Black Friday was coming and Shannon Farrell knew what it would be like on the day after Thanksgiving. “They won’t let their employees leave,” Farrell said of store managers at the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets in Mercedes. “The stores will be full, the workers will be busy, and we’ll be there to feed them.” Shannon’s Sweets is itself located at the outlets and has become a go-to place for…
The Rio Grande Valley is bursting with flavor. Everywhere you turn, you see a growth of local restaurants and cafés within the small business community. Follow this guide to make the most of the holidays and bless your taste buds with unexpected [seasonal] flavors that you will be grateful you tried. The Main Course – Salome on Main Salome on Main is the product of Jessica Delgado and Chef Larry…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year … Christmas! One of the first things that comes to mind when you think of Christmas is the decorations. And nothing is more iconic than the tree with just the right combination of garland, tinsel and, of course, the perfect ornaments. Ornaments can add just the right touch to your tree, and Barn White carries hundreds of unique and beautiful ornaments. Barn…
In 2012, two suicide survivors teamed up to create the first Out of the Darkness Community Walk in the Valley. Melissa Zamora lost her dad to suicide when she was a child. Missy Moreno lost her brother to suicide in 2011. “We found that many people around us had been affected by suicide,” Zamora said. “Yet no one was talking about it. No one was talking about it because, as…
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…
Christmas is a time of giving and giving back. It’s a time when people come together to remember their friends, family and community. Maribel Valdez, President of the McAllen chapter of LAMA says it’s a time of year she and her club truly enjoy, because it’s a time they can give back to a special group of McAllen ISD students. Q: Can you give us a bit of background about…
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…