For years the Valley has prided itself on its bicultural food traditions: barbacoa and barbecue, pecan pie and flan. Ethnic foods remain the most durable link to our heritage and our families. Yet the Valley is becoming visibly multi-cultural as seen in the proliferation of ethnic markets catering to immigrants and visitors from Asia, India, Africa, the Middle East and South America. On McAllen’s 10th Street alone, you will find Japanese,…
When you notice a car with Cazares Driving School lettered on its side, you tend to give the student drivers plenty of leeway. But the students, who range in age from 15-72 years old, are learning driving skills from a corps of skilled instructors. Jose Luis Cazares had retired from careers as an Army master sergeant and a teacher before he opened the Cazares Defensive Driving School in 2000. The next year, he asked his daughter Aida Martinez, a teacher, to…
Music, particularly live music, has the power to reach us no matter our age. A great evening out or a memorable party can be enhanced by live music. It might be a black-clad classical guitar virtuoso playing “Malaguena,” a duo singing ballads for a supper crowd, or a rock band moving feet that bopped to the same music 50 years ago. Prized for soothing the savage beast, live music can also tempt others to rock the night away or come a…
The 500,000 backyard citrus trees in the Rio Grande Valley represent the biggest problem facing the Rio Grande Valley’s citrus industry as it tackles the devastating disease known as citrus greening. The annual farm-gate value of the Valley’s citrus crop is $72 million. Associated businesses — packers, shippers, implement and crop care suppliers — bring the industry’s overall economic contribution to the region to $134 million “If we go by Florida’s experience since 2004, 100% of their citrus has been infected” with citrus greening, said…
“It’s astonishing how many places use hydrogen,” said Sergio Martinez, president/CEO of Pan American Hydrogen, Inc. The engineer said his company designs, builds and installs hydrogen generating plants worldwide for the petrochemical, automotive, stainless steel, electronics and plastics industries. They have installed plants in Asia, Europe, and North and South America. Hydrogen typically functions as a component or raw material in these industries or as a tool or utility in their processes. After 15 years at the Port of Brownsville, Pan American relocated to the Harlingen Industrial Park last year. “Three or four years ago,…
The largest naval vessel ever scheduled for dismantling in the U.S. arrived at the Port of Brownsville in February. The ex-USS Forrestal, the Navy’s first super aircraft carrier at 1,067 feet in length and 60,000 tons, was towed from Philadelphia to the All Star Metals dock on the Brownsville Ship Channel. Nik Shah, president of All Star Metals, said the 18-month process of dismantling and recycling the towering flat top is another stage in the continuing growth of the business he…
The sub-tropical RGV looks lushly green most of the year, but a new definition of green is becoming part of the landscape of palms and poincianas. The contemporary greening of the Valley encompasses environmentally sensitive practices that are becoming visible in green buildings and green walls and in the spreading use of native plants and water-wise irrigation systems. Companies involved in green construction, water conservation and ecotourism are finding opportunities for…
Ignoring workplace conflict is a common tactic, yet the head-in-the-sand approach is a surefire way to have conflict escalate, according to Barbara Baggerly-Hinjosa, Ph.D., and CEO of Leadership Empowerment Group. Speaking at a Lunch and Learn session held at the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce, she pointed out that having to address conflict is a disturbing but unavoidable responsibility that comes with a leadership position. Handled well, conflict management can build synergy, develop more effective communications and lead to creative problem solving, explained Baggerly-Hinojosa. On the other hand, avoiding simmering conflicts can cause employee job stress, burnout and…
Back in the day, men could retreat to their library or study. Later, males found their havens in the basement or garage. Today, with men more vocal in their need for a space of their own, the testosterone-drenched sanctuary has become the celebrated room called the man cave, manland or manscape. At home, but at a remove from the domestic hub-bub and female-centric preferences in décor, man caves are perfect for indulging in favorite pastimes, such as watching sports and films, tying fishing flies, brewing or raising orchids. Retrofitted into older homes…
Business owners regularly tell the Texas Workforce Commission that there is no reason for them to have a workplace policy handbook: “We are just a mom-and-pop shop” or “We all get along” or “We’ve been in business for 30 years without one.” But Marissa Marquez explained at the TWC’s Texas Business Conferences, held in McAllen and Brownsville, that creating an effective policy handbook is the smart thing to do. A handbook explains the practices and rules of your business and informs employees what they must comply with. “Why wouldn’t you want that all in one…