He was at the time a 20-something Brownsville lawyer seeking to become Cameron County’s district attorney. A turn of events in the fall of 1988, including the sudden death of the county judge, propelled Tony Garza into a different direction. Garza would shift over to running for county judge as a Republican. He appeared to be a longshot in a Democratic-leaning region. What appeared to be improbable then became a…
Passing through or going through Los Fresnos isn’t what it used to be for this bedroom community along Texas Highway 100. This year alone, Los Fresnos, which brands itself as “A Community with Opportunity,” has taken some big steps when it comes to the way of providing better services to both its residents and those looking to relocate. Two major projects are now complete in the city. One is for…
The initial vision of the McAllen Holiday Parade sounded rather modest to McAllen Mayor Jim Darling. Growing up in Rochester, NY, Darling dreamed of going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He never made it to the big parade in New York City, saying his parents couldn’t afford to make the trip. The City of McAllen decided six years ago that it would launch a Christmas parade. The mayor then…
Colorful objects flying above the sandy beaches often greet South Padre Island visitors and residents. Some look rather weird like a giant pink octopus with undulated tentacles. Others are of fish species, medusas, turtles, purple frogs and even patriotic themes. The potpourri of these flying objects are actually kites people enjoy and fly as a hobby practically all year around. Remember the boxed- or diamond-shaped kites of yesterday flown with…
Imagine being in a winter wonderland with snow surrounding you. You can also see Christmas characters, homes and businesses with various holiday decorations. Even Santa Claus is waving at passerbys. Better yet – imagine seeing all that without going to the coldest places of the United States or to the North Pole during this time of year. Well, imagine no more. Brownsville’s Dean Porter Park currently has all of that in…
The Valley Baptist Health System and its landmark hospital in Harlingen have long been synonymous with Cameron County. Its reach was extended in the county to Brownsville last decade with the purchase of an existing hospital. The health system is now making a huge strategic move. In Jan. 2020, it will open a micro-hospital in Weslaco. Valley Baptist executives say is a first move to further expand its footprint in…
The City of McAllen and MAFO leaders will host the National Farmworker Conference on April 26-29, 2020 in McAllen. More than 400 delegates from around the state and nation will to convene in McAllen for the conference. “MAFO is a national partnership of farmworker and rural organizations and we are grateful for the partnership with the City of McAllen and excited about the opportunity to host our conference in McAllen,”…
The Rio Grande Valley Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist is offering a new class session to their program of enlightening and educating a corps of volunteers about the natural resources of the Rio Grande Valley. Classes begin Jan. 15 and take place every Wednesday night for 10 weeks. Additionally, Sunday field trips will pair with the classes. Most participants of this program volunteer at local state parks and wildlife refuges.…
The Port of Brownsville is one step closer to welcoming three new LNG projects with an investment totaling $38.75 billion. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved their proposals late last week during its monthly commission meeting. “Today’s announcement is another significant milestone in making these energy projects a reality and is the result of years of hard work by the applicants,” said John Reed, chairman of the Brownsville Navigation District.…
Sally Fraustro-Guerra is chairman of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce board for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. She will represent the chamber at its various programs, events and receptions throughout the year. She will also serve as the chamber’s head of promotional activities. Fraustro-Guerra is a Coldwell Banker La Mansion real estate broker and SOCIALIFE Magazine’s president/publisher. The diversity of her professional background can come into play in her position. “I’ve…