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South Texas Powwow celebrates 20th anniversary Harlingen RGV Birding Festival coming Nov. 12-15 Haunted house is scarier than ever in Harlingen Port Isabel Shrimp Cook-off is Nov. 1 IMAS presents 'El Monte Del Valle' Welcome Back!By Kathy OlivarezThe days are getting shorter and it is finally starting to cool off in the Rio Grande Valley after what might be the hottest summer season of record. It was certainly the hottest I can remember in the 39 years I’ve called the Rio Grande Valley home. We had over 50 days of temperatures that reached over 100 degrees and no rain during that time. The “Dog Days,” which are considered to be the hottest days of the year and run from the end of July through most of August, seemed to start in June this year. The heat was relentless. So I did what most of you do. I traveled as much as possible. As soon as the last issue of the Winter Texan Times was finished, a friend and I headed for Savannah, Georgia, something I had been wanting to do for at least 10 years. Savannah is a laid-back Southern town with a rich history. Georgia got its start as a peal colony and Savannah was where it started. The British emptied their prisons and brought their prisoners to Savannah to start a new life. They were incidentally to be used as a barrier that would protect the other colonies against the Spanish who were known to travel north from Florida on explorations. It did not work. The Spanish just learned to go around Savannah and attack the other, richer colonies. Savannah’s big claim to fame is that it managed to escape the wrath of General Sherman that befell other Georgia towns as he marched toward the coast. Whether it was because it was Christmas and Sherman had the Christmas spirit, or whether he was just tired of fighting, we don’t know. However, when the town elders drove out to meet him with wagonloads of Southern cotton and told him the town would surrender if he would agree not to burn it down, he did so. As a result Savannah still has many of its antebellum homes and buildings dating back to the revolutionary period and earlier, while others in Georgia were burned to the ground. In addition to the historical buildings, Paula Deene has her headquarters there and has several restaurants that feature her Southern style cooking. The restaurants are usually full and reservations are necessary. If that is not enough good food, the Foody Tour features some of the best Southern treats around. I managed to stay home for a couple of weeks before my son in Colorado called and asked his father and I to come stay with our three and one-year-old grandchildren while he and his wife participated in a marathon. It was a “tough decision” but we managed to load the suburban and head north to the mountains of Colorado to enjoy our grandchildren for a week. Then, because it was only 800 miles out of the way coming home, we headed across Kansas and spent several days in Branson, Missouri. While there we met with our friends from the Chicken House Opry who were doing a summer show in Branson. Bob Reed, who produces the Opry is also the director of the FAME (Families Advocating Moral Entertainment) awards. Because he was still recuperating from the back surgery, Reed asked me if I would present some of the FAME Awards to recipients who won who lived in Branson. The first award went to Roy Rogers Jr., who was voted Western Music Artist of the Year. He did not know I was going to be there and became so flustered that when the award was over and he started the second half of his show, he forgot the words to the first song. Another performer surprised by the award given during the middle of his show was Wade Bensen Landry who was named Fiddler of the Year by FAME. He also accepted an award for Drummer of the Year for his brother, Chuck Landry, who was on the road at the time. The Pressley Show received two awards, one to Lloyd Pressley for a lifetime of achievement and the other to the show for Best Show of the Year. Jim Owens, another old favorite, also received an award for Personality of the Year. At three of the shows where I presented FAME awards, Winter Texans who had been in the Valley came up and greeted me. One couple had been to the FAME Awards in Pharr in the spring and saw me present another award in Branson. Late summer and September brought an unbelievable opportunity for me. On Sept. 13, 1944 a man from Mission, Texas died in Cadier en Keer, The Netherlands as the Allies liberated the village from four years of Nazi control. The Dutch are still very appreciative of the freedom they enjoy that was paid for with American lives. Last month, Sept. 11, the people of Cadier en Keer erected a monument to his memory. A delegation from Mission went and I met them there to cover the story for the Progress Times newspaper. I will write more about this event for the Veterans Day issue. Since I was going to The Netherlands, I decided to combine this trip with my long time desire to see France. I have some French roots, and have always wanted to go, but my husband has always steadfastly refused. I found a willing friend and we took off for a two-week trip that included visiting Paris and Amsterdam before going to Cadier en Keer. The “two old ladies alone” in Europe is another story to tell, but for us it was filled with memories that will last a lifetime. I had just one day back in New York City to submit my story before joining my husband for the Fall Foliage Cruise aboard a Holland America ship from New York City to Quebec. We had booked the tour long before the trip to Europe came about. We made stops in Newport, Rhode Island; Boston, Massachusetts; Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Saguenay Fjord and then Quebec City. The ships only make one round, to Quebec and back to New York City before heading for other ports. If some of you had especially good vacations at special destinations (United States and Canada), perhaps you could send me some recommendations. Then, for the last issue or two next spring, I could run some of your comments about places you think others would enjoy visiting during their next summer away from their Rio Grande Valley home. In the meantime, it is great to have you back. While it is still early we are seeing more and more rigs pulling into parks across the Valley. The parks are gearing up for another great year of fun, food and entertainment for their residents. There will be plenty of sports and cultural activities throughout the Valley to keep Winter Texans busy. So get ready to enjoy another winter in your Texas home! South Texas Powwow celebrates 20th anniversary
The South Texas Indian Dancers hosts a Powwow in the Upper Rio Grande Valley each fall to preserve the heritage of Native American dancing, music and culture. This year will be a banner year as the organization puts on the 20th Annual South Texas (Way South) Powwow October 23-24 at the Lark Community Center and Library in McAllen. The center is located at 2601 Lark Street. Robert Soto, who is vice-chairman of a tribe of 600 people of Apache heritage living in South Texas, has worked hard for the past 20 years to see that their native heritage is preserved through music and dance. Although most of the Apaches lived to the northwest of the Valley in Central Texas, Soto’s Lipan-Apache ancestors roamed the area from the mouth of the Rio Grande Valley to the Alpine Mountains of West Texas. They traveled as far to the east as San Antonio and south to Mexico City. As happened in other parts of the country, the ways and customs of the Apache clashed with the settlers coming into Texas. The Apache lived off the land and did not have farming skills. Their lifestyle required them to move about to different parts of the state according to where food was most readily available. As settlers began moving in, claiming areas where they traveled for food and water, conflicts arose. A law was passed in 1837 that required all Native Americans in Texas to be put on a reservation. Although there is no official Apache reservation, some were sent to reservations in Oklahoma. 
Those who failed to cooperate were either sent to prison, shot or scalped. The federal government put a bounty on their heads and paid a fee for every scalp collected. Many of the Apache escaped into Northern Mexico where they lived with the Kickapoo tribe and began assimilation into the Mexican culture, which was difficult for the Apaches who were hunters and gatherers, not farmers and ranchers. They often made raids into Texas to visit their former hunting grounds. In an effort to quell the last of the Indian uprisings in 1875, General McKensie was sent by President Andrew Jackson to clear Texas of all its Native American residents. On May 16, 1875, McKensie rode into Mexico and raided a camp killing 170 Native American men, women and children. Another 70 were rounded up and sent to Mescalaro, Mexico. Others escaped and hid in the mountains of Mexico. Soto’s ancestors were among those who hid in the mountains for the next 25 years. Around 1900 they began returning to Texas and settled around the Uvalde area. By then there were only 123 Lipan Apache left. Prior to the European colonization of Texas 100 years earlier, there had been 3,500. The survivors came from three distinct groups: the People of the Desert, the People of the Forest, and the People of Big Water, which included those who lived along the Rio Grande. When the first Apache met the Spanish Conquistadors, they asked what they called the area. They were told “Komitsa” which means big water in Apache. The Spaniards changed it to Big River or Rio Grande. Soto takes pride in the fact the Rio Grande River’s name originated with his ancestors. 
Soto and the other descendants of the Apache tribes who once roamed the area, have worked hard to keep their native heritage alive. In 1915 the Soto family moved to the Mile Four Line in McAllen, where their closest neighbors were over a mile away. On Saturday nights the family would practice the native drums and dance the native dances of their ancestors. Soto said their neighbors were philosophical about the drums, which carried through the wind. “Oh, the Sotos are on the warpath again,” they would tell anyone unfamiliar with the Saturday drums and dancing.” In 1971, Soto and his four brothers and sisters decided to hold family powwows to keep their culture alive for their children. In 1989, they decided to open the powwows to the public in the hope of creating an appreciation for their culture. Today, they travel all over the United States and have been to Europe to present the dances of their ancestors. Some dances are open to audience participation. The costumes worn by the Indians are very colorful and filled with symbolism. The 20th South Texas (Way South) Powwow has several events scheduled. Friday, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be a fun dance. Saturday will feature an exhibition dance from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the Gourd Dance from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the Grand Entry, where everyone is in costume will be held at 7 p.m. Native Americans of other tribes and other locations will be coming to join the South Texas Indian Dancers and participate in this special weekend of Native American dances. Other events occurring on Saturday include the mother-daughter singing duo, “Sayani,” who are Cherokees from Springtown. A Native American flute concert will be performed. Linda Walking Woman, a Lipan Apache, will act as storyteller. 
In addition to the dances there will be vendors from different areas who will sell items associated with the Native American culture. Items to be sold include American Indian jewelry, dream catchers, arts and crafts, and beads for making jewelry. The South Texas Indian Dancers hold two major powwows a year. The fall powwow coincides with the end of the harvest season while the spring powwow marked the beginning of the Apache New Year, which comes with the beginning of new life around March. The pride these dancers take in performing their native dances and sharing them with others to preserve their heritage is evident during the event. Make plans to attend and enjoy the pageantry of the Native American culture. Harlingen RGV Bird Festival coming Nov. 12-15
Since it began in 1994, the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival sponsored by the City of Harlingen has been a great success. The 16th annual RGV Bird Festival, which will take place Nov. 12-15, will be headquartered out of the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium, located at 1204 Fair Park Boulevard. The festival offers topnotch guides and instructors such as Jon Dunn, National Geographic Field Guide; Michael O’Brien and Kevin Karlson, The Shorebird Guide; and Don Kroodsma, Birdsong by the Seasons. Planned field trips include “Anzalduas County Park and Chihuahua Woods” ($45), to find hook-billed kite and gray hawk among others; “Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park,” ($45), to see Plain Chachalaca, Hook-billed Kite, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpecker; and a “Bird Banding Demonstration” at the private Los Ebanos Reserve ($35), to view the white-tipped dove, golden-fronted woodpecker and Great Kiskadee. The “Birding 101 Workshop” ($50), teaches the basics through classroom tips and a field trip led by Brad McKinney, author of A Birder’s Guide to the Rio Grande Valley. Look for green jays, Couch’s Kingbird and olive sparrow. Other trips include “Brownsville and the Audubon Sabal Palm Center” ($45), to view the least grebe, Aplomado falcon, and Cassin’s sparrow; the “King Ranch” ($75), to see Wild Turkey, Vermillion Flycatcher, and Sedge Wren. For a more active field trip, try “Canoe the Rio Grande” ($55), to view the green kingfisher, mottled duck and Altamira oriole before paddling down the river. Or “Cruise the Arroyo” ($55), on a double deck excursion boat to see reddish egret, green heron and green jay. “A River Pontoon and Quinta Mazatlan” ($55), takes visitors to see the river from the middle of the Rio Grande River to view Black Phoebe, Curve-billed Thrashers and Clay-colored Thrush. Visit the “Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge” ($45), to see the American White Pelican, Snowy and Piping Plovers and Groove-billed Ani, “Parrots of the Area” ($30), introduce local Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets; while “San Ygnacio and Zapata” ($60), introduces the Red-billed Pigeon, the Chihauhaun Raven and Bewich’s Wrens. “Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge” ($45), takes visitors to see Long-billed Dowitcher, and Ringed and Green Kingfishers; while “South Padre Island” ($60), introduces the Peregrine Falcon, Clapper Rall, American Oystercatcher and March Wren. 
A trip to the “Upper Rio Grande” ($50), heads for Salineno, Chapeno and Falcon Dam to see Scaled Quail, Cactus Wren, and Black-throated Sparrow while a visit to the “Valley Salt Lakes and Edinburg Scenic Wetlands”, ($45), offers Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Sandhill Crane. A visit to “Weslaco” ($35), offers opportunities to see Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Stilt Sandpiper and the Buff-bellied Hummingbird. Tour people’s backyards with “Wildscaping” ($35), to see the birds and butterflies they have attracted with native plants and water features. Or try Pelagic, ($150), for a chance at offshore birding for a change to see the yellow-nosed Albatross, Cory’s, Audubon’s Shearwaters or South Polar Skua. Participants could also see sea turtles, dolphin and other forms of marine life. A post-festival trip is planned to “El Cielo Biosphere Reserve” ($1,275), El Cielo’s 144,530-hectare reserve that is home of the Military Macaw, Ornate Hawk-Eagle and Great Curassow. A different part of the trip in a different habitat offers the White-crowned Parrot, Elegant Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot and Linneated Woodpecker. A fantastic array of butterflies will be thrown in for good measure. The RGV Birding Festival also offers many workshops including “eBird Workshop” ($5), that teaches about the Internet-based birding tool that provides a checklist built for birders by birders. “Bird Like The Experts” ($5), helps birders who have mastered the basics of bird identification but who would like to move on to the next level. “The Longest, The Wildest: The Great Texas Birding Classic” introduces the weeklong tournament sponsored by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory held each April. “Eavesdrop on Birds: A Listening Workshop” ($5), teaches how to unlock avian language secrets. “Tropical Topics: Northeast Mexico and Ecuador” ($5) talks about the avian treasures across the river and south to Ecuador, a country one-third the size of Texas that has up to 1,500 species of birds. “Birdsong by Season ($7) teaches how to identify the different bird sounds that come at different times of the year. “The Art of Illustration” ($5) has author and illustrator Ram Papish presenting his work on natural history subjects. “Valley Bird Songs” ($5) introduces the natural soundscape of the Lower Rio Grande Valley from the coos of the White-winged Dove to the scolding Green Jays. “The Great South Texas Birding Quiz Show” will be the Keynote program where birding trivia will be shared and questions asked. Speaker Jeffrey A. Gordon, authored 11 chapters of Identify Yourself: The 50 Most Common Birding Identification Challenges. For more information on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival call 1-800-531-7346 or 956-423-5440. Haunted house is scarier than ever in Harlingen
Remember the fun of the old haunted houses that the schools used to put on at Halloween every year? Haunted houses have come a long way since most Winter Texans were kids. For a fun and scary haunted house experience, there is no better place in the Valley than the Rotting Flesh Factory in Harlingen. John Cook, owner of the Rotting Flesh Factory in Harlingen, is a Halloween junkie. His mother took him to his first haunted house when he was two years old and he has loved them ever since. At the age of 15 he went to a haunted house for his birthday, which is October 30. His parents said it was “in his blood.” From the time he was 15 he worked in them. When he moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 1997, he realized there were no haunted houses of the quality he was used to seeing. So he decided to start his own. He opened his first one in Pharr in 2001 and his haunted house in Harlingen in 2005. Cook uses anatronic lights and other high technology such as LED shadow lighting to create a creepy effect unequaled by many haunted houses. He has canon shots and the sound of rifles and other sounds designed to scare the wits out of those who attend. He gets great pleasure out of hearing grown men scream. He feels he has done a good job when that happens. Unlike many other haunted houses, he uses live actors in unique ways. Many people do not realize a live person is there until the actor does something scary. He hires up to 35 people to work in his haunted house. The visitors do not realize what is coming until after it happens. The Rotting Flesh Factory has a number of different settings. His medical room has real medical equipment to make the scenes more realistic. The skulls in his hall of skulls appear to be moving. His electric chair looks real. The scenes in his kitchen, cabin, torture and clown room are graphic. In all, there are 18 different scary displays in the 7,400 square foot warehouse he rented. “You don’t see what is coming,” warns Cook. He cautions anyone who has a heart condition or who may have problems with flashing lights bringing on a seizure, to stay away. This haunted house is not for the faint of heart or those who are easily offended, he said. It’s mainly aimed at the teenage set who love a good scare, but any Winter Texans who are young at heart and fall in that category are welcome to come out and join in the thrills and chills.” Cook has arranged his displays so that they are located next to exits so that if anyone feels they have had enough scares, they can escape easily. The Rotting Flesh Factory will be open Oct. 22-25. The hours are from 8 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. The week of Halloween it will be open from Wednesday through Saturday. For those brave-hearted enough to try it, admission is $10. The Rotting Flesh Factory is located at 602 W. Van Buren. Parking is available nearby on the corner of “F” Street and Jackson Street. Port Isabel Shrimp Cook-off is Nov. 1The 16th annual World’s Championship Shrimp Cook-off will be held Sunday, Nov. 1 in Port Isabel. And each year it gets bigger and better than ever. This year 19 different businesses will be entering their favorite shrimp dish and competing to be named “People’s Choice.” The cook-off is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. so make plans to come out and take part in tasting the different ways the shrimp is prepared. This year booths will be set up in front of Sherman Williams and Beall’s across from the old Walmart parking lot. Admission to the cook-off is $4. Those who want to taste the shrimp will buy a roll of tickets valued at $1 each. Merchants will decide how much their entries will sell for… one ticket, two or more. This year there will be a shrimp-eating contest at 3:30 p.m. Contestants will have three minutes to eat as many boiled Gulf shrimp as possible. The winner will take home a trophy and bragging rights. There will be live music by the agency, games and activities of all kinds and vendors selling artworks, food, gifts and collectibles. Businesses competing for the coveted title of “People’s Choice” include, IBC, Amberjack, the Brownsville-South Padre Island Airport, Pirate’s Landing, Stone Court Café, Remax, Blue Marlin, Cuevas Trawlers, Dirty Al’s, Daddy’s Seafood, Big Donkey, Palm Street Pier, Capt. Roy’s, La Jaiba, Delicious Express, Brew Crew, Doubleday’s and Beatriz Zapata. The merchants are expecting a crowd as 3,000 people showed up last year for the event so come out and enjoy the fun. It will be one of the tastiest events of the year. IMAS presents ‘El Monte Del Valle’The International Museum of Art & Sciences is currently presenting “El Monte Del Valle: Images of South Texas,” a collection of over 250 images from the Valley Land Fund Wildlife Photo Contest VIII. The exhibit will continue through Nov. 29. The exhibit is designed to educate the community about the beautiful natural heritage and jeopardy of extinction these species of plants and animals face. The annual photo contest is a major fundraiser that helps to support the mission of Valley Land Fund to preserve, enhance, and expand the native wildlife habitat of the Rio Grande Valley. The images allow people to view nature with refreshed admiration, respect and compassion. IMAS is located at 1900 Nolana in McAllen. For information call (956) 682-0123 or go online to www.imas.org. |
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