The International Museum of Art & Science presents a community Holiday Market to kick off this year’s annual Christmas Tree Forest “Christmas in the RGV” Dec. 5. The artisan market takes place from 1-5 p.m. In addition to the local artists, the Valley Symphony Orchestra and the McAllen Creative Arts Incubator will participate in the event this year. The community may support these local artists and artisans and then visit…
Erica De la Garza Lopez got right to work when she took over as president of Friends of IB for the 2021-2022 school year. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization brings awareness about the McAllen ISD International Baccalaureate school at Lamar Academy. It also develops partnerships between IB parents, local businesses and the community. Additionally, members raise money and provide other means of support to the school and its students. McAllen ISD…
Eddie Mirza is a survivor of job layoffs, illness and economic upheavals, but there’s one thing he could always depend on. His talents as an artist, teacher and soccer coach have served him well, as has the multiple languages he speaks, giving him a versatility to make a living when buffeted by misfortunes. Mirza has worked at newspapers, advertising agencies, and printing and telecommunications companies. These days, he is up…
The origins of Weslaco read much like the beginnings of the Rio Grande Valley’s narrative of the early 20th century. It includes railroads, canals, irrigation and agriculture, with U.S. troops at the border to chase and capture Pancho Villa should he cross the river. The latter did not happen. There are no indications Villa and his riders ever ventured close to the South Texas border with Mexico. About 12,000 troops…
Javier Villalobos settles into the chair of his mayor’s office on the third floor of McAllen’s City Hall. From there, he has a view of Main Street heading into downtown McAllen. Twenty months passed since downtown and the rest of McAllen had last seen its revenue lifeline of Mexican shoppers stream into their stores. That finally came to an end on Nov. 9, the day the U.S. government allowed Mexican…
The City of Harlingen and Harlingen EDC, in partnership with Workforce Solutions Cameron, host the next Workforce Wednesday Dec. 8. The hiring event takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Casa de Amistad, 1204 Fair Park Blvd. in Harlingen. Workforce Wednesday will host dozens of employers seeking to fill part-time and full-time positions. This is the third event in the series of job fairs that began in August.…
Three students representing the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship earned first place at the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference Nov. 8-10 in Las Vegas, Nev. The team of Andrea Garza, Paulina Martinez and Abelardo Villarreal earned first place in the “Restaurant of the Future” competition. Their restaurant concept, “Wonder,” was an immersive, multisensory culinary experience using augmented and virtual reality technology. “Dining…
Growing up, Cristina Martinez witnessed her mom’s financial struggle and her resilience every day. Martinez’ mom did not graduate from high school, and yet, as a single mother with three children, she had to find a way to provide for them. “She worked as a custodian for many years to be able to provide,” Martinez said. In January 2020, Martinez, a resident of Pharr, was earning $10.50 an hour working…
The Office of Hidalgo County Commissioner Everardo “Ever” Villarreal is currently collecting donations of new unwrapped toys to distribute to children 12 years of age or younger. The new toy collection will continue through Dec. 6. All toys collected will be distributed to children throughout the Precinct 3 community on Dec. 10. “We know some families are having a tough time and the need for Christmas assistance is even greater…
The Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce’s is rescheduling its Jan. 8 Longest Causeway Run and Fitness Walk to April 9, 2022. “Unfortunately, an ongoing five month maintenance project on the causeway has forced us to change our dates,” said Chamber President Betty Wells. “We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause for our participants and hope to return to our normal schedule in 2023.” Online registration is still available on…