Rio Hondo AFJROTC Flights May Resume

by Jerry Deal

Col, Clifford Moriarty USAF Ret. was scheduled to meet with a Gulf Aviation official to make plans to resume the flight training for Rio Hondo High School Air Force JROTC students.
In communications, Ludovic Prevost of Gulf Aviation said he did not see any problem in conducting the same training previously provided for the students.

Moriarty, in charge of the school's JROTC program, responded that he has 20 flight cadets ready to resume their incentive flights.

The program was initiated in May 2011. JROTC students at that time were the first ones involved in the school's Flight Orientation Program and Flight Incentive Memorandum Agreement with Gulf Aviation of Harlingen.

Under the program, the cadets fly, but do not perform aerobatic maneuvers, engage in formation flying, spins or practice emergency procedures.

The students are to handle the aircraft flight controls except during the critical phases of the flights (takeoffs, landings or actual in-flight emergencies).

The instructor pilots are from the Civil Air Patrol.

Could Cameron County Be The Next Cape Canaveral?

 

by Jessica Scripter

During the Los Fresnos City Council meeting, Gilberto Salinas, the executive vice president of the Brownsville Economic Development Council, presented the possibility of the private company SpaceX, building a vertical launch facility in Cameron County near Boca Chica. This Texas aerospace project could rival Cape Canaveral.

Gilberto stated that Boca Chica is the only viable site with its location optimally positioned to use the Earth's rotation for an extra launch boost.

The economical impact of this development to our area is more than impressive. There would be $80 million in capital investment, it could create 600 direct new jobs, around 400 indirect induced jobs and estimated 7000-10,000 visitors to the area per launch on a monthly basis with a planned 12 commercial launches per year. In 2010 SpaceX became the first private organization to successfully launch and retrieve a spacecraft.

Former entrepreneur of PayPal, Tesla Motors and Solar City, Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. The space transport company is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It has developed the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9, both built with the idea of being reusable launch vehicles. They run on kerosene and liquid oxygen as opposed to the space shuttle's liquid hydrogen fuel and burn much cleaner in the environment.

Now SpaceX has secured $3 billion in launch contracts and needs launch capacity. If the decision is made to build the launch site locally it could bring Cameron County an opportunity for a new curriculum. With Internships for children, college and university partnerships, possible space centers and museums, and increased traffic for local retail and restaurants businesses, the sky is the limit.
For more information on this project please visit BEDC.com

 

Congratulations
4-H'ers

by Linda Sandoval
Several 4H'ers from Cameron County competed in the Multi-District Livestock Judging Competition in Fredericksburg on April 28th. Cameron County District 12 judging teams came home with Junior team 2 placing 1st place and Junior team 1 placing 2nd place. Intermediate team 1 placing 2nd place. Cameron County also had 2 Junior High Point individuals.
Congratulations to everyone.

Water Plant Meeting Set with Federal Officials

 

by Jerry Deal

Rio Hondo city commissioners are scheduled to meet with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials on Wednesday (May 16) -- four days after the city election -- concerning the city water plant situation and whether to build a new plant or repair the existing one.

The city was issued a $1.3 million grant and a $2.8 million loan from the USDA in 2007 to build a new plant. It has been noted that if the city does not use that funding within five years it must be returned.

Roel Gomez, USDA interim director, said the meeting is to determine what action the city officials plan to take.

City Commissioner Gerald Hartzog is among the commissioners who want to renovate the existing plant, noting a 40-year note at 4.5 percent would double the cost of the plant.
Commissioner Rick Tello, meanwhile, favors constructing a new plant.