From the sparkle of sunlight on a resaca to moonlight bathing the Gulf, waterside dining adds a special magic to a meal. Along the Arroyo Colorado, resacas, the Laguna Madre, the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico, Valley restaurants find that good food served with a water view result in a happy clientele. The Riverside Club may be the granddaddy of waterside restaurants and remains the region’s only riverfront…
Although big banks regularly swoop down to the border and buy local banks, independent Valley-based banks have continued to reinvent themselves. Critical to the region’s growth, these homegrown banks have parlayed their in-depth experience with local businesses into success. Eight banks, a mix of community and regional institutions, have headquarters in the Valley. Renamed and often repurposed, the established community banks have held onto market shares because of the strength…
Some of the youngest, next-generation business owners got their start the old-fashioned way: their parents were business owners. These young hotshots decided to form their own companies, too. A few as youngsters became intrigued with the idea of running their own business, while others as young adults wanted greater control of their income. From retail to real estate, computer apps to computers systems, an energetic cohort of under-40 individuals have…
Our strongest holiday memories of home and family tend to center on food — the whole family, from infants and great grandparents to distant cousins, gathered at the table on Christmas. The special foods prepared for the holidays still evoke the happy gatherings, bygone days and an era when the pace of life was slower. Yet traditional holiday foods are shifting with the times, too. Singlehandedly, Delia Lubin of Delia’s…
Dozens of dolphins moving down the Brazos Santiago Pass to the Laguna Madre have a lot in common with the people aboard the nearby Bay King charter boat. One and all are fishing the bountiful waters of the Laguna Madre, enjoying the clear water, bay breeze and the camaraderie of fishing together. Fishing the bay has a timeless allure whether you are casting your line into the gin-clear water from…
Unlike Laredo, the Valley’s trucking industry is dominated by locally-owned, family-operated businesses. From food and furniture to clothing, electronics and medical devices, almost everything we use is delivered by trucks belonging to regional and national freight lines. The businesses that keep all the trucks rolling and the supply chain serviced are generating enough income to stay in business and provide employment to a busy segment of the local population. Retailers…
Looking like graceful three-armed swimmers slowly stroking across the skyline, wind turbines are signaling the arrival of a new Valley industry. By the end of 2012, Willacy and Cameron Counties will have 383 wind turbines in operation. In Kennedy County, the Penascal Wind Farm (owned by Iberdrola) with 168 turbines and Gulf Wind with 118 are already channeling electricity to Texans. Today Texas has over ten thousand megawatts of windpower,…
When David Morris downsized to a condo half the size of his house, he took friends’ advice and hired Estate Sales & Liquidations by Jessica to sell his excess holdings. “My friends said you don’t want to be there to watch your personal stuff leave,” Morris explained. The professionalism of Jessica Kuykendall and her team impressed him… and left Morris with an almost empty house following a pre-sale and the…
When it’s 96 degrees out there, brain freeze seems a small price to pay for the delicious chill of ice cream in your mouth. From traditional ice cream sundaes and raspas to frozen yogurts and Italian ices, everyone in the Valley is willing to wrap themselves around a frozen treat once summer arrives. Be thankful your choices are limitless. Red Mango Frozen Yogurt is the new kid in the Valley…
Creativity is intelligence having fun, according to Albert Einstein. But can you run a business based on creativity, which is traditionally the realm of artists, musicians, and writers? The stereotype has them setting their own hours, wearing nontraditional attire, acting independently and not earning much. In “The Rise of the Creative Class,” author Richard Florida gave an entirely new definition to the term creative class, which he describes as the…