Author Archives: Ricardo D. Cavazos, VBR content editor

Ricardo D. Cavazos is a Rio Grande Valley native and journalist who has worked as a reporter, editor and publisher at Texas newspapers. Cavazos formerly worked as a reporter and editorial writer at The Brownsville Herald, Dallas Times Herald, Corpus Christi Caller-Times and San Antonio Light. He served as editor of The Monitor in McAllen from 1991-1998 and from there served for 15 years as publisher at The Herald in Brownsville. Cavazos has been providing content for the Valley Business Report since 2018.

Firms Founders Return To Make RGV Impact

News Real Estate Comments
OrigoWorks main offices are in Brownsville at the redeveloped site of a former Edelstein Furniture warehouse along Expressway 77. 

The OrigoWorks portfolio is an extensive one. The Brownsville-based company got its start as a design-oriented firm. Origo today has the capabilities to offer turnkey projects to its clients. The firm over the years has expanded to include construction, sales and marketing, and property and asset management to the services it offers. Origo headquarter offices are housed in what was once an Edelstein’s Furniture warehouse along railroad tracks that are…

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Love For Flying Lifts Airplane Club

News Recreation & Tourism Comments
Big skies and lots of green space at the SMASH airfield in Rio Hondo. (Courtesy)

As a boy growing up in Harlingen, Pat Reilly was enchanted by the sights and sounds of the Confederate Air Force show featured annually at the city’s airport. Reilly’s home was located just a few miles away from the airport. Looking up to the skies, he could see the vintage World War II airplanes fly overhead during the CAF’s hey days at the Harlingen airport in the 1960s and 1970s.…

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Suarez Takes On Dual Role In McAllen

Community News Comments
Elizabeth Suarez, far right, has actively led the McAllen Chamber of Commerce since late 2023 in celebrating new business openings such as the new Panera Bread. (Courtesy)

Elizabeth Suarez’s deep years of experience in city government and community affairs made her the ideal and perhaps only candidate for a newly formed leadership position in the city of McAllen. In mid-January, Suarez became the president and chief executive officer of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation. It’s the same title she was holding in leading the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. To put two vital legacy organizations under one leader…

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Uncle Chops: Weslaco’s ‘Home Away From Home’

Featured Food & Entertainment News Comments
Uncle Chops features a signature line of burgers with sweet sourdough buns.

A battle-worn firefighter’s helmet rests on a shelf over the bar at Chris Cuellar’s restaurant in Weslaco. The rigors of the job he held for over 10 years in service to his community would take a physical toll. Injury problems would compel him to leave the Weslaco Police Department and bring a need to reinvent himself while still being a young man. Being a restaurateur is a thought that had…

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Dallas Cowboys Expand Presence in RGV

News Retail Comments
The silver and blue colors are prominent throughout the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop at the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets.

The Dallas Cowboys recently concluded another disappointing season but the lack of success will hardly lessen the devout following the NFL franchise enjoys in the Rio Grande Valley. George Dunn, a senior retail manager for the Cowboys, says the RGV ranks third in Texas for sale of team merchandise, T-shirts, caps and all manner of gear with the familiar blue star. The third-best market ranking (only Dallas-Fort Worth and San…

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Artist Finds Fit In Brownsville

Arts Featured News Retail Comments
Students at Annebrije Pottery Studio in Brownsville create a range of different products that are available for purchase.

Annelise Rosas’ growing-up years in Monterrey and Austin left a yearning for another city of her youth. Brownsville is the place where Rosas feels the most comfortable. The Rio Grande Valley’s largest city is the best fit for the interchange of languages she speaks. In Monterrey, Rosas was seen as an American and a bit of an outcast despite being the daughter of Mexican-born parents. The view of her in…

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VIDA Seeks To Serve More Students

News Non-Profit Comments
Nursing school graduates at South Texas College can look forward to rewarding careers after receiving the support of VIDA in earning the degrees and certifications. (Courtesy)

Felida Villarreal worked in the private sector as an accountant and financial analyst and developed an interest in the work of non-profit organizations focused on community service. In the early 2020s, that interest led to a job as the director of finance for VIDA, the acronym for Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement. The Mercedes-based organization was founded in 1995 and serves residents in the four-county Rio Grande Valley. The…

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Weslaco Reaches $1 Billion Milestone

Community News Comments
The Eatery in downtown Weslaco offers outdoor dining among the growing number of restaurant/dining out options in the city. (Courtesy)

One of Steve Valdez’s primary goals in leading the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation was to make it “a data-driven organization.” Valdez took the EDC’s helm in 2021. In the years since, Weslaco has continued its steady and sure growth in reaching higher levels of growth. The data Valdez speaks of shows the recording of some new high-water marks in 2024. Weslaco generated over $1 billion in taxable sales for the…

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Festival Celebrates Island Kites

Community Events Featured News Recreation & Tourism Comments
Kite flying on the Island has grown in popularity over the years, in part thanks to the efforts of Susie and Bill Doan of B&S Kites. (Courtesy)

Flying kites on the beach can bring a sense of wonderment in looking up and seeing your handmade craft sway with the gusty seaside winds. Susie and Bill Doan are Ohio natives and kite aficionados who during visits to the South Padre Island became smitten with the beach. In their late 40s, the couple moved to the Island and turned a hobby into a business. B&S Kites opened in 1998.…

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Elsa Imagines Delta Area On Ice

News Comments
An aerial photograph shows workers placing the finishing touches on the surface of Elsa on Ice. (Courtesy)

Kristyna Mancias spent eight years at the McAllen Parks and Recreation Department in seeing the impact a range of events can have on a city.  Her last job in McAllen was superintendent of athletics of the city’s park and recreation department. In June 2023, Mancias decided to make the move to run and manage her own department as the city of Elsa’s director of recreation and communications. It represented a…

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