by Legislative Media | Jul 27, 2009 | Politics
Roberto Hugo González, publisher of Texas Border Business and Mega Metropolis Health & Fitness, has picked up two key recognitions for his publishing endeavors and his excellence in journalism in the pursuit of public service. During the McAllen South Rotary Club Annual Officer Installation Banquet, held on Wednesday, June 24, González proudly displays the Paul Harris Fellow Award and pin bestowed upon him by the McAllen Rotary Club. The award is given to those who have given outstanding service and is the highest prestigious award recognition given to a fellow Rotarian. In late spring, González was selected as the 2009 Small Business Journalist of the Year in the Rio Grande Valley by the U.S. Small Business Administration. He received the prestigious SBA award during at a ceremony at the University of Texas-Pan American Annex in Edinburg on Thursday, April 30. See story later in this posting.
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Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo/McAllen, featured with former Mexican President Vicente Fox and his wife, former Mexican First Lady Marta Sahagún de Fox during a March 27 gathering at the University of Texas at San Antonio, is now vice-chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI). Cuellar was voted in by the CHLI Board of Directors at its Thursday, July 9, private meeting. The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI, pronounced “chili”) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, based in Washington, D.C., that advances the diversity of thought in the U.S. Hispanic community in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as in the international community. See story later in this posting.
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Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, on Sunday, May 31, was commissioned as a major in the Texas State Guard during a swearing-in ceremony held on the floor of the House of Representatives.
The Edinburg attorney, 50, is using his legislative and legal skills as a Staff Judge Advocate serving in the Command Headquarters in Austin, helping protect the rights of members of the state’s military forces, including the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. The mission of the Texas State Guard is to provide mission-ready military forces to assist state and local authorities in times of state emergencies, such as hurricanes, as well as to participate in homeland security and community service missions. Major General Chris Powers administered the oath for the commission directed by Governor Perry and the Adjutant General. Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio and Brigadier General Raymond Peters joined Peña, his wife, Mónica, and his grandson, Anthony, during the formal event.
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Nicolas "Nico" Palacios Jr., 62 – featured right in this November 2007 file photo – a longtime Edinburg business leader who also excelled in the world of local and state politics, passed away on Thursday, July 23, at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, California. The cause of death was reported as a heart attack. Palacios, seen here speaking with Rep. Aaron Peña, Jr., D-Edinburg, was part of a renowned South Texas political family which not only greatly influences local and state elections, but from its ranks has produced elected officials, community advocates, doctors, lawyers, and business leaders. Three of his siblings are also well-recognized leaders in South Texas: Edinburg Municipal Court Judge Toribio "Terry" Palacios and Fred Palacios, a longtime member of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation board of directors, are among his brothers; Justice of the Peace Mary Alice Palacios of Edinburg is one of his sisters. In addition, Hidalgo County 92nd District Court Judge Ricardo Rodríguez, Jr., a former Edinburg city councilmember, and Omar Palacios, the president of the Edinburg school board, are among his nephews. See obituary later in this posting.
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by Legislative Media | Jul 22, 2009 | Politics
Area congressional leaders and officials with the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, July 21, met in Washington, D.C., to review a proposed legal settlement involving passport applications of U.S. citizens whose births were delivered by midwives and birth attendants, rather than by doctors or at U.S. hospitals. Under the proposed settlement in the federal case, Castelano v. Clinton, the plaintiffs claimed the State Department was improperly processing the passport applications of persons whose births were assisted by midwifes or birth attendants in Texas and along the U.S. – Mexico border. Over the years, a large number of midwives and birth attendants filed birth certificates in Texas for people who were not born in the United States. However, the lawsuit asserted that this fact did not justify the State Department’s practices for processing these applications. The State Department denied the allegations in June 2009. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or an indication that any law was violated. Featured from left, facing State Department officials, are: Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes; Congressman Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso; Congressman Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christ; and Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo/McAllen. See story later in this posting.
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Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, featured center, first row, recently participated in a Hispanic leaders roundtable at the Texas Capitol with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, seen here, first on left, at the podium. The meeting, hosted by the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC), included discussions on health care, education, the economy, immigration, and the current Supreme Court nomination, as well as other important issues. In addition to the McAllen Democrat, other participants included: Rep. Trey Martínez Fischer, D-San Antonio and MALC chairman; Rep. Diana Maldonado, D-Round Rock; Rep. Solomon Ortiz, Jr., D-Corpus Christi; Rep. Abel Herrero, D-Corpus Christi; Mayor Mike González of Kyle; Blanca García, Chair of the Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and Andy Martínez, President and CEO of the Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, among others.
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The University of Texas-Pan American recently was host to the Migrant University Summer Experience for the second consecutive summer. MUSE served up to 100 rising Rio Grande Valley junior and senior migrant students. “This is a great opportunity to experience university life and to learn about valuable resources offered at the university,” said Jeanette Broshears, associate dean of students. MUSE was created in 2008 to offer migrant students the opportunity to gain university level experience, while attaining two high school credits. Some are given the opportunity to earn college credit. In addition, students received on-campus college residential experience, paid professional workplace internships and college readiness and leadership seminars. Pictured are MUSE students Nelley Cruz-Garza, PSJA High School student, and Valerie García, Palmview High School student, during their internship at the UTPA Student Union. See story later in this posting.
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President Barack Obama chats with Apollo 11 astronauts, from left, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong, on Monday, July 20, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. He called the Apollo 11 astronauts "American heroes" and praised the entire NASA family for making that iconic flight possible. He also noted how the men’s accomplishment served as inspiration for a generation, and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to math and science.
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Walter Cronkite, longtime reporter and news anchor, died July 17, 2009, at the age of 92. Cronkite attended The University of Texas at Austin in the 1930s and worked as a student reporter at The Daily Texan. His papers reside with the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the university. In this file photo provided by NASA, the legendary newsman speaks in February 2004 at a ceremony at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington honoring the fallen astronauts of the STS-107 Columbia mission. See story later in this posting.
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by Legislative Media | Jul 14, 2009 | Politics
Dr. Blandina “Bambi” Cárdenas, second from right, is congratulated by members of The North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative (NAAMREI) leadership team, who recently honored her with their first Leadership Award. Featured, from left: Leticia Flores, Office of the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism; Carlos Margo of South Texas College; Dr. Miguel A. González, The University of Texas-Pan American College of Science and Engineering; Bonnie González of WorkFORCE Solutions; Blas Castañeda of Laredo Community College; President Cárdenas; Keith Patridge, McAllen Economic Development Corporation; and Wanda Garza, STC and NAAMREI. Other members of the NAAMREI leadership who were present for the Sunday, June 7 ceremony, but not included in this shot, were: Pat Townsend Jr., Mission Economic Development Authority and Greater McAllen Alliance; Dr. Charles Sorber of UTPA; Angie González of Texas State Technical College in Harlingen; Héctor Quintanilla, The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College; and Dr. John Lloyd of UTPA’s Rapid Response Manufacturing Center. See story later in this posting.
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Gov. Rick Perry, featured second from left during a June 26 swing through the Valley, on Friday, July 10 emphasized accomplishments made during the 81st legislative session that provide resources and assist law enforcement officials in protecting Texans. The governor is touting House Bill 2086, an omnibus gang bill that provides state and local law enforcement agencies with additional tools to combat the threat of transnational gangs. These resources include electronic monitoring of criminal gang members who have two or more convictions; penalties for engaging in organized crime activity in gang free zones; and enhanced surveillance capabilities, among others. Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, are shown here, second and third from right, respectively, during Perry’s visit to Peñitas. Letty Garza, KRGV-TV anchorwoman, was leading the group with the Pledge of Allegiance. See story on the governor’s anti-gang legislation later in this posting.
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South Texas College and Texas A&M University Kingsville leaders on Friday, July 10, celebrated the signing of an agreement to ease student transfer between the institutions. Seated are TAMUK President Steven Tallant and STC President Shirley A. Reed. Standing from left are: Mike F. Desiderio, TAMUK Chair for Education; Margaretha Bischoff, STC Division Dean of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; Marilyn J Bartlett, TAMUK Dean of the College of Education; and Juan Mejia, STC Vice President for Academic Affairs. Not featured, but also present at the event, are Ali Esmaeili, STC Dean for Bachelor Programs and University Relations, and William Serrata, STC Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. See story later in this posting.
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by Legislative Media | Jul 7, 2009 | Politics
Gerry Pate, featured left, the managing general partner with Hidalgo County Road Builders (HCRB), will address the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority in Edinburg on Thursday, July 9, with an update regarding financing options for construction of the planned $645 million Hidalgo County Loop. HCRB, a private coalition which includes several major firms from the area, on February 28, 2008, negotiated a $46.3 million contract to provide pre-construction services in preparation for the building of major portions of the loop, which is needed to shuttle heavy commercial truck traffic coming to and from the region. Pate’s presentation will be presented before the RMA Board of Directors beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside the International Room at the University of Texas-Pan American. Pate, Mario Jorge, P.E., the district engineer in Pharr for the Texas Department of Transportation, and Tracy Hill, project principal for PBS&J, the engineering firm hired to lead the environmental assessment of the loop, are shown here during the RMA’s Tuesday, June 16 meeting at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.
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Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, proudly displays a trophy bestowed upon him by the Boys and Girls Club of McAllen for his work during the legislative session in securing $3 million for Texas AIM, the Texas Academic Innovation and Mentoring Program, which allows the Boys and Girls Club statewide to help improve the graduation rates of minority students. The McAllen chapter, which received $160,000 of that amount, is one of 30 sites statewide which will share in the $3 million state fund. Hinojosa was surrounded by some of the McAllen student members of the McAllen Boys and Girls Club during the ceremony, held at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, June 17.
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Breaking ground for a new citrus center in South Texas signals the next chapter in the book of 60 years of research excellence, said Dr. Michael D. McKinney, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. McKinney and others, including Rep. Armando Martinez, D-Weslaco, and Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staple, are featured here ceremoniously turned spades of soil on June 23 to kick off the construction of new research facilities for the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center at Weslaco. “We break ground today for new facilities at the birthplace of the Star Ruby and Ruby Red, dark red grapefruit varieties that are grown and enjoyed all over the world,” McKinney said. Staples said the center would attract experts and researchers from afar. “This center, with its continued research, will be an anchor for the citrus industry,” he said. “It will attract people from all over the world to learn here, to train here. It will continue to place Weslaco as a big, bright spot on the map.” See story later in this posting.
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Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, featured second from right, along with other Edinburg elected and community leaders, met on Thursday, June 25 during a ceremony to rename the main administration building of the Edinburg Housing Authority in memory of former Mayor Alfonso "Al" René Ramírez, who passed away on April 22. The groundbreaking mayor, who served from 1963 to 1967, was the first Mexican American mayor of Edinburg. He was credited with helping desegregate public swimming pool in the community, among other achievements. Ramírez also served on the Edinburg Housing Authority board of directors. "The community came together to dedicate this building to Mayor Ramírez, who was remembered by family and friends as a transformational and inspirational leader," Peña said. "Whether it was in his military service or civic service as Edinburg’s first Hispanic mayor or the inspiration he transferred to multitudes, Mayor Ramírez will long be remembered." Other family members and leaders who participated in the event included: Carmen González, Edinburg school board trustee; Dan Ramírez, a son of former Mayor Ramírez; Estella Treviño, executive director, Edinburg Housing Authority; Robert Ramírez, a son of former Mayor Ramírez; Ciro Treviño, Edinburg school board trustee and a member of the Edinburg Housing Authority board of directors; Rudy Ramírez, a member of the Edinburg Housing Authority Board of Directors; and Beverly Ashley-Fridie. See story later in this posting.
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