From the deck at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Mercedes, I watched approximately 2,000 black-bellied whistling ducks in Ibis Pond as they looked for food, perched on logs and bobbed in the chilly November water. The park’s 200 acres of woodlands, lakes and marshes shelter an amazing abundance of wildlife from seven alligators to diverse birds, butterflies and 24 mammal species as well as native plants. The mid-Valley park…
Some 800 birders visited the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in November, its 25th year as one of the premier birding events in the country. With dozens of field trips to regional birding hotspots and lectures by internationally renowned birding experts, the festival’s staying power is a testament to the economic impact of ecotourism, and particularly birdwatching, in Deep South Texas. While there are no recent studies on the financial…
They came from two different walks of life – the cook and retail store manager – and in a Brownsville kitchen during an Easter break, they mapped out the beginnings of a business plan. It was 2010 when Bobby Saenz, with years of retailing management experience, approached Daniel Pompa, a graduate of a culinary school, and made a pitch. “I had a vision of a restaurant – burgers, wings, country…
Three thousand gallons of beer is kept at a temperature of 36-38 degrees in a glass-enclosed keg storage area that can be viewed from inside La Plaza Mall in McAllen. With some 130 beers on tap, the recently opened Yard House boasts the largest assortment of draft beer in the city. The cold beer is delivered to the establishment’s centerpiece, an island bar lined with colorful taps, through more than…
Scott Vaughan of Burton Auto Supply and Cynthia Cabaza of Shepard Walton King Insurance Group are Man and Woman of the Year, respectively, with awards from the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce. Also receiving honors are Robert McAllen with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as Chick-fil-A of Weslaco with Business of the Year. Scott Vaughan In his nomination form, Vaughan is described as a true role model and an amazing person. Vaughan’s involvement in…
The oil and gas industry in Texas is leading the nation. But just how is this booming industry powering the Rio Grande Valley? Statewide leaders, local representatives and industry advocates will answer this question and more at the Texas Oil and Gas Association Energy Summit Dec. 5 in Pharr. Speakers are set to address how important the industry in the region is to community success. The luncheon and discussion will…
The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors presented Thanksgiving meals to Edinburg families Nov. 14 at the Saint Vincent De Paul Center at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Chamber Ambassadors reached out to eleven families from the Edinburg Area by providing 11 prepared meals. These meals included turkey and all the fixings for their holiday. Making donations were the Chamber Ambassadors, Hidalgo- Starr County Medical Society, Rio Valley Realty, Best Western Plus…
Three new members are now part of the 2018-2019 Weslaco Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Joining current members are Superintendent of Weslaco ISD Priscilla Canales, Valley Trophies owner Travis McDaniel and South Texas College Mid Valley Campus Administrator Daniel Montez. Canales’s service in the interest of public schools in both large and mid-size school systems spans to 1991. Through the years, her various positions in education includes teacher, mentor, educational specialist, assistant principal and principal,…
The future economics between the United States and Mexico will be very interesting. All eyes will be on future trade relations, especially after Dec. 1 due to incoming president Andres Manuel Lopez. With current rocky trade relations between the United States and China, Mexico has plenty to gain under the new NAFTA terms. On Nov. 9, Duncan Wood, director of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, spoke at the McAllen Performing…
A limited amount of spots are open for the upcoming Kauffman FastTrac starting in January in South Padre Island. The NewVenture program provides tools to both develop business concepts and successfully launch a business. To be held at the Port Isabel Events and Cultural Center as well as the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, the seven sessions encompass facilitated instruction. Students in the program identify market needs, understand business…