Thursday, April 05, 2007
Monday, April 02, 2007
BND: In the Beginning
By Kevin Garcia
The Brownsville Herald
Union Pacific Engine 5047 received a roar of applause as it broke the ribbon at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, officially dedicating the new track running beneath Expressway 77/83 near Olmito.
The track is part of the Brownsville-Matamoros Railroad Relocation Demonstration Project. By June 15, trains running to and from the Port of Brownsville will use the new track to bypass the city. That means no more trains blocking traffic in front of the Cameron County Courthouse in downtown Brownsville.
Many officials, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz of Corpus Christi, U.S. Rep. Don Young of Alaska and Brownsville Mayor Blanca Vela, attended the event.
State Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, said the $50 million project – paid for by federal, state and local funds – represents a historic step that improves transportation in Brownsville.
“Moving the tracks from within the community out to the northern part of the community means there will be fewer vehicle accidents,” Lucio said.
Young, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said the port-sponsored project was included in the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1973, a bill that Congress passed, in part, to help fund relocation projects.
“In 1973, there were 10 (American cities) designated (for relocation) and this is the first one that has been finished,” Young said. “This is a gateway for both the north and the south, so this is very important in that respect.”
Perry said Brownsville would be an example for the rest of the nation.
“It (Brownsville) is the front door of America,” Perry said. “This is the kind of innovative transportation system that the citizens of this area have been waiting for.”
The dedication ceremony was hosted by Raul A. Besteiro Jr., a driving force behind the relocation project. In honor of his service to the port and the city, the Brownsville Navigation District christened the new rail line the Raul A. Besteiro Jr. North Railroad Loop, and Vela proclaimed the day Raul A. Besteiro Day.
Union Pacific representative Joseph Adams said such praise for Besteiro is deserved, given the huge difference the new track will make to the city.
“It will mean good service to the port and not having to go through downtown,” Adams said.
Before the 1990s, trains passing through Brownsville had to cross 87 roads, blocking traffic and often slowing to 10 mph to reduce the chance of accidents. With the completion of the rail relocation, trains will now cross just eight roads.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
CCREDC Players but who calls the plays?
Jim Barnette: nominated by membership. Immediate past chairman. Partner in Fulton/Coastcon Construction.
Irma Caballero: director of the city's economic development department.
Mike Carrell: nominated by Port Authority. President of Frost Bank.
Joe Elizondo: treasurer of the EDC. Nominated by city. President of the Greenwood Door Company.
David Engel: nominated by membership. President of Engel Investments.
Henry Garrett: mayor of Corpus Christi.
Gene Guernsey: nominated by city. President/CEO GGR Inc.
Judy Hawley: secretary of the EDC. Nominated by Port Authority. Texas business development manager, Advanced Acoustic Concepts.
Al Jones: former member of the board. President of American Bank.
Tony LaMantia: nominated by membership. President L & F Distributors.
John LaRue: Executive director of Port Authority.
Ed Martin: nominated by the city. Now serves as chairman. President of Berry Contractors/Bay Ltd.
Colleen McHugh: nominated by membership. Attorney. Former partner in Bracewell and Giuliani.
Roland Mower: CEO/President. Former president of the Bryan-College Station Economic Development Corp.
Charles Patton: nominated by membership. President and COO AEP Texas.
Dennis Payne: nominated by membership. Vice president of Valero Refining.
Gloria Perez: nominated by city. President Asiel Enterprises. Former member of the Corpus Christi Business and Job Creation board, a city authority.
Paul Trevino: nominated by membership to replace Jones. COO Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Nueces County Watchdog Authority: Nueces County Constitutional Court Judge holds "State of the County Address" without the Nueces County Public?
Nueces County Watchdog Authority: Why did our Nueces County Constitutional Court Judge Lloyd Neal hold a "State of the County Address" without inviting the Nueces County Public?
It is the same "dont care what the people want they are going to do it anyway regardless of the public's opinion" .
The same "It's about time" Cavalier Attitude of our All American City Counsel and the Beach Thieves
It is the same "dont care what the people want they are going to do it anyway regardless of the public's opinion" .
The same "It's about time" Cavalier Attitude of our All American City Counsel and the Beach Thieves
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August 2, 2007
kingalonzoalvarezdepineda13 - you are a total hipocrit! You judge others so harshly while doing the very thing you claim you hate. Every morning your SPAM emails jam my computer up at work and I can't get my work done for about 5 - 10 minutes until your crap finishes downloading (kinda like you did with this opinion section). When asked to stop emailing the DMC campus you don't even reply or stop. You think you are so justified in raising a stink- but when others don't want to hear your opinion you cram it in their face anyway. YWith your approach - even if what you are saying is true- no one wants to hear it because it's SO obnoxiously done. You need to get the log out of your own eye.