Just before Thanksgiving, Tom Weekly learned that the building Whalen’s Furniture leased on Business 83 in McAllen had been sold and the lease lost. He made a tough decision: after 95 years, Whalen’s, the oldest family-owned, continuously operated furniture store in the Valley, would close Jan. 31. That date marked the end of an era which comprised four generations of customers and begin with a store that grew from a…
Best boys, key grips, gaffers, cinematographers, location scouts and pieces of talent: these film industry jobs are being filled by local residents more than ever before. Movies, documentaries and commercials filmed in the Rio Grande Valley have begun tapping an expanding pool of talent. Commercials, pilots for series, movies, and documentaries that are being shot in the Valley are providing jobs and business opportunities. Finding talent “I connect people. That’s…
In mid-January, Lamar Jones might be hailed as an overnight success when his Jank Gourmet BBQ sauces debut in 169 H-E-Bs. But Jones, a musician and special ed teacher’s aide in Weslaco, began development of his barbeque sauce in 2009. He and a friend coined the word “Jank” to describe a taste beyond awesome. “I can’t believe it’s been about a year since I got the Innovation Grant from the…
For 20 years, the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge has been known as the longest bridge connecting two countries. It recently gained the title of the international crossing which forms the shortest route between Mexico’s west coast and the United States’ eastern and midwestern markets, via the Mazatlán-Matamoros superhighway. Mexican produce gets to its destination faster, which in turns means lower transportation costs (fewer miles) and higher quality fruits and vegetables (less…
See them sparkle and gleam: silver, gold and gemstones brighten the holidays and every day. Glorious jewelry can warm any heart with its beauty. You can choose pieces with classic elegance or with enough bling to blind the front row. Jewelry can make a statement, create an image or be just for fun. When you go seeking a piece as a gift for someone special or as a gift to…
Five manuscripts are awaiting Tony Corso’s attention when client John Martin walks into the Copy Zone owner’s office. The full-color hardback book “Save Camp Lula Sams” is due out in December, and Martin, chairman of the habitat preservation effort, is checking on the book’s delivery date. Copy Zone does much more than make copies of documents for businesses and agencies, and Corso loves that aspect. Before he opened Copy Zone…
Habitat for Humanity opened its second Valley ReStore in October in Harlingen. “We wanted to strengthen our presence in Cameron County and provide low-cost building materials and home accessories,” said Wayne Lowry, regional executive director of the nonprofit. The McAllen ReStore, selling new and used home décor, furniture and building materials, has been netting enough to cover the cost of half a house a month, Lowry said. “Our typical house…
Paul Hajjar swung open the ornate gate of the Kowalski-Dennett House, built in Brownsville in 1893, to admit a busload of architects and associates onto the brick-paved patio and into his home/attorney’s office. The historic house, shaded by palms, kumquats, bougainvillea and bananas, was designed to catch the southeast breeze. The house’s long windows reach from the floor to near the 12-foot ceiling, Rice University architectural historian Stephen Fox pointed out.…
David Calvillo has been a certified mediator for 10 years, and he is also a CPA and trial lawyer. At times, mediation of disputes and service as a “pure neutral” in arbitration and receivership cases represents up to 60% of his practice at Calvillo Law Firm, PLLC. The calmness the attorney conveyed when talking to VBR’s editor suits a man committed to conflict resolution. Q Where do you start with…
Here’s an increasingly rare scenario: you lose your car keys and use a jimmy tool to reach past the driver’s side window and pop the lock. Nowadays, you are more likely to pop the airbag and screw up the electronic key system. And if you think car and house key systems are getting complicated, ask locksmith Donald Guthrie to show you pictures of safes that burglars used cutting torches, sledge…