Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 25, 2005 Page: 3 of 6
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The Rio Grande Herald-Thursday, August 25, 2005, Page 3
Sorority Meets in homes of Margaret Perez, li ma Pena
Margaret Perez, at left, and Irma Pefia, second from right, served as hostesses for recent meetings of Texas
Delta I heta Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi. Presenting educational programs at the meetings were Nelda
Laurel, second from left, and Monie Palacio, at right. Following the theme, "give the Gift of Sisterhood, the
programs focused on famous women who were instrumental in shaping our great nation. Mrs. Laurel
spotlighted the lives and accomplishments of Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, Margaret Sanger, Elizabeth Gurley
Flynn, and Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, as well as emphasizing the role women played during World War I,
including driving ambulances, serving as nurses, and raising money for the war effort. Mrs. Palacio's program
was on the successes of women's suffragists Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt, mountain climber Annie
Smith Peck, and astronomer Annie Jump Cannon.
Guillen says 'almost equal' not good
enough in funding public schools
By State Representative Ryan
Guillen
! agreed with our U.S. Senator,
Kay Bailey Hutchison, when she
spoke in McAllen this week and
said, "state leaders have not come
up with an equitable way to fully
fund our schools in Texas."
One particular point that the
senator made is the major sticking
point in this debate, ffutchison said,
"I want Texas to be the example of
how we give all of our children a
chance to reach their full potential
with a public education. I don't
think that we are where we should
be."
Her concern for equity in
funding and equal opportunity for
all Texas school children is one that
I share with many other
representatives and senators. Yet it
is a major roadblock to getting
school reform or school funding
passed because there are also those
who oppose true equity.
The inability of the Texas
legislature to pass school finance
legislation this summer reflects two
issues on which there is little, if
any, common ground. These ,
closely related issues are first
equity in both educational
opportunity and education spending
and second the current so-called
Robin Hood system which was
meant to achieve that equity.
Even the much criticized Robin
Hood plan, which takes property
tax revenue from wealthy districts
and uses it to try to equalize
education spending in Texas, does
not provide 100 percent equal
funding for students in all schools.
About 150 public schools will have
more per student than other schools
across the state this school year
according to analysts at the Texas
Equity Center.
Legislation by the leadership did
not provide equity in education and
most representatives could not
support it. We did have a chance at
equity when an amendment by
House Democrats providing
different funding formulas was
passed by a bipartisan group of
Democrats and Republicans in the
House.
However the bill was voted
down in the end because it no
longer had the support of the House
leadership.
We need legislation both
Democrats and Republicans can
support that puts the basic needs of
Texas families and students above
the partisan goals of special interest
groups. It has become very evident
that those who are pushing tax
benefits for big business or reform
efforts for the schools do not have
the support of the majority of the
people of Texas, their schools or
the majority of the elected
representatives.
1 have introduced a
constitutional amendment several
times since 2003 to create a
constitutional requirement that all
Texas public school children be
provided with equal educational
opportunity. When it comes to
equal treatment of our school
children, I believe we must have
equity across the state 1 will
continue to push that concept.
All our children that take the
state standardized tests for
graduation and for college
admission go to the same colleges
and will compete for the same jobs.
How can we accept a system
that does not fund them all equally
so they can have the same
educational opportunities?
Tax experts at the Center for
Public Policy Priorities analyzed
the proposed tax changes from the
House and Senate, and even the
small school property tax cut being
proposed would have been funded
by higher taxes on families making
under $100,000 a year and would
have actually cut taxes for the
state's largest business property
owners and those making over
$100,000 a year
So while some might call this
special session a failure, it was a
victory for those who want a better
and fairer school funding system
and a fair tax system in Texas.
This may be a starting point to
bring positive changes to public
education in Texas. A majority of
House and Senate members have
shown they want real educational'
working Together
Is the best wey to succeed
f
Lets work
together.
The Rio
Grande
Herald has
together with
several
businesses in
our community
for years.
By Working to-
gether
everyone
* succeeds
For more info
Call:
956-487-2819
Business loan forum
scheduled Sept. 14 in RGC
Small business owners will have
an opportunity to apply for loans
during an upcoming forum of
SBA's Community Express Loan
Program.
The program is aimed to reach
small businesses owned by ethnic
minorities, women, and veterans
who are underrepresented in the
population of business owners
compared to their representation in
the general population; as well as
businesses located in or locating to
Low and Moderate Income (LMI)
urban and all rural areas. Starr
County is considered an LMI area.
Attendees can apply for $5000 to
$25,000 during the meeting
scheduled for Wednesday, Sept.
14 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
at the Rio Grande City Council
Chamber Meeting Room, located at
101 South Washington Street, Rio
Grande City. The loan program
requires that the individual have
good credit; however, no business
plan or financial statements are
needed, there is no prepayment
penalty and no collateral required.
Representatives of the U.S.
Small Business Administration and
the Southwest Community
Investment Corporation's Women's
Business Center will be on hand to
answer questions and assist with
loan applications. Loans can be
used to start a business or expand
an existing business.
"Many small businesses in the
Valley have difficulty obtaining
needed financing due to the small
amount of capital needed to get
them started or to push them to the
next level of growth," stated Sylvia
Zamponi, District Director of the
local office of the Small Business
Administration. "This program
allows SBA to guaranty up to 85
percent of the loan, mitigating the
majority of the risk to the lender "
Funds from a loan must be used
exclusively for business related
purposes. The program was
designed to include financial and
technical assistance to the small
business community.
"I encourage anyone to come and
learn more about the program," said
Nancy Cuellar with the Women's
Business Center.
For more information about the
seminar, call Veronica Padilla at
(956) 427-8533, extension 221 or
Nancy Cuellar at (956) 661-6560.
Williams stresses need for
advanced energy research
improvement, real equity in Texas
schools as well as higher salaries
for Texas teachers and I hope they
stick with those convictions as we
continue to debate these issues in
future sessions of the legislature
Equity is what this whole fight has
been about.
The foundation of our success as
a nation is our history of having a
strong public education system
across the United States Here in
Texas our education system has
lagged behind for many reasons.
But our job now is to put that
sad history behind us and work tor
high quality schools and equal
educational opportunity for all
Texas public school children,
regardless of who their parents are
or where they live.
That is my commitment to each
parent, grandparent and public
school child in Texas.
Regatta
Continued from Page 1
generates billions in direct salt
and spin-off services includin
lodging, meals and transportation
Though figures were not available
for money generated from such
activity in Texas, dozens of Hill
Country businesses operate from
late Spring to early Fall offering
outings on the Rio Frio.
Roma and Rio Grande City —
with warm year-round weather, and
the best preserved architectural and
historical resources in South Texas,
are potentially even bigger
generators of economic growth.
And of course, economics is
only part of the story Just ask
Gladdie Cruz and Raul Reyes,
pioneers of the RGV Blind and
Visually Impaired Bird Watchers,
who paddled along with Girl
Scouts and Boy Scouts from as far
away as Brownsville. "Getting
exercise out here. Enjoying the
fresh air and the cool breeze.
Listening to the birds. This is good
for everyone."
On Friday, July 29, Texas
Railroad Commissioner Michael L.
Williams highlighted the
importance of continuing to
research, develop and deploy
advanced energy technologies in a
speech to the Associated General
Contractors at South Padre Island.
"Texas and the U.S. must find
innovative ways to cope with the
world's changing energy market to
maintain the reliable, affordable
energy we have so long enjoyed,"
said Williams. "The development of
new technologies will accomplish
this by decreasing dependence on
fossil fuels through the
development of new transportation
fuels and new, cleaner sources for
electricity. These changes will
ultimately help stabilize energy
costs and increase national
security."
Williams noted that stagnant
domestic production combined with
an increased worldwide demand for
all fuels has resulted in increased
prices for oil and natural gas and an
increased reliance on foreign crude.
In the past, Texas has increased
production to accommodate changes
n the world petroleum market.
However, Texas production has
become increasingly mature and
marginal.
Development of new
technologies is further challenged
by the erosion of U.S. math,
science and engineering learning
Researchers have been leaving the
U.S. for projects in other countries,
and American universities are
graduating fewer students with
science and math expertise.
"Developing cutting edge energy
technology projects in Texas — like
FutureGen — will require the
knowledge of sharp thinking
mathematicians, scientists and
engineers," said Williams. "We
have to commit Texas to becoming
a global leader in math, science and
engineering education."
FutureGen is a $1 billion
partnership between private
industry, the U.S. Department of
Energy and foreign countries to
design, build and operate the
world's first emissions-free, coal-
fueled electric and hydrogen
production plant. Showcasing
clean-coal technologies, the
prototype will be the cleanest
fossil-fuel power plant in the world.
The U.S. has a 500-year supply
of coal, which costs less than
natural gas and could be comparably
clean with the application of the
gasification technolcgies in
FutureGen.
Former Governor George W.
Bush appointed Michael Williams
to the Railroad Commission in
December 1998. Williams chaired
the Commission from September
1999 to September 2003.
Williams was elected statewide in
November 2000 for a term expiring
in 2002 and was elected in
November 2002 to a six-year term
expiring in 2008. He is the first
African-American in Texas history
to hold an elected position in the
executive branch of Texas state
government and is currently the
highest-ranking African-American
in state government. In December
2002, Governor Rick Perry
appointed Williams to chair the
Governor's Clean Coal Technology
Council.
New Year's Day is every man's
birthday.
—Charles Lamb
***
HERALD
MEWS
Look for our Top Stories on Rio
Grande City's Public Access
Channel
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of Music
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956-488-2882
956-227-6329
Movie Preview
for the Weekend of: August 26,2005
By Local Amateur
Filmmaker Gerald S
This weekend, little sister
Ashlee Simpson attempts to
keep up with her big sister Jes-
sica by co-staring in the well
received independent Undis-
covered You can see Jessica
in The Dukes of Hazard which
is currently play ing in theaters.
Opening this week:
The Brothers Grimm
W hat it's about:
Brothers Jake and W ill Grimm, renowned collectors
of folklore, have made a career out of traveling from
village to village pretending to rid them of
"enchanted" creatures. Their bluff is called, however,
when they are forced by Napoleon's French govern-
ment to investigate a haunted forest where girls have
been disappearing mysteriously.
The Cave
W liat it's about:
A rescue team is sent down into the world's largest
cave system to try to find the climbers who first ex-
plored its depths. But when the group's escape route
is cut off, they are hunted by the monstrous creatures
that live down below.
Undiscovered
What it's about:
An aspiring New York model falls in love w ith a
struggling musician when they suddenly cross paths
on a subway train. Having achieved success as a
model, she decides to move to L A. to launch an act-
ing career. With the support other agent, she lands a
spot in a highly sought after acting class where she
befriends another would-be actress. While out on the
town discovering the music scene, the aspiring model
again crosses paths with the struanlinR musician The
Mini-Preview: Week of August 26, 2005
The Brothers Grimm
(Dimension Films)
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger. Monica Bel-
lucci, Jonathan Pryce, Lena Headey
Genres: Science Fiction Fantasy and Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, frightening se-
quences and brief suggestive material
The Cave
(Screen Gems)
Directed by: Bruce Hunt
Starring: Morris Chestnut, Eddie Cibrian. Cole
Hauser, Piper Perabo, Lena Headey
Genres: Action Adventure and Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense creature violence
I
J dialogue, partial nudity , language and drug content J
two girls decide to help him get noticed. As his profile
rises, so do the demands of his budding new career and
they both discover that the price of fame may be higher
than anyone expected.
What movie did you see last weekend' It hat did you
think ' Your comments can he a part of next week's
M P e-mail me at theonefilmmaker a yahoo com
Undiscovered
(Lions Gate Films)
Directed by: Meiert Avis
Starring: Pell James, Steven Strait, Ashlee Simpson,
Kip Pardue. Shannyn Sossamon
Genres: Comedy . Drama and Romance
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual material including
dialogue, partial nudity, language and drug content
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 25, 2005, newspaper, August 25, 2005; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196335/m1/3/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.