Edinburg declares July 13 National Summer Learning Day

During Tuesday night’s meeting, the Edinburg City Council proclaimed July 13 as National Summer Learning Day to recognize educational programs used by students during their vacation.

Sabrina Walker-Hernandez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV, spoke about the importance of keeping young minds active and learning over the summer.

“Kids work hard to learn important skills like math and reading during the school year, but each summer, they can lose up to two months of those hard-earned skills,” Walker-Hernandez said. “Summer learning loss can put kids at risk of not graduating from high school and can jeopardize their future. The National Summer Learning Association and the Boys & Girls Club want to shape smarter summers, brighter futures for our young people, and we’re very fortunate that the City of Edinburg supports that mission.”

In other city business, Ponciano Longoria, the city’s Public Works director and director of engineering, provided an update regarding the construction of the Bert Ogden Arena Project.

Estimated seating in the arena is 8,500 with additional seating to be available on the floor. The construction of the building is 25 percent complete, with a projected completion date of December, according to Longoria.

The city has spent about $35 million, so far, on total construction cost, City Manager Richard Hinojosa said. The total budget for the project is $88 million, with the city’s total cost coming to about $43 million.

Also in the meeting, three Edinburg Little League baseball teams were recognized for their achievements as league champions in their respective divisions.

-Pirates won the 7- to 8-years-old division.

-Giants won the 9- to 10-years-old division.

-Rangers won the 11- to 12-years-old division.

–Reporters Sergio Garcia, P.J. Hernandez and Lesley Robles contributed to this report.