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Monte Alto students doing your taxes for free

Flag Retiring Ceremony at Retama Manor

Edcouch Goes Hi-Tech in Fight against Crime

February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23

Local Trustee Participates in Leadership Program(Austin) – Lupe Ruiz, trustee from Raymondville ISD joined 34 other school board members from across Texas January 29-31 at the third ses-sion of the Leadership TASB class of 2015. Selected by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the group is participating in a yearlong education leadership study program. These trust-ees represent school districts of all siz-es, with student populations of 164 to 159,000, and reflect a similar range of property wealth. Participants who complete all required elements of the study will graduate this year by earning Master Trustee status. This is the highest designation recog-nized by TASB. Meeting in Houston, the trustees heard featured speaker Amy Lynch, CEO of Generational Edge. A nationally recognized expert on understanding generational differ-ences, Lynch provided the group with insights into recognized communica-

tion strategies when dealing with the general public who represent multiple generations. In addition, the participants visited Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s Clear Falls High School and Berry Center, Clear Creek ISD’s Stewart Elementary and Education Village, and La Porte ISD’s Bayshore Elementary. While in La Porte, the class enjoyed the district’s presentation of “The Wiz” featuring more than 250 LPISD students. Other Leadership TASB sessions are scheduled for El Paso, April 9-11; and Forth Worth, June 18-20. Each session has a unique theme that builds on the previous session and features nation-ally recognized experts in the fields of leadership development and educa-tion. Teams also work throughout the year on extended learning assignments between meetings. Created in 1993, Leadership TASB has more than 700 graduates to date. The current class is

sponsored in part by H•E•B.TASB is a nonprofit association es-tablished in 1949 to serve local Texas school districts. School board mem-

bers are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The dis-tricts they represent serve more than 5 million public school students.

Finacial aid night was held on Monday, February 9th at Edcouch-Elsa ISD. It was a huge success. The event addressed and served a need that the parents and students had; how to finance a postsecondary edu-cation. For the most part the students were getting the entire Pell Grant allotment and loans. Parents and students alike were ex-cited to see that they were eligible to receive $5700.00 and didn’t have to pay it back. A college education is within everyone’s reach. Parents appreciated the free income tax preparation provided by United Way of South Texas and Ms. Marlene Guerra’s students from Monte Alto. A parent said “ Thank you, I just saved myself a lot of money”. Families were able to complete their 2014 income tax return and proceed to the next room and complete their finan-cial aid application. A great big thank you to Jaime Garcia, Yolie Pena, Lisa Cabrera, Lisa Rodriguez, Erica Lopez, Diane Salinas, Beatrice Quin-tero, Ana Martinez, and Annie Gonzalez for making personal contact with every migrant senior and inviting them to Fi-

nancial Aid Night. Mr. Orlando Salinas, we appreciate you making contact with the surrounding colleges. The following schools were present to help with the actual completion of FAFSA ap-plications: UTPA; represented by Anabel Salamanca, Jennifer Soto and Gladys Fer-nandez, STC represented by Zachary Su-arez, who worked with all of the DACA students and helped prepare the TAFSA, A & M Kingsville represented by Melis-sa Medina and Lucero Martinez, Llano Grande representative. We appreciate Mr. Anibal Gonzalez and Ms. Cyndi Briseno’s assistance. We wouldn’t be able to have the event in the CATE building if not for Ms. Lydia Gonzalez’ constant support and cooperation. A financial literacy night is scheduled for Feb. 26th at the north high school building cafeteria from 6:00 – 7:00 PM. Ms. Gladys Fernandez from UTPA will be presenting. Our next goal is to educate the students on how to handle the money they will have ac-cess to. See you there!If you should have any questions feel free to call Mrs. Juanita Borrego at 956-262-0151.

Delta United City of Elsa Pony Baseball/Softball Registration

Ages 3-23 Jan.26- Feb. 28 $30 FeeElsa City Hall 8:30am-5:30pm (Debit at City hall only)Mario Leal Park (pony building) 10AM-2PM Jan. 31, Feb. 14 & Feb.28(late registration) Check or money order Only Payable to: City of Elsa For more information call Veronica Montoya 262-2127

City of Elsa Registration Pony League

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Assiting Students for Higher Education

Page 2 February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23Editor’s Page

Dear Community

Thank you so much for being our reader. Welcome to Issue 23. I am proud to announce that this month is our first year anniversary! We have enjoyed one year of informing the community about the greatness of the Delta Area and Raymondville. We have new ideas for this year’s publication. We will be adding an advice column, called Ask Amy. Anything on relationships with parents, friends, spouses, co-work-ers, mentors, and bosses are welcome!Amy will offer you perspective. She is here to encourage your self-analysis, creativity, confidence, and compassion. She will help you think clearly, consider all the options, set boundaries, and be realistic. And of course to help you make good choices!You’ll be anonymous,... so don’t hold back, but do try to pro-vide some context or background when you ask your ques-tion. And remember: The more interesting and honest the question, the more interesting and useful the answer.One issue and question will be published in every issue.So go ahead and Just Ask Amy! by the way AMY is not me( I don’t know anything about some relationships..lol) and she would like to stay anonymous....Message-The Community Press on Facebook or email tcommunitypress@gmail.com Thank you and Have a Wonderful Day!!!

Monte Alto students doing your taxes for FREEMonte Alto-Monte Alto I.S.D are turning students as young as freshmen into IRS-certified tax preparers and having them do free tax returns for community members in partnership with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.The school district are graduating kids into the workforce, these pro-grams are teaching kids real-life skills using real-life experience. Some may eventually become accounting majors and professional tax-prepar-ers.Marlene Guerra, who has been teaching business for five years at the school, says the kids get nothing in return for working and putting in hours after school. But they do get free dinner, work experience and plen-ty of community service. They’re going to school all day and doing taxes all night. “The work ethic is just tremendous.”This program has been active in the district for three years and 23 stu-dents are currently certified from South Texas College in preparing in-come tax returns. If anyone is interested in getting their tax return done for free please contact United Way at 607-9030

Page 3February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23 Community

Llano Grande Center Hosts National Progressive Educators MeetingEdinburg – The North Dakota Study Group (NDSG) met in South Texas from February 12th through February 15th for their annual meeting. Students, teachers, principals, professors and many others travelled from across the United States, Japan and New Zealand to join local ed-ucators and community organizations in South Texas for conversations on lan-guage, culture and policy. Discussions, panels and site visits focused on this year’s theme: Stories and Histories of Education – Pedagogy, Language and Social Change. “We are committed to bringing together the best and the most effective education-al ideas and practices to inform the future learning environments in a democratic society,” said Dr. Miguel Guajardo found-er of the Llano Grande Center. “This work begins at home, in schools and in our communities.” Edcouch Elsa was well represented at the meeting. Dr. Francisco Guajardo, Dr. Mi-guel Guajardo and the Llano Grande Cen-ter have participated in NDSG meetings

for over ten years. Llano Grande served as the local host of the meeting. Former EEHS graduates Edyael Casaperalta, Mar-lene Chavez, Lisa Cardosa and Dr. Cristi-na Salinas lead various panel discussions and presentations. Marcy Garcia formerly of Elsa and a current graduate student at Texas State University was also in atten-dance. This marked the first time that the North Dakota Study Group traveled outside of the Midwest and Northeast United States for their meeting. The North Dakota Study Group began in 1972 when Vito Perrone, then Dean of The Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of North Dakota, brought together educa-tors from many parts of the U.S. to discuss common concerns about accountability of schools and assessment of children. NDSG has met annually, every President’s Day weekend since then. Beginning in 2013, NDSG combined the traditional focus on progressive educational issues and the current works-in-progress of

the membership with place-based action learning. The meeting began on Thursday evening with an opening convocation and dinner at the Dustin Sekula Memorial Library in Edinburg. Friday morning featured site visits to various PSJA schools, local non-profits LUPE in San Juan and the Lla-no Grande Center in Elsa. The afternoon consisted of discussions at UTPA. On Sat-

urday, NDSG began the day at UTPA and met at LUPE headquarters in San Juan for a evening reception. Sunday morning, the meeting closed at the ECHO Hotel in Ed-inburg. Work will soon begin on next year’s meet-ing and returning to South Texas will be high on the list of items for discussion.

Full Court Celebrates in MarchElsa- Full Court Entertainment, a Delta area favorite place for its celebrations from first birthday parties to weddings opened its doors back in June of 2007. It was a home for basketball leagues and many tournaments were held. It also included a dine- in area that served there popular 25cent wings. After 10pm, they offered a night club atmosphere with the best ser-vice and security. It closed last year to remodel its facility to expand its kitchen so they can better fit the needs of their customers and added an in-door pool so kids could enjoy. On March 3, will be a day to remember, Full Court Entertainment will be opening its doors at 5pm. They will offer 50 cent jumbo wings,

hamburgers, Philly combos, beer, fajita tacos and many more selections in the menu. They will also provide batting cage rentals, basketball rims, and will be offer-ing contract rentals for their indoor pool.Please come to this beautiful establish-ment and bring your family and friends to enjoy a night out. Full Court is dedicated in providing a fun, casual atmosphere for the community. Owner, Victor Hernandez would like to thank the community for their out pour-ing support throughout the years and hopes to see all his family, friends and cus-tomers on this grand opening.For more information you can contact Victor Hernandez at 956-472-3927.

Page 4 February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23Community

Edcouch Goes Hi-Tech in Fight against Crime

The City of Edcouch is taking a pro-active stance against crime. The Mayor and City Commission has directed staff to develop counter programs to fight crime. City Ad-ministration has responded and initiated several programs to add to their arsenal. “We intend to hit the streets with new pa-trol officers, invest in hi-tech equipment and software to assist in investigations and work with the media to get the word out to our citizens” stated Edcouch Mayor Robert Schmalzried. The City of Edcouch has invested in a state of the art computer software system called Leads Online. The Leads Online system is the nation’s largest online investigation system used by law enforcement to solve crimes from burglary to identity theft, ho-micide and narcotics. Established in the state of Texas, Leads Online provides a na-tional network of law enforcement agencies to combat and solve crime. The concept is to benefit by sharing intelligence from surrounding jurisdictions and from other states. Some of the benefits are as follows:

• Community Vigilance/Citizen Record Keeping: Leads Online provides Report It, a system for residents to securely catalog photos, serial numbers, receipts and other documentation to identify property for ac-curate crime reporting in the event of theft. Report It is a tremendous community tool. • NCIC hit reports: Leads Online reports any hits, as a result of data entry nationwide night and day. This allows officers to con-duct other business at hand. • National Pawn Shop Coverage: We have the capability to search Pawnshops current inventory for stolen items. • Precious Metal and Metal Theft investiga-tions: Metal theft id highly destructive, and in many cases, cost both the business sec-tor and community in replacement costs. Leads Online connects detectives directly with transaction information from scrap metal dealers to solve these crimes. The City of Edcouch has already benefit-ed from the program as it has allowed the recovery of stolen property and lead to the detention of three juveniles. The software

got a hit from a Weslaco pawnshop which resulted in the recovery of property. Ed-couch Police Department encourages its citizens to document a description and serial numbers of your property and will provide tracking cards to record the infor-mation. Knowing what you own can make the difference between recovering and not

recovering stolen property. Contact the Edcouch PD for more information. The software comes with a financial cost how-ever as Mayor Pro-Tem Eddy Gonzalez states, “We view the cost as an investment in our community and will continue to in-vest and implement innovative tools to the benefit of Edcouch”

Page 5February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23 Education

New Angels in Heaven

Ashley Vasquez, 24 from Edcouch-Elsa is a young woman with a vision. Her vision is to one day don the runway in her own line of clothing and have women everywhere wearing her line as well. One day soon, that vision may become a reality. Ashley is doing everything she can to make that happen.Having come from humble beginnings herself, she was not able to afford to go shopping as a young girl as much as she would’ve liked. She grew up as most kids do wanting and wish-ing for certain things in life that her parents simply could not afford. Those things weren’t video games, electronics or lav-ished toys. What Asley wanted was to go shopping for clothes. At a young age she displayed a love for fashion, that love is still shown today. She loves the fashion world and devotes her time and complete attention to that dream.At 24, she is still by far a young woman, but the experience she has for fashion is unprecedented. She is married to her High School Sweetheart, which shows strong commitment to what she loves and she has 2 children, whom she attributes her mo-tivation for what she does. She is a woman with a caring heart and soul as well. Ashley donates dresses for young girls that want to attend their proms but simply cannot afford it. She holds back to school drives for Senior Girls that also cannot afford new clothes. She is a respected member of our commu-nity and believes in Paying it Forward. I asked Ashley some questions to get an insight on what she thinks and this is what she responded:1.What lead you to do what you are doing now? What inspired you to do that?My initial goal was to start a blog that show-cased local bou-tiques. I really put myself out there going store to store asking if I could take some photos and write about them. I only had 20 Instagram followers at the time so I did get a lot of “Not right now thanks” (9 stores in a row to be exact.) But no start is easy, nor will it be handed to you. In a matter of weeks,I was blogging for the most popular boutiques in the Rgv.My inspiration came from my younger self but my bravery came from my son and daughter. I need to accomplish my dreams so it can push them to believe in theirs.2.Who is the person you get your passion from? An idol or mentor in your industry?I am lucky enough to say I have met an amazing mentor. Her name is Belen San Miguel former boutique owner of Kenya Rose. She gives me a lot of positive words when I desperate-ly needed them. She invested in my fashion shows, she’s very honest about the industry. She’s a very important asset to my career in fashion.3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How do you plan on getting there?I recently started designing and I feel really good about my sketches. In 5 years I hope to create pieces that are desired by women everywhere. It is a huge high for me to make women feel beautiful.

ELSA... Our beloved mother, Alicia D. Rosa, went to her eternal resting place on January 25th, 2015 at the age of 75. She was born and raised in Hargill and La Blanca, TX, and lived in Elsa, TX for the last 57 years. Mom worked for the Edcouch-Elsa schools for over 40 years as a nurse’s and teacher’s aide. After retiring, she stayed active by substi-tute teaching. Mom was proud to have graduated from a CNA program, where she applied her passion for

helping others. She was an incredibly strong and compassionate woman with an unforgettable smile and undeniable beauty. She also loved being social and outgo-ing. Mom truly loved her children, grandchildren, siblings, her many friends, and her pet Chihuahua, “Hammie”, who never left her side. She enjoyed studying the Bible and was actively involved with Power Church, where she developed a strong faith and love for the Lord. Alicia is preceded in death by parents Juan and Anna Davila, husband Ysrael Rosa, Sr and brother Juan F. Davila. Alicia is survived by her daughters Norma A. (Jesse) Lopez, Linda Kay (Raul) Nieves, sons Israel (Norma V.) Rosa, Jr. and Jaime Rosa. Also surviving are grandchildren Israel III, Jessica, Thomas, Gina, Brain, Miranda, Iliana Samantha, Jaime Daniel, Karina, Isabela and great grandchildren, Ava, Aubrey, Alyssa and Alexis. Serving as Pall-bearers were Jaime and Jaime Rosa, Raul Nieves, Tomas, Jesse and Brian Lopez. Chapel service was held at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, January 29, 2015 at “Chapel of Angles” at Guerra Funeral Home-Elsa. Burial followed to Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco. Arrangements are under the direction of Guerra Funeral Home in Elsa.

ELSA... Rebecca C. Salinas, 90, entered into eternal peace on January 24, 2015 in Indianapolis. She was born in Edinburg, Texas on July 19, 1924 to Romulo Contreras and Antonia Balboa Contreras. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a daughter Nelda Salinas, grandson Jacob B. Luna. She is survived by daugh-ters Edna (Lupe) Saenz, Cynthia (Eddie) Estevanes, Hilda (John) Henisa, Susana (Rocky) Garcia, Ruth Salinas –Luna, sons Eradio (Rocio) Salinas, Jr., David

(Dalia) Salinas, Rene (Yvette) Salinas, Rolando Salinas and Ronaldo (Mary) Sali-nas also surviving are 28 Grandchildren and 40 great grandchildren. Rebecca was laid to rest with a graveside service at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, January 30, 2015 at Highland Memorial in Weslaco. Arrangements were under the direction of Guerra Funeral Home-Elsa.

EDCOUCH… Julia S. Alvarez, 82, died February 01, 2015 at the age of 82.at her home and with her family by her side in Edcouch, Texas. Born February 14, 1932 in Edcouch, Texas, she was the daughter of the late Macario and Filomena Saenz and a lifelong resident of Edcouch. Julia married Eulalio Alvarez in 1952 and was a dedicated homemaker for the rest of her life. Her interests include family, gardening, sewing and occasionally reading the newspaper. She de-voted much of her time and energy early in life as a caregiver to family members, including her parents,

husband, children and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother and her husband of 45 years. She is survived by 7 children and their spouses: Juan (Emma) Alvarez, Antonio (Sonia) Alvarez, Mariana (Manuel) Marroquin, Elualio Alvarez, Jr., Macario Alvarez, Adan (Yolanda) Alvarez and Maria Claudia (Gerardo) Rosa. Also surviving are eight grandchildren, Monica, Marilena, Erika, Julia Arlene, Lee, Demi, Alyssa and Antonio, also surviving are & great-grandchildren, Liliana, Manuel, Syanne, Saul, Sienna, Seth and Antonio. Funeral Mass for Julia was held on Tuesday, February 03, 2015 at St. Theresa Cath-olic Church in Edcouch. Burial followed to Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco. Arrangements were under the direction of Guerra Funeral Home in Elsa.

ELSA... Monseis Alejandro, went to his eternal resting place on January 10th, 2015 at the age of 76. He was born and raised in Elsa, TX. Monse worked for the City of Elsa for over 40 years. Monse was a loving husband, father, grandfather and a great friend to many. He will be greatly missed. Monse is preceded in death by parents Anacleto and Marian-ita Diaz Alejandro, brothers Jose and Isaias Alejandro and a sister Dian A. Gil. Monse is survived by his wife

Natalia M. Alejandro son Monseis (Veronica C.) Alejandro, daughters Rosalinda M. (Israel) Saldivar and Leticia (Robert) Mendez. Also surviving are 7 grandchil-dren and 4 Great-grandchildren. Funeral Mass was held on Wednesday, January 10, 2015 1:00 P.M. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elsa. Burial followed to Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco. Arrangements were under the direction of Guerra Funeral Home in Elsa.

Flag Retiring Ceremony at Retama Manor

Raymondville-It could have been easier to go and buy a flag at Wal Mart and given the old one to the VFW. However, Retama Manor Raymondville’s Administrator, Rachel Lynn Luna, decided to use this as an opportunity to get the community involved and educate. She contacted Mr. Zach Gonzalez and Commander J. Solis to see if they could do a Flag Retiring Ceremony to commemorate the Veterans who currently live at Reta-ma Manor. They in turn involved the Boys Scouts of America and the Ladies Auxiliary. The retired flag was bought and donated by Mr. Jose Ipina four years ago. He and other Veterans watched as the flag was retired, Taps was conducted and the bugle ceremony proceeded after the Star Spangle Banner was played. Tears rolled and faces filled with awe for our colors and pride as that flag waved. Mr. Enrique Suarez commented, “You have no idea the pictures that go through my head and what those colors mean to me.” Staff, family and visitors stood in the cold while ceremony was continued to Burn that flag and others watched with pride. Retama Manor Raymondville is the only skilled nursing center with rehabilitation in Willacy County. Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy is avail-able. Admissions are welcomed 24/7. Retama Manor Raymondville proudly serves our Veterans with benefits through the VA Contract. Transportation is available to and from appointments. They welcome Medicare, Medicaid or private insurances and ser-vice connected Veterans.

GUILLEN TO TACKLE SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA

Guillen Joins With Senator Perry in the Fight against Synthetic Marijuana Manufacturing

AUSTIN – State Representative Ryan Guil-len (D-District 31) has introduced HB 488 to combat the sale and use of synthetic marijuana .Representative Guillen’s bill would create a ‘catch all’ for drugs that have similar chem-ical composition to other synthetic drugs listed in the Texas Controlled Substances Act, and Guillen is calling on fellow law-makers in Austin to put a lid on synthetic marijuana use.“To skirt current laws, the manufacturers of synthetic marijuana have introduced new chemical combinations that are lead-ing to severe health problems.” said Rep. Guillen. “The effects of synthetic marijuana have become a public health crisis and we need to take action.”The use of synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or Spice, has become a growing prob-lem in Texas over the last couple of years. As the chemical combinations used to make synthetic drugs change, the effects of those drugs are becoming more dan-gerous. The use of synthetic marijuana and drugs like it have led to over thousands of calls into local poison control centers and a number of deaths. Those concerns have led many cities across the state to pass local or-

dinances that ban the possession, sale and manufacture of certain types of synthetic drugs.Concerns over synthetic marijuana use have risen in rural South Texas recently as shops have begun marketing to minors. The Starr County District Attorney’s Office reports that synthetic marijuana is being mislabeled and is increasingly being used by local teens. Representative Guillen is hopeful that this measure will help local law enforcement stay ahead of the curve and keep teens away from the health risks of synthetic marijuana use.“There have been a number of cases here in South Texas of kids getting really sick from these chemical combinations.” Guillen said. “Having spoken with local officials, the need to give law enforcement in the state the power to combat synthetic mari-juana use has never been more urgent”.Texas State Representative Ryan Guillen is serving in his seventh term in the Tex-as House representing House District 31, which includes the South Texas counties of Atascosa, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Kene-dy, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Starr, and Willacy.

Page 6 February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23Community

A Real Passion for FashionAshley Vasquez, 24 from Edcouch-Elsa is a young woman with a vision. Her vision is to one day don the runway in her own line of clothing and have women everywhere wearing her line as well. One day soon, that vision may become a reality. Ashley is doing everything she can to make that happen.Having come from humble beginnings herself, she was not able to afford to go shopping as a young girl as much as she would’ve liked. She grew up as most kids do wanting and wish-ing for certain things in life that her parents simply could not afford. Those things weren’t video games, electronics or lav-ished toys. What Asley wanted was to go shopping for clothes. At a young age she displayed a love for fashion, that love is still shown today. She loves the fashion world and devotes her time and complete attention to that dream.At 24, she is still by far a young woman, but the experience she has for fashion is unprecedented. She is married to her High School Sweetheart, which shows strong commitment to what she loves and she has 2 children, whom she attributes her mo-tivation for what she does. She is a woman with a caring heart and soul as well. Ashley donates dresses for young girls that want to attend their proms but simply cannot afford it. She holds back to school drives for Senior Girls that also cannot afford new clothes. She is a respected member of our commu-nity and believes in Paying it Forward. I asked Ashley some questions to get an insight on what she thinks and this is what she responded:1.What lead you to do what you are doing now? What inspired you to do that?My initial goal was to start a blog that show-cased local bou-tiques. I really put myself out there going store to store asking if I could take some photos and write about them. I only had 20 Instagram followers at the time so I did get a lot of “Not right now thanks” (9 stores in a row to be exact.) But no start is easy, nor will it be handed to you. In a matter of weeks,I was blogging for the most popular boutiques in the Rgv.My inspiration came from my younger self but my bravery came from my son and daughter. I need to accomplish my dreams so it can push them to believe in theirs.2.Who is the person you get your passion from? An idol or mentor in your industry?I am lucky enough to say I have met an amazing mentor. Her name is Belen San Miguel former boutique owner of Kenya Rose. She gives me a lot of positive words when I desperate-ly needed them. She invested in my fashion shows, she’s very honest about the industry. She’s a very important asset to my career in fashion.3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How do you plan on getting there?I recently started designing and I feel really good about my sketches. In 5 years I hope to create pieces that are desired by women everywhere. It is a huge high for me to make women feel beautiful.

4. If you could do one thing to change your industry what would that one thing be?I wish I could change the fact that things are looked at as a competition, when in reality if we put our talents together we could accomplish so much more. Bigger pictures need to start being seen.5. What influenced you in choosing the career path you chose?Fashion has always nagged at me. I went to school for jour-nalism and somehow I ended up in an ‘intro to fashion mer-chandise class. I was supposed to start a mommy blog and it somehow turned into a fashion blog. My dream as a kid was not willing to release me, and I thank God everyday for that.Watch out for Ashley Vasquez in the future. She will have her own line of clothing someday. I believe that because of her passion for fashion she will accomplish all that she wants. Her dream will soon be a reality. Maybe one day she will do a Men’s Clothing Line as well. Don’t forget to follow her Blog on Insta-gram. She will give you the right advice about Fashion in the Rgv.

Ashley Vasquez

Exercises You Can Do At (Or Near) Your DeskPutting in a full day at the office can make it hard to find the time to exercise. But most of us have a bit of a lag between tasks as we sit in front of our computers, and we can take advantage of a few min-utes here and a few minutes there to get some physical activity in. You won’t get an extensive workout this way, but you can get enough exercise that missing a day or two of a more strenuous activity won’t make a difference. You can also avoid some of the ills that come from sitting at a desk for too long: sore wrists, stiffness, even repetitive motion injuries.No one wants to do a mile run or any-thing else that will get their work clothes sweaty, but these simple exercises can keep your clothes neat and still get your heart rate up.

Feet and Legs1. Toe raises. Lift your toes while keep-ing your heels firmly on the ground. While you can do this exercise standing, it works very well while seated.2. Football foot drill. At practice, foot-ball players practice rapidly tapping their feet in place, simulating a run. Do the same thing while seated, for 30 seconds at

a go.3. Take the stairs. If you need a harder workout, try taking them two at a time — you’ll get a chance to stretch your legs more than you would otherwise.4. Lunge. While walking, take the wid-est step you can and lunge forward.5. Hip flexions. While sitting in your chair, lift your right foot a few inches off of the floor. Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle and hold the position as long as you are comfortable.6. Walk the hallway. Walk down the hallway as fast as you can without actually running.7. Leg extensions. While sitting in your chair, extend your right leg until it is lev-el with your hip. Hold as long as you are comfortable and then relax it. Alternate sides.

Hands and Arms8. Shadow box. Stand up and take a couple of jabs at the air.9. Arm pump. Pump both of your arms over your head for 30 seconds.10. Shoulder raises. Raise your shoulder to your ear, hold and then relax. Repeat, alternating shoulders.

11. Wrist stretch. Stretch your arm out in front of you with the palm up. With your other hand, grab your fingers and lightly pull them down to stretch your forearm.12. Hand stretches. Tense and relax the muscles in your hands. Make fists, spread your fingers and bend your fingers.13. Flapping wings. Stretch both of your arms up and back, as far as you can. Bring them forward until they meet and stretch your arms out in front of you. Repeat.14. Water bottle weights. Use a full water bottle as weight to increase the difficulty of your work out. You can do front raises, overhead presses and bicep curls with a water bottle.

Torso15. Back twist. Sit up straight in your chair and place your right arm behind your right hip. Twist to the right and hold. Alternate sides.16. Wall sits. Rest your back against a wall and move your feet away from the wall. The wall should be supporting the weight of your back and your knees should be bent. Hold the position as long as possible.17. Gluteal Squeeze. Tense up the mus-cles of your rear end and hold for a count

of 10.18. Curls. Cross your arms over your chest and sit up straight. Tense your ab-dominal muscles and curl your shoulders towards your hips. Hold for a few seconds.19. Abdominal stretch. Sit on the edge of your chair and stretch your arms out in front of you. While keeping your back straight, contract your abdominal mus-cles. Relax and repeat.20. Neck rotations. Drop your chin and roll your neck. Raise your chin up and bend your neck to each side.

Full Body21. Low-impact jumping jacks. Raise your right arm and tap your left toe to the side at the same time. Keep your right foot on the floor. Alternate sides for a full min-ute.22. Pretend jump rope. Hop either on both feet at once or alternating feet.23. Pretend jump rope, version 2. Move your arms as if you are turning a jump rope while tapping one foot in front of you. Alternate feet.24. Chair squats. Lift your rear end off of your seat and hold for a few seconds.

askAmyDear unmarried,

You live in a modern society where your situation is all too common. Couples of today live together, have kids, and may-be get married. This is modern days but I sense that although you are modern, in this matter, you have an old romantic soul. The kind of soul that loves the idea of love or better yet to be IN love and that is a beautiful thing. 9 and a half years is too long to wait for a marriage pro-posal, in my opinion. I think you should talk to your boy-friend and express your feelings about how you are the type of person who yearns to be asked the big question. If he loves you he will do the right thing for you...If he stalls, maybe you should ask yourself:is he the one? I wish you all the good things life has to offer, I believe that we are given the desires of our hearts and you deserve just that. Love Amy

Page 7February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23 Community

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Page 8 February 2015 Volume 1 Issue 23Community