Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

Wednesday, September 18th, 2024

Top Picture shared by Rotary Club of Uvalde Member Mayra Vasquez  

On Saturday, September 7th, the Rotary Club of Uvalde sponsored its 20th Rotary River Rendezvous Jr. Varsity/Freshman Volleyball Tournament which drew teams from around the area to compete. 

 The tournament  serves as an annual fundraising event for the Uvalde High School Girls’ Volleyball team. This year, the Rotary Club of Uvalde gave $1000 to the school athletic organization in addition to the admission money raised from spectators at the event.  The Club also hosted a hospitality room with food/beverages and snacks for coaches, referees and volunteers during the tournament. 

The monies raised from the tournament help the Uvalde High School Girls Volleyball teams with travel expenses to away games and related costs. 

According to Kevin Ermis, former Rotary Club of Uvalde President, and Club Secretary, the tournament began in 2002 and was the idea of the late Rotarian Stephen Kerbow who was also an avid fan and supporter of Uvalde High School Girls Volleyball. According to Ermis, the tournament was held annually but skipped 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Top Photo: Uvalde CISD Trustee Jacklyn Gonzales speaks to the Uvalde Rotary Club

   Uvalde ISD’s two newly elected board members Jacklyn Gonzales and Jesse Rizo spoke at this week’s Thursday noon Rotary Club of Uvalde meeting  at the Uvalde Country Club where they talked about their experiences as new trustees and also spoke about their respective visions for the district and the challenges the district and the community faces. Superintendent Ashley Chohlis also attended the Rotary Club of Uvalde meeting. 

  Gonzales said that before the election, she was out at the Ssgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center parking lot near where early voting was occuring where she met and spoke with many people including parents, teachers and other citizens and she was moved by the many stories and comments she heard. She also said as a new board member she has a lot to learn and from the start, she has been asking a lot of questions. 

  Rizo spoke and said before being elected, he spoke to the school board members as a citizen many times. Now that he is on the board he sits with several members on the board who were school classmates.   Both Gonzales and Rizo spoke about the desire to foster more transparency within the district. Rizo stated that two years after the May 24th tragedy, it is an opportunity for rebuilding. 

  After the two took turns speaking, Superintendent Chohlis spoke stating attendance is a big challenge the district is going to have to address. She stated that if students are not in their classroom seats, the school does not get the money it needs. Chohlis went on to say that of all the meetings she has had with people upset with the district, all ended on a positive note. 

  In responding to a question about parents sending their children to attend school at other districts, Cholis said the challenge is not only to learn why these students are not going to Uvalde CISD school but also to .provide opportunities for existing Uvalde CISD students to excel and to get the word out on the great things that are happening with the district.

 One attendee at the meeting said that she strongly considered taking her kids out of Uvalde CISD schools and enrolling them with Knippa ISD, but once she sat down face to face with Chohlis to express her concerns, she decided to keep her kids at Uvalde CISD. 

 Chohlis continued by saying she and the district officials want to create more opportunities for parents and the community to communicate directly with them. It seemed like they all agreed that listening to parents and the community is important.

by Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian: All photos from the Rotary Club of Uvalde Facebook page. Used by permission.

Top Photo: Students talk to Dr. Erica Garcia at the Rotary Club of Uvalde’s professional “Meet and Greet” event.

 Two local physicians, three visiting U.S. Army National Guard soldiers, two accounting professionals, and a fish biologist who works at the National Fish Hatchery near Uvalde were just a few of the roughly two dozen business professionals which attended the Rotary Club of Uvalde’s first professional “Meet and Greet” to give Uvalde High School students an opportunity to meet a variety of professionals employed in different fields. The event was held at Tuesday evening at 5 PM at the Uvalde High School Cafeteria,

  Rotary Club of Uvalde President Debbie McDonald kicked off the event with a powerpoint program about what the international service organization Rotary International and Rotary Clubs are all about and how they help local communities and the world. 

  Uvalde Rotary Club member and past club president Mayra Vasquez said,  “January is our district’s vocational services month. As service chair I wanted to make sure it was a project that had an impact with the youth. As Rotarians we are important professionals in our field as we not only work hard but also take time to give back.

  As Samatha Silva has joined Rotary ( an essential UCISD staff member) I collaborated with her about a professional meet and greet. An event not so formal so the students could feel comfortable talking to professionals without being handed a bunch of papers.

We also wanted to plant the seed for Interact and the Rotary foreign exchange programs. One small conversation from a mentor can impact someone’s life.”

  The Rotary Club of Uvalde, a service club composed of a diverse group of volunteer minded business men and women and citizens in the community has recently embarked on a new service project: building a splash pad for families and children of Uvalde. 

  On Thursday, June 27th, the Rotary Club of Uvalde swore in Deborah “Debbie” McDonald as its incoming president for 2023 – 2024 at a special banquet held at the Uvalde Country Club. 

 According to McDonald, cost estimated for the proposed splashpad range from $250K to $550K. “The location has not been fully identified. The City must approve the location first, which will be at a park with utility infrastructure and restroom facilities,” McDonald said. 

 “The splash bucket, a large bucket that spills over when it gets full, is a very popular water toy that the children like. The anticipation of when the “spill” happens brings fun and excitement. Other toys and features spray nozzles, water guns, and a mushroom that rains from its edges are also being considered,” she said.

  Once the splash pad is completed, the feature will be free for families and children to use and enjoy, 

  “I think this is a much needed project in Uvalde and because of the current situation and interest in promoting safe, fun, wholesome activities for our you, I am designating this as Splashpad One, because I think there could be Splashpad, 2, 3 and 4,” McDonald said. 

  The Rotary Clubs of Del Rio and Fredricksberg have built their own respective slash pads for the communities they serve.

                                                              Previous Projects

The Rotary Club of Uvalde built the Rotary Club Amphitheatre, as well as the arched entrance sign leading into Uvalde Memorial Park. 

                         Bingo Fundraiser will start fundraising for the Splash Pad Project.

  On Saturday, July 8th, the Rotary Club of Uvalde will be hosting its first official fundraiser for the splash pad project at the Ssgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center.

   Bingo will start at 7 PM with the doors to open at 5:30 PM. Pre-sale tickets for the Bingo can be purchased at Galo Eye Center, Uvalde Chamber Office and Hillcrest Funeral Home.

Pre-sale tickets are $30 and $40 at the door, which include a package of 10 games. Only 550 tickets will be sold. 

Up to $3000 in cash prizes will be awarded.

At the Rotary Club of Uvalde meeting last Thursday, February 2nd, Uvalde Memorial Hospital CEO Adam Apolinar announced to Rotary Club members the hospital plans on bringing back the Women’s Health Expo later this year in the fall.

The last Women’s Health Expo was held on Tuesday, October 8th, 2019 at the Ssgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center from 5:00pm – 8:00pm.

According to information from the  UMH website, the keynote speaker for the 2019 event was Kelley Kitley sponsored by First State Bank of Uvalde. Kitley is a well known licensed clinical social worker and author.

Additionally, the 2019 event featured a variety of vendors ranging from health, nutrition and fitness, to fashion, beauty and jewelry according the the UMH Website

Kaboom! invites community to help design new playground at Esperanza Park

“A new playground is coming to Esperanza Park and we’re looking for designers,” are the words on a Kaboom! flier announcing a design meetup at El Progreso Memorial Library on Wednesday, February 8th at 11:30 AM. Children and adults are invited to participate and submit designs both at the February 8th meetup and virtually through a Vision Study through the Kaboom! Esperanza Vision website “KABOOM!, the City of Uvalde, and The CarMax Foundation are building a new playground at Esperanza Park this April! We want you to be a part of designing this playground! Come share your ideas at a Design Event following Story Hour at El Progreso Memorial Library on February 8 at 11:30AM. You can also share your ideas at https://tinyurl.com/EsperanzaVision ,” an official statement released by Kaboom! reads.
The playground design survey will close at 12:01 AM on February 9 according to Kaboom! Once the designs are finalized Kaboom! will share the community’s ideas with the manufacturer.
Bicki Rudman has been named as Kaboom! Project Director for the Esperanza Park Project.

The CarMax Foundation is funding the project, and volunteers from the foundation will be joining the community on the April 20 Build Day. And the Rotary Club of Uvalde has generously agreed to provide additional partnership on the ground to help support the project.

120th Birthday Celebration of  El Progreso Memorial Library’s Founding A very special birthday cake will be offered at the noon meeting of El Progreso Club following the program of the fascinating Kincaid Rock Shelters in Sabinal. The Kincaid Stone Pavement is the oldest known structural feature in North America. This meeting is FREE and open to the public.

Art and Smart in El Progreso Meeting Room on Saturday February 11th from 10 AM to Noon with Children’s Bereavement Center featuring creative Themed Valentine’s art projects, treats and fun.

CASHFLOW with Namen Garg-
Wednesday, February 15th Noon to 1 PM.
Bring your lunch to El Progreso Meeting Room

Mark Fuller, Face Painter an Balloon Artist at 10:30 AM, Thursday, February 16th

Non Stoop Laughs from Beginning to end. Will have fascinating and balloons after the show as long as supplies last.

  Kaboom! will once again be coming back to Uvalde in April of 2022 with a new playground project in mind, this time at Esperanza Park located on Grove Street in Uvalde, Texas according to Kaboom! organizer Jennifer Diamond who spoke to the Rotary Club of Uvalde Thursday, January 5th, at noon via Zoom at the Club’s regularly scheduled meeting.

The build dates for the project are Tuesday, April 18th through Thursday, April 20th, 2022.

“We will be working with the community and the City and many of the residents to build a new playground,”  Diamond said. She went on to say she is expecting to have some volunteers for the funding program.

After Diamond’s presentation. The Rotary Club of Uvalde voted to partner with Kaboom! to help coordinate the effort and to recruit volunteers and prepare the logistics.

Diamond said the park project they are planning will be smaller than the DeLeon Park Playground which was constructed in October 2022. “It will be smaller as the park itself is smaller. It will be closer to 2500 square feet,” Diamond said

The big build day is slated for Thursday, April 20th and they are looking for 50 to 100 volunteers on that day according to Diamond.

  Deputy Executive Director of the Nueces River Authority Julie Lewey spoke at  the Thursday November 10th Rotary Club of Uvalde meeting held at the Uvalde Country Club.

  As part of her presentation Rotary Member Julie Thomas and Rotary President Mayra Vasquez were given bottles of blue dye and spray bottles filled with water. In the demonstration, several drops of the colored dye were placed on streams, creeks and tributaries of the Nueces and Frio Rivers. The dye represents oil, contaminants, sewage from overflow  and other pollutants that are spilled onto the ground.

  Next, Thomas and Vasquez sprayed water onto the map simulating rainfall on the areas of the map over general areas where the dye was placed. Once the water accumulated from the spray, the dye could be seen flowing into the rivers.

  “The Nueces Basin encompasses a 12th of the state; it’s significant and large. It  runs from Edwards County up in Rocks Springs all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Anything that happens in the headwaters or anywhere in the basin is reflected in the quality of water on the coast,” said Lewey.

  “Everything we’re doing up here in Uvalde County; everything that is happening up above us is impacting our neighbors to the south and that’s one of the key things that we bring this into the schools to kids about. What they’re doing in their section of the basin is impacting their neighbors and why it’s so important we work together to conserve shared resources, which is the Nueces Basin,” Lewey said.

 “We take this basin model into the 5th and 7th grades classes in many of the counties. We don’t have all of them,” she said. 

   She went on to say that the Nueces River Authority is working on a grant so that schools within Uvalde County might be included. 

 Jason Opalinski served in the U.S. Army in the early 2000’s and was deployed for over a year in Iraq, During his tour of duty, his experiences in an active war zone where surprise attacks by the enemy and the real danger of improvised explosive devices or IEDs hidden along roadways many which destroyed vehicles and also killed or injured soldiers her served left him with a hidden injury of the mind: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

 Opalinski now spends each Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve sedated in his bedroom at home wearing headphones that block out the noise of fireworks outside going off. It’s a routine that he uses to cope with his PTSD

   In the weeks following the May 24th Robb School shooting while visiting Uvalde for work, he visited the Robb School Memorial.

  “My goal is to not only get the proper final chapter to the ones we lost but also give hope to the survivors.  Unfortunately for the survivors, this is their brand new first chapter. The creation of this children’s book that I would like to put together is to depict what our lost victims would have been; what they wanted to be and give the families these happy endings that are deserved and not the nightmare of what is.”

 “Not only chapters of the ones that we lost but also the survivors, to hopefully turn their fear into hope. Taking their fears and turning them into strengths by collaborating with the children and their families to create an amazing story not only to help identify their fear but to turn it into something better.”

 Opalinski went on to talk about PTSD and the need for education and awareness training.

 “Many people know what PTSD is, but they do not understand what PTSD is. There needs to be education and awareness of PTSD; not just know what those four letters represent.   Which leads to greater sensitivity and cultural competence in both academic and corporate settings as it pertains to recognizing, appreciating and responding to mental health symptoms.  So that way we can maintain the dignity of our students, our peers, our staff and whomever else we encounter that has these symptoms. So that way, when we are able to recognize these symptoms we’ll know how to address these symptoms; never diagnosing, only helping them to cope.”

” To make sure someone does not experience the same insensitivity as I did due to my PTSD in a personal and professional manner. That is done by showing the positive effects that PTSD mental health recognition and sensory training has for not only just for the employer, but  the employees, the students, the teacher and everyone involved, ” he said.

 “There is no other area such as Military City USA and its surrounding areas who have likely experienced trauma in bulk. This area is a hotbed for trauma,” he said.

Opalinski concluded with,  “But one thing is certain. We are going around in circles in the way we approach this topic. 20 years since Columbine, we are having the same conversations of why these same things happen and what we believe contributes to it. Therefore we put down and stigmatize the people that are already struggling. “

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