The block of West Van Buren Street where Don Gollito sits in Harlingen stirs a nostalgic feel. The Tex-Mex restaurant is down home all the way, “Harlingen-style,” as one of its owners, Fred Uribe, puts it. He co-owns the restaurant with Rick Silva, a self-described “jack-of-all-trades” of the local restaurant scene. On Van Buren, vehicles park at an angle that’s reminiscent of small-town America of previous eras. It’s appropriate since…
Marisela Nava, director of Texas Southmost College’s Raul J. Guerra Early Childhood Center, was recently appointed to the Texas Early Learning Council by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The honor comes after 34 years of service to the center, where Nava began as a student worker in fall of 1988. “I know this a very selective process and it was only a dream for me before,” Nava said. “I always thought;…
The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce held its 90th annual awards banquet on Nov. 16 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance. During the evening, the chamber recognized many leaders including the 2022 Man and Woman of the Year Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Estella Lopez of Sierra Title Company. Hinojosa was recognized as Man of the Year for being a champion for the City of Edinburg. One of his proudest…
The Angel Tree Program, along with The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettle Campaign, is one of The Salvation Army’s best-known Christmas efforts. More than 100,000 children across Texas, enough to fill the Dallas Cowboys stadium, will experience the joy of opening presents on Christmas morning thanks to generous donors and the help of The Salvation Army. “The Angel Tree program provides toys and clothing to children and families who might…
The small businesses in SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District are the backbone of our economy and the heartbeat of our communities. The impact of the pandemic has been tough on many of our small businesses. And still, small business owners continue to demonstrate their resilience and commitment to meet the moment before them. As the world changed, almost overnight, small business owners pivoted just as quickly to offer new…
The Region One Education Service Center GEAR UP: Pathways to the Future Program and Operation College Bound & Beyond project has joined forces with the Texas A&M RGV Advanced Manufacturing Hub to transform the local workforce by investing in the education of adult learners. Participants joined Region One ESC at its Conference Center in Edinburg to take advantage of the free opportunity to earn two cybersecurity certificates, “Cybersecurity for Everyone”…
“There is a saying, something along the lines of, ‘Society grows when men plant trees whose shade they will never be able to sit under.’ Likewise, we, as a society, need to look out for one another. Only in that way will we be able to grow and progress to a stable community.” ~ Abdiel Ramirez Back in seventh grade, Abdiel Ramirez found reading books about a variety of medical…
On Oct. 14, Valley Interfaith and Industrial Areas Foundation had the rare opportunity to visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican. An interfaith delegation of 20 leaders and organizers from the West/Southwest IAF met with Francis to share their collective work of broad based organizing at a time when the Pope is guiding the global church in a Synod listening process. The Pope sat side by side with the group at…
Hispanic Outlook on Higher Education Magazine has ranked UTRGV second in the country for awarding bachelor’s degrees to Hispanic/Latino students in its annual “Hispanic Outlook Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics” edition. The magazine also notes that while UTRGV ranks second, it still had the largest percentage of bachelor’s degrees specifically awarded to Hispanic/Latino students, with 93 percent. UTRGV places fourth for total master’s degrees awarded to Hispanic/Latino students and…
Manuel Alvarez and his wife, Nadia Escalante, started out with an at-home bakery in Brownsville, creating their Pastel Japones. Said another way, they are Japanese cotton cheesecakes. The popularity of the fluffy sponge-looking cake would take off. In part it was due to the uniqueness of the product in the Rio Grande Valley market. It’s a region filled with pan dulce shops and custom cake bakeries. It’s difficult to find…