BROWNSVILLE — Cameron County was one of 22 recipients for federal grant money that will eventually pave the way for a mountain bike trail at Pete Benavides Park.

The grant money comes from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, which approved a total of $3.54 million in federal grants through the National Recreational Trails Fund, which funds trail construction, renovation, and acquisition.

“During a trip to Austin, Commissioner (Sofia) Benavides and county staff met with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and that’s when we told them about (the project), and I don’t believe they’ve done mountain bike trails before so they checked into it and said it would qualify,” said David Garcia, county administrator.

Garcia said the funding should cover the cost of the trail, but if it does not, the county will cover the rest.

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LOS FRESNOS — Sharpshooters in helicopters will target nilgai antelope at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge sometime next month.

The helicopter cull of nilgai on Unit 4 in the northern part of the refuge will be the third this year. The first two occurred at the Bahia Grande Unit along the gulf.

“The reason for the aerial harvest is because we’re trying to do our best to help out our rancher neighbors,” refuge manager Boyd Blihovde said last week.

“The fever tick has everybody worried that maybe Texas cattle are not going to be accepted in other markets — overseas or in other states.”

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Reducing the number of nilgai became a major issue in 2014 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered cattle fever ticks deep inside Cameron County and established a temporary quarantine area. Nilgai are carriers of the tick.

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LA FERIA – Olga H. Maldonado said when she found out no one was running for mayor she knew it was time for her to take the lead.

“It’s a very big honor to be the first female mayor of the city of La Feria,” said newly elected mayor Olga Maldonado.

Maldonado said she has a lot of experience in leadership having been the Mercedes police chief for more than ten years.

Now Maldonado is leading two towns one as the protector of the peace in Mercedes and in her hometown as the leader of the people.

Maldonado didn’t grow up aspiring to be the first female mayor of La Feria, but did so when she was elected earlier this month as an unopposed candidate for the city’s top elected office.

“She is helping promote policies and helping promote projects to lift our economy and community,” said Ezmeralda Lozano La Feria, mayor pro-tem.

For more on Maldonado’s new office read Wednesday’s Valley Morning Star.

The other day, I got an unexpected check from my telephone company. Evidently it was my settlement share of a class action suit filed against them.

I didn’t know I had a beef with them other than the fact that every four months or so I kill a day waiting around for the repairman (it’s always a man) to come to my home to fix my two land lines.

My usual complaints are a buzz on the line, no dial tone or lots of static. So the check was welcomed.

Somebody stuck a Forever stamp on the envelope that contained a check for 9 cents.

Susan M. Berberian Harlingen

Now with graduations underway, it will be interesting how those graduates fare.

In case you don’t read the paper, have children, or watch the news you’re probably not aware of the mandated state tests call the STAAR.

This test supposedly closes the learning gap among minorities and prepares students for higher learning.

Since its inception, teachers and students have complained about the over emphasis on the test at the expense of other classes not tested.

Ask any child what they did in school today you will probably hear the same response; prepare for the test.

What the majority of the population do not hear about is the cost of the test. According to Scott Friedman, investigative reporter for Chanel 5 in Fort Worth, Texas pays about $90 million per year to write, distribute, and grade the test to Pearson Educational, a London based company.

In fact, Texas recently signed a 5-year contract for about $500 million to Pearson to administer the test.

Paying this amount without any evidence of better students is obscene. According to Friedman, a large amount of money is spent on travel, consultants and meetings. When asked to justify these pricey items Pearson balked.

I believe that the majority of people in Texas want good schools but paying this amount for one test on one day just isn’t right.

It’s time for Texans to get involved with our legislators and put a stop to this outlandish waste of money.

George Maurer Harlingen

HARLINGEN — The two Ryans.

It’s rather curious the valedictorian and salutatorian at Harlingen High School South have the same first names. However, that’s about where the similarity ends.

Ryan Mowers, this year’s HHS valedictorian, is preparing to study music and math. Salutatorian Ryan Benavides will soon begin working on a degree in mechanical engineering.

“I feel blessed because of the work and the people that have helped me,” said Benavides, 18.

Mowers is enjoying the satisfaction of graduating at the top of his class.

“Right now it feels like all my hard work has paid off,” said Mowers, 16.

Reaching this leg of the journey has given him cause to reflect on the years he’s covered so far.

“I am going back over all the things I have seen, all the places I have been,” he said. “If I hadn’t met the people I did, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Mowers was only in the first grade when he showed his intellectual talents. He hadn’t been in school very long before he was completing both first-and second-grade work.

Benavides credited his parents and other family members for instilling in him good study habits from a very young age. His father is a surgeon, his mother’s a nurse, and numerous other relatives are in the medical profession.

Overall, the family is very intellectually inclined.

“I have developed a strong work ethic just from being around them,” Benavides said.

Those strong study habits are so much a part of him that he’s achieving some unexpected results, like making salutatorian.

“It’s never been an objective of mine,” he said. “I worked at my academics.”

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HARLINGEN — Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran Juan Escobar was clear about what Memorial Day is and especially what it isn’t.

It is not a day of celebration or a day off of work, he told a large audience at Veterans Memorial Park yesterday morning. With all the seats filled and people of all ages standing in every area around the park, Escobar was strong with his statements of remembrance, patriotism and love of country.

“Today is a day of prayer,” he said. “It’s a day we remember the many who sacrificed their lives so that we could be a free country. We must also pray for their families who have gone through so much grief and pain. That is why Memorial Day is different than other holidays. It is a special holiday.”

He spoke about Valley heroes and the numbers of soldiers who have died in each of the main wars over the years.

He talked about heroes from Laredo, Edinburg and Rio Grande City.

Escobar also noted Harlon Block, one of the 405,000 soldiers who died in World War II. A U.S. Marine from Weslaco, Block is immortalized raising the flag at Iwo Jima and is buried at the grounds of Harlingen’s Marine Military Academy.

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BROWNSVILLE — Staff of the Gladys Porter Zoo shared their thoughts yesterday on the death of Harambe, the male western lowland gorilla who was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo to save a 4-year-old boy who entered his exhibit.

Harambe was 17 years old and had just celebrated his birthday the day before.

“He was a character. … He grew up to be a beautiful, beautiful animal, never aggressive and never mean. He would tease the heck out of people and would do things to irritate you just like some kids,” said Jerry Stones, facilities director at the Gladys Porter Zoo.

Harambe lived at the Gladys Porter Zoo for 15 years before he was transferred to Cincinnati in hopes he would breed with the females there, according to the Associated Press.

Stones has been in the zoo business for about 50 years and has worked with Harambe’s family since they first entered the U.S., starting with the grandparents.

“The grandparents were 4, maybe 4 1/2 or 5. I’ve seen all the babies be born, and I’ve raised Harambe from the day he was born,” Stones said.

The gorilla was killed Saturday by the Cincinnati Zoo’s animal response team. Zoo director Thane Maynard said the team made the right call, noting that although Harambe did not appear to be attacking the child, he was placed in an “agitated situation,” according to the Associated Press.

The boy who fell into the exhibit was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for treatment and released hours after the incident.

The parents released a statement on Sunday that said the boy was “doing just fine.”

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SAN BENITO — Freedom is not free.

No one knows that better than the families of the men and women who gave their lives for this country.

Yesterday, local veterans and family of veterans gathered in front of City Hall and silently marched to the San Benito Veterans War Memorial, where they were greeted by family, friends and city officials.

The marchers, made up of men, women and children, walked in solemn silence to the war memorial.

Some carried pictures of their fallen loved ones, those who could walk marched with their countrymen and those who couldn’t walk were wheeled to their destination by loved ones.

All carried signage, wore hats and shirts showing others where they’d been, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other wars.

As the veterans walked along Sam Houston Boulevard led by the San Benito High School Naval Junior ROTC and a police motorcade, shop owners and patrons stepped onto the sidewalk to pay tribute to them.

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Chess teams from five schools advanced to national competition, returning home with trophies for their efforts. They include Dr. C.M. Cash Elementary, Dr. Raul Garza, Jr. Elementary, Miller Jordan Middle School, San Benito Veterans Memorial Academy and San Benito High School.

Principal Dilia Cornett said members of the Dr. C.M. Cash Elementary Chess Team garnered a spot at the 2016 National Junior High Championship Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana. Team members include Matthew Izaguirre, Rayana Lopez, Kaitlynn McNutt, Lindsey Montemayor, Baldomero Martinez, Ociris Salinas, Lorena Segura and Marcus Suarez. Coaches include Colt Smith, tutor Brandon Flores, and Afterschool Program site coordinator Laura Hees.

Students from Dr. Raul Garza, Jr. Elementary placed twenty-seventh in the K-8 Division at nationals after competing at the 2016 National Junior High Championship Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to Principal Elsa Lambert. Members include Isaiah Briones, Christien Garza, Luna Bautista, Julio Martinez, Gabriel Covarrubias and Luis Miramontes. Chess sponsors are Genoveva Covarrubias and Mandy Martinez. Their coach is Roberto Miramontes, and the Afterschool site coordinator is Albert Farias.

The Miller Jordan Middle School chess team competed at the 2016 National K-9 Junior High Championship Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they placed tenth. Principal Bobbie Jo Hushen reports that team members include Romeo Garcia, Jacob Reyna, Jeremy Sauceda, Ilse Bautista, Alan Ortiz, Omar Salinas, Angelica Vasquez, Reyna Bautista and Jose A. Perez. Roberto Miramontes serves as their coach. Teresa Padilla is the secondary chess coordinator.

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San Benito Veterans Memorial Academy chess members placed sixth at the 2016 National Junior High Championship Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana. Team members include Maverick Reza, Polo Stein, Elias Vasquez, Bryan Guevara, Lillian Salazar, Phillip Stein and George Morin. Principal Gilbert Galvan reports that the coach is Manuel Gonzalez and Teresa Padilla is the secondary chess coordinator.

The San Benito High School chess team placed ninth in the K-12 (Under 1900 Division) at the 2016 National High School Championship held in Atlanta, Georgia. Principal Henry Sanchez reports that team members include Miguel Vasquez, Fabian Olivares, Jacob Sauceda, Jacob Cavazos, Jose L. Diaz, Ernest Quintanilla, Aaron Saldaña and Robert Torres. Their chess coach is Erick Vallarino and Yanira Vigoa Apecheche. Cynthia Rystedt is the Afterschool Site Coordinator.

For more information on the chess program at San Benito CISD, please contact the Afterschool Program Department at 956-361-6450.