Winter Texan Times

Quilt Show fundraises for local organizations

20230118 Mercedes Matrix Quilt Show web Save the date for the Llano Grande Quilting Bee’s Annual Quilt Show, Mercedes Mineral Matrix, to be held Tuesday, January 31st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Llano Event Center, 2215 East West Blvd (off Mile 2 West) in Mercedes.

The Bee is selling raffle tickets for their Opportunity Quilt that is a 102” x 102” Matrix of creams, browns, and blues with wool batting. Proceeds from the quilt show help to fund community service projects such as military service quilts to local veterans, baby quilts for Child Protective Services, and lap quilts that are distributed to local hospitals and medical facilities. Tickets will be available for purchase at the quilt show and you do not need to be present to win.

Lunar New Year Festival at IMAS

20230118 IMAS LNY games 2019 web Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at the International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) on Sunday, January 29, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The 11th annual Lunar New Year Festival will feature traditional Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese crafts, games, and more.

Special performances and activities are scheduled throughout the event for visitors to soak in the cultural celebration that welcomes the arrival of Spring. The community can tap their feet to K-pop dancing by Illusion Dance Team, and “K-Stars” featuring Echo Effect and Levanter Dance Team. Enjoy the sounds of the Lord’s Church McAllen Choir and musical pieces by local violist Young Sin Choi. UTRGV Korean Language students will perform a traditional samulnori,(percussion), poetry reading, and singing. Lastly, Torres Taekwondo Academy will showcase martial arts with a lively demonstration.

VMHS VITA program opens doors to the community

Veterans Memorial High School Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) students are offering local families the preparation of their 2023 income tax return. This is a free service available for families that have a household income of $60,000 or less annually.

Ralph Kuster has new Neil Diamond Tribute Show

By Kathy Olivarez

For those who loved the music of Neal Diamond during their youth, singer Ralph Kuster has put together a show featuring the best of Diamond’s music from his many albums such as “Cracklin’ Rosie,” which tells the story of two fellows sharing bottle of a cheap wine and lamenting their lost loves.

Goldwing Express returns to Valley

By Kathy Olivarez

For the first time since covid hit the Valley, the very popular group, Goldwing Express has returned to perform. The group consists of Irishman, Bobby Baldridge, who was referred to in the show as Pop, or, “white man,” and two of his three Indian sons, Steven and Paul, who towered over him. Shawn, a former favorite with crowds, was unable to come.

Winter Texan Times: Looking back 35 years

My how the world has changed

How many of you remember using a computer for the first time?

In our looking back to our previous issues, and our first season of the Winter Texan Times, we see when our writer Virginia Sunderman first used a computer to write an article for submission. It was printed in the January 15, 1988, issue of the Winter Texan Times.

She writes, “This is my first attempt at using a computer to write an article. I am using a computer at the Speer Memorial Library in Mission. The use of the computer is just one of the many advantages the library has to offer the public.”

SPI Market Days next week

South Padre Island Market Days returns to the Island next week. The event will be held at the South Padre Island Convention Center January 20 through 22. They will also have an event in February from the 24th through the 26th.

Both events will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event is open to the public. There is an entrance fee of $1.