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AFTER TRUMP'S DISASTROUS 2018, 2019'S GOTTA BE BETTER!
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THANKS FOR PHOTO OF BFD GUYS WITH 1927 TRUCK
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JP 2-3 MARY ESTHER SOROLA SWORN IN BY 404TH DISTRICT JUDGE ELIA CORNEJO-LOPEZ
(Ed.'s Note: AS family looks on, JP Mary Esther Sorola is sworn in for her second term as a judge. Sorola ran unopposed in the Democratic Party primary and did not have a Republican opponent in the November general election. Her husband, Asst. District Judge Louis Sorola looks on holding her judicial robe. Her mother Pct. 1 Cameron County Commissioner Sofie Benavides looks on with her mother and granddaughter.)
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GUESS WHO'S COMING BACK TO SAN WILMAS TONIGHT?
(Ed.'s Note: Would you believe Kawhi Anthony Leonard? Yes, Leonard, who left the San Antonio Spurs to join the Toronto Raptors and is setting the Canadian team on fire. He will be at ATT Stadium facing his former team mates. He is now averaging more than 27 points a game with the Raptors. Leonard was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and Leonard was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season with the San Antonio Spurs.
His return to play San Antonio is not expected to be all that warm and fuzzy, though, since some fans consider him a petulant prima dona. However, there is no question that he is a premier player on any team.Should be some fireworks. Game starts at 7 p.m. on TNT.)
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VINTAGE 1956 BEL AIR IN BROWNSVILLE'S HISTORIC DISTRICT
(Ed.'s Note: They tell us that the restored 1956 Bel Air that cruised through Adams Street in Brownsville's historical district belongs to one Pete Diaz, a vintage car enthusiast and restorer who is also a raconteur of tales of antique cars. This photo was sent to us yesterday (Thursday) and we are told that Diaz was making one of his rounds through downtown Browntown turning heads from passersby as his restored Chevy rolled by.
During first annual Vintage Days held last year, antique car enthusiasts dressed in the style of the era marveled at how realistic the props became when they were displayed next to the historical buildings downtown. Support fro the restoration is available through tax incentives to local owners, although some of the rules in the implementation of the Heritage Plan have left some people miffed and their plans to open businesses foiled. Hopefully, they'll get it right and accelerate the process which some say is taking much too long.
For now, we can only imagine what it was like growing up in Brownsville in the 1950s when cars like the one above used to cruise its streets.)
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EXTRA! HERALD, CITY'S PAPER OF RECORD, MOVING OUT
The site that at one time housed the Brownsville Herald, its newsroom, its presses, and loading docks has now become part of Cameron County facilities.
This morning, workers were painting over the Herald logos and sprucing up the place after the Herald, owned by AIM Media, and its staff was moved out shortly before New Year's Day.
Many subscribers who used to pay monthly were met by closed doors and a sign on the door (in Spanish and English) announcing the move and giving them a telephone number where they could call (956) 430-6200.
The sign on the door said the paper has moved to the Venture X Office Complex at 222 N. Expressway 77/83.
Cameron County had been negotiating with the newspaper for the purchase of the building and the land for future expansion. A county source said that the price negotiated was below market value (around $600,000) and that some uses would not be allowed because of possible contamination from the printing process over the years. Before the staff moved, AIM rented the building until they could get new accommodations, making the county a little extra on top of the cut-rate price for the land.
The newspaper occupied the building continuously since 1965 and was the newspaper of record in the city.
Readers were treated to investigative reports on such varied topics as the Mark Kilroy Satanic murders, the Manpower scandal, the Joey Fisher curandera murder for hire, and the various sins and peccadilloes of elected officials. The late Ray Ramon used to get pillaged almost daily when he was a county judge at the same time that Joe Rivera was getting his start as a county clerk and Eddie Lucio Jr. – now a state senator – was then a county treasurer and later a county commissioner.
The saga of former sheriff Conrado Cantu and his conviction for aiding drug runners, the infamous Bridge to Nowhere that resulted in $21 million spent by the port of Brownsville with nothing to show for it, the burning down of the Matamoros city hall and jail, and the current insecurity along the border and in northern Mexico caused by the drug cartels are stories that were generated here. And Sam Houston Johnson, the brother of Lyndon Johnson, who described himself as having been a “problem drinker,” once spent the night in the old county jail across 12th Street from the newspaper.
Numerous reporters got their start there and went on to fill the ranks of major newspapers and news magazines. Bob Rivard, James Pinkerton, Becky Thatcher, David Crowder, Bill Young, as well many others used to stride across its cracked marble floors to sweat it out under the unforgiving red pen of Ward Coldwell, Don Duncan, Bill Salter, and Lavice Laney.
Photographers like Ron Schade, Joe Hermosa, Mickey Torres and Brad Doherty used to develop their film in the darkroom enveloped in chemicals before the advent of electronic processing.
After deadline, many would congregate at the Pilot House or another nearby watering hole in town or across the bridge in Matamoros to talk over the day's work.
Oscar Castillo, the editor of El Heraldo en Español, used to regale young reporters with his stories as an ex-Golden Gloves bantamweight boxer and the time when he covered an uprising in Matamoros and the officer in charge of the rebelling troops warned anyone about harming him.
In the old days, the staff, when it was a real crusading newspaper, used to break news stories almost on a daily basis.
The papers would be carried out the side just past 1 p.m. (it used to be an afternoon newspaper) by young boys who would get two cents for every newspaper they sold when money could buy something. Felipe "Pipe" Solis was the dean of the delivery boys and had a monopoly of the county courthouse crowd business. "Pale" would hand out the newspapers and collect the coins and dispense their pay daily after they made their sales.Since the newspaper was located next to the county courthouse between Harrison and Van Buren, news reporters could walk to their assignments as well as walk downtown to city hall on Market Square and later in the old federal courthouse on Elizabeth. It was the days before bureaucrats imposed the 10-day waiting period for information requests and one could just walk in and ask questions of the officials and staff.
The newspaper is now in the process of fixing the new site to accommodate the newspapers from its printing plant in McAllen and to provide offices for its news staff and advertising sales reps.
It will doubtless continue to cover issues here, but it is also doubtful that the glory days of newspaper reporting in this border city will ever reach the levels it did when it was nestled in the womb of Brownsville within a stone's throw from the various government offices.
We are witnessing the end of an era for the city and local journalism and for some of us who worked there as ink-stained wretches it is a bittersweet feeling that we lived to witness it.
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LACK OF TRAFFIC LIGHT SYNCHRONIZATION SNARLS TRAFFIC
Here, the light has turned to green for a southbound motorists on Paredes, yet the lights guiding the traffic on Boca Chica under the overpass at US 77/83 remain red, trapping the westbound drivers who block the intersection for those either crossing Boca Chica or trying to turn right. Additionally, even if the cars on Boca Chica had cleared the corner, the No Right Turn On Red sign on Paredes prevents drivers from proceeding on to the boulevard.
If they do turn right against the warning sign, any city police or other law enforcement officer could issue them a traffic citation. This situation occurs daily on many other intersections in the city to the exasperation of local drivers, especially during rush hour or when school bus traffic crowds the roads. In the case above, we are told that the light changed to green twice before the driver was able to proceed.)
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FIRST ILLEGAL ALIENS IN TEXAS CROSSED A DIFFERENT RIVER
By Juan Montoya
For years, the central government had watched idly as foreigners crossed the river into Texas.
A few had permits, followed the law, and had entered the country legally. Many others did not.
Over time, many adopted the language and customs of their new country and pledged allegiance to it. But after a few decades, many of the newcomers ignored the laws of their adopted land and sought to live by the customs and ways of their old country.
Some even brazenly flew the flag of their mother country and spoke the language of the land they came from, often demanding that the host country respect their customs and their culture.
Alarmed, the government sought to limit the entrance of these aliens. But the trickle had turned into a torrent. The government even sent the military to try to reclaim the frontier and sought to deport the troublemakers. But, alas, it was too late.
This is not the United States in 2018 when President Donald Trump forced the country into a government shutdown over his demand for $5.3 billion to build a wall.
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This was the situation in Texas before 1836.
And the illegal aliens then were not Mexican nationals, but hordes of U.S. settlers who had crossed the Sabine River illegally and settled here seeking land, economic opportunity, and a better way of life.
"Many people who complain about the relatively recent phenomenon of illegal migration from Mexico don't realize that there was illegal migration into Texas (then Mexico) in the 1830s on a massive scale," said Joe Garcia, a former history teacher with the Brownsville Independent School District. "It was more like an invasion that caught the Mexican government by surprise."
But unlike their current-day counterparts who travel in caravans seeking asylum and cross the river on inner tubes, these illegal aliens rode horses and pulled wagons openly across the Sabine River.
And although they were not terrorists and carried no weapons of mass destruction, they came armed with revolvers and hunting rifles which could kill a man just as well.
Garcia and others say we have come full circle on the question of illegal migration. Those whose ancestors came as part of the U.S. expansion in the 1800s with the Texas settlers now seek to bar those that are coming across the southern Rio Grande seeking the very same things their forefathers were after, they say.
As a salve, their national representatives have sought to pass legislation that would serve as a balm to tend to their bruised sensitivities. They have sought to prohibit landlords renting homes to those here illegally. They have sought to make English the official language and limit local governments from using Spanish in its pronouncements and publications or offer them sanctuary. They even have proposals to deny citizenship to the native-born children of the undocumented.
Alarmed, the government sought to limit the entrance of these aliens. But the trickle had turned into a torrent. The government even sent the military to try to reclaim the frontier and sought to deport the troublemakers. But, alas, it was too late.
This is not the United States in 2018 when President Donald Trump forced the country into a government shutdown over his demand for $5.3 billion to build a wall.
This was the situation in Texas before 1836.
And the illegal aliens then were not Mexican nationals, but hordes of U.S. settlers who had crossed the Sabine River illegally and settled here seeking land, economic opportunity, and a better way of life.
"Many people who complain about the relatively recent phenomenon of illegal migration from Mexico don't realize that there was illegal migration into Texas (then Mexico) in the 1830s on a massive scale," said Joe Garcia, a former history teacher with the Brownsville Independent School District. "It was more like an invasion that caught the Mexican government by surprise."
But unlike their current-day counterparts who travel in caravans seeking asylum and cross the river on inner tubes, these illegal aliens rode horses and pulled wagons openly across the Sabine River.
And although they were not terrorists and carried no weapons of mass destruction, they came armed with revolvers and hunting rifles which could kill a man just as well.
Garcia and others say we have come full circle on the question of illegal migration. Those whose ancestors came as part of the U.S. expansion in the 1800s with the Texas settlers now seek to bar those that are coming across the southern Rio Grande seeking the very same things their forefathers were after, they say.
As a salve, their national representatives have sought to pass legislation that would serve as a balm to tend to their bruised sensitivities. They have sought to prohibit landlords renting homes to those here illegally. They have sought to make English the official language and limit local governments from using Spanish in its pronouncements and publications or offer them sanctuary. They even have proposals to deny citizenship to the native-born children of the undocumented.
And now they want an additional $5 billion to build a wall to try to keep out the undesirables.
"Can you imagine where we’d be if the Mexican government had sought to impose similar restrictions upon the illegal U.S. settlers then?," asked Jose Luis Almazan, a local immigration-rights activist. "At the time, the only requirements placed upon the arriving settlers to receive huge tracts of land was for them to pledge allegiance to Mexico, learn Spanish, become Catholic, and own no slaves. With these condition all that stood before them and the coveted land, the new settlers quickly accepted the terms and ...promptly forgot them."
But unbeknownst to the Mexican government, the U.S. expansionist plan was to put enough settlers loyal to the U.S. in Mexican territory and then have them agitate for independence, citing alleged grievances by a tyrannical government against a freedom-loving people. Secretary of State James Calhoun referred to the use of this tactic to wrest control of California from Mexico as “playing the Texas game” in a letter to U.S. consul Thomas Larkin.
“This government has no ambitious aspirations to gratify and no desire to extend our federal system over more territory than we already possess, unless” – hint, hint – “by the free and spontaneous wish of the independent people of the adjoining territories.”
A major force in the westward movement was a band of expansionists from Tennessee, namely former president Andrew “Old Hickory” Jackson, Sam Houston, Jackson’s protege, future president James K. Polk, and even David Crockett, who had served in the U.S. Congress with Polk.
Houston, who left Tennessee after a failed marriage, would later go on to be president of the Republic of Texas and maintained a running correspondence with both Jackson and Polk.
Houston was riled because twice he had proposed U.S. presidents and the U.S Congress to annex Texas as a state, and had been left at the altar twice. But with Jackson’s encouragement from The Hermitage and Polk’s platform for annexation, he was dissuaded from encouraging closer ties between the Texas republic and Britain and assured that annexation would occur once Polk took over the presidency.
In fact, Jackson Andrew Donelson – Jackson’s nephew and Polk confidant – was quickly named charge d’affaires to Texas after the death from yellow fever of Tilghman A. Howard. Donelson, another Tennessean, was to deliver Polk’s message to Gov. Houston that help was on the way.
"If ever there was a documented conspiracy to foment the takeover of a foreign country, the playing of the 'Texas game' by these men was it," Garcia asserted.![Pictures Of The Week Photo Gallery]()
History has a way of repeating itself. The irony, of course, is that in the early years of the 21st Century, a tidal wave of Hispanic migration from Mexico and Central America continues to seep northward, not only in the provinces that James K. Polk wrested from Mexico 160 years ago, but throughout the United States.
It is a tidal wave of population and culture as inexorable as that which rolled into Texas in the 1830s, into Oregon in the 1840s, and into California in the 1850s. Whatever else history is, it is not static.
"Can you imagine where we’d be if the Mexican government had sought to impose similar restrictions upon the illegal U.S. settlers then?," asked Jose Luis Almazan, a local immigration-rights activist. "At the time, the only requirements placed upon the arriving settlers to receive huge tracts of land was for them to pledge allegiance to Mexico, learn Spanish, become Catholic, and own no slaves. With these condition all that stood before them and the coveted land, the new settlers quickly accepted the terms and ...promptly forgot them."
But unbeknownst to the Mexican government, the U.S. expansionist plan was to put enough settlers loyal to the U.S. in Mexican territory and then have them agitate for independence, citing alleged grievances by a tyrannical government against a freedom-loving people. Secretary of State James Calhoun referred to the use of this tactic to wrest control of California from Mexico as “playing the Texas game” in a letter to U.S. consul Thomas Larkin.
“This government has no ambitious aspirations to gratify and no desire to extend our federal system over more territory than we already possess, unless” – hint, hint – “by the free and spontaneous wish of the independent people of the adjoining territories.”
A major force in the westward movement was a band of expansionists from Tennessee, namely former president Andrew “Old Hickory” Jackson, Sam Houston, Jackson’s protege, future president James K. Polk, and even David Crockett, who had served in the U.S. Congress with Polk.
Houston, who left Tennessee after a failed marriage, would later go on to be president of the Republic of Texas and maintained a running correspondence with both Jackson and Polk.
Houston was riled because twice he had proposed U.S. presidents and the U.S Congress to annex Texas as a state, and had been left at the altar twice. But with Jackson’s encouragement from The Hermitage and Polk’s platform for annexation, he was dissuaded from encouraging closer ties between the Texas republic and Britain and assured that annexation would occur once Polk took over the presidency.
In fact, Jackson Andrew Donelson – Jackson’s nephew and Polk confidant – was quickly named charge d’affaires to Texas after the death from yellow fever of Tilghman A. Howard. Donelson, another Tennessean, was to deliver Polk’s message to Gov. Houston that help was on the way.
"If ever there was a documented conspiracy to foment the takeover of a foreign country, the playing of the 'Texas game' by these men was it," Garcia asserted.
History has a way of repeating itself. The irony, of course, is that in the early years of the 21st Century, a tidal wave of Hispanic migration from Mexico and Central America continues to seep northward, not only in the provinces that James K. Polk wrested from Mexico 160 years ago, but throughout the United States.
It is a tidal wave of population and culture as inexorable as that which rolled into Texas in the 1830s, into Oregon in the 1840s, and into California in the 1850s. Whatever else history is, it is not static.
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THE WHEELS OF AN OUTSPOKEN CITIZEN IN OUR MIDST
If you click on the graphic and enlarge it, the sign under the rear windshield wiper states that if you hate socialism you should get of the public's highway is rather witty.
These sentiments would undoubtedly fuel a heated response from opponents of those stands. But maybe just the fact that they got a conversation going on these issues is good enough to warrant their expression. Thanks to our reader for sending us the photo.)
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A TALE OF FAILED LOVE IN ONE ACT
And so it's come to be
I've had enough
Of you
As you have, too,
Of me
Let's have no trauma
No drawn out scenes
Or maudlin speeches
By drama queens
Let's close the curtain
Depart the stage
One right
One left
And seek our separate ways
Don't let the audience -
Your friends, my foes -
Force our return
To this
Our bitter stage,
With curtain calls
Admit the play is done
We're out of lines
Why have an encore?
We've had our run
It was just, after all
A one-act play:
It just happened to be
I've had enough
Of you
As you have, too,
Of me
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THE CAMERON COUNTY CALABOOSE OVER TIME
(Ed.'s Note: After we mentioned that Samuel Houston Johnson, the ne'er do well brother of President Lyndon B. Johnson was once jailed in the old Cameron County Jail, one of our seven readers dug up pictures of the structure over time.
The U.S. National Register of Historic Places catalog of sites states that it was the second jail built for Cameron County built in 1913 by the San Antonio architects Ayres & Ayres, the Beaux-Arts and was originally only 5,000 square feet. The jail was surrounded by a 12-foot wall, which was partially demolished in 1926 and used for building a 15,000-square-foot addition. (second photo)
This jail was replaced by another jail in 1978. The jail house has been reconstructed as an office building, but, surprisingly, most of the interior features that defined the building as a jail were retained.
This jail was replaced by another jail in 1978. The jail house has been reconstructed as an office building, but, surprisingly, most of the interior features that defined the building as a jail were retained.
The old jail now serves as law offices for Tony Martinez (also mayor of Brownsville), Eduardo Roberto Rodriguez (Tony), Norton A. Colvin Jr., and Mitchel C. Chaney. The value of the restored building is put at $435,452 by the Cameron County Appraisal District and is given a historical tax exemption by the Brownsville Independent School District of $5,508.47, the entity with the biggest tax rate.)
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DOMINGUEZ TO BE SWORN IN TUESDAY AS DISTRICT 37 REP
By Juan Montoya
Tomorrow – January 8, 2019 – will be the start of the Alex Dominguez era for District 37 in the Texas House of Representatives.
That is the day that after 30 years of the district having the same officeholder – Rene Oliveria – former Cameron County Pct. 2 Commissioner Alex Dominguez will take his place in the 150-member body. (He's the third new house member pictured in the second row of the 32 new members who will be sworn in on Tuesday.)As a state rep, Dominguez will get $600 per month, or $7,200 per year, plus a per diem of $190 for every day the legislature is in session (also including any special sessions). That adds up to $33,800 a year for a regular session (140 days), with the total pay for a two-year term being $41,000. What a deal!
Still, the real impact of a state rep is not in collecting this paltry check, but in passing legislation for funding that will impact the residents of his district. In the case of District 37, with its homeland security, school funding, immigration, transportation, coastal issues, and economic development concerns, this position is a critical role.
For the past few months, Dominguez and the new members have been attending introductory classes to teach the the ropes in the House. Dominguez says his stint as a county commissioner and members hip in the city's Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) gave him a leg up over the new members ho had never held office.
It is unusual for 32 incumbent to be replaced in an election, and Dominguez says the "Beto" (O'Rourke) effect on this past November's election is one of the main reasons many of these state Democrats ended up in the House.
"Beto carried a lot of them into office," he said. "There were some we thought would never make it against the Republican incumbent, but Beto carried them in even if he didn't beat Ted Cruz for the U.S. Senate." Until they are sworn in, the new reps can't use the title of their new office and many wait until their searing in before renting district offices. Therefore, the location of the new District 37 office has not been announced. Once that is finalized, his staff will make the location known to media and the public.
Also taking office in Cameron County to replace 197th District Court Judge Migdalia Lopez, who retired, is attorneys Adolfo Cordova, who bested attorney and former Brownsville Navigation Commission member Carlos Masso in a runoff last May 22.
Lopez did not seek re-election at the end of her term, and there were no Republican candidates.
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BISD TIGHTENS BELT, HISTORIC TAX EXEMPTIONS SCRUTINIZED
By Juan Montoya
The Brownsville Independent School District's finances, battered by decreasing enrollments and competition by the proliferation of charter schools, is tightening its belt, and among the tax exemptions it approves annually, those given to historic buildings are being scrutinized.
Last June, amidst bitter debate, a majority of the board approved the removal of 23 properties valued at $4.9 million from tax exemptions, a move that saved the district almost $200,000 in cash given the state's appropriation of $3 for every $1 tax dollar the BISD collects.
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Some of those properties given exemptions for their historical designation included the El Jardin Hotel which sits in a state of disrepair even though it has been exempted from taxes for years and its owners apparently have not done anything to restore it to its former glory.
The property's capped value is listed at $500,000 and at a BISD 50 percent tax deduction, the district had forgiven its owners $3,162 in taxes yearly.
Other properties removed from historical exemption by the district included:
The San Roman Building (2 structures) at 1231 E. Elizabeth St. in downtown Brownsville with a taxable value of $107,795 and $168.925, both of which had 100 percent tax deduction with a tax levy they didn't pay the district of $1,363 and $2,136 respectively.
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The Rio Grande Valley Gas building at 355 Elizabeth St. valued at $574,513 and which the district had forgone $3,633 in taxes through its 50 percent deduction.
The Wells Fargo property at 1534 E. Sixth Street which had been forgiven $11, 870 in school taxes through its 100 percent deduction on a property across from the Gladys Porter Zoo valued at $938,381. It now serves as a law office.
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The Tijerina House, at 333 E. Adams, a dilapidated structure valued at $50,902 which the district had forgiven $643 in taxes and the structure does not appear to have had any restoration done on it despite the exemption.
The Sombrero Festival Building,a corrugated sheet metal building at 1908 E. Sixth Street used by the SombreroFest organization to plan its annual activities. It is valued at $110,177 and its historic exemption by the district saved the corporation $1,393 in taxes.
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The Jackson Feed and Seed property and building at 1755 E. 7th which had a value of $128,177 and saved its owner (Oscar Garcia, husband of former UTB President Julieta Garcia) $1,621 in school taxes through its 100 percent tax deduction.
The Greyhound Terminal at 1134 E. St. Charles valued at $557,043 and which had been exempted from paying $7,067 in school taxes yearly.
The Victoria Motion Picture Theater which is now an adult day-care facility at 1244 E. 14th Street valued at $118,664 and whose owners were forgive the $1,501 in taxes through its 100 percent deduction.
Even though the district removed 23 properties from its historical exemptions it is now eyeing the rest of the properties listed in the Brownsville Heritage Plan which includes another 84 with an aggregate capped value of $14.25 million of which $6.1 million in school taxes are forgiven. None of these 84 are owned by cities or other governmental entities, but rather, by private individuals or corporations.
Given the multiplier of four which $1 in property taxes generate for the district, the BISD is looking to recover more than $24 million if it should vote to remove them from its historical tax exemption list.
The Brownsville Independent School District's finances, battered by decreasing enrollments and competition by the proliferation of charter schools, is tightening its belt, and among the tax exemptions it approves annually, those given to historic buildings are being scrutinized.
Last June, amidst bitter debate, a majority of the board approved the removal of 23 properties valued at $4.9 million from tax exemptions, a move that saved the district almost $200,000 in cash given the state's appropriation of $3 for every $1 tax dollar the BISD collects.
Some of those properties given exemptions for their historical designation included the El Jardin Hotel which sits in a state of disrepair even though it has been exempted from taxes for years and its owners apparently have not done anything to restore it to its former glory. The property's capped value is listed at $500,000 and at a BISD 50 percent tax deduction, the district had forgiven its owners $3,162 in taxes yearly.
Other properties removed from historical exemption by the district included:
The San Roman Building (2 structures) at 1231 E. Elizabeth St. in downtown Brownsville with a taxable value of $107,795 and $168.925, both of which had 100 percent tax deduction with a tax levy they didn't pay the district of $1,363 and $2,136 respectively.
The Rio Grande Valley Gas building at 355 Elizabeth St. valued at $574,513 and which the district had forgone $3,633 in taxes through its 50 percent deduction.The Wells Fargo property at 1534 E. Sixth Street which had been forgiven $11, 870 in school taxes through its 100 percent deduction on a property across from the Gladys Porter Zoo valued at $938,381. It now serves as a law office.
The Tijerina House, at 333 E. Adams, a dilapidated structure valued at $50,902 which the district had forgiven $643 in taxes and the structure does not appear to have had any restoration done on it despite the exemption.The Sombrero Festival Building,a corrugated sheet metal building at 1908 E. Sixth Street used by the SombreroFest organization to plan its annual activities. It is valued at $110,177 and its historic exemption by the district saved the corporation $1,393 in taxes.
The Jackson Feed and Seed property and building at 1755 E. 7th which had a value of $128,177 and saved its owner (Oscar Garcia, husband of former UTB President Julieta Garcia) $1,621 in school taxes through its 100 percent tax deduction.
The Greyhound Terminal at 1134 E. St. Charles valued at $557,043 and which had been exempted from paying $7,067 in school taxes yearly.
The Victoria Motion Picture Theater which is now an adult day-care facility at 1244 E. 14th Street valued at $118,664 and whose owners were forgive the $1,501 in taxes through its 100 percent deduction.
Even though the district removed 23 properties from its historical exemptions it is now eyeing the rest of the properties listed in the Brownsville Heritage Plan which includes another 84 with an aggregate capped value of $14.25 million of which $6.1 million in school taxes are forgiven. None of these 84 are owned by cities or other governmental entities, but rather, by private individuals or corporations.
Given the multiplier of four which $1 in property taxes generate for the district, the BISD is looking to recover more than $24 million if it should vote to remove them from its historical tax exemption list.
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A DEATH FORETOLD: FOUR VOTES THERE TO FIRE DR. Z
By Juan Montoya
It could come as early as a specially-called meeting this week (Friday?) when Brownsville Independent School District Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas will get her walking papers and an interim super might be named.
Sources deep within the district say the four votes are already there for her termination or suspension and they are saying Area Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dora E. Sauceda might be named as an her interim replacement.
At least two top administrators – Payroll Dept. Director Keneth Lieck and CFO Lorenzo Sanchez – are said to have already turned in their resignations.
And still other sources say that the board majority is leaning toward offering the job permanently to Dr. Filemona Leo, an educator for over 30 years who retired as the Superintendent of Schools for La Joya ISD. She most recently served as an interim super at the San Benito ISD.
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As is usually the case, Zendejas' fate was cast by the results of the last election when three of her majority – Cesar lopez, Joe Rodriguez and Carlos Elizondo – left the board. Lopez did not seek reelection and both Rodriguez and Elizondo were defeated in the election.
Her most recent tenure began with her appointment as interim in February 2015 and she was named superintendent. She was then named superintendent in June. She was the BISD's chief executive from 1992-1995.
When she was named interim superintendent, trustee Joe Rodriguez and the board promised that the community's input would be sought for a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent.
There was extended discussion on establishing a community advisory committee to help the board in its choice. And Rodriguez even suggested a consultant from the Harlingen ISD to help the committee.
All that was forgotten and Zendejas – who handed in an outline of her resume – was named as a permanent superintendent without the niceties of a selection process or even a consideration of any other candidates.
From there on, the board majority and Zendejas did as they have seen fit, sometimes to the detriment of taxpayers and students, and often the embarrassment of the community. The board even approved an 11.25-cent tax increase on a vote without putting it out as a referendum to the voters or seeking public input.
As the spearhead for the board majority, Zendejas set about making personnel changes including principals and coaches. Many BISD staff complained that many of those changes were not made with the improvement of the district in mind, but rather to reward personnel who were allied with the board's majority.
As is often the case in the careers of school superintendents, you live by the gun and you die by the gun.
It could come as early as a specially-called meeting this week (Friday?) when Brownsville Independent School District Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas will get her walking papers and an interim super might be named.
Sources deep within the district say the four votes are already there for her termination or suspension and they are saying Area Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dora E. Sauceda might be named as an her interim replacement.
At least two top administrators – Payroll Dept. Director Keneth Lieck and CFO Lorenzo Sanchez – are said to have already turned in their resignations.
And still other sources say that the board majority is leaning toward offering the job permanently to Dr. Filemona Leo, an educator for over 30 years who retired as the Superintendent of Schools for La Joya ISD. She most recently served as an interim super at the San Benito ISD.
As is usually the case, Zendejas' fate was cast by the results of the last election when three of her majority – Cesar lopez, Joe Rodriguez and Carlos Elizondo – left the board. Lopez did not seek reelection and both Rodriguez and Elizondo were defeated in the election.
Her most recent tenure began with her appointment as interim in February 2015 and she was named superintendent. She was then named superintendent in June. She was the BISD's chief executive from 1992-1995.
When she was named interim superintendent, trustee Joe Rodriguez and the board promised that the community's input would be sought for a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent.
There was extended discussion on establishing a community advisory committee to help the board in its choice. And Rodriguez even suggested a consultant from the Harlingen ISD to help the committee.
All that was forgotten and Zendejas – who handed in an outline of her resume – was named as a permanent superintendent without the niceties of a selection process or even a consideration of any other candidates.
From there on, the board majority and Zendejas did as they have seen fit, sometimes to the detriment of taxpayers and students, and often the embarrassment of the community. The board even approved an 11.25-cent tax increase on a vote without putting it out as a referendum to the voters or seeking public input.
As the spearhead for the board majority, Zendejas set about making personnel changes including principals and coaches. Many BISD staff complained that many of those changes were not made with the improvement of the district in mind, but rather to reward personnel who were allied with the board's majority.
As is often the case in the careers of school superintendents, you live by the gun and you die by the gun.
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AMLO LAUNCHES PLAN THAT WILL IMPACT US-MEX BORDER
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched an ambitious plan Saturday to stimulate economic activity on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border, reinforcing his country’s commitment to manufacturing and trade despite recent U.S. threats to close the border entirely.
Mexico will slash income and corporate taxes to 20 percent from 30 percent for 43 municipalities in six states just south of the U.S., while halving to 8 percent the value-added tax in the region. Business leaders and union representatives have also agreed to double the minimum wage along the border, to 176.2 pesos a day, the equivalent of $9.07 at current exchange rates.
Lopez Obrador who took office on Dec. 1, said the idea is to stoke wage and job growth via fiscal incentives and productivity gains. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly complained that low wages in Mexico lure jobs from the U.S. Mexico committed to boost wages during last year’s negotiations to retool its free trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada.
Speaking from Ciudad Juarez, a manufacturing hub south of El Paso, Texas, Lopez Obrador said Saturday he agrees with Trump that Mexican wages “should improve.” He decried, for instance, that Mexican auto workers earn a fraction of what their U.S. counterparts take home, topping out at just $3 an hour versus a typical wage of $23 an hour in the U.S.
Yet the economic plan comes at a delicate moment for the border region. Trump threatened as recently as last week to close the U.S.-Mexico border “entirely” if Democrats refuse to allot $5.6 billion to expand the wall that separates the two countries.
Economy Minister Graciela Marquez noted Saturday that the border region targeted for economic stimulus accounts
MEXICO CITY — President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched an ambitious plan Saturday to stimulate economic activity on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border, reinforcing his country’s commitment to manufacturing and trade despite recent U.S. threats to close the border entirely.
Mexico will slash income and corporate taxes to 20 percent from 30 percent for 43 municipalities in six states just south of the U.S., while halving to 8 percent the value-added tax in the region. Business leaders and union representatives have also agreed to double the minimum wage along the border, to 176.2 pesos a day, the equivalent of $9.07 at current exchange rates.
Lopez Obrador who took office on Dec. 1, said the idea is to stoke wage and job growth via fiscal incentives and productivity gains. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly complained that low wages in Mexico lure jobs from the U.S. Mexico committed to boost wages during last year’s negotiations to retool its free trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada.
Speaking from Ciudad Juarez, a manufacturing hub south of El Paso, Texas, Lopez Obrador said Saturday he agrees with Trump that Mexican wages “should improve.” He decried, for instance, that Mexican auto workers earn a fraction of what their U.S. counterparts take home, topping out at just $3 an hour versus a typical wage of $23 an hour in the U.S.
Yet the economic plan comes at a delicate moment for the border region. Trump threatened as recently as last week to close the U.S.-Mexico border “entirely” if Democrats refuse to allot $5.6 billion to expand the wall that separates the two countries.
Economy Minister Graciela Marquez noted Saturday that the border region targeted for economic stimulus accounts
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ANTIQUE BFD FIRE LADDER TRUCK ON ITS WAY BACK HOME
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
It's anyone's guess on the whereabouts of the 1927 American LaFrance Aerial Fire Truck that is supposed to be on its way to Brownsville.
The truck was purchased by the city for $50,000 who then signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Brownsville Historical Association for its care and preparation for exhibition.
The truck, after it was junked by the city for scrap metal in a local junkyard, was purchased by truck dealer John W. Brown, of Chambersburg, Pa.His son Ronald Earl, told firefighters that his father had always wanted the truck to go back to Brownsville.
The city commission approved the MOU with the Brownsville Historical Association to purchase the fire truck on July 30, 2018. As of yesterday (January 7), city officials expected it to be delivered within the next 45 days. and called its arrival "imminent."
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BISD MAY FIRE SUPERINTENDENT ZENDEJAS ON FRIDAY
By Juan Montoya
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The end for Brownsville Independent School District Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas may come as early as Friday during a special-called meeting when the board will consider her "separation, administrative leave or suspension."
Sources deep within the district say the four votes are already there for her termination or suspension and they are saying Area Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dora E. Sauceda might be named as an her interim replacement.
At least two top administrators – Payroll Dept. Director Keneth Lieck and CFO Lorenzo Sanchez – are said to have already turned in their resignations.
And still other sources say that the board majority is leaning toward offering the job permanently to Dr. Filemona Leo, an educator for over 30 years who retired as the Superintendent of Schools for La Joya ISD. She most recently served as an interim super at the San Benito ISD.
![Image result for esperanza zendejas]()
As is usually the case, Zendejas' fate was cast by the results of the last election when three of her majority – Cesar lopez, Joe Rodriguez and Carlos Elizondo – left the board. Lopez did not seek reelection and both Rodriguez and Elizondo were defeated in the election.
Her most recent tenure began with her appointment as interim in February 2015 and she was named superintendent. She was then named superintendent in June. She was the BISD's chief executive from 1992-1995.
When she was named interim superintendent, trustee Joe Rodriguez and the board promised that the community's input would be sought for a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent.
There was extended discussion on establishing a community advisory committee to help the board in its choice. And Rodriguez even suggested a consultant from the Harlingen ISD to help the committee.
All that was forgotten and Zendejas – who handed in an outline of her resume – was named as a permanent superintendent without the niceties of a selection process or even a consideration of any other candidates.
From there on, the board majority and Zendejas did as they have seen fit, sometimes to the detriment of taxpayers and students, and often the embarrassment of the community. The board even approved an 11.25-cent tax increase on a vote without putting it out as a referendum to the voters or seeking public input.
As the spearhead for the board majority, Zendejas set about making personnel changes including principals and coaches. Many BISD staff complained that many of those changes were not made with the improvement of the district in mind, but rather to reward personnel who were allied with the board's majority.
As is often the case in the careers of school superintendents, you live by the gun and you die by the gun.
Sources deep within the district say the four votes are already there for her termination or suspension and they are saying Area Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dora E. Sauceda might be named as an her interim replacement.
At least two top administrators – Payroll Dept. Director Keneth Lieck and CFO Lorenzo Sanchez – are said to have already turned in their resignations.
And still other sources say that the board majority is leaning toward offering the job permanently to Dr. Filemona Leo, an educator for over 30 years who retired as the Superintendent of Schools for La Joya ISD. She most recently served as an interim super at the San Benito ISD.
As is usually the case, Zendejas' fate was cast by the results of the last election when three of her majority – Cesar lopez, Joe Rodriguez and Carlos Elizondo – left the board. Lopez did not seek reelection and both Rodriguez and Elizondo were defeated in the election.
Her most recent tenure began with her appointment as interim in February 2015 and she was named superintendent. She was then named superintendent in June. She was the BISD's chief executive from 1992-1995.
When she was named interim superintendent, trustee Joe Rodriguez and the board promised that the community's input would be sought for a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent.
There was extended discussion on establishing a community advisory committee to help the board in its choice. And Rodriguez even suggested a consultant from the Harlingen ISD to help the committee.
All that was forgotten and Zendejas – who handed in an outline of her resume – was named as a permanent superintendent without the niceties of a selection process or even a consideration of any other candidates.
From there on, the board majority and Zendejas did as they have seen fit, sometimes to the detriment of taxpayers and students, and often the embarrassment of the community. The board even approved an 11.25-cent tax increase on a vote without putting it out as a referendum to the voters or seeking public input.
As the spearhead for the board majority, Zendejas set about making personnel changes including principals and coaches. Many BISD staff complained that many of those changes were not made with the improvement of the district in mind, but rather to reward personnel who were allied with the board's majority.
As is often the case in the careers of school superintendents, you live by the gun and you die by the gun.
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IN BROWNTOWN: THE YAWNING POTHOLE GETS THE PITCH
By Juan Montoya
All through the holidays (and for years before), motorists on Roosevelt Street that connects McDavitt Blvd. to International Blvd. have been complaining of the chronic potholes that reappear every time there's a slight drizzle after Brownsville Public Works crews patched after the last rain.
For years, their calls for a solution have been unheeded. That's even though the thoroughfare is a popular one to traverse from McDavitt to 14th Street which leads to International and to both Four Corners and the Gateway International Bridge. At the corner of 13th Street is Victoria Elementary where school buses load and unload children and parents swerve to avoid the holes in the face of oncoming traffic.
And the patches have proven to be an inadequate response. The labor and materials used for this patchwork (sorry) solution washed away after each rain and went (literally) down the drain.
After years of making do with pothole patches, the City of Brownsville administration finally decided to implement a more permanent solution. On Tuesday, a paving contractor and Public Works supervisors huddled with engineers form the Brownsville Public Utilities Board to pave the stretch between McDavitt and 14th Street.For the meantime, traffic on McDavitt east has been detoured around Keith Street and to Arthur Street on the south and then around to 13th. (Click on graphic to enlarge.)
"We're going to do the stretch between 13th and the railroad (around Keith Street) first and then we're going to do from the railroad to McDavitt," said a PUB engineer.
PUB is involved because it is responsible for the sewer, water and electric lines both under the roadway and on the right-of-way.
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DOMINGUEZ TAKES THE OATH AND BECOMES DIST. 37 REP
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LAYER BY LAYER, CITY'S HISTORY SEES DAYLIGHT AGAIN
By Juan Montoya
Meticulously, peeling each layer back like an onion, craftsmen restoring an old store dating back to the 1890s are uncovering the city's history.
In this case, it is the building at the corner of Adams and 9th streets cater corner (kitty corner) or “diagonally opposite,” from Putegnat Elementary, popularly known in its day as the Bouis El Alamo Grocery and Meat Store.
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And that's not the only building that's coming back to life again in the city.
The old brick and facade of the old Zarate pharmacy at the corner of 11th and Washington streets is also seeing the light of day again after being covered by the mask of paint and stucco for over a century.
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But according to local historians, the Alamo Grocery and Meat grocery belonged to the Bouis family, originally from Point Isabel. It was, in its day, the Circle K of stores in Brownsville.
Yesterday, as passersby looked on, a worker was working on doors to replace the old plain wooden ones for the outside, but said said that the contractor – Pedro Rocha – was doing the work for restorer Fernando Balli and that they would keep the original plain wooden slat doors and restore them over time.
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He pointed to some of the original features in the store such as the handmade nails on the high ceiling rafters that were used to hang the cuts of meat, the arched doorways and walls used to pass the meats to customers, and the front of the sore that still bore the "El Alamo" store sign once the layers of paint were scraped away.
"The people who had the store after Bouis chipped at the brick to make it easier to apply the stucco on the outside wall," he said. "We removed the stucco but don't want to harm the old bricks by planing them even."
The Bouis family tomb, in the city's Old Cemetery, also stands out as an impressive structure among the rest. That, according to Brownsville Historical Association researcher Gene Fernandez, is because it was built by Heinrich Portscheller, the same man who built the Romanesque-style buildings that give Roma, Texas its unique look.
![2016-05-07_KnowYourNeighbor_LEAD.jpg]()
In "Master Builder of the Lower Rio Grande: Heinrich Portscheller," Eugene George, he says that Portscheller, a descendant of a well-known family of masons and master builders, emigrated to Mexico from his native Germany in 1865.
He had the misfortune to disembark at Veracruz during the Franco-Mexican War and was impressed into the imperialist forces and sent to northern Mexico. Sometime in 1866, Portscheller deserted the army and eventually made a place for himself in Roma, in Starr County.
Over the next decades, Portscheller acquired a reputation as a master builder and architect. He brought to the Lower Rio Grande Valley his long heritage of Old World building knowledge and skills and integrated them with the practices of local Mexican construction and vernacular architecture.
At the El Alamo Grocery and Meat Store, the workers are meticulously recovering and keeping the sand bricks that were used at the time for use in later improvements and patch ups. Fernandez says the bricks were manufactured in a small burg named Santa Rosalia that has since disappeared. An old cemetery south of the Southmost area across the river levee is all that remains of the town.
Meticulously, peeling each layer back like an onion, craftsmen restoring an old store dating back to the 1890s are uncovering the city's history.
In this case, it is the building at the corner of Adams and 9th streets cater corner (kitty corner) or “diagonally opposite,” from Putegnat Elementary, popularly known in its day as the Bouis El Alamo Grocery and Meat Store.
The old brick and facade of the old Zarate pharmacy at the corner of 11th and Washington streets is also seeing the light of day again after being covered by the mask of paint and stucco for over a century.
But according to local historians, the Alamo Grocery and Meat grocery belonged to the Bouis family, originally from Point Isabel. It was, in its day, the Circle K of stores in Brownsville.Yesterday, as passersby looked on, a worker was working on doors to replace the old plain wooden ones for the outside, but said said that the contractor – Pedro Rocha – was doing the work for restorer Fernando Balli and that they would keep the original plain wooden slat doors and restore them over time.
He pointed to some of the original features in the store such as the handmade nails on the high ceiling rafters that were used to hang the cuts of meat, the arched doorways and walls used to pass the meats to customers, and the front of the sore that still bore the "El Alamo" store sign once the layers of paint were scraped away."The people who had the store after Bouis chipped at the brick to make it easier to apply the stucco on the outside wall," he said. "We removed the stucco but don't want to harm the old bricks by planing them even."
The Bouis family tomb, in the city's Old Cemetery, also stands out as an impressive structure among the rest. That, according to Brownsville Historical Association researcher Gene Fernandez, is because it was built by Heinrich Portscheller, the same man who built the Romanesque-style buildings that give Roma, Texas its unique look.
In "Master Builder of the Lower Rio Grande: Heinrich Portscheller," Eugene George, he says that Portscheller, a descendant of a well-known family of masons and master builders, emigrated to Mexico from his native Germany in 1865.He had the misfortune to disembark at Veracruz during the Franco-Mexican War and was impressed into the imperialist forces and sent to northern Mexico. Sometime in 1866, Portscheller deserted the army and eventually made a place for himself in Roma, in Starr County.
Over the next decades, Portscheller acquired a reputation as a master builder and architect. He brought to the Lower Rio Grande Valley his long heritage of Old World building knowledge and skills and integrated them with the practices of local Mexican construction and vernacular architecture.
At the El Alamo Grocery and Meat Store, the workers are meticulously recovering and keeping the sand bricks that were used at the time for use in later improvements and patch ups. Fernandez says the bricks were manufactured in a small burg named Santa Rosalia that has since disappeared. An old cemetery south of the Southmost area across the river levee is all that remains of the town.
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