Winter Texan Times

McAllen CarFest a success

By Anastasia Brunson

The 11th Annual McAllen International CarFest was held this past Saturday, February 27th, at the McAllen Convention Center. On arrival, the senses were greeted by live music that echoed through the venue and the smells of funnel cakes and spiropapas. An area was gated off with marked entry and exit points making it easy for people to navigate and walk around the circular enclosure that had multiple lines of cars, as well as various vendors selling both refreshments and handmade items. Gratefully the weather was pleasantly cloudy and breezy, making this outdoor event a comfortable one.

Lighthouse is open

PI Lighthouse The historic Port Isabel Lighthouse has reopened to the public.

Weather permitting, hours of operation will be Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last ticket sold at 3:30 p.m. Tickets may only be purchased at the Keeper’s Cottage Visitors Center with a credit or debit card. COVID-19 restrictions apply.

Tours of the Lighthouse will be self-guided and will be limited to 15 minutes. Groups no larger than six persons may tour at one time. Masks required. Hand sanitizer will be available at the Lighthouse and all ticket holders are advised to sanitize their hands before and after the tour.

The park at the Lighthouse is open to the public. The Keeper’s Cottage Visitors Center/Chamber of Commerce is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Humane Society hosts kitten shower

cat lying 600px The Humane Society of Harlingen will be hosting a drive-thru kitten shower to prepare for the upcoming kitten season on Sunday, March 7th from 9 a.m. to noon.

With kitten season just around the corner and thousands of furry bundles of joy on the way, HSH is asking for the community's help to ensure that they have all the necessary supplies to give each of them the best quality care before adoption.

Ocelot Festival this weekend

Ocelot4 600px The 2021 Virtual Ocelot Festival will be held this weekend, Friday, March 5, through Sunday, March 7. The event will feature an auction, a series of speakers, a month-long virtual run event and more. The festival is brought to you by Viva the Ocelot, Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

Aid available for winter damages

Texas homeowners and renters in the 77 counties designated for individual assistance who sustained damage may now apply for disaster assistance with FEMA.

If you have insurance and are applying for disaster assistance, you must also file a claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. By law, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If insurance does not cover all your damage, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

R/C racing reminiscent of NASCAR

20210227 Alamo Rec RC Open House Henry IMG 3526 600px “No, no he didn’t slam you, he didn’t bump you, he didn’t nudge you… he rubbed you. And rubbin’ son is racin’.” -- Robert Duvall as Harry Hoggie in the hit movie “Days of Thunder.”

Cars blazed down the front-stretch, at one point hitting three and four wide on the cement track similar to the NASCAR venue in Dover, Delaware. The biggest difference here, however, was that sometimes when the cars were three and four wide, they weren’t all going in the same direction.

March 3, 2021 - On The Road

WEB On The Road Header 600px We survived! We survived that record breaking freeze. It was no fun, but sometimes difficulties - and we had plenty of those - will bring out the best in all of us. Wonderful stories were circulating of neighbors helping neighbors, sharing their homes, taking over hot meals, crawling under houses to fix broken pipes, making room by pulling out air mattresses and extra blankets. One family had seven grandchildren for a three-night slumber party. Must have been a little challenging for the grandparents but just imagine what a good time those children had. It will be an experience they will remember forever. Best of all, the experience will influence them to share their love and their blessings when some emergency occurs later in their own lives.