Cassy Rodriguez had what she called “the best job ever” as a driver for pre-production Ford trucks displayed at car shows and big entertainment venues featuring stars and celebrities. The job paid well, too, but the Mission native was spending weeks at a time away from home. It was a huge sacrifice for the mother of three young children. The tours to promote a new F-150 model or a Ranger…
There likely has never been a store quite like Southernmost Wildlife Products in the long retailing history of Elizabeth Street in downtown Brownsville. Photographs of yesteryear on Brownsville’s historic main street show the classic department stores of Sears and JCPenney. Down Elizabeth from those mainstays are blocks of locally-owned men’s and women’s clothing stores, with the five-and-dime stores nearby. Those days on Elizabeth have vanished. The downtown of today does…
Samantha Mendoza has been busy baking after getting past a recent illness that temporarily sidelined her. It’s a Saturday morning and there will be a street market going up soon near West Van Buren in Harlingen. It’s a block over from The Ruff House, where Mendoza is sliding a tray full of freshly made dog snacks into a lighted display. They look inviting and are sure to light up any…
The rows of caps at the TRW Hat Co. have a distinction of design with a Lone Star flavor. The company’s owner and founder – Steven Gallegos – was born and raised near Houston in LaPorte. He has found a second home and a new passion in Mercedes. The TRW brand stands for Texas Rustic Way. Many TRW designs feature the iconic map outline of Texas, along with longhorns, oilfields…
Roxy Trevino figured it would be a gap summer after earning a graduate degree in architecture from Texas A&M University. Back home in Weslaco, she was helping her parents run one of the Rio Grande Valley’s better-known Mexican food restaurants. Trevino lent a hand with the business’ social media, marketing and event planning. It was the summer of 2019. She was getting a breather after rigorous academic work that included…
South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce‘s “Shop the Island” initiative is back through Dec. 20. For every $20 spent with any Island businesses, shoppers may register for a $500 shopping spree. Every dollar spent locally also ensures a healthy and growing South Padre Island economy. Original receipts may be dropped off at the following SPI Chamber member businesses: Padre Island Brewing Co. Renee’s of South Padre Ship Shape Sea Turtle…
The green space grabs your attention upon pulling up to The Ruff House on West Van Buren near downtown Harlingen. It’s a well-kept spot with ramps for dogs to climb and jump off. There are large ovals on stands nearby, the next stops on an obstacle course of fun for dogs to romp. The open space is fenced but looks inviting as does the dog boutique store next to it. …
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 intersection of FM 802/Ruben Torres and I-69C is among Brownsville’s busiest corners. An old-school filling station with gas pumps and cars jacked up on lifts stood on that location for years. Even as Sunrise Mall’s renovation and rebirth loomed behind it, the 1970s-era gas station lingered, a holdout to the past with new developments all around it. The pressure to sell such a coveted corner of real estate finally…
Everything is coming up golden for Iselle Perez. It shows in her smile and a new boutique gaining a footing in Brownsville. Golden Girl Boutique is tucked next to the Vermillion, an iconic Brownsville restaurant and watering hole she co-owns with her husband, George. Golden Girl is Iselle’s enterprise. It’s a business she launched in spring 2020. Those were perilous months to start anything new given all of the public…