The Valley Times – April 11, 2018

Edinburg Rotary Honors Top ECISD Fine Arts Students

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VOL. I, NO. 37

Inside

Pharr Fire Department Promotes First Female To Lieutenant

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018

TxDOT Launches ‘Heads Up, Texas’ Campaign To Curb Distracted-Driving Crashes

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Texas National Guard Arrives In South Texas

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Canales Urges Gov. Abbott To Call Special Session To Address Retired Teachers Health Insurance Program Problems

Rep. Terry Canales

By DAVID A. DÍAZ

With more than a quarter-million retired Texans and their dependents struggling with higher monthly premiums and less coverage through the Teacher Retirement System’s TRS-Care, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the Texas Legislature to address the issue.

“My retired local teachers and retired public school employees, who are on a fixed income, are now paying hundreds of dollars more a month (sometimes more) for healthcare services and essential medications,” Canales stated in a letter addressed to the governor.

“These Texas teachers and school employees, who have dedicated their lives to service, increasingly have to make the choice to pay their mortgage, buy groceries, or pay for their potentially life-saving medications.”

A called session, commonly referred to as a special session, is so designated because it must be called by the governor. A called or special session may last

no more than 30 days, but consecutive special sessions may be called by the governor.

In his letter to Abbott, dated Thursday, March 29, 2018, Canales recalled how last year, the stakes were high for TRS-Care, which was on the edge of disaster for the huge number of Texans who had been promised by politicians that the state government would take care of them in exchange for their public service.

“At the beginning of the 2017 Texas Legislative session, there were widespread fears that the Teacher Retirement System’s TRS-Care, which insured around 270,000 retired retired teachers and retirement public school employees and their dependents, was about to collapse,” the House District 40 lawmaker reminded the governor. “The Texas House led efforts during the regular session to fix the ailing system but the majority of the Senate was reluctant to support our educators.”

In late May 2017, Canales and his fellow colleagues in the House had offered a $500 million increase to help fund TRS-Care, with that amount coming from the Texas Economic Stabilization Fund, also known as the the Texas Rainy Day Fund, which is estimated to reach $12 billion by 2019 if left untouched.

However, the Senate had offered $350 million from the state, but wanted local school districts statewide to provide an additional $134 million.

Canales commended Abbott for seeing “the need for action” and conse-

quently adding TRS-Care to the July 2017 special session call. “Yet, the solution that resulted from that special session was just another temporary and partial fix.”

Canales emphasized to the governor “it is clear to me that we cannot wait for the next regular legislative session, which begins in January of 2019, to create a permanent fix for TRS-Care. I humbly request that you call a special session of the Texas Legislature” to address the needs of such a powerful constituency.

In closing, the state representative asked the governor, “If we don’t support our teachers, what does that mean about the Texas Legislature’s support for students and the overall Texas education system? I look forward to continuing the dialogue with your office, and the possibility of working together to create a Texas education system

where we recognize that great schools start with supporting our great Texas teachers.”

“For them, the doubled or tripled premiums have been devastating. Only about 5 percent of Texas education retirees are eligible to receive Social Security income, and there has been no costof-living increase for those who retired in 2004 or later.”

Canales explained that the Texas Legislature is already working on ways to deal with helping improve TRS-Care, and said those efforts should take place in a special session as quickly as possible, instead of waiting for solutions to be considered during the regular session in 2019.

Canales, D-Edinburg, represents House District 40 in Hidalgo County, which includes portions or all of Edinburg, Elsa, Faysville, La Blanca, Linn, Lópezville, McAllen, Pharr and Weslaco.

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McAllen Gears Up For $25M Bond Vote

By Davis Rankin

McAllen started a campaign to tell voters what’s at stake in a proposed $25 million bond issue up for a vote on May 5.

City staffers will provide information on drainage and traffic improvements on the ballot but they are not to campaign for or against anything, said City Manager Roy Rodriguez this week.

Voters will have two propositions to decide. Proposition B would spend $3 million on traffic issues: new traffic controllers, signal detection maintenance and a traffic congestion study. Rodriguez said the money would go “specifically to improve mobility through signalization.”

If voters approve the spending, he continued, it would take three to five years before there is visible improvement in traffic flow. Needing to ‘do something about traffic’ has been a continuing topic

brought up at commission meetings. Mayor Jim Darling has said the city needs to start establishing east-west fast-moving streets now that the city has dedicated certain streets as north-south fast-movers.

Rodriguez said they hope, eventually, to have a ‘traffic central’ which will allow staff to check lights and make signalization changes remotely rather than having to send someone into the field to trouble shoot and fix problems. This spending will move the city toward that goal, he said.

Proposition A would raise $22 million for 23 projects throughout the city.

The city’s 2015 Citizens Survey said the city manager, showed residents’ three top concerns as flow of traffic, storm water management and maintenance of facilities. The city takes care of maintenance in its yearly budget but traffic and drainage are “big ticket items.”

City staffers drew up a list of drainage

projects, their costs and identified revenue sources for each one, he said. They figured out six different money sources, including grants and federal and state money. When they were done, said he, the total amount was almost $50 million and after taking into account all the other money sources, a bond issue is the last revenue source needed to complete the projects.

For many years, Rodriguez explained, the city’s capital improvement projects were paid for with natural gas royalties the city collects. That used to be as much as $7 million a year, but it has dwindled to “$100-200,000” a year.

The city has set Town Hall meetings at which commissioners and staffers will be available to answer questions: • Mon. April 16, 2018, 5:30 p.m., Palm View Community Center, 3401 Jordan Rd. W • Tues., April 17, 2018, 5:30 p.m.,

McAllen Public Library, 4001 N. 23rd St. • Tues., April 18, 2018, 5:30 p.m., Lark Community Center, 2601 Lark Ave. • Tues., April 24, 2018, 6:00 PM, Lark Community Center, 2601 Lark Ave. • Thurs., April 26, 2018, 5:30 p.m., Tres Lagos Community Center, 5100 Tres Lagos Blvd.

On Wednesday evening at 6:30, at the McAllen Public Library, civic group FUTURO McAllen will also have a presentation on the bonds and staffers will be there to answer questions. It is open to the public.

Early voting runs April 23 to May 1.

The city website has more information at: http://www.mcallen.net/departments/ secretary/city-elections/bond-election-2018 and https://www.mcallen.net/ docs/default-source/2018-Bond/bond2018.pdf?Status=Temp&sfvrsn=6

In response to President Donald Trump’s call earlier this week to mobilize the U.S. military for border protection, the Texas National Guard deployed a handful of troops to the Texas-Mexico border last week, sending 250 more over the weekend.

“This mobilization supports the priorities of the governor and the president in securing our borders,” Brigadier General Tracy Norris said at a news conference Friday evening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s Armed Forces Reserve Center.

Norris said the action is an “initial phase” of deployment, which will include operational planning that will determine what resources and additional personnel will be needed. She said the National Guard has not yet determined how much it will cost to station additional personnel along the border.

Trump said last week he wants up to 4,000 troops on the border.

Texas lawmakers in recent legislative sessions budgeted more than $2 billion for border security, with most of the money going to the state’s Department of Public Safety.

The Friday mobilization comes after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that the National Guard would be deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border. The move is

in response to what the Trump administration has called a recent surge of apprehensions there. But critics of the plan have argued that despite a recent increase, overall crossings are at historic lows.

“The deployment is designed to support ongoing efforts to mitigate the crisis on our border,” a Wednesday DHS news release read. “The deployment will support federal law enforcement personnel, including Customs and Border Protection.”

Gov. Greg Abbott praised the Trump administration’s decision and said Texas has “maintained a continuous presence of National Guard members along the border” for years.

Trump’s predecessors — Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama — both temporarily deployed guard troops to the border during their tenures. In 2014, then-Gov. Rick Perry deployed state guard units in response to a spike in migrants crossing into Texas from Central America.

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX28), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Defense, released the following statement regarding Trump’s announcement to militarize the U.S – Mexico border, “Militarizing the border is a dramatic measure and

will affect the lives of millions of people who live, work, and worship, in local communities on an everyday basis. Securing the southern border starts with ensuring that we implement policies that will have long-term, significant outcomes on the area in a safe and reliable way. It seems that the administration’s “solutions” to increased border security have been reactive and unsuitable to the issues at hand. What the President fails to understand is that deploying troops to secure a border and constructing a 14th century concrete wall, are outdated and inadequate answers to protecting our nation’s borders.”

Texas State Senator Juan J. Hinojosa issued the following statement in

response to the Trump Administration’s plan to deploy the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border,”I oppose the Trump Administration’s plan to send the National Guard to the border. This administration makes decisions based on impulse and distorts reality to fit their political agenda. We cannot and should not make decisions based on misinformation and politics. Yes, we must define and protect our borders. However, we should be smart and strategic about how we do it. This plan is neither.”

Texas National Guard Deploys Troops To Texas-Mexico Border

Sydney Greene and Julián Aguilar, from The Texas Tribune, contributed to this report.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2018

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HEARING AIDS

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Edinburg CISD fine arts students pose for a photo during an Edinburg Rotary meeting at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg. Pictured L-R: Edinburg High School senior KeylaContador, Edinburg High School senior Abraham Vergara, Edinburg North High School senior Maegan Carithers, Edinburg North High School senior Mathew Salinas, Economedes High School senior Alejandra Ibarra, Economedes High School senior Cesar Tovar, Vela High School senior Grace Sexton and Vela High School senior Miguel Lopez.

Edinburg Rotary Honors Top ECISD Fine Arts Students

The Edinburg Rotary recently honored the top eight students from the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District’s Fine Arts Department during its luncheon meeting at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg.

“It’s great that the Rotarians recognize our students from the visual arts, band, choir, orchestra, musical arts, mariachi and theater for their achievements,” Edinburg North High School Band Director Chad Dempsey said.

The students’ recognition is part of the Edinburg Rotary’s Student of the Month Program, which highlights two senior students from each high school.

“All of these students are going to be highly successful in music or any of the arts that they have done,” Dempsey said. “Their work ethic will carry them way past their high school years.”

The Edinburg Rotary recognized the following students: • Edinburg High School senior Key-

la Contador • Edinburg High School senior Abraham Vergara • Edinburg North High School senior Mathew Salinas • Edinburg North High School senior Maegan Carithers • Economedes High School senior Cesar Tovar • Economedes High School senior Alejandra Ibarra • Vela High School senior Miguel Lopez • Vela High School senior Grace Sexton

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McAllen Public Library Kicks Off Amnesty Month

Return your library books and make your mama proud! During the month of April, McAllen Public Library will run a month-long drive to get overdue books, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays back on our shelves.

Any overdue McAllen Public Library item that is returned from April 1st to May 13th, 2018 (Mother’s Day) will have its fines removed from a patron’s account. Items may be returned at any of MPL’s three locations, and any item returned qualifies, no matter how overdue. Amnesty applies to currently checked out items.

“During last year’s Amnesty Month

drive, MPL recovered library materials with a value of $10,000. More importantly, families who were kept away from the library due to late books were able to check out library materials again,” says Library Director Kate Horan. The goal for this year is to get 1,000 late items returned. When the goal is reached, MPL staff will celebrate by dressing up as their favorite youth literary character for a day,” Library Director Kate Horan said. “We understand how easy it is to lose track of due dates, and we don’t want old fines to keep people away from the library, especially our young people.”

South Texas College Theatre Ends Spring Semester With ‘The Elephant Man’ South Texas College Theatre ends the spring semester with Bernard Pomerance’s The Elephant Man. The production will run from April 26-28 at 8 p.m., and will include a matinee at 2 p.m. on April 29. Performances will take place at STC’s Copper Center for Communication Arts Black Box Studio Theatre located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen.

The Elephant Man is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A deformed young man, Merrick is a victim of a rare skin and bone disease, and has become the star freak attraction in travelling sideshows.

Found abandoned, he is admitted to London’s Whitechapel hospital. Under the care of physician Frederick Treves, Merrick is introduced to London society.

He evolves from an object of pity to an urbane and favorite of the aristocracy and literati only to be denied his ultimate dream, to become a man.

“The Elephant Man portrays John Merrick’s life as he navigates through the cruelty and insincerity he encounters in his brief life,” says director Joel Jason Rodriguez. “Pomerance wrote a play that places a mirror in front of ourselves and ask us the questions, ‘Who do you believe you are in this world? How do your actions prove that to be true?’”

General admission tickets cost $5.

Ticket sales from the April 26 production will go towards the Dr. John F. Car-

roll Drama Scholarship. The April 29 matinee production will be interpreted in American Sign Language.

Ticket cash or check purchases can be done one hour before the performance at the box office, or in advance online using a credit or debit card at https:// secure.touchnet.com/C20193_ustores/ web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=13 .

For additional information about the show, call 956-872-2301 or email drodri72@southtexascollege.edu or jrodriguez@southtexascollege.edu

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Pharr Fire Department Promotes First Female To Lieutenant The Pharr City Commission and Pharr Fire Department recognized Krystle Guerra on her promotion to Lieutenant. Krystle Guerra, a veteran firefighter with more than 10 years of experience with the Pharr Fire Department, has been promoted to Lieutenant, becoming the first female fire officer in the city of Pharr’s history to achieve this rank. Lt. Guer-

ra was recognized with a plaque and praised by her colleagues and Fire Chief Leonardo Perez for her dedication, hard work, and commitment. “The City of Pharr is proud of Lt. Guerra’s accomplishments and we commend her excellent work ethic and commitment to keeping our Pharr citizen’s safe,” stated Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez.

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TxDOT Launches ‘Heads Up, Texas’ Campaign To Curb Distracted-Driving Crashes TxDOT partners with AT&T ‘It Can Wait’ to educate Texans on statewide law, dangers of distracted driving April is National Distracted Driving Month and with nearly 1 in 5 crashes in Texas involving distracted driving – a ratio that has not changed in the past three years – the Texas Department of Transportation reminds drivers that their undivided attention to the road could save a life.

“It’s extremely concerning that drivers still choose to give their attention to things other than the road when they’re behind the wheel,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “As a society, we’re more connected than ever to our devices and easily tempted to multitask, but drivers need to understand all of these various distractions can lead to a tragic outcome.”

In 2017, 19 percent of vehicle crashes on Texas roads involved distracted driving. Those 100,687 crashes result-

ed in 444 deaths and 2,889 serious injuries. In an effort to curb distracted-driving crashes, TxDOT is launching its new “Heads up, Texas” campaign in partnership with AT&T’s ‘It Can Wait.’

The centerpiece of the campaign is a 19-city, distracted-driving virtual reality experience launching in Waco on April 4. According to AT&T “It Can Wait,” the majority of Texans ages 15-54 admit to driving distracted because of their smartphone. Additionally, nearly all Texans surveyed consider smartphone distractions to be dangerous while driving, but nearly 9 out of 10, or 89 percent, admit they do it.

“The ‘It Can Wait’ campaign shares a simple message: Distracted driving is never OK,” said Ryan Luckey, assistant vice president of Corporate Brand Marketing for AT&T. “We’re proud to join TxDOT in sharing that message with Texans through revealing survey data and events that highlight the dangers and the new law.”

Effective Sept. 1, 2017, a texting-while-driving ban was written into law making it illegal to read, write or send a text while driving in Texas. Violators can face a fine up to $200. Though texting while driving is now punishable by law, it’s not the only smartphone activity putting Texas drivers and passengers at risk. Among those Texans surveyed by AT&T “It Can

Wait,” the top 5 smartphone distractions while driving are: • Texting • Snapping/viewing photos • Playing music • Emailing • Accessing social media To learn more about TxDOT’s “Heads up, Texas” campaign, visit txdot.gov/ driver/share-road/distracted.html.

VOL. I, NO. 14

April is STD Awareness Month Take Control of Your Sexual Health April is STD Awareness Month, and now is a great time to take control of your own sexual health by getting and staying informed. There’s no avoiding the statistics: the number of reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases are at an all-time high, and if you are sexually active, you are at risk of infection.

So what can you do? Arm yourself with the facts about STDs and talk with your healthcare provider—that’s always an important place to start. When it comes to protecting your sexual health, the best offense is a good defense.

In today’s fast-paced world, it can feel that you’re one of many patients a healthcare provider sees. But it doesn’t have to be that way! The power to protect your health is in your own hands. Do your homework – know the risks, symptoms, and the steps you can take to protect yourself from STDs. Talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do – and how you can work together – to be proactive in safeguarding your sexual health.

Your health matters, and it’s up to you to take control: • Prepare to answer your healthcare provider’s questions about sex honestly – yes, questions are a good thing!

• Get tested – many STDs are curable, and all are treatable.

• Get treated – prote ct yourself from long-term, irreversible damage to your health by starting treatment immediately.

• Know the benefits of expedited partner therapy (EPT) – your provider may be able to give you medicine or a prescription for your partner – even without seeing them first.

• Get retested – it’s common to get some STDs more than once, so getting retested in 3 months is important, even if you and your partner took medicine.

• Communicate, communicate, communicate – with your sexual partner and your healthcare provider.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Bananas Edge Out Sports Drinks in Study Bananas may be a better choice for athletes than sports drinks, a new study suggests.

Researchers compared the effects of carbohydrates consumed during sports and found that bananas provide comparable or greater anti-inflammatory and other benefits than sports drinks, The New York Times reported.

One downside of bananas may be bloating, according to the authors of the study published in the journal PLoS One. It’s known that eating or drinking carbohydrates during extended workouts helps people keep going for longer or at higher intensity and recover more quickly afterward, The Times reported.

The study, which included 20

competitive cyclists, was partly funded by Dole Foods, which sells bananas.

The ideal amount of banana to consume during exercise is unclear, but the researchers plan to explore that issue in future studies, and also to assess the effects of other fruits during

exercise, The Times reported.

But it appears that for people who want a natural and inexpensive alternative to sports drinks, “bananas look pretty good,” according to study lead author David Nieman, director of the human performance lab at Appalachian State University.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Learn how much sleep you need for good health.

People will often cut back on their sleep for work, for family demands, or even to watch a good show on television. But if not getting enough sleep is a regular part of your routine, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death. Even one night of short sleep can affect you the next day. Not surprisingly, you’re more likely to feel sleepy. On top of that, you’re more likely to be in a bad mood, be less productive at work, and to be involved in a motor vehicle crash.

How much sleep you need changes as you age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend:

Age Group

Recommended Hours of Sleep Per Day

Infant

4-12 months

12-16 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Toddler

1-2 years

11-14 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

Pre-school

3-5 years

10-13 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

School Age

6-12 years

9-12 hours per 24 hours

Teen

13-18 years

8-10 hours per 24 hours

Adult

18-60 years

7 or more hours per night

Habits to improve your sleep

There are some important habits that can improve your sleep health: • Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.

• Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.

• Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom.

• Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.

• Avoid tobacco/nicotine.

• Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.

What about sleep quality?

Getting enough sleep is important, but good sleep quality is also essential. Signs of poor sleep quality include feeling sleepy or tired even after getting enough sleep, repeatedly waking up during the night, and having symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring or gasping for air). Better sleep habits may improve the quality of your sleep. If you have symptoms of a sleep disorder, such as snoring or being very sleepy during the day after a full night’s sleep, make sure to tell your doctor.

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