SAN BENITO NEWS - eType Servicesarchives.etypeservices.com/sb1930/Magazine50237/... · our undergrad. Then we both went to (Texas) A&M for pharmacy school.” After their graduation

© 2014, San Benito NewsLOCAL NEWS PUZZLES OPINION OPINIONHeadline goes here: Text for story is placed in this space and should only be four lines in length.

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Building a Better SB: In case you haven’t noticed, the San Benito News packs quite the journalistic ... Pg. 4

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Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday30% chance of rain

High: 79°Low: 68°

20% chance oft-storms; High: 85°

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Partly cloudyHigh: 91°Low: 61°

SunnyHigh: 87°Low: 59°

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WEEKEND EDITION, APRIL 6, 2014 SAN BENITO, RIO HONDO, LOS FRESNOS, HARLINGEN AND THE RIVER COMMUNITIES SINCE 1930

SAN BENITO NEWS

SBCISD cop accused of official oppression, child injury firedABUSE BOMBSHELL

EXCLUSIVE

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZManaging Editor

[email protected]

An officer with the San Benito CISD Police De-partment facing charges of official oppression and injury to a child has been fired, school district offi-cials confirmed Thursday.

According to Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lu-cio, now-former SBCISD police officer Joe Mendez was arrested Wednesday

after he turned himself in to authorities. Men-dez, who in February was accused of assault-ing a teenage student who was restrained at the department’s station, was released from Coun-ty custody after posting bail. Lucio confirmed that Mendez’ bonds were set at $35,000 (official oppres-sion) and $5,000 (injury to a child).

Sources close to the matter have reported that

the Texas Rangers have investigated Mendez for allegedly picking up and

slamming a student, iden-tified as a 15-year-old fe-male, face-first on a desk

causing bleeding and in-jury.

When asked to com-

ment on these allegations, SBCISD Interim Super-intendent of Schools Dr. Ismael Cantu issued a statement Thursday eve-ning that confirmed Men-dez’ termination from the district.

“A San Benito CISD police officer previously administratively suspend-ed is no longer employed with the district,” Cantu said. “The district secured

Interim super reaches out to Band Boosters

Concerns raised about gravesites at local cemetery

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZManaging Editor

[email protected]

San Benito CISD In-terim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ismael Cantu has mailed letters to San Benito High School band parents and members of the local Band Booster Club in an effort to quell concerns brought on by an ultimatum he recently issued to the nonprofit organization’s president.

The ultimatum came in the form of a certified let-ter mailed to the Booster president requesting a

copy of the NPO’s by-laws, 501(c)(3) status, 2013 federal income tax returns and bank state-ments. “If the attorney’s information or records identified above are not received by Wednesday, March 26, 2014, SBCISD will suspend using your organization for school functions,” Cantu said in the certified letter.

In his subsequent cor-respondence to Club members and parents, Cantu expressed his appreciation for their

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZStaff Writer

[email protected]

A San Benito native has raised concerns about the upkeep of his family members’ gravesites at a local cemetery.

Seventy-five year-old Raul Rodriguez of San Benito, who currently resides in Denton, Texas, said that when visiting the Resaca City three weeks ago to clear the gravesites of departed family members at Mont Meta Memorial Park, he noticed something startling.

“My brother’s headstone has been chipped around the edges,” Rodriguez said on Wednesday. “It comes about possibly because of the use of a lawnmower too close to it. All I know is that the lawnmower that

“The district secured an outside state agency to handle an investigation involving the officer in question after serious allegations were

launched against the officer.”-Dr. Ismael Cantu, Interim Superintendent

San Benito CISD

See CEMETERY, Page 9

See COP, Page 9

See SUPER, Page 9

Warming upSan Benito High School senior pitcher Roy Agu-ilar is shown warming up before Thursday’s home game, in which the Greyhounds varsity baseball team dominat-ed the PSJA Memorial Wolverines by a score of 10-0, with the game called after six innings.(Photo by Balde Olivarez

- KSBG/SBCISD)

VICTORIOUS

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZStaff Writer

[email protected]

What started as a child-hood friendship has now evolved into a profession-al partnership.

Rudy Rangel and Leo Ramirez met when they were in football at Miller Jordan Middle School. As their friendship pro-gressed, they made plans to one day work together as pharmacists, a goal that they would eventually achieve.

“Along the way, we both started doing our own thing, but we kind of knew that’s what we wanted in the long run,”

Childhood friends’ career paths parallel

PharmacistsShown are childhood friends (from left to right) Leo Ramirez and Rudy Rangel, who are now pharmacists and coworkers at Fry’s Pharmacy in San Benito. (Staff photo by Francisco E. Jimenez)Ramirez said. “I say we both did our own thing,

but we both went to UT (University of Texas) for

our undergrad. Then we both went to (Texas) A&M for pharmacy school.”

After their graduation from pharmacy school, Rangel went on to com-plete a residency in Hous-ton, but Ramirez also end-ed up moving to Houston to work while he lived with his girlfriend.

“So we both ended up in Houston, and then a year later we both ended up moving back down,” Ramirez explained.

It was at that point that Rangel began working at Fry’s Pharmacy in San Benito in June 2011. At that time, Ramirez had

See CAREER, Page 9

PAGE 2 • LOCAL NEWS SAN BENITO NEWS APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

STEVEEsteban

Rodriguez

SAN BENITO CISDSCHOOL BOARD

PLACE 7HELPING THE TAXPAYERS BY BUILDING ASTRONG FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION

Pol. ads paid for by the candidate Steve Rodriguez.

Come and meet the Candidateon April 12 at Kennedy Park, San Benito

FREE LUNCHEON• BBQ Chicken • Rice & Beans • Drinks & Desert

San Benito – Rangerville Beef Club BBQ

Sat., April 5, 2014 (6:00pm – 7:30pm) San Benito High School Cafetorium 450 S. Williams Road ~ San Benito, TX

Date: OngoingTime: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to FridayEvent: San Benito NFL Flag Football Registration, co-ed ages 4 to 14Where: Public Utility Building, 485 N. Sam Houston Blvd., San BenitoMore Info: (956) 577-3706

Date: April 5 to 7Event: Fifth Annual South Texas Tattoo FiestaWhere: Casa De Amistad, 1204 Fair Park Blvd., Har-lingenMore Info: (956) 423-1999

Date: April 8Time: 6 p.m.Event: Maggie’s House Candlelight Vigil - April Child Abuse Awareness MonthWhere: Maggie’s House, 2400 W. Expressway 83,San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-3313

Date: April 8Time: 7 p.m.Event: San Benito High School Class of 1984: Reunion PlanningWhere: SB Wings, 498 U.S. 77 Business, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 536-1206, (956) 241-6393

Date: April 11Time: 10 a.m. to noonEvent: Friend to Friend program to increase the number of women meeting the American Cancer Society screenings standards for breast and cervical cancerWhere: San Benito CISD Administration Building, 240 N. Crockett St., San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-8236

Date: April 12Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.Event: San Benito Market Days Where: Batts Street and railroad tracks, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-3800, ext. 302 or 304

Date: April 12Time: 1:30 p.m.Event: The Valley Byliners presents speaker Marge Flados, author, historian, mo-tivational speaker, humorist

and retired registered nurseWhere: Harlingen Public Library, 410 ’76 Drive, HarlingenMore Info: (956) 399-8505 or visit rgvbyliners.org

Date: April 18 to 20Event: Valley International Christian Center Grand Open-ing and Easter ProductionPlace: Valley International Christian Center, 901 W. Expressway 83, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 399-5590

Date: April 19 to May 10 (Saturdays)Time: 9 a.m. to noonEvent: 4-week Book Writing 101 SessionWhere: Harlingen, exact location TBAMore Info: (956) 990-4109 or email [email protected] or visit www.CupofConversation.com

Date: April 26Time: 9 a.m.Event: Second Annual Walk for San Benito ChildrenWhere: Kennedy Park/Heavin Resaca Trail, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-6477, (956) 423-9304

Date: April 26Time: 9 a.m.Event: No Excuse Run (5k Run/1-Mile Family Walk-Run)to benefit Cameron County Children’s Advocacy CentersWhere: Harlingen Country Club, 5500 El Camino Real, HarlingenMore Info: (956) 361-3313, (956) 986-2770, or email [email protected].

Date: May 9Time: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Event: Sunny Glen Children’s Home Leadercast simulcastWhere: Christian Fellowship Church, 901 North Loop 499, HarlingenMore Info: (956) 367-5978

Date: May 10Time: TBAEvent: Co-ed Softball Tourna-ment to benefit Cameron County Children’s Advocacy

CentersWhere: Brownsville Sports ParkMore Info: (956) 537-9049, (210) 394-9133 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Date: Monday to FridayTime: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Event: Volunteers SoughtWhere: Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley Inc.More Info: (956) 682-8101

Date: Monday to FridayTime: 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.Event: RecyclingWhere: Paper Recycling Cen-ter, City Service Center, 925 W. Stenger, San Benito

Date: Every first TuesdayEvent: Writers ForumWhere: Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, 255 E. Stenger St., San BenitoMore Info: (956) 350-3905

Date: Every second and fourth SaturdayTime: 12 to 2 p.m.Event: Saturday Movie MatineeWhere: San Benito Public Library, 101 W. Rose St., San BenitoMore info: (956) 361-3860

Date: Every WednesdayTime: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.Event: San Benito Knitting ClassesWhere: San Benito Public Library, 101 W. Rose St., San BenitoMore info: (956) 970-3342

Date: Every FridayEvent: Story Time at the Library for Head Start studentsWhere: San Benito Public Library, 101 W. Rose St.More Info: (956) 361-3860

Date: Every SaturdayTime: 9 a.m. to noonEvent: Brownsville Farmers’ MarketWhere: 6th Street Linear Park, across from Gladys Porter ZooMore Info: Visit www.brownsvillefarmersmarket.com

Special to the NEWS

San Benito High School senior Alondra Oyer-vides will participate in the Business Profession-als of America National Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana in May, joining more than 5,000 other conference delegates from across the nation.

Oyervides, 17, will also be given the Ambassa-dor Award, which is the culmination of the BPA year—a reward for the hard work put into com-petitions, Torch Awards and more.

The Ambassador Award is given at the national lev-el; the Ambassador Torch is defined as “a diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and accredited as a representative of the organization.”

BPA’s Torch Awards Program frames and guides a BPA member’s leadership and service to their chapter and commu-nity. Students complete activities in the seven Torch categories—Lead-ership, Service, Coop-eration, Knowledge and Friendship; Love, Hope, Faith and Patriotism.

Also, a student par-ticipating in the Torch Awards Program builds a

Alondra and FrancesAlondra Oyervides, a senior at San Benito High School, is seen with Frances Thrailkill of the SBHS Career and Technical Education Department.

(Courtesy photo)

National Leadership Conference on tap for SBHS senior

rich resume of service and leadership experience to be proud of, according to Oyervides’ BPA advisor,

Frances Thrailkill of the SBHS Career and Tech-nical Education Depart-ment.

READ ALL ABOUTIT IN THE SAN BENITO NEWS

Easter Coloring Contest

Parents, have your child color the Easter drawing, fill in the entry blank and bring

them by San Benito News office. Winners will announced in the Wednesday,

April 16, 2014 issue of the San Benito News.

WIN A GIANT

BASKETFULL OF GOODIESOn Display In Our Lobby

3 Age Groups • 3 WinnersAges 2-4, 5-7, 8-10

Deadline For EntriesApril 14, 2014

My Name is:I am years old.

Name:

Address:

Phone:Bring Your Entry To: The San Benito News Office

(Parents Please Complete)

860 S. SAM HOUSTONSAN BENITO

PH: (956) 399-4111FAX: (956) 399-4481

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at 399-2426 and ask for Mary Escobedo or Robert Perez

APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND SAN BENITO NEWS LOCAL NEWS • PAGE 3

In case you haven’t noticed, the San Benito News packs quite the journalistic punch.

Take this statement, not as an exercise in arrogance on our part but of confidence in the paper’s ability to report community news and, at times, publish hard-hitting exposés that inspire positive change in the city. This weekend’s edition is no exception as we once again got the scoop on all that would have otherwise remained mere rumor, such as: a San Benito CISD police officer facing charges of official oppression and injury to a child – allegations which stem from an incident involving a student; and the unearthing of alleged monetary discrepancies linked to a San Benito High School band trip to Hawaii last year.

No one else has these stories because no one else knows about these stories. No one else knows about these stories because no one else is as invested in reporting San Benito news as the San Benito News. Our readership is through the roof, thanks to our increasing web and social media presence, and the buzz on the street about “what was in the paper this week” remains ever-present. And to think... we’re practically giving it all away with subscription rates that offer single copies at less than the cost of a stamp. You basically spend more money mailing your car payment than subscribing to your local newspaper.

Still, unlike the manner which metropolitan dailies have encountered difficulty remaining relevant during the rise of online media, our challenges as a semi-weekly community newspaper are rooted not in advances in technology but in the paralyzing effects of a spiteful mentality. Such spite is usually exhibited by a small but loud San Benito contingent identifiable for its dismissive behavior of anything local – degenerates, in other words.

These lowlifes (yeah, I said it) are characterized by their unmistakable ridiculing of famous San Benito natives, including Tex-Mex music legend and Grammy award-winner Freddy Fender and three-time Olympic gold medalist Bobby Morrow; a cynical attitude toward any local endeavor regardless of how promising it may appear and the defacing of property that would otherwise serve as a source of pride.

While you and I are working 50 to 60 hours a week to provide an exclusive service for our hometown, these delinquents are spending their time turning it into a giant eyesore. When we propose ideas designed to better ourselves and the community, they scoff and hope we incur failure. And when we succeed in all that we set out to accomplish, they mock and dismiss our achievements as though they were trivial efforts. But what is a community to do when this wretched mindset begins to influence nearly every aspect of small town life?

As the city’s only newspaper, we’re also beginning to experience these unpleasantries. Take the stupidity (for lack of a better word) of this comment into consideration: “I didn’t even know San Benito had a newspaper.” I’ve heard these words uttered recently when speaking with people about subscribing or advertising in the paper. They’re clearly aware of our existence – unless, of course, they haven’t visited any restaurant, convenience store, grocery chain or the downtown district in San Benito in the last... oh, I’d say 84 years – yet feign ignorance in a pathetic attempt to hurt our pride. Some in San Benito have even taken their advertising and subscription dollars to Harlingen and Brownsville publications, which print less than five percent of the community news we have within our pages, purely out of spite and contempt. What happened to Shop San Benito?

There’s nothing more counterproductive than a bad attitude; we see it every day in the graffiti we shake our heads at, in the cynicism that plagues the hope we so desperately cling to and in the dismissive behavior of all that makes us a proud people. So what is a community to do? Concede not to those whose useless criticisms are greater in number than their accomplishments. Invest in San Benito; invest in the San Benito News and help us build a better community.

Building a BetterSan Benito

To MikeTo the Editor,It is not surprising the San Benito officials do not

want the public to know the truth about the low sales taxes. As far as they are concerned, the more there is to hide the less they have to do to correct it.

They want to be in la-la land. They don’t want to work. They want the seat they got elected for and they want the notoriety, but nothing more. Problems are for the other guys in the next community, not for us.

What is surprising is they know very little but the philosophy of a democratic government. They have the fortitude to believe government by the people means hiding the negative aspects because they think that living in la-la land solves problems.

For a community to solve any problems, they must first place everything on the table: the good, the bad

and the ugly. From there, you boast about the good, you work to solve the bad and, if you can, throw away the ugly. The ugly in this case are the politicians who want to hide the facts because they get uglier if you don’t address them.

I have no idea who would want to hide the bad. And I do not want to know. It’s probably one of those nice politicos who smile a lot and has his or her own agenda.

Maybe now people can understand my philosophy of voting all politicians out after one term.

If my mother was mayor I would vote her out also… sorry, mom, I’m trying to make a point.

But my mom is too smart. She cares about people and her community and that alone disqualifies her.

Santiago “Pepito Elote” PerezSan Benito

POLICY:Letters to the editor, photographs, stories, news tips, comments, criticisms and suggestions are welcomed by the San Benito News. Material can be submitted in person, by mail or e-mail at [email protected]. Material sent by regular mail can be sent to P.O. Box 1791, San Benito, TX 78586. Comments, suggestions, feedback and news tips can be phoned in at (956) 399-2436; ask to speak to the editor. All material submitted to the San Benito News is subject to editing. Letters to the editor must contain the author’s complete name, signature, address and phone number. Address and phone number are for verification purposes only and will not be released to anyone outside of the San Benito News office. Letters found to be submitted with a false or incomplete name or signed “anonymous” will not be published. The editor reserves the right to not publish any letter. Material printed in this publication does not necessarily represent the views of the San Benito News or its staff. Deadline for submitting letters involving a political candidate is one week prior to election day, in order to allow time for a candidate to reply if he or she so wishes. Otherwise, letters will run after Election Day.

(USPS 479-060)Published every Sunday & Wednesday at San Benito, Texas By New Horizon Publishers, Inc.

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PAGE 4 • OPINION SAN BENITO NEWS APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Michael RodriguezManaging Editor

CONSIDER THIS

A Letter to Band Boosters, ParentsDear Band Booster

Club Members/Band Parents:

You may have recently read an article that appeared in the local newspaper related to the Band Booster Club with regards to a request on behalf of an attorney conducting an ongoing investigation.

I would like an opportunity to clarify the subject at hand by making attempts to be open and honest with all of you regarding this matter. San Benito CISD appreciates the efforts of the Band Booster Club and band parents. We understand that all of you are truly committed to the band program and to the students of this district.

We realize that you devote countless hours on football Fridays, Pigskin events, marching events

and at other local, area and state competitions by assisting students and our band directors. We applaud your efforts for always doing your best to help not only our students, but also our district – because in the end, we all benefit.

Please understand that Booster Clubs, under UIL guidelines and Board of Trustees policies, are under the

jurisdiction and control of the Superintendent. Therefore, I have a responsibility to ensure that Booster Clubs are adhering to guidelines and policies.

We hope that you understand that there are financial concerns that have come to my attention. A decision was made by my office to address these formal concerns as part of my duties as Superintendent of Schools.

We pledge to continue supporting the efforts of the Band Boosters, band parents, volunteers, etc., but it is imperative that we work together and operate in a more transparent manner. For this reason, we are providing a copy of UIL Booster Club Guidelines as well as the Board Policy found online on our website at www.sbcisd.net. It is my only hope that these documents, (rules regarding non-profits, etc.) in an effort to assist, will persuade and guide us in our efforts.

At San Benito CISD, we encourage participation from volunteers; however, in an effort to promote a good working relationship, we must work collaboratively to protect everyone’s interest.

I thank you in advance for being patient and understanding. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at (956) 361-6110.

Dr. Ismael Cantu Interim Superintendent

SBCISD

Alcoholics Anony-mous/Narcotics Anony-mous/Cocaine Anony-mous will be meeting at St. Paul Lutheran Church/Loaves and Fishes at 602 Morgan Blvd. in Harlin-gen on Mondays at 6:30 p.m., Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 12:10 p.m. in the Library Room. Meeting will also be held at 514 South E. St. in Harlingen on Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m. and Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. in the Dining Room. For more informa-

tion, call (956) 345-7092.Alzheimer’s Support

Group meets every sec-ond Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m. in the Canterbury Court. For more information, call Arcie Aguilar at (956) 399-7821.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) meets the third Saturday of the month at 12:30 p.m. in the Texas Room at Golden Palms on 2101 Treasure Hills Boulevard. For more in-

formation, call (956) 459-3955.

Aurora Study Club, meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. in members’ homes.

Catholic War Veterans Post 1109, La Villita Pa-tio, 261 West Robertson, San Benito, at 8 p.m. ev-ery other Thursday.

Elks Lodge No. 1661, meets the first and third Thursday of the month at 8 p.m. inside the Elks Lodge, 251 N. Reagan,

San Benito.Elkettes of Elks Lodge

No. 1661, meets every second Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. inside the Elks Lodge, 251 N. Rea-gan, San Benito.

Greyhound Fan Club meetings is scheduled on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at MJ Screen Printing, 250 S. Williams Road. For more information, call (956) 399-7288

Harlingen Branch of the American As-sociation of University

Women, first Saturday of the month, luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the Harlin-gen Country Club.

Harlingen Insurance Professionals invites you to join monthly meetings which are held every sec-ond Wednesday of the month at Sunny Glenn Children’s Home from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Discussed are ways to help the com-munity and raise money for scholarships given to local schools. Contact Amanda Perez at (956)

428-1912 or Ruby Armi-jo at (956) 423-1147 for more information.

Harlingen Mid-Valley Retired Teachers Asso-ciation, September, No-vember, January, March, May, July at 2:30 p.m. at the Camelot Retirement Village on Camelot Drive in Harlingen (across from Lowe’s).

Harnito Garden Club, 2:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the homes of various

For the Week Beginning April 6

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Something you just found out about will show up in multiple places in your life this week. Are you unconsciously keeping an eye out for it, or is this part of a grand plan? Either way, there’s a message in all of these seemingly coincidental happenings, and it won’t be hard for you to decipher it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). If you don’t have an “elevator pitch,” this is the perfect time to come up with one, as you’ll likely be meeting new and influential people in the week ahead. If you can easily tell them what you do in 30 seconds, you’ll advance to the next step in your business. The same principle applies to your personal life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Some lies are told out loud, but lies of omission are worse because they do not come with any telltale variances that give the recipient a fighting chance at detecting them. In your fight for truth and justice this week, stay aware of the silence, and poke around a bit to make sure you’re not missing something.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). A bossy person will figure strongly into this week’s events. Bossy types are not as popular as others because most people don’t enjoy being bossed around. However, bossy people are often forceful for a reason: They have a vision they believe in. In this week’s case, much improves when you buy into it, too.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). At various points in the

week you will play the role of the free spirit or possibly the rebel. It’s important to note that to some degree you still care what people think of you. Free spirits need friends, too! And rebels are far more effective at overturning the system with their crew of revolutionaries in tow.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Someone is keeping you from the next step. If you’ve been resistant to recognizing it, here are the signs: 1. You can’t seem to get a clear answer from this person. 2. The overall feeling is one of “dragging along.” 3. It takes longer than it should to get in touch. How will you eliminate or go around this obstacle?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your tendency to require very little of your loved ones will make things easy for them and hard for you. Just know that “easy” isn’t what they really want. To balance out the relationship, ask for something more. People want to give to you, and relationships will be better if you let them.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). If all of the logic lines up, and things still don’t feel right, do not move forward. You’ll never regret the decisions you make that follow a strong intuition. However, there is plenty to regret about letting a limited understanding of the world’s precarious accounting system dictate your choices. Trust your inner knowing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Most of

your relationships work brilliantly, and when they don’t, you give people the benefit of the doubt. Then again, if you can accurately predict the other person’s behavior, and it’s mostly unsupportive, unhelpful and ultimately disappointing, then it’s time to take a break. You can always try again later.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It will benefit you to interact with others in a controlled environment. Letter writing, presentations, edited video -- these are all methods of communication that allow you to be in control of what you present. You won’t be able to control every environment this week, but you’ll enjoy taking charge where you can.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You can finish a project alone if you like -- just know that it will take you several weeks to do so. If you want fast results, enlist the help of a Taurus. Also, accept the help of the volunteers who will come along on Thursday and Friday. (They will be attracted to your sense of purpose and the fun you seem to be having.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If you can’t figure out right off the bat what you have in common with the new people you meet this week, start with basic human needs, such as the need to connect and feel included and respected. If you couldn’t find a single other commonality, the mutual need to connect is enough of a basis for a solid relationship.

HOROSCOPEBy Holiday Mathis

Special to the NEWS Humans existed for thousands of years as restless, roaming hunters and gatherers. Then one day a travel-weary soul spoke up and said, “Let’s stay here and try to grow something.” As Mars in Libra opposes the Aries sun in a tug-of-war situation across the sky, many will wonder whether it’s better to take what’s offered and use what’s around, or create something that doesn’t yet exist. There are merits to both sides.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

In A NameACROSS1 Promontories5 Stag or rooster9 One of the Visayan Islands13 Home of the Jazz14 Panache15 ___ for All Seasons16 Fred + Jim =19 Silent movie follower20 Brooks and Harris21 Polish23 Good name, briefly24 Smile25 ___ Kleine Nacht-musik26 Weather forecast28 ack + Phileas =30 Pie-mode center31 Basset, for one32 Hose mishap33 Kind of bliss35 Gaseous hydrocarbon39 Designer Cassini41 Expert42 Easy as ___43 Betty + Soupy =47 Monk’s quarters48 Secrete49 Stadium feature50 Wallace’s Ben51 Verb ender52 Mandlikova, of ten-nis53 Rich cakes56 Ethel + Billy + George =59 Longfellow’s bell town60 Pavlova61 Columnist Bombeck62 Vintage63 Flanders river64 Ownership paper

DOWN1 Clump2 Pedro’s other3 Monopoly property4 Hebrew moolah5 Persian, of yore6 The works7 Those not of the cloth8 Groups of nine9 Rainy day rarities10 Funny Philips11 Spanish-speaking

neighborhood12 Like some heroes17 Bite18 Generous people22 Panhandle24 Marsh25 D followers26 Crow’s cry27 Corrida cheer28 Guiding principle29 European org.31 Edit out34 Be overly fond36 Opening37 Zilch38 Moray40 Deny41 For each43 ___ Is Sylvia?44 ”For he beholdeth himself and goeth ___”: James 1:2345 Imagine46 Is an apt student47 Held on a leash50 Attack weeds

52 Will beneficiary53 Godunov, for one54 Salinger girl

55 Roe source57 La-la lead-in58 Washington bill

JUSTINTRYON

New York GiantsVisiting S.B.

See CLUB Page 6

SMILEyou’re in the News

APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND SAN BENITO NEWS LIFESTYLES • PAGE 5

CLUB MEETINGS

CHURCH DIRECTORYLA TRINIDAD ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH

500 Harrolds Ave. • Rio Hondo • (956) 748-2012Pastor: Joe & Delia Cavazos Jr.TEMPLO EL SALVADOR

1605 S. Sam Houston • San Benito • 399-8550Pastor - Eliu I. Gonzalez

ABUNDANT LIFE CHURCH101 North “O” Street • Harlingen • 425-1696

Pastors Peter & Estela PiñonBAPTIST TEMPLE

1201 N. Reagan • San Benito • 399-2274FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF RIO HONDO

8 Miles NE of San Benito • 748-2251Pastor - Gene Horton

IGLESIA BAUTISTA LA PALMAMaria and Patricia Streets • San Benito • 399-0665

Pastor - Tomas A. BeltranPRIMERA IGLESIA BAUTISTA

501 W. Robertson • San Benito • 399-1298RANGERVILLE BAPTIST

FM 1479 South 6.2 Mi. - San Benito • 421-5797Interim Pastor David Mann

QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE CATHOLIC CHURCH

121 Garrison Dr. • San Benito • 399-2865Pastor Rev. Isaac Emeka Erondu

ST. BENEDICT’S CATHOLIC CHURCH351 S. Bowie • San Benito • 399-2353

Pastor Ignacio LunaST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA CATHOLIC PARISH

Pastor Miguel Angel Castro24380 West U.S. Highway 281, El Ranchito, TX

399-2022OUR LADY OF LOURDES

CATHOLIC CHURCHPastor Miguel Angel Castro

Padilla Rd. & Cinco de Mayo, La Paloma, TXSACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pastor Miguel Angel CastroU.S. Hwy. 281 & Rangerville Rd., Las Rucias, TX

HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC PARISHPastor Reymond Nwuchakwu

210 Watts Avenue, Progeso, TX • 565-6856ST. THERESA CATHOLIC CHURCH

1300 Combes • San Benito • 399-3247Rev. Sam Arizpe

ST. HELEN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH228 Huisache St. • Rio Hondo • 748-2327

Father Rigobert P. MotFIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

400 N. Reagan • 399-2864Interim Minister Caroline F. Herbert

Alternative Service Jean CottenIGLESIA CRISTIANA EBENEZER

205 First St. • Los Fresnos • 233-4975 or 233-5198Rev. Feliberto Pereira

IGLESIA CRISTIANA EMMANUEL335 Corral • San Benito • 399-5695

Rev. Servando PeralezSAN BENITO CHURCH OF CHRIST399 N. Sam Houston • San Benito • 399-3153

Minister Darrel RobertsonCHURCH OF CHRIST OF LOS FRESNOS

5th & Alamo • Los Fresnos • 233-5503Minister Dale House

EL SALVADOR CHURCH OF GOD638 Julian St. • San Benito • 428-2621

Rev. Luis LunaALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

499 N. Reagan • San Benito • 399-1795Rev. Judy Sessions

IGLESIA PRESBITERIANAGETSEMANI CHURCH

140 Diaz • San Benito • 399-3595Pastor David Anthony Coello

ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH1000 N. Crockett • San Benito • 399-3422

Pastor Lynn LubkeFIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

400 N. Sam Houston • San Benito • 399-2187Pastor Melissa S. Nelson

FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE490 N. Crockett • San Benito • 399-5094 or 399-3135

Rev. Judy PanoskyIGLESIA DE NAZARENO

490 S. Reagan • San Benito • 399-2195Pastor Jose Ayala

BORDERLAND CALVARY CHAPEL299 E. Heywood • San Benito • 399-3534

Pastor Greg RangelFAITH IN CHRIST FELLOWSHIP CHURCH

2 1/4 Miles. S. of Rio Hondo on State 345 • 748-3026Pastor Joe P. Hinojosa

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY32128 FM 2520 Sam Houston • 778-4209 or 399-1414

Pastor Armando EscamillaTHE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH875 Rd. Zillock • San Benito • 361-3555

Rev. J.C. MilliganPENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH

801 N. McCullough • San Benito • 399-3555 Pastor Tom Holderby

MISION CRISTO REY1650 Combes St. • San Benito • 264-4474

ABUNDANT LIFE FULL GOSPEL CHURCH299 West Ocean Boulevard • Los Fresnos • 233-8283

Pastors Rev. Steve MuseCENTRO DE ALABANZA Y PODER

297 S. McCullough • San Benito • 399-3455 or 361-0100Pastor Oralia Barker

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH OFRIO HONDO

122 Mira Mar • Rio Hondo • 748-2387 or 546-4304Pastor W.R. Aten

FAITH CHURCH645 Corral St. • San Benito • 399-5924

Pastor Manuel AnguianoVISION CHURCH

1435 S. McCullough • San Benito • 399-7286Pastor Fabiana Manzewitsch

IGLESIA EVANGELICA CRISTIANAESPIRITUAL

1350 Alamo St. • San Benito • 399-8729Pastor Joel Cervantes

IGLESIA EVANGELICA‘CRISTO ESLA ROCA’

101 North Williams Rd. • San Benito361-0409 or 622-0955Pastor Francisco Cantu

VALLEY INTERNATIONALCHRISTIAN CENTER

2007 E. Exp. 83 • San Benito • 399-5590Pastors Jaime and Rose Mary Loya

BAY AREA INTERNATIONALCHRISTIAN CENTER

P.O. Box 1298 • Port Isabel • 399-5590Pastors Arturo and Christy Del Rio

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH566 N. Reagan • San Benito • 399-2235

Pastor Charles GalbraithIGLESIA EMAUS PENTACOSTAL

29731 FM 1847 Paredes Line N. of Los Fresnos • 233-6712Pastor Maria Lourdes Cerino

TEMPLO EL SHADDAI32521 FM 2520 • San Benito956-577-6514 • 956-200-1855Pastor Candelario Guerrero

WILLIAM ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH951 N. Oscar Williams Rd. • San Benito • 956-577-1211

Pastor Darryl SmithCHURCH OF THE DIVINE SPIRIT

1005 South Arroyo Blvd. • Los Fresnos • 956-621-3520Pastor Darryl Smith

JANO’S

Heart of the Valley Hospice

399-9400

V.I.P. RealtyValley Investment Professionals800 E. Stenger, San Benito

399-7777

“For AllYour RealEstate NeedsUnder OneRoof”

ATTEND WORSHIP SERVICES AT ONE OF YOUR LOCAL AREA CHURCHES

PAGE 6 • LOCAL NEWS SAN BENITO NEWS APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND

DR. JAIME RODRIGUEZ, OPTOMETRISTDR. LAURA LOKEY, OPTOMETRISTSan Benito Vision Source780 E. US Highway 77San Benito, TX 78586

Phone: 956-361-7600Fax: 956- 361-7605

“If any man have an ear, let him hear” (Revelation 13:9).

After writing about how the world will very impressed and very in love with the beast, John now gives a stern warning to mankind by saying that “if any man have an ear, let him hear.”

Who is John referring to here? Unfortu-nately he is referring to everyone because everyone has ears to hear. These are warn-ings that Jesus used as well (Matt. 11:15, 13:9, Mark 7:16).

Throughout the Word we have this warning. Everyone has ears to hear and so everyone must take heed to what is being said. It is of great and eternal importance. Not paying attention to what is being said, and ignoring it, will result in eternal consequences. The problem is that even though people have ears to hear, not many are willing to obey the gospel. This warning about hear-ing was given to Israel as well (see Ezekiel 3:24-27).

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life...” (Revelation 13:8). Many people think that they will live forever. It is for that reason that they will go on living a life without God, and willingly go against His Word, even trying to deceive themselves into thinking that God does not exist.

People will also live a life following politicians that promise change. But the change that these politi-cians bring is blasphemous against God and His Word. And so it will be when the beast comes on the scene. He will be followed and worshipped by bil-lions of people, people whose names are not written in the book of life (Revelation 20:12).

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

The crucifixion of Jesus was no accident. It had been planned out before the foundation of the world. For that reason in was prophesied up to 2000 years prior to Jesus dying on the cross.

The first prophecy given about the death of Jesus was in Genesis 3:15. After that is the offering of

Isaac by his father Abraham in Genesis 22. We also see the crucifixion of Jesus in the Jewish Passover lamb of Exodus 12. The blood of the Passover lamb needed to be placed on the side posts and on the upper doorpost of the houses, which signified the cross that Jesus would be dying on (Acts 2:21-23).

“If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into cap-tivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13:9-10).

The tribulation saints will be heavily persecuted. They will be chased, hunted, jailed, and ultimately killed for their faith. But even though they will be enduring heavy punishment, their persecutors will one day be suffering a much worst punishment themselves.

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (Revelation 13:11).

There are three beasts that will play a major role in the end days. The first beast is mentioned in Revela-tion 12:3, “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” This beast is a reference to the devil himself. The second beast is the beast that will arise out of the sea mentioned in Revelation 13:1. This is a reference to the Antichrist. And now this third beast is intro-duced. He comes out of the earth. He will have two horns like a lamb, and will speak like a dragon. This third beast will be the false prophet. He is called a beast here, but is later identified as the false prophet.

The first and second beast are identified in the Scriptures as having much power. For that reason they will have seven crowns and ten horns. But this second beast only has two horns and no crowns. The reason for that is because this is signifying that this third beast will not be known as a mighty world political leader as the second beast which is the An-tichrist. He will not be characterized as a ferocious leopard, bear, or lion as the Antichrist will be.

Greg RangelSenior Pastor

Borderland Calvary [email protected]

The Beast V

Serving The Valley For Over 57 Years160 EAST ROBERTSON SAN BENITO, TEXAS 78586

(956) 399-1292 • FAX (956) 399-7113

GARZA FURNITURE COMPANY

Javier(956) 399-2251

403 West ColoradoRio Hondo, TX 78583

COLORADOBARBER SHOP

members.Kappa Kappa Iota Nu

Conclave, the second Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn of Browns-ville.

Knights of Columbus, the first and third Tues-days of the month at 8 p.m. at the San Benito Knights of Columbus Hall, 826 E. Stenger, San Benito.

Kiwanis Club of San Benito meets first and third Thursday of the month 6:30 p.m. at El Gal-lito Mexican Restaurant.

Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Knights of Colum-bus, first Thursday of the month, 8 p.m., KC Hall, 826 E. Stenger, San Beni-to.

Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2410, second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the post on Whalen Road in San Benito.

Lambda Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gam-ma, first Saturday of the month at 9:30 a.m. at the First Christian Church in the Fellowship Hall in Harlingen. For more in-formation, call Joan Reiff at 748-2064.

Lions Club of Los Fres-nos, Thursday, 7 p.m., Li-ons Club Hall, Los Fres-nos. Call President John Cardoza at 233-4473.

Los Fresnos 4-H Club meets the second Tues-day of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Ethel Whipple Memorial Library.

Los Fresnos Women’s Service Club meets at noon the last Thursday of every month at the Com-munity Bank. For more information, call Dolores Entner.

Lt. Thomas Barlow Chapter of the Daugh-ters of the American Revolution, Harlingen Country Club, 5500 El Camino Real, the third Saturday of each month at noon, except Decem-ber, July and August.

Mary Martha Circle of St. Johns Lutheran Church meets the first Thursday of the month at 1000 N. Crockett in San Benito. Members will meet September through May at 9 a.m.

Music Valley Guitars, meets at First Christian Church in San Benito ev-ery Wednesday at 10 a.m. New members are wel-comed.

North Cameron Unit of the American Cancer Society, noon the second Tuesday of the month at the Valley Diagnostic Clinic.

Pan American Round Table of San Benito, sec-ond Saturday, September through May, 9:30 a.m., Camelot, Harlingen.

Rio Grande Masonic Lodge No. 81 meets ev-ery first and third Tues-day of each month at 7:30 p.m. Community Night is on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:45 p.m.; a vocational theme pre-sentation is given and open to non-masons to attend. Meetings are held at 1131 E. Jefferson St. in Brownsville on the corner of E. Jefferson and 12th St. For more information, call (956) 408-1124 or (956) 266-9837.

Rotary Club, meets at noon on Thursdays at Blanquita’s No. 2, 190 N. Williams Road in San Benito.

ClubFrom “Club,” page 5

APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND SAN BENITO NEWS SAN BENITO CISD • PAGE 7

Special to the NEWS

San Benito High School senior Andrea Mosque-da earned recognition for her academic excel-lence through the United States Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector’s “Head of the Class” pro-gram.

Nominated for the honor by her journalism teacher, Maria Toscano, Mosqueda is the daughter of Albert and Rosalinda Mosqueda.

The U.S. Border Pa-trol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector recognizes the aca-demic excellence of high-achieving seniors at high schools throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Stu-dents are nominated by their respective schools and selected by an im-partial committee. The program has been in ex-istence for more than 18 years and brings together local businesses as part-ners to highlight and rec-ognize the efforts of stu-dents who are role models for their peers.

As an extension of the “Head of the Class” pro-gram, RGV Sector will recognize three “Head of the Class” recipients as “Youth of the Year” in April. The students cho-sen as “Youth of the Year” will receive a $1,500 scholarship to help with the expenses of attending college.

Mosqueda expressed her sentiments about the recognition.

“To be recognized by the Border Patrol as a Head of the Class recipi-ent is an honor that I can’t express. I finally feel like my hard work has paid off, and that alone, even without the scholarship, makes everything I’ve done or accomplished in my academic and ex-tracurricular life worth-while,” she said.

Mosqueda, a Superin-tendent’s High Five hon-oree, recently received the National Society of the Daughters of the Ameri-can Revolution (DAR) Award, the Good Citizen-ship Medal, in recognition of their efforts in the field of American Citizenship.

Mosqueda, who joined eight other students from throughout the Valley in receiving the honor, has been enrolled in Toscano’s journalism class since her sophomore year.

Mosqueda is involved in several academic clubs and is active with several community organizations. She also writes and takes photographs for the local town newspaper, The San Benito News.

She has been accepted to several prestigious universities, including Columbia University, University of Pennsylva-nia, New York University, Georgetown University,

Mosqueda selected as Border Patrol’s Head of the Class

and Yale University.“Andrea’s journey

into the student publica-tion program began her sophomore year when she joined the El Send-ero Yearbook staff. In a class full of juniors and seniors, she was the only underclassman. She fit in quite well because An-drea is very mature for

her age,” Toscano wrote in the nomination letter to Border Patrol’s Pro-gram. “On the first day of class, she asked to be an editor because “she loved words.” Andrea has been editing stories, headlines, and captions ever since that encounter!”

Toscano describes Mosqueda as “class mo-

tivator.” “She is always check-

ing on the other students to make sure deadlines are met. She also comes in at lunch to help tutor students when they need help with the feature sto-ries required for the year-book,” Toscano said.

Toscano explained that Mosqueda’s journalistic

work is “superior.”“This year, she has al-

ready written a very cre-ative piece for the open-ing the yearbook that defines the theme: Look-ing Forward, To Looking Back. She is also writing other creative pieces for the different sections of the yearbook,” Toscano said.

Mosqueda selected as Head of the ClassAndrea Mosqueda, fourth from left, a San Benito High School senior, was selected as the Border Patrol’s Head of the Class Award Recipient. Shown at the reception are from left, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Marlene Castro, Journalism teacher Maria Toscano, Higher Education coordinator Sandra Ruiz, Principal Henry Sanchez, counselor Anna Garcia and Border Patrol Agent Gaspar Vera. Mosqueda was chosen along with eight other students from throughout the Valley. (SBCISD photo)

La Paloma K-Kids learn about historyLa Paloma Elementary K-Kids received a history lesson about the May 8, 1946, battle between the United States and Mexican troops during a field trip to Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. The park preserves the site of this notable battle and provides an understanding of the causes, events, and consequences of the U.S.-Mexican War. The battle was the first in a two-year long war that changed the map of North America. Staff members Noemi Martinez, Aimee Flores, and Isabel Gomez served as chaperones.

(SBCISD photo)

La Paloma Elementary observes TFA WeekLa Paloma Elementary observed Teach For America Week, an annual event that unites hundreds of leaders in the cause of expanding educational opportunity. Leaders spent time teaching students in TFA corps members’ classrooms across the country. Participants inspired students and helped highlight the challenges they face, the promise they offer, and the progress districts are making in furthering student academic success. Teach For America Week participants come together to remind the nation that our students demand and deserve the attention of talented and successful Americans. At San Benito CISD, State Representative Eddie Lucio III, Texas House District 38, is shown visiting with La Paloma Elementary third graders instructed by Yoshira Cardenas.

(SBCISD photo)

GARAGESALES6

PUBLICNOTICES20

The San Benito News

Classifieds

APARTMENT FOR RENT 1 and 2 bedroom apartments for rent w/refrigerator and stove. Utilities paid except light. Call 956-433-9581.

(TFN)

SAN BENITO APART-MENT FOR RENT: Spa-cious 2 bedroom/1 bath, tile floors, large kitchen, W/D connections. Rent $550/deposit $550. Call Monday-Friday at 525-5553 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

(TFN)

FOR RENT 1 BED-ROOM APARTMENT: Kitchen, bedroom, $450, water and elect. includ-ed. Great for a couple. 575 E. Robertson. No appliances provided. Call 873-2170.

(4-6 - 4-16)

APARTMENTSFOR RENT2

MAINTENANCE SER-VICE: Air conditioning, fencing, roofing, lawn care, plumbing, etc. Call for A/C special. Home maintenance, low price. Free Estimates. Call (956) 742-3912.

(3-26 - 4-6)

CD&J Handyman ServicesRental/Lease Maintenance

Home Repairs inside and outInsured - call for an estimate

956-399-7146 (TFN)

GENERALSERVICES5 PUBLIC

NOTICES20

GARAGE SALE: 198 Lakeview N. from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday. Clothing, jewelry, purses, etc. Lots of stuff.

(4-6)

The Housing Authority of the City of San Benito (SBHA) is requesting proposals from qualified in-dividuals or firms to provide Employee Medical Coverage Insurance and Life Insurance.

Solicitation documents will be available for pick up at the Housing Authority’s Main Office at 1400 N Reagan, San Benito, Texas 78586 during regu-lar business hours beginning Monday, March 24, 2014 or on the Housing Authority’s website, www.sanbenitohousing.com.

Proposals must be submitted in accordance with so-licitation guidelines by 3:00p.m. CST on Tuesday, APRIL 8, 2014 addressed to: 01-2014 – Employee Medical Coverage Insurance & Life Insurance, At-tention: Arnold Padilla, Executive Director, Hous-ing Authority of the City of San Benito, 1400 N Reagan, San Benito, Texas 78586.

For more information, contact Janet A Velez, Fi-nance Director, (956) 399-7501; [email protected].

HA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to waive any informalities in the proposal.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL(RFP) NO. 01-2014

EMPLOYEE MEDICAL COVERAGE INSURANCE & LIFE INSURANCE

The Housing Authorityof the City of San Benito1400 N Reagan St. • San Benito TX 78586

PUBLICNOTICES20

PUBLICNOTICES20 PUBLIC

NOTICES20

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGDate: Thursday, May 12, 2014

Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: San Benito Housing Authority Main Office 1400 N. Reagan St. San Benito, TX 78586

The Housing Authority of the City of San Benito was awarded CommunityDevelopment Block Grant Disaster Recovery Grant funds from the General LandOffice of the State of Texas and administered by the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council to provide for disaster recovery and restoration of housingfor communities impacted by Hurricane Dolly. The Housing Authority will hold a public meeting on Thursday, May 12, 2014 at the Housing Authority’s Main Office, 1400 North Reagan, San Benito, TX 78586 to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the Housing Authority’s proposed project.

PROJECT NAME: Stone Village Apartments

PROJECT ADDRESS: 1301 Victoria Street; San Benito, Cameron County, TX 78586 (SW Intersection of North McCullough Street and Mile Line 17 Rd)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: New construction of 22 single story buildings consisting of fifty (50) apartment units and 1 (one) community center/office building. Project will consist of new site improvements (i.e. streets, parking and sidewalks); new infrastructure (i.e. storm drain, sewer and sanitary water). The proposed site is an estimated 7.752 acres of vacant land.

ASSOCIATED GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIESHousing Authority of the City of San Benito/ San Benito Public Facility Corporation1400 N. Reagan St. San Benito, TX 78586

General Land Office of the State of TexasP.O. Box 12873 Austin, TX 78711-2873

Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council301 W. Railroad Weslaco, TX 78596

For more information, please contact the Housing Authority at (956) 399-7501, Executive Director Arnold Padilla. Para información en Español, favor de llamar al: (956) 399-7501.

The Housing Authority of the City of San Benito1400 N Reagan Street • P.O. Box 1900 • San Benito TX 78586 • Office (956) 399-7501

NOTICE TOCONTRACTORS

1. Sealed bids addressed to City of San Benito will be received at the City of San Benito City Hall locat-ed at 401 N. Sam Houston, San Benito, Texas 78586, until 2:00 P.M., April 17th, 2014, and there, publicly opened and read, for fur-nishing all work and ma-terials required for the construction of the CITY OF SAN BENITO 2012 ROADWAY IMPROVE-MENTS PROJECTS.

2. Bids will be received in sealed envelopes upon the blank form of proposal included in the contract documents, and marked in the upper left hand cor-ner “BID – CITY OF SAN BENITO 2012 ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS PROJ-ECTS”.

3. All proposals shall be accompanied by a Cashier’s or Certified Check upon a national or

state bank in an amount not less than five (5%) percent of the total maxi-mum bid price payable without recourse to the owner or a Bid Bond in the same amount from a reliable surety company licensed to provide bonds in the State of Texas, as guarantee that the Bidder will enter into a contract and execute performance and payment bonds within fourteen days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without check or bid bond will not be considered.

5. The right is reserved, as the interest of the Owner may require, to reject any and all bids, and to waive any informality in the bids received.

6. Plans, Specifications and Bid Documents may be secured from the office of Brown, Leal & Asso-ciates Consulting Engi-neers located at 915 Mor-

gan Boulevard (P.O. Box 1308), Harlingen, Texas 78551 - (956) 428-4014, for a non-refundable fee of $100.00 per set.

7. A PRE-BID CON-FERENCE will be held on THURSDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2014 AT 2:00 P.M. at the office of the City Manager (City Hall) located at 401 N. Sam Houston, San Benito, Texas.

QUESTIONS AND/OR INQUIRIES CON-CERNING THE PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS AND BIDDING DOCUMENTS SHALL BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING TO PROJECT ENGINEER M. LEAL, P.E. (FAX: (956) 412-1837) ([email protected]). Plans and Specs will also be available for viewing at the A.G.C. Har-lingen Branch.

City of San BenitoManuel Lara

City Manager(3-30-14; 4-6-14)

PUBLICNOTICES20 PUBLIC

NOTICES20 PUBLICNOTICES20

PAGE 8 • LOCAL NEWS SAN BENITO NEWS APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND

AREA DIRECTORYSan Benito

Police Department601 N. Oscar Williams Rd.

361-3880San Benito Fire

Station #11201 S. Sam Houston St.

361-3850San Benito Fire

Station #2340 N. Oscar Williams Rd.

361-3855San Benito Municipal

Building401 N. Sam Houston Blvd.

361-3800San Benito City Hall485 N. Sam Houston

361-3800San Benito Public Works

Department925 W. Stenger

361-3890San Benito Public

Library101 W. Rose

361-3860San Benito Boys’

& Girls’ Club410 Stokey Rd.

399-6442San Benito Chamber

of Commerce

401 N. Sam Houston Blvd.399-5321

San BenitoEconomic Development

Corporation401 N. Sam Houston Blvd.

361-3800San Benito Housing

Authority 1400 N. Reagan St.

399-7501

San Benito CISDAdministration Building

240 N. Crockett St. 361-6100

San Benito CISD Police Department

240 N. Crockett St.361-6475

San Benito High School450 S. Williams Rd.

361-6500

San Benito VeteransMemorial Academy2115 N. Williams Rd.

276-6000Berta Cabaza Middle

School2901 Shafer Rd.

361-6600Miller Jordan Middle

School700 N. McCullough

361-6650Fred Booth Elementary

705 Zaragosa St.361-6860

Dr. C.M. CashElementary

400 Poinciana St.361-6700

Dr. Raul Garza, Jr.Elementary

845 Eighth St.361-6900

Angela G. LealElementary

33356 FM 732276-5055

Judge Oscar De LaFuente Elementary

2700 S. Sam Houston St.361-6820

Gateway to GraduationAcademy

600 N. Austin361-6446

Riverside Middle School35428 Padilla St.

361-6940Ed Downs Elementary

1302 N. Dowling361-6720

La EncantadaElementary

35001 FM 1577361-6760

Landrum Elementary450 S. Dowling

361-6800La Paloma Elementary

35076 Main St.361-6780

Rangerville Elementary17558 Landrum Park Rd.

361-6840Frank Roberts

Elementary451 Biddle361-6740

Sullivan Elementary 900 Elizabeth St.

361-6880Joe Callandret Positive

Redirection Center305 Doherty St.

361-6275Rio Hondo City Hall

121 N. Arroyo Blvd.,78583748-2102

Rio Hondo PoliceDepartment

121 N. Arroyo Blvd.,78583425-7161

Rio Hondo FireDepartment

121 N. Arroyo Blvd.,78583748-2102

Rio HondoPublic Libary

600 W. Colorado,78583748-3322

Rio Hondo Community Learning Center

125 W. Colorado St.,78583748-4426

Rio Hondo SchoolAdministration Building215 Colorado St.,78583

748-1026Rio Hondo High School

Corner of Hwys 106and 345, 78583

748-1200Rio Hondo Junior

High School501 N. Reynolds, 78583

748-1150Rio Hondo Elementary

School609 N. Reynolds,78583

748-1050Los Indios City HallP.O. Box 383,78586

399-4255Los Fresnos Police

Department200 N. Brizil St.,78566

233-4473Los Fresnos Fire

Department200 N. Alamo, 78566

233-5858 Los Fresnos Chamber of

Commerce203 N. Arroyo Blvd.,

78566233-4488

APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND SAN BENITO NEWS LOCAL NEWS • PAGE 9

OBITUARIES

Abel Garcia, 77, of San Benito, Texas, entered into enternal life with our Lord on April 2, 2014 at his residence in San Benito, Texas.

He was born in San Benito, Texas to Julian and Isabel M. Garcia on April 29, 1937.

He is preceded in death by his father Julian Garcia and he is survived by his mother Isabel M. Garcia and sisters Bertha (+Robert) De Los Santos, Blanca (Cris) Silva and Nora (Raul) Ramirez and several nieces and nephews.

Abel was a well traveled man who held different jobs throughout

the U.S. from the East to the West Coast. Some of his favorite memories was attending Woodstock Festival in 1969 and going to a Mohammad Ali boxing match in California. Abel loved all kinds of sports with boxing and footbal being his favorite.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Kike Ornelas who Abel looked up to and loved like a brother and Robert Lozano, a cousin who Abel loved like a son.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 6, 2014 from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. at Henry Thomae Funeral Home. A memorial mass will be held on Monday, April 7, 2014 at St. Benedict’s Church at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, you may give a donation to the food pantry in San Benito or homeless shelters of the Valley.

AbelGarcia

Prescription Pharmacy311 N. Sam Houston Blvd. • San Benito, TX 78586

956-399-2453

COMPOUNDING SPECIALIST

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YOUR WEEKEND ERRANDS JUST GOT EASIER!

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He Cares, He ListensRe-Elect

OSCARMEDRANO

Pol. adv. paid for the Candidate, Manny Medrano, Treasurer, Box 707. Normalinda Rd., San Benito, Texas 78586

For San Benito School Board Place 6Personal:• Age 42• Son of Esperanza Medrano and the late Jesus Medrano, Sr.• Brothers: Jesus, Jr. (Martha), Juan, Manny (Maggie), Mario (Linda), Rudy (Laura), and sisters: Anita (Javier) Cavazos, Lydia (Juan) Torres, and Maricela Medrano• 1990 San Benito High School Graduate• Attended Texas State University, The University of Texas at Brownsville TSC (Phi Theta Kappa), and TSTC• Graduated in Recreational Technology• Leadership Brownsville Graduate Class XVI

• 1996 Recipient of the HCA Honor “Caregiver Award”• 2011 TCTA School Board Member of the Year AwardExperience:• 2010 Graduate of leadership TASB — First School Board Member from San Benito to earn the distinguished title “Master Trustee” designation• President of Resaca Fest (2008-2009)• President of the United Way NCC (2005-2008)• President of the San Benito Greyhounds Quarterback Club (2005-2007)

VOTE MAY 10, 2014R

SuperFrom “Super,” page 1involvement and volun-teerism with the SBHS band program but reiter-ated what he deemed his “responsibility” to make such requests.

“We realize that you devote countless hours on football Fridays, Pigskin events, marching events and at other local, area and state competitions by assisting students and our band directors,” Cantu said in his letter to the Boosters and parents. “We applaud your efforts for always do-ing your best to help not only our students, but also our district – because in the end, we all benefit.”

“Please understand,” he added, “that Booster Clubs, under UIL guide-lines and Board of Trust-ees policies, are under the jurisdiction and control of the Superintendent. There-fore, I have a responsibil-ity to ensure that Booster Clubs are adhering to guidelines and policies.”

Cantu also cited “finan-cial concerns” among his motivations for making such requests from the Boosters. “We hope that you understand that there are financial concerns that have come to my atten-tion,” he said. “A decision was made by my office to address these formal con-cerns as part of my du-ties as Superintendent of Schools.”

It was confirmed on Wednesday that a school district police report was filed in 2013 alleging that nearly $30,000 was miss-ing from funds that were allocated for the high school band’s trip to Ha-waii. When asked if the monies raised by band students for the trip rep-resented one of the finan-

cial concerns in question, Cantu responded in the af-firmative. Cantu, however, did not provide any further details on the matter.

The San Benito News is currently awaiting the dis-trict’s response to a public information request filed on Wednesday seeking the aforementioned police re-port.

In the meantime, Cantu further stressed that his involvement in these mat-ters were in acknowledge-ment of his function as the school district’s top ad-ministrator and in cooper-ation with the law firm in-vestigating the suspended superintendent, Antonio G. Limón.

“I want the public to trust that my actions re-lated to the Band Boosters are merely being done on my behalf due to my re-sponsibilities and duties as Superintendent,” Cantu said on Thursday. “These actions were not taken as a result of directives given to me by outside sources.”

The information Cantu requested from the Boost-ers in his original letter was on behalf of attorney Sarah C. Dionne from Houston-based law firm Guerra and Farah PLLC, which was hired last year at $150 per hour by the Board of Trustees to con-duct an investigation into Limón.

As previously reported, Cantu confirmed that the information requested from the Boosters by Dionne is linked to the Limón probe but did not comment on the nature of the investigative work conducted.

Attempts to reach the Band Booster president have been unsuccessful.

CopFrom “Cop,” page 1an outside state agency to handle an investigation involving the officer in question after serious al-legations were launched against the officer. The investigation report was provided to the District by the state agency. The case remains under the

jurisdiction of the exter-nal agency.”

Lucio also confirmed the involvement of anoth-er law enforcement agen-cy currently handling the case. “We don’t have a report because we’re not the ones who handed it,” Lucio said when asked

for a copy of the arrest af-fidavit and police report. “He (Mendez) ended up in our jail, but we’re not the ones who arrested him. It doesn’t neces-sarily mean that we had the warrant; it just means that he knew about it and he turned himself in.”

The San Benito News is currently awaiting the district’s response to a public information re-quest seeking the investi-gation report.

Mendez’ case is cur-rently pending in the 197th State district court.

been working at Valley Regional Medical Cen-ter in Brownsville before joining Rangel at Fry’s Pharmacy on Tuesday, April 1.

“We have overlapping shifts, so we only really work together just a cou-

ple of hours a day,” said Rangel, who is the first of his family to graduate from college. “It works out because we grew up here. We see patients walking in the door and their somebody’s dad or mom of a person we went

to high school with; it personalizes the experi-ence.”

“When we went to UT, I think our goal was to always come back home and help out the commu-nity as much as we pos-sibly could in our profes-

sion and anything extra we could possibly do,” Ramirez said. “Both of us being able to be in San Benito working and tak-ing care of patients, that kind of stuff is definitely a goal that is on top of our list.”

CareerFrom “Career,” page 1

CemeteryFrom “Cemetery,” page 1they used, which is a little tractor, rolled over the headstones.”

Rodriguez, who said he does not have access to email, plans to share photographs with the San Benito News that show tire tracks over the gravestone in question, which belongs to his brother, Julian Rodri-guez, who died in Viet-nam on Jan. 6, 1970, at the age of 24 with the First Battalion, Seventh Marines.

“That’s just no respect at all, much less doing a proper job and what they’re supposed to be doing, which is cutting the grass,” Rodriguez said.

According to Rodri-guez, he reported his findings to the employ-ees at the cemetery, and he plans to file a report with Dignity Memorial, the parent company of Mont Meta, which is based out of Houston.

“I have not reported to them, only to the Mont Meta people,” Rodriguez said. “I told them what I was going to do. I had them debating, really with myself, as to wheth-er I should go ahead and sue them to have my brother’s headstone re-placed. Those don’t cost 98 cents either.”

Calls to Mont Meta’s front office were referred to Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco, which is also owned by Dignity Memorial. An employee at Highland then referred all questions to Dignity’s Houston office. A media representative from the office said that the com-pany would address the concerns made by Ro-driguez.

“I will let you know that I wasn’t aware of

this, but I will speak with management,” said Jessica McDunn, who handles media relations for Dignity Memorial. “It’s our policy not to share any details on any specific situations with our families just because we have a strict privacy policy. But I will let you know that once I speak with management, we are definitely going work with this family to come to some sort of resolu-

tion so that everyone is satisfied.”

Rodriguez’ concerns about the sanctity of gravesites at local cem-eteries represent one of many cases in which area residents have ex-pressed similar worries; the most recent case oc-curred at the San Benito Municipal Cemetery in 2013, when citizens complained about the presence of a large Santa Muerte statue.

PAGE 10 • LOCAL NEWS SAN BENITO NEWS APRIL 6, 2014 • WEEKEND

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HARLINGEN – A free movie showing, “Diabetesville, USA” – along with free popcorn – will be available at a H.O.P.E. (Haven Offer-ing Patient Encourage-ment) Stroke Support Group at 6 p.m., Tues-day, April 15, at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, located in the Woodward Confer-ence Center on the first floor of the hospital (en-ter through the South Tower).

The meeting is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided.

The compelling mov-ie, produced by Mi-chael Seringer of San Antonio, provides a realistic summary of diabetes research that was conducted in Cam-eron County. Accord-ing to the film, almost 30 percent of the Valley population has Type II Diabetes. Multiple gen-erations of families are dealing with devastating complications of diabe-tes – including stroke, heart attack, kidney

failure, blindness and amputation.

Following the special movie screening, prizes

will be awarded to those who participate in an in-teractive “review” game about the film.

Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the arteries leading to the brain and the arteries within the brain. Stroke is a medi-cal emergency – call 911 immediately if you ex-perience symptoms. It is critical to keep in mind that the sooner treat-ment begins, the better the patient’s chances of surviving without dis-abilities.

At Valley Baptist Medical Center, a clot-busting medication called tPA is used when

Health Matters

Free movie, popcorn at support group meeting

Diabetes movieA movie on diabetes in the Valley, which was filmed in Cameron and Hidalgo counties, will soon be shown for no charge at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Har-lingen. Above, the film’s maker, Michael Seringer of San Antonio, displays a DVD version of the movie.

(Courtesy photo)

medically indicated to reverse strokes – but the medication must be given as soon as possible. Valley Baptist is also the only hospital in the Valley with endovascular stroke procedures, with are performed by specially-trained neurologists

in state-of-the-art “biplane” cath labs.

For more informa-tion about the Stroke Support Group, please contact Debbie Diehl at [email protected], call (888) 902-5433 (LIFE), or visit www.f a c e b o o k . c o m / H o p -eStrokeSupport.

2 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

COMMUNITY EVENTS

AMS launches Operation Round-UpSpecial to the Parade

American Military Support’s Operation Round-Up continues through May. Round-up and enroll Valley troops who are serv-ing overseas and stateside and round-up monetary donations and needed supplies to continue distribution of Quality of Life Packages (QLP’s) to Valley troops.

The following supplies will help pro-vide the Easter Quality of Life Pack-ages to RGV troops and will also assist the local homeless veterans: black work socks; bath towels (natural colors only,

like brown, tan and hunter green); sun-glasses; sunscreen 30 SPF and above (lotion only, no sprays); lens cleaning kits; sewing kits; body wipes (40 count and up); mini first aid kits; pain reliev-ers of any kind (Tylenol, Motrin, etc.); antibiotic cream; foot powder; athlete foot cream; athlete’s foot powder; shoe insoles; granola bars; nuts; trail mix; powdered drink mix (individual pack-ages); Skittles; jelly beans; and Peeps.

For more information, call ((956) 425-1549 or visit www.americanmili-tarysupport.com.

LAGUNA MADRE ART GALLERY WORKSHOPSSpecial to the Parade

Need to satisfy your artistic urge? Check out the workshop being offered to lo-cal residents as well as the winter visitors. Continuing on Tuesdays is an evening watercolor class being conducted by well-known, local artist Beth Fedigan. This class will be open to beginners as well as seasoned watercolor artists who want to improve on techniques. It will be from 6 to 8 p.m., each Tuesday evening.

Virginia Eggert continues her popular Plein Air Outdoor Sketching class each Wednesday starting at 9 a.m. This will be one day a week. All the above workshops are being conducted by the Gallery’s local talented artists. Call (956) 943-1407 or visit the LMAG at 405 Maxan St,, across from the Lighthouse.

SPI SANDCASTLE TRAILSpecial to the Parade

The majority of locations along the South Padre Island Sandcastle Trail are open for visitors to enjoy. The following is a compre-hensive list of Sandcastle Trail locations:

• KOA: 1 Padre Blvd.• Pier 19: 1 Padre Blvd.• American Diving: Sea Ranch Marina• Coastal Studies Lab: coming soon• La Copa Inn: coming soon• Isla Grande Beach Resort: coming soon• SPI Visitors Center: 610 Padre Blvd.• Island Services: 1700 Padre Blvd.• Lynn Tate Real Estate: 2200 Padre

Blvd.• Café Kranzler: 2412 Padre Blvd.• Suntide III: 3000 Gulf Blvd.• The Sand Box Inn: 117 E. Saturn Lane• Furcron Realtors: 4800 Padre Blvd.• Friends of Animal Rescue: 4908 Padre

Blvd.• Ship Shape: 5212 Padre Blvd.• Travelodge: 6200 Padre Blvd.• The Tiki: 6608 Padre Blvd.• Clayton’s Beach Bar & Grill: coming

soon• Sea Turtle, Inc.: 6617 Padre Blvd.• Paragraphs: 5505 Padre Blvd.• Laguna Madre Yoga & Meditation:

5009 Padre Blvd.• Super 8: 4205 Padre Blvd.• Ramada Limited: 4109 Padre Blvd.• PadreRita Grill: 4001 Padre Blvd.• Island Outfitters: 2006 W. Swordfish

St.• Laguna Bob’s: 2401 Laguna Blvd.• D’Pizza Joint: 2413 Padre Blvd.• Louie’s Backyard: 2305 Laguna Blvd.• BadaBing Bagels: 1817 Padre Blvd.• South Padre Trips (Inertia): 1515 Padre

Blvd.

South Padre ParadeAcknowledgements

Ray Quiroga.....................................Publisher/EditorCarlos Martinez...............................General ManagerSasha Heller.........................................Parade EditorJim Sullivan.........................................................SalesSergio Treviño..............................................Graphics

Contributing writers: Jim Foster, Rene Torres, Scarlet Colley, Aarin Hartwell, Dr. Susan Duve,Holiday Mathis, Pamela Cody and David Woods

The South Padre Parade Magazine is published every Thursday by New Horizon

Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 308,(101 E. Maxan Street) Port Isabel, TX,

78597, and is available on newsstands across the Rio Grande Valley. Email comments or

story suggestions to the editor at [email protected]

or call at (956) 943-5545.

With Spring Break all but behind us and the height of the tourist season on the horizon, I’m reminded of the number of tourists this area receives by the number of emails and correspondences we field from members of the outside world. Those questions range from everything from, “My kid is down there on Spring Break and I haven’t been able to get a hold of him/her in two days; can you help?” to, “Can you recommend a good restaurant/hotel?” Of course, those questions are highly subjective, but other relatively common questions are fairly easy to answer, and while they may seem ridiculously obvious to the longtime or lifelong resident, keep in mind that the answers are truly mysteries for folks who have never visited the area or seldom do. So without further ado, here are the top five

questions I commonly receive from first time and would-be tourists. 5.) Are there sharks in the water, and are they dangerous? Yes, and well, by nature, they

can be. But in all my years, I’ve only known of two instances when a shark has actually “nibbled” on a human, and I do mean nibbled. In fact, one such incident was highly suspect and there was doubt whether a shark was actually the true culprit. The truth is that I’ve seen plenty more sharks fished out of the gulf waters and subsequently killed by man than the other way around. In other words, we’re much more a threat to them than they are to us.

4.) Why doesn’t the city clean the seaweed off the beaches? Firstly, that seaweed, known as sargassum, is purposefully left on the beach to prevent beach erosion, which is a concern in these parts. On that note, most visitors to the Island as well as quite a few of area residents don’t know that the county -- not the City of SPI -- is responsible for the park areas on the Island, such as Isla Blanca Park on the south end of the Island and Andy Bowie towards the northern end.

3.) Where can I find the police? Again, note that the county-supervised park rangers and constables man the county areas of the Island while SPI police patrol city limits. The SPI Police Department is located adjacent to the SPI City Hall, 4601 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island. The department’s non-emergency number is (956) 761-8147.

2.) Can I drink the water? On more than one occasion, some folks have told me that they come from parts where water vending machines, which seem to be at every corner of the Valley, are few in far between in their parts, so they assume that the water must be bad if there’s such a demand for bottled water. Well, not really. While the water might be “hard” -- high in iron -- it’s fine to drink. In fact, as a bottled water drinker myself, more than one doctor and my dentist have advised me to drink a least one or two glasses of tap water daily for the fluoride and other minerals that bottled water filters out.

1.) Are you related to the short chubby guy on the History Channel’s “American Pickers?” For the record, his name is Frank Fritz and “no”, we are not related, but my own children have commented on not only the resemblance but the fact that we both have a propensity towards bargains and collecting junk (which we prefer to call antiques). Now that I think about it, maybe my dad and I need to have a long talk.

With that, I wish you all a safe week, and remember there are two local runs this weekend -- Port Isabel’s Autism Walk/Run and the Turtle Run at Claytons. Until next week, you can find us at www.portisabelsouthpadre for all your local news and events!

Five Questions

Ray QuirogaSouth Padre Parade

[email protected]

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 3

4 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 5

LAGUNA MADRE AREADate: TuesdaysTime: 1-2 p.m.Event: Children’s Reading HourWhere: Paragraphs Bookstore, SPIMore Info: (956) 433-5057

Date: TuesdaysTime: 4-5:30 p.m.Event: Laguna Vista Farmers MarketWhere: 1 Golf House Road (SPI Golf Course), Laguna VistaMore Info: (956) 525-3553

Date: TuesdaysTime: 7:30 p.m.Event: Winter Visitors Club MeetingWhere: Port Isabel Community Center, adjacent to the Port Isabel Library, 213 N. Yturria St

Date: WednesdaysTime: 9 a.m.Event: Square & Compass Club Meeting (open to public)Where: Museums of Port Isabel, 317 E. Railroad Ave., Port IsabelMore Info: (956) 525-0541

Date: ThursdaysTime: 7:30 a.m.Event: Praise and Pray in the ParkWhere: Roloff Park, Laguna Vista at the small pavilion near marinaMore Info: (956) 466-1677

Date: ThursdaysTime: NoonEvent: Islanders Toastmasters Club MeetingWhere: SPI City HallMore Info: (956) 761-3078

Date: FridaysTime: NoonEvent: Rotary Club of Port Isabel MeetingWhere: Marcello’s Italian Restaurant, 110 North Tarnava St. (Lighthouse Square), Port Isabel

Date: SaturdaysTime: 1-2 p.m.Event: Author MercadoWhere: Paragraphs Bookstore, 5505 Padre Blvd., SPIMore Info: (956) 433-5057

Date: Saturdays

Time: 6:30 p.m.Event: Children’s Story HourWhere: Paragraphs Bookstore, 5505 Padre Blvd., SPIMore Info: (956) 433-5057

Date: SaturdaysTime: 8 p.m.Event: Port Isabel Historic Ghost ToursWhere: Port Isabel Light House/Museums of Port IsabelAdmission: $10 per personMore Info: (956) 943-2262

Date: SundaysTime: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.Event: South Padre Island Farmer’s MarketWhere: The Shores on South Padre Island, 8605 Padre Blvd.More Info: [email protected]

Date: April 5Time: 7 a.m.Event: PIISD District Run/Walk for AutismWhere: Beulah Lee Park to Port Isabel High SchoolAdmission: FreeMore Info: (956) 433-5041

Date: April 5Time: 9 a.m.Event: Turtle Dash 2014 Charity Beach RunWhere: Clayton’s Beach Bar & GrillAdmission: $15 - $35More Info: [email protected] or www.raceit.com

Date: April 5Time: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.Event: Family Fish CampWhere: Adolph Thomae Jr. County Park, Arroyo CityMore Info: (956) 748-3607

Date: April 5Time: 9:30 a.m. – noonEvent: Family Fun DayWhere: SPI Birding & Nature CenterAdmission: $5 per personMore Info: (956) 243-8289

Date: April 7 (First Monday of Each Month)Time: 4 p.m.Event: Friends of the Port Isabel Public

6 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

Library, Monthly MeetingWhere: Port Isabel Public Library Conference Rm., 213 N. Yturria St., Port IsabelAdmission: $10/year (membership dues)More Info: Margie Jacobs (956) 772-9127

Date: April 11 (Second Friday of Each Month)Time: 7 p.m.Event: RGV Bikers for Christ Regular MeetingWhere: Christ’s Harbor Church, 1441 Santa Isabel Blvd. Laguna VistaMore Info: (956) 943-5595

Date: April 12Time: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.Event: Hooked for Life Presents: Mayor Joe E. Vega’s 2nd Annual Kid’s Fishing ClassicWhere: Pirate’s Landing PierAdmission: FreeMore Info: 579-5454

Date: April 12Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Event: Queen Isabella Market DayWhere: Lighthouse Square, Port IsabelMore Info: (956) 943-7602

Date: April 17Time: 9:30 – 11 p.m.Event: Bay Area Women’s Connection Breakfast BrunchWhere: SPI Golf Course Restaurant, Laguna VistaAdmission: $15More Info: (936) 661-0704

Date: April 19Time: 10 a.m. – noonEvent: Town of Laguna Vista Easter Egg HuntWhere: Roloff Park, Laguna VistaAdmission: FreeMore Info: (956) 943-1793

Date: April 26Time: 9 a.m.Event: No Excuse Run 5K Run/1-Mile Family Walk-RunWhere: Harlingen Country Club, 5500 El Camino Dr., Palm ValleyAdmission: $25 (Pre-Registration) $30 (Race Day) $20 (Family)More Info: (956) 361-3313

Date: April 28 - May 6Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.Event: City of Laguna Vista Early VotingWhere: Laguna Vista City HallMore Info: (956) 943-1793

Date: April 30Time: 11:45 a.m.Event: SPI Chamber LuncheonWhere: The Pearl South PadreAdmission: $18 (Chamber Members) $25 (Non-Members)More Info: (956) 761-4412

Date: May 2Time: 7:30 p.m.Event: El Paseo Arts Foundation Presents, “Del Castillo”Where: TBA More Info: www.elpaseosouthpadre.com

Date: May 4Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.Event: Pedal to PadreWhere: Brownsville Event Center to Clayton’s Bar & GrillMore Info: (956) 545-0866

Date: May 3 (Registration Deadline: April 25)Time: 8:30 a.m. Shotgun StartEvent: 2014 AEP Texas Champions for Children Golf TournamentWhere: South Padre Island Golf Club, Laguna VistaMore Info: (956) 453-6304

Date: May 7Time: 8:30 a.m.Event: Breakfast with the Mayor (Port Isabel Chamber All Member Meeting)Where: Pirate’s Landing Restaurant, Port IsabelMore Info: (956) 943-2262

Date: May 10Time: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.Event: City of Port Isabel Commissioner’s ElectionWhere: City HallMore Info: (956) 943-2684

Date: May 10Time: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.Event: City of Laguna Vista Commissioner’s ElectionWhere: City HallMore Info: (956) 943-1793

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 7

Date: May 10 (Registration Deadline: April 25)Time: DaylongEvent: Co-Ed Adult Softball Tournament Where: Brownsville Sports ParkAdmission: $250 per teamMore Info: (956) 537-9049

Date: May 17Time: 7 p.m.Event: PIHS PromWhere: Schlitterbahn’s Beach Resort, South Padre IslandMore Info: (956) 943-0030

Date: May 21 – 23Time: 7:30 p.m.Event: El Paseo Arts Foundation Presents, Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys”Where: SPI Convention Centre More Info: www.elpaseosouthpadre.com

Date: May 26Time: 5 p.m.Event: Memorial Day Parade and CeremonyWhere: Laguna Vista, Veterans Park, Hwy. 510More Info: (956) 943-1793

SAN BENITO, HARLINGEN, BROWNSVILLE, RIO HONDO,LOS FRESNOSDate: OngoingTime: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to FridayEvent: San Benito NFL Flag Football Registration, co-ed ages 4 to 14Where: Public Utility Building, 485 N. Sam Houston Blvd., San BenitoMore Info: (956) 577-3706

Date: Thru MayEvent: American Military Support’s Operation Round-Up to enroll Valley troops who are serving overseas and stateside and round-up monetary donations to fund Quality of Life PackagesMore Info: (956) 425-1549 or visit www.americanmilitarysupport.com

Date: April 5 to 7Event: Fifth Annual South Texas Tattoo FiestaWhere: Casa De Amistad, 1204 Fair Park Blvd., Harlingen

More Info: (956) 423-1999

Date: April 8Time: 6 p.m.Event: Maggie’s House Candlelight Vigil - April Child Abuse Awareness MonthWhere: Maggie’s House, 2400 W. Expressway 83,San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-3313Date: April 8Time: 7 p.m.Event: San Benito High School Class of 1984: Reunion PlanningWhere: SB Wings, 498 U.S. 77 Business, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 536-1206, (956) 241-6393

Date: April 11Time: 10 a.m. to noonEvent: Friend to Friend program to in-crease the number of women meeting the American Cancer Society screen-ings standards for breast and cervical cancerWhere: San Benito CISD Administra-tion Building, 240 N. Crockett St., San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-8236

Date: April 12Time: 1:30 p.m.Event: The Valley Byliners presents speaker Marge Flados, author, histo-rian, motivational speaker, humorist and retired registered nurseWhere: Harlingen Public Library, 410 ’76 Drive, HarlingenMore Info: (956) 399-8505 or visit rgvbyliners.org

Date: April 18 to 20Event: Valley International Christian Center Grand Opening and Easter ProductionPlace: Valley International Christian Center, 901 W. Expressway 83, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 399-5590

Date: April 19 to May 10 (Saturdays)Time: 9 a.m. to noonEvent: 4-week Book Writing 101 SessionWhere: Harlingen, exact location TBAMore Info: (956) 990-4109 or email [email protected] or visit www.CupofConversation.com

8 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

April 26th, 2014Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce Pavilion

101 East Port DrivePort Mansfield Texas 78598

Entry Fee/Booth Fee- $200.00Categories: Fried Fish or Grilled Fish

Fried Shrimp or Grilled ShrimpChef ’s Choice- any Seafood dish of your choice

Awards: Plaques for Grand Champion, 1st, 2nd & 3rd for all five Categories Jackpot Raffle- $10.00 per entry (50/50 PayBack)

Cook-Off Events: Silent Auction, Vendors, Food, Drinks, and Entertainment

Entry form - Deadline, Friday April 11th, 2014(Please return bottom portion with entry fee & keep top portion for your records)

Make Checks payable to: PMCOCMail to: Christine Simmons, PMCOC 818 Mansfield Dr., Unit 75 Port Mansfield, Texas 78598For more information: Contact PMCOC @ 956-944-2354, Chris Stark 956-245-6537, visit us online at www.portmansfieldchamber.org, or email [email protected]

Team Name:

Chief Chef:

Mailing address:

City: State: Zip:

Contact Number: ( ) Email:

Entry Fee: Enclosed:

Catagories: Fried Fish Grilled Fish Fried Shrimp Grilled Shrimp Chef ’s Choice

Date: April 26Time: 9 a.m.Event: Second Annual Walk for San Benito ChildrenWhere: Kennedy Park/Heavin Resaca Trail, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-6477, (956) 423-9304

Date: April 26Time: 9 a.m.Event: No Excuse Run (5k Run/1-Mile Family Walk-Run)to benefit Cameron County Children’s Advocacy CentersWhere: Harlingen Country Club, 5500 El Camino Real, HarlingenMore Info: (956) 361-3313, (956) 986-2770, or email [email protected].

Date: May 9Time: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Event: Sunny Glen Children’s Home Leadercast simulcastWhere: Christian Fellowship Church, 901 North Loop 499, HarlingenMore Info: (956) 367-5978

Date: May 10Time: TBAEvent: Co-ed Softball Tournament to benefit Cameron County Children’s Advocacy CentersWhere: Brownsville Sports ParkMore Info: (956) 537-9049, (210) 394-9133 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Date: Monday to FridayTime: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Event: Volunteers SoughtWhere: Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley Inc.More Info: (956) 682-8101

Date: Monday to FridayTime: 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.Event: RecyclingWhere: Paper Recycling Center, City Service Center, 925 W. Stenger, San Benito

Date: Every first TuesdayEvent: Writers ForumWhere: Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, 255 E. Stenger St., San BenitoMore Info: (956) 350-3905

Date: Every second SaturdayTime: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.Event: San Benito Market Days Where: Heywood Street, San BenitoMore Info: (956) 361-3800, ext. 304

Date: Every second and fourth SaturdayTime: 12 to 2 p.m.Event: Saturday Movie MatineeWhere: San Benito Public Library, 101 W. Rose St., San BenitoMore info: (956) 361-3860

Date: Every WednesdayTime: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.Event: San Benito Knitting ClassesWhere: San Benito Public Library, 101 W. Rose St., San BenitoMore info: (956) 970-3342

Date: Every FridayEvent: Story Time at the Library for Head Start studentsWhere: San Benito Public Library, 101 W. Rose St.More Info: (956) 361-3860

Date: Every SaturdayTime: 9 a.m. to noonEvent: Brownsville Farmers’ MarketWhere: 6th Street Linear Park, across from Gladys Porter ZooMore Info: Visit www.brownsvillefarmersmarket.com

Date: OngoingEvent: Volunteers SoughtWhere: Amenity Hospice, Inc.More Info: (956) 361-5100

Date: OngoingEvent: Mentors SoughtWhere: Valley International Community Development CorporationMore Info: (956) 399-3777

Date: OngoingEvent: Migrant Head Start RecruitmentWhere: Head Start, La PalomaMore Info: (956) 399-6046

MID TO UPPER VALLEYDate: April 11Time: 8 p.m.Event: Pepe AguilarWhere: State Farm Arena, 2600 N. 10th St. (Hwy. 336), HidalgoMore Info: (956) 843-6688

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 9

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Former Navy SEAL to receive Leadership Award at dinnerSpecial to the Parade

Former U.S. Navy SEAL officer and decorated United States Naval Academy athlete Clint Bruce will be the recipient of the Iwo Jima Leader-ship Award at the General H.M. Smith Foundation Dinner at 6 p.m., Friday, April 4 in the Florence E. King Ath-letic Center on the Marine Military Academy campus.

Past recipients of the prestigious Iwo Jima Leadership Award include former Secretary of State George Schultz, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Gov. Rick Perry, former NFL star Vince Papale and Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.

Bruce is now the founder and presi-dent of Trident Response Group, a global intelligence, intervention and rescue group based in Dallas. He is also the founder of Carry the Load, a non-profit organization that exists to

re-establish the true meaning of Me-morial Day.

Bruce graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997. A four-year starter for the Midshipmen, he remains one of the most decorated athletes in the academy’s history.

Captain and MVP of the 9-3 1996 Aloha Bowl Champion Navy Football

Team, Bruce was named First Team All-Independent for two years at line-backer and invited to play in both the Blue-Gray All-Star Game and the North-South All-Star Game. He was also awarded the Annapolis Touch-down Club Tony Rubino MVP Award and recently inducted into the Navy Football All-Stadium Team.

Though he had NFL career opportu-nities with the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints, Bruce’s passion to serve and desire to live among true warriors led him to join the greatest team on earth, the U.S. military.

Bruce was selected for one of 16 Navy SEAL officer billets offered to Naval Academy graduates. In 1998, he was one of only 12 men to gradu-ate from BUDS/S Class 217 from a starting class of more than 200. As-signed to SEAL Team V, Bruce com-pleted multiple deployments to the Pacific Theater and Middle East in

multiple leadership positions directly supporting the War on Terror.

In addition to recognizing a true and outstanding leader, the General H.M. Smith Foundation Dinner also honors individuals who have generously do-nated to MMA in the last fiscal year.

Since 1970, the General H.M. Smith Foundation Dinner is a highly revered annual fundraiser that upholds the memory of Gen. Holland M. “H.M.” Smith. Smith was a Marine and famed war hero who served in World War I and World War II.

Also known as “Howlin’ Mad” Smith, he was known as the father of modern amphibious warfare. Smith was a benefactor of children and a staunch donor to MMA until his death in 1967 at age 84.

To reserve a seat or table, contact MMA’s Institutional Advancement department at (956) 421-9232 or e-mail [email protected].

10 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

COMMUNITY EVENTS / SPORTS

Local benefits to fund softball team’s USSSA World Series tripBy FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZSpecial to the Parade

A local youth softball team will be hold-ing events, such as a 5k run in San Benito and a food sale at the Beach-N-Biker Fest on South Padre Island, to help raise funds to cover travel expenses to Orlando, where the squad will compete on the national stage this summer.

Armando Ruvio is the head coach of the South Texas Thunder, a softball team based out of San Benito. His team, comprised of girls who range in age from 7 to 9, is us-ing all resources at their disposal to raise the money necessary to fund their trip to Disney World in Orlando, the site of the USSSA World Series from July 12-19

“It’s a national tournament,” Ruvio ex-plained. “It’s the ESPN World Series at Disney in Florida.”

Ruvio said that the team must raise at least $35,000 for the trip and are hustling just as much as they do on the softball field

to raise the funds.“We’re doing as many fundraisers as

we can fit in between our tournaments,”

Ruvio said. “We’re a traveling team, so we travel throughout the Valley, up to Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Hous-

ton. We travel up there to get a little bit better competition and get our girls ready for the World Series.”

Among the numerous fundraisers being held for the team is a 5K run/walk, which will be held at the Heavin Resaca Trail in San Benito on May 3, as well as selling food items at the Beach-N-Biker Fest at South Padre Island from April 11-13.

The Thunder have proven so prolific in their victories that Ruvio found difficulty recalling the team’s record.

“I couldn’t even tell you because we’ve played so much. I would say, just a rough estimate, maybe 45-4,” said Ruvio about his team record as the reigning Pony Shet-land National Champions. “We went to Louisiana in 2012, and we brought back a national title.”

The team is also coached by Jessie Sanchez, Jessie Martinez and Edward Guzman.

To help sponsor the Thunder’s trip to Florida, call Ruvio at (956) 202-1271.

SOUTH TEXAS THUNDER

In A NameACROSS1 Promontories5 Stag or rooster9 One of the Visayan Islands13 Home of the Jazz14 Panache15 ___ for All Seasons16 Fred + Jim =19 Silent movie fol-lower20 Brooks and Harris21 Polish23 Good name, briefly24 Smile25 ___ Kleine Nach-tmusik26 Weather forecast28 ack + Phileas =30 Pie-mode center31 Basset, for one32 Hose mishap33 Kind of bliss35 Gaseous hydro-carbon

39 Designer Cassini41 Expert42 Easy as ___43 Betty + Soupy =47 Monk’s quarters48 Secrete49 Stadium feature50 Wallace’s Ben51 Verb ender52 Mandlikova, of tennis53 Rich cakes56 Ethel + Billy + George =59 Longfellow’s bell town60 Pavlova61 Columnist Bom-beck62 Vintage63 Flanders river64 Ownership paper

DOWN1 Clump2 Pedro’s other

3 Monopoly property4 Hebrew moolah5 Persian, of yore6 The works7 Those not of the cloth8 Groups of nine9 Rainy day rarities10 Funny Philips11 Spanish-speaking neighborhood12 Like some heroes17 Bite18 Generous people22 Panhandle24 Marsh25 D followers26 Crow’s cry27 Corrida cheer28 Guiding principle29 European org.31 Edit out34 Be overly fond36 Opening37 Zilch38 Moray

40 Deny41 For each43 ___ Is Sylvia?44 ”For he beholdeth himself and goeth ___”: James 1:2345 Imagine46 Is an apt student47 Held on a leash50 Attack weeds52 Will beneficiary53 Godunov, for one54 Salinger girl55 Roe source57 La-la lead-in58 Washington bill

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 11

PUZZLE

SUDOKU LAST WEEK'S SUDOKU ANSWER

12 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

Shapin’ UpBY FITNESS EXPERT DIANNA ROJAS

Right on TRXWhat is the TRX Suspension Trainer,

and why should you care? The TRX is an entire gym in a bag, a set of non-stretch straps that can be hung from a door or an anchor to the wall allowing you to work your chest, back, arms, legs and abs.

The TRX was invented by a Navy Seal. The TRX has padded handles and foot cradles, which allow you to do a much wider variety of exercises. Training with the TRX has several unique benefits vs other types of fitness equipment.

For all the Ladies, it’s time to lose the fear of bulking up and gain slim, firm, toned muscles! Most females are doing cardio-only workouts, or using weights too light to do any good, because they are afraid of big, bulky muscles. The TRX allows you to build tremendous strength and power without ever bulking up, no matter what number of reps per set you do, and regardless of whether you do TRX by itself or in addition to traditional cardio. One of my favorite workouts is the TRX in which I have gained tremendous results especially in my core. I know many of you guys out there want to build muscle.

But guess what? If you don’t burn the fat that’s covering your muscles, you will never see them. TRX lets you chisel away the fat to reveal the muscle definition you already have in your arms, chest, and abs, all without lots of added cardio. “But wait,” you say, “guys NEED dumbbells to build muscle.” Not so -- dumbbells are just one of many great tools to build muscle. The TRX is effective for stand-alone strength training when you don’t have ac-cess to DB’s, such as when traveling. However, using the TRX does NOT mean you need to give up the iron! TRX makes a great addition to DB and barbell strength training.Having worked as a fitness expert for more than 10 years, I have observed that the biggest missing component in most men’s (and some women’s) training programs is flexibility.

Many men who swear they hate stretching have found that with the TRX, they can finally get the flexibility gains they need to support their strength workouts.The best workout for you is the one you will actually do! But if you’re tired of the usual weights and machines and want something different and fun, TRX is for you. If you’re bored to death with crunches that get you no results, and want functional training for your entire core, TRX is a worth-while tool that allows you to do dozens of exercises for your abs, obliques and deeper core muscles.

xx South Padre Parade, April 2, 2014

Editor’s Note: Dianna Rojas is the owner/op-erator of SPI Athletic Club, a personal trainer, fitness and nutrition expert, and graduate of the University of Texas-Brownsville. She can be con-tacted at [email protected].

By JIM FOSTERSpecial to the Parade

Let’s face facts – March fishing can be “iffy” at best. This year is no excep-tion with low pressure fronts lined up with only small gaps in between. The most jaded of anglers might consider a fishing trip to the Lower Laguna Madre while others will snuggle up with a cup of hot coffee and await better weather.

It has become legend how fishing before a front can be fantastic as well as after the northern air passes. For this writer, I would much prefer to fish fol-lowing a front than trying to guess the speed and intensity of the front heading my way.

A basic rule is rising air (falling pressure) produces clouds and even the possibility of rain and snow. Sinking air (rising pressure) means clouds and precipitation development is sup-pressed, and usually brings clear skies and fair weather.

If one will pay attention to the pictures of large trout you’ve seen in magazines and newspapers, the major-ity of the fishermen in the pictures are wearing warm jackets.

Why? Because the cooler weather is when the largest fish seem to be avail-able in the Texas waters. I have always been a fan of casting large plugs for big trout while wade fishing – where you might ask?

Although I write specifics on how to fish, I rarely will be anything but general on where to fish.

For this angler, the days following a cold front are some of the best times to cast for trout. Sometimes this will last a week but most of the time it will only be two or three days.

One of the keys to finding fish along the Texas Gulf Coast during cold weather is to find muddy bottoms. As

cold-blooded creatures, fish will seek out warmer water where the majority of the baitfish will be.

That being said, the days following a cold front will many times create clear, calm water. During these times, bait-fish will have few places to avoid the larger fish. Try wading flat calm water very slowly and casting large plugs or flies halfway around you before mov-ing on. This method can produce crash-ing strikes and wall hanger trophies.

This type of fishing lends itself to bait casting or spinning gear and large plugs like Storm’s Chug Bug and Big Bug and the lures like the Ghost and Spook. These top water lures are best worked very slowly. A short count should be used before setting the hook. Quickly taking up the slack in your line should be time enough to set the hook.

Many times, large redfish will also be in this same water and with their mouths on the bottom of their head will roll on the lure creating a large splash and “boil” in the water. If this happens let your gear work and fight the fish.

Get out and enjoy our spring and some Texas fishing.

Editor’s Note: To see more of Jim’s writing and photography go to: http://fosteroutdoors.blogspot.com/. If you have comments or news for Jim Fos-ter, email him at [email protected].

The Ides of March

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 13

Hooked UpBY DAVID WOODS OF SHARKMAN SURF FISHING

Sargussum BluesThe east winds blow the

seaweed to the shore. Named by the Portuguese sailors who first discovered the Sar-gasso Sea in the Atlantic, sargassum isn’t generally well accepted. It fouls fishing lines, tick-les beach swimmers and adds an “organic” odor to the beach that some find un-desirable. Even so, it isn’t all that bad. There is as much positive about this brown macroalgea as there is disconcerting. Also known as “gulfweed,” it provides many benefits to the beach and marine ecosystem.Along with the sargassum comes fish, first and foremost. Many fish and crabs either live in or use the sargassum. Crustaceans and small fish find shelter in the masses of it, and even a few have evolved to use it ex-clusively. Along with the small crabs and fish comes bigger fish looking for a meal. Offshore fishermen regularly target the edges of weed lines for king mackerel, mahi mahi and other fish. I always associate its debut on the beach with the arrival of predatory fish -- Spanish mackerel, crevalle jacks and other big fish arrive with the first mats.The biggest beneficiary of the incredible biomass that is sargassum is the beach itself. As it washes up, it brings with it nutrients and structure. These piles are quickly covered by blowing sand and then rapidly rot away. This decompensation then becomes food for crustaceans, isopods and dune plants. As it’s covered up, it builds the sand at the shore break, leaving air pockets and contributing to the texture of the beach. Areas where the sargassum is left in place have fluffy soft sand, filled with surf clams, ghost shrimp, and fiddler crabs; whereas the areas where it has been scraped off the beach by a mechanical backhoe are hard packed and just short of life-less.As much as I curse it at times, I also am very indebted. I’ll be out there casting my lures through it, pulling it off the hook after each cast and mutter-ing to myself. I will also take some time to dig through it with a stick looking for sea beans and other goodies. As it dissappears into the building dunes, I’ll be thankful to it for maintaining our beautiful island for us to fish, swim and live on. Every time the east winds are sustained, the sargassum will come ashore, but it’s no cause for the blues.

Editor’s Note: David Woods of Sharkman Surf Fishing is a regular contributor to the South Padre PARADE. If you have a question you’d like Shark-man to answer, email it to [email protected] or drop it off at the news office and we’ll make sure he gets it.

xx South Padre Parade, April 2, 2014

By Scarlet ColleySpecial to the Parade

Capturing dolphins above water

Our dolphins love to have fun. And fun to them is playing with each other

-- Rustle and Tussle. Over the many years I have been on the water film-ing them, I have captured thousands of above-water poses.

This is a recent photo from last week. To click that camera just in time to get an open mouth is hard to do, for the dolphins move so fast.

I even captured the water running out of his mouth as he was reaching

for his buddy. They don’t have arms to grab each other so they are very mouthy. Those round, pointy teeth are revealed to see just how good they are for capturing their target food -- fish.

So without any more words, the photo says it all. How I love them! For more information, search “dol-phinwhisper” on Facebook, visit www.spisealife.org or join Scarlet on a daily tour by calling (956) 299-1957. It is our Nature Niche.

14 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Something you just found out about will show up in multiple places in your life this week. Are you unconsciously keeping an eye out for it, or is this part of a grand plan? Either way, there’s a message in all of these seemingly coincidental happenings, and it won’t be hard for you to decipher it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). If you don’t have an “elevator pitch,” this is the perfect time to come up with one, as you’ll likely be meeting new and influential people in the week ahead. If you can easily tell them what you do in 30 seconds, you’ll advance to the next step in your business. The same principle applies to your personal life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Some lies are told out loud, but lies of omission are worse because they do not come with any telltale variances that give the recipient a fighting chance at detecting them. In your fight for truth and justice this week, stay aware of the silence, and poke around a bit to make sure you’re not missing something.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). A bossy person will figure strongly into this week’s events. Bossy types are not as popular as others because most people don’t enjoy being bossed around. However, bossy people are often forceful for a reason: They have a vision they believe in. In this week’s case, much improves when you buy into it, too.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). At various points in the week you will play the role of the free spirit or possibly the rebel. It’s important to

note that to some degree you still care what people think of you. Free spirits need friends, too! And rebels are far more effective at overturning the system with their crew of revolutionaries in tow.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Someone is keeping you from the next step. If you’ve been resistant to recognizing it, here are the signs: 1. You can’t seem to get a clear answer from this person. 2. The overall feeling is one of “dragging along.” 3. It takes longer than it should to get in touch. How will you eliminate or go around this obstacle?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your tendency to require very little of your loved ones will make things easy for them and hard for you. Just know that “easy” isn’t what they really want. To balance out the relationship, ask for something more. People want to give to you, and relationships will be better if you let them.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). If all of the logic lines up, and things still don’t feel right, do not move forward. You’ll never regret the decisions you make that follow a strong intuition. However, there is plenty to regret about letting a limited understanding of the world’s precarious accounting system dictate your choices. Trust your inner knowing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Most of your relationships work brilliantly, and when they don’t, you give people the benefit of the doubt. Then again, if you can accurately predict the other person’s behavior, and it’s mostly unsupportive, unhelpful and

For the Week Beginning April 6

Humans existed for thousands of years as restless, roaming hunters and gatherers. Then one day a travel-weary soul spoke up and said, “Let’s stay here and try to grow something.” As Mars in Libra opposes the Aries sun in a tug-of-war situation across the sky, many will wonder whether it’s better to take what’s offered and use what’s around, or create something that doesn’t yet exist. There are merits to both sides.

HOROSCOPEBy Holiday Mathis

Special to the Parade

ASTROLOGY

ultimately disappointing, then it’s time to take a break. You can always try again later.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It will benefit you to interact with others in a controlled environment. Letter writing, presentations, edited video -- these are all methods of communication that allow you to be in control of what you present. You won’t be able to control every environment this week, but you’ll enjoy taking charge where you can.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You can finish a project alone if you like -- just know that it will take you several weeks to do so. If you

want fast results, enlist the help of a Taurus. Also, accept the help of the volunteers who will come along on Thursday and Friday. (They will be attracted to your sense of purpose and the fun you seem to be having.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If you can’t figure out right off the bat what you have in common with the new people you meet this week, start with basic human needs, such as the need to connect and feel included and respected. If you couldn’t find a single other commonality, the mutual need to connect is enough of a basis for a solid relationship.

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 15

PadreRitaGrill

Prime Rib/Crab/ Seafood/Pasta/Paella ALL YOU CAN EAT! 6- 11pm FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT

25.99 ADULTS / $23.99 SENIORS / 21.99 TEENS / $10.99 LITTLE ONES

6pm – 11pm Dinner Specials MONDAY - SIRLOIN STEAK $9.99 TUESDAY -SHRIMP SCAMPI $9.99 WEDNESDAY - ENCHILADAS $8.99 THURSDAY - OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER $9.99 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,½ Dozen FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Seafood/Prime Rib SUNDAY –‘NAWLINS BBQ OYSTERS $9.99 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,a Dozen

Lunch Specials 11 – 3 pm $7.99

MEATLOAF ~ Monday

SHRIMP SCAMPI ~ TUESDAY

ENCHILADAS ~ WEDNESDAY

SHRIMP SALAD ~ THURSDAY

FISH ~ FRYDAY FISH TACO’S ~ SATURDAY PO BOY’S ~ SUNDAY

Chuck 6 - 9 Tuesday

J Micheal 6 - 9 Thurs - Mon

4001 Padre Blvd, South Padre Island (956) 761-7482

Nancy 6 - 9 Wednesday

16 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 17

OUTDOORS

Date: April 12Time: 8 p.m.Event: WWE Live!Where: State Farm Arena, 2600 N. 10th St. (Hwy. 336), HidalgoMore Info: (956) 843-6688

Date: April 23 to 27Time: VariesEvent: Disney on Ice - Let’s Celebrate!Where: State Farm Arena, 2600 N. 10th St. (Hwy. 336), HidalgoMore Info: (956) 843-6688

Date: May 2Time: 8 p.m.Event: George LopezWhere: State Farm Arena, 2600 N. 10th St. (Hwy. 336), HidalgoMore Info: (956) 843-6688

Date: May 4Time: 7 p.m.Event: El TriWhere: Pharr Events Center, 3000 N. Cage Blvd., PharrMore Info: (956) 402-4500

Date: May 16Time: 7 p.m.Event: The Charlie Daniels BandWhere: Pharr Events Center, 3000 N. Cage Blvd., PharrMore Info: (956) 402-4500

Date: June 7Time: 7 p.m.Event: John AndersonWhere: Pharr Events Center, 3000 N. Cage Blvd., Pharr

More Info: (956) 402-4500

Date: Nov. 25Time: 7 p.m.Event: Willie Nelson and FamilyWhere: Pharr Events Center, 3000 N. Cage Blvd., PharrMore Info: (956) 402-4500

Date: Dec. 31Time: 7 p.m.Event: PharrNOW! LiveWhere: Pharr Events Center, 3000 N. Cage Blvd., PharrMore Info: (956) 402-4500

Date: Every WednesdayEvent: Des Moines, Iowa East High School MeetingsWhere: Junction Cafe, 1/2 Block South of Expressway 83 on the Corner of Cage (US 281) and Park Street, PharrMore Info: (956) 781-6611

Date: Every SaturdayTime: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Event: Texas Food RevolutionWhere: 519 S. 17th Street at Alhambra, McAllenMore Info: (956) 203-4152 or visit www.texasfoodrevolution.com

Date: Every SaturdayTime: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.Event: Grace Heritage Ranch ToursWhere: Willacy County near Santa MonicaMore Info: www.GraceHeritageRanch.com or Facebook.com/VisitGHR

Submit your calendar entries by emailing

them [email protected]

Special to the Parade

Laguna Atascosa has announced its schedule of programs for April. The sched-ule is as follows:

Habitat Tours of the Bayside Drive• Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday (1 to 3:30 p.m.)• Saturdays (10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 1 to 3:30 p.m.)Enjoy a guided tour through the habitats of the refuge including thornscrub for-

est, coastal prairie, wetlands and the scenic Laguna Madre in an air conditioned bus. Discover the history of the refuge – both natural and cultural, see how lands are being managed for wildlife and view the special wildlife that calls deep South Texas home. Binoculars and jackets recommended. There will be two stops with short, optional walks. Tickets are $4 for adults (16+), $3.50 seniors (62+), children under 16 are free but tickets are required, available at the Visitor Center the day of the tour. This vehicle is wheelchair accessible.

Twilight Tram Tour• Saturday, April 19 (7 to 9:30 p.m.)Discover the refuge habitats and see which animals become active at night on

this 2-and-a-half hour guided tour on our open-air tram. Bring binoculars and jack-ets. Call (956) 748-3607 ext. 111 to make your reservation. Tickets $4 for adults (16+), $3.50 seniors (62+), under 16 free but ticket required. This vehicle is wheel-chair accessible.

For more information, call (956) 748-3607 Ext 111 or visit www.fws.gov/refuge/laguna_atascosa.

Laguna Atascosa announces April programs

18 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

COMMUNITY EVENTS

ADOPT-A-FRIENDRoscoe

This is Roscoe. He is a 10-month-old Shepard mix. He weighs about 35 pounds and is a very sweet boy. Roscoe is in need if a new “fur-ever” home. He has

already been neutered and he is current on all of his vaccinations. For the past month, he has been

worked with daily by one of the Friends of Animal Rescue’s wonderful volunteers who used to train

dogs and Roscoe is learning all if his commands. He is such a beauty. You can stop by Friends of Animal Rescue, located at 4908 Padre Blvd, SPI between 10

a.m. and 5 p.m., daily or call (956) 772-1171.

There are still animals at the Isabel Y. Garcia Animal Shelter that need to be adopted. The Isabel Y. Garcia Animal Shelter is open 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., seven days a week. The shelter is looking for volunteers to walk dogs, socialize cats, answer

phones and just help out in general. Want to volunteer? Call (956) 943-3888.

The Isabel Y. Garcia Animal Shelter is located at 262 Woodys Lane (off Port Road) in Port Isabel. For more information on how to adopt

a pet, call (956) 943-3888 or email [email protected].

Run, Walk for Autism SaturdaySpecial to the Parade

The Point Isabel Independent School Dis-trict (PISD) is holding a free Walk & Run for Autism on April 5 to help raise awareness about Autism, the fastest-growing develop-mental disorder in the U.S.

The Run will start at Beulah Lee Park in Port Isabel and will end at Port Isabel High School. The Run will measure 5K and will be timed; the walking course will be 2.2

miles. Transportation from PIHS to the start-ing point will be available from 7 to 7:45 a.m. Registered participants will be eligible for door prizes. Registration will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at PIHS on April 4. Registration forms are now available at all PISD schools.

T-shirts will be available for purchase for $10 at the on-site registration. For more information, call: Elsa Garcia at (956) 943-0018; Stephanie Wilson at (956) 433-5041; or Merida Garza at (956) 521-4715.

Annual Plant Sale in San BenitoSpecial to the Parade

Cameron County Master Gardeners, in cooperation with the Texas A&M AgriLife Exten-sion Service, will host their Annual Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 5 at the Arboretum in San Benito. The sale will include trees, shrubs, butterfly plants, herbs, vegetable plants and more. Admission is free. Extension specialists and Master Gardeners will be available to an-swer any questions. Come browse the Garden Market. All proceeds will go toward the Arbo-retum and the Master Gardeners educational programs. The Arboretum is located at 1390 W. Exp. 83, San Benito (within the gates of the Cameron County San Benito Annex Building).

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 19

OUTDOORSOver many years, herb plants have been

one of our main categories of plants to carry at our nursery. This holds true at nurseries nationwide. The lure of growing your own culinary flavorings is very strong, and now coupled with the expense for fresh herbs at the grocery store, more and more people are growing their own herb plants. A few years ago, I asked a lady that worked with us to trim back some one-gallon basil plants that we had for sale. When she was through, I encouraged her to take as much as she wanted and throw away the rest. None was left behind and she said this is about $200 worth if you bought it at a grocery store. The next day at work she brought a jar of the best pesto ever.

Herb plants are easy to grow. The most important thing is a good well-drained soil, rich with compost. Most herbs prefer full- to half-day sun, so a soil that holds moisture for two to three days is perfect. When you water your herb plants, wait until they are approaching being dry and then soak them thoroughly. This process works better than using a little bit of water daily. Plants like curled leaf parsley, flat leaf parsley and all of

the different mints prefer to stay just slightly moist most of the time. I would use the same quality soil as for the other herb plants, but be sure these plants are just in morning sun, and no more than half-day sun.

Many people grow the herbs for their fra-grance as well as their taste. Lemon verbena, rosemary, thyme, sage and santolina are all very aromatic herb plants that would be nice to have planted in pots or in flowerbeds close to entry ways of your homes. If you are growing herb plants in the ground, be aware of the proper spacing for each variety. Herb plants can get pretty big. I was sur-prised one year by a lemon grass plant that I put in a yard we were landscaping. The lemon grass grew as large as a full-grown pampass grass, about six feet tall and wide. Many people enjoy planting herbs in large containers and choose varieties that will cascade over the rim of the pots.

This seems to be an excellent spring for herbs. I would encourage you to get some planted as soon as possible. Get the plants established before the heat of summer. Remember: composted soils and organic fertilizers are the key to success.

A MESSAGE FROM VERANDAS

Family Fishing Camp April 5Special to the Parade

Catch the big one at Adolph Thomae Jr. County Park during the Family Fish Camp, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 5. Experienced anglers from Fishings’ Fu-ture and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will be on hand to teach children and their parents the basics of fishing. Children be-tween the ages of six and 16 will have a great time while practicing their fishing skills and learning important tips. The free camp, sponsored by Laguna Atascosa Na-tional Wildlife Refuge, includes:

• Fish identification and measuring;• Catch-and-release techniques;• Types of fishing gear;

• Knot-tying;• Bait, lures and bobber fishing skills;• Leave No Trace principles;• Water safety and Texas fishing

regulations.The program includes all fishing equip-

ment, free fishing gifts and Junior Angler certificates for those who complete the entire camp. Free lunch is included. Space is limited so visit www.fishingsfuture.org to register online. Call Laguna Atascosa at (956) 748-3607 for more information! Adolph Thomae, Jr. County Park is located at 37844 Marshall Hutts Road in Arroyo City. For more information, visit: www.co.cameron.tx.us/parks/thomae_park.htm or www.friendsofsouthtexasrefuges.org.

Bay Area Birders offer nature toursSpecial to the Parade

The Bay Area Birders of Laguna Vista will offer free guided nature tours every fourth Saturday of the month at the Laguna Vista Trails Park at 9 a.m.

Meet at the parking lot at the end of Palo Blanco Road. The public is welcome.

Birding Center’s Family Fun Day this Saturday

Special to the Parade

The South Padre Island Birding and Na-ture Center present Family Fun Day from 9:30 a.m. to noon, April 5.

The event will feature a birding presenta-tion, guided nature walk, exploration of the butterfly garden, bird feeder making, scav-

enger hunt, bird bingo and more. Pack a lunch and enjoy it on the center’s back deck, overlooking the Laguna Madre. Remember to bring binoculars, sunscreen and a hat. For more info, contact Cristin Howard at (956) 243-8289 or [email protected]. The SPI Birding and Nature Center is located at 6801 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island.

Spring Matinees, guided tours on tap thru April

Special to the Parade

The South Padre Island Birding and Na-ture Center has announced its schedule of up-coming Spring Matinees. The schedule is as follows: April 4 – Phantom Cat of the Chap-arral: Endangered Ocelot (Moore); April 9 – Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air (Thirteen); April 11 – American Eagle (Thirteen); April 16 – Pale Male (Thirteen); April 18 – Rap-tor Force (Thirteen); April 22 – Birds of the Lower Laguna Madre (Moore); April 24 – Phantom Cat of the Chaparral: Endangered

Ocelot (Moore); April 29 – Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air (Thirteen).

All matinees are at 2 p.m. and admis-sion is $3. For more information, call (956) 243-8179 or visit www.spibirding.com. The South Padre Island Birding and Nature Cen-ter is located at 6801 Padre Blvd., SPI.

ToursThe Center is also offering guided tours

with the following schedule: 11 a.m. on Tuesdays; 2 p.m. on Thursdays; 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays; and 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sundays.

20 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Easter Bazaar slated April 12Special to the Parade

The Port Isabel High School organization, Junior Leadership Laguna Madre, will host an Easter Bazaar at Tarpon Stadium from 1 to 5 p.m., April 12.

The Bazaar will feature: an Easter Egg Hunt, an Easter basket raffle, face painting, and pictures with the Easter bunny! Admission is free so make sure to stop by the event.

There will be a concession stand and plenty of opportunities to win prizes. All of the proceeds will be donated to Sea Turtle, Inc.

The Junior Leadership Laguna Madre hopes to bring the community together for a fun-filled holiday celebration!

Kids Fishing Classic at Pirates LandingSpecial to the Parade

Port Isabel Mayor Joe E. Vega’s Second Annual Kids Fishing Classic, will be held April 12 at Pirates Landing Fishing Pier. The free fishing tournament will be hosted by Kids Gone Fish’n. The first 400 children in the registration line will receive a free rod-and-reel combo and T-shirt. Hot dogs and door prizes will be provided during the award presentations.

Registration time is from 7 to 8 a.m. Fish-ing will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Age groups are

as follows: six years old and under; seven to 11; and 12 to 16 years old.

First- and third-place trophies will be awarded to the three age groups. Winners will be determined by the single longest eli-gible fish caught during the allotted time. The overall trophy will be awarded for the longest eligible fish caught of the tournament.

Eligible fish include: Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Sheepshead, Sand Trout, Whiting and Black Drum.

For more information, call Ofc. Joey Lo-pez at (956) 579-5454.

Queen Isabella Market Day plannedSpecial to the Parade

Queen Isabella Market Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 12 in Lighthouse Square in Port Isabel. The event will feature music, an art exhibit and sale and vendor and food booths. Bikes and bikers are welcome. Admission to the Lighthouse and the Museums of Port Isabel is $1; admission to Market Day is free. For more information, call (956) 943-7602 or visit www.portisabelmuseums.com.

‘Viva Las Vegas’ Casino Night on tap April 26

Special to the Parade

On April 26, the fun and glamour of Las Vegas comes to Harlingen!

“Viva Las Vegas” Casino Night begins at 6 p.m., April 26 in the Monte Bello Ball-room, located at 22805 FM 508. It is an evening for adults to eat, drink and play! After dining on a served meal, guests can hit the casino games, bid on both silent and live auction items, win raffle items or door prizes, and even bust some dance moves.

The master of ceremonies for this fundrais-er will be Jay Cantu of KISS 106.3 FM.

Included in the price of the ticket is din-ner, an open bar and a limited number of gambling chips. The event ends at 11 p.m.

Proceeds from “Viva Las Vegas” Ca-sino Night will fund the new music and language programs at the Montessori Academy of Harlingen. To purchase tick-ets or to become an event sponsor, call (956) 970-0160 or e-mail [email protected].

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 21

Invasive species topic of Naturalist meetingSpecial to the Parade

The Rio Grande Valley Chapter Texas Master Naturalists monthly meeting is set for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 8, at the Cameron County Annex Building, located at 1390 W.

Exp. 83 in San Benito. The guest speaker will be Dr. John Goolsby, who will discuss why some non-native species become invasive and how they can negatively interact with native and agricultural ecosystems.

For more info, visit www.rgvctmn.org/.

‘One Day on Earch’ seeks volunteersSpecial to the Parade

The Rio Grande Valley has been chosen to be a part of the “One Day on Earth” feature film and TV series (broadcast on PBS). Visit www.onedayinlrgv.org and sign up to participate.

Project coordinators are looking for people who are familiar with the area and are willing to participate in the production efforts on April 26. The group is a non-pofit 501c3 and all of these positions are volunteer. There are roughly 15-20 positions for each of the following:

Production Assistants: People who will assist the filmmaker with quickly unloading equip-ment, lighting set-up and basically anything needed on multiple site locations on April 26. RGV locations expert: People who are proficient with the area and will be able to drive and assist the filmmaker and crew to the destinations on April 26. (May overlap with P.A. position as well). Local coordinators: People who are experienced and/or well-organized in event co-ordination and production. These people will mostly be utilized in the pre-production process prior to April 26 and will work closely with the filmmaker.

For more info, contact RGV Producer Aarin Hartwell at [email protected].

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off this weekendSpecial to the Parade

Keep America Beautiful’s Great Ameri-can Cleanup (GAC) is the nation’s largest community improvement program, taking place annually from March 1 to May 31. Activities can include beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, removing graffiti, planting trees and conducting educational programs and lit-ter-free events -- anything that keeps your community beautiful!

The Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off (DMWTTO) serves as Texas’ signature event for the Great American Cleanup. The 2014 Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off is scheduled for Saturday, April 5. The Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off is a partner-ship between Keep Texas Beautiful and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Any Texan can participate! On-line registration is now available at www.ktb.org for local organizations to schedule events in their communities and gain ac-

cess to valuable resources to plan, promote and host an event. Participants are encour-aged to register their GAC and DMWTTO events with Keep Texas Beautiful in order to receive trash bags, volunteer giveaways, promotional items, and more to assist in fa-cilitating their cleanup event. Participants may also elect to post their event informa-tion on the Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) event calendar. KTB will be leading in-dividuals and community groups looking to volunteer to the KTB website to find an opportunity in their area.

In 2013, 4,275 Great American Cleanup events were held in Texas, with 132,553 volunteers contributing 548,286 hours; 8,190,276 pounds of trash was collected, with a total of more than 20 million pounds of waste and recyclables collected in all.

Also in 2013, 2,166 Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off events were held across the state, featuring more than 89,000 volun-teers. All told, 7,403 miles of highway were cleared of litter and debris, totaling over seven and a half million pounds of trash.

22 South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

Matinee (before 3:00)Seniors (55+)

Send your e-mail address to [email protected] receive e-mail info about special events!

South Padre IslandHotline: 761-7828O�ce: 761-7839

“�e Friendliest Movie �eater Around”

4700 Padre Blvd

IslandCinema

Now Showing!Fri., Apr. 4 - �urs., Apr. 10

* Late Shows Friday and Saturday Nights OnlyX No Passes Accepted

X God’s Not Dead(PG)

2:30 4:45 7:30 9:50*

X Captain America:Winter Soldier

MuppetsMost Wanted

(PG)2:20 4:35 7:30 9:35*

X Noah(PG 13)

1:40 4:20 7:00 9:40*

(PG13) 2D 3D 2D 3D

1:30 4:15 7:10 9:45*

‘Noah’: Russell Crowe at the End of the World

xx South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014

By KURT LODERSpecial to the Parade

Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” takes off like a sci-fi head trip with a sequence of hallucinatory images depicting the creation of the world out of a vast black nothingness. Lightning flashes in the dark, punctuated by jolts of thunderous percussion. Soon there’s a serpent gliding through water; then we move up onto verdant land, where a blood-red apple throbs ominously in a tree and a woman’s hand reaches up to pluck it. Before long, two men appear in silhouette, one pushing the other to the ground -- Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, enacting what is recorded in the book of Genesis as the world’s first murder.This shorthand back story is a powerful opening, a rush of imagina-tive filmmaking whose energy, unfor-tunately, can’t be maintained. Leaping ahead 10 generations, the movie next introduces Noah (Russell Crowe), whose story is pursued in a much lower key. We find him and two of his sons rooting around in some scrubby vegetation on a dismal plain, gathering ingredients for what would have to be a very humble repast. It’s an awfully quiet scene, although it’s soon enlivened by a burst of action. But coming off the movie’s spectacular beginning, it still registers as a jarring downshift.This imbalance in the picture’s structure is never resolved (despite Paramount’s reported efforts to re-cut the film into a more blockbuster-like form). The movie’s sumptuous digital artistry and bloody fight scenes are appropriately rousing, but the pic-ture is most passionately concerned with spiritual issues -- the silence of God (or “the Creator,” the term used here) and the frustration and anger of humankind in trying to interpret the ways of this inscrutable deity. “Why do you not answer me?” Noah asks in a moment of moral crisis. This is not the sort of question that’s often entertained in a Hollywood

movie, and it’s a tribute to the direc-tor’s commitment to the material that it occupies the central place in a film with a budget said to be north of $130 million.The script, written by Aronof-sky and his longtime associate, Ari Handel, is a necessary expansion of the rather thin Genesis narrative. Noah is a descendant of Adam and Eve’s third son, the virtuous Seth. He’s a good man living in a world that has fallen into depravity, and he is beset on all sides by the violent descendants of Cain, who have turned their back on the Creator. They are led, in this telling, by Tubal-cain (Ray Winstone), the king of a barbarian tribe devoted to vividly rendered pil-lage, cruelty and meat eating (a major turnoff for Noah, who’s a pioneering vegetarian).In a dream, Noah sees himself deep underwater, with dead bodies floating all around him. He takes this to be a communication from on high and tells his wife, Naameh (Jennifer Connelly) that a great flood is coming. “Men are going to be punished for what they’ve done to this world,” he says. (He’s also a proto-environmentalist.) Only the innocent animals of the earth are worthy of survival, and Noah believes that it is his task to save them. He will build an ark.Assisting him in this task is a group

of towering bodyguards, called the Watchers -- fallen angels imprisoned in the ground who now rise up to safe-guard Noah’s undertaking. These CGI characters are problem-atic. They’re big lumbering rock piles -- an effect that was already ungainly in representing the battling stone gi-ants of the first “Hobbit” movie -- and their deep rumbling voices (provided by Nick Nolte, Mark Margolis and Frank Langella) are sometimes un-clear in the manner of the tree-spirit Ents of the “Lord of the Rings” films.Aronofsky endeavors to link Noah’s story to our own time by dispensing with the usual robes and sandals of past biblical epics and opting instead for a curious sort of burlap-and-macrame look. This is odd at first (Noah also wears boots, of a sort), but it effectively moves the story out of a mannered period setting and allows us to focus on the actors and on what they’re saying. “Noah” is a serious project from a director whose visionary gifts have never been in question. But it some-times feels like two or three movies contending for narrative dominance. The filmmakers must surely be pray-ing there’s one audience for all of them.Editor’s Note: Kurt Loder is the film critic for Reason Online.

South Padre Parade, April 3, 2014 23