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Fallen Soldier Returns
JD Salinas resigns
Lions Club BBQ
USIBWC breaks ground on levee project in Granjeno
Mission Crime Stoppers host 'Twilight' Halloween event
SSG Bradley Espinoza is honored for his sacrifice
By Jim Brunson and
Edwina Garza
The family of Staff Sergeant Bradley Espinoza gathered on the tarmac at McCreery Aviation, next to McAllen Miller International Airport as the casket of the deceased 26-year-old Alton soldier was moved from the small aircraft and placed inside the waiting hearse.
A small gathering of community members and friends watched intently Tuesday as the Army Honor Guard slowly carried the flag-draped casket. Holding tightly to American flags, the group stood behind a fence at a distance. A throng of television cameras, photographers and veterans was also there to meet the soldier.
About a dozen family members, including Espinoza’s children walked up to the hearse individually before leaving to Rivera Funeral Home on Conway Avenue. Community members held onto the fence and wept as they watched Espinoza’s wife and children approach the casket adorned in the American flag.
About 25 Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcyclist group comprised primarily of veterans who attend the funerals of members of the U.S. Armed Forces at the invitation of the deceased’s family, stood in the parking lot of McCreery Aviation, holding American flags as the hearse and escorts from Mission and McAllen police passed through.
SSG Espinoza was killed in Iraq on Monday, October 19 while he was performing a route clearance, where a specially-trained team of soldiers searches for IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and blows them up in place, said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Hayes, casualty assistance officer.
As Espinoza’s MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected) vehicle came to a culvert an IED went off before Espinoza’s team had time to clear it. Sgt. Hayes said the incident is still under investigation and he did not know if Espinoza was in or out of the vehicle at the time of the explosion. Two other members of his team were injured by the blast.
As the procession, which included a limousine carrying the fallen soldier’s family, proceeded slowly to Rivera Funeral Home, they were greeted by Mission residents who lined up on Conway Ave. holding U.S. flags to honor the fallen soldier.
Police Academy cadets were posted at every street intersection on Conway, from First Street to the funeral home entrance. There a detail of eight cadets held American flags which bowed to honor the hero soldier.
Joel Garcia, who graduated with Espinoza from Mission High School in 2002, was a member of that flag detail.
Garcia said, “It’s an honor to be here today. He was someone to look up to, someone who sacrificed his life for his country.”
“He was always talking about serving his country,” Garcia added. “He encouraged others to join also. He was a very courageous person.”
Espinoza’s step-father, Miguel De Leon, who others said raised him from a very young age as his own son said, “He’s home. It’s nothing like we expected it to be. It’s a loss and we have to accept it.”
“(The community) is welcoming him home. We are very pleased to see that and we appreciate everyone coming out. The pain we are going through is hard to deal with, but we want to support him and what he did. He supported his country all the way,” De Leon added.
Captain Toll, Rear Detachment Commander for Espinoza’s unit, said Wednesday, “Sgt. Espinoza had one of the most dangerous missions over there, that of route clearance. It is well known that one of the most dangerous weapons the enemy is using over there is the IED. These roadside bombs are so dangerous that they can destroy even tanks. So it is critical to the mission that somebody goes down this road and clears it so that our forces can get through. This job is extremely dangerous, and only a select few have the courage and the skills to do it, and Sgt. Espinoza was one of those select few. His actions and actions of his fellow soldiers in route clearance have undoubtedly saved the lives of countless other soldiers.”
A remembrance service was held for the soldier Wednesday evening at the funeral home.
Funeral mass was celebrated Thursday morning, Oct. 29 at San Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Alton. Burial services were held immediately afterwards at the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission.
SSG Espinoza is survived by his wife, Maria Cruz; his two children, Joseph, age 6 and Celeste, age 3; his mother, Magdalena Espinoza and his father, Miguel A. de Leon. Other family survivors include two brothers, Gabriel and Miguel, and two sisters, Vanessa and Valeria; maternal grandparents, Reyes and Maria Loredo; paternal grandparents, Amel de Leon and Felizida de Leon.
Espinoza was born on Sept. 12, 1983 in San Juan, Texas. He was a 2002 graduate of Mission High School. He enlisted in the United States Army shortly after his high school graduation. He was assigned to the 1st Batallion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas.
At the time of his death, Espinoza was serving his third tour in Iraq and was due to return home in December.
He received two posthumous awards: the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. During his seven years of active duty in the Army, Espinoza received numerous medals and badges including the Army Commendation Medal (three times), Good Conduct Medal (two times), National Defense Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal with Bronze Star, War on Terrorism Service Medal, War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Combat Action Badge, NCO Professional Development Medal, Army Service Medal and Overseas Medal.
Salinas resigns as judge, interim judge appointed
By Edwina P. Garza
EDINBURG — After working for Hidalgo County for nearly 20 years, Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas III submitted his resignation from his post of which he’s served for a term to accept an appointment from the Obama Administration to become the regional administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration.
“It has been my distinct honor to serve the people of Hidalgo County first as their County Clerk and then as County Judge,” Salinas wrote in his resignation letter submitted to County Clerk Arturo Guajardo Jr. on Oct. 26. “I appreciate their support, and look forward to serving them in my new capacity as well.”
Salinas, 39, on Tuesday said he would take the oath of office for the new job on Nov. 13. His tenure as judge here ends Nov. 8 at midnight.
According to a news release from the GSA, which announced his appointment on Oct. 23, Salinas will oversee the GSA’s activities in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. He’ll be responsible for the inventory of 1,350 government-owned buildings and manage federal real estate and information technology.
During public comment for Commissioners’ Court, several members of the Objective Watchers of the Legal System, also known as OWLS, offered their thanks to Salinas for his work.
“J.D. may not be perfect, but he has had an office upstairs the whole time he has been a county judge and he has been a full time county judge,” said Fern McClaugherty of Edinburg.
At a special meeting Tuesday afternoon, Hidalgo County Commissioners voted on Salinas’ temporary successor who will fill the spot until the county elects a new judge to take the job in 2011. During that meeting, where they also accepted and approved Salinas’ resignation, Commissioner Precinct 4 Oscar Garza nominated Rene Ramirez, the chief of staff for Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, to serve as interim judge.
After confusion on which Ramirez Garza nominated, Commissioner Precinct 1 Sylvia Handy withdrew her initial approval and voted against the nomination along with Commissioner Precinct 3 Joe Flores. Garza’s nomination was approved in a 3-2 vote.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Judge Noé Gonzalez denied a petition that sought to bar Salinas from voting on his successor citing his resignation from the county. County officials however, said Salinas is able to cast a vote on his successor and act in county business until Nov. 8 at midnight.
On Wednesday, McClaugherty said she was disappointed in the move of a restraining order to halt the vote.
“We don’t want someone who will run for it,” McClaugherty said of the interim appointee. Previously, Handy and Flores reportedly wanted to nominate former County Judge Ramon Garcia for the position. He is currently the only person who has announced his candidacy for the upcoming election.
Previously, when a judge left office, an appointee was designated that wouldn’t run for the seat, a method McClaugherty called a “smooth” transition.
“People were trying to block it legally,” she said. “We just want what is fair.”
Another OWL member, Virginia Townsend of Mission said the restraining order wasn’t Hidalgo County’s finest hour and reminded commissioners about their pledged transparency in county government.
Ramirez, a former Edinburg City Councilmen, said he has no intentions of running to fill the seat come election time.
“I consider this to be a managerial role and not a political one,” Ramirez said on Wednesday.
Working with Sen. Hinojosa for about 12 years, Ramirez said he can “speak government” and is confident he can “find a way to get the job done.”
Vowing to be accessible to the community and county staff, Ramirez said he is completing paperwork to formally takeover as interim county judge before he begins meeting with commissioners to discuss their precincts’ needs and goals.
“It’s going to be a challenge without a doubt,” Ramirez said. “Judge Salinas has done a good job; these are big shoes to fill.”
Lions BBQ Tickets On Sale
The Mission Lions Club will hold a top sirloin barbecue at the Hidalgo County Pavilion on Sunday, November 8. Tickets for the barbecue plates, including all the trimmings, are $7 and may be purchased at the Progress Times offices located at 1217 N. Conway, or from any Lions Club member. Serving time is from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The proceeds from the barbecue will be used to assist with the Lions Club charitable projects for local needs.
USIBWC breaks ground on levee project in Granjeno
GRANJENO — The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) held a groundbreaking ceremony recently to mark the start of construction on Lower Rio Grande Flood Control Project levee improvements.
The work is being carried out with appropriations from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Construction has begun on two segments – the Banker Floodway North Levee and the Main Floodway.
“We are moving forward quickly to implement these projects so we can meet the goal of the Recovery Act to jumpstart the economy and create jobs,” said U.S. Commissioner C.W. “Bill” Ruth. “At the same time, we are making significant improvements to the flood control infrastructure in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.”
The ceremony was held along the Banker Floodway levee near Granjeno where the USIBWC construction ties into levee improvements previously constructed by Hidalgo County. The USIBWC is raising levee height to comply with standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the 100-year flood.
The Banker Floodway construction, covering three miles of levee between Granjeno and 23rd Street, is being performed by Inuit Services, Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska, which was awarded a $950,997 contract in accordance with a federal program targeting qualified small businesses in distressed areas. Construction is scheduled to be completed in February 2010.
Construction has also begun on a 43-mile reach of the Main Floodway in Hidalgo County to provide enhanced flood protection for the communities of McAllen, Hidalgo, Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, Donna, and Weslaco. Longhorn Excavators, Inc. of Richmond was awarded the $19,169,159 contract, with construction scheduled to be completed by September 2010.
The Recovery Act includes $220 million for USIBWC levee projects in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and the Upper Rio Grande Flood Control Project in West Texas and Southern New Mexico.
Mission Crime Stoppers host ‘Twilight’ Halloween event
MISSION — Officials with the Mission Crime Stoppers this week said they hope they can bank on the “Twilight” movie franchise popularity and see a big crowd at this year’s Halloween event.
For the third year in a row, the organization is hosting an event that allows children and families a safe and different option for their Halloween activities.
The free event will be held at the Border Theatre, 905 N. Conway Ave.
Starting at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, the group will show the movie “Twilight” with a Halloween costume contest beforehand, said Mission police spokesman Sgt. Jody Tittle.
Police will also hand out bags of candy for attendees, he said.
“We’re looking at the teenaged group from 11 and up” to attend, Tittle said.
Previously, the event had a low turn out and officials said they hope to attract more participants with a newer movie. Last year, they showed “Casper.”
The event allows the police department to give back to the community and have a safe place for children and teenagers to go to on Halloween night, Tittle said.
“Saturday night there’s going to be a lot of traffic,” he said. “If you don’t want to go to trick or treat, you can come out to our fun little event.”
Also at the movie theater, the New Hope at the Border Church will have a “Trick ‘n Trunk” event where church members and volunteers will be parked in front of the Border Theatre handing out candy to trick or treaters trunk-to-trunk.
Mercado Mission opens Nov. 5
Mercado Mission, a new farmer’s market with arts and crafts and home baked goodies, will be open on Thursdays at the Mission Market Square next to the new Mission Chamber of Commerce building, located at 202 W. Tom Landry.
Arlene Rivera, Mission Chamber of Commerce CEO, said the marketplace which begins Thursday, Nov. 5, will be a weekly affair open each Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a deejay playing country western music for those who attend.
Vendors are invited to contact the chamber at 585-2727 to reserve a space.
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