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progresstimes
Eagles defeat Veterans Memorial
Protect your right to vote
Gridiron Family page 3A
page 4B
page 1B
Friday, October 17, 2008
newsbriefs
Pregnant Teen finds success at Roosevelt Alternative School
The Texas Citrus Fiesta will hold its second annual lighted night parade on Saturday, January 31, 2009. The parade will begin at 7 p.m. The parade will travel down Conway Ave., starting at FM 495 and ending at 1st Street. Theme of this year’s parade will be Texas Citrus Fiesta Salutes the Armed Forces.
Former Mission High School football stars Frank Hernandez and Nati Valdez spoke to seventh graders at Mission Junior High School on Friday, October 10. Hernandez told students to choose the right role models in life. He also said it was important for them to be an example to others. Nati spoke of the importance of hard work and “focusing on your dreams.” The two were later honored at the Friday night football game between Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School.
Hernandez, Valdez at MHS
Councilman Celestino Ramirez is hospitalized in University Hospital in San Antonio where he underwent a liver transplant on Wednesday, October 8. Ramirez, whose health has been failing in recent months, is now much improved according to a report made by Mayor Beto Salinas. Salinas speculated that Ramirez would soon be on his feet and back in the city taking care of business.
Ramirez gets new liver
Woman’s arm found
A DNA test has revealed that an arm discovered in Willacy County belonged to 68 year-old Josefina Lugo, who has been missing since August 23. The arm was discovered when crews were surveying debris and damage from Hurricane Dolly. Lugo’s husband Pedro Lugo and stepson Javier were indicted on charges on September 18. Both are facing murder charges, while Javier is also charged with the tampering of evidence. Mission Police Chief Leo Longoria said there will continue to be a search for more evidence, as authorities have yet to find her body.
TCF Duchesses announced
Mission and Sharyland duchesses were announced recently for the upcoming Texas Citrus Fiesta. Representing Mission are Alyna Ysela Garza, Duchess of Star Ruby Grapefruit, Alexis Dianne Vlasik, Duchess of Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Amanda Lee Perez, Duchess of Honeydew. To represent Sharyland are Meredith Alexis Garza, Duchess of Pink Grapefruit, and Nathali Rodriguez, Duchess of White Marsh Seedless Grapefruit.
Chamber Banquet is Oct. 27
The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce will hold the annual Chamber Banquet on Monday, October 27 at The Club at Cimarron. Social hour begins at 6:30 p.m. and the banquet will begin at 7 p.m. The Progress Times citizen awards for Mr. Mission, First Lady of Mission, Man of the Year and Woman of the Year will be announced at the banquet. In addition, the chamber will present special awards for Business of the Year, Business Person of the Year and Small Business of the Year. Tickets are $500 for a table of 10, or $50 per individual ticket. To make reservations, contact the chamber at 585-2727.
The Texas Butterfly Festival is in full swing this weekend in Mission. The hub of activities is the Mission Parks & Recreation building located at 721 N. Bryan Rd. where the Children’s Fun Fair will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19. The Fun Fair will feature children’s rides, Moon Jump, games, an education room, crafts and naturerelated children’s activities. Of course, there will be vendors, food booths and the butterfly garden. Admission to the Children’s Fun Fair is free. The annual Butterfly Festival, organized by the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce, also offers a series of butterfly and nature-related seminars and field trips. For more information about space availability for these activities, contact the chamber at 956-585-2727, or, stop by the chamber office, located at 220 E. 9th Street.
INDEX
Movies | pg. 2A
www.progresstimes.net
Your hometown newspaper serving Mission and Western Hidalgo County since 1972
Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade Set
Proof of legal status required
50 cents
By Mary Nichols There is a specific test that most teenagers don’t study for. It’s a test that’s usually rushed and sometimes the directions are miscommunicated. It’s a test that can’t be re-taken or undone, and it’s a test that most young girls take alone. This test is a pregnancy test. The pregnancy test reads a plus sign if the girl is pregnant, minus sign if she’s not, and a question mark for a teen’s undetermined future. Kristine Olivarez, 19 (name changed to remain anonymous) took this test at age 16. The test was positive and she became one of the many teens in the country to get pregnant and forced to mature far more quickly than her peers. However, with the help of the Teenage Parenting Assistance Program (TPAP) offered at Roosevelt Alternative School in Mission, Olivarez was given the opportunity to still have a successful future. “I’m very thankful for the program. If MCISD didn’t have that program, I don’t know what I would of done. It was a life saver,” said Olivarez. “I appreciate it. It showed me it’s not the end of the world. Life is just going to be harder, but you can still get an education.” Starting Support TPAP, started in 1992, serves all the schools in the district. It offers teen parents with pregnancy-related services to reduce school dropouts and increase high school graduation rates. Services provided include continuing education, health services, counseling, and instruction in child development, parenting, home, and family living. The program also offers career counseling, transportation for children and students, and prenatal and postpartum health nutrition programs.
Early voting begins Monday See TEEN page 5A
By Ricky Reynoso While the upcoming presidential election has been grabbing headlines, local voters will also be given the opportunity to cast their votes for congressional elections during the upcoming early voting period beginning October 20. In the race for the Senate, Republican incumbent John Cornyn will face opposition from Democrat Richard Noriega and Libertarian Yvonne Adams Schick. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Cornyn has raised $16.4 million compared to Noriega’s $2.4 million. Incumbent Ruben Hinojosa, Democrat, is also facing opposition as he tries to keep his post as U.S. Representative for District 15. Republican Eddie Zamora and Libertarian Gricha Raether are running for office against Hinojosa. Democratic incumbent Veronica Gonzales is set to defend her post as District 41 State Representative against Republican Javier Villalobos and Libertarian Charles W. Snelling. Gonzales said one of the main
issues facing residents is rising property taxes. She said she voted twice to reduce property taxes by one-third, but bond elections and rising appraisals have negated any savings. “Despite a state surplus and the fact that our schools continue to grow, the state has been paying less and less for schools and voters have been asked to pay more via their property taxes,” Gonzales said. “I am working to increase the state’s share to what it was 10 years ago so we can take some of the burden off of homeowners to fund our schools.” Villalobos refutes her statement, claiming she voted against a bill that would provide property tax relief. He said he wants to help the economy by stimulating small businesses, something he says Gonzales didn’t do by voting for a margins tax. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of District 41,” Villalobos said. “Small businesses employ and insure thousands of people and without their success, the Valley would falter. We must provide incentives to small busi-
nesses to employ and insure more people.” Congressman Henry Cuellar, Democrat, is also defending his seat as District 28 Representative. Battling for the seat are Republican Jim Fish and Libertarian Rosa Lynn Leone. Dori Contreras Garza, Democrat, will be defending her incumbency as Justice of the 13th Court of Appeals against Republican Caroline Bertuzzi. Republican Danny Rios will also be defending his post as District Judge of the 449th Judicial District Court against Democrat Jesse Contreras. District 39 State Representative Kino Flores w ill be running unopposed, as are District Judges Ricardo Rodriguez, Rudy Delgado and Bobby Flores. Sheriff Guadalupe “Lupe” Treviño and County Tax Assessor-Collector Armando Barrera are also unopposed. Precinct 3 Commissioner Joe Flores and Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy will not be facing opposition either.
County approves $2 million for debris removal
By Ricky Reynoso While they wait on further reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Hidalgo County Commissioners’ Court approved a payment of $2 million to Ashbritt Environmental Services on Tuesday, October 14. According to budget division representative Raul Silguero the payment is for debris removal that was caused by Hurricane Dolly. Silguero said the estimated cost to the county for all Dolly debris removal and roadway is $20 million, but expects FEMA to cover at least 75 percent. “The reimbursement will come from FEMA,” Silguero said. “At minimum, we should get around $15 million of reimbursements once all of these projects are done. The total cost to the county after all is said and done is estimated at $5 or $6 million. Right now we’re using monies from our fund balance.” George Lowell of Beck Disaster Recovery said the total money allocated for repair projects is $6.4 million. When asked if the county could receive interest on expected funds, Lowell said no. “FEMA doesn’t pay interest,” Lowell said. “They pay for the damages that were incurred. It could take a couple of weeks or a month to process the paperwork on their end.”
La Joya ISD superintendent awarded contract extension
Issues of discussion, at a recent board of trustees meeting at La Joya ISD included employee contract renewals, job terminations, building project expenditures and student assessments results. The board also reviewed the superintendent’s contract. The board met on Wednesday, Oct. 8, when they discussed the evaluation and approved extending the contract for Superintendent Dr. Alda T. Benavides. Benavides, who has been serv-
ing as superintendent since September 18, 2006, had her contract renewed for two years, extending her current contract until June 2012. She also was given a five percent pay increase. Two bus drivers were terminated. Student enrollment in the district was discussed. As of September 2, there were 26,960 students enrolled at La Joya ISD. This represents a 767student increase from Sept. 4, 2007, when 26,193 students were registered with the district. Almost half the total
Two new annexations planned
By Kathy Olivarez Two new sites to be annexed into the Mission city limits were approved in the Monday, October 13, meeting of the Mission City Council. The first area is in the northernmost sector of Mission’s suburban extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). City Planner Sergio Zavala said this annexation will simply square off the city limits, taking it to the line where Palmhurst’s ETJ begins. The land to be squared off lies between Conway Avenue on the west and Mayberry Road on the east. The area already has Mission water and sewer lines serving it. It includes acreage from Lot 29-7, 30-7 and 308, West Addition to Sharyland. It includes Ocana Subdivision, Valle Hermoso Estates and Sno-Bird Estates. The second area to be annexed is along Bentsen Palm Drive and includes all of Lot 39 and parts of Lots 34 and 35, Bentsen Grove #2 Subdivision. It
Opinion | pg. 4A
See ANNEX Pg. 9A
Obituaries | pg. 8A
See VOTING Pg. 5A
enrolled students (14,742) are enrolled at the elementary level. Students of La Joya ISD who are English Language Learners (ELL) are required to be monitored by the No Child Left Behind Act with English language proficiency assessments. The results of the 2007-08 Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) were presented to the board. Limited English Proficient (LEP) students grade levels K-first had only four percent of stu-
See DEBRIS Pg. 9A
dents reaching a high level on the TELPAS. Grade levels second-12th had 26 percent of LEP students scoring high on the English assessment. Architectural design for what would be La Joya’s 25th elementary and pavilion projects were discussed. Funding for projects such as these will be supported from general funds and investment earnings from the district. As of August 31, 2008, the
See LJISD Pg. 9A
La Joya High School students Kareema Anany and Sergio Castillo enjoy the moment after being selected as 2008 Homecoming Queen and King during halftime ceremonies at last Friday’s football game (Progress Times photo by Edgar Gonzalez)
Community | pg. 6A
Sports | pg. 1B
Classifieds | pg. 6B
Eagles defeat Veterans Memorial
Protect your right to vote
Gridiron Family page 3A
page 4B
page 1B
Friday, October 17, 2008
newsbriefs
Pregnant Teen finds success at Roosevelt Alternative School
The Texas Citrus Fiesta will hold its second annual lighted night parade on Saturday, January 31, 2009. The parade will begin at 7 p.m. The parade will travel down Conway Ave., starting at FM 495 and ending at 1st Street. Theme of this year’s parade will be Texas Citrus Fiesta Salutes the Armed Forces.
Former Mission High School football stars Frank Hernandez and Nati Valdez spoke to seventh graders at Mission Junior High School on Friday, October 10. Hernandez told students to choose the right role models in life. He also said it was important for them to be an example to others. Nati spoke of the importance of hard work and “focusing on your dreams.” The two were later honored at the Friday night football game between Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School.
Hernandez, Valdez at MHS
Councilman Celestino Ramirez is hospitalized in University Hospital in San Antonio where he underwent a liver transplant on Wednesday, October 8. Ramirez, whose health has been failing in recent months, is now much improved according to a report made by Mayor Beto Salinas. Salinas speculated that Ramirez would soon be on his feet and back in the city taking care of business.
Ramirez gets new liver
Woman’s arm found
A DNA test has revealed that an arm discovered in Willacy County belonged to 68 year-old Josefina Lugo, who has been missing since August 23. The arm was discovered when crews were surveying debris and damage from Hurricane Dolly. Lugo’s husband Pedro Lugo and stepson Javier were indicted on charges on September 18. Both are facing murder charges, while Javier is also charged with the tampering of evidence. Mission Police Chief Leo Longoria said there will continue to be a search for more evidence, as authorities have yet to find her body.
TCF Duchesses announced
Mission and Sharyland duchesses were announced recently for the upcoming Texas Citrus Fiesta. Representing Mission are Alyna Ysela Garza, Duchess of Star Ruby Grapefruit, Alexis Dianne Vlasik, Duchess of Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Amanda Lee Perez, Duchess of Honeydew. To represent Sharyland are Meredith Alexis Garza, Duchess of Pink Grapefruit, and Nathali Rodriguez, Duchess of White Marsh Seedless Grapefruit.
Chamber Banquet is Oct. 27
The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce will hold the annual Chamber Banquet on Monday, October 27 at The Club at Cimarron. Social hour begins at 6:30 p.m. and the banquet will begin at 7 p.m. The Progress Times citizen awards for Mr. Mission, First Lady of Mission, Man of the Year and Woman of the Year will be announced at the banquet. In addition, the chamber will present special awards for Business of the Year, Business Person of the Year and Small Business of the Year. Tickets are $500 for a table of 10, or $50 per individual ticket. To make reservations, contact the chamber at 585-2727.
The Texas Butterfly Festival is in full swing this weekend in Mission. The hub of activities is the Mission Parks & Recreation building located at 721 N. Bryan Rd. where the Children’s Fun Fair will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19. The Fun Fair will feature children’s rides, Moon Jump, games, an education room, crafts and naturerelated children’s activities. Of course, there will be vendors, food booths and the butterfly garden. Admission to the Children’s Fun Fair is free. The annual Butterfly Festival, organized by the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce, also offers a series of butterfly and nature-related seminars and field trips. For more information about space availability for these activities, contact the chamber at 956-585-2727, or, stop by the chamber office, located at 220 E. 9th Street.
INDEX
Movies | pg. 2A
www.progresstimes.net
Your hometown newspaper serving Mission and Western Hidalgo County since 1972
Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade Set
Proof of legal status required
50 cents
By Mary Nichols There is a specific test that most teenagers don’t study for. It’s a test that’s usually rushed and sometimes the directions are miscommunicated. It’s a test that can’t be re-taken or undone, and it’s a test that most young girls take alone. This test is a pregnancy test. The pregnancy test reads a plus sign if the girl is pregnant, minus sign if she’s not, and a question mark for a teen’s undetermined future. Kristine Olivarez, 19 (name changed to remain anonymous) took this test at age 16. The test was positive and she became one of the many teens in the country to get pregnant and forced to mature far more quickly than her peers. However, with the help of the Teenage Parenting Assistance Program (TPAP) offered at Roosevelt Alternative School in Mission, Olivarez was given the opportunity to still have a successful future. “I’m very thankful for the program. If MCISD didn’t have that program, I don’t know what I would of done. It was a life saver,” said Olivarez. “I appreciate it. It showed me it’s not the end of the world. Life is just going to be harder, but you can still get an education.” Starting Support TPAP, started in 1992, serves all the schools in the district. It offers teen parents with pregnancy-related services to reduce school dropouts and increase high school graduation rates. Services provided include continuing education, health services, counseling, and instruction in child development, parenting, home, and family living. The program also offers career counseling, transportation for children and students, and prenatal and postpartum health nutrition programs.
Early voting begins Monday See TEEN page 5A
By Ricky Reynoso While the upcoming presidential election has been grabbing headlines, local voters will also be given the opportunity to cast their votes for congressional elections during the upcoming early voting period beginning October 20. In the race for the Senate, Republican incumbent John Cornyn will face opposition from Democrat Richard Noriega and Libertarian Yvonne Adams Schick. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Cornyn has raised $16.4 million compared to Noriega’s $2.4 million. Incumbent Ruben Hinojosa, Democrat, is also facing opposition as he tries to keep his post as U.S. Representative for District 15. Republican Eddie Zamora and Libertarian Gricha Raether are running for office against Hinojosa. Democratic incumbent Veronica Gonzales is set to defend her post as District 41 State Representative against Republican Javier Villalobos and Libertarian Charles W. Snelling. Gonzales said one of the main
issues facing residents is rising property taxes. She said she voted twice to reduce property taxes by one-third, but bond elections and rising appraisals have negated any savings. “Despite a state surplus and the fact that our schools continue to grow, the state has been paying less and less for schools and voters have been asked to pay more via their property taxes,” Gonzales said. “I am working to increase the state’s share to what it was 10 years ago so we can take some of the burden off of homeowners to fund our schools.” Villalobos refutes her statement, claiming she voted against a bill that would provide property tax relief. He said he wants to help the economy by stimulating small businesses, something he says Gonzales didn’t do by voting for a margins tax. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of District 41,” Villalobos said. “Small businesses employ and insure thousands of people and without their success, the Valley would falter. We must provide incentives to small busi-
nesses to employ and insure more people.” Congressman Henry Cuellar, Democrat, is also defending his seat as District 28 Representative. Battling for the seat are Republican Jim Fish and Libertarian Rosa Lynn Leone. Dori Contreras Garza, Democrat, will be defending her incumbency as Justice of the 13th Court of Appeals against Republican Caroline Bertuzzi. Republican Danny Rios will also be defending his post as District Judge of the 449th Judicial District Court against Democrat Jesse Contreras. District 39 State Representative Kino Flores w ill be running unopposed, as are District Judges Ricardo Rodriguez, Rudy Delgado and Bobby Flores. Sheriff Guadalupe “Lupe” Treviño and County Tax Assessor-Collector Armando Barrera are also unopposed. Precinct 3 Commissioner Joe Flores and Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy will not be facing opposition either.
County approves $2 million for debris removal
By Ricky Reynoso While they wait on further reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Hidalgo County Commissioners’ Court approved a payment of $2 million to Ashbritt Environmental Services on Tuesday, October 14. According to budget division representative Raul Silguero the payment is for debris removal that was caused by Hurricane Dolly. Silguero said the estimated cost to the county for all Dolly debris removal and roadway is $20 million, but expects FEMA to cover at least 75 percent. “The reimbursement will come from FEMA,” Silguero said. “At minimum, we should get around $15 million of reimbursements once all of these projects are done. The total cost to the county after all is said and done is estimated at $5 or $6 million. Right now we’re using monies from our fund balance.” George Lowell of Beck Disaster Recovery said the total money allocated for repair projects is $6.4 million. When asked if the county could receive interest on expected funds, Lowell said no. “FEMA doesn’t pay interest,” Lowell said. “They pay for the damages that were incurred. It could take a couple of weeks or a month to process the paperwork on their end.”
La Joya ISD superintendent awarded contract extension
Issues of discussion, at a recent board of trustees meeting at La Joya ISD included employee contract renewals, job terminations, building project expenditures and student assessments results. The board also reviewed the superintendent’s contract. The board met on Wednesday, Oct. 8, when they discussed the evaluation and approved extending the contract for Superintendent Dr. Alda T. Benavides. Benavides, who has been serv-
ing as superintendent since September 18, 2006, had her contract renewed for two years, extending her current contract until June 2012. She also was given a five percent pay increase. Two bus drivers were terminated. Student enrollment in the district was discussed. As of September 2, there were 26,960 students enrolled at La Joya ISD. This represents a 767student increase from Sept. 4, 2007, when 26,193 students were registered with the district. Almost half the total
Two new annexations planned
By Kathy Olivarez Two new sites to be annexed into the Mission city limits were approved in the Monday, October 13, meeting of the Mission City Council. The first area is in the northernmost sector of Mission’s suburban extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). City Planner Sergio Zavala said this annexation will simply square off the city limits, taking it to the line where Palmhurst’s ETJ begins. The land to be squared off lies between Conway Avenue on the west and Mayberry Road on the east. The area already has Mission water and sewer lines serving it. It includes acreage from Lot 29-7, 30-7 and 308, West Addition to Sharyland. It includes Ocana Subdivision, Valle Hermoso Estates and Sno-Bird Estates. The second area to be annexed is along Bentsen Palm Drive and includes all of Lot 39 and parts of Lots 34 and 35, Bentsen Grove #2 Subdivision. It
Opinion | pg. 4A
See ANNEX Pg. 9A
Obituaries | pg. 8A
See VOTING Pg. 5A
enrolled students (14,742) are enrolled at the elementary level. Students of La Joya ISD who are English Language Learners (ELL) are required to be monitored by the No Child Left Behind Act with English language proficiency assessments. The results of the 2007-08 Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) were presented to the board. Limited English Proficient (LEP) students grade levels K-first had only four percent of stu-
See DEBRIS Pg. 9A
dents reaching a high level on the TELPAS. Grade levels second-12th had 26 percent of LEP students scoring high on the English assessment. Architectural design for what would be La Joya’s 25th elementary and pavilion projects were discussed. Funding for projects such as these will be supported from general funds and investment earnings from the district. As of August 31, 2008, the
See LJISD Pg. 9A
La Joya High School students Kareema Anany and Sergio Castillo enjoy the moment after being selected as 2008 Homecoming Queen and King during halftime ceremonies at last Friday’s football game (Progress Times photo by Edgar Gonzalez)
Community | pg. 6A
Sports | pg. 1B
Classifieds | pg. 6B
