HARLINGEN — The city’s Recycling Center is soliciting group tours in an effort to increase environmental awareness and conservation.

The center’s objectives are to expand workplace recycling at school campuses and commercial establishments. The center also aims to increase awareness with public education programs.

“We are extending the life of the landfill, establishing anti-litter programs and encouraging beautification,” City Manager Dan Serna said. “This is our center’s function. The tours are very educational and are a proactive approach to addressing environmental issues.”

John Avilez, the Center’s director, said achieving these objectives not only helps to divert recyclable items from the city’s landfill, but helps to improve quality of life.

“We also want to promote volunteerism to provide a clean and safe environment in which to live in,” Avilez said.

The Recycling Center provides 30-minute to one-hour tours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in partnership with Keep Harlingen Beautiful. Tours may contain up to 60 people.

For more information, or to book a tour, please contact the Center at 956-427-8786.

What the center accepts

Cardboard: Brown corrugated boxes, shoe and food boxes that are either brown or gray on the inside. No boxes with white interior or coated with a wax or plastic.

Newspaper: Entire paper. No plastic wrappers

Paper: Letters, junk mail, school papers, forms and computer paper. No tissues, paper towels or napkins.

Aluminum: Cans only. No aluminum foil or single-use pans.

Steel: Tin cans, wire hangers, miscellaneous small pieces of steel, refrigerators, AC units and washers.

Plastic # 1: These bottles generally include soda, sport drink, juice and water bottles. They are marked with a triangle and No. 1 in the middle. Caps removed.

Plastic Bags: Only grocery-type bags and newspaper bags are recyclable. Bags need to be clean and empty.

Plastic Foam Packing Peanuts: Remove any contamination from the peanuts.

Automotive Batteries: Lead-acid batteries only.

Used Automotive Oil: Household, do-it-yourself, oil changers only. No commercial oil and no oil filters. Oil filters may be taken to most auto parts stores for recycling at no cost.

Styrofoam: Packing material, egg cartons.

Electronic Equipment: Computers and televisions.

MERCEDES — Staff Sgt. Michael Cinco’s teacher described him as a model student.

A large American flag draped the entrance of the Mercedes Early College Academy auditorium. The main street was dressed with a lining of American flags placed by the Mercedes Sons of the American Legion Post 172 honoring the loss of Cinco and directing the community to his memorial.

“He just did it the right way all the time,” said Orlando Rodriguez, Cinco’s science teacher.

During the memorial yesterday, he described Cinco as having the moral fiber the district teaches its students, called the TIGER way.

The model stands for talent, integrity, goodness, effort and respect. Rodriguez said Cinco, a graduate of Mercedes High School, already possessed these character traits long before the school began teaching them to students.

Rodriguez said Cinco would go out of his way all the time with a smile on his face and he didn’t need a pat on the back for his good deeds.

Cinco’s sister-in-law told the audience how he met her sister and when they fell in love. She said the two were inseparable and if Cinco had it his way, they would be together all the time.

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HARLINGEN — It appears a $4.5 million project to renovate the city’s tallest building would develop all its apartments as low-income housing.

The pre-application for federal tax credits to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs obtained by the Valley Morning Star states all 24 Baxter Building apartments would be designated as low-income units.

However, for months, city officials told downtown property owners the developers planned to offer a “mix” of one-bedroom apartments rented at market rates and some offered as low-income housing.

“I will oppose it,” Bill DeBrooke, chairman of the Harlingen Downtown Improvement District, said of the project yesterday after being told about the pre-application information. “This is not what the city fathers led us to believe.”

Mayor Chris Boswell said he had not seen developer MRE Capital’s pre-application for the project being called Baxter Lofts.

But, he believed Daniel Sailler, MRE Capital’s co-founder and the developer, told officials the developers planned to offer apartments at market rents and others as affordable housing.

“I think they told us there might be a market mix,” Boswell said.

Boswell said Sailler told officials the developers planned to charge monthly rents of $700 for one-bedroom apartments.

That’s the city’s “market rate,” he said.

“There’s a whole lot more to the application than just low-income,” Boswell said. “The trouble with this is you’re labeling it something. It’s getting this label without context. What does low-income mean? We keep getting hung up on labels and trying to make something about it when it’s apartments.”

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SAN BENITO — The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating a fatal two vehicle accident that occurred yesterday morning.

Officers responded to the crash around 8:20 a.m. on FM 2520 south of FM 800, south of San Benito.

Troopers said a Silver 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe, occupied by a man, a woman and 2-year-old boy, was traveling southbound behind a red 2005 Kenworth semi-trailer.

DPS said the driver of the Hyundai failed to control the speed of the vehicle and struck the back end of the tractor-trailer rig.

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HARLINGEN — A man said he was walking his dog one day when he was approached by two men.

He said he was struck in the face and his 6-month-old Siberian Husky was dognapped.

Officers were dispatched about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday to Orange Grove Drive in reference to a robbery.

According to the victim, he was walking his dog near the intersection of 1st Street and East Monroe Avenue when a black Ford F-150 pickup truck parked in a parking lot near him.

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Two men got out of the truck, hit the victim in the face and took his Siberian Husky, a police report said.

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HARLINGEN — It might have been a cold night outside, but the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons were on fire Friday evening at Boggus Stadium.

Gabby Moya and Claire Castaneda combined for three early goals as the Lady Falcons handily put away the Harlingen Lady Cardinals 4-0.

“We treat every game like it’s a playoff game and we don’t underestimate our opponents and we came in knowing it would be a fight,” said Los Fresnos head coach Patricia Hernandez.

BOYS

LOS FRESNOS 2, HARLINGEN 1: In the second game of the evening Los Fresnos rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the Cardinals 2-1.

Two goals from Erick Arellano were enough to give the Falcons the win.

“I think it was a good game because we were attacking and getting to the goal,” said Los Fresnos Javier Navarrete. “We’ve been struggling the last three games. We’ve been playing well, but we just can’t finish and tonight we did the same thing but we won it with under two minutes.”

Full story at RGVSports.com

LA FERIA — A resident learning how to write grants said the school board needs to think outside the box when it comes to looking for money to help the district.

Lifetime resident Armando Lomas, 34, said “as far as for seeking a $14 million bond to renovate schools, the district should look into federal and state grants for help.”

At the Jan. 11 school board meeting, the La Feria school board voted unanimously to call a $14 million bond election asking voters to consider a proposition.

If approved, district homeowners would be responsible for approximately $4.2 million of the bonds and approximately $9.8 million would be funded by the state.

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