Reporting on the Rio Grande

The State of Investigative Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley

2012-02-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Jan. 29, 2012

In 2006 esteemed author and journalist, Bob Woodward visited the Rio Grande Valley's University of Texas - Pan American to talk about President Bush and the War in Iraq. He was one of the reporters that broke the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Nixon and shook newsrooms across the country into creating their own investigative reporting news desk. One blogger said I wonder what Woodward might find if he started digging in the Rio Grande Valley. The blogger went on to say that local media does not pay to uncover anything important as Watergate.

"The Valley is known for corruption for years it’s been so corrupt and you could start off with what we used to call the magnificent seven in Hidalgo County," said David Garza, a former Mercedes City Commissioner. "There were seven people all corrupt taking money and the only person that went to jail was the whistle blower."
The Rio Grande Valley is comprised of four counties in south Texas along the Texas and Mexico border and you wouldn’t know it but for being one of the poorest regions in the country it is also one of the richest in political corruption. And with a saturated newspaper market filled with daily, weekly and monthly publications citizen wonder why aren’t there more investigative reports being published.

Editors and individuals that keep up with the journalism industry would say a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism is just around every corner in South Texas. With over sixty private commercial publications and three flagship daily newspapers a media junky would say more should be done in covering the news that matters so citizens can be better informed.

Some of the most recent public official scandals in South Texas to make the news have been: Able Lima’s, Sylvia Handy, Jim Solis, Kino Flores in the last few years. They either walked out, resigned or have been sentenced to federal prison for bribes, conspiracy, taking money and making deals that went against their oath of office. Newspapers didn't begin reporting on these issues until arrests were made only reporting on the events as they developed not as investigative reports that looked into the issues and blew the whistle and the story wide open into the public domain.
Local journalist and blog publisher, Juan Montoya, has worked for major daily newspapers locally and around the country; says since newspapers are in such dire straights economically that they tend to overlook certain things that they would not have overlooked if they weren't in such economic straights.

"Newspapers have a hard time performing their basic function of being the paper of record," Montoya said. "There is a very small percentage of media's resources being devoted to investigative reporting because of the downturn of the economy."
Another public official recently exposed for bribes and corruption is Dr. Jesus Gandara, former Mercedes School District superintendent. While at the helm in Mercedes he headed the construction of Kennedy Elementary. However a few years after leaving his teenier it closed and today is under reconstruction.

He and four other people from the Sweetwater Union School District in San Diego, CA are under investigation for accepting bribes for multi-million dollar school construction projects.

Gangada was the superintendent of the Mercedes Independent School District from 1997-2004.

Garza said everybody thought Gandara was the best thing that had ever come to Mercedes for his leadership, construction projects and turning the school district into a recognized Texas Agency District.

"But look at him know in California he has seven or eight indictments on him for corruption accepting bribes, to bid rigging and I hope that guy goes to jail -- he deserves to go to jail," the former Mercedes City Commissioner said.

The former Mercedes City Commissioner and mayoral candidate, David Garza, said he got his start in politics when a friend of his asked him to look into the inner-workings of the Mercedes Housing Authority. Working as a mechanic with his father at their family owned wielding and auto shop in Mercedes he had vowed never to go into politics. He found the Mercedes Housing Authority officials were misusing money and taking advantage of their authority. And that was what pushed him into politics and what gave him the nickname community watchdog.

"We found out that the officials for the housing authority were misusing funds," Garza said. "They were buying liquor, they had their own per diem and they would go and gamble and all of this was on the credit card of the housing authority."

His efforts helped uncover and expose the people that were at the housing authority in 1990 and through the paper trail he found the abuse of tax payers monies for cell phones, travel and shopping. His work drew and audit by the Texas Inspector
General and his personal scrapbook shows the news clips from the local weekly newspaper and the daily paper of record were printed after uncovering the crimes. However it proves the local media did not uncover the corrupt wrongdoings at the Mercedes Housing Authority it only reported on the audit and followed the story to its end reporting the restructuring of the Mercedes Housing Authority.

Despite all the good work that was done and that was exposed it didn't nobody got prosecuted for it so in that sense Garza's work and the news reports were enlightening but it didn't lead to any persecution or prosecution of the people who perpetuated the misuse of funds at the Mercedes Housing Authority in 1990.

According to the editor of The Monitor, Steve Fagan, South Texas' leading newsroom requires reporters are to report investigativelly on local scandals and corrupt elected officials taking bribes, stealing tax payers money, making decisions in conflict of interest as they arise. The Monitor and its sister publications The Valley Morning Star and the Brownsville Herald also hold the torch for providing investigative news and covering news as it happens in the Rio Grande Valley on a daily basis and one day an investigative reporter will show up and stick their neck out in the honor of journalism and community service and uncover what could possibly be the region's first Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.

Valleywood Magazine & Mercedes Library Online Publishing Workshop

2012-01-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

Origin of Valleywood magazine on Prezi

Online Publishing on Prezi

Valleywood Magazine: News you can use

2011-11-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

By: Raul Garcia Jr. / Nov. 29, 2011

Raul Garcia in April 2007 with the first Valleywood issue.

Valleywood Magazine is a monthly news publication in full color that provides news and information to the Rio Grande Valley. It features stories on local individuals in business, sports, entertainment, politics, education and reports on the events locally and nationally.

IT was founded in March 2007 and in mid May of the same year the first issue was published. Raul Garcia Jr, its founder felt the community needed another source of news and information in the Mid-Valley and has successfully printed each month while giving local business owners another means to advertise and the community another source of news and information.

Find the printed newspaper at local stores, restaurants, offices and libraries throughout Weslaco, McAllen, Mercedes, Edcouch, Elsa, Edinburg, Donna, Brownsville, and Progreso.

All the content is available on the Internet though the social network. You can find video reports by Valleywood on YouTube. With Twitter Valleywood has been keeping in touch with readers while reporting the news as it happens.

Click the following links and be friends with Valleywood on Facebook, subscribe to its Youtube channel and follow the news magazine on Twitter.

Rivera gives his resignation during a special meeting

2011-11-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Nov.20, 2011

WISD vice president Ivan Perez, superintendent Dr. Richard Rivera and Board president David Fuentes at the Sept.. 21 meeting discussing extending term limits to 4 years.

Protesters gathered in the Weslaco Independent School District’s board chambers in effort to keep Dr. Richard Rivera on as Weslaco’s Public Schools superintendent.

That came after the board voted not to extend Rivera’s contract.

Newly elected school board member Oscar Caballero was the deciding 4-3 vote in not keeping Dr. Rivera as the superintendent of schools in Weslaco and some of his supporters were disgusted by his vote.

Dr. Rivera has spent most of his professional career in Weslaco’s Independent School District working his way up the ladder from a teacher, assistant principal and superintendent of schools since 1996 after starting his career in Weslaco forty-five years ago.

Rivera’s current contract pulls in $215,000 dollars a year for his experience.

However at the September 21 board meeting there was discussion of the possibility of skipping the next election and extending school board member terms from three to four years. Thus changing elections from May to November.

WISD school board seats One, Two and Three are up for election in May 2012. If the Board gets a resolution passed by Dec. 31 to amend their charter to extend school board terms they would not stand for re-election until 2014.

“To me this particular plan is almost undemocratic to deny a community an election,” said Dr. Robert Sepulvida. “I was elected last year for three years and if you do this your going to add three and a half years to what I already have.

“I wasn’t elected for five and a half years I was elected for three.”

City of Elsa hit with loss of 300k

2011-11-13T20:16:00.000-08:00


Commissioner Eli Rodriguez in disbelief that the city has lost over $300k.

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Nov. 13, 2011

On Thursday September 29 the City of Elsa elected officials meet for a special meeting to receive a financial document organized by a public accountant that found the city’s financial standings were in the red and that an amount totaling over$300,000 thousand dollars was unaccounted for.

“It means that we either didn’t collect the money or we collected the money and we didn’t put it in the bank,” said Manuel Garcia of Garcia & Pena Accountants. “We’re going back to the billings and the billings were being done on a manual basis on a spread sheet.”

Newly elected officials found they were a new majority and are now faced with the task of balancing the city budget and working together to find out why the city has been losing money annually.

As the country goes through another recession and cities across the country find themselves trying to climb out of a cash-strapped economy. They heard the revelation of the city’s budget and stayed quit and focused as their accountant went through Elsa’s financial audit.

“This council wants to know and I am very fortunate that all these gentleman are in agreement with me,” said Robert Escobar, Elsa’s mayor pro-tem. “And I don’t have to scream and shout like last year when you presented this document that showed we were negative quite a substantial amount of money.”

Manuel Garcia addressing the financial state of the city.

Mayor Pro-Tem said the financial audit of the city the previous year also showed huge losses but the majority of the council voted to approve the audit and not question it.

“They did not try to correct this problem last year,” said Mayor Albert Perez. “Now we’re having the same problem again.”

Mayor Pro-Tem said information continued to say that after the city officials were not re-elected to office last May city documents were removed, destroyed and it has made a hardship on the accounting team to iron out the finances of the city.

“We have to have a strong foot hold as far as expenditures we’re incurring and how our revenues were going,” Escobar said. “What I want to know are definite responses as to why we are negative or not.”

The city lost revenues in almost every category and the general expenditures were found to be in the negative of $2 million.

Mercedes officers work after hours to set up haunted house

2011-11-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Nov. 6, 2011

The City of Mercedes held it’s annual Halloween Haunted house and community volunteers are attributing its long success to two Mercedes Police Department officers Myriea Abrego and John Paul Sauceda.

“We give out candy bags we give out hotdogs, drinks and of course the haunted house,” said Sgt. John Paul Sauceda. “We also have a costume contest so anybody is welcome to compete so it turns out great.”

The sergeant said the police department’s goal is to help, protect and make a difference. At the same time he said it is important for the police department to bring the community together and the Haunted house and other community events like the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Christmas Party and Back to School party are some of the ways the Mercedes Police are doing just that.

Over the last nine years the event has drawn the community closer to the Mercedes Police Department and pulled children and families off the streets of Mercedes every Halloween. And the main attraction besides all of the fun and games is the Haunted House maze that was organized and lead by the two officers.

“It was really scary and little kids aren’t supposed to go in there because they get scared,” said Carla Bokardo, a 16-year-old Mercedes resident. “ It’s a lot of fun and sometimes you get scared and sometimes it’s just for fun.”

Most of the children and young adults had said they have lots of fun at the event and they have been a regular for the last two to three years. Children said the community event is a lot of fun and that the most memorable part of the event is going through the haunted house.

Mercedes Police Department Haunted House volunteers Myriea Abrigo and Sgt. John Paul Sauceda have been working on the project together since 2005. Sauceda helped reignite the community project nine years ago.

“The Halloween Carnival has been a success because of the haunted house because the kids look forward to it and these two have devoted so much of their time in making it a success for it to be successful for our community,” said Linda Wade.

Sandra Reyna in lockup 500 days since called stone cold

2011-10-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 30, 2011

Sandra Reyna stood in Judge Letty Lopez's District court 389 on Monday Oct. 24. With Austin Reyna Contreas’ father in the courtroom, Polo Contreras, and Adan Acuna, the other defendant in the case, as they heard that jury selection would take place on Friday Oct. 28 and Oct. 31. Her lawyer and the lawyers representing the state agreed start the trial for the death of Austin Reyna Contreras on Wednesday November 2, 2011.

Sandra Reyna listening to Judge Lopez.

Austin Contreras died on June 15, 2010 due to blunt trauma to the stomach. His mother was arrested on June 18 at the funeral home Austin was at before the funeral.

Reyna 27-years-old at the time of her arrest was escorted out of the Zavala Family Funeral Home and taken to a La Villa courtroom to be charged with the murder of her son Austin a 2-year-old.

Her boyfriend Adan Acuna was arrested and released on bond for the murder of the toddler.

The local media reported La Villa Chief of Police Eloy Cardenas describing Sandra Reyna as stone cold with a attitude that resembled day and night. Before Reyna’s arrest she was also reported to be a flight risk or having fled to Mexico.

Much has been said and reported on Sandra Reyna since her son’s death. She could have a defamation lawsuit for being called stone cold that is most of the time used for labeling killers as suggested by Cardenas. His comments my not have been malicious but as a leader in the community his prospective counts and is believable. The problem is it may not have been fair in saying Reyna was stone cold in the courtroom because on the day of her arrest she was reported that police offices struggled to hold her up as she cried out of her son’s funeral arrangements and time of mourning.

“He accidentally killed himself or he did it (Adan Acuna), as for my daughter I just cannot believe that, I can’t believe that she did it,” said Debbie Brennan, Sandra Reyna’s mother. “There is really no proof of them doing, either one, the only people that know is him [Adan Acnuna] and my daughter.”

Going hyper local will gain visitors

2011-10-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 23, 2011

My reporting has been very good and I know people are reading it but I am not gaining a following on the Internet. For the most part my blog where I have been posting my news information has been very idle. It peaked in April and has steadily been loosing traffic going into November.

My post in week three proved to have lot news information that was published in newsprint. The Valleywood Magazine had some very good new reports that deserve follow-ups and even investigations into the stories. All that have steamed from my blog where each of the reports have multimedia and video presention.

The Weslaco School district school board has been working on a resolution to reset its regular school board elections from May to November. A Senate Bill offered the change to school districts and municipalities but what the change would do is extend the school board members terms, which would void the upcoming election in May—giving the electorate an election moratorium for school board elections until 2014. Even though I didn’t get any feed back on the story there is so much more to look into. And there is information that is still out there that deserves to be reported to the voters of the City of Weslaco.

Mercedes City Commissioner Dianna Tovar is in her second term. In late September at the City’s last city council meeting for the month she read a resignation letter and wished the City of Mercedes all the best. She then walked out on the council and the voters that had elected her as their voice. A lot of tension had built up from issues the council had been dealing with that could have moved her to want to quit. One particular issues was the Wally Prado War Memorial. Tovar had been working for the city to bring the city a monument commerating the city’s son that won a Silver Star in the Vietnam War. The Wally Prado issue has caused a lot dissent in the community as from wanting to have a street named after him in his honor to and commissioning an eight-foot statue saluting his glory.

My report got good review but what readers really liked was the satire cartoon of Tovar and Mercedes Mayor Henry Hinojosa on Tovar resigning and then deciding not to leave the council. Tons of people read the story in new print told me how much they enjoyed the cartoon and told me so many times.

Google Analytics has showed that my website is not gaining a good following. I benched marked he site and showed that it had peaked with more that 10 viewers in April through August. The site has dwindled throughout the end of September and October. I feel that the only thing that can help gain visitors to my site is producing news content consistently with hyper local news covering business and politics and community life and entertainment at a faster pace with multimedia content.

News Project on Investigative Reporting in the RGV

2011-10-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 16, 2011

Newspapers have seen the decline in investigative reporting. Already newspapers across the country have put their paper to bed indefinitely like in Colorado's Rocky Mountain News or Philadelphia’s Inquirer and the New York Times has recently announced the downsizing of close to 2,000 jobs at the Times.

Is investigative journalism dead, Why aren't daily newspapers or weekly and monthly publications not investigating or challenging power through the press?

In 2006 esteemed author and journalist, Bob Woodward visited the Rio Grande Valley's University of Texas - Pan American to talk about Bush and the War on Iraq. He was one of the reporters that broke the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Nixon. One blogger said I wonder what Woodward might find if he started digging in the Rio Grande Valley. The blogger went on to say that local media does not pay to uncover anything important as Watergate.

My project will work to report on investigative work to address the need for investigative journalism in the Rio Grande Valley. My research will consist of looking at the current publications and reviewing their editorial content for investigative reports for sixteen weeks.

Commissioner Tovar resigned and then rescinded

2011-10-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 12, 2011

At the start of last meeting in September Dianna Tovar read a letter that she was resigning from the commission and she then got up and walked out.

On the following Monday on September 26 the Mercedes City council met for a special meeting to discuss in executive session to accept or deny Tovar’s resignation.
By then Tovar had already made up her mind again that she wanted to rescind her resignation and continue on with her duty as a Mercedes City Commissioner.

During the Special meeting Commissioner Rudy Rodriguez made the motion to accept their decision to reconcile Tovar and it was second by Commissioner Leonard Garcia.

“Mayor Hinojosa asked Dianna to give a statement at the Special meeting and she said no I don’t want to do it I want to do it in front of the people that I walked out on,” said Vernon Hoover a Mercedes resident. “I asked Dianna if she was in or out because they never even said if she was reinstated or not.”

Hoover said she asked Tovar for a brief on what caused her to publish a letter of resignation and walk out of City Hall and the Voters of Mercedes in September. According to Hoover she told him he would have to come to the next city council meeting to hear her reasons for wanting to resign.

“At Tuesday night’s council meeting all that was said was by the mayor that she had not resigned,” Hoover said. “I stayed to the end of the executive session to see if she would give a brief statement and she never did.

“If she would have just said I made a hasty decision because of one of the articles that was brought up and I ask you to forgive me or a brief statement that I didn’t give a formal resignation, and I believe if she had done some thing like that it would have been dropped and that would have been the end of it.

Former Mercedes City Commissioner David Garza said he was at the meeting when she resigned and that her resignation is a joke to the commission.

“She pulled some kind of temper tantrum and all of a sudden she wants back in,” Garza said. “There was sixty people that saw what she did, she resigned in public and I mean that has got to be worth something.”

Garza said the resignation letter only said the commission was going in a direction that she couldn’t go and that they were wrong and she was right.

“She resigned in public and she turned her letter in and the whole valley knows she resigned.

Some of the reasons that may have caused her to resign were the disagreement from local war veterans against her work on a new memorial in honor of Wally Prado a Silver Star decorated Vietnam Veteran. The recent decisions the council made on the ambulance services and engineering firm that were voted on in September.

When asked to comment on the issue of her resignation she said come to the next meeting to hear my statement.

Sandra Reyna case reset

2011-10-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 12, 2011

Sandra and Austin Reyna Contreras

The Capital Murder trial for Sandra Leilani Reyna has been reset again to Oct. 24 at 9 a.m. in Judge Letty Lopez’s District: 389 Court. She has been in jail close to 500 days in Hidalgo County for the death of her two-year-old son Austin Reyna Contreras.

Sandra Reyna

Austin Contreras died on June 15, 2010 due to blunt trauma to the stomach. His mother was arrested on June 18 at the funeral home Austin was at before the funeral.

Mission resident Debbie Brennan is the mother of Sandra Reyna and said Sandy just wants to get out and mourn her sons life and to get on with her life.

“If it was an accident we’re understanding,” said Debbie Brennan. “We already had one lost life and we don’t want to put anybody away for ever or anything, we’re not that type of people we are a forgiving family.

“I’m exhausted and I’m tired,” the mother said. “I just want the truth out and just let my daughter go.”

Brennan said Reyna’s bond was set for 900,000 dollars and Adan Acuna the other defendant is out on a 100,000 dollar bond. Acuna was the last person with Austin when he was alive.

County Commission honors local soldier’s valor

2011-10-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 12, 2011

The Hidalgo County Commission gave a Resolution to Sgt. Estevan Altamirano’s family in honor of his service to his country. From L-R Adam Altamirano, Juanita Altamirano, Lorenzo Altamirano and Pablo Gutirerrez received the honor on Oct. 4.

The Rio Grande lost two of its sons in the War on Terrorism in the month of September.

Army Sgt. Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr. of Pharr died September 14, 2011 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit.

Army Staff Sgt. Estevan Altamirano of Edcouch died in Tikrit, Iraq, serving his county in a non combat accident on September 18, 2011. His body was received by his family on September 27 in McAllen with a heros welcome.

Altamirano enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating high school at Edcouch-Elsa in 1999.

His heros welcome was televised and showed the community coming together across Hidalgo County in honor of giving the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country.

Cuellar starts campaign for county commissioner

2011-10-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 12, 2011

Already people around the Mid-Valley in Donna, Edcouch, Mercedes, Weslaco, Elsa, Monte Also and parts of Alamo can see the huge effort A.C. Cuellar’s political yard signs, billboards and trailers are making for his bid to be the next person to be elected to a four year term as Hidalgo County Precinct One’s County Commissioner since 1996.

“I’m very excited to see all these people here to help us crank up our campaign.” A.C. Cuellar said. “I see a lot of excitement and a lot of momentum and we plan to keep it up all the way to March the 6th 2012.”

Cuellar held his campaign kick-off party on September 14. It was open to the public and people and supporters for A.C. Cuellar just kept pouring into the Catholic War Veterans Hall in Weslaco that evening to show their support for him as he put his political campaign for Hidalgo County Commissioner for Precinct One’s seat into motion.

He greeted and welcomed his supporters at the door, took photos with them as he strolled through the hall.

Many people and supporters enjoyed food and dance on the night Cuellar officially announce his candidacy for commissioner.
Interim County Judge Rene Ramirez accepted Sylvia Handy’s resignation on March 12, 2010 and appointed Cuellar as her replacement on March 16, 2010.

Cuellar is up against incumbent Joel Quintanilla who was elected on Nov. 2 2010 to serve the remainder of Sylvia Handy’s four year term that Expires on December 2011.

Sylvia Handy plead guilty to tax fraud and harboring illegal immigrants and a federal judge sentenced her to 2.5 years for not admitting to crimes.

Occupy Wall Street’s protest found its way to the capitol of Texas’ city hall doors

2011-10-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Oct. 12, 2011

Protesters from around the country and public figures have occupied downtown Manhattan for three weeks and the first week of October saw cities across the country applying the same pressure from protesters that are coming together against economic inequality, against corporate greed and against the War on Terrorism.

Photo by Chris Kelly

Urban cities like Austin, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, De Monise, Iowa, San Francisco and Oakland are some of the twenty-five cities around the country that joined the demonstration of protestors against billionaires, big oil and big bankers.

Entertainment artists that have joined the protest are Michael Moore, Kanye West, Russel Simmons, Susan Sarandan, Tom Morello, Rev. Al Sharpton, Tim Robbins and Mark Ruffalo are just some of the celebrities and public figures that joined protesters that were calling to end the Federal Reserve and bringing back Democracy to the United States of America.
According to the President Wilson’s Library website, “Thus as President Wilson on that December evening signed the Federal Reserve bill into law, a new ‘creature’ was born. A unique creature, it was neither government nor private but part of both.’ The Federal Reserve Act, which established the Federal Reserve System, was to consist of 12 regional banks, privately owned by member banks, but governed and regulated by a president-appointed and Senate-confirmed Federal Reserve Board.”

Photo By Chris kELLY

On Monday Oct. 10 Mayor Bloomburg of New York City said he would allow the protesters to demonstrate indefinitely if they abide by the law.

According to wikipedia, “In mid-2011, the Canadian-based group Adbusters Media Foundation, best known for its advertisement-free anti-consumerist magazine called Adbusters, proposed a peaceful occupation of Wall Street to protest corporate influence on democracy, address a growing disparity in wealth, and the absence of legal repercussions behind the recent global financial crisis.”

For the most part the main stream media has not covered the protests or has dismissed the drum beat of thousands of voices and critical mass that includes many different political backgrounds including liberals, political independents, socialists, conservatives, anarchists, and libertarians.

Political news and investigative journalism in the Rio Grande Valley

2011-10-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

An intro into the investigative journalism of RGV news media and electoral politics

2011-10-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr / Oct. 2, 2011

With so many news organizations in the Rio Grande Valley aside from the daily news and news channels its difficult to believe there are not as many investigative reports that dig past the surface of covering the news and pressing the elected officials on whats really going on.

In the last five years South Texas politics has seen county a commissioner, state representatives, district judges and school board members violating their oath and committing crimes with their power for monetary gain.

I plan to write a series of news articles with follow ups and investigative features on the local electoral politics while measuring the local media's reporting and investigative journalism in the Rio Grande Valley.

Mercedes City Commissioner Dianna Tovar resigned on Tuesday

2011-09-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

Mercedes City Commissioner Dianna Tovar resigned on Tuesday at the city's regular scheduled council meeting. She was first elected to the commission in 2007 when she ousted incumbent David Garza. Tovar ran unopposed in 2010 and months later she was appointed interim-Mayor when Mayor Quintanilla became elected to County Commission pct. 1 in Nov. 2010.

Weslaco East wins the cat fight in Mercedes

2011-09-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / September 18, 2011

The Weslaco East Wildcats prowled into The Jungle at Tiger Stadium to take on the Mercedes Tigers for four quarters on the gridiron in week three.

East moved to 3-1-0 overall and 2-0 in district as they pushed Mercedes to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in district play. Weslaco East won the contest 37-12.

Weslaco East Aaron Mungia eluding the Tiger defense.

“Everyone did their part tonight,” said Weslaco East Head Coach Armando Cuellar. ”Defensively that first half we stepped it up because we had to because Mercedes was ready to score and they did a heck of a job tonight.”

Coach Cuellar said he was very happy with East’s performance on defense and offense and that he was very happy to have gotten a win over Mercedes.

With three minutes into the first quarter of play Weslaco East had already marched into the end zone and connected with a field goal after the Tigers turned the ball over. They extended their lead to twenty going into the midway point of the game.

Mercedes Tiger RB Gumaro Cuellar and QB Isaiah Garza.

Weslaco East senior quarterback John Arevalo controlled the tempo of the game handing off the ball to his senior running back Aaron Mungia who pushed the ball forward dancing his way for a score. Arevalo was also consistent throwing the to his revivers for large gains.

Garza gave the Tiger Stadium something to cheer about when he connected with Wooten in the end zone to put six points on the board on the 8:55 minute mark of the third quarter bringing the Tigers within three touchdowns 6-27.

Sophomore quarterback Isaiah Garza on the move.

Wildcats halfback Aaron Mungia would help his team on the next series drive up field and in for another touchdown running past the Tigers defense for a 40 plus yard score. Mungia extended the Wildcat lead to 6-30 before the start of the fourth quarter.

The Tigers are an offensive threat with one true quarterbacks in Christian Zamora and two other quarterbacks in Isaiah Garza, a sophomore, and Chris Cruarda, a senior, converted into wide recivers in the rotation.

Coach Uribe said Garza and Zamora both played well against Weslaco East.

“They both bring a little different element, one is a little bit bigger one is a slasher and they both throw the ball well,” Uribe said.

Christian Zamora took the helm on the fourth and moved the tigers up field for a score late in the game connecting with Isaiah Garza in the end zone. Zamora has has limited playing time due to a shoulder injury.

Uribe said early that Zamora would be the Tigers starting quarterback. He had a good performance in their only win of the year against the Port Isabel Tarpons before getting injured on his left shoulder.

Zamora was sidelined in their last four games before returning in the fourth quarter against Weslaco East.

With Brandon Wooten Isaiah Garza and Carlos Quintanilla in the x and z slots Zamora has excellent targets that can gain big yards and finish for the Tigers on a few or more plays.

Quintanilla hosts 9/11 memorial ceremony

2011-09-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr. / Sept.13

Commissioner Quintanilla Pct. 1 was scheduled to be in New York on Sept. 11 for a meeting on the City of Mercedes Bond rating in 2007 while he was mayor of Mercedes. Quintanilla hosted a 9/11 ceremony of remembrance.

People all over the United States of America took part in remembering the tragic attack of September 11, 2001 on the morning of its ten-year anniversary. Elected officials and people of Hidalgo County took part in the local 9/11 ceremony hosted by County Commissioner Joel Quintanilla at his precinct one office.

Donna High School Marine JROTC cadets.

All morning and afternoon taps was played proudly throughout the country, soldiers marched in uniform and the star spangled red, white and blue flag was waived proudly on the bittersweet anniversary remembering those who lost their lives on American Airlines flights 77, 11 and United Airlines 93 and 175, the World Trade Center, the United States Pentagon and the American men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom at war.

The Donna Marine JROTC did the 21 gun salute, the 401 National Guard Unit and members of the American Legion presented the colors as Commissioner Quintanilla and leaders of the community recounted the events and the importance of remembering 9/11 and those that lost their lives in New York, on the hijacked planes and at war on terrorism.

“It’s important that they [his cadets] remember what happened and pay tribute to the people that lost their lives on 9/11,” said Marine JROTC Master Sargent Daniel Rodriguez. “To keep the tradition and honor of the ones that have fallen and keep the tradition going.”

On September 11, 2001 19 Islamist militants representing Al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets in a coordinated suicide attack on the United States on a Tuesday morning killing nearly three thousand people and injuring nearly 6,000 people. American Airlines 11 and United Airlines 175 struck the Twin Towers in New York City and both towers collapsed within two hours. American Airlines 77 crashed into the United States Pentagon and United Airlines 93 crashed in a field over Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take over the plane before the hijackers could reach their target of Washington D.C.

“I was shocked of what happened on September 11^th,”said Commissioner Quintanilla. “As usual on that day we were all going about our business some of us were working and some of us were going to work and all of a sudden we herd through he radio waves and the television forecasters that our nation was under attack.”

The commissioner said we must never forget what happened on September 11 as he reminded each and every one of the people of his precinct that 9/11 was a day of remembrance, honor and prayer.

“We are at war and this is why we can be here and enjoy this great event in remembrance of those who have died and those that struck the first blow on those that would attack us on that plane over Pennsylvania,” said Asst. Veterans Service Officer Felix M. Rodriguez. “We remember our first responders and those who went into harms way as well including the fire departments, the police departments and those after we declared war."

He said it is because of our men and women in uniform that we remain strong, steadfast and a God fearing country.

Edcouch-Elsa stays undefeated at Benny Layton stadium

2011-09-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

The Edcouch-Elsa football program has a long tradition of wining championships as they dominated the last decade defending their district title from 2003-2008 and giving them a total of 46 district titles all time.

But it is their close community ties as a team and coaching leadership that has helped La Maquina Amarilla excel.
Coach Joe Solis leaves nothing on the field as he enters his ninth season.

Since then he and his team has played together, lost together and eat together literally.

A devout Christian; you will never see Solis or his team miss a game day breakfast or mass hosted by the ladies of the Catholic Church in Elsa.

The team has been rolling past opponents and are the clear favorite to win the 32-4A District Title.

During their contest with Rio Hondo the Jackets were able to control the game and even get away with trick plays. The entire team had their game face and were having fun as they cruised their way to a 34-13 win.

The Yellowjackets remained their stadium to Benny Layton, Sr. Memorial Stadium and have gone undefeated there this season. They could very well go undefeated at home unless they are upset before hosting Mission Veterans on Nov. 4.

They are coming off a 8-4 overall season record in 2010 winning their last four games of 2010 and making a playoff appearance. They return this year with 26 letterman nine starters.

Jobs will solve all of our economic woes

2011-09-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

By Nick Aldridge

Jobs are our problem. We need more jobs. Jobs will solve our Social Security crisis. Jobs will solve our deficit crisis. Jobs will solve all of our economic woes. What baffles me is that the solution isn’t complicated. It seems we just lack to political will to do what needs to be done.

The energy sector is just waiting to produce an abundance of jobs. If the government were to open up new areas for exploration and fast-track all environmental challenges, oil companies would be hiring thousands of workers for jobs paying well over $40,000/year. The oil industry is booming now in areas west of Laredo and up in North Dakota due to advancing technologies in oil extraction. Given more areas they can explore, many more jobs would be created.

Coal-to-oil technology is an untapped job producer in the US. Germany turned coal into oil during World War 2, and both China and South Africa are doing it today. This would not only produce thousands of jobs in coal mining, petroleum refining and transportation, it creates a cleaner fuel from coal than what we get from crude oil today. Private investors are reluctant to invest in this technology because of price fluctuations caused by OPEC. However if the government entered into a ten-year contract to purchase the oil at a guaranteed price, investors would be willing to invest.

There is a danger however in putting all our eggs in one basket. Should the price of oil drop dramatically, an oil-based economy would plummet into a recession. Nuclear energy is another industry waiting to produce jobs. The recent disaster in Japan has made many nervous about the technology but in reality much of that is caused by the sensationalism in the media used to drive up ratings. There have been no deaths reported yet from the Japanese disaster and only 31 deaths were caused by Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Most of those deaths were caused by mismanagement in reacting to the disaster.

Nuclear energy is not only able to produce jobs in power generation but can also be combined with desalination. Salt can be removed from seawater and pumped hundreds of miles inland to irrigation. Such a plant can produce as much as 137 acre-feet of fresh water per day. There are several locations here in Texas and in California where these plants would create irrigated lands to employ farm workers, distribution centers and transportation jobs.

We have the answers. We know how to get the economy up and going. What we lack is the political will to do it. The government needs to partner with private industry by tapping the energy sector, which will produce thousands of high-paying jobs.

Mid-Valley football, week 1 games reviewed: Mercedes, Weslaco East & La Villa

2011-09-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

The Mercedes Tigers took a big hit at home as the La Feria Lions took control of the game early with two quick scores. The Tigers rallied with a touchdown pass in the first quarter but proved to be no match for the Lions losing 42-20. The Tigers move to 0-2 in non district play as they move into district play as the dark horse in 32-4A and facing Roma, East, Mission and Edcouch in September.

On the other side of the levee Weslaco East’s fast offense proved to be to slow for the San Benito Greyhounds as they clawed their away to a 28-16 loss.

After trailing most of the game the La Villa Cardinals came to life in the fourth quarter pushing themselves closer to a Sugar Bowl XXIV win.

La Villa scored two touchdowns in easy fashion as the fourth quarter was winding down.

After a Ricky Cantu TD and A.J. Garza two point conversion La Villa came within four (24-20) with two minutes left in regulation.

Next they dissected the Warrior offense and went to work only to meltdown twenty yards from a winning score.

J.R. Cantu wins first place in sparing handicap division

2011-09-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

J.R. Cantu fought at the Texas Amature Sports Karate Tournament held at the Rio Grande Valley Stock Show Grounds in Mercedes on Saturday August 20.

“He loves karate, he comes to practice, he hits the bag, he does the boxing and he is really into it and it’s helped him out a lot,” Cantu’s coach, Armando Saldana said.

Cantu fought in the handicap division and was a first place finisher. He has lived with Down Syndrome and has not let the disability stop him from doing what he loves and wants to do.
“To see kids like Cantu out in the community, doing things, winning competitions and being successful is just incredible,” said Behavior Analyst, Laura Saldana. “It also shows the rest of the community and world that our kids can contribute so much to our society.”

The Gaylord Kajukenbo and Little Kenpo Karate School of Mercedes hosted the event.

Students from around the RGV and Texas participated in the event.

MERCEDES STREET FESTIVAL 2011

2011-09-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

The Mercedes Chamber of Commerce and the City of Mercedes hosted the Texas Street Festival, on Labor Day weekend, in beautiful downtown Mercedes.

The festival featured music, food, art and entertainment for the entire family. This one day event on Saturday, September 3, 2011 was Free to the public. Historic downtown Mercedes was open at 9am with non-stop entertainment until 1am. Enjoy great art exhibits, street vendors, street performers, and great food and beverages. This family-oriented event will feature array of musical artist, a section designated solely to the local community featured live performing arts by local school organizations and universities as well as rides for children of all ages.

The Texas Street Festival will featured a culturally diverse line-up of music and unique renditions from local artists all on one day and all Free to the public.

Kennedy Elementary to be demolished

2011-09-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia

A bid request by the Mercedes Independent School District was sent out through the mainstream media notifying the public that MISD is ready to tear down John F. Kennedy Elementary.

MISD first shut the doors to Kennedy Elementary School in 2007 when it found its new design had engineering deficiencies.
The school housed over 700 students and 50 teachers day-to-day. They were re-located to another location in 2007 at a cost of 230 thousand dollars.

As of now the district reported to Channel 4 News that its been paying 5,000 dollars monthly for the maintenance of the school.
No information has been reported as to what will be done with the property or if another school will be built so that students can return to class at Kennedy.

The district’s lawyer reported that the district received 3 million in settlement fees.

Conjunto Association’s Freddie Gomez Memorial Huge Success

2011-09-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

By: Juan Montoya

From the beginning strains of the National Anthem played by local accordion virtuoso Juan Antonio Tapia and the rendition of “America the Beautiful” by Antonio Briseño to the finale by a half-dozen accordionists to close the show, the first annual South Texas Conjunto Association’s memorial to Brownsville legend Freddie Gomez was an unqualified success.

“We’re happy so many people came out today,” said Timo Ruedas, the president of the STCA’s Brownsville chapter. “It was hot there in the beginning, but as the evening wore on, the conjunto lovers came out in force. We’re overjoyed at the turnout.”
From the outset, Tapi’s rendition of the national anthem was singularly striking. It is doubtful that anyone had ever heard a rendition of the anthem norteño style. The stilled crowed watched in awe as Tapia squeezed out the familiar tune as VFW commander Luis Lucio and an assistant saluted the U.S. and Texas flags.

The local VFW post 2035 donated the use of the chairs and tables for the event. Lucio said many of the members of the conjunto association, including Ruedas, are veterans.
“Freddie Gomez has a special place in the hearts of Hispanic veterans,” he said. “We used to sing the ‘Soldado Razo’ as we went off to fight for our country and left our families and sweethearts behind. Some of us were lucky to make it back but a lot of us didn’t. That song brings a lump to my throat.”
In fact, right after the presentation of the colors, accordionist Mike Garza of Los Paisanos and Juan Tovar, of Los Pobres launched a stunning rendition of the war classic, drawing energetic applause from the appreciative crowd. Tovar had played with Gomez recorded the song with “El Ciclon del Valle.”

The symbolism didn’t stop there.

Gomez died in 2005, and with MC Mariano Ayala, STCA president Lupe Saenz and conjunto accordionist Fruity Villarreal participating, the names of those conjunto musicians who passed away were read as the drummer struck a single beat on the cymbal.

One person who thanked the group for honoring him for his lifelong contribution to teaching conjunto music to local musicians, Luis Rosas, said it himself.

“Thank you for honoring me while I’m still here and before I go to a better place,” Rosas quipped.

While Mayor Tony Martinez did not attend, the city commission did issue a proclamation to the memory of Gomez and for his contribution to conjunto music.

As the evening wore on, the closed off section between 12th adn 13th Streets on Adams was filled with dancing couples. Vendors did a brisk business selling everything from hot dogs to kebobs, and brews. Joe Kinney, Brownsville favorite Irishman, plied the crowd with cold grog and traded jokes with barfly Dr. G.F. McHale-Scully while Marco Longoria and his cronies tended the firefighters’ mobile grill.

Musicians drifted in and out of various groups on stage as dancers competed in a marathon that ended at the very end of the event. Gilberto Perez, Sr., for example, joined his son Gilbert Jr. for three classic numbers.

South Texas becomes crucible of destroyed heritage

2011-09-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

By Juan Montoya
rrunrrun.blogspot.com

Even as many are crowing up the rehabilitation of downtown Brownsville, the state and federal governments continue to raze historic sites that hearken back to the origins of Cameron County and actually predate this city “On the Border by the Sea,” as the chamber of commerce boys like to call it.
A prime example of this is the historic cemetery built by Doña Estefana Goseasocochea de Cavazos de Cortinas, one of the first settlers to the area.

She was born in Camargo, Mexico, in 1782 (the Rio Grande wasn’t a border then) and died on 1867 on her El Carmen ranch at 85.
P. G. Cavazos, her great-great grandson, from San Pedro, was instrumental in getting the Texas Historical Commission to erect a marker on Doña Estefana’s family cemetery off Military Highway where she and her family once operated her ranching empire.

Hers was one of the first ranches established in Cameron County. El Carmen Ranch was named after Doña Estefana’s daughter. Rancho Viejo was established by her father in 1770 and the King of Spain gave Salvador de La Garza the royal grant in 1781.

Think about it. That was only five years after the United States came into existence, and eight years before the French Revolution.

Texas didn’t even exist (1836), much less Brownsville (1848).
Until the settlers came from Mexico, the land was inhabited by wandering nomads who neither cultivated the land nor developed it. With the coming of Salvador de la Garza (her father and grantee of the Espiritu Santo Land Grant), all that changed.

If you stop to read the historical marker off Military Highway just north of the river levee and now topped by the Border Wall, you will learn that vandalism, weather, the construction of the river levee and now the wall, have obliterated what once was one of the first cemeteries in Cameron County.

The cemetery, unfortunately, was in the way of progress.
When the levee was built to stave off the annual flodding from the river, it was covered by tons of dirt and a small part of it remained on the other side.

Today, with the Border Wall topping the levee, whatever may have remained is off limits to anyone by the landowners who now grow sorghum on what was then Doña Estefana’s final resting place.
One of her sons (Jose Maria) went on to become a tax-assessor collector for the eventual Cameron County and another (Sabas) would become a wealthy and successful rancher and livestock grower dominating the local agrarian economy.

Sabas lies buried in another historical cemetery in San Pedro a few miles upriver.

According Cavazos, “the cemetery, established by Doña Estéfana prior to 1867 for her use, is said to be the oldest of the ranch cemeteries on the river road.

“The site probably sustained some damage during the hurricanes of October 6, 1867 and September 4-5, 1933, which devastated he Valley. The devastation caused severe flooding of the area and prompted the U. S. International Boundary Water Commission to build a levee along the Rio Grande.

“The construction of the levee, however, left the cemetery site on the south side of the levee and completely obscured it from view and made it practically inaccessible. It remained unnoticed for decades. Locals hardly recall burials at this site after the construction of the levee and the hurricane and, if there were any burials, they were few and unnoticed.

“Her cemetery is located on what was once her property, Rancho El Carmen (El Carmen Ranch) in Cameron County, Texas, within what is known as the Espíritu Santo Grant. Part of that grant was her allotted portion of the grant. The site is in Precinct 2 in Rancho El Carmen, a community established and settled by Doña Estéfana in early 1840’s about four miles west of Brownsville on the Old Historic Military Telegraph Road (US Hwy.281).

“The cemetery, which once was a large dedicated cemetery, is all but gone. A single headstone still standing, is obviously endangered, as the top has been chipped off. Mr. Guadalupe Becerra, whose father’s headstone is the only one standing, remembers the very, very old cemetery in the early 1950s.

“He recalls 15 to 20 graves still visible at the site, and some graves had markers. His father, Erasmo Becerra, died in 1924. Headstones and markers were torn or pulled away from the graves and scattered away from the site. Larger ones, as the one recovered (no markings) from the water canal, were pushed away from the graves apparently with heavy equipment and piled into the canal. Smaller pieces of markers lay about the graves.”

Only through the efforts of Cavazos and members of the Cameron County Historical Society did it become possible to erect the historical marker on the south side of U.S. Highway 281 where it is overshadowed by the Border Wall which not only effectively bar visitors to the original site and stand like an obstacle to knowing our true local history.

After Giving Ut $1 Billion In Subsidies, Utb’s Garcia Celebrates: Tsc Decides To Go At It Alone

2011-09-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

By Juan Montoya

The TSC board just recently transferred more than $50 million to Juliet Garcia’s UTB as part of their “partnership” agreement. If you average that transfer for the past 20 years at, say, $40 million per year, it means that the oil-and-gas rich statewide system has been the recipient of more than $800 million in local resources taken from the poorest of the poor to subsidize it being here.

Only after the former TSC boards and the likes of Stet Rep. Rene Oliveira and Texas Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. agreed to this supine position for local taxpayers would UT deign to come down to the mouth of the Rio Grande and provide the education opportunities for the most underserved people in the state.
Over the last 20 years these two – along with former boards – have held down the victim while the aggressor has his way with her while they cheered on. Hook ‘em Horns, indeed.

If you take into account the bond indebtedness that our district’s residents have incurred to subsidize the UT System, it easily totals more than $1 billion that the system has raked in from our poor little community.

Garcia and her cohorts will celebrate the chronic abuse of our residents.

But what is there to celebrate?
Is it the 17 percent graduation rate over six years that placed TSC-UTB so far down the rankings that a survey of colleges and universities from across the nation that it declined to rank it even among the lowest of the low?

Or perhaps it was the less than 50 percent freshman retention rate that we can gloat about. Or maybe we can shout to the winds that even though the UT System has milked the local residents for more than $1 billion of their scant resources, its tuition rates and user fees are the highest in the state, if not the county, effectively placing the illusion of a higher education beyond the reach of most local students. Tantalus had it better. At least he hadn’t paid for the food and water that was held just out of his reach.

Let’s face it. Our local schools have not been preparing our students to enter the fine life of higher education. What was happening was that these students entered UTB-TSC, were diverted to remedial classes, spent their Pell Grants and other student loans, and left a few years later saddled with debt and nothing to show for it. Many were penalized after failing and were prevented from entering either TSC or UTB. They not only were not prepared to join the workforce, but also had a huge debt they had to repay.

How long could this charade continue?
No, there’s got to be a better reason to celebrate.
Might it not be the $336,000 salary that Juliet Garcia has awarded herself with the help of the yearly transfers from little TSC? Or perhaps it is the salary of Alan Artibise, Juliet’s head of the Office of the Provost Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs who nets some of this loot when he draws his $230,000 salary, as does Michael Putegnat, at the Office of VPAA Director and his own creation, the Institute for Public Service, drawing a cool $102,665.

Another Garcia henchman, Wayne Moore, ostensibly a professor in English, also cries all the way to the bank on his measly $108,742.

Peter Gawenda, with the Office of the Provost Special Assistant to the Provost for Bachelor Completion Programs charges the public only $118,000 for his invaluable services.
United Brownsville’s darling Irvine Downing, at the Office of VPED&CS vice president for Economic Development and Community Service nets $121,150, a mite more than he made as a banker in the private sector.

In fact, the UT System, which recently announced a huge increase in profits from oil and gas leases managed by the Permanent University Fund from which neither UTB nor UT-Pan Am receive any funds as do the other 13 UT System and A & M campuses, continues to renege on paying TSC some $10 million in back rent.
The four trustees who defended the district from these gang of facilitators – Rene Torres, Adela Garza, Trey Mendez and Kiko Rendon – endured public abuse, threats and marches led by a renegade priest, and banishment from the society of the exalted local power elite.

They are well on the road to heal our district from the abusive relationship it had been subjected to for the past two decades. We have a new president and are getting about to lower tuition rates and lighten the loads on our local taxpayers.
These are positive steps that can only benefit our residents. After 2015, UT System will no longer have a cash cow in the TSC district.

Then we can let the celebration begin.

Download Valleywood Magazine News Android phone application

2011-09-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

There is a few simple steps to downloading the Valleywood Magazine News app for Android phones.

Step 1: Install File Manager
Android does not natively come with any method of browsing the data on your SD card, so you will need to install a file manager from a market. There are a large variety of file managers available on Android, but my personal favourite is ASTRO File Manager.

Astro File Manager

Step 2: Copy .apk file to SD card
Once you have ASTRO File Manager installed, connect your Android device to your PC using your USB cable. Mount the SD card and copy over the .apk file you would like to install.

Step 3: Install .apk
On your Android device, navigate to the .apk file using ASTRO File Manager and select it.

This will open a dialog box allowing you to install the app. Select “Open App Manager“.
On the next two pages, select “Install” and “Install” again to install the .apk.

Last but not least follow the ling below to download Valleywood Magazine News mobile app for Android to your PC or SD card with the link below:

Valleywood Magazine News Android mobile app

Friday Night Lights on the Rio Grande Valley

2011-09-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

A look into the Mercedes Texas Street Festival 2011

2011-09-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

The importance for journalists to utilize mobile technology

2011-09-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.
Mobile technology is an excellent tool to report the facts and stories to the masses on the worldwide web. Journalists utilize this new technology now to inform readers on the Internet about events that are taking place as they occur. Most phones that are being used for this because all of them have camera and video recording ability to put people up-close and personal with events that are affecting them. The phones for the most part connected to a 3G or 4G network, which in some case journalist have the ability to stream live footage of a newsworthy event onto the Internet. The mobile devices can record sound, capture images, upload sensitive information to the worldwide web, and they have editing capabilities to offer a well-packaged story instead of raw footage of video, sound and text.

This technology gives journalists the ability to transmit news that is affecting communities. Journalists that knows their way around the mobile device and have a handle of taking photos, doing interviews, and uploading to the web with the device can offer so much more than then what competing news organization can offer by not uploading live coverage of an important event. Most journalists’ phones are connected to Facebook and Twitter and each user has more than fifty connections and when they upload information it becomes shared in the social network and the masses.

Sometimes journalists are on the job and their professional equipment fails while on the scene. A mobile phone can become the primary tool for gathering facts. Other times a journalist can not get back to the newsroom so it is important to be able to send information and news through the phone for readers and the masses. If equipment is broken, confiscated, stolen, runs out of battery or lost mobile technology becomes the last line for reporters to get the facts.

Phone are so small they can fit in a reporter’s pocket and it has become yet another tool that can be used to brave and stare down corruption and for investigative reports. The use of mobile phones also helps in making the news source more comfortable. They are not as big and people become less freighted of the camera. A lot of phones have high quality features that can be used for world-class journalism. And what journalists are doing is actually making stories better by using their mobile device.

2011-09-04T17:43:00.001-07:00

Valleywood is ready for mobile blogging

Mercedes Mayor Hinojosa poised as new leader

2011-08-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia

The city of Mercedes elected its new mayor on June 18, 2011. And with 52 percent of the popular vote put lifetime resident and three-term Mercedes City Commissioner Henry Hinojosa as the town's new mayor.

"There is a lot to be done with this town," Hinojosa said. "We have the sales tax in addition to grants and low interest rate loans that are available for cities."

Throughout his campaign he kept saying lets concentrate on revitalizing downtown and that he it the right leader for the job to take Mercedes to another level.

"Once we start further beatifing downtown and paving the streets and bringing new business then lets escalate TV and Internet commercials and really concentrate on the business of downtown," Hinojosa said.

In January 2012 five candidates had been campaigning for the vacant position, left by Mayor Joel Quintanilla when he was elected county commissioner for Hidalgo County Precinct One.

The City of Mercedes has a total of 7,668 registered voters but only 1,831 made it out for the General Election to cast their vote for mayor of Mercedes in a race that pitted five candidates.

And in May 2011 none of the five candidates on the campaign trail was able to secure 51 percent of the votes leaving Hinojosa and Ruben "Chano" Guajardo, the top vote getters, to square off in a run-off election one month later on June 18.

As a commissioner Hinojosa stressed that before the success of the Rio Grande Premium Outlets mall he and the commission in the mid nineties Were leading a poor community and were able to rebuild a police department three times it's size, refurbished, modernized and doubled the size of City Hall, computerized the water plant, the sewer plant was expanded and modernized, bought state of the art fire trucks that the fire chief wanted.

In 2007 the Rio Grande Premium Outlets came to Mercedes bringing in over 2,000 jobs and over 200 retail stores. An incentive the City gave the developers was the mall would only pay half of its sales taxes for ten years.

Today the city Standard and Poor's status is an A rating and has a reserve of nine months according to city officials.

Barrientes Boxing Gym of Mercedes,Texas

2011-06-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

A local boxing gym in Mercedes, TX trains fighters male and female every day. The trainers are a group of brothers that all started boxing at a young age and one, Tomas Barrientes, was the IBA World Champion. The Barrientes Boxing Gym has become well known in the Rio Grande Valley for training boxers and helping young people become more disciplined, stronger and healthy.

The pictures are of their training sessions as the boxers sharpen their skills hitting the bags, shadow boxing, sparring, jumping ropes and learning from the family of boxing trainers.

Barrientes Boxing Gym of Mercedes,Texas.

2011-06-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

WILL MERCEDES VOTERS VOTE

2011-06-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

The City of Mercedes has a total of 7,668 registered voters but only 1,831 made it out for the General Election to cast their vote for mayor of Mercedes in a race that pitted five candidates.
This time around the only have a choice between former three term Commissioner Henry Hinojosa and two term Commissioner Ruben Guajardo.
Mercedes also has two city commissioner run-off races between Leo Villareal’s 807 votes and Jose Gomez’s 560 for place one. Incumbent Charles Bertholf drew 806 votes is contested by Rudy Rodriguez and his 776 votes for place three.
The early voting is scheduled for June 6 - 14 at Mercedes City Hall. Election day is June 18 at Mercedes City Hall.

How to Put on Your Hand Wraps

2011-06-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

For boxers the most important part of the body is the fist. And to be successful amateur and professional fighters learn to wrap their hands to protect them during training and in bouts.
In this video you will see young fighters from the Barrientes Boxing Gym in Mercedes, Texas wrapping their hands to train on the bags and spar in the ring.

Origin of Valleywood Magazine

2011-06-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

Origin of Valleywood magazine on Prezi

The dumping of the Weslaco sanitation services

2011-05-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Soon after the swearing in of Mayor-elect Mike Wise on June 15, 2010 the Weslaco City Council voted to enter negotiations with Allied Waste Services to explore amending their existing contract to pick up the public's solid waste.

Now one year after the City of Weslaco’s city commission voted to enter negotiations with Allied Waste Management to pick up the city’s residential and commercial garbage the men and women that took care of picking up the garbage became displaced employees and were later given the option to take an early retirement package.

“It seemed rare that such a tremendous money maker for the city of Weslaco was on their agenda as soon as the new mayor [Miguel Wise] was sworn in,” said Hector Buddy De la Rosa, the former mayor of Weslaco. “We had a very advanced system for garbage collection and over the years it was eroded and taken away from the citizens of Weslaco and eventually privatized.”

The City of Weslaco has been in financial crisis for the last ten years and after giving up their Sanitation services in June 2010 to privatization their general fund shrunk, employees were lost and the city has been bleeding.

Weslaco City Commissioner Rene Rodriguez said, “If we have the right staff, the right equipment, then there is no reason for privatization if we can do the job in house.”

Rodriguez said the department was making over $300 thousand or more a year and it had several employees that had been loyal to the city that lost their jobs.

Weslaco has had five city managers and at least four of those have had to oversee the possibility of privatizing the solid waste garbage collection since it was first introduced at the June city council meeting by then former City Manager Anthony Covacevich. Next interim City Manager Frank Castellanos helped preserve the sanitation services and in June 15 City Manager Leo Olivares was given permission to enter negations with BFI Waste Services to amend their existing contract to collect the solid waste in the residential and commercial areas of the city of Weslaco.

Former Weslaco City Commissioner Larry Cardenas said over the last ten years since he left office the city has squandered the reserve fund, we've lost good employees and the city doesn't have the money to pay for basic services its citizens deserve.

"They [city council] gave the contract away without going out for bids," Cardenas said. "That was a $2 million dollar enterprise fund and we're only getting $200,000 dollars in return for that contract and as soon as that happened we had to layoff all the employees."

The City of Weslaco’s 2007 five year Fiscal Forecast estimated the Sanitation Fund’s Garbage Fees would have produced 2.8 million in 2011. In 2006 the actual revenue Weslaco raked in with the Garbage Fees alone was 2.2 million.

Discussions to consider entering a contract with Allied Waste Management for collection of solid waste services dates all the way back to June 2004. According to the December 7, 2004 meeting minutes, then Mayor Joe Sanchez asked if the city was amending Allied Waste Management’s current contract and City Attorney Ramon Vela said it would not be since Allied Waste’s Brush contract was on a month-to-month basis.

According to the Weslaco City Council Minutes on March 16, 2010 Commissioner Cuellar made a motion to amend the existing contract noting the City spent $200,000 to maintain the operation of the solid waste collection on an annual basis and the city would save on equipment repairs and purchasing equipment.

At the June 15, 2010 City Council meeting when City Manager Leo Olivares was given authorization to negotiate with Allied Waste Management under the terms of the current contract a rate to collect the residential garbage for the City of Weslaco and present the proposal to the City Council for their approval.

Former Commissioner Rene Rodriguez and Commissioner Jerry Tafolla asked to table the motion because of concern regarding the employees and to explore the benefits of privatizing the Sanitation Fund’s Garbage Collection.

“It should have been tabled because we didn’t go out for public sale,” Commissioner Tafolla said. “We should have allowed other companies to submit their bid.”

Former Mayor calls privatization of Weslaco Sanitation Services crippled the city

2011-05-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

The City of Weslaco for a long time was able to generate money for the city’s general fund to help pay employees and keep up with excellent city services until recently when the city eliminated the sanitation services and its employees.

One year ago the City of Weslaco’s city commission voted to enter negotiations with Allied Waste Management to pick up the city’s residential and commercial garbage. Next Waste Management began picking up the city’s garbage and then the men and women that took care of picking up the garbage became displaced employees and were later given the option to take an early retirement package.

Weslaco City Manager Leo Olivares was not available for comment.

To help track the story of the privatization of the Weslaco Sanitation Services link to the Valleywood Publications public Google Reader feed page of bundled local news and politics as reported and as the news happens and reported by area journalists from the mainstream media at KGBT-4, The Monitor Daily Newspaper, KRGV-5 and Valleycentral.com.

Google Reader link:

http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user%2F01197650111530686313%2Flabel%2FRIO%20GRANDE%20VALLEY%20NEWS%20JOURNALISTS?hl=en

The privatization of the Welsaco sanitation services

2011-05-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

The city of Weslaco has been in financial crisis for the last ten years and after giving up their Sanitation services in June 2010 to privatization their general fund shrunk, employees were lost and the city has been bleeding.

Weslaco City Commissioner Rene Rodriguez said, “If we have the right staff, the right equipment, then there is no reason for privatization if we can do the job in house.”

Rodriguez said the department was making over $300 thousand or more a year and it had several employees that had been loyal to the city that lost their jobs.

Weslaco has had five city managers and at least four of those have had to oversee the possibility of privatizing the solid waste garbage collection since it was first introduced at the June city council meeting by then former City Manager Anthony Covacevich. Next interim City Manager Frank Castellanos helped preserve the sanitation services and in June 15 City Manager Leo Olivares was given permission to enter negations with BFI Waste Services to amend their existing contract to collect the solid waste in the residential and commercial areas of the city of Weslaco.

Former Weslaco City Commissioner Larry Cardenas said over the last ten years since he left office the city has squandered the reserve fund, we've lost good employees and the city doesn't have the money to pay for basic services its citizens deserve.

"They [city council] gave the contract away without going out for bids," Cardenas said. "That was a $2 million dollar enterprise fund and we're only getting $200,000 dollars in return for that contract and as soon as that happened we had to layoff all the employees."

The braking up of the Weslaco Garbage Collection

2011-05-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia

One hour before the swearing in of Mayor-elect Mike Wise on June 15, 2010 the Weslaco City Council voted to enter negotiations with Allied Waste Services to explore amending their existing contract to pick up the public's solid waste.

The City of Weslaco’s 2007 five year Fiscal Forecast estimated the Sanitation Fund’s Garbage Fees would have produced 2.8 million in 2011. In 2006 the actual revenue Weslaco raked in with the Garbage Fees alone was 2.2 million.

Discussions to consider entering a contract with Allied Waste Management for collection of solid waste services dates all the way back to June 2004. According to the December 7, 2004 meeting minutes, then Mayor Joe Sanchez asked if the city was amending Allied Waste Management’s current contract and City Attorney Ramon Vela said it would not be since Allied Waste’s Brush contract was on a month-to-month basis.

According to the Weslaco City Council Minutes on March 16, 2010 Commissioner Cuellar made a motion to amend the existing contract noting the City spent $200,000 to maintain the operation of the solid waste collection on an annual basis and the city would save on equipment repairs and purchasing equipment.

At the June 15, 2010 City Council meeting when City Manager Leo Olivares was given authorization to negotiate with Allied Waste Management under the terms of the current contract a rate to collect the residential garbage for the City of Weslaco and present the proposal to the City Council for their approval.

Mayor Pro-Tem Rene Rodriguez and Commissioner Jerry Tafolla asked to table the motion because of concern regarding the employees and to explore the benefits of privatizing the Sanitation Fund’s Garbage Collection.

“It should have been tabled because we didn’t go out for public sale,” Commissioner Tafolla said. “We should have allowed other companies to submit their bid.”

All Valley Waste owner, Paula Villanueva said in a letter to the City of Weslaco, the city has a waste management collection system in place and it would be a big mistake to give the residential waste contract to a private company.

“The city will be committing financial suicide by eliminating this source of income,” Villanueva stated.

One year later the garbage collection fleet and employees are gone so is the City of Weslaco better off with the privatization of the residential garbage collection to Allied Waste Management?

32 Texas immigration bills filed by legislators

2011-04-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

Legislators across the country have been introducing anti Immigration laws after seeing Arizona pass SB 1070 and the same kind of politics has spilled into Texas with 32 bills that will be voted on in Austin.

Santa Maria, Texas Border Wall along the Rio Grande River.

The Rio Grande Valley sits along the border of Mexico and the United States and the passage of illegal immigrants from Mexico, South America and other parts of the world happens everyday. And business people in the area have been employing such law abiding and hardworking people for a long time.

One bill that is gaining wide spread attention is Republican State Representative Debbie Riddle’s HB 2012 that creates tough punishments for those that employ unauthorized immigrants. If passed violators will face up to $10,000 dollars in fines and two years jail time.

It’s been estimated that eleven to twelve million people in the United States are illegal immigrants and possibly one-third of the population in South Texas is undocumented.

82nd Legislature Regular Session.

“Those are Federal Government issues and the state of Texas should not even be dealing with the Federal Government’s job,” said State Representative Armando Martinez (D-Weslaco). “We need to keep up with the issues of Texas like jobs, education and health care.”

San Juan’s communications specialist for La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, John-Michael Torres said the rally at the capitol on February 23 was a huge success as 300 people from the Rio Grande Valley went to speak with legislators to educate them against supporting anti-immigrant legislation.

A mural at LUPE in San Juan representing farmworkers.

“The work we are trying to do is lift up communities to lift up their lives,” said Torres. “If SB 9 passes it’s not going to change the need for immigration services or tax preparation, but there will be a lot more people afraid to walk out of their homes and it will definitely effect a lot of people.”

According to passionate advocates against the anti immigration legislation congressmen and woman do not understand the economic benefits that are received from labor coming out of Mexico and South America. And the major concern from the immigrants is how the law will affect them when crimes are committed against them and their family members.

“We have a lot of concerns with some of the anti- immigrant sentiment concerning bad law in Texas,” said Corinna Spencer-Scheurich, South Texas Civil Rights Project Regional Director. “The idea of not providing Spanish forms is just simply discriminatory. The only thing that is does is create more of a hardship for people in working in state agencies to try to help out people fill out forms.”

Spencer-Scheurich said it’s is not the job of the state of Texas to try and fix the broken immigration policies and a federal change on immigration is needed because it’s a federal law and trying to go after employers is not going to be effective.

“I think we could do better as citizens and after all we are a nation of immigrants. Ultimately we need each other to succeed,” Spencer-Scheurich said. “People are very passionate about this issue because it comes to the safety and security of the community and discrimination and people really feel it’s a justice issue.”

The voters will decide who will be Mercedes' next mayor

2011-04-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

The race for Mercedes’ top elected seat is up for grabs and five men have come to the table to take on the duty of leading the Queen City as mayor but only one can win and it will be up to the voters to decide.

Enter the 2011 mayor race candidates: Henry Hinojosa, Ruben Guajardo, Vernon Hoover, Gilbert Dominguez and David Garza. All but political newcomer, Vernon Hoover, have been elected officials for Mercedes; Dominguez elected Mayor in ‘82.

For the most part the trend has shown over the years who ever wins the early vote is sure to win the election. However, this race is sure to have a low voter turnout even with 20,000 people over the age of 18 in the city. There is no school board election, no bond election or statewide elections to vote on in Mercedes.

So the stage is set for a May 14 election as the candidates have been pushing their platforms and preparing voters with information. All saying they are fit to lead Mercedes as the new mayor.

Mercedes has operated without a mayor since three-term Mayor Joel Quintanilla was elected Hidalgo County Commissioner in the November 2010 General Election.

Henry Hinojosa, a lifetime resident of Mercedes was a three-term city commissioner from 1997-2005. He dates his community activism all the way back to the 1970’s in his youth as a Mercedes Community Helper. Today his campaign is to make Mercedes into a more economic success.

“Business development for the downtown and surrounding area is a priority,” Hinojosa said.

David Garza, a life-time resident was elected to two separate terms for city commissioner in 1993, 2005 and lost his re-election to commissioner Dianna Tovar in 2007.

Ruben “Chano” Guajardo has left his commission seat open in his bid for mayor. He is in his second term after being elected in 2005. Guajardo said he promotes open government and excellent services.

Vernon Hoover has been a resident of Mercedes since 2000.

“My goal is to see Mercedes continue to grow from the inside out and the outside in,” Hoover said. “There is a lot of people out of a job and I want to pull in more businesses into Mercedes.”

Former Mayor of Mercedes Gilbert Dominguez has been very vocal in recent council meetings since returning home after retiring from the Lansing School District in Mich.

“I’ve had a life long interest and commitment to community interest as apposed to politics,” Dominguez said. “For me community service has been some what of a calling.”

Ten years ago the City of Mercedes was cash strapped and known to many as a bedroom community but with the influx of tax dollars from the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets’ 150 stores the city is richer than ever and has the funds to realize community needs and any department wish lists.

What has changed the political air in Mercedes is the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets has shot the city into an international destination and hub for economic development. Mercedes is stronger than ever with a Standard and Poor’s A rating and enough money to operate the city for six months with no revenue.

Mercedes has not seen a heated political race since 2007 and will end up in a runoff and the city will continue operating for another month without a mayor. A run-off of the top two vote getters would be held 30 days after the May 14 election. People are saying Garza and Hinojosa and others say Hinojosa and Guajardo will meet in the run off.

No one knows who has an edge and all the candidates are confident they will win. For the most part some think Hinojosa is the candidate to beat, others think Guajardo is still the front-runner, some say Garza is outspoken and is sure to make the run-off, Dominguez was a strong candidate in the ‘80s but is in now a political unknown who believes can win the race outright. As for Hoover he has been taken seriously but is still a political novice and unknown to Mercedes.

Loving mother with sights on new career in multi-media journalism

2011-04-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

A native of Santiago, Chile, Katherine Droguett, remembers listening to popular music from the United States of America to learn English. At 16-years-old Katherine reunited with her mother and father in Virginia in hope for a better life.

“I knew there was more opportunity here than there was in my country. I’ve been here almost twenty years and I would never go back. This is my second country and I love it,” said Droguett.

Today you can find her living a happy life at home with her three daughters that she loves spending time with on the weekends with her husband. She enjoys taking them to their youth programs, watching educational programs with them and baking in the kitchen. But she is not your ordinary soccer mom. Droguett is studing to become a new media content developer spcialist. And since enrolling at Full Sail University she has found the opportunity to broaden her skills and horizons in hope of leaving a legacy for children and being a role model to them.

Katherine with her family.

Droguett has come a long way from Chile. She completed her Bachelors in 2004 with a Computer Science degree and is not shy to express her happiness on working on her Maters in New Media Journalism. She finished high school in 1996, got married, had her first daughter, entered college and started working.

“It was really challenging having a full time job, two kids and going to school was a little overwhelming,” Droguett said. “After entering the job market she decided to come back home and work raising her children and help her husband began his business in the construction industry.”

She said they were able to make things work and were always together as a family and it has made them very strong but when the housing market tumbled the family business took a big hit.

She said what really kept them going was their strength and motivation for the family and Droguett would turn to the workforce to help with the finances during the recession. In the network marketing industry she would find her calling as a graphic designer specializing on social networking.

“I did have some success and I really learned how to run my own business. And it was where I became fascinated with the art of graphic design,” Droguett said.

She then wanted to become more familiar and proficient in graphic design and began to look for avenues to feed her newfound inspiration of work on graphics and web design.

“I found this advertisement about Full Sail University and I was very attracted to the advertisement because it was very professional and eye catching,” Droguett said. “I really liked the program that they had to offer and the program was perfect for my lifestyle. Because I have three kids and it is something that I really wanted to accomplish.”

She wants to work as a new media content developer specialist and be able to help people grow their business with her new journalism and multi media skills.

“Your going to have to have more skills to be successful and this program offers that and I’m very happy,” Droguett said. “I think that I would be fine after completing the program at Full Sail working with a politician or anyone out there in the communications field.”

Getting a job with the newspaper

2011-04-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

Photo By Norma Saldana
Raul Garcia taking pictures at the Mercedes Parade.

I want to work in the newspaper industry after graduation, preferably as a small town community reporter. The hiring process for a position for a job in the newsroom takes three phases. Each phase is supported by skill and experience. The first thing that must be done to be considered for a position at a newspaper as a reporter would be to apply for the position. The application process is usually basic as far as contact information and background. Applying for a position is important because it shows interest. With the application a resume should also be submitted to highlight the candidates' experience. Also the application package should be organized and well put together to make it easy for a prospective employer to review with a resume and clips to win an interview. appointment. The second phase of getting a job as a reporter is the interview. Here it is important for talk about reporting and experience in the field of journalism and interviewing for a story to write for an audience and on deadline. It helps to be ready to answer industry questions. The third phase is a hands on test of skill with a test run of journalism aptitude with a deadline in the office or out in the field. The assignment.

Some ways to kick-start a career in journalism is being out there reporting and making a name in the community as a reporter. Reporting and uploading to a website, sending work to the local media outlets can get your foot in the door. The ability to shoot video while reporting and editing can really set a journalist a part from others in the industry. Disseminating information on a social network can really put the word out on information or some thing that happened quickly. This can usually beat out the newspapers and media outlets of the day. Adding important and entertaining information online to social networks and blogs is a good way to showcase skill as a reporter and is a great way to pass information globally.

Newspapers are now using social networks and reporters have blogs and they are also being asked to shoot video to enhance their reports to draw readers to their site. Since the newspaper industry is in bad shape most organizations are working on a shoe string budget and are cutting costs and downsizing in the newsroom. Right now newspaper employers are looking for reporters that design, take photos, create web posts and edit video to add multimedia to stories. So knowing the cutting edge tools to enhance journalism and knowing all aspects of newspaper production is a sure way of landing a job in the newsroom.

Defending champs hit road block with Idaho Stampede at home

2011-03-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers fell to the Idaho Stampede at home. With the help of Antoine Walker and Tony Bobbitt’s jump shot from downtown was enough to stampede passed the Vipers 115-92.

McneAL WITH REVERSE SHOT.

“Yeah you know we just couldn’t straighten stops together and offensively we went on some droughts,” said Jon Scheyer the Vipers starting guard. “So we need to go back and figure what we need to do now. But it’s about playing hard and playing together and we’ll get there.”

After a slow start and loosening the Vipers grip, the Stampede were led by NBA great Antoine Walker’s leadership and experience. Walker scored 24 points shooting in the paint and around the basket. It was Bobbitt’s 24 points from downtown that weakened the defending D- League Champions hope for a win on Thursday night March 23.

Thabeet in the paint.

Viper guard Jerel McNeal led all scorers with 29 points. Tony Bobbitt rang in 26 points going 8 for 10 from beyond the three-point line. The Little General Cedric Jackson hit 14 points and Sean Banks dropped 19 for the Stampede.

After three lead changes the Stampede took the lead before the half after trailing by as many as 11. The Vipers had a 43 percent shooting performance-going 13 for 34 from downtown.

Number two pick overall in the NBA 2009 Draft, Hasheem Thabeet proved inffective scoring only two points and blocking three shoots on defense for the Vipers.


Walker driving in for a layup	.

Early in the game the Vipers took a seven-point lead with good ball movement and good shooting to end the first quarter.

At the 10:30 mark of the second period Walker helped mount the Stampede attack with impressive transition ball movement and leadership trailing by five 31-26. By Half time the score was 45- 48.

The Stampede moves to a 21-25 record overall trying to clinch the eighth and final spot in the playoffs. The Vipers are tied for the best record in the league at 30-16 on the season.

“The guys have just given me everything they had and we feel if we get into the playoffs we have a good chance as anybody to win,” said Coach Randy Livingston for the Stampede. “We’ve beat every one of the top teams and the guys just play together and I was really happy tonight.”

Coach Finch in the huddle.

He said the Vipers are a very talented team and McNeal did really good, Coach Finch does a really great job with the team but the Stampede just had an answer for every thing the Vipers had.

Tourists still traveling to Mexico

2011-03-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

By Raul GarcIa

Americans have been traveling into Mexico to eat, shop and have a good time. Much has changed with violence along the river but it hasn’t stopped visitors from crossing the border.

“I think it’s a good place to stay away from and with all of the soldiers -- you just never know what’s going to happen.” Mary Wagner, a Toronto, Canada resident said. “Every morning we read the newspaper and there is always a story about shooting and fighting over there.”

Wagner and her husband have traveled all over Mexico. They live in Brownsville, Texas during the winter season and the couple has been traveling to a safer part of Mexico in Nuevo Progreso to cross the border because of the violence and shooting in Matamoros has been high.

“We’ve been coming down here for 13 years and we’re very carful,” Wagner said. “We take a stroll through the market and we just like Mexico.”

Last year a Weslaco resident was at a store in Mexico when a shooting took place. The tourist said that the store manager was nice enough to let her wait in the upstairs apartment until everything had cooled down and it was safe to go back outside.

She said it was kind of scary but since then she just stays a couple of hours to get what she needs and goes back home to the United States of America.

Mercedes resident Myra Elizondo has not been to Mexico in over two years. Even though she live only ten miles away from the Nuevo Progreso border.

“I used to go on the weekends to eat, shop and buy medication,” Elizondo said. “What stopped me from going was when the soldiers stopped me and checked my car and asked me to get out with all their guns.”

She said a lot of people are not afraid of visiting Mexico and if you don’t feel threatened then people will keep crossing the border.

“Why risk going over to Mexico.” Elizondo said. “There is no 9-1-1 over there and if you get hurt in Mexico your on your own.”

USA IN BAD ECONOMIC SHAPE: Congress must resolve budget

2011-03-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks the United States of America's federal government has been working with a short term budget that will end March 18 and President Obama is upset as the House and Senate grapple with the time limited budget compromise to fund the government through September 30.

Both parties are blaming each other and if a compromise is not in the works the United States government is not going to be able to provide services that are needed throughout the county. Government jobs are going to be cut and that will leave families and government workers in limbo.

The gridlock comes as the Republican controlled House has come up with 4 billion in spending cuts. The Democrat run Senate is fighting over how much to cut. Its obvious people are going to lose out on a lot of money. Promises are going to be broken and probably dream plans are going to be put on the shelf if nobody gets their way on Capitol Hill.

The most recent government shutdown came in 1995 when the Republican controlled Congress would not come to terms with President Clintons' veto on spending for public health, education, Medicare and the environment.

Not putting forth a plan is only adding to our national debt and any recovery from a $1.2 trillion dollar deficit.

It's been known that Obama had inherited a national debt that is in the trillions and that his stimulus package also added to the debt but it was a good call in light of all the government bailouts that have passed with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the automobile industry. At least the government gave a little piece of the pie to those that actually filled out the paper work for a meager $500 to $3,000 dollars and home or vehicle credits from Obama's Stimulus Package worth $787 billion.

If a resolution is not set for the government’s budget we are going to see some massive shutdowns of national parks, postal service, national museums and much more that will hurt the citizens of America.

It’s time to get mad folks; it’s time to come away from the TV and really get involved with what is going on. Letters must be sent, visits to local senators and representatives offices must be made so a positive outcome will be realized. Congress needs to make a decision on the government's budget. I don’t want to find out I just traveled so far to see what’s in the Smithsonian Museum or trek along the grand canyon only to find them closed to the public. Now that’s not right, that’s just not right. Hurry up congress before your constituents hurry up and vote you out.

Future Famers gear up for the Rio Grande Valley livestock show

2011-03-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

By Raul Garcia Jr.

Future Farmers of America from around the state are prepping and getting ready to load their farm animals for the 72nd annual Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show slated for March 11- 20 in Mercedes.

“Everybody has a good time at stock show because it has the so many vendors, a museum, animals and carnival, so there is a little bit for everyone,” said Doug Meyer, Agriculture Science teacher for Mercedes High School. “Competition at the stock show is going to be real tough this year because there’s going to be a lot of animals and there has been a lot of bragging going on.”

The event will exhibit bulls, hogs, rabbits, goats, sheep, poultry and more for market and breeding competitions and everyone plans to win Grandmaster status and take home a cash prize.

Mercedes will have 32 entries in the competition this year Meyer said.

Mercedes High School sophomore Javier Garcia will be competing in Zube Bull and Market Goat Open Jr. Events. It’s his second year in FFA and he said he has a new outlook and experience for this year competition.

“I feel I will do better this year,” Garcia said. “I have been working with my animals for four hours a day for this year’s stock show.”

He said he plans to pay attention to the judges for showmanship and that over all FFA taught him a lot about responsibility, leadership and life skills.

Former Mercedes FFA student Naria Aguillar now has two children that have been around the Agriculture Farm since joining FFA when they were nine-years-old and says she is happy that they have taken a special interest in raising livestock.

“I was raised with FFA and we instilled it into our kids and I’m amazed that our children love it,” Aguillar said. “My daughter has already won Grand Champion for Breeders Guild and won a cash prizes close to $900 dollars.”

The stock show is a destination for family fun. Take a ride on the zipper, find your way through the fun house, win big prizes playing carnival games and enjoy the livestock.