Kids can do wonders...

Recently I got a call from a total stranger, someone I had never met. Someone had given them my name and phone number. Their names were Liz and Paul, both who turned out to be great people. They were planning to get married and wanted a photographer. I told them I would do it and I did.

However during the entire ceremony, I noticed that the bride’s mother would not smile and I pointed this out to Liz, knowing that her wedding album would show this. She wasn’t able to explain why her mother did not smile and left me with the impression that her mother seldom smiled or was uncomfortable in social settings.

I made it a point to catch her smiling so I sort of stalked her hoping to get a candid shot of the illusive smile but to no avail. Finally, after the church ceremony while she sat waiting for her ride to the reception and surrounded by her grandchildren I found the moment and took this shot. I sensed a little annoyance on her part for my intrusion.

Now I had a two-hour break before the reception and decided to develop her photo. I did a little work with the computer and rushed to a nearby drugstore and printed an 8x10 photo.

Two hours later, I arrived at the reception to continue my wedding photography and saw the bride’s mother sitting at a table towards the rear of the hall. I walked towards her with the 8x10 photo in hand and placed it on the table right in front of her. It took a few seconds for the illusive smile to slowing develop. She looked at me and asked, “Is this me?” “Yes,” I replied. For the next hour and a half I saw her walking from table to table showing everyone the photo with a smile that would not go away.

That goes to show that kids can do wonders for us.

Transparency & Accountability

Why is it so difficult to get any information about where our federal stimulus money will be spent? Will the money be used to give teachers a pay raise or will it be used to complete a loop to nowhere or will we be so inept not to apply for additional federal funds aimed at specific environmental projects?

My attempts to get information have not been fruitful and the answers that I have gotten from elected representatives are muddled, unclear, non-specific and total generalizations. I am convinced that the difficulty in getting clear-cut specifics from those that should know is because they don't know either.

What I am asking is simple and not complicated. Let’s suppose that you received a $10,000 bonus from your employer and you informed your spouse. The first question would be "what are you going to spend the money on?” Your answer could be that you will fix the car, buy a new central air conditioner, take a trip to Florida or simply put it in savings. Now that is exactly what citizens want to know. The public wants to know how will the county, city and school district spend the money.

The answer should not be difficult to answer. My assumption is that a needs assessment of sorts has already been done by each entity. So why can't we make that public. Perhaps the submitted preliminary reports did not have such specificity but that doesn't matter.

President Obama made it clear and emphatic that these federal appropriations would have total transparency and accountability. In my opinion we don't have that here nor does it exist across the country.

The public turns to our news media to solicit this information, to analyze it and then present it to the public. That is not happening either. I am lead to believe that our local media chooses not to address this important story because they find it too complicated and time consuming to research.

Perhaps many do not remember Eddie Rodrigues. Eddie served as school board member, city councilman and other positions. Eddie was a good man and a consummate public servant. He would force those with such information to explain it clearly, free of bureaucratic jargon. If any official or administrator tried to gloss over his question, Eddie would not allow it. It was not unusual to see Eddie going over handed material at a coffee shop, in anticipation of that day's board meeting. Eddie always got us answers.

EPISD to Receive $7,193,000

The entire school district has been approved for a total of $7,193,000 from the stimulus bill educational funds enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009.

From this amount, $4,2008,000 is directed for expenditures allowed under the Title 1-A which gives School districts a wide latitude in the expenditure of funds to improve student achievement. Title I funds can be used for tutoring, reducing class size and after school programs.

The remaining $2,985,000 falls under IDEA Part B expenses which are intended to ensure that children with disabilities have access to a appropriate public education that meets a child’s unique needs and prepares him or her for further education, employment, and independent living.

All these funds are at the disposal of our school district that besides improvements in education, they are also intended to stimulate the economy through purchases, hiring and yes even some construction.

In the State of Texas, the Texas Education Agency was entrusted to establish the processes that need to be followed to bring order to the allocation of federal funds. Communities and educational institutions are pleased with the generous amounts available to school districts but many are equally concerned about possible fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of these federal funds. The Texas Education Agency insists that districts be open with details about how they plan to apply these funds. They have also asked for accountability and transparency and suggested that each district conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to inform the public how they plan to spend these funds.

The House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization was created to provide transparency and accountability of the $16 billion that will be available to Texas.

It behooves everyone in Maverick County to be aware of our district’s need assessment and to participate to the extent allowed for the sake of our children’s education.

More later.

our REACT members....

Perhaps as a departing gesture I want to make an analogy about one of my previous endeavors which gives me pride because it made a difference at the time. In the 1970’s the country saw a surge in the use of electronic technology in CB radios as a form of close range communications.

Initially local use of this technology grew gradually primarily because of cost. But as it developed, people join others and there was an amicable manner among all users. Courtesy was evident much like what you see at an intersection with a stop sign at each corner. Channel 19 was the common channel where you tagged up with another caller but took your conversation to another adjacent channel in order to free 19 so others could use that channel. It wasn’t long before we received calls for help from stranded motorists or to report motor vehicle accidents.

I learned about a nationwide organization called REACT. This organization’s primary objective was to answer emergency calls on Channel 9; the emergency channel on CB radios. A group of us came together and developed procedures to introduce REACT to Maverick County and shortly thereafter received our charter and were operational. During the period that this organization existed, we helped countless motorist with emergencies and in one case were able to get emergency assistance to a truck driver involved in a head-on collision in the early morning hours. Our service received local recognition and we received a city proclamation, at a time when proclamations were not as common as today. Looking back at our members, it is clear that these were all caring individuals that had a strong sense of community and wanted to give back to our county. Local CB radio operators quickly learned that our organization was on Channel 9, willing to help anyone.

But as time went on, more and more CB users started using CB radios. Obscenities became common and users would played music on Channel 9 and 19. Others would hold down the microphone button, which would not allow others to use the radio. The situation worsens to the point that we asked for federal intervention since CB communications fell under their jurisdiction. We soon learned that the federal government had no staff to enforce these FCC regulations. Time and time again we tried to reason with these abusers but to no avail. As we complained, they became more determined to disrupt what many had worked hard to create. Frustrated and discouraged, our membership dwindled and eventually disbanded.

I have very pleasant memories about our REACT members, knowing that they stepped up and helped our community up until the end and all this with absolutely no compensation

Photography – Once Upon a Time

In May of 1966 I walked into a dingy, humid little room that had a rancid smell of vinegar and spoiled fruit not knowing that I had just taken my first step towards a life long interest in photography.

The place was Sweetwater Air Force Station, forty miles east of Abilene, Texas. Sweetwater was my first Air Force duty assignment following electronics training at Keesler AFB in Mississippi. I was 19 and having bouts of homesickness, wondering what my friends were doing back home. I did enjoy my job but dread the time off because there wasn’t much to do.

I mostly spend my time in the “day room” which was a recreation center of sorts. There was a very small library as part of the center. The librarian was a pleasant civil service lady that sat waiting for someone to walk in but for the most part everyone stayed away from. It was she who explained what was available including, table tennis, checkerboards, chess sets and a black and white tv viewing room tuned to Armed Forces Network.

As the months went by, I got to see everything there was to see around the base and as it turned out, the recreation center was the best there was.

There was one room, with a rusted padlock on the only door and it had no sign on the door and it had no windows. I pulled on the padlock several times thinking it would open but it didn’t. I remembered that the librarian had been very thorough about everything but she had not said anything about this room. The room was next to the library. (More Later, time to go to sleep.)

How Safe Are We........

We do not know why Piedras Negras, Mexico has been spared from the brutal atrocities that have been left in the wake of cartel violence along the Mexican side of the border. What we do know is that the United States military is waiting in the wings, waiting to militarize the community of Eagle Pass. However, many city and county officials along the border appear to be united in their belief that conditions do not require such a drastic step at this time. Others ask “If not now, when?” The exception of course, is El Paso, which has seen plenty of cruelty inflicted on law enforcement on the Mexican side of the river. If you wonder why the community of Eagle Pass is opposed to the occupation of military troops, perhaps there are several reasons. The one that seems clear is that if the need for intervention is not necessary, and it is imposed prematurely, it could have a devastating impact on the economy of the small community of Eagle Pass. One can conjure military equipment, vehicles and troops throughout this community, which is not a poster card invitation to the visiting public that patronize the businesses and events and fill up the local motels. Others see it differently. An influx of military personnel could also stimulate the local economy, which could offset the loss of city and county revenue generated by Mexican nationals and other visitors. And yet, the sensible argument goes against the concerns for the local economy and more for the safety of the citizens of Eagle Pass. Shouldn’t they be prepared in the event of violent escalations or collateral damage caused by confrontations with the cartel? I think so.

What's in a Name....

Parents of newborn know that its not easy picking a name simply because it will identify their son or daughter for the rest of their life and what that name reflects can mean enough to make you happy or not.

Take my case for instance. My mother explained that when she came up with my name she was viewing a movie at the Yolanda Theatre and the actor in the movie happen to be playing the role of an attorney named Roberto. It’s seemed my father had no objections and that was it. When I was born a month later, my name was Roberto.

My father was and is a kind man but in our early years, he was not that demonstrative with his affection but was very dedicated in providing for the family. I suppose that as a term of endearment he called me Bovie; which is spanglish for Bobby. Neighborhood friends also met me as Bovie and so it stuck.

At six, I enter public education and had Mrs. Proctor as my first teacher. My perception at that age was that she was not bilingual and during the first roll call in her classroom she could not pronounce "Roberto" and every time that she tried, all my classmate would laugh because it sound nothing like "Roberto". She decided to call me Bobby which was different that Bovie. So Bobby stuck for the next 12 years.

When I started my professional career, I used Roberto as my name but again changed it to Robert for those that could not pronounce Roberto. So all the years leading up to my retirement, either one was used.

Now I am meeting many of those I grew up with in Eagle Pass and they call me Bobby. Somehow the name Bobby seems odd for an aging person with graying hair. But it must be done simply because those that know me and all my close friends find no problem is calling me Bobby. So from now on it will be Bobby or Bovie if you wish.

Maribel Flores...best candidate

There are many of us that enjoy the tribulations that go with a popular election be it at the national level or at the local. The give and take of candidates doing battle, each trying to persuade the public that they are the best choice is interesting because many times it brings to the forefront those issues that need to be addressed in city government.

Maribel Flores will hold on to her position as city councilperson and rightfully so. Ms. Flores would be a tough opponent and she has performed admirably often lending a sensible and intelligent quality to deliberations at city hall. Aside from that, she is known as an ethical person that would never compromise for the benefit of interest groups and to the detriment of those she serves.

My congratulations to Ms. Flores.

Charcoal Grill gone...

Its remarkable how those that operate the Charcoal Grill at the Mall have been able to keep it going despite the economic situation that has brought down many other businesses. I have seen the slight increase in prices obviously aimed at staying afloat. When in town, the Charcoal Grill has been one of my stops. Each time I have sought that old fashion taste that set their hamburgers apart from all others in the 60's. Perhaps it was the mix of great hamburgers, Mr. Lonely playing in the background and the cherry coke that is no longer there. Neither is the quick wit of then hostess, Thelma that brought your hamberger in the straw basket. So, I want to thank the Brown family for giving me wonderful memories and a place to not only eat great hamburgers in the 60's but a place where I sat along with my peers and discussed our future.

Less fideo...

If you are like me its likely that you have seen the price of eating out get a little more expensive. For too many years I got used to eating out at Bill Miller's, Long John Silver, Pizza Hut or the Little Red Barn. I remember that as a college student living off campus we economized and relied on carne con fideo. The recipe was simple. You would brown the fideo, throw in some hamburger meat, unions and tomato paste. The cost of the yellow box was about ten cents back then and today its 29 cents. The box has not changed but the price has. Not only that, HEB has it on their shelves and it still shows a net weight of 142 grams. Well I compared a box bought a month ago with one bought today and although the weight posted on the box was the same, the contents were not. Thats all.

Thanks for the invitation...

First of all, I want to thank the school district for inviting me to the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Student Activity Center set for October 29th in Eagle Pass, Texas. I also want to update the information on the Stadium page with the latest development but not before apologizing for the lack of updates as promised. I did contact one school board member weeks ago and he agreed to answer some of my questions after a committee meeting but he failed to do so. Tonight I plan to call an old faithful source of information and hopefully post it soon.

No mas....no mas

Another dirty trick is in the works. No doubt that the McCain strategists have taken notice of the beating that their candidate has taken due to his viewpoint that our economy is fundamentally sound. In the past weeks, the McCain campaign has been on the ropes trying to separate themselves from President Bush and his economics. Today McCain informed the nation that he is suspending the campaign in order to address the current financial catastrophe that affects our nation. He has also asked that the Presidential debate be postponed. The question you should ask is what is McCain’s contribution in resolving the problem when his viewpoint is so off the mark. What he is in essence doing is asking for time off or is he saying No Mas...No Mas.

by extraordinary means.....

If Daniel Valenzuela is accepted as our new city manager, he will do so with a full plate of issues. Perhaps the most sensitive is the recent arrest of the city's Chief of Police. Tony Castaneda was arrested this week on a warrant issued at the request of the County Attorney, Ricardo Ramos for hindering apprehension or prosecution; a Class A misdemeanor punishable with a maximum sentence of 1 year incarceration and or $4000 fine.

What is at issue is what exactly happened on the day of the arrest of Glen Starnes following a city council meeting where he was dismissed of his duties.

According to news sources, a warrant had been issued for an arrest which would have placed Starnes in custody immediately following the council meeting.

The question that is germane is whether Chief Tony Castaneda was aware of the active warrant at the time Starnes left the building or was Starnes escorted out of the building by extraordinary means thus avoiding an arrest. If that was the case, what could be the justification for a law enforcement officer to fail to execute an order of arrest.

If the validity of the warrant was an issue, what steps were taken to confirm whether it was legitimate? Answers are sure to come in the next few days. Daniel Valensuela will also be involved with the logistical impact of the border fence.

environmentally advantageous....

Repairs and construction of the lower end of the arroyo started this week as part of State funding from the ORCA program. The total allocation of funds for this particular project has been allocated at $421,000. It is not known if the project will reach the Rio Grande River or how much it will cover.

This part of the arroyo has received much attention throughout the years but not enough to make it flourish in a way that would draw citizens and visitors.

Its apparent that the landscaping needs some work and it also needs tending particularly irrigation.

This has led me to wonder if the possibility of turning this arroyo project into a more environmentally advantageous project is at all possible. Would it be possible to create a small reservoir from where the city could draw non-potable water to irrigate plants and grass? While I am aware that the State regulates the use of water from naturally flowing bodies, is there a provision that would allow our use of that water just for our arroyo project? Just wondering.

Herrera walks out...

It is quite intriguing to read in local newspapers about the current problem involving Joe Herrera, the Parks and Recreation supervisor, Jorge Sanchez the director of Parks and Recreation and Hector Chavez, the interim city manager. What one can deduce from the printed accounts is that Herrera was removed from the position of supervisor because he failed to complete some important paperwork that as a result disqualified local children from moving to a next level of competition. According to one source, this was the second time that these children had been eliminated in the same manner. On the other hand, Herrera contends that he was removed in retaliation for writing a 14-page complaint where he alleged that he was unable to work satisfactorily because of Jorge Sanchez, director of Parks and Recreation. It appears that on Friday he was summoned to the interim city manager's office. The reason for this meeting is not clear. One must assume the meeting was in reference to this adverse action but at some point Herrera walks out of the meeting and is followed by the city manager, the director of Parks and Recreation and Jorge Sanchez, head of the city's Human Resource department. Herrera stated that after he walked out of Chavez's office he headed for the Mayor's office to inform him of the situation.

As of today, Joe Herrera is no longer supervisor of Parks & Recreation but continues as a city employee. While many feel badly about these children that were unable to move up in competition, I am sure others are very interested in knowing what is contained in the 14-page complaint. Lets hope that in the spirit of promised transparency, that the public is told the truth.

I need to go to sleep

The reason why my entries are lagging behind is quite simply because I don't have much to say about anything in particular. I spend enough time reading other blogs and some of them are so insightful, at times even meaningful that it puts me to shame...real shame. If I had to do it over again I would have liked to be a writer that could express thoughts to writing in a way everyone could appreciate. Lately I have enjoyed doing photography just for fun and it makes me feel good. Since my retirement from State, I have tried joining groups but find it difficult to talk about retirement. Somehow it doesn't feel like its over to some extent. I have to stop myself from thinking about starting another "project." My current activity is to eliminate clutter. I have too many books that have not been read and just as many that have. I also have too many wire connectors and power adapters that were used on things I no longer have. And as you can see...I just wasted my time in writing something about nothing. Its 1:14 am....I need to go to sleep. Good night.

About the Stadium

I have read several email messages from alumni that live in Eagle Pass and others that don’t , asking if I can post information about the stadium project. I’ve agreed to gather as much information as I can but will direct my inquiries to our district board members. I have a gut feeling that they will respond accordingly. I assume that all of our board members have computer access and our communications should not be a problem. I invite our audience to submit any questions they feel are pertinent. The Stadium page should be up shortly.

I dare you.....

"I dare you." So many years ago when we were really kids and the downtown arroyo was our playground, this was our initiation into what I now consider stupidity. As a kid I grew up near the downtown area on Jefferson. It was on the banks of the arroyo that we built our caves, which because of the soft dirt, could have collapsed on us. Summer was really the best of times. Our cowboy and Indian skirmishes were not just verbal "pow...I got you" but we used our daisy bb guns and never got used to the sting of bb's making their target on your back as you ran through the brush. It was a time when our parents would not have taken our bb guns away if they knew. They would have told us to be careful and leave it at that. These were good years for kids. It was a time free of marauding sexual predators. Just like our pets, we navigate safely across streets never having to hold hands to do it. As brave as we were, crossing the pipe over the arroyo was something to think about. But once done, you earned the right to utter the words, "I dare you."

freedom of information has its price..

In an effort to quell the rumor that a new business is opening in Eagle Pass, I decided to call their corporate office because they love to announce their expansions into new markets and so on. I soon found out that they do not have a corporate number listed so I decided to start at the bottom and call customer service and explained why I wanted to talk to the higher ups. The lady was polite but immediately assumed that tone of voice that we have all heard when they are not going to help you. I describe that tone as a curt, staccato and almost metallic sound. Its sounds like the time someone told you “I’m sorry but the manager is not here so there is nothing we can do.” The lady asked what I needed and I explained that I wanted to speak with someone at corporate level about a rumor that his or her chain was opening a new store in Eagle Pass. “No that is not true” was her answer. “No it’s not true and besides that information is confidential and I can not disclose it,” she said. My answer was, “ I know you may not be able to disclose it that is why I am asking to speak to your corporate level people.” I felt I was not going to get through her so I asked her, “So, if I write that according to Jennifer; a company spokesperson, your company is not opening a new store in Eagle Pass, I would not be lying…correct?”

My frustration reminded me of another attempt I had made at getting information but this time I was sure I could get it because my request was so simple.

That was the time I asked the City of Eagle Pass for the list of the applicants for the city manager’s position. I sent my request via email from San Antonio. As the day went by I grew anxious but after four days I got a reply from the city secretary via email that my information was ready and that I needed to come by their offices in Eagle Pass for the list. But I also needed to pay the City of Eagle Pass ten cents for the copy.

So as you can see, freedom of information has its price.

Cynicism is growing...

Cynicism is described as an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others. Cynicism is growing at the national level, as we feel helpless in stopping the escalating fuel prices, increase in food costs, increase in college tuitions, mounting foreclosures and lost jobs.

We have been dependent on government to intervene and help. But as reported in a recent report that is not happening, at least not yet. In the meantime our bad economic condition has meant fewer cable channels, more meals at home, postponed doctor appointments, missed vacations and delayed credit card payments.

Among the many thoughts that go through my mind on a daily basis, I often try to rationalize the root of the cynicism that permeates our community and not only from those that have done without but from those that are marginally successful.

Many in our community look at our local elected officials to step in and do something but we quickly realize that if the Federal government can’t stop the problem at the national level what hope is there for us at the local level.

The only thing that fuels the discontent is that our local political candidates keep making promises in exchange for votes. They promise to bring industry knowing well that it is difficult and in many cases almost impossible. Some are critical because new businesses offer only minimum wage opportunities and not the industry wages once promised.

While there may be no solutions to the escalating economic distress, we can ask our elected officials, boards and those in charge to be frugal and not flaunt our taxpayer money in choices that do not serve our community or us.