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Published: Wednesday, 06 November 2019 15:30
The Rio Grande Valley Aviation and Transportation Museum is ready for the public. Located within the Port Isabel Cameron County Airport, it is on Veterans Drive, two miles north of FM 510, and off of Buena Vista Blvd.
World War Two exhibits include many artifacts donated by local families. Among the more notable is an Amateur Radio Operator’s logbook, Morse Code keying device, and earphone set. Amateur Radio Operator, John Paul Jones from Brownsville, was the first person in the Rio Grande Valley to learn about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which precipitated the United States entry into World War Two. His logbook notates the time he was in communication with a fellow radio operator from Hawaii and during the attack. His logbook also notates the time the Federal Communications Commission instructed amateur radio operators to clear the air waves for a national emergency, December 7, 1941, “A Day that Will Live in Infamy”.
Tentative hours of operation are Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guided tours for groups of five or more are welcome by appointment anytime by calling David Christopher at 970-397-4604. Tentative hours of operation beginning today, November 6, are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Weather permitting and crew availability one of the Museum’s planes will be flown during the tour. Plane rides are available for a $250 donation. We are a 501c3, not for profit organization. If you would like more information about the CAF please call Tom Santos at 956-579-2611 or email tes2ces@yahoo.com
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Published: Wednesday, 06 November 2019 15:00
As we celebrate Veterans Day this weekend, we here at the Winter Texan Times, want to give a big Thank You to all who have served in the United States armed forces. Thank you for your dedication, patriotism and the sacrifices you have made to defend America and preserve the freedoms we all enjoy today, and every day. You deserve our respect and honor.
In honor of Veterans Day, many cities and organizations are honoring Veterans in their communities. These events are open to the public.
The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VCB) is scheduled to host the Pre-Veterans Day Hotdog BBQ on Thursday, November 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the McAllen VA Outpatient Clinic, 901 East Hackberry Ave.
Lyford CISD will pay tribute to the Nation’s Veterans at their 31st Annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, November 8 at 9:30 a.m. The event will be held at the Bulldog Stadium, 8204 Simon Gomez Rd. The ceremony will honor local heroes and their families from across the Rio Grande Valley and Texas.
The City of Mission will hold a Flag Laying Ceremony at 4 p.m. on Monday, November 8, at the RGV State Veterans Cemetery, 2520 Inspiration Rd. Call (956) 583-7227 for more information. The city, in conjunction with 5X5 Brewing and Texas Citrus Fiesta, will have events throughout the weekend honoring Veterans including a parade, chili cook-off, a golf tournament, and entertainment. More details are in the full story in this week’s edition or you can go online to missionvet.com.
The VCB will also host a Veterans Day Celebration on Friday, November 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Harlingen VA Outpatient Clinic, 2106 Treasure Hills Blvd. The event will feature food, a raffle, car show and benefits fair.
On Saturday, November 9, join the City of South Padre Island, the Southernmost point on the Purple Heart Trail, for a weekend filled with family-friendly events to honor and celebrate our Veterans. The day’s events begin with a SPI Beach 13.1 Relay and 5K at Isla Blanca Park. A Veterans Day City program will be held at the SPI Convention Center starting at 11 a.m. along with a Food Truck Festival at 12 p.m. There will be a La Mafia Concert at the Cameron County Amphiteater (Isla Blanca Park) at 4 p.m.
The American Legion Family Post 172, Mercedes ISD and the City of Mercedes are sponsoring an Annual Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, November 9 at 10 a.m. The parade will begin at the corner of 6th St. and Texas and end at the Mercedes Livestock Show Grounds.
A Veteran’s Day Parade will be held Saturday, November 9, in the City of Edinburg. The parade will begin at Richard R. Flores Stadium, 1800 S. Stadium Dr., and run through Closner & Kuhn St. Set up begins at 8 am, parade begins at 10 a.m. For more information, contact (956) 383-6246.
The Third Annual Military Ball will be held Sunday, November 10, at Isla Grand Beach Resort, 500 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island. The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. The event will feature a dinner, dance and door prizes. Marines will perform the traditional cak cutting ceremony. Tickets can be purchased by going to their website at https://sotxmilitaryball.com/.
The City of San Benito is having a Veteran’s Day community-wide march downtown San Benito beginning at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, November 11. The event will end with a ceremony at 9 a.m. at the San Benito Veterans War Memorial, 2115 North Oscar Williams Road.
A Veteran’s Day Ceremony will be held Monday, November 11, in Alamo at the Veteran’s Memorial Park, 311 N. Alamo Rd. The event will begin at 9 a.m.
Veterans Day will be celebrated on Monday, November 11 at 9:30 a.m. at the Veterans War Memorial of Texas, 29th St. and Col. Plummer Dr. The event will start with the beautiful voices of the McAllen High School band and choir. First Sgt. Christina Wilson will be speaking to guests from Afghanistan. The band and choir will perform the beautiful hymn The Battle of the Republic. This beautiful and inspiring song will be followed by the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Regiment, (USA) and its members. The medal will be presented to Myriam Morales Klusmann, for her brother Jose who was killed in Korea. Master Sergeant Daniel Jaime, Purple Heart recipient, will also be recognized with this medal. Keynote speaker will be U.S. Congressman Vincente Gonzalez, District 15. While you are at the Memorial, visit the 15 new walls which will be the children’s Plaza of History stories. They will be engraved in granite. These stories will be authored by school children and form the basis for the new “Children’s Library of American History Stories.” For further information please call Col. Frank Plummer at (956) 631-2511 or Jan Hartzog at (956) 585-1312.
The McAllen Wind Ensemble will open their season Tuesday, November 12, with a veteran’s tribute titled “America,” at 7:30 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Center. All veterans, current service members, and first responders are invited to be guests of the McAllen Wind Ensemble with free admission to the concert. Special guests will include the Sweet Adelines. The performing arts center is located at 801 Convention, C St. Go to http://www.mcallentownband.org/all-events/ for more information and to purchase tickets.
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Published: Wednesday, 06 November 2019 13:33
Each year, thousands of people unite to commemorate Veterans Day, a holiday that honors all those who have served the country in war or peace — dead or alive — although it is largely intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices. This year, the City of Mission is honoring local military heroes with its weekend-long Mission Veterans Festival, “Our Mission is Service,” beginning Friday, November 8, with a flag-laying ceremony at the RGV State Veterans Ceremony, 2520 Inspiration Rd, in Mission.
“Veterans Day is not just a chance to enjoy an extra day off from work or school. We want to make sure our community recognizes its true purpose,” Mayor Dr. Armando O’Caña said. “We must acknowledge the men and women who have served in our armed forces and we’re hoping that some World War II and Korean War veterans join us. We need our citizens to come out and wear their red, white and blue, bring the family and honor our heroes with this exciting new event.”
On Saturday, November 9, the full-day celebration kicks off with the Saluting Our Veterans Cook-Off from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the CEED Building, Bryan Rd. and Bus. 83. There will be live music, food vendors and more. A fair with vendors will also take place at the City of Mission Parks and Recreation building next door to the CEED Building, from 5 to 8 p.m.
The day will continue with the Mission Veterans Day Parade at 3 p.m. The procession will begin at Leo Peña Placita Park, runs east on Business-83 to Bryan Road and end at the CEED building.
The festive parade will showcase floats, RGV veterans, military vehicles, festooned golf carts and local marching bands. A military flyover is also scheduled for the parade. The procession is expected to wrap up by 5 p.m.
Community members can then take part in the Mission Veterans Day Festival from 5 p.m. until midnight outside the CEED building in conjunction with the 5x5 Brewing Company. There will be plenty of family-friendly entertainment including live local music performances. Taste-tempting delights will be available for purchase from several food trucks and food vendors. Military vehicles are being sought for display at the festival. In addition, veterans’ organizations will be on hand to promote military services and government resources available to veterans.
“We will also be having a chili cook-off at 5x5 on Sunday between five veteran teams to include the army, marine corps, navy, air force and the coast guard,” Sean Downey, Brand Manager of the 5x5 Brewing Company said. “The winner will be decided by the people’s choice so it should be a good showdown.”
The Chili Cook-Off will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 10 at 5x5 Brewing. The cook-off will be between five veteran teams competing for bragging right on the best chili in the US military. Teams competing will be from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
A Cars and Stripes Car Show will also take place on Sunday from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Setup will start at 12 p.m. Rewards will be given at 6 p.m. for best overall, best Veteran entry, best car, best truck and best motorcycle. Sunday events will benefit Sand Devils MC and American Legion.
The celebration recognizing military men and women will continue Monday, November 11 at 8 a.m. with a golf tournament at Shary Municipal Golf Course. The tournament be free for all veterans. Ready Tee Golf has teamed up with the City of Mission for the first-of-its-kind Veterans Day Golf Tournament. The “Fairway to Freedom” is a 3-man Florida scramble. It will be a fun filled day with food, beverages, door prizes and comrades.
“We want this weekend to lead into Veterans Day and for our men and women in uniform, past, present, and future, to know that we cannot thank them enough,” Mayor O’Caña said.
Full information can be found online at missionvetfest.com.
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Published: Wednesday, 06 November 2019 11:20
The mission of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is to keep the planes from WWII flying. What started with one plane has grown not only into a mission to save the planes from the era, but to also keep them in their natural habitat – in the air.
More than 11,000 volunteers work to keep the airplanes flying so generations can “see, hear, feel, and experience the power and majesty of these aircraft in operation.” The CAF goal is to keep these airplanes alive to “tell the story of the greatest generation.”
Read more: The Mission: To keep the planes flying
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Published: Wednesday, 06 November 2019 00:00
It's Texas brag time! Once we could brag that we were the largest state in the Union, but not anymore. Even so, we can still brag, for surely that is what Texans do best. The "brag" this time is that south Texas has the largest ranch in Texas ... the famous King Ranch.
Read more: King Ranch holds their Ranch Hand Breakfast
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Published: Thursday, 31 October 2019 00:00
Community being asked to curb illegal dumping
The City of Mission is taking a proactive stance and enlisting help from the community to curb illegal dumping. Illegal dumping is dumping of any waste, whether it is oil, furniture, appliances, trash, or landscaping cuttings, upon any public right-of-way, city property or private property, without consent of the owner.
“With the residential growth and tourism in Mission, we are particularly focused on keeping our city looking nice for both our residents and guests. We want to tackle the issue of illegal dumping,” Councilman Ruben Plata said. “We want our city to be an inviting environment and everyone should do their part. By teaming up with our community, we can make it happen.”
The Code Enforcement Department with the assistance of the Mission Police Department is patrolling neighborhoods daily to deter illegal dumping and investigate citizen complaints. Community help is also essential to catching and preventing illegal dumping.
“We want to engage our residents to help us find the people who are violating our city ordinance,” Planning and Zoning Director, Jaime Acevedo said. “They are our eyes and ears and it helps tremendously when we receive community support to catch people that are illegally dumping debris.”
While trash piles can be a real eyesore throughout the city, Mission’s code enforcement officers say there are bigger issues at hand.
“We have trash and tires that are dumped, and if we get rain, those tires fill up with water, and then you get mosquitoes. It’s a domino effect,” Acevedo said. “Working together with our citizens, we can keep our city clean and this helps us to reduce the cost of additional manpower for prevention and cleanup.”
Illegal dumpers face fines of up to $2,000 for avoiding proper disposal. If anyone sees illegal dumping, they are urged to call the City of Mission Code Enforcement Department.
If you observe someone in the act of dumping illegally, please take down the following information if it is safe to do so:
• Date, time and location of incident
• Description of vehicle and license plate number – (Photos optional)
• What items/materials were being dumped – (Photos optional)
• Description of person(s) dumping
• Any other information that may be useful in identifying the violators.
With adequate information, the City will investigate and pursue criminal charges against identified violators. Callers may choose to remain anonymous.
To report illegal dumping please call 956.580.8697.
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Published: Wednesday, 30 October 2019 11:00
The South Texas Historical Association (STHA) will hold a two-day symposium this week. The symposium will feature exhibits, history related presentations and talks, and more.
Part of the international flavor at the upcoming South Texas Historical Association (STHA) Nov. 1-2 Symposium in Alamo is Octavio Herrera Perez from the University of Tamaulipas, Mexico. He will be speaking on “The Low Rio Bravo or Grande del Norte in the Historical Memory of an International Region” at 10:15 a.m. on the symposium’s opening day.
Perez will be followed by George Diaz from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley discussing “Border Contraband.” In the afternoon that Friday, Alberto Rodriguez from Texas A&M Kingsville, has a talk titled “Performing Blackness in Mexico and the Borderlands: 1920-2000s”
Other topics related to South Texas’s heritage include the 1933 Rio Grande hurricane, Civil War General Philip Sheridan’s time on the border, descendants of founding families in the RGV, several other family histories and the background of the settling of the Alamo area. These speakers and others come from Texas A&M College Station, Texas State Historical Association, American Society of Sugarcane Technologies, RGV Hispanic Genealogical Society/Cameron County Historical Commission, Alamo Museum, independent scholars, regional historians and a retired CIA official.
The symposium will be preceded by a 6:30 p.m. reception Thursday, Oct. 31 at the Alamo Museum, 130 South Eighth St., a time to meet and greet speakers. Presentation of a patriotic quilt to a U.S. service veteran is also planned in coordination with a veteran’s exhibit.
The symposium, which is free, except for the $10 lunch each day, begins with a welcome at 9 a.m. Nov. 1 at Bowie Parental Engagement School on Bowie Avenue in Alamo. Emilio Zamora, president of STHA will be part of the welcoming portion along with Alamo Mayor Diana Martinez, Carroll Brinchfield, of STHA, Idolina Vela, president of the Friends of Alamo Museum, and Alejandro Oyoque, museum curator and director.
In addition to the 30-minute history presentations each day, there will be exhibits in one of the classrooms that include model railroading, a Native American arrowhead collection, and Valley baseball. Posters from a middle school contest on South Texas history will be on display, with the winner to be featured on the cover of the STHA’s biannual academic journal. Vendors also will have displays and a STHA silent auction will be conducted.
The symposium is one of two held annually as part of the STHA’s 65-year effort to collect, preserve and disseminate historical records and data related to South Texas along with added emphasis on the Tamaulipan background and the colony of Nuevo Santander. This is the first two-day event in STHA history.
For more information, call 956-961-4398 or stop in at the museum on Eighth Street.
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Published: Wednesday, 30 October 2019 10:30
While Halloween is thought to be just for kids, there are often activities for adults too. Most of the events in the Rio Grande Valley are geared toward families and children, but there are some that everyone can take part in. Some of the Winter Texan parks have their own events as well. Here are a few outside of the parks that we adults can enjoy.
The City of Pharr is having a Nightmare on Fir Street tonight from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Pharr Aquatic Center, 1000 S. Fir St. Your choice of dressing up for the event, it features Halloween themed activities, a haunted house, and of course candy. They will also be holding a canned food drive, so bringing a non-perishable canned item is encouraged.
The Gladys Porter Zoo always holds their Boo at the Zoo. The last two nights of this event are tonight and tomorrow, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $2.50 per person, free for zoo members. The event boasts a spooky good time including trick or treating, carnival-style games and more.
Hidalgo will have a Dia de los Muertos Halloween Fiesta on October 31 with a parade beginning at 6 p.m., a movie at 8 p.m. and a haunted house will be available the entire evening. The event will be located at Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum and World Birding Center, 902 S. 2nd St.
A Dia de los Muertos Procession will be held in Brownsville on November 1 at 6 p.m. The events will continue through November 2 at 10 p.m. Location for the main events is Carlotta K. Petrina Cultural Center at 1452 E. Madison St. The procession will take place from the historical cemetery and will include the market square, Brownsville Performing Arts Academy and the Cultural Center.
The International Museum of Fine Arts will be holding their A Dia de los Muertos Festival on November 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On exhibit will be community altars honoring humanitarian leaders who inspire the RGV community and beyond. For extra fees, visitors can decorate a sugar skull. There is a schedule of events throughout the day that include a Catrina contest, a performance by the UTRGV Ballet Folklorico, story times, crafts, games, vendor market, food trucks, and a lecture titled Mexico, Bones and Life. For more information visit their website at theimasonline.org.
The Museum of South Texas History will have an event on November 2 from 4 to 10 p.m. The museum will celebrate and commemorate the traditions of religious and spiritual worship. There will be an altar exhibit featuring 11 altars intended to tell stories, share memories and honor the lives of the dearly departed. The exhibit will be on display through November 17.
A Mystery Altar will feature vintage photographs of unidentified people from the photograph location in the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives. The altar will honor the nameless and carry a preservation message about the importance of documenting family photographs. Another altar, located in the Grand Lobby, constructed by CISD Longoria Middle School art students, will honor the legendary Rogelio Botello Rios, radio and television personality who passed away in 2017.
The event is included with museum admission. The museum is located at 200 N. Closner Blvd. in Edinburg.
We are sure this is not a complete list of Halloween events in the area. Look at your city websites and the museums close to you to see if they are holding something closer to you.
