Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 2007 Page: 2 of 6
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The Rio Grande Herald-Thursday, July 19, 2007, Page 2
Hutchison talks flood
recovery, preparing for future
By Senator Kay Bailey
Hutchison
Sam Houston once said,
"Texas has yet to learn
submission to any oppression,
come from what source it may."
The recent floods in north and
central Texas are a tragic
reminder of the devastating
impact natural disasters have on
our families, businesses and
communities. In recent years,
our state has weathered
hurricanes, tornadoes, floods,
droughts and wildfires in
unusual frequency and severity.
However, when disaster strikes,
>ve rise to the challenge and
recover. As your senator, I am
committed to helping Texans in
every possible way.
Earlier this month, I saw
firsthand some of the flooding
that impacted over 6 million
Texans across 49 counties. In
some places, entire
neighborhoods were underwater
and families were forced to
evacuate to higher ground.
Roads I had traveled with my
family near Lake Texoma only a
few weeks ago were completely
submerged.
To help Texans recover and
rebuild, I have worked directly
with the president's
administration and the
governor's office to obtain
federal disaster declarations for
a growing number of counties
affected by recent flooding. A
federal declaration makes grants
and loans available for recovery
efforts, such as basic home or
business repairs and the
rebuilding of vital public
infrastructure. In some cases,
federal assistance is also
available to offset economic
setbacks like business or
agricultural losses. Archer. Bell,
Burnet, Cooke, Coryell, Denton,
Eastland, Grayson, Hood.
Lampasas, Parker, Starr,
Tarrant. Victoria, Webb.
Wichita and Williamson
counties have received disaster
declarations and are now
eligible to request federal aid.
Unfortunately, flooding is not
the only natural hazard to affect
our state. Few Texans can
forget the destructive impact
Hurricane Rita had on our
coastal region. This powerful
storm struck while much of the
Gulf Coast was still reeling from
the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Many Texans who had
welcomed displaced neighbors
into their homes suddenly
became victims themselves.
As federal relief efforts
focused on other Gulf Coast
states, I worked to ensure that
Texans hit by Hurricane Rita
received equal treatment
alongside our neighbors.
Federal authorities initially
proposed to reimburse local
governments in Louisiana for 9C
percent of their recovery costs,
while compensating Texas cities
and counties for a significantly
smaller amount. But, Hurricane
Rita didn't discriminate along
state lines and neither should the
federal government. Working
with my colleagues, I was able
to enact the same reimbursement
rate for Texas and secure
billions in aid for rebuilding
efforts.
Our farming and ranching
communities have also been
hard-hit by disasters. Last year,
drought and wildfires caused an
estimated $4.1 billion in crop
and livestock losses in nearly
200 Texas counties. These
losses were overwhelming for
many of the families and
individuals in our vital
agriculture industry.
Thankfully, working with the U.
S. Department of Agriculture,
Congress helped offset these
losses and brought significant
disaster assistance to our Texas
producers.
While we cannot predict
when and where natural
disasters will strike, proper
advance planning is vital to the
protection of our families and
the rebuilding of our
communities. I urge you to do
your part by making sure that
you and your family have a
safety or evacuation plan ready
for floods, fire, severe storms,
tornadoes and—if you live in a
coastal area—hurricanes. 1 also
encourage you to obtain realistic
insurance coverage for your
home or business, as no
government relief will ever be
entirely sufficient. You can visit
the Department of Homeland
Security's website,
http://www.ready.gov, for
emergency planning advice and
practical tips.
If your family or business has
been a victim of a natural
disaster, please feel free to
contact FEMA or my office at
ht1p://hutchison.senate.gov to
find out what assistance may be
available. We are not able to
prevent natural disasters, but
working together we can protect
our families and communities
and help rebuild when
calamities occur.
Sorority members enjoy Founder's Day observance
A delightful evening was enjoyed by all as Sisters of Beta Sigma Phi gathered for the 76th anniversary
celebration of Beta Sigma Phi held at the Tijerina Plaza. The theme for the event was "Celebrating the
Beginning of Another 75 Years of Beta Sigma Phi. Texas Beta Eta Tau served as host chapter for the
event, which was also attended by Chapters Texas Delta Theta Master, Texas Beta Theta Iota; Texas
Preceptor Pi Beta, Texas Beta Zeta Omicron, and Texas Beta Theta Lambda. The Founder's Day
Pledge was recited; a Message from International was read; highlights and awards were presented; and
the 2007-08 theme was announced, all following a delicious catered meal. Pictured are members of
Texas Delta Theta Master with President Josie Guerra seated at far right.
Local 4-H kids hold auctions
for Driscoll ambulance
STC floral design course
turning out masterpieces
"It was a great opportunity
for the students to enjoy the
craft, as well as a good
investment for students." said
STC training manager Dolores
S. Gomez. "For some it turned
out to be a good way to start a
business in floral design and for
others it provided personal
enrichment. Either way, the
students all came out winners"
Floral design classes will
now be offered year-round at the
campus. Students have the
opportunity to take Floral
Design for Beginners and
Advance Floral Design. The
beginners course involves two
classes per week for eight
weeks. Students learn to make
ribbon bows. corsages,
bouquets, centerpieces, wreaths,
floral arrangements with
artificial fruit, wedding
arrangements, floral wreaths and
baskets for all occasion. The
final class focuses on wedding
bouquets.
"We encourage everyone to
join us and learn the beautiful
craft of floral design," added
Gomez. "Any one can register
for these classes, you don't need
any prerequisites."
The next beginners class
starts on July 16 and the
advance class starts on July 17.
The fee for each class is $144
and includes materials. To
register call Araceli Garza or
Dolores Gomez of STC's
Continuing and Professional
Education Division at 488-6972.
A jelly doughnut measuring 16
feet in diameter and weighing
more than 3,700 pounds was
made in Utica, N.Y., in 1993.
CORPUS CHRISTI- Going
oncc...going tw ice...sold!
Young 4-H members as well as
local barn owners and managers,
ranchers and agricultural
businesses, will combine efforts
to help the kids of South Texas.
The 23rd Annual South Texas
Cattleman's Roundup, with
seven grassroots community
fundraising events, is taking
place this summer throughout
South Texas all to benefit
Driscoll Children's Hospital's
transport services and the over
1000 kids yearly that are
transported across South Texas.
Special lunchtime auctions
will be held during breaks from
regular livestock sales auctions
at auction houses. Items up for
auction will include livestock,
as well as baked goods, jellies
and gift baskets In addition,
past non-traditional auction
items have included San
Antonio Spurs tickets, quilts,
birdhouses, rain gauges, work
gloves, and signed Nolan Ryan
posters. Auction items are still
needed for the 2007 Cattleman's
Roundup dates
The 2007 South Texas
Cattleman's Roundup Auction
events remaining include:
is#:
"J ■' ;. • •: • _ v
Connect to Energy Savings
r- ,
AS TIW J.l.EC'TRlC DELIVERY COMPANY thai has been serving south and west Texas lor over
lJ0 years, AEF Texas knows a thing or two about energy conservation. While we no longer sell
( eh < tricity or send out monthly electric bills, we recognize this is going to be a long, hot summer.
Since AEP Texas and its 1,700 employees are directly connected to the many communities we
live in and serve, we'd like to share some low or no cost tips with you on how to keep cooler this
summer by saving energy and money.
Set air-conditioning thermostats to the highest possible comfortable setting and dress accordingly.
Turn off every appliance you are not using including lights, televisions and
radios. Use the "sleep" feature on your computer equipment.
Only cool rooms that you use. Ciose vents and doors in unused rooms.
Be sure to close closet doors
Check your air-conditioning filter every month and replace as needed.
Keep windows that let the sun in covered when the sun is shining on them.
Weather strip and caulk around windows and doors to prevent drafts.
Close your fireplace damper when the fireplace is not being used.
Use fans to help circulate the air in your house.
Air-dry dishes in the dishwasher,
Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to warm during the summer,
take short showers and wash only full loads of clothes in the laundry.
wmm l—■Milium i if BmBEHS
It s important to remember that if you're having trouble paying your electric bill, call your retail
energy provider (REP) at the number listed on your current electric hill to avoid disconnection.
www.aeptexas.com
§
Connected to you.
Connected to Texas.
TEXAS
* Saturday, Aug. 4: Edinburg
Livestock Auction, Edinburg.
For donations, contact the
County Extension Office at
(956) 383-1026 or a 4-H Club.
On Friday. July 13, Roundup
Auction events took place at
R Y. Livestock Sales in Rio
Grande City.
Last year these events raised
$88,000 for a new ambulance.
This year 100 percent of the
funds v\ 111 again go to the
purchase of another new
ambulance. Traveling more than
120,000 miles a year throughout
South Texas. Driscoll Critical
Care transport services offer
e inergcncy, timely,
comprehensive, advanced
medical services for neonatal and
pediatric trauma, acute cardiac
and respiratory events, as well as
emergency surgical and medical
needs. 24 hours a day. seven
days a week.
Contributions of livestock and
other auction items, as well as
monetary donations, are accepted
and tax deductible. For more
information about donating,
interested persons can call (361)
694-6402.
For over 50 years, the
The
Rio Grande
Herald
(DSPS 466-200)
Joe Mickelson
Publisher
1'ublished weekh for 15.70
per
year in Stair Counts and 1
H.75
pei vear out-of-county by Valley
Newspaper Holdings. LP 1X1
1 N
23rd St McAllen TX 78501
Editor
KENNETH ROBERTS
Advertising
CHRISTIAN SALINAS
nonprofit Driscoll Children's
Hospital has offered hope and
healing by providing quality
health care to relieve suffering
and meet the needs of children in
South Texas As one of only 38
free standing children's hospitals
in the U.S., Driscoll Children's
Hospital is a 200-hcd pediatric
tertiary care center with pediatric
board-cert i lied specialists
representing 19 medical and nine
surgical specialties.
The facility's referral area
spans 31,000 square miles,
making n larger than the state ol
South Carolina, and offers care
to children throughout the
Coastal Bend and the Rio Grande
Valley. Each year, more than
6000 children are admitted for
inpatient care, 5000 for day
surgery and 50,000 for
outpatient primary and specialty
care. The first South Texas
hospital with emergency
services exclusively for children,
Driscoll provides emergency care
to more than 40.000 children per
year.
Additionally, Driscoll
maintains a state-of-the-art
ground/air transport team, 20-
bed pediatric intensive care unit
and 40-bed n<*>natal intensive
care unit, renowned pediatric
intensive care program,
specialized medical outreach to
the children of South Texas.
') «
The football stadium with the ^
largest seating capacity is the
Pontiac Silverdome, home of the
Detroit Lions. The stadium holds
80,368 fans.
if) FEMA
DISASTER
ASSISTANCE
APPLY BY PHONE
1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
(1 I Y 1 800 462-7585 for thvw with > . < /> m hminng impwmont)
Plaaau liave the following information availatdu when you call
• A phono nuinbw Where wr IM re.ich yMi • A.Mu-.* of IhC . IN- |r-i {M-rty
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• Current fflflMnty wMmi • tfMUfMMl nfo HBtkHI Iftdlld i<) p . n.fi'-i
APPI Y ON! INI AI WWW FEMA GOV
HfFEMA ASISTF.NCIA
POR DESASTRE
Solicite por telcfono:
1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 2007, newspaper, July 19, 2007; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196074/m1/2/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.