LOS INDIOS — The lazy brown Chihuahua napping in the street here last week seemed to dare somebody to drive by and interrupt.

At first glance, this border city of 1,149 souls that hugs both sides of U.S. 281 in southern Cameron County, seems unspoiled, radiating a special kind of quiet only the smallest towns can manage. You could call it Mayberry on the Rio Grande.

But if that’s the impression you come away with, locals say, you’re wrong.

“The day before last night, they were playing racers, two cars right here,” said Los Indios resident Oscar Quintanilla, pointing to the next street over. “And these two guys, they were armed. Right here.”

Quintanilla and other residents here hope incidents like that soon will be eliminated by a stronger law enforcement presence.

The City of Los Indios is on the cusp of fielding its first police force after months of preparation. Officials say the budget is in place, three unpaid reserve officers have been hired, and a used police patrol cruiser has been painted and is being prepped for delivery.

Tom Hushen is interim police chief, and has been the driving force in building the foundation for a police force. A former Harlingen city commissioner, he served for 15 years with the Harlingen Police Department.

“It’s time-consuming. It doesn’t just happen overnight,” Hushen said last week.

“All we’re waiting on now is an ORI (Originating Agency Identifier) number so that we can access the database,” he said. “It’s a matter of sending paperwork in and getting a letter from the state saying we are a licensed police department, and then you’ll get an ORI number that is unique to your department.”

On Friday, the city’s first patrol car was receiving its finishing blue decals at Tapia’s Signs in Harlingen. The squad car was bought used from the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office and repainted white. Having a patrol car on the streets is a symbol of progress for the city, said Mayor Rick Cavazos.

“We’re very happy about the way the process has been unfolding in setting up our police department,” Cavazos said last week. “Tom Hushen has done an outstanding job, and we’re looking forward to continuing the process and getting some patrols out there.”

Cavazos knows law enforcement, too. A Los Indios native, he retired from the U.S. Border Patrol where he worked out of the Harlingen office which patrolled the area.

Hushen, like City Administrator Jared Hockema, was quick to praise Sheriff Omar Lucio for his support and help as Los Indios was building its police force.

A Los Indios Police Department, they say, isn’t a criticism of the sheriff and his deputies, or the county constable, all of whom provide law enforcement in the city.

“We’ve had concerns over the years about burglaries, beatings, things of that nature,” Hockema said. “We’ve received great service from the sheriff’s office, but the city felt it really needed people that it appointed.”

But employing your own people, of course, means city residents will have to pay for it.

Hockema said the city began levying taxes in 2003, and since then has hired municipal employees and passed new ordinances city residents have been demanding.

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By RAUL GARCIA

Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — Access to Walmart just got easier with the addition of Evergreen Street.

Turning left onto Highway 100, well, not so easy without a streetlight.

“If you’re turning onto Highway 100, relax a little bit and be safe,” said Mark Milum, Los Fresnos city manager. “People need to use caution and not rush.”

Drivers sometimes endure other drivers honking their horns behind them to hurry them up to turn left.

“When there’s a traffic light out there, turning will be protected and will solve the problem,” Milum said.

The new street cost the city $1.2 million to build. It was paid for with sales tax money.

Evergreen Street has been open almost a month and there have been some minor accidents already.

“People need to use caution when turning until the traffic light gets there,” Milum said.

Milum said the Texas Department of Transportation will be placing a streetlight at the intersection of Evergreen and Highway 100.

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — The Rio Grande Valley Chapter Texas Master Naturalist will host an Introduction to Nature Photography workshop at the South Padre Island Birding Center on Saturday.

The workshop is open to any level of photographer, whether your equipment is a point-and-shoot or a cell phone.

The workshop will end at noon. The fee for the class is $50 and includes admission to the Birding Center.

Registration is required, as space is limited. Payment can be made by check or online with PayPal. Go to rgvctmn.org/photo-workshop/

For additional information, call Committee Chair Heidi Linnemann at 956.797.2872 or [email protected].

Meet instructors at 6 a.m. for 2 1/2 hours of photo opportunities in the field, taking advantage of sunrise and early morning light. Instructors will assist with any questions and suggestions while photographing subjects. Returning to the Island Birding Center, the following three hours will be spent in classroom instruction, including a critiquing session from the morning shoot.

The lead instructor, Greg Storms, is a wildlife photographer and photographic consultant and guide at La Jarra Nature, Birding and Heritage Center near Raymondville. He has instructed in previous Texas Master Naturalist sponsored workshops, and has been recognized for his talent in various shows.

The South Padre Island Birding Center is at 6801 Padre Blvd in South Padre Island.

The Rio Grande Valley Chapter Texas Master Naturalist is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, more specifically to develop a group of knowledgeable volunteers to provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the study and conservation of natural resources and natural areas within the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

BY VICKY BRITO

BROWNSVILLE — A University of Texas Rio Grande Valley professor has been selected to participate in fellowship that will allow her to extend her research on human trafficking.

Dr. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, associate professor of Public Affairs and Security Studies, was selected for the Woodrow Wilson Residential Fellowship program for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Beginning in September, Correa-Cabrera will spend nine months in Washington, D.C., to continue her research on immigration, human trafficking and transnational organized crime in Central America and along Mexico’s eastern migration routes.

Her research previously was funded by the U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, as part of a Fiscal Year 2014 Grant for International Programs to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

Correa-Cabrera has conducted extensive research across Latin America, interviewing migrants, academic experts, prisoners and law enforcement to find out why people migrate given the dangerous, often life-threatening conditions they face on the journey to the United States.

“I will consolidate all the knowledge I have acquired in the past seven years, and this residency will serve as an opportunity to publish all this research,” Correa-Cabrera said.

Correa-Cabrera said Dr. Walter Diaz, UTRGV dean of Liberal Arts, and Dr. Terence Garret, chair of the Department of Political Science, have provided important support, making her advanced research efforts possible.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars aims to unite ideas with the world of policy in Washington, D.C.

MERCEDES — A father drowned Sunday afternoon after he jumped into a canal to rescue his 5-year-old daughter.

The family was fishing at a canal bank along Florida Avenue when the daughter fell in.

Both the mother and the father jumped into the canal to save her, police said.

“When the officers arrived, all of them were not out of the canal,” Police Chief Olga Maldonado said.

“Two officers jumped in and they managed to get the little girl and the mother out. But the father had already swept away.”

Officers pulled him from the water about 3 p.m.

Other information was not immediately available.

Jefferson Elementary was awarded a $25,000 grant through the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation for the Project Fit America program, a fitness initiative that brings indoor and outdoor equipment, teacher training and a fitness curriculum to communities across the country.

Fourth-grade student Denise Rivera is excited about the opportunity her school has to participate in the program.

“I saw a picture of the fitness equipment we will be receiving and, well I just want to try out every single one,” says Denise. “Fitness is a cool thing because you can have a lot of fun, be with your friends, and become a healthier person.”

It all started when coach Sessia Wyche, the schools physical education teacher, received a letter in his school mailbox from the Foundation inviting school districts across the Rio Grande Valley to apply for a chance to obtain a grant that could be used for a fitness playground. After an intense application process, Jefferson became one of eight schools in the RGV to be awarded.

Wyche hopes the new equipment will encourage his students to become more active.

“This is an exciting addition to our physical education program,” says Wyche. “Our students will have fun while they also exercise. My goal is for the students here at Jefferson to be able to use the equipment before and after school, maybe even on weekends and in the summertime.”

PFA will provide state-of-the-art outdoor fitness equipment consisting of seven freestanding workout structures to be installed in a grassy, gated field next to the school and also indoor mobile fitness equipment to be used during inclement weather days. Using the equipment students will be able to develop upper body, lower body, and abdominal strength along with cardiovascular endurance and flexibility.

“The Project Fit America program is a great and exciting opportunity to teach kids about health and wellness at a young age,” says principal Alejandra Lara. “Coach Wyche is always looking for innovative ways to keep both the kids and the staff healthy at Jefferson. So when I found out that we were awarded the grant I couldn’t help but get excited because I know that he is going to take it as far as possible.”

Students as early as grade one can safely use the equipment since activities are non-specific to age and gender.

Once the equipment is installed in fall 2016, PFA will hold on-site training where the coach and other staff will be shown how to properly use the equipment.

To evaluate program effectiveness, all PFA schools participate in two years testing and evaluation for project measurement. Schools will pre-determine whether they wish to test all students or select a benchmark grade level of students to track.

“The plan is to follow third and fourth graders for two years,” says Wyche. “We track how many miles students run, and how many sit-ups, how many pull-ups they can do. They will be tested in the fall and then again in the spring.”

To find more information about Project Fit America, visit projectfitamerica.org.

If the city of Harlingen had the time to send patrol units to shopping area parking lots and cite fake Handicapped tag holders, non tag holders and people that just wait for others to come out of the store, that could rake up a few dollars for the city.

I see it every day, especially at Morgan HEB and K-Mart. Yes, I do have actual Disabled Veteran plates, but am in good enough health, most of the time to be able to walk a

However, there are people that really need those spots and way too often I see folks, some of them young High School kids, with Handicapped mirror placards with hand-written dates.

I ask that the HPD could please try to enforce some of these laws and help those that realy need those parking spaces. I know that the PD is very busy and they do an excellent job patrolling most of Harlingen.

Thank you for any assistance in this matter.

Michael Heckman Harlingen

The abuse of alcohol continues to plague our nation. Despite all of the education, awareness campaigns, and regulations, the abuse of alcohol is a non-abating problem for our community, State, and Nation, growing year by year despite all of our efforts to curb it. Although we have witnessed the continued growth of all of the substances of abuse, eg cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, designer drugs, etc., this article shall just be concerned with alcohol and its associated problems.

The abuse of alcohol creates many, many problems; ranging from domestic violence to fatal automobile accidents; not to mention the most insidious disease of alcoholism. One just has to read the daily news, or watch it on TV, to be witness to the problems associated with alcohol…many of our readers may be personally aware of the problems it has caused with relatives and friends.

Now, I am not an alarmist or prohibitionist, but I am a realist. Over the years, in my lengthy history of working in the fields of mental health and substance abuse; I have been called “overzealous,” a “prohibitionist,” and many other terms. Yes, I may have been overzealous concerning the problem, but hardly a prohibitionist as I am aware that the majority of the population consumes alcohol beverage and does so responsibly.

As a founding father of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAAP), I often net-work with my colleagues; Licensed Chemically Dependency Counselors (LCDC’s). At our annual conferences, when we had the opportunity of coming together for educational workshops and other events, it was most refreshing to be with those who shared similar thoughts about the problems associated with chemical substances and the field of substance abuse counseling. And, as we have done for over 40 years now, the same alcohol related question always arises: “When are they going to be aware?” This continues to baffle us.

While most other States of our nation have made great strides in curbing the abuse of alcohol, sadly to say Texas has not. The State of Texas offered prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse, with emphasis on alcohol abuse and addiction, for many years. But, as the problem became too immense and was indeed very costly, the legislation “threw up their hands” and discontinued prevention and treatment efforts…they gave up; albeit providing some funds for “farmed out” programs. This occurred despite their awareness that the problem was vast, and would continue to be so. This lack of concern has led Texas to be number 49 of the 50 states in per-capita funding for mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment…almost at the bottom of the totem pole…Yeah! We are still number 49! How sad is this?

One just has to check the statistics to see how vast our alcohol related problems are, you need not take the word of my colleagues and I. One just has to look at the latest statistics on automobile deaths and injuries related to alcohol in our state, as provided by the Texas Department of Transportation, to become aware of the serious consequences of alcohol abuse. There were in excess of 10,000 vehicle accidents wherein alcohol was involved; leading to over 1,000 fatalities and more than 14,000 injured.

If you look at the number of alcohol-related fatalities on the highways in our State over the past 14 years you will discover that the number is over 15,000! These were not just numbers; they were someone’s Father, Mother, Children, Sister, Brother, Aunt, Uncle, or other significant person who died or injured at the hands of alcohol use and abuse. When one looks at statistics on other factors of alcohol abuse consequences, such as domestic violence, criminal activities, etc., that number increases many hundreds of thousands. Besides Law Enforcement personnel, the Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor is most concerned about the problems; we see the results first hand. Is it any wonder we may be seen as “overzealous?” For those of us who have witnessed the heartbreak of families, the death and destruction, which alcohol can be the impetus for; we are indeed most aware.

As a professional working in the field of addictions for many years, I can attest to the fact that we cannot wait for, or rely on others to make headway in preventing alcohol problems. The answer always remains with the family members. Although our educational systems, law enforcement, and other agencies do much in the field of alcohol awareness education; the responsibilities continue to lie with our families. I firmly believe, and know, that substance abuse education begins and continues in the home; long before our children even go to school. Our children learn behaviors through the teaching and examples set by their significant adults. I firmly believe that if the parents or significant other adults teach their children about the adverse effects of alcohol and other substances of abuse, beginning at a pre-school age and continuing on through their teens, then their life choices and chances regarding non-abuse will be greatly enhanced.

There have been a myriad of books written over the years about substance abuse and our youth over the years; many, many designed for the parents about teaching their children about substance abuse; many of these are available at our local libraries, on line, or at our local book stores. One of my books, “MORE Straight Talk: Answers to Questions Young People Ask about Alcohol” has enjoyed many years of publication and is now in its 3rd printing. I would that all families have a copy of this book, and truly not just because of the meager royalties I receive, but to help increase the awareness of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and helping those who are struggling with the effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

I offer a free, complimentary copy of my book to any agency, association, club, or any other organization that chooses to accept one; and I will most gladly send one if you e-mail me at [email protected].

The answer to the question “When are they going to be aware?” lies with each one of us. We just have to get involved at whatever level we can. Are you a part of the solution? Until next time, Stay Healthy My Friends!

Every child is unique. Periodically, the teacher would hear her colleagues comment that all students should all be treated the same. Certainly that is an ideal to achieve but the fact is children are not all the same.

That was true in Room 622. Each child may have had ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) but they all had very different needs. Some had acute hearing and noises truly bothered them. Others had an incredible sense of smell and they would react strongly to certain scents. Still others had sight issues and flickering lights could trigger seizures.

Then there was Robert. His heightened sense was touch. The boy definitely needed lots of physical activities to focus and settle down.

Over the years, the teacher had purchased all kinds of sensory items for the boy to help him calm down and focus. The two best things Robert liked were a small rocking chair and an over sized blue ball from Abilitations.

Robert always seemed to gravitate to that ball during sensory time. He would laugh while running and leaping on it. How that child had so much energy, the teacher never understood. Robert was like a non-stop locomotive always in action.

The rocking chair usually helped the boy calm during academics. Robert would rock in that chair during group activities around the SMART board. The problem was during language arts and math activities. Sometimes, the boy needed to be sitting at a table while working on papers.

Robert simply could not focus if he sat in the hard plastic school chairs. When in a regular chair, he would do poorly at completing his classroom work. Typically, Robert would whine and ask for the rocking chair.

One day, the teacher decided to try a ball chair that she had seen in the website www.abilitations.com. There were lots of choices for Robert to have instead of a typical chair. Some of the balls were weighted while others had little legs. Another chair looked pretty normal other than the ball in the center.

She chose the ball with little legs.

When Robert saw the ball chair, he was thrilled. The boy was drawn to it immediately. That sensory chair helped Robert focus on a variety of activities. At times though, the teacher did have to rotate the boy into a regular chair. Robert knew that if behavior was good, the ball chair was available later in the day.

The boy also knew that good behavior meant more time on that big blue ball during choice time, too.

Research has shown that ball chairs can improve academic performance for children, whether they are in special or general education. The trick is that ball chairs require focus and balance. Like Robert, children often love ball chairs as they allow them to squirm around a bit without getting into trouble.

The teacher had helped other teachers over the years create a special environment for children who had trouble staying seated. She found that some children did well with plastic sensory circles to sit on. Others needed tape outlining their desk area. Still others did well with tickets to earn special rewards.

Ultimately, each child was unique and special just like Robert. They just need to be gently pushed to reach their full potential.

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