SAN BENITO — Superintendent of Schools Dr. Adrian Vega posted a survey online yesterday.

This is an effort to obtain feedback in preparation for the development of the district’s five-year strategic plan.

Since his arrival in early January, Vega has been gathering feedback regarding the school district’s current status from teachers, staff members, administrators, support staff and community members.

In conjunction with gathering information, the district is working toward the development of the strategic plan.

The plan will serve as a guide to keep the district on track for future success, Vega said.

For the time being, Vega encourages members of the local community to contribute by answering the questions on the survey.

The survey is available online on the district’s website in English and Spanish.

It will be there until Feb. 26.

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BROWNSVILLE — In a special workshop yesterday morning, the Cameron County Commissioner’s Court discussed which projects should be submitted for consideration for funds available through environmental funding grants, such as the RESTORE Act.

The RESTORE Act makes funds available for the restoration and protection of the Gulf Coast Region and certain programs with respect to the Gulf of Mexico, through a trust fund in the Treasury of the United States, known as the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund.

Daniel Rios, senior vice president for consulting firm S&B Infrastructure, and attorney Jose Caso led a presentation detailing the application process, funding, and identification of grants of which the county would be the best qualified.

Cameron County Administrator David Garcia said the grant awards were monumental. A civil settlement agreement against British Petroleum and Transocean brought in approximately $6.5 billion to the RESTORE ACT.

“This can mean that we address both economic development and environmental opportunities to enhance the region as a whole because a lot of the projects we are addressing are regional, along the Gulf Coast,” Garcia said.

Applications for the next round of grants are due April 15.

Commissioners agreed to meet for another workshop at 9 a.m. Feb. 19 to review the most suitable project proposals.

SANTA ROSA — There is another officer on patrol helping take care of the city, and he is ready to go on a moment’s notice.

Police Chief Ronnie Hernandez brought on Gunner, a 3-year-old male Dutch shepherd K-9 that can sniff out drugs.

He is pretty good at it, too.

“He’s a narcotics dog,” Hernandez said. “He detects marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.”

Since joining the force six months ago Gunner has identified narcotics in suspicious vehicles after being stopped on routine traffic violations.

When Gunner is alerted, he goes right to the drugs and starts biting and scratching where the drugs are.

Gunner also is used in case an officer notices something suspicious or illegal with probable cause.

“We already picked up two people with marijuana,” Hernandez said. “He is ready to go at any time.”

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HARLINGEN — Digital literacy is a hot item across the country.

School districts everywhere are encouraging students to become more connected with learning in the digital age.

Now there’s even a Digital Learning Day. The Harlingen school district has declared Feb. 17 to be Digital Learning Day in line with the nationwide event.

Superintendent Art Cavazos said the day celebrates the innovative use of modern day technology tools to enhance student learning.

“As we continue to create and expand technology-rich environments, this is a time to highlight the innovative ways technology is being used throughout our district,” Cavazos said.

Dr. Nolan Perez, president of the Harlingen school board, said the digital age has made the world more dynamic than ever.

“We need to prepare our students with the tools they need to succeed in the 21st century,” Perez said. “There are great things happening across the nation when it comes to integrating technology into the classroom. Digital Learning Day provides a venue for the exchange of innovative practices in digital learning.”

Instructional coaches are also being recognized on Feb. 17 for their work providing teachers with support and furnishing students with appropriate activities and experiences to fulfill their potential.

“With the celebration of Instructional Coach Day, we recognize them and the part they play in our efforts to develop highly-effective educators for the success of our students,” Cavazos said. “Instructional coaches have a very unique and critical role on our HCISD campuses. They spend a lot of time working with and supporting our teachers as they create engaging lessons that allow students to collaborate, communicate, think critically and creatively.”

Perez said instructional coaches are a great resource for teachers.

“They really have the pulse on what’s going on at the campus level,” Perez said. “They are always monitoring data to ensure we are moving forward with best practices for our students.”

SAN BENITO — The Harlingen South boys and girls have some early momentum in the 2016 track and field season.

Neither could have asked for a better start to the year after being crowned meet champions at the Bobby Morrow Relays on Friday night in San Benito.

The South boys took home the trophy with 112.75 points, besting crosstown rival Harlingen, which finished in second with 103.66 points. Meanwhile the Lady Hawks finished with a score of 101.50.

For South head boys coach Ralph De La Rosa, the win wasn’t as sweet as the dedication his athletes displayed just by showing up to compete.

“What stood out was the effort the guys came out with — they competed in every event,” De La Rosa said. “We had baseball, soccer and tennis guys who all came out and competed and then went back to their sports.

“The core track team did their jobs today and I think we all got better today.”

Mercedes (75.75), Brownsville Rivera (66.75) and Los Fresnos (57.50) rounded out the top five schools in the boys division.

The Lady Hawks notched the win thanks to five of their athletes racking up at least 11 points on the day. Leading the way was senior Nicole Gonzalez with 25 points.

Gonzalez took home gold in the 200- (25.97) and 400-meter (59.27) dashes and anchored the winning 4×100-meter relay team (50.58).

Full story at RGVSports.com

LYFORD — Three years after the city took over the local cemetery, officials still are working to help families who have buried their loved ones there for generations.

Now, city commissioners are considering allowing those families to bury immediate family members in the Guadalupe Cemetery on North Oleander Street.

“At this time, only husband and wife are allowed to be buried in the old section,” City Secretary Lydia Moreno said yesterday.

Since April 2013, Moreno said, the city has worked to oversee the cemetery’s maintenance.

But the job got bigger.

“This has become an issue for us,” Mayor Henry De La Paz said.

Poor record-keeping has raised big questions.

“There was little or no record of who bought plots,” De La Paz said. “Some people have documented proof of purchase. We’re taking it on a case-by-case basis.”

Before the city stepped in, a committee oversaw the cemetery’s operations.

But when the committee dissolved, the city took over.

Moreno said the cemetery dates to about 1942, when a resident donated the three acres to give poor residents a place to bury their loved ones.

RAYMONDVILLE — Cozy cottages will open up to front porches and yards along tree-lined walkways.

It’s part of the novel look of Las Casitas Los Olmos, an $11.5 million, 80-unit development currently in the works that will help fill Raymondville’s housing shortage.

Yesterday, state and local officials gathered for the project’s groundbreaking at the development’s site at 380 FM 3168.

“It will help,” Mayor Gilbert Gonzales said later, referring to the city’s housing shortage. “It will keep people in town.”

The Brownsville Community Development Corporation used $8.3 million in federal tax credits and a $2.1 million loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Capital One to build the development aimed at low-income residents.

The city’s first apartment development in more than 10 years will give many Rio GrandeValley residents who work here the choice to move into town, said Catalina Ozuna, executive director of the Raymondville Economic Development Corporation.

“There’s a need,” Ozuna said. “It’s going to make a difference. There are a lot of people who live out of town because they don’t have nice housing here.”

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HARLINGEN — Clear-blue skies welcomed 115 golfers to day one of the San Benito Invitational Golf Tournament Friday morning at Tony Butler Golf Course.

Fifteen schools from across the Rio GrandeValley got a chance to sample a taste of what’s in store for the District 32-6A tournament, which will be held two months from now at the same course on April 4-5.

“We have two more tournaments, besides this one, coming up before district,” said Los Fresnos head coach Luis Gonzalez. “We wanted to give them a shot to look at this course and hopefully in another month we’ll give them another shot because district (tournament) is another two months away.

“So for now we’re just trying to get the kids ready, practicing out here to take advantage of the course.”

Full story at RGVSports.com

Wednesday was the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, when many Christians abstain from animal foods in remembrance of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert before launching his ministry.

But meat-free Lent is much more than a symbol of religious devotion to Christ. It helps reduce the risk of chronic disease, environmental degradation, and animal abuse. Dozens of medical reports have linked consumption of animal products with elevated risk of heart failure, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases.

A 2007 U.N. report named meat production as the largest source of greenhouse gases and water pollution. Undercover investigations have documented farm animals being beaten, caged, crowded, deprived, mutilated, and shocked.

Lent offers a superb opportunity to honor Christ’s powerful message of compassion and love by adopting a meat-free diet for Lent and beyond.

After all, it’s the diet mandated in Genesis I-29 and observed in the Garden of Eden.

Our supermarket offers a rich array of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, as well as the more traditional vegetables, fruits, and grains. Entering “vegan recipes” in our favorite search engine offers more products, recipes, and transition tips than we can use.

Sincerely, Hugh Reeser, Harlingen

Recently, I read an article in the paper with comments from the Assistant Superintendent of Building Operations for the Harlingen School District.

The next day, I read an article with comments from the Administrator for Organizational Development.

Where are all these titles coming from? I wonder how many more meaningless titles are lurking in the shadows. What kind of salaries do they get? What do they do?

I wish the School Board would have a study done of who does what, is it necessary, is it duplicated, is it to keep up with other districts?

I wonder how many administrators are in the school hierarchy?

Sometimes I feel the School Board spends money as rich people instead of the ordinary people it comes from.

I would run for School Board, but I don’t have the proper credentials and wouldn’t get elected.

Gerald L. Paschke, Harlingen