After years of dealing with injuries, Harlingen South sprinter Nicole Gonzalez used her senior campaign to finally show what she could do.

She definitely didn’t disappoint as she was arguably the best female sprinter in the Rio Grande Valley in 2016

Gonzalez spent the year atop the Valley’s Best rankings in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash.

Aside from finishing third in the Valley in the 400, her times in the 100 and 200 would not be matched and were both school records.

Gonzalez captured the District 32-6A championship in all three events as well as the 4×100-meter relay team.

Heading into Region IV-6A track meet, Gonzalez was the only athlete in the region who qualified in the 100, 200 and 400.

Unfortunately, another minor injury kept Gonzalez out of the regional meet.

Still, her 2016 campaign was one to remember and for that she is a finalist up for the Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year award, which will be presented at the 2016 All-Valley Sports Award Banquet on June 14 in McAllen.

Q: How does it feel to be nominated for this award?

A: It is such a distinct honor to be a nominee for this award. It is a wonderful feeling to know that all of my hard work has paid off. I am incredibly blessed to have this opportunity among other amazing and talented Rio Grade Valley athletes, especially due to how this is such a competitive and prestigious award.

Q: If you won the award, what would that mean to you personally?

A: Personally, this award would mean the world to me and more. Throughout my life, I have had to face so many obstacles injury wise. First off, I would definitely have to thank God for blessing me with the success I was able to have all season. I would also owe a huge thanks to my family and supporters for always believing in me and encouraging me along the way. For someone like myself to win this award would be such a breakthrough and a truly heartwarming feeling knowing that everything I have worked for meant something in the end.

Full story at RGVSports.com

Nearly 600 Harlingen High School seniors celebrated the next step in their academic lives at a Commit to Complete (C2C) event on Friday, May 13 by signing a pledge to complete their college education or military contract.

School and district administrators joined students as they vowed to finish strong in their journey towards completing their bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or military contract.

“We commend the Class of 2016 for setting the bar high as they work toward achieving their higher education goals,” said Dr. Cavazos. “I am so proud and humbled to be able to share this momentous occasion with our students at the very first Commit to Complete event.”

HHS College and Career Advisor, Delicia Sanchez was all smiles as she spoke of how she felt each time one of her students told her a college had accepted them.

“I love working with our seniors,” she said. “It is so rewarding when they come in and tell us that they’ve accepted into a school their faces light up. This event is allowing our students to acknowledge and take ownership of the commitment they are making to their future.”

For senior, Alex Cancino the C2C event marked the culmination of all of his hard work in getting good grades so that he could earn acceptance at one of his top choice schools.

“The College and Career Room was my second home this year. I’m so appreciative of the staff; they were always very helpful as I applied for schools,” said Cancino. “I’m excited to go off to college, have new experiences, and meet new people. I look forward to making my family proud and finishing college.”

Harlingen High School South Orchestra students will have the opportunity to showcase their musical talents and pitting their skills against the best musicians in the state.

The following students have qualified for UIL State Orchestra Solo & Ensemble and will compete at the University of Texas on May 28: Joshua Martinez, 11; Daniel Ramirez, 11; Erika Hernandez, 10; Matthew Moore, 10; Kevin Perez, 10; Gabby Villarreal, 11; and Erykha Martinez, 11.

In order to qualify these musicians had to memorize and perform a Grade I piece and receive a I Rating on the performance.

To end their season on a high note, the South Orchestra put on their final concert of the 2015-2016 school year on May 12. This is the first time in at least four years a South full orchestra has performed. Junior Varsity and Varsity Orchestras joined in concert with wind, brass and percussion Mighty Hawk Band members to form two full orchestras.

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The JV band performed “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”, by Howard Shore, arranged by Bob Cerulli while the Varsity Band performed “Okeanos for Orchestra” by Jack Bullock.

I would like to make an observation, first you should know I have conservative values, but believe people should lead their lives as they think.

My observation: I notice that if you don’t think like a liberal they want to destroy you.

Examples: * Chick-fil-a – the mayor of New York City wants them to be boycotted and run out of his town. Most mayors want businesses to come to their town to bring revenue to the whole city, but he has a hatred for them.

* Transgenders using bathrooms – if you believe that a boy should not go into the girls dressing room, they want to demonize you, why? Can’t other people think different without worrying about repercussions?

* Legalizing same sex marriage why can’t other people have a different view without being called a homophobe? Companies are boycotting North Carolina, yet they do business in the Middle East, where they kill homosexuals.

* Black lives matter – disagree and you are a racist * Conservative and sometimes liberal speakers at colleges shouted down or told they can’t speak – why?

The radical left, backed by George Soros, is trying to turn this country into Greece, France, and other failed government run countries.

We can’t let them.

He and his kind want riots in the streets because they don’t want to tolerate dissenting beliefs.

Look at history of countries that didn’t tolerate dissenting beliefs, Venezuela, Nazi Germany, 1940s Italy, Iraq, Iran, etc.

Don Shafer San Benito

Congratulations – Harlingen already has six out of the top 20 worst-rated restaurants in America.

Now, we’re about to add the seventh – Hooters.

Harlingen residents would have been much better- served by the addition of Five Guys Burgers – fresh, not frozen hand-cut cut fries and fresh – not frozen – burgers.

Another case of tunnelvision.

Susan Lipscomb Harlingen

BY NORMAN ROZEFF

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final part in a three-part series by local historian Norman Rozeff. The first two parts can be found at www.ValleyStar.com.

Leland had begun working on the design of his S1 aerial application plane in 1951 while still attending Texas A&M. At that time pilots were still flying Stearman bi-planes and J-3 Cubs that had been converted as best possible to apply agricultural chemicals. Being underpowered and not particularly safe in an emergency, they were risky to operate. In 1954 Leland, listed as an engineer in the telephone directory, continued to live with his widowed mother.

By 1956 he had set up the Snow Aeronautical Company, manufacturers, at 2 ½ miles West State Highway 83, Harlingen.

When, in 1955, he had designed his advanced S 2 model applicator, he needed working capital to advance his dream. It was not forthcoming in the Valley, but chance would have it that in Olney, Texas, a small community about 45 miles south of Wichita Falls, not only was capital to be made available to him but also a manufacturing location.

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Olney during WWII had been the site of U.S. Navy bomber pilot school with its sizable airfield. As an oil and ranching town it was susceptible to economic ups and downs.

The local business leaders sought something more stable, found what they liked in Snow, and advanced him funds to pursue his dream.

Snow’s two partially finished planes were moved in five cattle trucks to Olney in January 1958. The existing facilities at the Municipal Airport would suffice to commence Snow’s aircraft production. In the summer of 1958 Snow’s S-2B was certified and two orders for it soon followed. As saying goes, “The rest is history.” By 1965, 300 of Snow’s aircraft had been manufactured and delivered. Early on Snow designed six basic designs. He considered the best to be the Air Tractor completed in 1972, but this was to be only the beginning, for he would design nearly 30 aircraft overall.

The company’s upward rise would be interrupted by a customer lawsuit over a crash unrelated to wing design. Snow was forced to take on two partners to avoid closure. The partners in turn forced a sale in 1965 to Rockwell-Standard, later to become Rockwell International involved with space programs. Snow was made a Rockwell vice president but was unhappy, especially when the Olney plant was closed in 1970. Leland resigned from Rockwell and by 1972 having designed a new ag plane launched Air Tractor. The name Air Tractor Inc. came into being when Snow acquired it from a defunct manufacturer. Two years later saw the new plane roll off the production line in a new facility in Olney. The 147,000 square foot manufacturing facility would eventually be capable of producing a plane every two working days.

Ag Tractor aircraft are used primarily for spraying, seeding, fertilization, mosquito control, cleaning up oil spills, and firefighting work. Some planes have been utilized for drug eradication in South America. A very unusual modification was instituted in 2008. Named the Air Truck AT-802U the Air Tractor manufactured airplane was designed as a two seater armored light attack plane. It was outfitted with 12.7 mm GAU-19A three barrel Gatlin guns, MK-62 rocket launchers and MK-82 bombs.

One thing was for sure, it costs considerably less than other military aircraft and, being able to fly at lower speed (210 mph maximum) and altitude, may be better adapted to certain combat conditions.

After the Rockwell era, Leland was concerned about the people of Olney. He never again wanted to see the trauma of closure and abandonment in the community. In 2008 Snow made sure that this would never happen a second time. In 2008 he sold Air Tractor to its employees. The employees took up the baton and the challenge. In the years 2012 and 2013 the company produced 180 aircraft a year.

Snow received numerous aviation and industry awards during his career. In 2000 he was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. In 2005, Air Tractor received the Better Business Bureau International Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. Snow was a generous financial supporter of the National Agricultural Aviation Association and its programs for pilot safety and drift minimization. He and his wife Nan also supported the arts in Wichita Falls and had been long-time sponsors of the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra. He enjoyed listening to classical music and playing the piano.

Snow sought to be physically fit and took up running. He became so adept that he even ran in three marathons after age 65. He logged more than 17,000 miles of running since 1990. At age 80 on February 20, 2011, while jogging near his Wichita Falls home Leland died.

The company that he had founded had become the world’s leading manufacturer of agricultural and firefighting aircraft, and Snow was actively involved in engineering and management of the company until his death.

This son of Harlingen made his hometown proud. As his Wichita Falls obituary stated, “He will be remembered for his quiet kind nature, dogged determination, and generosity to people and causes he cared for.”

BY DREW BENNIE

Recently, much has been written about Monarch butterflies and the importance of planting their host plant Milkweed to help Monarchs to increase their numbers. Zizotes, our native Milkweed is also important to many other insects and spiders as well.

The book Milkweed, Monarchs and More by Ba Rea, Karen Oberhauser, and Michael Quinn, has a lot of photos and information about the insect populations that can be found on the Milkweed plant.

After looking at this book, I was inspired to keep track of the critters that I found on a Milkweed patch I have in Olmito.

Over the past year I have found a long list of various insects and spiders who use the plant in various ways.

Several butterflies and moths other than Monarchs use the plant as a host for their caterpillars.

The Queen and Soldier butterflies are related to the Monarch and also lay their eggs on Milkweed plants.

Milkweed Tussock moth caterpillars devour the plant as well. I have also found numerous other caterpillars that I have not identified on my plants.

The flowers of the Zizotes Milkweed attract many moths, butterflies and wasps who just drink their nectar. Tarantula hawks, large wasps with a nasty sting who lay their eggs on Tarantula spiders, are frequently found drinking nectar from Milkweed flowers.

Although they are scary looking, they will not sting you unless provoked. Orange and black Milkweed Bugs are common on all types of Milkweed plants. They eat the plant and the seeds when available.

New plant growth is home to tiny orange Oleander and other native aphids who provide food for Ladybugs and their dragon-like larvae. That is why it is easy to find various species of Ladybugs on Milkweed plants.

Ants are often attracted to aphids as well due to the sweet “honey dew” that aphids produce. A number of other small flies, wasps and other insects such as Ichneumons frequent Milkweed plants seeking other insects or caterpillars to lay their eggs on.

These eggs hatch out and the small larvae parasitize their host insect.

Like in a horror movie, these larvae eat there host from the inside out while it is alive. Other insects such as Dragonflies, Damselflies, and various Spiders I have found spending time on this popular plant searching for prey to dine on. Praying Mantis, Ambush bugs, and Assassin bugs also seek meals here.

Grasshoppers, crickets, and other beetles and insects seem to like the company of others and also hang out on Milkweed plants. It seems a miracle that any caterpillars can survive this long list of predatory insects that are found on a Milkweed plant.

Somehow, they do survive and fly off as butterflies or moths to lay their eggs on the tender shoots of new Milkweed plants to continue their life cycle for one more round as they have for millions of years.

Planting native species of Milkweed, such as the Zizotes Milkweed in our area, will help not only the Monarch Butterfly but countless other species of insects and spiders who depend on this special plant to live on and around.

In this month of May, as we continue the observance of Mental Health Month, we also recognize the caretakers of the person with mental illness; the often overlooked and underappreciated parents of the person with mental illness. This week’s article addresses the caretakers; what they go through.

The responsibility of caring for a relative with mental illness most often rests with the family members. Many studies have reported that the reactions to or consequences of providing care make the role of a caregiver most challenging, resulting in a source of stress.

Mental illness can be most disabling and limits the persons functioning in many differing areas of life. Care becomes a necessity for them, most specifically as a result of shifting from institutionalized care to the responsibility of informal caregivers.

Studies have shown that the caregiver of a person with mental illness has positive outcomes: gratitude and appreciation from the patient, improved family cohesion, development of resiliency, and gaining a sense of self-worth and accomplishment.

The down-side of caring for a person with mental illness is that the impact of care giving on both the physical and mental health of the caregiver has always been equally well documented; as evident by their exhibiting depressive and anxiety symptoms, higher levels of stress than non-caregivers, have more out-patient health care visits, and have a generally poorer quality of life.

Family members, as caretakers, frequently face fear, anger, and frustration with their loved one with mental illness…very often leaving them with unanswered questions. Often people believe that when their loved one is in a crisis situation that he can involuntarily be admitted/committed to a mental health treatment facility.

The reality is that a person cannot be involuntarily admitted/committed to a facility unless they meet the stringent requirements of “Being in danger to themselves or others.” Even then, if they are admitted, they can only be held in treatment for a few days, or at best, a few weeks as mandated by federal and state laws; or by insurance companies dictating their treatment needs (who shift the care away from hospitals/in-patient treatment facilities to the community mental health authority).

But what of the adult person with a mental illness who does not exhibit behaviors of being “dangerous to themselves or others,” yet not really able to care for themselves? This task often falls on the family members. For family members who still maintain the role of loving parents of the person with mental illness, they become caretakers out of their life-long role of being caretakers due to their responsibility of always being a parent…even if their child is an adult.

This is a most awesome and admirable task; one that is met with great difficulty.

I bring to mind the many thousands of families I worked with in the past, and I shall tell you about one family that is illustrative of this great responsibility. We shall call them John and Jane, and their adult son Mickey. This is their story:

“Our Son Mickey is now 50 years of age. He was first given a diagnosis of Schizophrenia as a teenager, after being placed by us into treatment as we could not control his symptomatic violent behavior toward us and his siblings. We placed him in many treatment facilities, on one such treatment episode, he ran away from the facility. Upon completion of in-patient treatments he was followed up in out-patient care. It was always very difficult to monitor his medication and his appointments during that period. Upon becoming an adult, Mickey was committed to state-run treatment facilities on more than three occasions; but only kept there for a few days and then released. As an adult, he did not follow through with his out-patient treatment for any length of time…stopping his medication and therapy appointments, and began using alcohol and illegal drugs to control his symptoms.

“He worked off and on through his young adult years, but his employment periods were very short lived. He was placed on Social Security Disability, at around 30 years of age, and we were informed by the Judge that he would be in charge of his finances. In his late 40’s, although his behavior problems were most difficult, we could no longer tolerate him living with us, and we purchased a mobile home and lot for him to live in about a mile from our home; always maintaining contact with him and attending to his care.

“Mickey was also diagnosed with a Mixed Personality Disorder, the symptoms of which prevent him from maintaining work or social relationships. Now, he does not always follow through with his medication regimen and appointments as far as we know, but has no motivation to do anything. He stays up at night, and sleeps a lot during the day. He has no interest in anything. His having difficulty managing any part of his financial obligations…he has borrowed a lot of money, so much so that all of his SSD check goes to paying that back.

“His medical providers are bound with rules under the Privacy Act and they are not allowed to tell us anything as we are not his legal guardians. We provide him food and pay his utilities. We are asked most often, “Why are you guys taking care of Mickey? Why don’t you just let him go?” Our answer is (which many do not understand): we are his parents and he is ill. It is our responsibility to always care for our children. If we were to “let him go” he would most definitely become a “Street Person,” and would perish. We do not want that for him. We have been in counseling with and without Mickey on numerous occasions, and we are in a constant state of frustration on what else we can do. We are becoming aged, and are completely stressed out; and at our wits end. What are we to do?”

The stories of Mickey, and his parents John and Jane, are echoed by many caretaker parents in our society…there are many Mickey’s out there. And, unless the family member with mental illness is not “dangerous to themselves or others,” and the person does not want to take care of themselves, the parent caretakers are indeed “left holding the bag”…what else can they do? Many parents would, and have, just “let go” and have their family member attempt survival on their own; but many parents “muddle through” and continue their caretaking of the person.

I have a great deal of empathetic understanding for them. Until next time, stay healthy my friends.

Periodically, we devote a column to reader’s questions. Recently, a family asked the teacher about communication and pictures. The parents wondered whether a child can learn to speak from using pictures such as PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System). The answer is yes but that is a byproduct. Oral speaking doesn’t always occur.

Picture communication is a form of speaking. So many times people discount this method because they can’t hear a voice. Yet, there are other forms of talking. Body language is one method. People can use voice activated communication devices. Others may choose to communicate by pictures. Sometimes picture communication results in a child discovering their voice. Alice was such a child.

Early on, Alice used pictures to communicate her wants and needs. After lots of teacher modeling, the girl learned to say numbers, colors and several high interest items such as candy, soda and hot sauce to name a few. Alice was an amazing child. Many children may learn to speak with pictures but never with their voice.

Have you ever heard of Stephen Hawking? The brilliant scientist lost his ability to speak with his voice but quickly learned how to use a computer generated voice. Just because a person’s body does not enable him to use his voice doesn’t mean he can’t use another method to speak. Children that start with PECS can advance on to computer generated voices. AVAZ and Sono Flex are two examples of voice generated picture programs that can be used after pictures icon mastery.

PECs and picture communication programs like Boardmaker are excellent ways for children to use to speak their wants and needs.

They can also be helpful for adults who suffer from a stroke to relearn how to communicate. The nice thing about pictures, it that most people can understand them. When a child hands me a restroom card, I know what he or she wants. When Alice hands me a picture of M&Ms, I definitely know what she wants me to give her when she has finished her work.

So the long and short of it is yes, with frequent modeling, some children will learn to talk after using picture communication, but not all. Unfortunately, the sensory portion of the brain may be inhibiting speech. Don’t give up saying the word associated with a picture when your child hands it to you. You might be pleasantly surprised when you hear a beautiful voice repeat the very word you just said!

Recently, I met a reader that asked why I had not responded to a question she sent by email a few years ago. I felt awful but I had not received her email. The woman had lots of good questions about her nonverbal son. Unfortunately, sometimes AOL and other servers screen emails so well that the items end up in the junk mail. I apologize to those of you that have tried writing but never received an email back.

If you do not get a response by using [email protected], try the website [email protected]. Remember you can also get some of your questions answered on great informational autism websites. They can be readily accessed by computer. Just scroll down to exactly what interests you. Some suggested autism websites are autism are: www.autismspeaks.org, www.autism-society.org, www.autism.com, www.autismweb.com, and www.disabilityscoop.com.

Pamela Gross Downing, a special education teacher can be reached at [email protected].