Whiskey is an acquired taste. That’s how Martin Cavazos puts it and he should know. He is one of the owners of the 1929 Whiskey Tavern in Brownsville. It is, Cavazos said, only one of two such establishments south of San Antonio that’s exclusive to whiskeys and its many varieties. The tavern is located across the street from Market Square, the historic center of Brownsville. The building whose bell tower…
Marisa Oliva recalls walking a group of local high school students through the Edinburg World Birding Center when they came across a visiting birder. He told the students about the wide array of migratory and native birds they have to enjoy in their native Rio Grande Valley. The group moved on, leaving the birder to his pastime. Oliva said a girl in the group then remarked, “How does a guy…
George Perez owns an iconic Brownsville restaurant whose name is ingrained into the city it has served for nearly 90 years. Mario Dominguez Jr. makes barbecue so renowned that it made Texas Monthly’s Top 50 for being among the best in the Lone Star State. And yet, in both cases, neither restaurant owner assumed their Valley businesses would survive the seismic disruptions of 2020. Adjustments had to be made quickly…
The view from Isla Blanca Park across a ship channel presents a long lens picture similar to that of Cape Canaveral in Florida. In South Texas, it’s SpaceX off in the distance at Boca Chica Beach. It’s still close enough that with a smartphone camera you can zoom in and get a clear view of a silver rocket being built for liftoff in the months ahead. “I tell people that…
McAllen ranks sixth lowest in Texas regarding burglary and theft, according to researchers at Porch.com. The city also ranks seventh lowest in the United States for Small Cities. This news comes soon after a recent report by the Texas Department of Public Safety showing McAllen ranks second lowest in Texas for violent crimes. The survey analyzes crime data regarding burglary and theft over a four-year period across 258 cities in…
Quinta Mazatlán World Birding Center‘s Sticks and Bones Trail opens Oct. 23 and a Halloween party will follow one week later on Oct. 30. The trail will be up through mid-November. Guests can stop by Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 7 p.m. on Thursdays. The trail is free with park admission. The Halloween Party in the Park takes place from 9 a.m. to 1…
To fill a gap in cybersecurity and promote the importance of cyber safety, Texas Southmost College will introduce a new Cybersecurity program in spring 2022. “We are excited to kick off this program,” said Murad Abusalim, TSC dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. “This program will produce graduates highly sought after by industry. Job opportunities in this field are numerous and the demand for cybersecurity professionals will only continue…
Brownsville Interim City Attorney Victor Flores was elected to serve on the Texas City Attorneys Association‘s board of directors during the association’s fall meeting in Houston Oct. 7. Flores is one of only two attorneys who have been appointed to the board from the Rio Grande Valley since TCAA’s inception in 1928. Directors on the TCAA Board will attend numerous TCAA board meetings a year. TCAA is an affiliate of…
Harlingen’s largely vacant Valle Vista Mall is getting an investment boost as a Los Angeles-based company announced it had acquired the retail space formerly occupied by Dillard’s. BH Properties said it is analyzing the best use for its new property, which since 1983 had been an anchor store at Valle Vista until its recent closure. The company said its Harlingen acquisition is a good fit in its strategies to re-imagine…
The Texas A&M University System and two of its state engineering agencies recently announced a new initiative to invigorate an important Rio Grande Valley industry sector, advanced manufacturing. Together with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, the system will provide workforce development programs that will prepare people for high-need jobs. The Texas A&M RGV Advanced Manufacturing/Training Innovation Now program gathers community input, creates…