MISSION — The Mission Redevelopment Authority approved the reimbursement agreement between Mission and the MRA for the $1million Conway Streetscape Project on Tuesday.

Executive Director Ricardo Perez explained a survey of Conway Avenue has already started, which has put the project in motion.

Juan Delgado, a representative with SpawGlass Contractors Inc, said he had met with City Manager Martin Garza, the Planning Department and the architect for the project to discuss options of how the project would flow and a potential project schedule.

Read more: MRA discuss Conway Streetscape Project

Brenda Ochoa, La Joya Independent School District’s Elementary Teacher of the Year, has always loved school. She said she remembers rushing to catch the school bus every morning. She was unconditionally devoted to school.

“The gravel road that separated my residence in Peñitas and the yellow school bus stretched out to what seemed like infinity,” says Ochoa.

Her mother’s voice would linger in her thoughts throughout the day, “Always try your best, mija.”

Ochoa grew up as the second oldest of seven children. By being the second child, she says she developed patience, listening skills and multi-tasking attributes.

Read more: Brenda Ochoa’s first love was attending school

Dalia Aleman, La Joya Independent School District’s Secondary Teacher of the Year, barely remembers living with her family in a vehicle, but does remember when times were hard for her, putting herself through school and living on $600 a month.

She doesn’t hide this fact from her students either. Aleman says she shares her own life experiences with her students. She wants them to see her as human, that she is someone’s daughter, a sister and a mother. She shares her struggles and how she got to where she is at today – with hard work.

Aleman shares how she was a divorced mother of two putting herself through school and trying to make a living.

“I tell them I know what it is like to be poor, but I also tell them that what they choose to make of their lives is up to them,” said Aleman. She isn’t afraid to tell them she had a Lone Star Card and it is okay to get help when you need it, “As long as you use it to better your life.”

Read more: Students learn from Aleman’s experiences

“I have a bad feeling about raising the rates at the golf course. We don’t want to lose our Winter Texan players,” said Mission Mayor Beto Salinas, when Paul Schaeffer, Shary Municipal Golf Pro presented proposed new rates to the Mission City Council in their Tuesday, May 28, meeting.

“Mission has a lot of Winter Texans who play our course. Having a nice golf course nearby is one of the reasons they decide to winter in Mission. They live nearby because the like the Shary Golf Course. They pay for hook-ups in parks and keep our restaurants full during Winter Texan season. They also shop in Mission,” Salinas said.

Schaeffer told the council the recommended rates were still slightly below what other golf courses are charging, but he needed to raise rates in order to buy new equipment. The only way the golf course could afford to get the new equipment needed was to raise the rates, he said.

Read more: City avoids rate increase for Shary Municipal Golf Course

The Mission Lions Club is getting dirty. Or is that muddy?

Well, at least the volleyball team members will be getting very muddy in the community’s very first Mud Volleyball Tournament being held next weekend on Saturday, June 8, in Alton.

Eight mud pits have been prepared, courtesy of the City of Alton, and over 35 teams have signed up for what is shaping up to be an exciting competition. Highlighting the “friendly competition” is a challenge match between the Mission Fire Department and the Mission Police Department. Rosie Sterling, event chairman for the Mission Lions Club, assured that this is a “non-competitive, recreational” tournament.

Read more: Mission Police challenge fire fighters in mud volleyball match

MISSION – A 25-year-old man was arraigned Wednesday morning for the theft of cell phones, wallets, credit cards, backpacks and cash. The items were stolen from the Sharyland High School Field House beginning May 14 until just recently.

Arnel Gonzalez was charged with three counts of credit card abuse, one count of theft and one count of criminal trespass. He received a $255,000 bond for the charges. The theft charge alone was $100,000 because of two previous thefts and advanced to a state jail felony theft.

According to the affidavit, surveillance video from Sharyland High School shows the suspect driving in to the parking lot and walking into the field house. The suspect then talked to a student about the whereabouts of coaches. The video then shows the suspect walking out of the field house with a white backpack, getting into his vehicle and leaving, the document states.

Read more: Sharyland High School field house burglar arraigned

MISSION—With some tight timelines in place, the process of finding a new superintendent for Mission Consolidated Independent School District is well underway. The Board of Trustees has hired George McShan to assist with the search process.

The job announcement has been posted locally and in statewide sources. The application deadline is June 25.

McShan is currently working to develop a leadership profile for a new superintendent that describes the preferred qualities and skills. To develop the profile, McShan has begun to meet with groups of district and community stakeholders that include every aspect of school district operations, community leaders, business leaders, parents and others.

Read more: Town hall meeting scheduled in superintendent search

MISSION—George McShan, the consultant hired by Mission Consolidated Independent School District to conduct a search for a new school superintendent, made a presentation to the school board Wednesday evening, May 15, outlining the details of his responsibilities. McShan also presented a tentative timeline for the search process, with a deadline of August 1.

Superintendent Dr. Cornelio Gonzalez will be moving to his new position as the executive director for the board of Region One Education Service Center in July. The MCISD board plans to begin the search process immediately, and to sign a contract with a new superintendent before the beginning of the new school year.

Read more: MCISD board begins superintendent search