RAYMONDVILLE — Voters turned out in strong numbers to cast early ballots in Tuesday’s pri-mary election, in part drawn to the polls by a hotly-contested race in which longtime Willacy County Commissioner Fred Serrato faces three opponents.

Voters cast 1,450 early ballots during the two-week period in this county with 11,929 registered voters, surpassing num-bers of votes cast during the 2012 primary election, whose ballot included a presidential race.

“It was significant,” Lefty Cavazos, chairman of the Willacy County De-mocratic Party, said after the polls closed yesterday.

Voters cast 1,200 early ballots in the 2012 pri-mary, surpassing that number in the 2014 pri-mary, when 1,565 voters cast early ballots.

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HARLINGEN — When Christian Cavazos takes a test, it’s not just an exam. It’s an adventure into the heart and soul of every problem.

“I’d put myself in the question and say, ‘If I was in the question, how would I solve it?’” said Christian, 14, an eighth grader at Memorial Middle School.

Christian is one of 138 eighth graders at Memo-rial who’d just learned about his high marks on the 2015–2016 Preliminary SAT (PSAT) 8 Benchmark. Eighth graders across the Harlingen school district took the test.

“I feel reassured, be-cause now I know I have the capacity to succeed in future tests,” said Chris-tian, who plans to attend the Dr. Abraham P. Cano Freshman Academy next year.

Merissa Sauceda, in-structional coach at Me-morial, was pleased with the results.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “It’s an amazing feeling. I know the teachers pre-pared them.”

The test evaluated stu-dents’ abilities in math and reading. It was com-posed of evidence-based questions requiring stu-dents to seriously consider the problems they had to solve. The questions had real-life applications.

“Some of the questions I could really relate to,” Christian said.

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HARLINGEN — The Harlingen school district is celebrating the results of a test its eighth graders took in October.

The PSAT 8 test, admin-istered by the College Board, gauges whether a student is on the right path toward college readiness.

About 1,100 students took the test, and 52 per-cent showed they are progressing well toward college readiness.

In contrast, only 43 per-cent of students statewide showed college readiness. Nationwide, only 41 per-cent showed college readiness.

As was the case throughout Texas, the school district tested only a percentage of its eighth graders based on several criteria.

Students who had taken pre-Advanced Placement classes were invited to take the test, as was anyone else who expressed inter-est.

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MERCEDES — Secretary of State Carlos Cascos had a great time in Mercedes at the Chamber of Commerce banquet mingling with its members.

He was chatting with his constituents and talking about his new position, his experiences traveling the state and the importance to get out and vote.

Mayor Henry Hinojosa said Cascos has become a good friend of Mercedes.

“He’s been working real nice with us,” Hinojosa said. “He’s dynamic and his words come from the heart.”

Cascos left his elected position of Cameron County Judge when he was appointed to be Texas secretary of State by Gov. Greg Abbott.

Cascos was the guest speaker at the annual event that highlights the year’s work of the chamber and recognizes members of the community for their contributions to the city.

Chamber past president Raquel Lopez-Gomez said Cascos said it’s very nice to see Mercedes has it together with the city and schools working as a team.

Gomez said Cascos was very impressed with the city, and noted everybody is working in Mercedes together to make it a better community.

The Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet was held on Tuesday at the Frances Cooper Event Center at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show grounds.

The banquet sold out and was at full capacity as 266 people were reported in attendance.

The winners of the chamber awards were announced prior to the event. Normally over the years the winners of the awards were announced during the banquet.

Gomez said it allowed for more family members to attend and reserve tables to support their loved ones being recognized by the chamber.

“All the winners are very well deserving and they have made contributions to make our beloved city even better,” Gomez said.

Mayor Hinojosa was awarded the Civic Leader award.

Hinojosa has been involved with the Mercedes Quarterback Club, the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church and City Hall over the years.

He said the designation of the chamber award validated what he’s worked so hard to accomplish as a public servant for the city.

“It was an honor,” Hinojosa said. “I’ve been honored nine years as commissioner and four years as mayor when the people elected me.”

EDINBURG — After reviewing 10,000 applications and accepting $4.2 million in new grants, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is getting ready to welcome the inaugural student cohort at its School of Medicine.

Out of the more than 10,000 hopefuls and more than 1,200 interviewees, the university could only accept 50 new medical school students and 111 undergraduate and graduate residency students to be part of the School of Medicine, which will officially open its doors in the fall.

Students selected have been notified and have until June 27, the first day of orientation, to respond.

University officials are also celebrating a recent $4.2 million grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that will be used to support and grow the school’s residency programs.

“It will help sustain residency programs that are already in effect and create new ones,” said Betty Monfort, senior assistant dean for admissions and enrollment management at UTRGV. “If we want to keep these graduates in the Valley, if we don’t have places for them to do residencies, they are going to go somewhere else, and usually where you do your residency is more or less where you stay.”

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Graduates of Texas State Technical College don’t just reach for the sky, sometimes they reach even higher than that. Brandon Westley, a 2008 Aviation Maintenance graduate, took on the role of Lead Production Technician at The Spaceship Company in 2013, knowing there were great things coming for the company.

The Spaceship Company is a sister corporation to Virgin Galactic, who unveiled its commercial aircraft, SpaceShipTwo, yesterday. Westley’s team at The Spaceship Company played a large role in ensuring flawless operations. The ship is designed for space tourism, and will be able to transport six passengers (and two pilots) into space.

“As a team, we go over what is on the agenda and look for any conflicts that may inhibit our work flow such as job overlaps in close quarters, or problems we may have run into the day before,” Westley said. “After the day’s agenda has been distributed I thoroughly go through my job determining what parts, tools, and possible problems may exist.”

But the job is anything from monotonous.

“A normal day can range from laying up parts, to building an oven over a section needing to be cured, to training other techs on safety and tool usage,” Westley said. “It’s ever-changing and there are lots of opportunities to learn new things here.”

Wanting to make a difference in the world, and not at a desk, Westley chose to attend TSTC for his education.

“I wanted to contribute to something greater than myself,” Westley said. “TSTC was the likely choice to learn what I needed in order to find the right path for myself, and gaining my A&P license was a huge step in having the right skillset and training to succeed in the aviation industry.”

Now, Westley has about eight years of aviation experience and over 12 years of technician experience, mostly focused on mechanical and systems areas. He previously worked for L-3 in Waco before moving to his current job in Mojave, Calif.

He chose to go into the field of aviation maintenance to fuel his passion for tinkering.

“I have always been mechanically inclined,” Westley said. “I loved to take things apart to figure out how they work. I think mostly every child has dreams of space travel and flying, and it was just a natural progression for me to combine my love of mechanics and flight into a career I would enjoy.”

It’s a good fit, since technical industries have surrounded Westley in most aspects of his life.

“I have two older brothers both with technical backgrounds,” Westley said. “I also just recently got married in October, and my wife works for The Spaceship Company in the Engineering department.”

The Spaceship Company is located in the Mojave Air & Spaceport, a leading aerospace test center for commercial operations in North America.

“I get to be at the forefront of innovation – not just with TSC here, but with all the other experimental facilities here,” Westley said. “It’s like being at an air show every day. The types of aircraft present here are better than anything you could see anywhere else.”

Westley is referring to aircraft like SpaceShipTwo, which he’s proud to have worked on.

“There is a huge sense of fulfillment knowing all these months of long hours, hard work and milestones have enabled us to build a spaceship. We build spaceships – not many people can say that,” Westley said. “We’ve built the foundation for the common man to see the stars up close and personal; It’s a remarkable feeling knowing I’ve had the chance to be a part of history.”

Westley looks forward to opportunities the future brings.

“I look forward to seeing what projects and opportunities join The Spaceship Company and Virgin Galactic brands after we head into test, and eventually, commercial operations of our spaceship,” Westley said. “I’d also like to go back to school at some point for an engineering degree – there is still so much to learn and design and I’d like to be a part of all of it.”

Westley’s advice for students is simple.

“Work hard, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to challenge what’s always been done in favor of what can be done,” Westley said. “The sky isn’t the limit anymore.”

TSTC offers associate degrees and certificates in Aircraft Airframe and Aircraft Powerplant technology. TSTC will begin enrolling new students for the summer and fall semesters on April 4. For more information on the aviation maintenance programs, or to apply, visittstc.edu.

BY Amanda Sotelo

“I was in shock when they called my name,” said Dolores Garza, Texas State Technical College Auto Collision Technology student. “I couldn’t believe I had received first place, the competition was so close. This was definitely a proud moment for me.”

Garza recently competed in the SkillsUSA competition for Auto Collision Technology in the refinishing category. She was the only female from the auto collision group to participate and has earned herself a first place win and a spot at state competition in April held at TSTC’s Waco campus.

SkillsUSA is a professional organization teaching technical, academic and employability skills that help high school and college students pursue successful careers. Members build these skills through student-led team meetings, contests, leadership conferences and other activities.

Preparation for SkillsUSA was intense said Garza. She practiced every Friday after class for two hours improving her prepping, masking, refinishing and blending skills, and because SkillsUSA is a timed competition Garza also had to perfect her timing.

“At each practice I focused and took advantage of all the time and pointers instructors would give me,” said Garza. “I had to do as much as could with the time I was given.”

Garza said she plans to put in the same work if not more for state competition. There are areas she said she feels she can improve in, but getting first place has allowed her to realize that auto collision is what she is supposed to be doing and where her future is at.

“Garza is one of my best students. She works hard and gets along with nearly everyone,” said Jose Vasquez, auto collision instructor. “In fact a judge came up to me after SkillsUSA praising Dolores and her work. He offered to help find her job after graduation. As far as I’m concerned she has a very bright future in this industry. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Garza’s love for cars started at a young age when she would help her father repair and replace tires, but it was not until she purchased her 1985 IROC Camaro in high school that she realized her passion.

“I was under the hood of that car all day, every day. Everything I did was self-taught. YouTube became my best friend,” said Garza. “Family and friends all encouraged me to pursue a career in the automotive field. So when I found TSTC and Auto Collision Technology, I let go of all my apprehension of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and enrolled.”

This is the best decision I could have made added Garza.

“Every single day at school, isn’t a day at school. It’s just fun,” said Garza. “Although school isn’t always easy, I’m actually happy now.”

Ultimately, Garza would like to open her own shop geared toward women. She explains she wants a place for women to feel comfortable at when their vehicles need service or repairs. Garza also plans on giving back to the college and community that has given so much to her.

“I want to eventually use my skills to help and donate my services to a good cause,” said Garza. “First though, I just hope I can represent our campus well and make everyone proud of me at state. I need to help the get word out about my program. In my eyes this is a top-notch program and I need to help get more women involved.”

More than 40 local TSTC students will attend the SkillsUSA state competition in April.

For more information on Auto Collision Technology call 956-364-4659. Registration for Summer and Fall 2016 begins in April. Apply anytime online at tstc.edu.

If you have lost a loved one to a drunk driver, you need to know that the driver may have had many chances before he was finally able to kill our loved ones.

Police officers are allowed to use their discretion as to how you will be charged when stopped for drunk driving.

In La Feria and other small towns, it is ticketed as public intoxication. This is so they can keep the fine money in their town. It’s a fact that any judge or JP that hears the case even after reading the incident report and knowing it was drunk driving, can only rule on the ticket the officer wrote.

This gives even a rookie officer more power than any judge. Even though all of the above took an oath to uphold the laws of Texas, they themselves have the right to violate the oath and the laws.

We have many running for office for judges and JPs, so let’s vote for one who will change the way they are letting drunk drivers have more chances to kill our loved loves — because a police officer has more power than they do.

Sincerely,

Delores Fuller, La Feria

BY Melissa Vasquez

EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley picked up more than a dozen honors for creative excellence at the American Advertising Federation (AAF)-Rio Grande Valley ADDY Awards competition on Feb. 18.

Recognized at the annual event, which acknowledges the work of the Valley’s advertising and marketing community, was The Studio at UTRGV, an arm of UTRGV’s University Marketing and Communications department, as well as individual UTRGV faculty and students who also brought home honors.

The Studio at UTRGV, under the guidance of Dr. Kimberly Selber, director of Marketing and Creative Services, garnered a “Best of Show,” a “Best of Print,” two gold honors and eight silvers for work ranging from billboard campaigns to brochures.

Patrick Gonzales, assistant vice president for University Marketing and Communications, said the awards point to the UMC staff’s teamwork and dedication.

“We knew it was important for our office to develop and implement impactful marketing pieces during the transition to UTRGV, and these awards help confirm that we were able to do that,” Gonzales said. “What makes this recognition even more special is that so many members of our team contributed, and that we were able to serve the UTRGV campus community.”

The annual ADDY awards competition recognizes creative excellence in local media, including print, broadcast, interactive, out-of-home and public service. Winners of the Rio Grande Valley ADDY Awards are eligible to compete in the second level of the three-tiered ADDY Awards competition. At the second tier, local winners compete against other winners in one of 15 district competitions. District winners are then forwarded to the third tier, the national ADDY Awards competition. The AAF is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry.

The Studio at UTRGV collaborated on some of the winning pieces with Stamats, a higher education marketing agency.

University Marketing and Communications team members garnering awards were include Kimberly Selber, creative director/copywriter; Roberto Castro, Santa Hernandez, Daniel Cardenas, Denise Zamora, Eddie Woodward, Elisa Flores, Abby Chavarrilla, Alex Garrido, Karla Castillo, Michael Sandoval, Ricardo Camargo, Ike Galindo, Kevin Shropshire, Pete Tijerina, Juan Ramirez, Sally Mendiola, Ruben Capuchino, and Patrick Gonzales, assistant vice president for University Marketing and Communications.

· Best of Show: We Will Billboard Campaign, created for UTRGV, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media Campaign.

· Best of Print: We Will Billboard Campaign, created for UTRGV, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media Campaign.

· GOLD: Prestige Brochure, created for UTRGV, Collateral Material-Brochure.

· GOLD: We Will Billboard Campaign, created for UTRGV. Out-of-Home & Ambient Media Campaign

· SILVER: We Will Campaign – Magazine Ads, created for UTRGV, Magazine Advertising Campaign.

· SILVER: 2015-2016 V Club Donor Guidebook, created for UTRGV Intercollegiate Athletics, Collateral Material-Brochure.

· SILVER: UTRGV Countdown, created for UTRGV, Online/Interactive – Social Media – Multiple Platforms.

· SILVER: Entering Freshman Admit Packet, created for UTRGV Admissions, Direct Mail – Flat – Single.

· SILVER: Discover UTRGV, created for UTRGV Admissions, Collateral Material – Special Event Material.

· SILVER: We Will Campaign, created for UTRGV, Integrated Branded Content Campaign.

· SILVER: Vaqueros Journey, created for UTRGV Intercollegiate Athletics, Internet Commercial – Single Spot – Any Length.

· SILVER: UTRGV Recruitment Video, created for UTRGV Recruitment, Audio/Visual Sales Presentation.

UTRGV FACULTY AND STUDENT ADDY AWARDS

In addition to The Studio at UTRGV, two UTRGV art faculty entered their own work in the professional category and picked up RGV-ADDY honors, as did numerous UTRGV students.

FACULTY HONORS

· Ping Xu, lecturer, art department: SILVER – Truman Study Abroad China – Poster Campaign, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Poster-Campaign

· Robert Gilbert, associate professor, art department: SILVER – Travel Journal, Hengyang, China, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Poster

STUDENT HONORS

Blanca Lilia Villarreal

GOLD – Blanca Lilia Self Promotion, Sales & Marketing – Sales Promotion – Packaging

GOLD – Love Should Not Hurt, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Poster – Single

GOLD – Illegal Dreamers, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Poster – Single

SILVER – Iguana Vector Illustration, Elements of Advertising – Illustration – Single

Arael E. Meza

GOLD – UTRGV Holiday Card, Sales & Marketing – Special Event Materials

Isabella Hernandez

SILVER – Valley Christian Magazine, Sales & Marketing – Publication Design – Series

Jacqueline Maldonado

SILVER – Austin City Limits Music Festival BRM, Sales & Marketing – Direct Marketing – Direct Marketing.

GOLD – Art against Violence Advocacy Poster, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Poster – Single

Diana Chong

SILVER – Genopa, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Poster – Single

Belinda Gonzalez

GOLD – Cock Fighting Typography, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Poster – Single

Yasmin Villarreal

SILVER – Living the Dream, Out-of-Home & Ambient Media – Single Occurrence or Installation

Alejandra Alfaro

SILVER – Mona Vie, Elements of Advertising – Visual – Logo Design

Idalia Soto

SILVER – Isasoto, Elements of Advertising – Visual – Logo Design

Ruben Elizalde

SILVER – Arkitekt Logo Design, Elements of Advertising – Visual – Logo Design

Laura Vargas

GOLD – Paola Graphic Design Logo, Elements of Advertising – Visual – Logo Design

Megan Rae Gonzalez

SILVER – Personal Applications Concepts, Elements of Advertising – Illustration – Single

Deyla Lerma, Jose Quintanilla, Blanca Villarreal, Jessica Gonzalez and Mildred Olavarria, SILVER – REM: The American State of Mind – Invitation Category, Elements of Advertising – Art Direction

HARLINGEN — The delayed work at Hugh Ramsey Nature Park should pass a major hurdle as county work crews begin to lay asphalt over the gravel parking lot.

The project initially was to finish around Jan. 1, and city officials now say the popular park for birders and nature photographers should re-open by the middle of next month.

The delay has been due to the parking lot and the 8-foot by 100-foot concrete basin structure, which is 4 feet deep, that sits right in the middle of it. That is by design.

“On the bottom of the basin there’s gravel, big old bull rock, about a foot of it,” Jeff Lyssy, parks superintendent, said this week. “And then we put weed-lining fabric down, and then we brought some sand in, and then we put more weed fabric down.”

“Once the asphalt is down, Lyssy said, “We’ll bring in some composted topsoil and then we’ll plant. Actually we’re relying on our partners through the Arroyo Colorado Audubon Society and the Texas Master Naturalists to help us plant that and maintain that area.”

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