EARLY VOTING Feb. 20th - Mar. 3rd
TEAM L1BERTY
Armando Marroquin
Norma Ramirez
Richard Cortez
Ricardo Rodriguez
Patty Ocaña Olivarez
JJ Peña
Joanne Garcia
Friday, February 9, 2018
ELECTION DAY March 6th
Arturo Guajardo
When she was selected as Queen Citrianna 82 last month, Alexandria Canchola had one person on her mind. “A few weeks ago, I told my mom ‘I wish I could talk to my grandmother,” Canchola, a McAllen resident, recalled as she spoke of her grandmother who passed away Christmas Eve 2004, after a then six-year-old Alexandria was selected as Princess Anna. “She made the dress for Princess Anna back then and my dress when I competed for Queen Citrianna this year was made with tools and materials my mother inherited from my grandma,” she said. “I honestly felt my grandmother’s presence making this dress with my mother, and I felt her presence on that stage. I know she’d be proud of me” Canchola, the Duchess of Wildflowers, was named Queen Citrianna for 2019 meaning she won’t begin her reign until next year’s Texas Citrus Fiesta coronation,
Ray Thomas
www.ptrgv.com | 50 Cents
Vol. 46 No. 26 By Jose De Leon III
Eloy Avila
2019 Queen Citrianna celebrates
her new title
Alexandria Canchola (right) celebrates with her royal court after being named Queen Citrianna for the 2019 Texas Citrus Fiesta Thursday, Jan. 25. Progress times photo by Luciano Guerra
scheduled for the last week in January. This annual event is hosted in the city of Mission to celebrate the Valley’s citrus industry. Canchola, a junior at The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, is already attempting to figure out how to balance her schoolwork with her duties as incoming queen. Canchola is a division 1 student-athlete for the school’s Cross Country and Track and Field team and is a representative of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee with the NCAA, according to her biography. Canchola is majoring in exercise science and minoring in biology with aspirations to be a physical therapist. Because of her workload as a student athlete, Canchola recalled how frantic it felt balancing those duties and getting ready for this year’s fiesta pageant. “It’ll be insane balancing my reign with school,” she admitted. “Between going back and forth between school and track and doing
See NEW TITLE Pg. 11
‘A new vision for Mission’
Armando O’Caña announces mayoral candidacy By Jose De Leon III After running unsuccessfully for mayor for the city of Mission one decade ago, Mission City Council member Armando O’Caña announced his candidacy for mayor in the upcoming May 5 elections. “It’s time for a new voice in the city,” O’Caña said, referring to current Mission mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas, who has been in office for 20 years. “My slogan is ‘Mission is my vision’ and I plan to be your voice. That’s the bottom line.” O’Caña made this announcement Wednesday
during a dinner held at Danny’s Mexican Restaurant in Mission to a group of people he called his “personal circle” of friends and family. At that announcement, he also said he would retire as public safety director for the La Joya Independent School District at the end of June 2019. According to O’Caña, he is the only candidate to have filed to run against Salinas. Because of his candidacy for mayor, O’Caña said he would have to vacate his seat on the city council within 120 days. “The next election is in 90 days but my term ends after that,” he said. “I went
to the city manager and city attorney to see if there’s any way I can relinquish my seat before then so the city does not spend more money on an election for one seat and the city can hold an election for it with their next general election.” After the announcement, Mayor Salinas said in a phone interview he looks forward to the election. “We’ll have a friendly race and the people of Mission will win,” he said. “They’re the ones who will decide the winner.” The last time O’Caña ran for mayor was in 2010
Vince Young stands before La Joya ISD student athletes. by Jamie Treviño.
See NEW VISION Pg. 12
Vince Young Speaks to La Joya Students
By Jamie Treviño
Armando O’Caña (left) during the Wednesday announcement of his mayoral run. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.
Heading for Playoffs
The Lady Lobos, Lady Patriots, and Lady Huskies are heading for 5A and 6A State Playoffs, hoping to make history in the RGV. Bryan Ramos speaks to coaches and players about their journey.
See Pg. 6
INDEX
Entertainment | pg.2
Progress Times photo
Former NFL player and Rose Bowl champion Vince Young visited La Joya High School Tuesday, Feb. 6 and spoke to varsity athletes from all three high schools in the district. Young was brought down to the Rio Grande Valley by State Representative Oscar Longoria, D-mission, with the help of Patrick Patterson from the University of Texas’ community outreach program, in an effort to promote pursuing a higher education. The event was kicked off by La Joya’s athletic director, Alejandro Guajardo, who
spoke briefly before Young. “Today’s a special day, because we get to have our varsity Coyotes, varsity Lobos and our varsity Huskies together for this,” Guajardo said. “We also have our drill teams, our cheerleaders and our bands. I don’t think we’ve ever done this before, so I’m extremely happy that they are here today.” As the band played “Texas Fight,” the University of Texas’ fight song, the gymnasium full of students erupted in applause as the football player entered with his hand in the Hook ‘em Horns signal. The professional athlete began his speech by praising
the students in the district. He grew up in a predominately black and Hispanic community in Houston, and his graduating class in high school was about 500 students. Because the student population in La Joya is larger than that, Young congratulated the students on continuing their pursuit of an education and said that so many students making the effort to go to school was a great thing. “I’ve been told some great things about y’all,” Young said. “So give yourselves a round of applause.” Young used his childhood
See VINCE YOUNG Pg. 11
INSIDE
CORRECTION
Hidalgo County Businessman Arrested
The article “La Joya ISD super gets 5 percent pay raise, contract extension” in the February 2, 2018 issue of the Progress Times incorrectly stated the salary for La joya ISD superintendent Alda T. Benavides. According to a report from the Texas Education Agency, Benavides’ salary for the 2016-2017 school year was $314,911. With the pay increase, her salary now stands at $330,656.
Lifestyle | pg.3
Sports | pg. 6
Investigators arrest Mission resident Jose Manuel Salazar, who owned several illegal eight-liner establishments in the Valley. Dave Hendricks brings us the story, inside.
See Pg. 8
Obituaries | pg. 9
Classifieds | pg. 11