Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 15, 2003 Page: 4 of 6
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The Rio Grande Herald-Thursday, May 15,2003, Page 4
Aldermen
sit down with the city and negotiate
the scope of work that is needed.
The more complex the project, the
higher the percentage. They're just
guidelines. We always sit down
with our clients and talk about
•that."
"It's an advantage that if we can't
reach a settlement with C D. & M..
we have the others as options to
fall back on," commented
Villarreal. "They're all very
capable."
Mayor Baldemar Garza declared,
"1 suggest Mr. Vfllarreal and Mr
Canales to be On the committee."
The aldermen then approved the
beginning of cost negotiations with
C D. & M., the highest ranked
firm. The motion also authorized
negotiations to proceed with the
other two firms in ease negotiations
with C.D. & M. do not produce
desired results. Melden & Hunt was
the second ranked engineering firm
and P.B.S. & J. was the third
ranked firm.
A brief status report on the
implementation of mandatory solid
waste collection service in the city
was given. Olivares explained.
"Mrs. Barrera could not be here
because she had to be at the
Empowerment Zone meeting to
give a project update."
"Rio Waste Management has
opted not to offer service to its 200-
plus customers," continued the
administrator. "They have agreed to
have Grande Garbage service those
accounts. This will be effective
June I. We are utilizing legal help
to aid in the transition."
"I had several people call and
indicate their garbage hasn't been
picked up for two weeks," declared
Canales. "I understood Grande
Garbage told them to call the city."
Olivares stated, "We've asked
anyone with inquiries about their
bills to contact the Water
Department first. That way the city
can better keep track of the changes.
Last month was our best in three
Positive
Continued from Page 3
funding at $4,300 per student, up
from $4,187.
The Senate plan includes: A cut
in the property tax cap to 75 cents
and an option for an additional 10
cents for local enrichment
The missing taxes would be paid
for by a penny of sales tax, and
many new goods and services will
be taxed..
The current funding system
A'ould be replaced with a single
level, funding schools at $4,300 per
student, up from $4,187.
"I also want to work with the blue
ribbon panel that will be created
during the biennium to address
school finance issues," Guillen
said.
Continued from Page 1
years concerning collections.
Disconnections have decreased
considerably."
About a planned project, Olivares
stated, "We should be starting the
Embassy Road project pretty soon."
Mayor Garza insisted, "We need to
move forward on Embassy Street
because it was approved two years
ago." The Embassy Street project is
a project in which the costs ill be
equally divided among the City of
Rio Grande City, Starr County, and
the Rio Grande City C1SD.
Concerning another project,
Alderman Villarreal declared, "It is
hoped that the San Benito Street-
U.S. 83 intersection should be
complete in four months."
Olivares told the aldermen, "The
sur\ey work on Avasolo Street was
done as part of the water mains and
water lines project. The results of
the survey work have been turned
over to TXDOT (Texas Department
of Transportation)."
Concerning the entrance to Live
Oak Subdivision, Olivares
indicated, "We've made contact with
CPL about relocating the electric
poles. We're trying to clarify city
ownership and easement issues. We
should know by the next meeting if
we have the easement or not."
Late in the meeting. Alderman
Hernan R Garza III commented, "I
commend Mr. Mauro Villarreal (the
RGC Main Street Program
Director) for doing an exceptional
and tremendous job." Alderman
Villarreal emphasized, "Our work
on restoring historic properties is
attracting notice from all across the
Valley. Word is also getting around
about the wildlife Starr County has
to offer."
Combs reminds farmers on
disaster aid applications
On Wednesday, April 30,
Agriculture Commissioner Susan
Combs reminded farmers who rely
on irrigation water from the Rio
Grande that they may be eligible for
a second round of federal agriculture
assistance funds with applications
being accepted starting May 1
through June 16.
The Texas Department of
Agriculture is administering the
distribution of $10 million in
agriculture assistance funds from
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Commodity Credit
Corporation. Producers must sign
up for the agriculture assistance
funds at their local irrigation district
offices. Applications
submitted directly to TDA
by a producer will not be
accepted
In counties with no irrigation
district offices, producers may sign
up for assistance at local Farm
Service Agency offices. Combs said
that applications are also available
at Texas Cooperative Extension
offices, the Rio Grande Watermaster
offices, TDA's Valley Regional
Office in San Juan or on TDA's
The
Rio Grande
Herald
(USPS 466-200)
Pearl Austin Mathis
Publisher
Published weekly for 15 70 per year in Starr
County and 18 75 per year out-of-county by Rio
Grande Herald Publishing Co Inc Pearl Austin
Mathis, President Publisher. Travis A Mathis
and Will N Mathis, co-owners, 215 l; Univer-
sity Drive. Edinburgh Texas 78539 Penodicls
postage paid at Rio (iiande City, Texas POST-
MASTER Send
Iditor
KENNETH ROBERTS
Advertising
CHRISTIAN SALINAS
Stay Informed
Mail Subscription Orders to:
Attn: Martha Machuca
Rio Grande Herald
P.O. Box 452
Rio Grande City, TX. 78582
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(In Starr County)
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Web site at
www.agr.state.tx.us. The
deadline for turning in completed
forms and becoming certified for
agriculture assistance is at the close
of business on June 16. Assistance
will be distributed after all claims
have been received and certified.
Farming acreage eligible for the
agricultural assistance must be
located in Cameron, Hidalgo,
Kinney, Maverick, Starr, Val
Verde, Webb, Willacy or Zapata
counties. Acreage on which an
agricultural producer is farming
must have been eligible for water
allocations for agricultural use in
the Rio Grande Watermaster system
through irrigation water rights
cither individually or through a
water irrigation district during the
2002 crop year; and an agricultural
producer must have had the right to
farm eligible farming acreage on
Jan. 1. 2002.
"We estimate that there arc a'^out
1870 potential applicants and
455,388 acres are eligible for this
second round of federal aid," Comb1*
said. "Those eligible are expected to
receive about $22 per acre, while
actual losses were estimated to be
about $259 per acre. While not
covering actual losses, we are glad
to be able to provide producers with
some help to partially offset their
losses."
Mexico's 1.4 million acre feet
water debt to the United States has
caused an estimated $1 billion loss
to the Lower Rio Grande Valley
economy over the past 10 years,
according to a Texas A&M
University study.
More information about the
disaster aid application process can
be found at local irrigation district
offices, FSA or TCE offices or on
TDA's Web site at
www.agr.state.tx.us.
RGCHS seniors to graduate EMT basic program
Rio Grande City High School has five seniors graduating from the Emergency Medical Technology (EMT)
Basic program on May 17. These students have taken concurrent courses at South Texas Community College
and at graduation will be EMT Basic certified. Pictured are: (Back) Janelle Billings (Instructor), Demencio
Bazan, Jaime Rodriguez, and Jorge Garza. (Front) Cristina Alvarez and Andrea Saldana. (RGCCISD photo).
RGC High School EMT
students first to graduate
RGCCISD Ne s Release
Rio Grande City High School
Emergency Medical Technology
(EMT) students will be graduating
with an EMT Basic certification on
May 17, 2003. These students are se-
niors at Rio Grande City High School
and have taken classes at South Texas
Community College concurrently.
The students report to class at Rio
Grande City High and are transported
to Starr County Memorial Hospital to
do their clinical rotations during 7th
and 8th periods.
"This is part of the ever growing
medical field. Being in Emergency
Medical Services is a great opportu-
nity. We are often the first medical
personnel the public comes in con-
tact w ith. We are the one's who make
the initial life saving decisions, as
well as, life saving treatment," says
Janelle Billings (STCC Instructor).
In order to be accepted into the high
school curriculum program, the stu-
dent must complete Health Science I
and Anatomy & Physiology at the
high school level Students will also
learn to conduct general patient as-
sessment, oxygen administration, spi-
nal motion restriction bandaging,
splinting, and administration of cer-
tain medications. The EMT Basic
provides the students with a firm
foundation for the two advanced level
(EMT Intermediate and EMT Para-
medic) certifications.
For more information on this pro
gram please contact STCC Instruc-
tor Janelle Billings at 488-8181 or Rio
Grande City High School Health Sci
ence Instructor.
Rep. Guillen says Teacher Day is
sad day for Texas school children
"National Teacher's Day should
be a time when we all show
teachers how much we appreciate
their work. Instead, it seems like
teachers and students are getting
battered every day in the Texas
legislature as the new majority
party pushes through "reforms" that
cut funding, cut money for teacher
health insurance, cut benefits to
retired teachers, cut funds for
student health insurance, cut basic
education standards, and raise
college tuition across the state,"
said Rep Ryan Guillen, D-Rio
Grande City this week on the
observance of National Teacher
Day, May 6.
Guillen, a high school teacher
before he decided to run for the
legislature, pointed out that
proposed legislation will harm both
teachers and students and cut
standards for teaching which have
been improving i'exas schools for
the past 15 years.
"House Bill 859 would allow
school districts to pay lower
salaries for teachers and to pack
more students in the classroom.
Academic standards would erode as
it allows athletes to compete in Ull.
activities whether they are passing
their courses or not and schools
could basically write their own
academic code. This is bad for
students, and bad for Texas,"
Guillen noted.
"Under the Republican-led
budget cuts, retired teachers face a
two-thirds increase in their health
insurance co-payments and a one-
third increase in their health
insurance premiums. Active
employees will have to pay half the
cost of their premiums next year
and 75% of their premium costs the
year after. T his is clearly unfair to
retired teachers who now live on
fixed incomes and never expected
to bear the full brunt of rising
health insurance co-ts," Guillei
said.
"Promises that Texas students
who are in the top ten percent of
their high school class will always
be able to attend Texas A&M
University or the University of
Texas are hollow and meaningless
if we allow the price of thai
education to rise to the point where
ordinary families cannot afford it,"
said Guillen, a graduate of T exas
A&M who had to work his way
through much of his college career.
"I think the legislature should fund
the universities as needed and not
expect middle class and poor
families to make up the difference,"
Guillen said.
Law Office
of
Efrain
Carrera
STATE/FEDERAL
FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION
604 N. Flores
Rio Grande City
R.G.C. Phone:
956-488-2221
Fax: 956-488-2224
McAllen Phone:
956-682-4308
Fax: 956-682-7864
Not Certified as to any specialty by the Texas
Board of Legal specialization
!\\
NOTICE OF CORRECTION: In last week's publication dated May X.
2003. the above ad was run without the following 'cquircd disclaimer:
Not certified as fo any specialty by the Texas Board of Legal Specializa-
tion
"It is clear from talking to my
fellow representatives and from
floor debate on this issue that the
legislature has failed to meet the
financial needs of the state's major
universities for the past three
legislative sessions.' Guillen noted.
Guillen represents Duval, Stair,
Webb and Zapata counties.
"Politics has taken a front seat in
education legislation, as the new
Republican majority adopted a plan
to end the current funding system
for Texas schools without any idea
what will replace it," Guillen said.
"House Bill 318 will place any
person with a college degree in the
classroom if he or she can pass the
state teacher licensing exam
Newspapers across Texas like the
Austin American Statesman have
blasted this idea as poor policy. It
puts more bodies in classrooms, but
not necessarily more teachers.
Students who need trained teachers
will suffer the most if this bill
becomes law," he said
"This is a politically driven
agenda where many members of
the House arc clearly more worried
about getting re-elected that they
are with taking care of the real
needs of public education in
Texas," Guillen stated
"Under House Bill 5's
provisions, the legislature will
decide now to end the current
funding system for public schools
and then leave financial concerns
of schools up in the air for a year,
or longer, making planning for the
future nearly impossible in the
meantime," Guillen explained.
"On National Teacher Day, I would
like to be able to tell teachers they
are appreciated by their state
leaders for their hard work and
respected for the students they help
develop into solid citizens In
reality, I can only ask that the
majority of the members of the
legislature step back and look at the
overall impact of these various
"politically expedient" measures
which may please some voters back
home but will hurt the majority of
I exas children, teachers, and
schools." he asserted.
"I can only promise that I will
continue to work, and vote, to
preserve the benefits our retired
teachers are entitled to and to give
teachers, students, and parents the
kind of education system that
provides a quality education to all
Texas children," Guillen
concluded.
A wise man will make more
opportunities thnn he finds.
—(Francis Rneon
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 15, 2003, newspaper, May 15, 2003; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196216/m1/4/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.