The Weslaco Economic Development Corporation has a new executive director and its new leader comes from within the organization. Steven M. Valdez was selected as the executive director by the EDC’s board on May 19. Valdez formerly served as the EDC’s director for nearly five years. He comes into his new job with an understanding of the organization’s key functions. He also knows how it interacts with city government. Those…
Meet other Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce members during the “Weslaco Networking Blitz!” May 26. Participants may talk about their business, what they do and provide referrals. After five minutes, participants will be sent to the next conservation. How it works: 1. Register for event. 2. Set up a profile on Blitzr. 3. Prior to event, choose who you would prefer to be matched with (optional). Look for green, yellow…
Join the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce May 1 for La Cebollita! (The Little Onion), a mini Texas Onion Fest celebration. This event is free to the community. La Cebollita celebrates the sweet 1015 Onion of Weslaco will will feature the blooming onion. The day includes live music, family activities, food, a vendor market and farmers market. Those with an interest of becoming a sponsor or vendor (food/market), contact the Weslaco…
Join the Weslaco EDC and City of Weslaco April 16 for a virtual job fair from the comfort of your own home. Premier Virtual serves as hosts for the event. Register online.
Growing up in Weslaco, Zeke Reyna had big dreams growing up during the glory years when Tiger Woods dominated the golf world. “I always thought I’d win the Masters,” Reyna said. He didn’t quite get there although he was an outstanding high school golfer. Reyna was good enough to compete collegiality at SMU in Dallas and then the University of Oregon. He went on to spend some time on the…
Weslaco often touts itself as a strategic mid-point in the Rio Grande Valley. Here, goods and services can move quickly and efficiently to all points in the region. The marketing pitch rang true to Robinson Fresh, one of the largest produce companies nationally. It is making a move to utilize a 46,000-square-foot facility at the Mid-Valley Industrial Park which will serve as a storage and distribution point for fresh produce…
Life was good for Etta King when she moved to Weslaco in 2011 from Lake Tahoe, Cali. Five years later, her world turned upside down. Her husband left, creditors repossessed her car and eviction forced her to move from their home to a small apartment. With no money, she had to attend divorce court without legal representation. Her only family in the Valley consisted of her two sons and daughter.…
Mario Mendiola is an energetic, man-on-the-go entrepreneur and realtor who has a passion for both his hometown and its downtown. In early 2020, he saw through a lengthy restoration of a historic two-story building on the corner of Texas Avenue and Sixth Street in downtown Weslaco. A formerly abandoned building is now a stylishly restored building for offices and upstairs apartments. Mendiola had another downtown project brewing. He wanted to…
Weslaco had one sweet spot going for it during the slowdown and shutdown months in the spring and summer of 2020. Happiness Cupcakes never closed. The city deemed it an essential business and the cupcake shop with an outdoor patio on Texas Boulevard stayed open. The close-to-the-nest residents of Weslaco and adjacent communities found solace in the array of cupcakes, pies, cakes and breads at the shop on Texas. “It was…
Medical residency programs always bring and require what Dr. Timothy Heath calls an “intensity of experience” as young physicians make their way through real-life training. Add the rigors and challenges of dealing with the recent pandemic and coping with situations not seen in a century. The reality of it all is testing 14 physician residents under Heath’s supervision in ways no one imagined. “I’ve spoken to colleagues and I can…