IDEA Public Schools has been nominated for the 2016 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools award for the third year in a row, according to a recent press release.

The Broad Prize for Urban Education describes the award as an honor to a public charter school that has demonstrated an outstanding overall student performance while reducing achievement gaps for low-income students and students of color.

“To me, the Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools is the equivalent to the Academy Awards for film or the Nobel Prize for literature. It is a huge honor to have been nominated for the last three years,” said Tom Torkelson, founder and CEO of IDEA Public Schools in a press release.

IDEA is competing alongside the Success Academy Charter Schools of New York and YES Prep Public Schools of Houston.

The winner will receive $250,000 toward college-readiness efforts.

JoAnn Gama, president and superintendent of IDEA, said the nomination would not be possible without the work of its teachers and staff.

“Everything we do counts towards getting our students to and through college, and this prize symbolizes how such dedication can pay off,” Gama said.

Torkelson said there is no secret to IDEA’s success. It all comes down to each of the faculty and staff working at the schools.

“IDEA is having its best year yet, and the data and evidence is unmistakable,” he said. “To be honest, our secret is that there is no secret. At IDEA, we have some of the most talented and dedicated adults ensuring that every child that attends one of our schools has the best opportunity at reaching his or her fullest potential and making our communities and our nation stronger and better.”

Several high school students chat on the sidewalk at the end of the school day Monday at IDEA Public Schools in San Benito. Enrollment at the campus has jumped significantly over the last year.

EDINBURG — As it approaches its one-year anniversary, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley received what officials say is the most significant contribution yet: $15 million from Bert Ogden CEO Robert Vackar, officials announced Wednesday.

“This is the most significant philanthropic gift in the history of our institution and legacy institutions,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said. “It will be transformative.”

Bailey announced the donation yesterday afternoon to a full house at the university’s Performing Arts Center, and the audience cheered as he declared the College of Business & Entrepreneurship will now be named the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship in honor of the contribution.

The president was joined on stage by UT System Chancellor William McRaven, who visited the Valley for the special announcement, as well as Vackar and his wife, Janet, owners of the Bert Ogden Auto Group.

“This gift will transform this university in ways that nothing has done in the past,” McRaven said. “You’ll look back five years from now, 10 years from now, 15 years from now, 100 years from now, and you will have influenced thousands and thousands and thousands of young men and women and you will have changed an shift the Valley forever.”

The gift is greater than the combined total annual contributions received by UTRGV’s legacy institutions — UT-Pan American and UT-Brownsville — Bailey said, and it will be used to create endowed scholarships for students studying business.

“This recognition is such an honor,” Vackar said in a news release. “Growing up in Edinburg and living in the Rio Grande Valley has been such a great experience for our family. … But after the many years of support our family and our businesses have received from this community, the real honor is being able to give back.”

Endowed funds are used to create permanent scholarships for students by investing the funds and using its earned income for the awards. These endowments can be grown over time by donors and most stipulate that the original amount of the donation, called the corpus, may not be tapped, which allows the endowment to exist in perpetuity.

The record-setting donation marks the third time the Vackar family has contributed to UTRGV.

The first donation of $10,000 came in April 2015, before the university opened its doors, and it was also intended for endowed scholarships for business and education students in honor of Robert Vackar’s late sister, Susan Lewis Vackar Clark, who graduated from UTPA in 1963. Vackar also announced his plans to continue growing that scholarship throughout the years.

The family followed that gift with a $2 million contribution in January 2016 for endowed scholarships for the liberal arts department and the business college. It was the largest contribution received by the UTRGV at the time.

“We have so much responsibility, and it all has to be from the heart,” Vackar said at the announcement. “I know I haven’t done enough, and I probably will never do enough, but this is the start of what I want to do.”

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HARLINGEN — Former City Commissioner Frank Puente’s request for a recount cost him a vote.

A recount of votes cast in May 7’s District 2 election kept incumbent Commissioner Tudor Uhlhorn’s winning tally at 287 votes but dropped Puente’s total from 266 to 265, City Secretary Amanda Elizondo said yesterday.

Elizondo said officials manually counted the votes from 1 to 2:15 p.m., finding one blank ballot during the recount.

Puente, who served on the commission from 2003 to 2006, said he paid $300 for the recount “for my supporters and my peace of mind.”

The election marked a rematch for Puente and Uhlhorn.

In 2013, Uhlhorn won 479 votes to Puente’s 335 votes.

Calls to Puente were not returned as of press time.

HARLINGEN – The Harlingen school board last night officially canvassed the results of its recent election in which both candidates tied.

Dr. Nolan Perez certified the tally of the May 10 election in which Eladio Jaimez and Rosalinda Mercado-Garza received 1,422 votes. The canvassing took place at a special board meeting.

The board will meet again tomorrow night to determine the date for another election. Julio Cavazos, chief financial officer, said the election must be held within no less than 20 days and no more than 30 days.

The election May 10 resulted in Jaimez receiving 1,422 votes and Mercado-Garza receiving 1,421 votes. Mercado-Garza’s tally included one curbside vote.

The community was in disbelief. Julio Cavazos, chief financial officer, said he’d never seen an election this close. Others voiced similar sentiments.

However, there was more to come.

Last Saturday, the Early Voting Election Board added one provisional ballot to the election returns. The extra vote was in favor of Mercado-Garza, bringing the vote to a tie.

Mercado-Garza, 43, and Jaimez, 39, had the option of flipping a coin to determine the winner. The Texas Election Code gives them that option.

However, both candidates declined the coin toss, stating they had a responsibility to their supporters to continue the campaign.

Tuesday night, the district held a formal recount of the votes at Harlingen City Hall. That recount confirmed the tally.

Although another election will be held, the votes from May 10 still had to be canvassed and declared the official result.

Mercado-Garza said Tuesday night she looked forward to continuing her campaign.

“We will continue to visit all the areas that have polling places in the community,” she said. “We will continue doing the meet and greets and block walks.”

Jaimez said he and his supporters are excited and ready to extend his campaign. He pointed out this situation provides him the rare opportunity to learn from the election and act accordingly.

“It’s not often you get a second chance to work on things you should have done better,” he said.

The recount Tuesday night cost the district $2,000, Cavazos said. Another election will cost $30,000, all from the general fund.

Jaimez and Mercado-Garza are vying for Place 7, which was recently vacated by long-time board member Verna Young. Incumbent Greg Powers ran unopposed for Place 3 and received 2,385 votes. There was an issuance of certification for his re-election to the board, where he began serving in 2009.

“It really is an honor to serve with this board,” Powers said. “It’s a very diverse board. Everyone brings something different to the table.”

The school board was also reorganized last night. Long-time board member Gerry Fleuriet was named president for the third time, taking over the reigns for Perez who just finished his year. The position is a one-year term.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to serve,” she said. “This is the best board and administration in the state of Texas. Everyone here is committed to doing the best we possibly can to meet the needs of all our students.”

Board Member Bobby Muñiz, owner of Rio Grande Pharmacy, was named vice-president. George McShan, former president of the school board, was named secretary.

HARLINGEN — Officials here are negotiating an agreement with a business that could donate property to the city.

Last night, city commissioners met for nearly an hour in closed session before requesting City Manager Dan Serna negotiate an agreement with the business code-named Project HQ.

Commissioners took no action on the sale of city property.

Mayor Chris Boswell declined comment, saying officials could not disclose details until a contract is signed.

Commissioners were scheduled to meet in closed session to consider “the sale of city property, the receipt of donated property and commercial and financial information from a business known as Project HQ,” according to the meeting’s agenda.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — The city is one step closer to hiring a firm to assist them in finding their next city manager.

The requests for proposals from executive search firms in reference to the city manager position recruitment process have been turned in.

In April the city council created a committee of three council members to work together in narrowing down a short list of executive firm applicants with the contacts and reach to look high and low for the next city manager to lead the Island city’s business.

Council members Theresa Metty, Dennis Stahl, Alex Avalos, and Administrative Services Director Wendi Delgado have been meeting to review the proposals that have poured in since the search for a firm was made.

“They are working diligently and I expect them to bring to city council in the next week to 10 days two or three companies of which the city council will choose one,” Patel said.

This is not the city’s first rodeo with working with executive search firms to find a city manager.

A search firm was used to hire their last city manager, Bill DiLibero.

DiLibero turned in his letter of resignation two months ago the day after a regular city meeting held in April.

Patel said the city is running smoothly as it looks to hire its next administrative leader.

Patel said Interim City Manager Darla Jones has been working very well overseeing the city and its projects.

At the last city meeting Jones was given a raise meeting the base salary for the city manager’s position.

HARLINGEN – The announced closure of the Kmart on Pablo Kisel Boulevard in Brownsville will have no effect on the Kmart or the Sears stores here.

That was the word yesterday from Howard Riefs, director of corporate communications for Sears Holdings Corp., parent company of Sears and Kmart.

Sears announced earlier this year that approximately 50 stores, mostly Kmarts but some Sears outlets, would be shut down this year due to declining sales.

No list of those stores has been released, but it is now apparent the Brownsville Kmart is on it.

It was unclear how many employees at the store would be affected by the closing.

Sears announced last month the Kmart in Mission would close.

Riefs said yesterday there are no plans to close the Harlingen Kmart at 1129 Morgan Blvd. or the Sears store at Valle Vista Mall.

Sears continues to try to stem losses by closing underperforming stores.

Sears reported a loss of $580 million, or $5.44 per share, for the last quarter of 2015.

Those numbers reflected a lackluster holiday season for the retailer.

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Subscribe to it for only $6.99 per month or purchase a print subscription and receive the online version free, which includes an electronic version of the full newspaper and extra photo galleries, links and other information you can’t find anywhere else.

HARLINGEN — Free screenings for stroke, diabetes, blood pressure, pulse and body mass index will be held during a “Stroke Awareness Community Health Fair” this Saturday morning, May 21, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Harlingen at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen (on the first floor of the South Tower of the hospital, in the Woodward Conference Center).

The cholesterol, diabetes, and triglycerides screenings require fasting. This test is free for Men 35 years of age and older, and to women 20 years of age and older with cardiovascular risk factors, as per the US Preventive Service Task Force guidelines. For those designated to be lower risk, the price for this test is $20. There will also be free Hgb A1C testing, as well as free stroke education materials, a risk factor assessment, and a counseling station with healthcare providers.

The “Stroke Community Health Fair”, which will also include refreshments, is free and open to the public. Stroke is the nation’s fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability. In the Valley, many residents are at risk for stroke because of high rates of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen also presents “Dessert with the Doctor” on Tuesday, May 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Woodward Conference Center. Endovascular Neurologist Dr. Ameer Hassan will speak on “Stroke along the border: treatments and trends,” discussing the high risk of stroke in the Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Wondwossen Tekle will be speaking on “Endovascular Intervention,” and techniques that can be used when more than four hours have passed since a stroke started. Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen is the only hospital in the area offering this endovascular option.

For more information or to register for either of these events, please call 1-866-608-2273. For more information about prevention and treatment for stroke, consult your physician. An online risk assessment for stroke is available at www.ValleyBaptist.net/HealthAssessments.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION – STROKE

On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year, according to the American Heart Association.

Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the arteries leading to the brain and the arteries within the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, and that part of the brain starts to die.

Learn the following warning signs of stroke and teach them to others – because with stroke, every second counts:

* Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg – especially on one side of the body

* Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

* Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

* Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

* Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Stroke is a medical emergency – call 911 immediately if you experience symptoms. Remember: when it comes to stroke, the sooner that treatment begins, the better the patient’s chances of surviving without disabilities.

At Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen and Brownsville, a clot-busting medication called tPA is used when medically indicated to reverse strokes – but the medication must be given within three to four hours from the start of symptoms of a possible stroke. New endovascular treatment procedures which are now available at Valley Baptist-Harlingen provide Valley patients with a longer time window in which to survive strokes and hopefully minimize disabilities. However, the sooner that treatment is started, the more effective it will be in reducing the effects of stroke.

For more information on stroke, consult your physician and visit www.ValleyBaptist.net/medical-services/brain-and-spine-network.

About Valley Baptist Health System

Valley Baptist Health System is an 866-bed faith-based regional health system located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. It is focused on helping people achieve health care for life through compassionate service inspired by faith.

Valley Baptist extends many of its services beyond its facilities and into local communities, offering free screenings for the community, support groups and numerous educational opportunities. For more information, visit www.ValleyBaptist.net (and www.FaceBook.com/

Harlingen is now home to a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Several weeks ago, Richard Elizondo, a Corpus Christi native who is now a financial adviser living in Harlingen, was honored at a ceremony in Corpus along with the 1976 Boys Club baseball team he coached all the way to a Connie Mack World Series title.

Behind solid pitching and timely hitting, Elizondo’s ballclub, which was made up of 18- and19-year-olds from the Corpus Christi area and nicknamed “Bad Company,” beat defending champion Long Beach 5-3 in the tile game held in Farmington, New Mexico.

Some of the members of the team included Kavin Adams, who was the Montreal Expos’ first-round draft pick in 1977, and Lonnie Garza, a longtime Valley baseball coach who has had stints at La Feria and Edinburg Economedes.

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“It was quite an achievement,” said Elizondo, a Boys Club member since he was a child who later became involved with the team after he accepted a job with the organization in 1974 and was asked to help coach.

“What made it even more special was that we had come close to winning the title the year before in 1975, but came up short.

So to come back the next year and finally win the title was a very special moment.”

Nevertheless, the achievement went virtually unnoticed for 40 years.

“It wasn’t until one of the former members of the team realized that we were one of the only Connie Mack World Series winning teams that didn’t have its place in the Baseball Hall of Fame and he got the ball rolling to get us in,” Elizondo said. “For 40 years we were the forgotten ones, but we are not forgotten anymore.”

At the April 30 ceremony, which was held at the same Boys Club that the team was first formed at, Elizondo and the team members in attendance all received commemorative rings from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

“To me, the fact that it was held at the same building we got started at made the whole thing that much more special because after we won the title, I remember we returned to the club to quite a fanfare,” Elizondo recalled.

“So to come back to the same building 40 years later, was quite ironic and fitting.”

SAN BENITO — Rosa Gomez was a lifelong volunteer who will be missed in the community by many.

Gomez passed away Tuesday morning.

She was 74.

Gomez was a longtime parent volunteer with the San Benito CISD Parental Involvement Department.

For more than 30 years, Gomez contributed many hours of service to the San Benito community through her work with the San Benito CISD Parental Involvement Department, campus PTA/PTO organizations and the San Benito Greyhound Band Boosters.

The Parent Involvement Department will miss one of their best and dedicated volunteers.

We especially feel her great loss as she is also the mother of one of its own staff members, according to the Parent Involvement Department.

Gomez is the mother to Parent Educator Ben Gomez and she is also the daughter of another longtime parent volunteer – Juanita Gaytan.

“She will forever be remembered as a champion of San Benito CISD students and a great community volunteer,” the department stated.

“We will miss her gracious smile, her caring heart, and her signature greeting that she had for everyone on a daily basis – “How are you on this beautiful day?”

She was also a member of the San Benito Quarterback Club, San Benito CISD Superintendent’s Advisory Council, Title I Parental Advisory Committee, and many other decision making committees within the district.

Because of her dedication to her community, the Valley Morning Star interviewed her last month and featured her as one of the many volunteers in a special section focusing on local volunteers.

At that time she said her passion for volunteering came from her need to be informed about what was going on in the district.

It was also about setting a good example for her children.

“It’s good to know what’s going on,” she said last month via phone. “I believe if you are there and your children know that you are there, then they know you are putting their best interest first.”

Gomez was a single parent who raised six children and she always wanted her children to know they had a mother who is was there to support them.

“Being involved also educated me, not only to be a better person but to be a better parent,” she said.

That was the most important thing for Gomez.

After she retired 30 years ago, Gomez was able to spend more time volunteering, attending parenting sessions, being a part of committees and going to conferences.

“I have had a beautiful life. I’ve been involved. A lot of people know me and that makes me proud,” she said.

Being a seasoned volunteer within the district gave Gomez the opportunity to encourage and talk to young parents about the importance of being involved with their children’s schooling.

“Every chance I get I will throw in my two cents,” she said. “I tell them about my experience and the results and I tell them, you need to get involved with your children.”

As a single parent who also worked full time, Gomez said her children were her number one priority.

“Children need to know that they are important and they need to know that they come first,” she said.

During Tuesday evening city meeting, Mayor Celeste Sanchez asked that the commission and guests take a moment of silence to honor Gomez.

“She was in our citizen’s academy,” she said. “She was full of life, vibrant and asked a lot of questions.”

Family friends Deborah and Jose Morales want the public to know what a wonderful human being Gomez was.

The Morales’ who met Gomez through the parental involvement department, said Gomez was an inspiration to everyone she met.

“She touched a lot of peoples lives. Her smile would light up the room,” they said.

Jose said he will miss her smile.

“She was very giving and always doing the right thing,” he said.

Deborah thanks the family.

“Thank you for sharing her with the community.”