Friday, December 11, 2015
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REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR
By Lea Victoria Juarez
ission Police Chief Robert Dominguez was the guest speaker the annual Pearl Harbor and 9/11 remembrance ceremony, Dec. 7. He retold the stories of the two honored days and stated that more than 300 law enforcement officers were killed during the Sept. 11 attacks. Dominguez recalled an instance not too long ago while he was eating lunch at a local restaurant with one of his staff members. A gentleman extended his hand to Dominguez and thanked him for his services to the city. The chief said he was humbled by the man’s words,
but admitted that he didn’t feel worthy of such gratitude. “I know I have served the citizens of the city of Mission proudly for the last 28 years,” he said. “However, my father instilled in me the high respect view of all military veterans.” With that, he turned to nearby World War II veteran Clyde Eidson, thanked him for his services and returned to his seat. Dominguez was one of several law enforcement officers and veterans present at the Veterans War Memorial of Texas in McAllen. The cities of McAllen and Mission have continued a long-standing tradition of honoring the service members of WWII and
those that died following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial site at 29th and Galveston is home to the American Spire of Honor -a 105-ft, granite monument that is surrounded by memorial walls, statues and United States flags. It’s a dedication to the 1.3 million American service members killed and missing in the nation’s wars and conflicts. Mission lost 43 troops during WWII. The city sponsored a wall in their honor, which is titled We Remember, with the deceased’s names etched into the charcoal gray granite. Mission also sponsored a wall called Escuadron 201, which is dedicated to
Honored guests at the Veterans War Memorial of Texas, Dec. 7. Photo by Lea Victoria Juarez
See PEARL HARBOR 12
Mission traditions J
Joe Flores makes re-election bid
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City gathers for Christmas ceremony
By Lea Victoria Juarez n the count of three, Leo Placita Park sparkled in the night at the annual Christmas lighting ceremony Dec. 7. It’s a tradition that’s more than 20 years strong, and City Manager Martin Garza said each year the displays and lights get more extravagant. Vendors set up shop with their hot chocolate and tamales, while local talent groups performed Christmas-themed numbers. The city raffled off 34 children’s bikes to the first 2,000 attendees in line and even brought in Santa Claus to pose for free photos. Renae Villalobos and her five children were first in line for Santa photos, they had been waiting for almost an hour before the event started. She was hoping to get one group photo of all her kids to avoid buying separate photos from each of their schools. “We try to do the Santa picture every year. A couple of the years they don’t look too good because they cry,” she said with a laugh. “They’ll see them when
they’re bigger and they’re going to be like ‘Oh my god, mom. Why do you have those pictures?’ But it’ll be nice.” Villalobos has four girls and boy, ranging from ages 2 to 11. Like with the Santa photos, the family has a few other holiday traditions. On Christmas Eve they spend time with one side of the family and spend Christmas day with the other side. They make tamales and have a gift exchange, there’s a game of white elephant and baby jesus serenading session. The familial aspect is Villalobos’s favorite part, she said. Some of her fondest memories include spending time with her cousins during the holidays. “We grew up like brothers and sisters, which is why I like it for my kids because they grow up with their cousins and they get used to doing the same things every year,” the 37-year-old said. Although she lives in Mission, this was her first year attending the Christmas Lighting Ceremony. Villalobos hadn’t heard about the event until the day of, but
after partaking in the festivities, said she would like to make it part of her family’s holiday traditions. “I like it because I know there’s a lot of kids that don’t get to have nice gifts and I know that the city works really hard to get stuff together,” she said. “We really don’t come for that, but I like that they do this for the kids that otherwise wouldn’t really be able to have any of those things.” The parks and recreation department hosts the event, but Martin Garza said each
department has a hand in making sure it runs smoothly. In addition to the light fixtures in the park, the city decorated 14 blocks down Conway Avenue with more lights and festive wreaths. “It’s really about being able to have the opportunity to give back to the community,” the city manager said. “Being able to see families come down here and being able to provide a toy or gift is just a great thing. To see the smiles on the kids’ faces, that’s very rewarding to us.”
The city of Mission celebrates the holiday season with a Christmas lighting ceremony at Leo Placita Park. Photos by Lea Victoria Juarez and Jim Brunson
oe Flores has always had a vision for Precinct 3 — to bring progress and prosperity to the Western County, using the same skills, insights and instincts that made him a successful businessman. As he seeks his fifth term in office this March, it’s plain to see his vision is coming to life, and his hard work has paid off. Born and raised in Cuevitas, Commissioner Flores is a lifelong resident of the West. He has vivid memories of what his homeland used to look like, and how much it has changed since. “I remember when we were kids, my dad used to drive me to Mission,” he said. “We didn’t have an expressway, and we knew just about everybody we’d run into down Highway 83. Now we’ve got around a million people.” When he first took office more than 15 years ago, Commissioner Flores knew the only way Precinct 3 could ever begin to prosper was through proper planning and smart spending. The urban planning and infrastructure improvements he has provided the cities of western Hidalgo County have allowed the area to become one of the fastest-developing and most promising economic regions in the State of Texas. “Precinct 3 is a better place today than it was before I became Commissioner,” he said. Commissioner Flores led the way in reforming the county’s approach to health insurance and workman’s compensation, enacting self-funded programs that have saved more than 50 million tax dollars. His work with the Texas Department of Transportation has also had an enormously positive impact for Precinct 3 and set the standard for the entire county. “We’ve leveraged over $750 million from TxDOT for Precinct 3,” he said.
Joe Flores
“That’s twice as much as all the other precincts combined. I’ve always said infrastructure will bring business, and that’s what we need for our tax base.” Currently, Commissioner Flores is spear-heading improvements and expansions to practically all of Precinct 3’s major roads, including Shary Road (Phase 1 from 3 Mile Line to 5 Mile Line, and Phase 2 from 5 Mile Line to 7 Mile Line), Taylor Road from Expressway 83 to 2 Mile Line, 2 Mile Line from Conway to La Homa (in coordination with the City of Mission), 3 Mile Line from 492 to Tom Gill Road, and 7 Mile Line from Conway to La Homa. Additionally, Commissioner Flores is working with the City of Palmview on expanding Veterans Blvd. from La Homa to Abram Road and on La Homa from FM 495 to 3 Mile Line. He is also working with the City of Peñitas on expanding Liberty Road from Expressway 83 to 7 Mile Line. These latest projects are simply a continuation of the vision he has had since the very beginning — all of which he has accomplished without ever raising taxes. “I wanted to get all the corridors north and south, east and west, built by the time I got out of office,” he
See FLORES 12
INSIDE
A look at the Lady Lobos basketball team
INDEX
Sullivan City annexation
Kops for Kids Toy Drive
With the 10-4 record to date, Sports Reporter Luciano Guerra gives a rundown of the players’ strengths and weaknesses.
The city council has plans to extend the boundaries of the city limits to include 308 acres on the eastern side.
The Mission Police Department will distribute the gift donations to 350 families in need, Friday, Dec. 18.
See story page 5
See story page 8
See story page 8
Entertainment | pg. 2
Lifestyle | pg. 3
Opinion | pg. 4
Sports | pg. 5
Obituaries | pg. 9
Classifieds | pg. 10
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