Post by Uvalde Hesperian Contributor: J. Anson Bills

Picture credit Rene Aguilar

10-24-24

  Jennifer Gilleland got 2 Republican Precinct Chairs to help the citizens of Castro Street. Anson Bills and Joe Suarez assisted Jennifer Gilleland in getting the city to act on a 40-year-old concern that was only getting worse. A problem that was created when the city added on to a water in sewage line that was put in by the residents of Castro Street. On October 22nd Bills and Suarez went before City Council Bills laid out the facts and History of Castro Street.

Suarez asked the city questions about funds that were supposed to have been allocated for the roads. Then Rene Aguilar the property owner of 835 Castro Street told the city what had been going on in the past 2 years after his first initial complaint in April of 2022.

On October 24th the city finally began marking out what they are planning to do in order to correct this situation. Both Bills and Suarez would like to thank Jennifer Gilleland for all her hard work. This could not have been possible without her help.

J. Anson Bills can be contacted at 701-570-6760 (call or text)

10-15-24

Top picture (Left to Right) Jennifer Gilliland, Arnulfo “Arnie” Reyes, Everardo “Lalo” Zamora, Hector R. Luevano, Amy Franco and James “Jimmy” Alvarado.

The LULAC de Uvalde Council #22553 hosted a Uvalde Mayoral Candidate Meet and Greet event on Sunday, October 13th from 11:30AM to 1PM providing local LULAC council members and the public and opportunity to meet the three candidates vying for the vacant Mayoral seat on the Uvalde City Council at the Tuesday, November 5th general election.  Jennifer Gilliland, Hector R. Luevano and Everardo “Lalo” Zamora were at the event and spoke to an audience of a few dozen people and fielded questions. 

The Uvalde Hesperian arrived at the meeting about 12:30PM on that Sunday and at that time it appeared the candidates were answering questions from the audience members. The Uvalde Hesperian invited all candidates to submit a statement on what their respective messages were at the meeting and/or about their candidacies.

At the event, candidate Zamora told the audience he was open to trying new ideas and new approaches to address the needs and opportunities of the City.

 Zamara answered a question on why the  City of Uvalde’s Cemetery Board has not met in over a year.

He said there are two open positions on the board allotted for Robb Victims family members but no one has gotten back to the city with nominations for the position.

 The following statements were sent to the Uvalde Hesperian from two respective candidates. All candidates were provided an opportunity to submit statements.

 Jennifer Gilliland  

  Hi, I’m Jennifer Gilleland and I am a prominent member of the Uvalde community either by name, reputation, or simply known as the woman who rolls the streets of Uvalde daily in a power wheelchair. I treat my wheelchair as my feet / vehicle, it is essential to my independence. I have never considered myself an inspiration to others, I have just done what I was taught to do, which was work twice as hard as everyone else to accomplish my goals. My cerebral palsy has given me my share of struggles and heartaches, but this disability is a part of me. Through the years, it has taught me the power of resiliency, determination, patience, and laughter. Sure, I’ve been tried and tested, rejected more than I can count, fallen flat on my face both literally and figuratively, yet I keep getting back up hoping for change. Each one of us is battling something, mine just happens to be audible and visible. Despite my disability I have achieved a long list of accomplishments. I graduated from Uvalde High School in 1997 and from Southwest Texas Junior College in 2001. In May 2006, I earned my Master of Education in counseling with licensed professional counselor eligibility from Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. I organized the Ray of Hope Disabilities Support Group in 2010.

   I have always loved Uvalde, but lately I am so frustrated, disappointed, and embarrassed by the lack of leadership shown and acted upon in this city, and county. I continue to give the leaders of Uvalde the benefit of the doubt that they will act and the only action I see is inaction. We all must be responsible and accountable for our actions. If I am going to complain about these broken entities, then I should be willing to roll for Uvalde and run for mayor. Our current leaders seem to have forgotten that they work for the citizens of Uvalde. May 24, 2022, changed our community. It is broken and divided due to the lack of accountability and responsibility. The only way for our community to heal and unite is by making full scale changes. I do not follow, I lead. It’s time to stop accepting mediocrity and do better; we deserve better.  Let me be clear, I am not running for notoriety or to prove anything to anyone it’s been done. I will not be changing the way I interact with others because my disability is a part of me, I will prepare statements when necessary. I have listened to our community and communication still remains an issue therefore you all will be the first to experience the Voiceitt app in order to facilitate better communication. I’ve been asked repeatedly why I am running. The answer is simple, I want change for Uvalde and action for Uvaldeans. So, come roll with me, let’s make some history, shatter barriers, while doing better for Uvaldeans.

 The second question was concerning our ongoing need to improve our infrastructure more specifically the streets, sidewalks, lighting, and most definitely the cemetery.

What we are doing is not working repaving the streets is in essence a band aid. We need to use a more sustainable material like brick or concrete.  I know a lot about the conditions of the streets and sidewalks as I can tell you the locations of   potholes and sidewalks that abruptly end or have gaps in the middle of them. We cannot ignore the socioeconomic factors as the northeast side of town has better lighting and sidewalks. Accessibility is about more than compliance with standards. It’s about developing solutions to meet the needs of all users, with and without disabilities.

   There should be sidewalks throughout Uvalde and all streets need to be repaved. Uvalde has other resources which are continually untapped that would make getting around Uvalde easierMy plan for the cemetery includes working several non profits to immediately renovate the cemetery. I’m not sure why the council has not completed this task already since they have a trust that could be tapped into and a portion could be designated to the cemetery. However, the City does not have legal counsel, therefore no legal action can be taken.

 If you’re elected as mayor what will you do differently and will you host town halls.

Hector R. Luevano

   My name is Hector Luevano and I am your candidate for Mayor of Uvalde. As a lifelong resident of Uvalde, born and raised, my roots run deep in this community and my commitment to its future is unwavering. I believe in a shared vision of a brighter, safer and more prosperous community for everyone. I have over 40 years of experience in public service to our community. I have served on our local school board and appraisal district, I am currently serving as city councilman for District 2, and I am an honorably retired Texas State Trooper with DPS.

  I am committed to serving the great City of Uvalde, and I believe in the power of your voice— it’s the people who shape our community. With your help, we can create a better future for our city. I want to hear from you—what positive changes would you like to see if I became mayor? Visit hectorformayor.com to share your thoughts.

Join me in this journey toward a better Uvalde. Your voice matters, your vote matters!

Vote Hector Luevano for Mayor of Uvalde.

by Jennifer Gilliland |Uvalde Hesperian Contributor

10/09/24

Photos by J. Anson Bills

Jennifer Gilliland met with supporters at the Gathering Place at 751 South Getty Street between 10 AM and Noon today for a Meet, Greet and Eat event and Declaration Party to officially announce her candidacy for City of Uvalde Mayor.

Her campaign slogan is, “Rollin’ for What’s Right!”

At the meeting she gave the following speech:

“Hi, I’m Jennifer Gilleland and I am prominent member of the Uvalde community either by name, reputation, or simply known as the woman who rolls the streets of Uvalde daily in a power wheelchair.    I treat my wheelchair as my feet / vehicle, it is essential to my independence.

I have never considered myself an inspiration to others, I have just done what I was taught to do, which was work twice as hard as everyone else to accomplish my goals. My cerebral palsy has given me my share of struggles and heartaches, but this disability is a part of me. Through the years, it has taught me the power of resiliency, determination, patience, and laughter.

Sure, I’ve been tried and tested, rejected more than I can count, fallen flat on my face both literally and figuratively, yet I keep getting back up hoping for change. Each one of us is battling something, mine just happens to be audible and visible.

Despite my disability I have achieved a long list of accomplishments. I graduated from Uvalde High School in 1997 and from Southwest Texas Junior College in 2001. In May 2006, I earned my Master of Education in counseling with licensed professional counselor eligibility from Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. I organized the Ray of Hope Disabilities Support Group in 2010.

I have always loved Uvalde, but lately I am so frustrated, disappointed, and embarrassed by the lack of leadership shown and acted upon in this city, and county. I continue to give the leaders of Uvalde the benefit of the doubt that they will act and the only action I see is inaction.

We all must be responsible and accountable for our actions. If I am going to complain about these broken entities, then I should be willing to roll for what’s right and announce my candidacy for mayor. Our current leaders seem to have forgotten that they work for the citizens of Uvalde. May 24, 2022, changed our community. It is broken and divided due to the lack of accountability and responsibility.

The only way for our community to heal and unite is by making full scale changes. I do not follow, I lead. It’s time to stop accepting mediocrity and do better; we deserve better. Let me be clear, I am not running for notoriety or to prove anything to anyone it’s been done. I will not be changing the way I interact with others because my disability is a part of me, but I will prepare statements when necessary. I’ve been asked repeatedly why am I running. The answer is simple, I want change for Uvalde and action for Uvaldeans. So, come roll with me as we begin this journey together.”

Submitted by Jennifer Gilliland

Mayor and Council:

I have missed only a handful of meetings over the past 2 years. I have heard a lot of bull shit in my life, but Thursday takes the cake, not only are we expected to smile but swallow it too.

The independent investigator the city hired for a million dollars is the equivalent of booking a high-priced hooker who whispers sweet nothings to you all. I thought the goal of the investigation was to identify and acknowledge the mistakes made on May 24, 2022, so we all can do better. Instead, we hear that all policies were followed and all UPD officers are cleared of any wrongdoing, then Mr. Prado has audacity to blame crowd control really!

I have always loved Uvalde, but lately I am so frustrated, disappointed, and embarrassed by the lack of leadership shown and acted upon in this city and county.

I continue to give each of you the benefit of the doubt that you will act and the only action I see is you protecting yourselves.

We all know right from wrong and should have the integrity to do the right thing no matter what. These parents should not have to attend every meeting and beat a dead horse for action that should have been taken immediately following the shooting. Has it occurred to anyone to acknowledge the failures and apologize for them as well? It will not bring anyone back, but it may help. Apparently, I am not the only one with brain damage around here!

Thanks for your time.

Submitted by Jennifer Gilliland

Last week, the Uvalde Police Department’s Chief Daniel Rodriguez honored  Zenaida “Sandy” Cyprian at the regular city council meeting who died on November 1st. Her daughters Joshlyn, Elvira, Sandra, and Delinda proudly accepted a plaque of appreciation along with a shadowbox containing patches and an ID card.

Sandy began working as Vance Chisum’s secretary in 1978.Mr.Chisum  persuaded her to pursue a career in law enforcement and in 1982 and earned her peace  officer license and became the first Latina officer in Uvalde. Sandy went on seve the city of Uvalde  for 27 years

21 individual roses were placed in front of the Commissioners Court Monday and the names read of the angels lost on May 24,2022; Nevaeh, Jackie, Jose, Ellie, Irma, Uziyah, Amarie, Xavier, Jayce, Tess, Maranda, Eva, Alithea, Annabell, Lexi, Maite, Layla, MaKenna, Jailah, Elihanna, and Rojelio. The County Clerk received training and funding to migrate to online services meaning that citizens could retrieve vital documents online in the future. Again, Commissioner Pargas was absent, but remains on the payroll which  is a slap in the face to the 21 families and the survivors of May 24th. Javier Cazares and Belinda Arreola confronted the commissioners on this issue.

   Tuesday morning, I was filled with excitement and anticipation of the days events to come since I accepted an invitation to Austin to advocate for change and support speakers from Uvalde as well as reporting for the Hesperian. It’s 5:45 AM when I drive up to the bus only to discover that the bus was not wheelchair accessible therefore, I was unable to go. This was not surprising to me in fact it is rather typical. I received several apologies but the apologies while appreciated did nothing to help my frustrations, it’s 2023 and I’m still dealing with accessibility issues.

    How many times do Uvaldeans  go to Concan, Leakey, or San Antonio to eat or just for a change of scenery? Do you just hop in the car and go? I consider myself a very independent woman, but my disability dictates that spontaneity and travel will never happen. I’ve been blessed to travel many different places and scratch off a few things off my bucket list including skydiving and a NASCAR ride along to name a few. I have many more items to check off my bucket list, and every time I travel I must consider my wheelchair. It is a part of me, and the proper accommodations are required to and from the airport, airport to hotel which most hotel shuttles are not wheelchair accessible, and I’ve had no luck with Uber Lyft no matter what city I’m in. My point is it takes a lot of work to travel,  but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just wanted to shine a light on these never-ending accessibility issues.

    Now, I do have exclusive footage of a powerful speech given by Arnulfo Reyes, the surviving Robb Elementary teacher in room 111, follow the link

I was very excited about the reopening last week of Broadway 830, since I’ve enjoyed many nights when they originally opened. There were several renovations made including the inside and outside of the restaurant, new menu items, and cocktails. Hopefully, they will continue to have trivia night, karaoke, and live music on a weekly basis. I requested an interview regarding the renovations and reopening on three occasions but have continued to get the runaround.

Report on the Monday, January 9th, 2023 Uvalde County Commissioners Court Meeting by Jennifer Gilliland