers, lawyers, accountants, farmers, rancher, etc., and a dedicated Board of Directors, give endless hours of their time to make the Show a success. Without them it would be impossible to produce the Show as the cost would be excessive. It is estimated millions of dollars have been paid to FFA and 4-H exhibitors during the Show’s existence. The Show has continued to grow each year and now ranks as one of the top ten in the State. People from all over Texas eagerly anticipate the event and come to enjoy the many activities including a parade, rodeos, competitive livestock events and the many, many attractions which are scheduled daily. To find our more up to date information on the show you could visit their website at www.rgvls.com or their social media pages.

Museum staﬀer Dora Duarte checks out the museum photo exhibit. -Photo by Tony Vindell/

Brownsville Museum of Fine Art showing photographic exhibit

Photo courtesy of Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Facebook Page

By Tony Vindell A digital photographic exhibit is the latest showing at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. It will be on display until March 20 of this year. The collection of nearly 40 pictures are the work of Mauricio Solorio, a Mexican artist from Queretaro. Titled “Music Box,” the digital pictures are fashioned after the music boxes featuring ballerinas, or ballet dancers. Each picture shows a ballet dancer in diﬀerent backgrounds such as the sky, the beach, the forest and even of a checkers or chess board. According to Solorio, he took pictures of

the daily life of ballet dancers to create such surreal images of supposed impossibilities in which “they transcend the conventions and the boundaries of what is accepted as reality.” Some of the models he used in his photographs are from the Russian Bolshoi, Romanian, Brazilian, Belarus, South African and South Korean ballets. Deyanira Ramirez, the museum director, said Solorio’s exhibit is being sponsored by the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville. She said Consul Juan Carlos Cue Vega has been a supporter of the region arts by strengthening the cultural ties between the two countries.

Cue Vega said the consulate has excellent relations with a number of museums throughout the Rio Grande Valley. In addition to Brownsville, he said they support the arts at the museums of Harlingen and San Benito. “Besides the traditional services a consulate provides,” he said, “we also like to exchange ideas and share our artistic values with others.” Ramirez said the photo exhibit will be on display for the next three weeks. “We would like to invite people from all over the Rio Grande Valley to come by,” she said. “We also have three other exhibits on display.”

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In accordance with the Order of the Oﬃce of the Governor issued March 16, 2020, the City of La Feria will conduct the meeting and provide audio/telephonic availability for the public using live stream in order to advance the public health goal of limiting face-to-face meetings (also called “social distancing”) to slow the spread of the Coronavirus (also known as Covid-19). To view the meeting via internet live streaming, please visit https://www. cityoflaferia.com/boards-and-commissions/city-commission/agendas-2020/ where you will find the agenda for the next meeting. The pdf for the agenda will include a link, meeting ID and passcode for the Zoom meeting. More information is available by calling 346-248-7799. Members of the public may sign up for public comment on an agenda item or for another item of public concern by submitting an email to amorales@cityoflaferia.com containing (1) the name of the individual wishing to comment; and (2) the item number or subject matter the individual wishes to comment on. Please submit requests for public comment no later than two hours before the meeting. Join the meeting at the time and login listed above and the Mayor will call on you when it is your turn to speak. A recording of the meeting will be made and will be available to the public in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. If during the course of the meeting, any discussion of any item on the agenda is permitted to be held in executive or closed session, whether such item is already so identified on this Agenda or not, the City Commission will convene in such executive or closed session in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 551.001-551.146.

JANUARY 26, 2021

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL 12135 1st & 3rd Mondays, 7:30pm St. Francis Xavier Parish Hall at the corner of West & Cypress (956) 797-266 LA FERIA SCHOOL BOARD 2nd Monday, 6:30pm Board Room Central Administration Oﬃce 505 N. Villarreal St. (956) 797-8300 LA FERIA BAND BOOSTERS 3rd Monday, 7:00pm La Feria HS Band Hall (956) 797-8300 SANTA ROSA SCHOOL BOARD 3rd Monday • 6:30pm Santa Rosa HS Library (956) 636-9800 MAINSTREAM/PLUS DANCE Mondays • 9:30am - noon Park Place Estates Ballroom • Harlingen

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CITY OF LA FERIA UTILITIES BOARD 2nd Tuesday, 5:15pm La Feria City Hall 115 E. Commercial Ave. (956) 797-2261 CITY OF LA FERIA CITY COMMISSION 2nd & 4th Tues, 6:30pm La Feria City Hall 115 E. Commercial Ave. (956) 797-2261 AMERICAN LEGION POST #439 1st Tuesday, 7:30pm American Legion Post 145 E. Commercial Ave. (956) 797-3701 CHIP-O-TEXAS WOODCARVERS Every Tues • 8:30am-noon Park Place Estates Friendship Hall • Harlingen (956) 399-6660 SOUTH TEXAS UNITED AUTO WORKERS RETIEES 2nd Tuesday • 10:30am Elk Lodge Club 1426 S. Commerce • Harlingen (956) 428-3555 BLUEGRASS JAM SESSIONS Every Tuesday, 1:30pm Kenwood RV Resort 1201 N. Main • La Feria (956) 797-1875

WEDNESDAYS _____________ DIALOGUE MEETINGS 1st & 3rd Wed, 12:30pm Sept. - May Valley Baptist Medical Center East Tower, 1st Floor, Abbot Meditation Room • Harlingen MAGIC VALLEY QUILTERS Every Wednesday • 10am 1st Christian Church 400 N. Readan • San Benito COUNTRY JAM Wednesdays • 2-4pm Musicians by invite only OPEN TO PUBLIC Park Place Estates Ballroom • Harlingen contact Charlie (308) 379-4589 LINE DANCING Weds • 9:00am - 11:30am • $3 Park Place Estates Ballroom • Harlingen

THURSDAYS _____________ SOROSIS LITERARY CLUB 2nd Thursday Contact Cindy Moore (956) 245-5742 SANTA ROSA CITY COUNCIL MEETING 3rd Thursday • 7:00pm Santa Rosa City Hall (956) 636-1113 MEN’S SUPPORT GROUP Every Thursday • 7-9pm Men’s Resource Center of South Texas 204 N. 1st St. • Harlingen (956) 425-6110

FRIDAYS _____________ LINE DANCING Sat • 1:00pm - 3:00pm • $3 Park Place Estates Ballroom • Harlingen

SATURDAYS _____________ ORDER OF EASTERN STAR HARLINGEN CHAPTER #641 3rd Saturday • 2:00pm Masonic Temple 702 E. Harrison • Harlingen (956) 423-5544

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AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PRIMERA, TEXAS ADOPTING VARIOUS CODES AS PROMULGATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL AND THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION; REPEALING ORDINANCE 2017-07, ORDINANCE NO. 2001-18, ORDINANCE NO. 2002-11, ORDINANCE 2005-11 AND AMENDING ORDINANCES 2006-08 REVISING PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE AND PROVIDING EFFECTIVE DATE. Each violation of the Building Codes adopted, shall be punishable by a fine of $200.00 dollars each day that such violation exists and shall constitute a separate violation under this Ordinance.

FEBRUARY 3, 2021 • LA FERIA NEWS • 5

SOFTBALL PREVIEW Young Lionettes eager to take next step by Kevin Narro | LFN LA FERIA- At this time last year, softball was in full swing across the Rio Grande Valley. That was until COVID-19 shut down the sports world and, ultimately, ended all spring sports in the state of Texas. The Lionettes were one of those teams affected by the pandemic when the season shutdown last March. “It was one of those things that you thank your lucky stars,” thirdyear Lionettes coach Daryl Gonzales said. “Each day we are out there, and we are glad to be out there. We learned first hand last year that everything can be done in a heartbeat, but it was a great feeling being able to be on the field.” La Feria\s season ended with a 2-1 district record last year. Gonzales will have his work cut out for him in 2021. La Feria will return just three starters from last season. La Feria will rely on their three retuners to lead the young pack of Lionettes. Junior Angelina Lopez will lobby between catcher and second base. Senior Elyssa Villareal will anchor the third base while sophomore Sabrina Azua will play centerfield as well as serve as the team’s starting pitcher. Along with a strong freshman class, Azua is expected to be the teams ace and after a strong freshman campaign, Gonzales feels Azua is ready for the next step.

The La Feria Lionettes softball team ends practice with a team photo at the Veterans Memorial Sports Complex. Photo by coach Daryl Gonzales. “I honestly feel Sabrina is due,” Gonzales said. “She is really something to watch. She is exciting and is one of those kids who stepped in as a freshman and went toe-to-toe with the older girls and in the district.” In Gonzales’s first two seasons, the Lionettes have yet to reach the playoﬀs. With the season cut short last year, there is an extra step in this year’s club. “The kids know last year was going to be the year to get us over that hump,” Gonzales said, “and we lost a lot of girls. We have a strong freshman class, and with what we have returning, we feel we have not lost a step.”

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6 • FEBRUARY 3, 2021 • LA FERIA NEWS

DPS Reminder: DL Expiration Waiver Ends in April AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding the public the waiver on expiration dates for driver licenses (DLs) and identification cards (IDs) ends on April 14, 2021. Customers who need to renew are urged to make an appointment or renew online today. The waiver, granted by Governor Greg Abbott in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, applied to DLs, commercial DLs, commercial learner permits, ID cards and election identification certificates that expired on or after March 13, 2020. “Driver License employees have worked diligently to help Texans during challenging times and should be commended for their dedication,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “The Driver License Division has innovated to better serve constituents by implementing a new appointment solution to improve services and by providing extended hours at several locations across the state.” Online renewals still a convenient option Many Texans are eligible to skip the trip to the office entirely by renewing their DL/ID card or changing their address online at Texas.gov. Customers can also renew by phone at 1-866-DL-RENEW (1-866-357-3639). The requirements and cost for online and phone renewal are the same as in-person transactions. Expanded office hours To assist customers needing in-office DL services, designated highvolume offices are offering expanded hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday. Scheduling an appointment Services at driver license offices are now

conducted by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or check availability, visit the online appointment scheduler. If you are unable to find an appointment at the office of your choice, check back for availability at that office or other locations nearby. Please check often as availability does change. If you are unable to make your scheduled appointment, please reschedule or cancel it ahead of time. While the department is working to serve as many customers as possible, people with appointments not showing up continues to be a major obstacle. In December 2020, for example, approximately 31% of people were no-shows for their appointments. The appointment system, which debuted in May 2020, is designed to provide additional convenience, reducing the time Texans wait in line. Customers can book appointments for a specific day and time, up to six months in advance, and show up 30 minutes or less before their scheduled time. Customers can check-in using the kiosk inside the office or from their mobile device. All offices offer a limited number of sameday appointments. These appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers who book these appointments can leave the DL office until their designated time. Additionally, most offices also offer customers without an appointment a spot on a “standby” list. These customers are required to wait in the office and are assisted in the event of a cancelation or no-show. The number of standby appointments available is limited to ensure all customers who are placed on the list will be served by the end of the day. To ensure a safe environment, COVID-19 protocols have been implemented at DL offices.

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FEBRUARY 3, 2021 • LA FERIA NEWS • 7

The Next Chapter The Love Aﬀair pt. 3 By Nandy Ekle Jose was her perfect match. His cream-colored skin never changed and his dark eyes always reflected her deep inner self. What she saw in those deep gorgeous mirrors was beautiful. She giggled as she thought about his weight. Sometimes he was pretty hefty, and sometimes he was slim. But he was always the most wonderful thing she saw, especially on Super Bowl Sunday each year. She straightened the front of her maroon chiffon dress and adjusted the sleeves around the upper part of her arms. Spraying a dab of cologne, she checked to make sure her teeth weren’t wearing her

lipstick. Yes, age showed in her face, but she could live with her maturity. Bryan never seemed to notice; Jose would love it. She flounced down the stairs and saw her beefy husband looking over the nest she had built for him. “What kinda’ sammiches?” “Bologna. I know what you like.” “Sure do. Thanks, babe.” He grabbed one bread triangle and bit half of it, chewing with a glop of mustard on his chin. Snagging a bottle from the cooler next to him, he plopped down and wielded the remote like a scepter. “’at’s a good sammich,” he said around his chewing. A soggy piece of bread flew

out of his mouth and hit her shoulder. “Thanks,” she answered while brushing the goop away. A shadow of annoyance crossed her face, then left. He swallowed. “Sorry,” he said without looking at her. He pointed the remote at the television, a king commanding his loyal subjects. Christine looked at the clock on the wall above the TV, checked the mustard spot on her shoulder one more time, then settled herself on the opposite corner of the sofa closest to the front door. She slid the unopened wine bottle on the coﬀee table a little to the left, then back to the center between the two glasses in front of her. She couldn’t help fidgeting; Jose would arrive a couple of minutes after the game started. The picture on the television screen was split into three parts with a sportscaster in the middle pane. On either side of him each team’s head coach yelled about what good players they had and how their team would mop up the field with the other. The announcer in the middle gave the illusion of refereeing the coaches, but anyone could tell he was actually egging them on.

“Kick oﬀ in exactly two minutes, “ Bryan said to Christine. “TIME TO WRAP THIS CRAP UP. GET OFF THE SCREEN.” He yelled at the TV. She smiled and looked down. That meant about five minutes until Jose’s arrival. She patted her hair one more time and curled her feet under her dress. Looking over at her husband she saw he was already lost to her. A couple of commercials whizzed by, then the two quarterbacks stood on the 50-yard line with the referee. The coin toss. She always thought it strange that a coin toss determined the fate of an event as important as the Super Bowl, nothing but chance—not a whit of skill involved. She watched as the memento coin fell to the turf in front of the ref. He picked it up, pointed to Bryan’s team and ran from the field. “HOT DAMN!” Bryan yelled from his side of the couch. “MY BOYS GET TO RECEIVE!” Over her husband and the cheering crowds on the television, Christine thought she heard a noise on the porch. Launching from the sofa she walked with controlled steps to the curtain covering the large window next to the front

door. She peeked between the lengths of fabric but did not see anyone with a hand raised to knock. Instead of going back to the couch, she turned and leaned on the large oak door. The player ran down the middle of the field and kicked the ball toward the other goal, right into the

arms of Bryan’s favorite player, who immediately ran into a solid wall of opposing jerseys. “GO GO GO GO GO,” he yelled at the screen. A quiet little tapping sounded on the door and Christine lifted her head, her eyes shining as bright as stars with anticipation.

This story continues next week. The Next Chapter is a column featuring a serialized continuing short story from a local author. You can submit your own original story for publication at news@laferianews.net.

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43. With more seeds 45. Attic 47. Summer sandwich? 48. Fraternity letter 50. Medieval headdress 52. *Only day more popular than Valentine’s for card giving 56. Like blue sky 57. Walk the Pacific Crest Trail, e.g. 58. Samoan money 59. *Dionysus’ pipeplaying companion 60. Aﬃ rm 61. Give oﬀ 62. Plays for pay 63. *Color of Valentine’s Day 64. *Lovers’ reunion

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acr. 11. *Feeling of the heart 12. Nevada city 13. City in Belgium 15. Use a whisk 16. Greek H’s 17. *Popular Valentine’s Day delivery, pl. 18. *”Love means never having to say you’re sorry” movie 20. Ballpark calls 21. Strong adhesive 22. Greek letter N, pl. 23. Lord’s subordinate 26. Given to drinking 30. Ovine mom 31. Old storage medium 34. Fairy-tale beginning 35. Politician Pelosi 37. Tokyo, once 38. Bone hollows 39. Sky bear 40. Fitted with a name tag, e.g. 42. “Ever” to a poet

DOWN 1. Cry like a baby 2. Canyon sound 3. Convict’s weapon 4. Conical dwellings 5. Get on juice diet, e.g. 6. Opposite of binary 7. Like a gossipmonger 8. Exterminator’s target 9. Change for a five 10. Part of T.G.I.F. 12. Like an abridged classic 13. Tiler’s paste 14. *”I Will Always Love You” singer 19. Stupefied 22. Us, in Mexico 23. *Cupid’s mother 24. In the know 25. Common thing? 26. Smoke plus fog 27. Lay to rest 28. Rocks at mountain base 29. *Symbol of Valentine’s Day 32. Infantry’s last row 33. Roulette bet 36. *Chocolatier, pioneer of the heartshaped box 38. ____ apple 40. Risk something 41. Between eggy and eggiest 44. Feeling worse than before 46. Gave away 48. Thin piece 49. Annoyed 50. Russia’s alternative to caesar 51. Aries or Taurus, e.g. 52. Burn to a crisp 53. MADD member, colloquially 54. Climbed down, as from a carriage 55. Fill beyond full 56. Pharaoh’s cobra

8 • FEBRUARY 3, 2021 • LA FERIA NEWS

UTRGV and Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium partner to address added challenges of the pandemic

UTRGV photo by David Pike by Dimitra Trejo RIO GRANDE VALLEY – UTRGV and the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium (TCMHCC) are partnering to help area adolescents address the mental health challenges they may be facing, especially amid the challenges of the pandemic. Jose Martin Rodriguez, program manager for the TCMHCC program at the UTRGV School of Medicine, said the project is more important now than ever. “This is a robust project that was made possible through the support of our state legislators who passed Senate Bill 11 during the previous legislative session,” Rodriguez said. “The intention for developing the services of the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium was to try to resolve Texas school violence by providing more mental health resources. Nonetheless, we are already seeing the challenges the pandemic has brought on families and children. We know there will be an even greater need for mental

health resources today.” The TCMHCC is designed to advance the quality of mental healthcare and access for all Texas children and adolescents through interinstitutional collaboration, leveraging the expertise of the state’s health-related institutions of higher education, local and state government agencies, and local and state mental health organizations. “The Legislature intended for each of the 12 medical schools in the state of Texas to be assigned a number of counties so that this initiative could serve the children of the communities it was intended for,” Rodriguez said. “Our UTRGV School of Medicine covers 13 counties and is extending resources in all five areas of the consortium, including Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN); Texas Child Health Access through Telemedicine (TCHATT); Community Psychiatry Workforce Expansion (CPWE); Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowships (CAP Fellowships), and research.”

ACCESS VIA TELEMEDICINE UTRGV already has begun programs in the Valley with TCHATT by connecting adolescents with mental health services in K-12 via telemedicine. The program allows licensed physicians at the UTRGV School of Medicine to conduct doctor visits via telemedicine without the students needing to leave school. This program is in partnership with Brownsville ISD. “TCHATT is such an important resource,” Rodriguez said. “At the moment, access to mental health providers is either not available in Valley communities, requires long-distance travel, or takes a long time to get an appointment. “TCHATT allows us to see these young patients as soon as a teacher identifies an at-risk child. Once the sessions are done, we can refer them out to providers in that area,” he said.

help guide physicians in the field of mental health by providing child and adolescent counseling services through a 1-800 number. Physicians will have access to child psychiatrists to get secondary recommendations they may require with a patient. “Before, if a pediatrician was struggling with a patient in terms of diagnosis or medication recommendations, there was no real system that would allow these pediatricians to keep these patients. They would have to be referred out to another doctor,” Rodriguez said. “With CPAN, we are allowing the pediatrician to keep the patient and the relationship they’ve built with them. They can call the number provided and gather the information they need … like how to deal with stress the pandemic has left on their families. The primary goal is to make sure the patient feels heard and comfortable.” Dr. Delisa Guadarrama, assistant professor of psychiatry in the UTRGV School of Medicine and medical director of the CPAN program, said CPAN is filling the gaps in mental health care in the

Valley. “There are very few board-certified child psychiatrists in the region compared to the number of children and adolescents that need our services – now more than ever,” Guadarrama said. “I am proud of CPAN because it means that kids can get help promptly through their primary care clinic, instead of having to wait months for an appointment. “Through the grant, we are able to give physicians, NPs, PAs, etc., free access to psychiatric education, resources and real-time consultations to child psychiatrists,” she said. Rodriguez, the TCMHCC program manager said that, moving forward, UTRGV and the TCMHCC will continue to provide and grow mental healthcare opportunities for the Valley through research and other partners including Community Psychiatry Workforce Expansion (CPWE), and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowships (CAP Fellowships). “Through our CAP Fellowship, residents will be able to become psychiatrists through our special-

ties training program,” he said. “If residents decide they want to specialize in child psychiatry, they will be able to. “We understand that when residents finish their training, they tend to stay in the location of that fellowship because they love the community. So, in an indirect way, we are creating a pipeline for more child psychiatrists in the Valley.” The program, he said, shows continued promise. “I would say the consortium has come up with eﬀective ways to improve mental health for the children of Texas. Coming up with these elements has improved the resources that were lacking, especially in times like this when children are going through a lot,” he said.