Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 7, 2008 Page: 1 of 6
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THURSDAY
WEEKLY
EDITION
February 7, 2008
95th YEAR No. 06
#215
HOAG BOOK BINDERY
127 RAIL ROAD
SPRINGPORT.MI 49204
ZONE 6
Kio Grande
1 rJ *
A Newspaper Serving the People of South Texas
Trustees okay dealings with new firm for Grulla school
m
RGCCISD secretaries gain CEOP certification
Rio Grande City CISD Secretaries Nelda Castillo (Bookkeeping Department), Amparo I'revino
(Business Office) and Martha Barrera (Career and Technology Department) recently became Certified
Education Office Professionals (CEOP), a certificate awarded by the Texas Education Support Staff
Association (TESA). In order to qualify to receive this honor the members must participate in a very
intense professional growth educational program as well as continued education Members must
participate in at least six hours of instruction or the equivilent in college course credit per year in order
to retain this certificate. A graduation ceremony was held during the TESA 2007 Summer Work
Conference held at the Marriott Westchase in Houston, Texas in commemoration of all of the
participants who received this honor (RGCCISD Photo).
National School Counseling
Week being observed Feb. 4-8
National School Counseling
Week, sponsored hv the
National School Counselors
Association (ASCA), is being
celebrated February 4-8, 2008,
to focus public attention on the
unique contribution of
f professional school counselors
within U.S. school systems.
National School Counseling
Week highlights the tremendous
impact that counselors can have
in helping students achieve
school success and plan for a
career.
"The special week honoring
school counselors provides
recognition for school
counselors who implement
comprehensive school
counseling programs." .aid Mrs.
Adelina G. Villarreal (Director
of Guidance and Counseling).
"They are a vital part of the
educational process for all
students as they meet the
challenges of the 21s1 century,"
said Mr. Roel A. Gonzalez
(RGCCISD Superintendent).
In a county proclamation, by
the Honorable Judge Eloy Vera,
cited school counselors for
being actively engaged in
helping students examine their
abilities, strengths, interests and
talents; for working in a
partnership with parents as they
encounter the challenges of
Work underway to start
Animal Security Network
Rio Grande City -
Historically, foreign and
zoonotic animal disease
outbreaks in other countries
have been responsible for
.tremendous economic losses to
"livestock industries,
overwhelming health issues in
affected human populations, and
devastating sociologic and
economic effects experienced by
communities
f To prevent the United States
from experiencing similar
debilitating losses, early
detection and rapid reporting is
essential. "Individual livestock
owners must be our first line of
defense against a foreign animal
or zoonotic disease outbreak",
commented Rolando Zamora,
Extension Agent with
Cooperative Extension Program
of Prairie View A&M
University
During the Spring of 2008
the Foreign Animal and
Zoonotic Disease Defense
(FAZD) and collaborating land
grant Extension programs
(Cooperative Extension Program
and Texas AgriLife Extension
Service in Texas) in six (6)
states throughout the Southern
Region will conduct a 'proof-of-
concept' project creating a
functioning emergency
education and communities with
vital animal disease information.
This 'proof-of-concept' will be
led by Omar Montemayor and
Rolando Zamora, with Texas
AgriLfe Extension Service, in
Starr County with four local
feedstores cooperating.
The project will feature first
response alert scenarios in
poultry, livestock, and equine
issues.
"All these industries are of big
economic importance in Texas"
adds Omar Montemayor.
County Extension Agent in Starr
County with Texas AgriLife
Extension Service. The
(See ANIMAL, Page 6)
At their regular monthly
meeting on January evening,
Jan. 22, the Rio Grande City
CISD board of trustees voted to
authorize the beginning of
negotiations with a new
construction firm for building of
the planned new high school in
the La Grulla area.
Board President Basilio D.
Villarreal, Jr. later indicated,
"We approved ranking of
contractors for the new high
school. Wilson Construction
was previously ranked No. 1;
Lyndecker was ranked No. 2."
"We have ended negotiations
with Wilson; we have begun
negotiations with Lyndecker,"
noted the board president. "We
were looking for Wilson to
reduce the price somewhat and
get a better value for the district.
Our administration felt that what
Wilson proposed was
insufficient."
Villarreal concluded, "Upon
the recommendation of the
Superintendent and architect, we
voted to terminate negotiations
with Wilson and begin
negotiations with Lyndecker.
We're in the process right now
of negotiating with Lyndecker."
The Lyndecker construction
firm is based in Laredo.
The trustees voted to approve
the annual financial audit for the
2006-2007 fiscal year which
ended on Aug. 31, 2007. The
audit was carried out by the
Reyna & Garza CPA firm in
McAllen
Villarreal explained, "We
approved our audit for the last
fiscal year. It was a very good
audit. They (the accounting
firm) issued an unqualified
opinion, which means that it was
a very clean audil No major
problems or defects were
found."
The board president
emphasized, "Our fund balance
increased by roughly a half-
million. I congratulate everyone
STC to begin work
Technology Center
raising children in today'-' world.
Also, for iocusmg or, positive
ways to enhance students'
social personal, educational and
career development; and
working with teachers and other
educators to provide an
educational system where
students can realize their
potential and set healthy,
realistic and optimistic
aspirations for themselves
Professional school counselors
are certified, experienced
educators with a master's degree
in guidance and counseling. The
combination of their training
and experience makes them an
(See NATIONAL, Page 6)
Dinner, Pageant
to launch 2008
County Fair
The annual Wild Game Dinner
of the Starr County Youth Fair
has been set for Saturday,
February 23, at 6:00 p.m. at the
James Peterson Memorial
Building at the Starr County
Fairgrounds. Serving will begin
at 6:30. The event will officially
kick off the 43rd annual fair
Honored guests will be 2008
Starr County Fair Parade
Marshal, HEB Plus in Rio
Grande City.
The Rio Grande City Rotary
Club will coordinate the Wild
Game Dinner again this year,
with Starr County Fair Board
President Billy Canales serving
as chair They invite the public
to make plans to attend and help
make this event a success.
Tickets for the meal w ill be
$15 in advance and S20 at the
door. Advance tickets are
available at Rio Motor Co. or
(See DINNER, Page 6)
South Texas College's Board
of Trustees officially kicked off
work on a new S3.5 million
project to build and operate a
Rural Technology Center in
Starr County. At its January
meeting, the board heard from
Texas State Representative Ryan
Guillen. D-Rio Grande City,
regarding the need for the center
and officially approved
acceptance of the monies to
begin work on the project.
"With the help of Rep.
Guillen, Texas State
Representative Ismael "Kino"
Flores, D-Palmview, and Texas
State Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-
Laredo, we were able to
persevere and secure funding for
this very important center to
serve Starr and Zapata
counties," said Manuel
Benavidez Jr., founding member
of STC's Board of Trustees.
"We pay tribute to the hard
work put forth not only by these
three statespersons, but also to
the entire board, administration
and staff of the college who
supported this initiative when
we first started work on it seven
long years ago. There is a
desperate need for this facility
and we made it a reality through
team work and perseverance."
Texas House Bill 2235,
which was signed during the
80th Legislative session,
established a grant program
under the Office of Rural
Community Affairs to fund the
construction and equipping of
rural technology center in Starr
and Zapata counties.
Once complete, the 22,000
square foot facility will provide
space for Internet-connected
classrooms, computer aided
drafting labs, a graphic arts lab,
a network administration lab. a
Web page design lab,
telecommunications technology
labs, computer maintenance labs
and areas for a variety of other
information technology-related
in the school district for their
significant efforts in making this
happen."
The trustees voted to authorize
determining and pursuing a
"method that provides the best
value for the district for
garbage/waste
collection/disposal services."
Villarreal declared, "We are
going into an interlocal
agreement with the City of Rio
Grande City for trash collection.
Our administration has
determined that that is the best
value for the district."
The trustees voted to renew
the delinquent tax collection
contract for two additional years
with the law firm of Calame,
Linebarger, Graham and
Sampson, LLP.
Villarreal commented, "We
approved the same collection
firm we've hid for many years.
We renewed them for another
(See TRUSTEES, Page 6)
on Rural
in county
tools and instruction. The state
of Texas has provided $3.5
million in state appropriations to
fund the center's construction
and initial technology purchase
costs. STC will fund the center's
annual operating costs.
STC will lead the project and
coordinate with local public
schools, libraries, learning
centers, community groups and
businesses to ensure that the
center is accessible and offers
the needed courses, technologies
and materials. The college will
offer a variety of information
technology-related courses and
programs at the center, in
particular, courses that high
school students can take for dual
enrollment, which gives students
both high school and college
credit.
"More than 35 percent of
Starr County's population is 18
years old or younger and these
students need access to cutting-
(See CENTER, Page 6)
&
y
STC trustees launch Starr Rural Tech Center
South Texas College's Board of Trustees officials kicked off work on a $3.5 million project to build a
Rural Technology Center in Starr County at its January meeting. Pictured from left are Roy de Leon,
member of STC's Board of Trustees; Jesse Villarreal, vice chair of STC's Board of Trustees; Manuel
Benavidez Jr., member of STC's Board of Trustees; Texas State Representative Ryan Guillen, D-Rio
Grande City; Mike Allen, secretary of STC's Board of Trustees; Dr. Aleio Salinas Jr., member of
STC's Board of Trustees; and Gary Gurwitz, member of STC's Board of Trustees.
J
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Roberts, Kenneth. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 7, 2008, newspaper, February 7, 2008; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth196103/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.