Ribbon Cutting for Style Hub

+The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new member, Style Hub, located at 2704 E Griffin Parkway. The event was Friday, July 5, at 5:30 pm.

More photos of the event available on our G+ event post at https://plus.google.com/events/c6gduten6cdd6rqdjortd6tetj0 .

Veterans Memorial HS Students Top in State Math/Science

Veterans Memorial High School students returned from the recent state Texas Math and Science Coaches Association (TMSCA) meet with plenty of awards, including some state champions. The team placed second in the 4A division.

The Calculator Applications team members placed first at this state competition.  The Number Sense team placed second. The Math team placed third. While the Science team placed seventh.

Top placing VMHS 12^th grade students in the Calculator Applications competition include: Juan Moreno, second place; Lisa Lozano, third place; Aaron Tijerina, fourth place; Adrian Perez, ninth place; Gabriel Siegel, tenth place; Kivani Sanchez, fourteenth place.

Top placing 12^th grade students in the Number Sense competition were: Gabriel Siegel, seventh place; Michelle Guajardo, eighth place; Gavin De Leon, fourteenth place.

Top placing 12 graders in the Math competition were: Adrian Perez, seventh place; Lisa Lozano, ninth place; Gabriel Siegel, fifteenth place.

Michelle Guajardo placed seventh in the 12^th grade Science competition.

Matthew Sparks placed first in the 11^th grade Calculator Applications competition and fourteenth in the Math competition.

In the 10^th grade competitions, Darius Davis placed first in Number Sense, third in Math, ninth in Science, and tenth in Calculator Applications. Henry Davis III placed second in Calculator Applications. Noel Barsenas placed eleventh in Science. Juan Ibarra placed twelfth in Calculator Applications.

Top place finishers among the freshmen were: Hector Iglesias, fifth place, Math; Rene Olivarez, ninth place, Science; Feliciano Escobedo, fourteenth place, Number Sense.

Almost half of the students listed for Top Gun honors include: Lisa Lozano, eighth; Michelle Guajardo, ninth; Gabriel Siegel, tenth; Adrian Perez, eleventh; Juan Moreno, twelfth; Aaron Tijerina, fifteenth. The Top Gun honors ranks competitors against the others in their grade level in all four events.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Upper Valley Art League Ribbon Cutting

The Upper Valley Art League is celebrating the opening of their new building, called the Art Link. +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce will lead the ribbon cutting on Friday, March 29 at 6 pm. The community is invited to attend.

The Upper Valley Art League is located next to the library. The address is 921 E 12th St in Mission.

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Flores Dental Care Ribbon Cutting

The Flores Dental Care office by Dr. Sylvia Flores held a ribbon cutting on March 27 with +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders in attendance.

The clinic is located at 1506 E Griffin Pkwy, Suite D.

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Mission Chamber of Commerce: After Hours Mixer

+The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce is hosting their monthly After Hours Mixer tonight at 5:30 at Sharyland Wine & Spirits. The mixer is a an opportunity for both Chamber members and non-members to meet and network.

Why would you attend something like this? Typically, it is difficult to find a business owner or decision maker for a business. You have to deal with a gatekeeper who will "pass on" your pitch to the boss. At the mixers, the boss is there. You have an opportunity to meet the very people you work so hard to meet.

You can find more details about the event on Facebook.

Mission Historical Museum Improvements Groundbreaking

There was a groundbreaking for the Mission Historical Museum this morning at 10 am. The groundbreaking was for improvements to beautify the area around the museum and make it a center of community interest.

Pictures from Mission's Annual Winter Fiesta 2013

The Mission community hosts an annual Winter Fiesta to thank Winter Texans for spending their winters in our community. The Fiesta is a collaboration of the City of Mission and the +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce, supported by local sponsors.

The event provides a free lunch, entertainment, and a chance to meet local vendors.

Mission City Leaders Recognize City Manager Julio Cerda

Yesterday evening, leaders of the Mission, Texas community gathered at the Norberto Salinas Conference Center, located in the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce, to honor City Manager, Julio Cerda. The crowded event was to thank Mr. Cerda for his eight years of service to the City of Mission.

Mr. Cerda will be leaving the employ of the City of Mission to return to his career as an Engineer. He first began working for the city after meeting Mayor Salinas at an event at a time when the city was having engineering problems. Mayor Salinas hired Mr. Cerda as City Engineer, where he distinguished himself with the ability to get to the grain of a problem and resolve it.

Circumstances eventually led to Mayor Salinas asking Mr. Cerda to fill in as interim City Manager. He has had that post since then.

This was Julio Cerda's last week as City Manager before going into private practice. The city council has chosen Police Chief Martin Garza to assume the City Manager post. Both men are good friends; therefore a smooth transition is expected.

Video Slideshow of the 2013 Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade of Oranges

Trying out Youtube's photo slideshow creator with images from the Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade of Oranges.

Photo Slideshow of Mission Day in Austin

Leaders from the Mission, Texas community headed to Austin very early on Tuesday morning to participate in Mission Day in Austin, which occurs every two years when the Texas Legislature is in session.

The day began with having resolutions passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate recognizing the day as Mission Day at the capitol. The delegation also met with Governor Rick Perry and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. After a quick lunch, the group set out to meet with key legislators to discuss the legislative agenda for our city. The evening ended with a reception to give officials, staffers, and the delegation more time to discuss issues.

The Agenda

The three major issues of note in this legislative session are infrastructure, elections, and the UTPA/UTB merger.

The delegation saught support for improving and modernizing our road infrastructure to better enable our community to deal with increased trade and population growth. The Anzalduas International Bridge currently only allows passenger traffic; however, if truck traffic is opened up, our roads need to be able to deal with the heavy loads and find a way to move that traffic efficiently.

Addressing an election quirk that requires home rule cities to hold full-blown elections for City Council when a seat is left vacant. The City of Mission would prefer to leave the position vacant or have the ability to appoint somebody to that place, thus saving tax payers the cost of running a full election.

The University of Texas - Pan American and University of Texas - Brownsville merger is a topic of much discussion locally and at the Capitol. Governor Perry's State of the State speech at the inauguration (see +Office of the Governor of Texas) brought the issue to the forefront. Merging the two universities would make the new entity eligible to receive money from the Permanent University Fund, which makes expansion of the new entity much easier. Of particular interest is the possibility of attaching a medical school to the new UT school. 

There was no consensus among members as to whether a medical school would happen this legislative session. Creating a new University is almost certain; however, anything beyond that may consist of laying groundwork for the medical school without creating it outright. The delegation would prefer that if a medical school is added to the new University, that it should be based out of Hidalgo County. 

A Successful Effort

One particular success of this Mission Day in Austin was the draw of several elected officials and their staff to the reception. Given the variety of concurrent events, late committee hearings, and a host of other scheduling challenges, it is rare to have as much as a handful of Representatives and Senators attending. This year, the function was attended by Mission's own State Representative Sergio Muñoz, Jr and State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa. The event was also honored to have State Senator Eddie Lucio and State Representatives Rene Oliveira, Eddie Lucio, III, Terry Canales, Bobby Guerra, and Oscar Longoria. This is in addition to our Mayor Norberto Salinas and City Council members Ruben Plata and Armando O'Caña.

Overall, the Mission delegation had excellent access to the people who will make the decisions that affect our community. 

Below is a slideshow of Mission Day in Austin.

Mission Day in Austin - 83rd Legislative Session

Leaders from the Mission, Texas community have formed a delegation to go to the Texas Capitol to advocate for our community on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. The delegation expects a full day of work this Tuesday.

There will be some ceremonial activities, such as having a Mission Day Proclamation in the Texas House of Representatives, and group photos with key state leaders.

The most important component of Mission Day will consist of visits to more than 50 offices of state representatives to advocate for issues that affect our city and region.

A successful visit will result in the Texas House of Representatives passing legislation that is beneficial to local businesses and government so that we can continue to prosper. Or, alternatively, would help our community avoid legislation that would hurt our community.

The Mission Day in Austin Legislative Outreach Delegation will spend a full day advocating for our community on Tuesday and getting some rest before coming home the next morning.

10th Annual Mission Classic Car Show

Next weekend there will be the 10th Annual Classic Car Show held at the Mission Sports Park at Sharyland Plantation. The event begins Saturday, February 23 at 9 am and continues to 5 pm.

The show invites classic cars from 1976 and older to compete for $5000 in cash and prizes.

This is a great family event for classic car enthusiasts.

The event will have awards for best overall, Mayor's choice, Exhibitors Choice, Ladies Choice, Kids Choice, Best Paint, Best Flames, Best Engine Compartment, and many more categories.

Be sure to visit http://www.rgvoldcars.com for information on other similar events.

Veterans Memorial HS choir students qualify for state UIL competition

The Veterans Memorial High School (VMHS) choir has a school-record number of students who have qualified to compete at the UIL Texas State Solo and Ensemble contest to be held in May at UT-Austin. A total of 12 students are advancing.

The students who earned a superior (division one)rating for their Class 1 Solos are: Vanessa Cano, Demetrius Davis, Stephanie De La Garza, Gabriela Lopez, Juan Lara, Natasha Maldonado, Katarina Padilla, Raul Rivera, Perla Ruiz, Cherish Varlack, Paula Vasquez, Myhra Zarate.

While they did not qualify for state, quite a few other students also earned division one ratings for their performances. They are: Alyssa Davidson, Elizabeth Garcia, Victoria Fajardo, Rachel Walzer, Ashley Alaniz, Stephanie McCoy, Tamika Munguia, Hannah Steele, Mark Stuart.

Student receiving a division two (excellent) rating are: Alexis Barrientos, Janessa Farias, Angie Roura, Christopher Vargas, Lizbeth Vasquez.

Pictured are the VMHS choir students who are advancing to state competitions. On the front row are: Paula Vasquez, Stephanie De La Garza. On the middle row are: Vanessa Cano, Katarina Padilla, Cherish Varlack. On the back row are: Juan Lara, Myhra Zarate, Natasha Maldonado, Gabriela Lopez. Not pictured are: Demetrius Davis, Raul Rivera, Perla Ruiz.
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Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

956-323-5530

www.mcisd.net

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Mission, Texas 2013 Annual Winter Fiesta

On Saturday, February 23, 2013, +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce  will host the Annual Winter Fiesta in appreciation for the city's Winter visitors.

Among the attractions are free food, door prizes, vendor booths, and live entertainment. The event will take place between 1 pm and 4 pm at the Leo Peña Placita Park, which is at the corner of Conway and Business 83.

Upper Valley Art League 4th Annual Photo Exhibit

The Upper Valley Art League will be hosting their 4th Annual Photography Exhibit starting February 9 and ending March 2, 2013. The UVAL is calling for photographer of all subject matters and skill levels. This is an opportunity for local talent to put their best work on display.

There is no specification on work format. Photographers may submit up to 5 items in black and white or color, digital or film, pure or manipulated images, large or small prints. The items must be already framed and use wire for hanging the frame.

Anybody wishing to exhibit must be or become a member of UVAL. Annual membership is $30. There is no fee for submitting photos for the exhibit.

This post is rather last minute. Work must be received by tomorrow, February 2nd at 7 pm to be included in the exhibit.

For more information, contact Robert Codina, the Photography Committee Chairman, at 821-5662.

Limited Offer for Free Easter Photo Session With February Appointment

Veterans Memorial HS band students advance to state

The Veterans Memorial High School (VMHS) Patriot Band had 70 members compete at the UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest held this past weekend. A total of 61 medals were earned by the students with 37 of them qualifying to compete at the UIL Texas State Solo and Ensemble contest to be held in May at UT-Austin.

The students who earned a superior (division one) rating and are advancing to state are: Veronica Almendarez, Noel Barsenas, Christian Contreras, Melody Cruz, Demetrius Davis, Michael De La Garza, Janessa Farias, Guillermo Flores, Caroline Galvez, Jessica Galvez, Benjamin Garcia, Tomas Garcia, Isaac Garza, Abigail Gomez, Abel (Eddie) Gonzalez, David Guerrero, Jamey Lara, Juan Trinidad Lara, Monica Leal, Michael Mata, Thalia Mirelez, Samantha McCoy, Brian Mueller, Sarai Muniz, Juan Moreno, Ixtaccihautl Obregon, Joel O’Canas, Stephanie Perez, Miguel Rodriguez, Ruben Rodriguez, Diego Torres, Alondra Trevino, Daniel Trevino, Lorenah Vasquez, Monica Velasquez, Daniel Vallejo, Andres Vecchio.

While they did not qualify for state, quite a few other students also earned division one ratings for their performances. They are: Noah Flores, Adrian Fraide (Mission Collegiate High School), Michelle Guajardo, Jaime Hernandez, Valerie Moreno, Benjamin Rodriguez, Jason Salinas, Melissa Torres, Isabel Vasquez.

Pictured are the students from VMHS who are advancing to state competitions.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Mobile: 537-5565 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Mission HS FBLA students qualify for state competitions

A total of 13 Mission High School (MHS) Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students have qualified for the Texas FBLA State Leadership Conference to be held in early March in Dallas, Texas. Two additional students will serve as alternates.

The students who are advancing to state are: Anna Cazares, database design and applications; Yvette Cazares, word processing I; Emma Contreras, business communications; Joseph C. Esquivel, business calculations; Josiah D. Esquivel, business calculations; Jorge Andres Garcia, accounting I; Eri Longoria, business math; Jocelyn Lopez, accounting I; Edward Markowsky, health care administration; Edgar Navejar, business law; Julio Perez, business law; Mario Salinas, business math; Jacobo Solis Jr., business law.

The two alternates are: Carlos Nava, cyber security; Crystal Pinon, business communications.
Pictured on the front is: Josiah Esquivel. On the middle row are: Yvette Cazares, Mario Salinas, Anna Cazares, Crystal Pinon. On the back row are: Joseph Esquivel, Julio Perez, Carlos Nava, Eri Longoria, Jocelyn Lopez. Not pictured are: Jorge Andres Garcia, Edgar Navejar, Jacobo Solis, Edward Markowsky, Emma Contreras.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Mobile: 537-5565 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Scenes From Mission Staycation Day - February 2013

VMHS DECA students qualify for state competition

The Veterans Memorial High School (VMHS) DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter will have 14 students representing them at the DECA State Career Development Conference to be held in Corpus Christi in late February. The students qualified based upon their performance at the District 1 Career Development Conference held recently in Weslaco.

The students who are advancing to state competition are: Maryah Lopez, Alejandra Martinez, learn and earn project; Ernesto Torres, Chris Perez, business law and ethics; Savanah Balderas, Gabriel Lopez, entrepreneurship-written; Kevin Toscano, Vanessa Osorio, public relations project; Hali Medina, Matthew Gonzalez, advertising campaign; Gonzalo Arrevalo, Alexandria Gonzalez, Gali Zorola, financial literacy project; Haley Milam, professional selling.

Vanessa Osorio was elected as DECA district president. Matthew Gonzalez was elected as DECA district secretary.

Pictured from left to right are: Gali Zorola, Vanessa Osorio, Haley Milam, Gabriel Lopez, Hali Medina, Matthew Gonzalez, Alejandra Martinez, Gonzalo Arrevalo, Ernesto Torres, Chris Perez. Not pictured are: Maryah Lopez, Savanah Balderas, Alexandria Gonzalez, Kevin Toscano.

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Mission FFA judging teams win championships at Citrus Fiesta

The two Mission FFA citrus judging teams earned the Rio Grande Valley FFA District Championship in their division at this year’s Texas Citrus Fiesta Youth Show. The junior team consists of students in grades nine and ten. The senior team is made up of students in grades eleven and twelve.

To compete in this event, team members learn how to properly judge and identify 50 different varieties of citrus grown in the Rio Grande Valley. This annual event allows agricultural science students to get hands on experience in the citrus industry and other agri-businesses in the area and state.

In addition to their competitions, Mission FFA members helped set up this year’s event. Thirty Mission FFA students exhibited fruit, while others informed visiting members of the general public about the different varieties of fruit.

Mission FFA team members pictured are, from front to back: Itzel Lopez, Vanessa Calderon, Jose Calderon, April Cerda, Victoria Magallan, Alyssa Flores, Israel Davilla, Rolando Hinojosa, Johanna Jimenez, Jesus Ramos.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Mobile: 537-5565 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Mission CISD high school students to provide free tax assistance

Through a partnership with The United Way of South Texas, over 30 students from the two Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) high schools will be providing free income tax assistance to area residents through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.  The students have gone through the necessary training and will also be guided by adult supervision at the Mission CISD VITA location.

The VITA services will be available to the public on Tuesdays and Thursday through April 11, 2013, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The VITA location is the Mission CISD Central Office located at 1201 Bryce Drive, Mission.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, the VITA program offers free tax help to people who make $51,000 or less and need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers, in this case, students from Mission High School (MHS) and Veterans Memorial High School (VMHS) provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. They can inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled.

The Mission CISD VITA student volunteers are from Accounting and Banking & Finance classes. Students participating from VMHS are: Vanessa Arrezola, Jose Cardenas, Ruby Cardona, Maleny Deldadillo, Hector Garza, Vanessa Osorio, Jorge Reyes, Jamilex Reyna, Steven Rios, Priscilla Rivera, Rafael Tovar, Abigail Trevino, Jesse Zamora Juarez, Vivian Bonilla, Abigail Garza. Students participating from MHS are: Glenda Salinas, Javier Garza, Edward Makowsky, Juan Daniel Garcia, Robert Gonzales Jr., Kendra Garcia, Gabriel Trujillo, Flor Benavidez, Anayansi Cuellar, Briana Alonzo, Leticia Garcia, Emily Perez, Griselda Carrillo, Daisy Galindo, Olga Garza, Sofia Guerra, Ana Pruneda, Luis Reyes. Some students will serve as greeters for the VITA center, while others will serve as tax preparers.

More information about the VITA program is available through the United Way VITA Program project coordinator, Diana Maldonado at 607-9030; or through email at unitedwayvita9030@gmail.com.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Mobile: 537-5565 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Armed Robbery at a Mission restaurant

Mission HS DECA students qualify for state competitions

The Mission High School (MHS) DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter will have seven students representing them at the DECA State Career Development Conference to be held in Corpus Christi in late February.  The students qualified based upon their performance at the District 1 Career Development Conference held recently in Weslaco.

The students who are advancing to state competition are pictured left to right: Gabriel Trujillo, sports and entertainment marketing series; Vanessa Rodriguez, Zulema Uribe, John Diaz, public relations project; Andy Garcia, accounting applications series; Erik Ramirez, apparel and accessories marketing series; Blanca Maldonado, hotel and lodging management series; Claudia Cavazos, apparel and accessories marketing series; Kristen Borrego, food marketing series.

In addition to their competitions, Andy Garcia plans to run for the office of state reporter, and John Diaz plans to run for state vice president.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Mobile: 537-5565 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Mission HS choir students qualify for state UIL competitions

Mission High School (MHS) choir students earned 20 superior solo ratings, 8 excellent solo ratings, and the men’s quartet a solo rating at the recent UIL vocal solo and ensemble competition. A total of 13 soloists and the men’s quartet have qualified for the UIL Texas State Solo and Ensemble contest that will be held in Austin, TX in May. The qualifying students all earned a superior rating, performing a class one piece of music;which is considered college level.

The state solo qualifiers are: Claudia Alaniz, Xavier Alonzo, Emara Balderas, Esai Balderas, Frankie Chaires, Paola Colunga, Carolina Gonzalez, Joel Guerrero, Anna Hernandez, Danielle Meza, Oscar Salinas, Samantha Sanchez, Jorge Trevino.
The members of the state qualifying men’s quartet are: Xavier Alonzo, Esai Balderas, Joel Guerrero, Oscar Salinas.

While not advancing to state, many other MHS choir students earned superior or excellent ratings on their class two or class three pieces of music.

Superior ratings were earned by: J.J. Gaitan, Clarissa Gomez, Evelyn Gutierrez, Karolina Vargas, Brianna Cantu, Samantha Esquivel, Victoria Olvera.

Excellent ratings were earned by: Jahaira Cardoza, Maggie Garcia, Yessica Perez, Anna Pollard, Deanna Pollard, Sarah Cantu, Zitlalith Cantu, Kim Reyes.

Pictured are the students who are advancing to the state UIL competition. Front row: Paola Colunga, Carolina Gonzalez, Daniella Meza, Anna Hernandez. On the middle row are: Samantha Sanchez, Xavier Alonzo, Esai Balderas, Claudia Alaniz. On the top row are: Joel Guerrero, Oscar Salinas, Frankie Chaires.

Not pictured are: Emara Balderas and Jorge Trevino.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Mobile: 537-5565 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Veterans Memorial HS student named as All-State Choir member

For the third year in a row, a student from Veterans Memorial High School has earned a spot in a Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Choir. This year, Cherish Varlack earned that honor after her performance at the last round of auditions.

The four-stage audition process began in September 2012 with several thousand students auditioning across the state. The Final Area G auditions were held earlier this month at Rockport-Fulton High School. Varlack placed fourth chair in the TMEA All-State Mixed Choir. Only the top ten female students and top eight males, per voice section, qualify for the All-State Choir. Varlack will participate in the TMEA All-State Choir clinics and concerts as an alto. The events will be held in San Antonio in mid-February. The concerts are traditionally attended by as many as 3,000 spectators.

Soprano, Kivani Sanchez just missed out on the All-State choir, however she is a first alternate. This means she is on standby to officially qualify for the All-State choir should someone above her not be able to fulfill their obligation.

Tenor, Demetrius Davis also advanced as high as the area finals in Rockport, but did not qualify for the All-State choir.

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Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing 
Office: 956-323-5530 • Mobile: 537-5565 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org

Photos from the Texas Citrus Fiesta

You can view photos of the Texas Citrus Fiesta Fun Fest on Facebook.

Photos of the parade can be viewed on SmugMug.

Getting Rid of Opossums and Raccoons in Mission, Texas

In case you ever get an opossum or raccoon living in your attic or crawl space under the house, you can easily get rid of it humanely in the City of Mission.

Why not live and let live? Opossums don't carry rabies or other diseases that should concern you; but, you will find that these animals, which are nocturnal, make all kinds of loud noises in the wee hours of the morning, enough to wake you and keep you awake. They will also damage insulation and other things around their nest. They will also defecate and urinate, leaving you a nasty surprise should you ever have to crawl into those areas. And, finally, they carry fleas. Those fleas will find their way into your home and onto you.

The City of Mission does have traps available for you to use from their Animal Control department. However, due to demand, you would have to wait nearly 90 days to receive one. In that time, the vermin can cause all kinds of damage in your attic or wherever it is making its home.

Fortunately, you can purchase your own trap to catch it much sooner. There are traps available for around $40 at hardware stores. You may find a cheaper one at the flea market on 4 mile and Conway.

Once you have the trap and are familiar with its operation, you can use a half apple or orange as bait at the far end of the trap, past the pressure plate that closes the trap.

You should place the trap in the place where you think the animal is most likely to enter and exit, this is important. If there are multiple openings, then you should block all of them except where you have the trap. If possible, set the trap right up to the opening, or somehow position it so that the animal must come to it when exiting at night.

Your success will depend on funneling the animal's movements through the opening in the house of your choice. You should also put the trap out after catching one opossum; there is the possibility there is more than one. If you do not catch them all before closing the entrance to your attic or crawl space, they will die, resulting in a dead animal stench. Be sure to trap them all.

Once you successfully trap the opossum, call the city's Animal Control department. They will send an officer over to pick it up. That's it.

Mission High School BPA students qualify for state competitions

Pictured above are MHS BPS students who have qualified for the state leadership conference and competition. On the front row: Alexandrea Salazar, Ana Pruneda. On the second row: Anna Hernandez, Alondra Garza, Aileen Hernandez, Mariana Vargas, Anna Cazares, Rhaudell Cordova. On the third row are: Luis Hilario, Alicia Carmona, Rocio Rendon, Amanda Saenz. Not pictured are: Javier Cervantes, Jessica Galindo, Adry Salazar, Jovanna Hernandez.

Top students from Mission High School (MHS) will be attending the Business Professionals of America (BPA) 2013 State Leadership Conference in Houston, Texas, in late February. The MHS chapter members will join over 2,500 other conference delegates from across the state to participate in state-level business skill competitions, general sessions, and the state officer candidate campaigns and elections.

The state qualifiers are: Rhaudell Cordova, advanced spreadsheets; Mariana Vargas/Anna Hernandez/Alexandrea Salazar, administrative support team; Alicia Carmona, advanced word processing; Rocio Rendon/Aileen Hernandez/Adry Salazar, broadcast news production; Anna Cazares, database applications; Luis Hilario, fundamental spreadsheets; Anna Hernandez, integrated software; Rhaudell Cordova/Alondra Garza/Jessica Galindo/Amanda Saenz, PowerPoint presentation management team; Javier Cervantes, advanced spreadsheets; Rocio Rendon, database aplications; Ana Pruneda, fundamental accounting; Jovanna Hernandez, computer network technology.

The MHS BPA chapter also has quite a few students on standby as alternates for the state competitions. They are: Karen Cantu/Claudia Cavazos/Javier Cervantes/Alyssa Flores/Wendy Guiterrez/Itzel Lopez/Jennifer Troncoso, parliamentary procedures team; Alondra Garza, advanced interview skills; Claudia Cavazos, basic office procedures; Diana Del Moral, fundamental accounting; Kimberly Muniz, interview skills; Andy Garcia; payroll accounting; Olga Garza/Jessenia Rodriguez/Irma Torres, administrative support team; Jovanna Hernandez, computer network technology; Lidia Contreras, graphic design promotion; Harley Rodriguez/Celeste Vela, global marketing; Karla Aguilar/Anakaren Guerrero, PowerPoint presentation management team; Harley Rodriguez, prepared speech; Jennifer Troncoso, presentation management individual.

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Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

956-323-5530

www.mcisd.net

Texas Citrus Fiesta 2013

This weekend is the annual Texas Citrus Fiesta. The celebration reflects our city's agricultural roots in the citrus industry.

Tomorrow at 7 pm, there will be the coronation of King Citrus and Queen Citrianna at the Mission Neuhaus Center, which is located on the Mission High School Campus, at 1802 Cleo Dawson. Admission is $5.

The Texas Citrus Fiesta Parade of Oranges starts Saturday at 3 PM from the 2 Mile Road going South along Conway Avenue. The parade is the biggest attraction; however, there are other events including a Vaquero Cook-off and Fun Fair vendors around the Leo Peña Veterans Park. The parade and other events are free for the public.

The Mission Chamber of Commerce is donating bandwidth for public WiFi during the event.

If you have your mobile device with you and use Google+, you can click here to join the photo stream and add your own photos.  If you do not use Google+, you are welcome to use other social media services such as Twitter and Facebook.

Registration Underway for Mission CISD 2nd Annual Parent Conference

Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) is hosting its 2nd Annual District-Wide Parent Conference on Saturday, February 23, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at R. Cantu Jr. High School. A light lunch will be provided, door prizes given out at the end of the conference, and childcare available for attending parents. Any Mission CISD parent interested should pre-register for the conference by contacting the parent liaison at their child’s school as soon as possible.

Event organizers are planning a wide range of concurrent sessions for parents to attend during the conference. Topics include: graduation plans, STAAR testing, Career Technical Education, bilingual education, migrant services, parent portal, health initiatives and more.

The conference this year is taking on a FIESTA theme, Family Involvement Encourages Students To Achieve. Interested parents are strongly encouraged to pre-register.

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Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

956-323-5530

www.mcisd.net

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Buenas Tardes Luncheon - January 2013

The +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held its quarterly Buenas Tardes Luncheon today at the Club at Cimarron. The luncheon featured guest speaker Alex Meade, CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation, and the announcement of the businesses of the month for the most recent quarter.

Alex Meade talks about Ruby Red Ventures

The topic of Mr. Meade's presentation was an overview of what Ruby Red Ventures is, and why they are giving away $100,000 in venture capital this year. He explained what venture capitalists are and how they help entrepreneurs succeed.

The three businesses of the month for the most recent quarter were Waterford Gardens, a local assisted living community; Mission CISD, our local school district; and The Progress Times, our local newspaper.

Waterford Gardens recognized as Business of the Month

Mission CISD recognized as Business of the Month

Progress Times recognized as Business of the Month

In addition, the Chamber held their traditional drawing for +Matt Z. Ruszczak's  Money, which was at $1,600. The winner was not present at the Buenas Tardes Luncheon, so the money rolls into the next luncheon with an additional $50 added in to the prize.