Author Archives: Contributor

Students Create Environmentally Sustainable Fashion Line

Model Hannah Grace Vaughan poses in “Newsflash” of the Modern Chaos series.

Local high school seniors recently began an environmental conversation by using their artistic creativity and passion for fashion design and photography to advocate for ecological sustainability within the world.  International Baccalaureate Programme at Lamar Academy students Gisselle Costa and Denisse Damken are the designers of a fashion line completely made out of recycled materials. The project raises awareness of environmental conservation.  “The name of our project, Modern Chaos, illustrates what…

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Pharr Dancer Going Pro

Erick Perales, UTRGV dance performance graduate from Pharr, at the Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg. (Photo Paul Chouy, UTRGV)

UTRGV Dance Program alumnus Erick Perales is off to the Big Apple to begin his professional dance career. The Pharr native was hired recently by Ballet Nepantla, a dance company known for fusing contemporary dance with Mexican folklórico to showcase its culture and history. Perales already was familiar with the company after having seen them perform and was in awe of their performance. Now, he gets to join them on stage in New…

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TSTC Father and Son Bond Over Welding

TSTC Welding Technology instructor Jose Salas and his son Jesse Salas, who is a student in the program. (photo TSTC)

Texas State Technical College Welding Technology instructor Jose Salas and Welding Technology student Jesse Salas have a father and son relationship that you could say is as strong as a good weld.  A skill passed down through generations, Jesse is now a student in TSTC’s Welding Technology program. It is a program his father has been an instructor in for 37 years. Coincidentally, both men began their journeys at TSTC at…

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#HurricaneStrong Rio Grande Valley

Remnant street flooding of two to three feet of water depth in south McAllen, early on June 22, 2018, after the last of the flooding rains fell. (Courtesy)

The Valley’s climate has often been jokingly referenced as consisting of two seasons: Hot and Hades. While average temperatures in the region are among the highest in the Lower 48, there is much more to the region’s climate than heat. The Valley’s proximity to the Tropics – just 160 miles south – leaves it prone to nature’s “heat engines,” hurricanes.  That same proximity to the gateway of prodigious atmospheric moisture…

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Architects Create Community

Maria Sustaeta, LRGV-AIA executive director, and Sergio Lainez, president, at the nonprofit organization’s office in Mercedes. (VBR)

Few professional organizations can claim they represent 95 percent of those in their field. But 95 percent of the licensed architects in this region are members of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects headquartered in Mercedes. Why such high membership numbers? “AIA is where the architecture and design communities come together to share knowledge, gain expertise, get connected and stay involved,” said Sergio Lainez,…

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Casa Los Ebanos hosts weddings 

“This is the perfect place for custom weddings,” agreed Taylor and Martha Blanton of Casa Los Ebanos, a grand, 82-acre estate located just outside San Benito. The property has served as the site for hundreds of such events, as well as other gatherings, over the past 15 years. “Here we let you pick your own caterer, band, everything, and fit it to your budget,” said Taylor. Developing a cost-friendly yet…

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Celebrating the season in style  

As VBR’s fashion columnist, I plan for this new column to spotlight not only clothes and style but the local business people who wear them. My favorite historical building in Harlingen, now known as “The Reese,” was built in 1925, and four years ago underwent a red carpet-worthy makeover.  Fashionista Jo Rae Wagner was the brilliant mind behind that masterpiece of repurposing.  Always stylish, Wagner became the first woman to…

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Providing better diets for pets 

Irazema Walters, co-owner of The Paw Pantry, a natural pet foods store in Harlingen, has learned that better nutrition can transform any dog’s or cat’s life, maybe even save it. That’s why she opened the pantry two years ago, after having operated a more traditional pet-store business, where she had slowly added healthier food products. “I love helping pets, helping to cure them,” she said, “so that their owners will…

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Women in Charge of the Garage

The sign in Andrea Garcia’s tow truck proudly reads “girl power,” a boast made true not only at her self-named wrecker service but also at her family’s garage, Double A. Women play a central role in both Harlingen businesses. “Without them,” says Tony Garcia Jr., who opened the garage in 1995, “I probably would have closed by now.” The women who run the shop today include Tony’s first wife Josie…

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Incubation Time 

Sergio Adame, founder of API Real Estate, wanted to create a little bit of buzz in the Harlingen business community. After realizing that some prospective businesses were having trouble starting up because of financial issues, he decided to offer office space in the Bank of America building that his firm owns. “I was thinking that if a start-up doesn’t have money, you give them a space for free or at…

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