HARLINGEN — He can fire like a bullet across the court, zipping past his opponents toward the hoop and grabbing the ball.

“Boom, boom, boom.” The echo sailed across the gym, announcing once again Esteban Vela had taken possession of the ball for the Harlingen Cardinals.

Esteban, 18, was recognized recently at the Harlingen Hoopsters Association Basketball Banquet. But it wasn’t just for his prowess on the basketball court. He was recognized for being a talented student as well as a star basketball player.

“I also won the most spirited for the Harlingen Cardinals basketball team, and then also a University Interscholastic Scholar Award for having the highest academics on the team,” he said.

Esteban said he maintained a 93 grade point average all four years of high school.

The Scholar Award, which honors high school athletes who demonstrate excellence in the classroom as well as in sports, was also presented to HHS seniors Juan Cerrillo and Elijah Rhodes.

The Texas High School Coaches Association also named Cerrillo and Vela to its 2nd Boys Basketball Academic All-State Team.

Esteban began playing basketball when he was about 5 years old. His father and grandfather both showed him some initial moves such as dribbling and shooting.

“They definitely taught me all the fundamentals that I needed to know,” he said. “My older brother played for four years and I guess I grew up really close to him. So that always inspired me to keep on going.”

He enjoyed playing the power forward position, which requires an especially spirited player. The power forward must be a good rebounder and able to maintain possession of the ball after securing it.

“The reason I’m good for that position is that I was one of the more aggressive ones on the team,” he said. “Even though I’m not necessarily as tall as the other kids, I definitely made the biggest effort to go up and get the ball when needed.”

Besides his advanced skill in the classroom and on the basketball court, Esteban has also demonstrated his leadership ability. He’s in the National Honor Society and serves on the student council. He’s also been the class president this year. He and the class are making plans to leave their legacy to future generations.

“We are going to be leaving memorabilia down to the upcoming classes,” he said. “We are going to leave two graduation table cloths for the Harlingen High School campus.”

The tablecloths will be draped over two six-foot-long tables at graduation ceremonies. He hopes the tablecloths will remind future classes of the contributions made by the Class of 2016.

Esteban has made definite plans to study business at the University of Texas at Austin.

He credited his father, Manny Vela, for encouraging him in that direction. Manny Vela is the president and chief executive officer of Valley Baptist Health System.

“Being in business, you can go into a lot of different things down the road, whether it be in regards to health care,” Esteban said. “It just supports different industries.”

He’d like to use his business degree in the health care industry.

“That’s definitely my number one interest, currently,” he said. “It would be similar to operating a hospital.”

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HARLINGEN — The Scouts rushed toward another mail truck which had just arrived.

The mail carrier handed the Scouts plastic bags full of pinto beans, chicken noodle soup, cereal, pizza sauce and a wide variety of other foods. They had been donated yesterday by postal customers for the 24th annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Mail carriers were picking up donations while on their routes and bringing them back to the U.S. Post Office at 1502 New Combes Hwy.

Several Scouts from Troop 1701 placed the bags in white plastic postal service boxes on a flatbed trailer.

“I am always ready to help out the community and help the poor,” said Kevin Hall, 14, a first class Scout.

“It’s a great opportunity to really contribute,” Kevin said. “That’s what scouting is all about.”

Some Scouts were earning community service hours in order to advance. Kevin, however, didn’t need any service hours.

“I am here because I want to help,” he said.

The event was a good experience for the Scouts, said Bob Strohfield, special programs organizer and volunteer for the food pantry.

“It’s going to build character,” said Strohfield, 85. “It’s an activity that helps other people, and you see the results of what you do.”

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BROWNSVILLE — The building where three Brownsville children were decapitated by convicted killer John Allen Rubio 13 years ago is scheduled to be demolished tomorrow.

The building’s demolition is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the East Tyler Street and East 8th Street, city officials reported.

The Brownsville City Commission in December voted to demolish the building, which has been known as the “Rubio House,” at the request of residents living in the neighborhood. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted in favor of the demolition Jan. 7, basically making it a done deal.

It was in March 2003 that Rubio, along with his common-law wife, Angela Camacho, killed three children.

The children belonged to Camacho, with Rubio being the biological father of one of them. The victims were all younger than 4 years old. The slayings took place inside the family’s apartment.

Rubio confessed to killing the children to police. In his confession, he stated he killed the children because he believed there was an evil presence inside them. Rubio was convicted of their murders, receiving the death penalty later that year.

His first conviction was overturned, and he was retried on four counts of capital murder in 2010 and found guilty by a Hidalgo County jury. Rubio was once again sentenced to death.

Rubio remains on death row. Camacho is serving a life sentence for her participation in the murders.

The demolition of the building was to occur earlier this year, but it was delayed because asbestos was found in the building and had to be removed.

The Brownsville Historic and Preservation Board wasn’t in favor of the demolition and had hoped that instead of demolishing the building, officials could find another use for it.

BROWNSVILLE — When Judith Herrera was 18, she had her first child. At the time, her father told her that she could not go to college.

When she had her second child not too long after, once again she was told she would not be able to complete a degree.

Nine years later, on Saturday morning in the Jacob Brown Auditorium at Texas Southmost College , she proved that prediction wrong.

“I took those words as a challenge. I’m not done yet, I’m going for more, and you should be, too,” Herrera said to her peers at the commencement ceremony.

Herrera was the keynote speaker at the event. She shared her secret to success in spite of the odds.

“You don’t have to be the smartest student or the student with the least responsibilities,” Herrera said. “You just have to want it badly enough.”

Herrera encouraged her peers to reflect on the sacrifices they had made for their education, and to ask themselves one question: Was it worth it?

Laura Sanjuan and Jessica Sierra, social work program graduates, certainly thought so.

“You have to make sacrifices to get what you want,” Sanjuan said. “I feel accomplished and proud to have my degree.”

Sierra said she had to put aside time with her family in order to complete her studies, and although it was difficult the decision paid off in the long run.

“My nerves were shot the whole time,” she said. “I am so excited for the future.”

Jesus de la Fuente completed the criminal justice program at TSC. He has had to put off his education due to his work at the City of Brownsville , but he is glad it is finally over.

“It took me a while after taking time off to work. I was looking for opportunities, but school became the best option,” he said. “It is going to open many doors and give me a better life.”

LAGUNA VISTA — To pay their respects to the men and women who gave their lives in defense of the country, officials in Laguna Vista have been hard at work planning the upcoming Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony.

The parade theme this year is “Always Honor, Never Forget.”

City Manager Rolando Vela said 32 members of the “Warriors Unified in Arms” from Brownsville will be participating in the parade.

“This is a group of mostly Vietnam veterans. We will be needing golf carts, etc., to transport these Brownsville veterans and have them participate in our parade. We are asking the community to help us transport these veterans,” he said.

“We are encouraging all those that want to participate to decorate their golf carts, boats, trailers and vehicles. We want to especially invite all veterans to participate in this parade.”

The honorary guest and keynote speaker will be Brownsville resident John (Johnny) A. Perez, a World War II veteran.

Vela said Perez joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 15 with his mother’s permission.

“After basic training in San Diego he boarded the USS Franklin which took him to Pearl Harbor. Upon arriving, he was sent to Waipio Peninsula for additional amphibious landing training. He then boarded a personnel ship to the Mariana Islands. He was promoted to boatswain’s mate second class,” Vela said.

According to his Navy records, he was 18 years old but in reality he was only 16.

In February of 1945, he sailed to Iwo Jima and that same year, while aboard the ship, he witnessed the USS Franklin almost destroyed after being hit by piercing bombs dropped by Japanese dive bombers.

In December of 1945, after his hospital stay, he boarded the USS Oakland to San Francisco.

He served 19 straight months of sea duty before being honorably discharged in 1946.

The Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at Veterans Park, following the parade. During the ceremony, the hymn for each military branch will be played.

All veterans in attendance will be recognized.

“The American flag, which flew at the American Embassy in Saigon, will be encased in glass and on display during the ceremony,” Vela said.

“The enemy attempted to destroy this flag while it flew. It was later liberated when the Saigon Embassy was evacuated.”

If you go

The Town of Laguna Vista Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony will take place on Monday, May 30, at 5 p.m.

The parade will start at 5 p.m. at the Laguna Vista Public Library on FM 510 and proceed to Veterans Park.

All veterans are encouraged to wear military uniforms, hats, caps or other symbols of patriotism.

Survivors of veterans are invited to join in the march and are asked to carry photographs of their loved ones who served in the military.

The entire community is encouraged to participate in this event. In addition, this year marks the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

HARLINGEN — Mia Garza has committed herself to completing her studies at Frank Philips College.

“I am very excited because I got a scholarship to go play softball,” said Mia, 18, a senior at Harlingen High School.

Mia and more than 600 other seniors gathered in the school cafeteria Friday to sign a “Commit to Complete” pledge. The form declared a commitment to complete either an academic degree at a university, trade course work at a college such as Texas State Technical College, or a stint in the military.

Mia, who played varsity softball for four years, plans to study health and science at Frank Philips College in Borger in the Texas Panhandle. The pledge she and her classmates were signing seemed to cement their plans, make them more real. Her parents, Rey and Gaby Garza, appreciated the event.

“It’s very important,” said Gaby. “They are committing themselves to completing college.”

The air was charged with the excitement of students looking toward their futures. They wore black shirts with a large “H” in red and black stripes and the words “Senior Decision Day.” They munched on pizza slices and contemplated the “Commit to Complete” forms in front of them.

School Board President Nolan Perez spoke to the students.

“If you go to college for a couple of years and don’t finish, you pretty much just wasted your money.”

Success isn’t just about how smart you are, he told the students. It’s about how much work they put into their endeavors. Earning some sort of credential is vital in today’s work place.

“You can’t live without some sort of a degree or some skill set so an employer will want to hire you,” Perez said. “You’ll be dependent on others the rest of your lives, either your parents or the government.”

Superintendent Art Cavazos told the students about his decision to earn his doctorate in 2009.

“When I decided to go back, it was going to be three years,” he said.

There were many times as he labored toward his Ph.D. he asked himself, “Why did I do this?”

“I’d made a commitment to complete my degree in front of my own children,” he told the students. “You made a commitment to complete it.”

Cavazos’s words resonated with Vince Garcia, 17, who plans to study kinesiology. He’ll attend Texas State Technical College for two years and then transfer to Texas State University in San Marcos.

He had a big smile on his face as he regarded the commitment pledge.

“I am going to hang it on my wall,” he said. “Every day when I wake up I am going to look at this.”

The pledge signaled something else. He and his classmates really had made it to graduation, and they really were heading out into their adult lives.

“I feel like I achieved something,” he said. “It’s the next stage of my life.”

Across the table sat Andrew Flores, who was feeling pretty excited about the pledge. The document seemed to confirm the arrival of his future.

“It feels good,” said Flores, 17. “It’s preparing me for the next level. It says we are adults.”

A presentation on a large screen showed the names of different colleges and universities and which students would attend there.

“It’s super fun,” said Kennedy Daniel, this year’s salutatorian.

“It’s really awesome to see where my classmates are going and see the broad horizons they are going to experience,” she said.

HARLINGEN — New furniture soon to arrive at classrooms here will offer endless possibilities for a new approach to learning.

That new approach, known as collaborative learning, refers to a variety of teaching methods that involve groups of students or students and teachers working together on a class project. Many school districts across the country are adopting this new method.

Educational institutions are also espousing this new strategy. The Cornell University website says collaborative learning can occur between two students or in larger groups. Students discuss concepts or solve problems.

“This often occurs in a class session after students are introduced to course material through readings or videos before class, and/or through instructor lectures,” says the website. “Many instructors have found that through peer instruction, students teach each other by addressing misunderstandings and clarifying misconceptions.”

The Harlingen school district has awarded contracts for new desks and chairs which will facilitate collaborative learning.

New technology will include more iPads and will enable teachers and students to project class work onto a 45-inch Apple TV. Teachers will also have a computer from which they can project classroom instruction onto the TV.

Evergreen State College says collaborative learning represents a shift away from the typical teacher centered and lecture centered classroom. Lecturing doesn’t disappear, but it’s integrated with student discussion and interaction with course work.

“Teachers who use collaborative learning approaches tend to think of themselves less as expert transmitters of knowledge to students, and more as expert designers of intellectual experiences for students as coaches or midwives of a more emergent learning process,” says the Evergreen website.

Some sources say there are different types of collaborative learning, one of them being cooperative learning.

The Concept to Classroom website offers a workshop called, “Cooperative and Collaborative Learning.”

In cooperative learning, says the website, students work together in small groups on a structured activity. They are individually accountable for their work, and the work of the group as a whole is also assessed.

The Harlingen school district has emphasized collaborative learning in recent years as part of its Strategic Plan. However, the district’s modernization of the classroom with new technology and furniture now accommodates the approach more directly.

“The tables fit together to create an environment where kids can communicate and work together as a group and share ideas,” said Lorena Rodriguez, a third grade teacher at Travis Elementary.

Once the furniture and new technology arrives, teachers in grades three, four and five will be given a training session to learn how to use them for collaborative learning.

“We have people coming in and training teachers how to use the furniture to enhance their teaching,” said Lori Romero, administrator for elementary education.

Romero said colleges and universities are also adapting the collaborative learning strategy. This kind of learning is necessary because it teaches students how to work together and get along, skills that are crucial in today’s work place.

Romero said businesses have complained that new employees often lack these interpersonal skills.

Different teachers are already discussing ideas on how to use the new furniture and technology. Rodriguez said she has been revising her teaching strategy for a more collaborative approach.

“Here at Travis we’re already talking about how teachers can use the new equipment,” Rodriguez said. “We have been working on lesson plans this year. Teaching is now more interactive. Teachers are more the facilitators.”

What is collaborative learning?

Collaborative learning is based on the view that knowledge is a social construct. Collaborative activities are most often based on four principles:

* The learner or student is the primary focus of instruction.

* Interaction and “doing” are of primary importance

* Working in groups is an important mode of learning.

* Structured approaches to developing solutions to real-world problems should be incorporated into learning.

What is the impact of collaborative learning or group work?

Research shows that educational experiences that are active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning. The benefits of collaborative learning include:

* Development of higher-level thinking, oral communication, self-management, and leadership skills.

* Promotion of student-faculty interaction.

* Increase in student retention, self-esteem, and responsibility.

* Exposure to and an increase in understanding of diverse perspectives.

* Preparation for real life social and employment situations.

HARLINGEN — Texas Regional Bank is going to have a new home.

The locally owned bank, which is privately held, began operations in 2010 in Harlingen. Its new building will be sited at the 13-acre development that has just begun at Stuart Place Road and I-2/Expressway 83.

“It will be three to four stories and it is in its planning stages,” Michael Scaief, chairman of the bank’s board, said yesterday. “We’re doing construction planning as we speak, and we hope to break ground by year’s end.”

The need for a new headquarters is an indicator of the young bank’s success. Currently, the bank’s main offices are in leased space nearby on Stuart Place Road.

Scaief, however, was keen to attribute the need for additional space to the area’s overall economic performance.

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HARLINGEN — After months of construction, a significant new road is now open to the public.

Motorists will now be able to use the new and smooth road that runs parallel to I-69E — U.S. 77/83 — from FM 1479/Rangerville Road to FM 509/Paso Real.

The corridor, which opened yesterday, will allow motorists an alternate route as they travel in the area.

The U.S. 77/83 South Parallel Corridor Project is a multimillion-dollar county investment to meet the long-term needs of the traveling public.

“This loop is of great importance for mobility, evacuations, traffic flow and more access to San Benito’s downtown,” San Benito Mayor Celeste Sanchez said.

“I’ve seen the road and it is nice. The second phase will continue the roadway to connect with FM 732, which will also be good for us and the surrounding area.”

The corridor also will connect traffic from Los Indios and the Los Indios Free Trade Bridge to the retail and commercial areas in Harlingen and San Benito.

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BY Amanda Sotelo

Every Fall and Spring Semester, the Wellness and Sports Center at Texas State Technical College encourages students to register for their weight loss program, “No Gain, No Pain.” This semester a total of seven students joined the program during Spring 2016, and lost a combined weight of 178 pounds.

The program is open to all TSTC students and there is no fee to enroll. Once in the program, students are encouraged to lose weight by eating healthy and exercising.

“This is one of six programs we offer at the Wellness and Sports Center,” said Efrain Villarreal, assistant supervisor for Intramurals. “It’s the incentives that we give students who complete the challenge that encourage others to participate.”

Students who complete the challenge win prizes based on the number of pounds lost. Students have the opportunity to receive water bottles, t-shirts, string bags, duffle bags, polo shirts, $25 gift cards to Academy and Nike jogging shoes.

“Everyone exercises and practices a healthy living style that is comfortable for them,” said Villarreal. “We simply guide them and give them advice. They decide how they want to lose the weight. I’m proud of how successful our last group of contestants were.”

The next opportunity for students to take advantage of this weight loss program and its incentives will be during the upcoming fall semester.

More information on “No Gain, No Pain,” and the other programs offered at TSTC’s Wellness and Sports Center call 956-364-4341.