RIO HONDO — Planning and working hard has proven to be the key to Gabriel Figueroa’s success.

His goal is to get through college debt free.

“I don’t have to worry about my first two years of college,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa, 18, is a senior at Rio Hondo High School, the cadet commander of the Air Force JROTC and a member of the track team.

And he is using his leadership skills and training to plan on ways to graduate from college with no debt.

One of those ways is by applying for scholarships.

“Out of the 10 cadets, I got a second place scholarship which offered me $2,000,” Figueroa said. “I did a trash pickup in Rio Hondo.”

He organized the community project and found some help from friends and cadets and presented it to the Way to Happiness Committee at the Harlingen Family Dentistry and they liked it.

“We’re always doing trash pickups in Harlingen and the Island and I decided to do one here,” Figueroa said.

That is not the only success he’s had.

Figueroa was accepted into UTRGV and plans to study kinesiology.

The College Assistance Migrant Program awarded him a scholarship for his first two years of school.

Figueroa decided on UTRGV to stay close to home, which is important to him.

“I will be the first one in my family to go to college,” Figueroa said.

His goal is to even earn a master’s degree and become an athletic trainer or be a physical therapist.

“I get my inspiration from my dad,” Figueroa said. “He’s had the same job in agriculture since he was 16, and that to me is dedication.”

Figueroa is doing well in all his classes and is in the top 14 percent and also doing well in JROTC.

“I’m getting ready to give up my crew commander position to an uprising senior,” Figueroa said.

He has held the position since the beginning of the school year. His position requires him to keep the cadets in order and make sure they are doing what is required.

“I have had to plan all of our events for the year,” Figueroa said. “I’m the SASI’s (Senior Aerospace Science Instructor) right hand. Anything he needs me to do, and I’m right there.”

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Cliff Moriarty, who oversees the ROTC program, praised Figueroa.

“He’s one of the 10 best cadets I have ever had,” Moriarty said. “I’ve had hundreds if not thousands and he’s one of the best.”

But that is not all for Figueroa, who also plans to walk on the college track team and earn a scholarship for running.

“He’s a great runner,” said Isis Gomez, a high school senior. “He’s the fastest on the track team.”

BROWNSVILLE — One of Leo Martinez’s last wishes was that Brownsville police would arrest the suspect or suspects responsible for killing his son.

Martinez’s 25-year-old son, Dean, was shot in the head outside his home in November 1995 shortly after celebrating his birthday.

“The parents’ last wishes, of course the dad in this case, was that the suspect or suspects be held accountable for this terrible crime,” Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez said yesterday at a press conference at the Brownsville Police Department.

Some 21 years after the slaying, police have arrested 37-year-old Felix Rey Abundez , who was 17 at the time and is suspected of killing the younger Martinez and another man.

Abundez was arrested Thursday in Brownsville by a fugitive task force, Rodriguez said. Abundez was arraigned on a count of capital murder and placed under a $3 million bond.

The shooting was a result of a dispute between the men, according to police.

“At the time, there was a dispute, and it escalated to this and tempers flared,” Rodriguez said.

Authorities said Abundez is accused in the shooting deaths of Dean Martinez and 19-year-old Adan Montes on Nov. 22, 1995 in front of Martinez‘s home at 1015 E. Taylor St .

Leo Martinez reported hearing six shots in front of his home just after midnight. Dean Martinez had just celebrated his birthday two days before.

Because this case “went on for over 20 years we can’t deliver the good news to Mom and Dad (Martinez‘s parents) because they have since passed on,” Rodriguez said. Police have contacted other family members to advise them of the arrest.

Police have been unable to notify Montes’ family because he was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, but police are trying to make contact with his relatives too, Rodriguez said.

“Our efforts (to locate Monte’s family members) are through the Mexican Consulate to try and find extended family in Mexico. There were no local contacts here for him,” Rodriguez said.

According to The Brownsville Herald archives, Martinez died at the hospital on Thanksgiving Day after he was shot in the head, and Montes died at the scene after he was shot in the stomach. Leo Martinez called police when he found his son and the other man on the sidewalk shortly after midnight. Police said the shooting stemmed from an argument.

Initially in 1998, Rafael Maldonado was arrested and charged with the murders. The case against Maldonado was dismissed Dec. 3, 1998, pending further investigation, authorities said.

Rodriguez said the 21-year-old case was reviewed by the department’s newly established cold case unit, which was put together to investigate unsolved murder cases.

“It was a matter of putting together different reports, scenarios, reports and persons of interest, and that is what led us here. These cases become complicated because sometimes you go in the wrong direction based on the information you have at the time,” Rodriguez said.

According to Rodriguez, information based on witnesses and a timeline created by investigators led to Abundez’s arrest.

“It took a set of fresh eyes and relooking at facts,” Rodriguez said. “Sometimes that’s all it takes, and in this case we had two investigators, Thomas Clipper and Crystal Ramirez, who did a tremendous job in bringing this man into custody.

“We believe that justice now will prevail and the person that is in custody, Abundez , now will be successfully prosecuted,” the chief said.

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LAGUNA VISTA — The town will hold its Laguna Vista Live: Music by The Bay event today from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Roloff Park.

The Agency is scheduled to perform.

The Agency is a Rio Grande Valley-based five-piece veteran band that has been entertaining people throughout Texas since 1993.

But that’s not all.

There will be 13 vendors on hand selling snacks, baked goods and drinks.

“We’ve secured a Ferris Wheel, the Texas Twister, and Half-Piper carnival rides,” City Manager Rolando Vela said.

These rides are at no charge to the community.

The town will be rescheduling the 1 mile walk/5K run in support of the 5th annual Autism Awareness Walk and Run that the Port Isabel school district is holding that same morning.

Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn or folding chairs.

There will also be opportunities to dance, Vela said.

The Agency is the band that has been playing music for the past 15 years at the World Championship Shrimp Cook-off in Port Isabel every November, Vela said.

They specialize in authentic Motown classic hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s. They also play a variety of dinner jazz, swing, country, waltzes and more.

“Composed of seasoned musicians who grew up with classic rock, The Agency is well-known for finely crafted vocals, tight, blended sound and danceable arrangements,” Vela said.

Chris was located at center of the stage. He calmly placed his hands on the piano and then the music began. Chris was part of the school band. He could remember a tune better than most people. Just an hour earlier, the children were all gathered in the music room.

Their parents had dropped them off at school to get ready for the big event. It was open house. What better way to start the night then the local school band welcoming all the families to the annual “Spring Meet the Teacher” evening.

Chris was dressed to the tee. He had his haired jelled just right and was wearing a beautiful light blue outfit perfect for the beginning of spring. Just a few months before, the teacher was asked if Chris might be willing to play in the school band. The music teacher was good at spotting talent and Chris definitely had that.

Chris had been in Room 622 for five years. Previously to that he had been in the PPCD unit (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities).

The boy was a quiet child, very gentle in nature but had ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). He was a small child who would always try his best. The problem was his ASD would make him very anxious and the boy would easily cry.

The teacher encouraged the family to help find ways for the boy overcome his high anxiety to change.

While Chris had ASD, that didn’t mean he couldn’t excel with the many gifts that God had given him. His sweet nature endured people to the boy.

The children at school were kind but his anxious behavior made it difficult for some of the students to relate to the boy.

His parents were hands on. They listened to the teacher and decided to push the boy forward. It was hard because no one likes to see their son or daughter cry or become uncomfortable in social situations. However, backing away from the challenge, especially for children with ASD, can limit their growth. Chris was placed in the local community play house.

Whether he played a tree, or was an animal or even said a few words, it was a great challenge for the boy. Out he went, right on to the stage. It was hard. It was very hard. Yet, the parents knew that the boy needed to be encouraged to overcome his fears with gentle love and encouragement.

They decided to place the boy in music lessons too. He took to the piano and learned some basic tunes. Performances in front of audiences were initially hard, but he learned to overcome that obstacle with his family’s support. Then, the request came from the music teacher. Would Chris be interested in joining the school band? At first it seemed a simple idea.

He had played in front of groups before. However, being in the school band was not exactly the same as playing the piano alone on the stage. Plus, Chris had sensitivity to loud sounds. He also liked his daily schedule of going right home after school. That gave him time to calm down from all the day’s events.

The first school band practice was hard for the boy. The practice was at 3:30 in the afternoon when the children were all leaving. Chris had to go to the music room. On the first day of practice, the music teacher was late because the school buses were late. By the time the music teacher arrived, Chris was beginning to melt down.

The teacher in his special education classroom happened to still be on campus and walked the boy back and forth. His family friend also brought some food for the boy while waiting but that wasn’t of any interest to the boy. The children waiting with him in the room were very loud and excited.

Chris began to cry. Then, the children immediately quieted down and surrounded the child. They had known him for several years. The children took his hand and went off to the stage with him. Chris calmed and did what he did well, played music.

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

BY Amanda Sotelo

Texas State Technical College will be hosting College for Heroes, a day dedicated to veterans to help them go from boots to books.

The event will be held Monday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the TSTC Cultural Arts Center and is being hosted to further educate veterans and their dependents on the programs, benefits and resources available to them at TSTC.

“Our veterans have done so much for us, they’ve sacrificed a lot and TSTC appreciates their service,” said TSTC Vice President of College Readiness Javier Deleon. “That’s why we’ve created this day solely for veterans and their families. It’s our turn to do our part and take care of them.”

The goal of the event is to provide veterans and their families who are interested in a post-secondary education or are wanting to return to college after time away with information and resources needed to help them get on a career track.

“Many times we hold recruitment events or student orientations that are for an array of people from different walks of life,” said Deleon. “But this event is tailored to veterans and their families. We want to take the initiative and be the college that reaches out so they can receive all the information they need. We don’t want them to miss out on a college education.”

College for Heroes Day will also consist of workshops presented by admissions, financial aid and the TSTC Veterans Center. Followed by lunch and station visits with veteran community outreach organizations such as the Vet Mobile Unit, Cameron County Veteran Service Office, VA Suicide Prevention and Texas Veterans Commission, among many others.

One-on-one tours of the college and its 40 programs will also be available for veterans and their families.

“TSTC faculty and staff always aim to have one-on-one time with prospective and current students,” said Ashley Contreras, College for Heroes Day event coordinator. “This event was designed to be focused primarily on veterans and their families having that one-on-one time they need and deserve.”

Statewide, veterans and their dependents make up a significant part of TSTC’s student population. According to numbers from TSTC’s Veterans Center Director Steve Guevara, there are 835 veterans and their dependents enrolled using GI Bill or Hazelwood benefits at the 10 TSTC campuses. Of these 835 students, 256 are at Harlingen’s TSTC campus.

“On College for Heroes Day, we’ll be available to answer any questions returning or new veteran students may have regarding benefits or the process they have to take to enroll at TSTC,” said Guevara. “This is a one-stop shop for them.”

The Veterans Center, alongside the Veteran Students Alliance Club, are active all year in assisting veterans and their dependents with admission and benefits processes, including advisement, providing internal and external resources and outreach programs, and scholarships.

TSTC’s Waco campus will also be hosting College for Heroes Day on April 21. Approximately, 422 veterans and their dependents are enrolled at that campus.

“All of these men and women and their families have sacrificed so much for our country,” said Deleon. “We want them to know we appreciate it and this is our way of saying thank you and doing our part in providing something back to them.”

A Harlingen police SWAT officer is recovering after a flash bang grenade blew up in his hand.

According to a news release, on March 31 several of the department’s specialized units were executing a search warrant for an aggravated robbery when the grenade detonated.

The department says the officer put himself in harms way to protect the other officers at the scene.

The blast injured his right hand and arm. He was initially taken to a local hospital for treatment but then transported to Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio where he is being treated.

April is Confederate Heroes and Heritage Month. But Texas history has long forgotten the highest ranking Confederate Tejano in the Valley, Capt. Justo Trevino of Brownsville and his company of Texas Partisan Mounted Volunteers, Texas Cavalry that included 83 Tejanos and Mexican Nationals during the course of the Civil War.

Also, there are at least eight Hispanics that served in the Valley Confederate Coast Guard.

According to Ofelia Olsson, his great niece, Trevino was born near Las Rucias in 1826, and the 1850 Census listed him as a farmer and resident of Brownsville.

With the research help from the Harlingen chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I learned that Justo joined the Confederacy in November 1863 and was elected captain of a company of about 40 Hispanics.

One account has Trevino’s principal duties as patrolling the Valley border, possibly as far as Rio Grande City. If Trevino’s Cavalry was patrolling that far up the border, then his Hispanic soldiers would have also provided extra security for Col. Santos Benavides of Laredo, caravans of wagons loaded with cotton that were being transported to the Mexican seaport, Bagdad, to be exported to England and Europe for muchneeded supplies for the South.

However, according to Dr. Jerry Thompson of Laredo, Capt. Trevino’s Hispanic troops spent most of their time chasing Juan Cortina and his Mexican revolutionaries.

On May 13, 1865, the last land battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Palmetto Hill, was fought about 16 miles out-side of Brownsville. Since the Confederate victory over the Union forces was mainly because of their cavalry out-flanking the Yankee infantry, Capt. Trevino and his cavalry might have been on the battlefield with Confederate Col. Rip Ford of Brownsville and possibly with fellow Confederates from Col. Santos Benavides Laredo company of Tejanos that were led by his two brothers, Capt. Refugio and Capt. Cristobal Benavides.

Jack Ayoub Harlingen

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Fisherman snagging fish off the jetties for fun may one day have to toss in the new life buoy to help save someone who is drowning.

“More than five people per year fall off the jetty,” said Michael Johnson, chief of Cameron county beach patrol. “It’s dangerous waters.”

Mission resident, Heriberto Ramos loves fishing off the jetty he said.

“It’s great fishing,” Ramos said. “But you have to keep one eye on your pole and one eye on the ocean otherwise you could get into trouble,” Ramos said. “If you fall off the jetty you could break a leg.”

Unpredictable water crashing against the jetty can cause people to slip off the large slippery rocks at any time and into the dangerous riptide even expert swimmers could have problems getting out off.

“Hopefully the person grabs on to the buoy and can be rescued,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the buoy went up two weeks ago, but took about two years to get the buoy cabinet approved for the jetties.

The jetty belongs to the Army Corps of Engineers and beach patrol had to obtain approval before placing it there to help save lives.

The whole thing including the supplies cost $1,000.

Cameron County Beach Patrol money was used to pay for the buoy cabinet and to purchase all the equipment.

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HARLINGEN — The city might ride the tide.

City commissioners are considering teaming up with a group of Rio Grande Valley cities in a campaign called Run Ride and Share.

The program helps protect the growing number of joggers and cyclists who use the Valley’s roadways.

“Any program that brings awareness to cyclists and runners, the city would be interested in participating in,” Assistant City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said yesterday.

Last week, McAllen City Commissioner Veronica Whitacre, who founded the campaign, asked city commissioners to join the group that includes the cities of McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco and Edinburg.

“I’m very, very excited,” Whitacre, a cyclist, said. “Harlingen has a very enthusiastic cycling community.”

Whitacre said she wants to work with more cities to boost the group’s muscle at the state capitol.

The group plans to request Legislators help fund an educator’s salary as part of a program to heighten awareness of the dangers runners and cyclists face on roadways, Whitacre said.

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Cyclists ride along a bicycle lane down East Harrison Avenue Saturday morning. The Harlingen-San Benito Metropolitan Planning Organization has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan that could potentially create an interconnected network for cyclist commuters to transit between various Rio Grande Valley cities.