WEEK OF FEBRUARY 15, 2012 THROUGH FEBRUARY 21, 2012
Rudy Garza Funerals, Inc.
Javier Juarez
Packages starting at $2995 with casket
Family Owned and Operated by
Insurance Advisor Ph. (956) 514-4997 Fax (956) 514-4950 50 N. Vermont, Ste. C Mercedes, Tx 78570 jjuarez@farmersagent.com
Our Family Serving your Family
Auto • Home • Life • Business • Health
LA FERIA 317 S. MAIN
Complete Auto Collision Repair Facility
3400 W Expressway 83 La Feria, TX 78559
PH: 956.797.2525 www.collisionstop.com
Free Insurance Estimates
(956) 797-3122 800-425-8202 The Rudy Garza Family
Your Community Newspaper, Serving the Heart of the Rio Grande Valley VOLUME 89 NUMBER 07
Fiesta de La Feria Set for Sat. Feb. 25
Events Committee Prepares for the Annual Downtown Party to Welcome Winter Visitors and encourage the Community to Celebrate La Feria!
A Police Force for Santa Maria pg 6
Boys Basketball Parents Night pg 4
Main Street will be closed to traffic on Saturday, February 25 because the City of La Feria will be hosting a one-day spectacular event that will include live entertainment, a car show, food, arts and crafts, student art, pie and cupcake contests, magic show, and much more. The music will open on Frieda’s Stage located across from city hall with the Rock-n-Roll group, Most Wanted, then classic country from the Senior Moments Band, oldies rock from Non Prophet, island music by the Bongodogs, Route 66 doing modern country, Los Angeles del Sur playing conjunto and the evening will wrap with Jimmy Gonzalez y El Grupo Mazz and Elida Reyna y Avante playing tejano. The dance and grito contests will be held on the outdoor stage also. Fred’s Stage, over in the old theatre building on Oleander Street will be the stage for the pie and cupcake contests, student art projects, karaoke, the La Feria High School Folklorico, the Magic of Oscar Munoz and the 1st Annual Little Mr. and Miss Fiesta de La Feria contest. Check the schedule of events on page 8 for exact play times on both stages. The children’s area will be bigger and better this year with balloon and popcorn, face painting, bunko, cake walk, tattoos and a bigger kid scavenger hunt. The activities will take place in front of the old theatre Representatives of the La Feria Events Committee hold up posters for the 19th Annual Fiesta building on Oleander. de La Feria to be held in downtown La Feria on Saturday, Feb. 25. Shown in the photo are The Main Street will be lines with vehicles for the (l-r) Eva Menchaca, Lori Weaver, Tabitha Outlaw, Ruth Dearinger, Betty Jo Dunlap and Olga popular Car Show. It is time now for all participants Oberwetter. Other members of the committee not shown include: Norma Alaniz, Mary Angulo, in the car show and other contests to fill out their apAngelica Baldivia, Dave Blackwell, Steve Brewer, Christian Camacho, Maria Chavero, John plications. For more information or questions, call Tabitha at Ftacek, Don Garcia, Jessee Garcia, Toni Garcia, Ben Guerrero, Maria Guerrero, Deb Harris, John Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Kim Maples, Emma Martinez, Eliza Mendez, Kin Mendoza, city hall, 797-2261.
Celia Penner, Sunny K.Philip, Florence Reichle, Alfonso Rodriguez, Art Salas, Cynthia Salinas, Joe Sanchez, Alvaro Sauceda, Dolores Seabolt, Irene Szedlmayer, Randy Sowers, Mike Torres, Michelle Vela, LoriVogt, Zulema Vuittonet, Mary Beth Wright, and Manny Zamarripa LFN Photo
19th Annual
Fiesta de La Feria
A Community Celebration Last Saturday in February Downtown La Feria MUSIC, ART SHOW, CAR SHOW Vendors Register Now!! For info call Tabitha at
(956) 797-2261 Veterans Memorial BBQ for La Feria Monument
March 3rd, 2012 Saturday 11 AM-3 PM at American Legion Brisket & Sausage Plates with Rice, Beans, Jalapeno, and bread.
Donation $6.00 Feature Story.....pg.6 Classified............. pg.5 Cricket’s Corner..pg.5
Burglars Target Unlocked Vehicles Thirteen reports in one night with more than 69 items stolen A late night vehicle burglary spree which occurred early in February is allegedly being tied to two people, Jose Luis Rodriguez and Marco Palomino both of Harlingen according to their arrest report. On the early morning of February 2, a call came into the La Feria Police Department from a resident to report that their vehicle had been broken into. As the morning went on, more residents called in to report the same thing. In total, 13 reports of burglary of a vehicle occurred that night to vehicles around in the same area. The houses hit started with the 900 Block of Chaparral Street, and included houses on Palmera Drive, Willow Road, and Texas Street. The police got a break in the case when one of the victims captured the burglars and their vehicle on their surveillance video. San Benito 399-3331
The video helped identify Rodriguez and Palomino as it showed the two drive up in a SUV, approach the residence, and stop to break in. After reviewing the video footage, the
police department let all surrounding agencies know to keep an eye out for the men and the car they were using. Harlingen Police Department notified LFPD that around 9:00 AM that same morning, they had arrested Rodriguez and Palomino for public intoxication. When
Harlingen Los Fresnos Brownsville 428-4100 233-4100 832-5100
FIRST COMMUNITY BANK South Texas’ Most Beautiful Funeral Home, Crematory, and Perpetual Care Cemetery in one location.
Guaranteed Most Affordable. Medicine Chest Pharmacy welcomes Express Scripts and TRICARE members. To transfer your prescriptions, call 797-2366 or stop by our pharmacy located at 101 N. Main La Feria
Funeral Home: 956.797.5500
Cemetery: 956.797.5614
www.heavenlygracememorialpark.com
26873 North White Ranch Road • La Feria, TX 78559
pulled over, the vehicle was full of various items and had property reported stolen from La Feria residents. The stolen inventory includes 69 items of stolen property. Ten victims have already picked up their stolen items, and more are continuing to stop by the police department to retrieve their belongings. Currently, Rodriguez and Palomino are in the custody of Cameron County Jail in Olmito and more charges are pending. As of now, the two are looking at 11 counts of burglary. The level of punishment for the offense is a Class A misdemeanor. Investigator Mireles said that a common factor in all the vehicles broken into is that they were left unlocked. “Make sure to always lock your vehicles, and don’t leave your valuables in plain sight,” he advises.
High school welders compete, learn at TSTC
About 50 students from a total of six high schools, including La Feria competed in the FFA / PreSkillsUSA Competition at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Harlingen. The event held January 31 tested the knowledge and abilities of the high school students, and it tested six Welding Technology (WLT) Program college students who served as judges. The high school students received practice for future competition and an in-depth look at TSTC because the guests observed regularly scheduled laboratory classes in progress, WLT Program Chair Kenny Moore said. The WLT college students organized most of the activities and conducted several demonstrations to show high school students the advanced techniques and equipment. The six judges are on track to graduate with
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) diplomas. Eight Weslaco High School (WHS) students watched Weslaco High School East alumnus Edwardo Luna, a WLT major pursuing an AAS degree, demonstrate tig welding. The process uses a non-consumable electrode and the filler is applied manually. Macarena Garza, a junior at WHS, said that she enjoyed watching Luna’s presentation and she also watched pipe welding before she competed in shielded metal arc welding and the oxy-acetylene cutting process. Sandra Avila, director of Career and Technical Education for Weslaco public schools, said that students toured the professional exhibits set up in the WLT laboratory. The demonstrations gave WHS students a close-up view of various metalcontinued on pg. 8