MARFA – Marfa ISD school board trustees will meet next Tuesday, May 28 in special session to hear presentations from applicants seeking to fill a one-year unexpired term on the board.

The vacancy was left after former trustee Zach Moerbe resigned, notifying board members that he and his family are moving out of ...]]> By ALBERTO TOMAS HALPERN

MARFA – Marfa ISD school board trustees will meet next Tuesday, May 28 in special session to hear presentations from applicants seeking to fill a one-year unexpired term on the board.

The vacancy was left after former trustee Zach Moerbe resigned, notifying board members that he and his family are moving out of the area. Moerbe is a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Warden.

Seeking to fill the post, trustees asked residents interested in filling the vacancy to submit an application letter, and six persons did so by a Monday afternoon deadline: Laura Hajovsky, Joseph Harmes, Daniel Hernandez, Alfredo Mediano, Ellen Melvin, and Katherine Shaughnessy Michael.

Hajovsky is a Marfa Chamber of Commerce board member and co-founder of Design Marfa, an organization that seeks to use educational programs and events to advance architecture, preservation, economic development and sustainable growth in Marfa.

Harmes is a writer and journalist who has lived in Marfa for 18 months. He has spent in Mexico and Texas covering news stories for national and state publications about border culture. He speaks Spanish.

Hernandez is a Marfa High School class of 2010 graduate, currently seeking a communications degree at Sul Ross State University. He is a 911 dispatcher for the Presidio County Sheriff’s Office.

Mediano worked for Marfa ISD for many years as the facilities director. He is now a construction contractor.

Melvin is currently a city employee with the Marfa Visitors Center and was an employee of the public school district for many years working as an elementary campus instructional aide.

Shaughnessy Michael is a former Marfa ISD board trustee having served one three-year term. Moerbe defeated her in 2012 when she ran for re-election. She is an artist, businesswoman, and president of the Marfa Montessori board of advisors, which recently reached an agreement to bring the Montessori school into the public school beginning next school year.

She was a founding member of the Marfa Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports and enhances the work of the public school by raising funds to enhance the public school experience.

Trustees invited the applicants to a special board meeting Tuesday to give a five-minute presentation in open session. Board members may decide at that meeting whether or not to enter into executive session to deliberate on which applicant will be appointed. The meeting begins at 6:30pm in the board’s meeting room in the new central administration office located at 400 W. Lincoln St.

Reporter Alberto Tomas Halpern is the son of board member Robert Halpern, the publisher/editor of The Big Bend Sentinel.

(Customs and Border Protection photo) CBP officers stopped 436 pounds of marijuana, pictured above, from entering the United ...]]> PRESIDIO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized 436 pounds of marijuana Saturday. The estimated street value of the seized contraband is $348,800.

(Customs and Border Protection photo) CBP officers stopped 436 pounds of marijuana, pictured above, from entering the United States.

“This was a sizable drug load that did not reach its intended destination,” said David Lambrix, CBP Presidio Port Director. “The vigilance and expertise of CBP officers working at the Presidio port of entry combined with several kinds of technology stopped this drug load.”

The seizure was made just after 9pm Saturday when a 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche with two occupants arrived from Mexico. CBP officers initiated an examination of the vehicle and then selected the Chevrolet for a secondary exam. They used a “Buster” density to search the vehicle and received high readings consistent with hidden contraband. An officer then located a compartment containing wrapped bundles. Other officers scanned the truck with an x-ray unit and spotted anomalies in the floor and bed of the vehicle. They removed 176 marijuana-filled packages from multiple hidden compartments.

CBP officers arrested the driver, 45-year-old Erlinda Zuniga of Odessa, and the passenger, 63-year-old Nancy Jean Moffitt of Leadville, Colorado. Both were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face federal charges in connection with the smuggling attempt.

Band co-founder Armando Lichtenberger Jr. says Oscar De La Rosa and his driver were knocked unconscious by a man they didn’t recognize in the attack early Monday. Lichtenberger says De La ...]]> HOUSTON (AP) – The lead singer of the Grammy-winning Tejano group La Mafia has suffered head wounds in an unprovoked attack outside a Houston club.

Band co-founder Armando Lichtenberger Jr. says Oscar De La Rosa and his driver were knocked unconscious by a man they didn’t recognize in the attack early Monday. Lichtenberger says De La Rosa is resting at his Houston home Tuesday.

Oscar De La Rosa, lead singer for La Mafia.

No arrests have been made. Houston police are looking for a man who became violent after being thrown out of the bar.

Lichtenberger says De La Rosa has facial cuts, eye damage and he lost two teeth.

He says La Mafia is considering whether to cancel any performances.

The band, which formed in 1980 in Houston, won a Grammy in 2006 for the album, “Nuevamente.”

“We took one team composed of Ana Karen Nieto and Itza Rodriguez, both seniors from PHS, to the national competition,” said team co-sponsor Shelia Condino. “The team finished a respectable 38th place out of ...]]> PRESIDIO – The Presidio Rocketry Team competed in the 11th annual Team America Rocketry Challenge National Finals held in The Plains, Virginia.

“We took one team composed of Ana Karen Nieto and Itza Rodriguez, both seniors from PHS, to the national competition,” said team co-sponsor Shelia Condino. “The team finished a respectable 38th place out of 100 teams that qualified and out of 765 teams in the nation.”

The Presidio Rocketry Team meets with Congressman Pete Gallego in his Washington, DC office. The team also met with Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz while visiting Capitol Hill.

During the trip, the Presidio team was invited to visit and meet our new Congressman Pete Gallego, as well as the office of new U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Team Presidio also attended the 2nd annual Rockets on the Hill event held at the historic Russell Senate Office Building. Presidio Rocketry got selected to represent the entire TARC world and Ana Karen Nieto delivered an outstanding speech. She shared her rocketry experiences, her inspirations, struggles and barriers she overcame, the Presidio success stories, and how rocketry has made a great impact in her life and influenced her choice of career.

The Presidio students also met NASA administrator Charlie Bolden and other aerospace industry leaders. They were all very impressed with Presidio Rocketry and the president and CEO of Aerospace Industry Association called it ‘The Legendary Presidio.’

During the entire competition, a film crew from Japan was filming Presidio Rocketry. The program will be highlighted and will be shown in a Japanese Educational TV Program NHK called ‘The Contest.’ The two Presidio rockets are currently on their way to Japan and will be mailed back to Presidio in August.

Zach Moerbe, elected in 2012, recently announced he and his family are being relocated. State law and board policy require the board to select a new member or hold an election for a new member within 180 days of accepting the resignation.

Since elections can cost ...]]> MARFA – Marfa ISD is seeking a new school board member.

Zach Moerbe, elected in 2012, recently announced he and his family are being relocated. State law and board policy require the board to select a new member or hold an election for a new member within 180 days of accepting the resignation.

Since elections can cost the taxpayers upwards of $7,500, the MISD board has decided to appoint a replacement. In an public notice advertisement in The Big Bend Sentinel last week, the requirements for a new board member are spelled out. The person must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age, a resident of Texas for the past 12 months, and a resident of Marfa ISD for the past six months. The person must be a qualified voter in Marfa ISD, too.

Board trustees, as they are officially called, serve three-year terms on a rotating basis. Trustees are responsible for hiring the superintendent, approving the budget, setting the tax rate, and establishing goals for the district. The board is an overseeing board. The superintendent is responsible for the managing of the day-to-day activities.

Interested resident should seek out a board member and ask about the duties of serving the community and public school students. If a person wants to be considered by the MISD board, they are asked to write a letter to the board and address the reasons why they want to be considered. The letters should be addressed to Mr. Robert Halpern (Board President) and delivered to 400 W. Lincoln Street or mailed to PO Box T. All letters must be received before 4pm Monday, May 20. The board expects to select someone at the May 20 board meeting.

The board meets regularly on the third Monday of the month at 6pm in the board room at 400 W. Lincoln. The public is invited to attend the meetings.

This month the board will consider hiring a couple of new teachers, receive an update on the 2013-2014 budget, and approve salaries for future years. The entire agenda is posted by 4pm on the Marfa ISD website: www.marfaisd.com.

The case was prosecuted by 83rd Assistant District Attorney Bill Parham. This ...]]> FORT STOCKTON – A Pecos County jury found Fort Stockton native, Martin Ortega Rangel, guilty of retaliation against a former girlfriend on Thursday, May 2. His former girlfriend was cooperating with prosecutors on a previous aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge against Rangel.

The case was prosecuted by 83rd Assistant District Attorney Bill Parham. This was the first criminal trial presided by recently appointed 83rd District Judge, Robert Cadena, and prosecuted by the 83rd District Attorney’s Office in Fort Stockton.

Following a jury finding of guilt on retaliation, the defendant, through his attorney Frank Lacy, agreed to a prison term of 14 years imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

“My office will continue to work hard to protect the citizens of Pecos County, by putting in prison those individuals who harm our citizens”, 83rd District Attorney Rod Ponton said in a statement released to the press.

ALPINE – Alpine Ward 3 citizens have elected Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerald in an underwhelming election last week.

The only contested race in this election cycle brought in a disappointing 82 votes, which is less than 10% of the eligible voters in the ward.

Fitzgerald defeated challenger Dian Raun by eight votes, finishing the race ...]]> By JOHN DANIEL GARCIA

ALPINE – Alpine Ward 3 citizens have elected Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerald in an underwhelming election last week.

The only contested race in this election cycle brought in a disappointing 82 votes, which is less than 10% of the eligible voters in the ward.

Fitzgerald defeated challenger Dian Raun by eight votes, finishing the race at 45-37. Fitzgerald’s 45 votes were 54.88% of the electorate and Raun’s 37 votes made up 45.12%.

Terms for Ward 1 council member Angie Bermudez and the Ward 5 seat, currently held by Diana Asgeirsson, have also expired. Bermudez ran for re-election unopposed, as did Michael Castelli for the Ward 5 position. Asgeirsson was unable to run for re-election due to term limits.

Teacher Armando Saenz-Albo and Customs broker Mario Vargas were also elected to full terms on Presidio’s city council.

John Ferguson

Ferguson defeated the incumbent by 130 ...]]> PRESIDIO – Former mayor John Ferguson will once again sit in the mayor’s chair after defeating appointed incumbent Mayor Obed Escontrias and challenger Esperanza Carrasco in Saturday’s mayoral election.

Teacher Armando Saenz-Albo and Customs broker Mario Vargas were also elected to full terms on Presidio’s city council.

John Ferguson

Ferguson defeated the incumbent by 130 votes, winning 47.78% of the electorate with 291 votes to Mayor Escontrias’ 161 (26.44%) votes. Carrasco earned 157 votes, garnering 25.78% of the electorate.

Out-going councilman Butch Acosta’s seat, as well as the one held by Escontrias before being appointed mayor following the resignation of former mayor Lorenzo Hernandez who was elected a county commissioner, were up for grabs with a full ballot.

Saenz-Albo was elected into office with 298 votes at 29.13%, and Vargas won his seat on the council with 187 votes at 18.28% of the seven candidates.

PISD teacher Ahmed Baeza Benavidez, 8^th grade principal John Schaefer, Transforming Texas grant associate Grace Allie Perot, business owner Cruz Madrid, and Jesus Jose Chavez-Garcia (who did not list an occupation in his filings) rounded-out the ballot in this year’s race.

Benavidez’s efforts garnered 165 votes, Paerot earned 140, Schaefer gained 99, Madrid had 86, and Chavez-Garcia had 4.69% with 48 votes.