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.

Boutique Hotel Highlights PI Charm 

The Lighthouse Boutique Hotel is “coastal but subtle.” It’s a description of the Port Isabel hotel as given by one of its owners, Ana Martha Diaz. The two-story, 8,000-square-foot building sits across the street from an 1850s-era lighthouse, providing a name and sense of place for the specialty hotel. It stands on the land that was the site of a military depot built during the U.S.-Mexican War of the mid-19th…

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Clinics Feature Connection To Patients

Angela Menchaca, a PA, cares for a young patient at her Weslaco clinic. (Courtesy)

Angela Menchaca was a busy physician assistant, rotating among cardiac clinics in Edinburg when she felt the pull to be closer to her Weslaco home with a young daughter to raise. Her best option was one she knew well. Her husband, Michael, is a family nurse practitioner who has opened a direct primary care clinic in Harlingen. It’s not a clinic like many others with long patient waits. There are…

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National Honor Caps Career For SPI Businessman

Arine Creinin with family members and friends at a late 2022 convention in Las Vegas, where was honored for being a top chief executive officer. (Courtesy)

A letter from a former president said it all in expressing appreciation for a job well done. “Nancy and I know how much work goes into the preparation of such wonderful meals, and we greatly appreciate all you did,” wrote Ronald Reagan in an August 1992 letter to Arnie Creinin. “Thanks to you and your staff, our stay was delightful!” It wasn’t the first time Creinin had cooked for President…

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Consulting Company Rises To Success From Mercedes

Dr. Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa says being based in Mercedes and the Valley is a key part of her company's success with statewide and national clients.

A stately and historic home on Missouri Avenue in Mercedes needed work after years of neglect. Beyond its then-rough exterior, Dr. Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa and her husband, C.A., saw great potential.  Baggerly-Hinojosa was looking for a corporate office for her Leadership Empowerment Group. Hinojosa, a Mercedes native, encouraged his wife to look at the city as a Mid-Valley hub to grow her business. They would settle on 805 S. Missouri –…

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Chamber Leader Rises To National Honor

Danielle Rodriguez is one of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives's top 40 under 40 chamber executives.

Danielle Rodriguez’s first job is the one she currently holds. Technically, Rodriguez’s initial job at the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce held a different title, but she views it as a continuation of the opportunities given to her by Esmeralda Villarreal, the chamber’s chief executive officer. Starting as an intern in college, Rodriguez has worked her way up, diligently, learning and growing in a rising career. She is today the Brownsville…

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Weslaco Chamber CEO Earns National Honor

Barbara Jean Garza was in the midst of a lengthy and successful public administration career at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley when a job opportunity arose that piqued her interest. The Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce was looking to hire a new chief executive officer. Garza’s initial thought was to take a pass on applying for the job but colleagues encouraged her to “throw my name in the…

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Shuttle Company Meeting Demand To SPI

South Padre Island officials say there is a need to improve shuttle services to transport tourists from area airports to the Island. (courtesy)

Being a kiteboarder, Jason Norwood got a frequent question as a sporting event loomed at South Padre Island in 2021. “How do we get from the airport to the Island?” he recalled being asked.  Getting from the Valley International Airport in Harlingen to South Padre can be problematic. Finding reliable ground transportation for the hour-long trip from the airport to SPI is often a challenge. This is especially true during…

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Businessman Cycles To Retirement Plan

Jesus Mendiola has guided to his version of a retirement plan in owning two bicycle stores in the Valley.

The way Jesus Mendiola sees it, “you’ve got to move or you’ll go down.” It’s a befitting viewpoint for the owner of two Trek Bicycle stores in the Rio Grande Valley. Mendiola recently opened a store in Harlingen to go with his existing shop in Mission. He opened the latter business in 2007. A visit to the Trek Harlingen showroom features dozens of bicycles of differing styles, colors and prices.…

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Sir’s Features Great Drinks & Family Ties

Sir's features a wide variety of adult beverages made by a business owner and staff with years of experience in the business. (Courtesy)

Jesus Pena and his big sisters Carmina and Sonia knew the sights and sounds of the downtown Harlingen of their growing up years.  They grew up on Monroe Street, within walking distance of downtown, as well as their schools, churches and stores. Jesus recalled a neighborhood barber shop on Van Buren Street where his father took him as a child. It’s just down the street from the former barber shop…

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Faith & Community Support Sparks Matt’s Rebirth

Matt's Building Materials plans to come back bigger and stronger with a new Pharr store after a fire destroyed their original building a year ago.

Danny Smith was taking a holiday break in New Mexico when one of his sons called with devastating news on the first day of 2022.  “Dad, your shop is on fire,” Smith recalls upon hearing his 125,000-square-foot Matt’s Building Materials store in Pharr was engulfed in flames. Baldo Arriaga, a 20 year-plus employee of Matt’s, got to the store 30 minutes after the blaze was reported to the local fire…

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