News

See You In The Fall

Details: Published: Wednesday, 27 March 2019 10:56; Written by Jim Brunson

Fromthepublisher It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year already. We have had so much fun covering many of the activities and events for Winter Texans. Whether it’s Bean Bag Baseball at Country Sunshine, Donut Day at Bentsen Grove or the Rock ‘n Roll Jam at Green Gate Grove – and so many other activities held in the resorts – we’ve had a great time meeting you and covering some of your fun activities.

We’ve seen you at community events and festivals like the McAllen Holiday Parade, The Festival of Lights in Hidalgo, and the Texas Citrus Fiesta in in Mission. We’ve been right there with you when you enjoyed some great entertainment by the Wintertainers™ performing in your parks. Some of these included the Mollie B Show and Squeezebox Band, The Redhead Express, Rusty Rierson (Male Vocalist of the Year), Helen Russell & Company (Small Band of the Year), Spittin’ Image, Dave & Daphne (Entertainers of the Year) and many more.

We are happy that so many of you came out to the Valley Star Awards Show this year to see not only the awards being presented to the best of the best Wintertainers™ performing in the RGV this year, but to see live performance by many of your favorites and mine, including Rusty Rierson, Helen Russell & Co., Tavie Spivey and Shake, Rattle & Roll, Kai, Gene Turner (Mr. Pickpocket, Novelty Act of the Year) and the Williamson Branch. I’ve received many, many great comments from you, as you shared with me how much you enjoyed the show.

We are glad to see you are enjoying more new activities such as pickleball, RC (remote control car) racing and rock ‘n roll music in your parks. As some of you have told me, you’ll never be bored because there is always something going on in the parks – and in the community.

Thank you for choosing the Rio Grande Valley as your winter home. We know you chose us while there were certainly other options. It is so refreshing to hear how friendly the Valley people are – still, after all these years. I hope we never lose that.

Hopefully, you know how much you are appreciated when you come to Texas for the winter. Many of the cities here put on Winter Texan appreciation events, such as the Winter Texan Fiestas in Mission, Harlingen and Edinburg. You are important not only to our merchants and businesses, but you are a blessing to so many organizations through your community service and support. Many of you ladies make quilts and blankets for our hospitals, homeless shelters and our veterans. Just about every RV park has at least one park-wide charity fundraiser, helping out organizations like the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, the Vannie Cook Cancer Center, Ronald McDonald House and Children’s Haven International. We hear about so many different toy drives, meals, parties and other activities for the children during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays that we can’t keep up with them all.

That is what I appreciate most about Winter Texans. It’s who you are – the values you bring and your caring for others. You folks are simply good people. You bring such good things to the Valley and we would not be the same without you.
As this season closes and we look forward to you returning in the fall, we hope you will invite your friends and neighbors back home to come down and see what the Valley is all about. We want to thank all of you who have answered the call to become Winter Texan Ambassadors this year, sharing the good news with your friends and family.

With all the “bad news” about the violence in Mexico, some folks up north are afraid to come to South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. But, as you obviously know, it is very safe here in the Valley. In fact, with thousands of additional law enforcement and Border Patrol personnel now assigned to the Rio Grande Valley area, officials say it’s safer than ever before.

So, we hope you’ll share the message with everyone back home. Tell them what a great time you had here this season, how wonderful the warm weather is and how affordable it is to stay in the Rio Grande Valley.

Ambassadors Wanted

Getting out and doing all the interesting things you can do in the “winter” in the RGV is always more fun when you do it with friends. So, we invite you to become a Winter Texan Ambassador and help bring more people down to enjoy our South Texas hospitality.

If you haven’t already “enlisted” in the cause, just pick up some extra copies of the Winter Texan Times so you can share them with your friends up north.

Thanks again for coming! We will surely miss you this summer and look forward to your return. Have a wonderful summer with your family and friends.

Canada vs USA All-Star games close out season

Details: Published: Wednesday, 20 March 2019 11:03; Written by Henry Miller

League Commissioner Ed Martens retires – maybe

It was only fitting that the sun came out at Westside Park during the annual Senior Texan Softball All-Star Games.

Not only did it shine, but it seemed to shine even a little brighter around Ed Martens. Martens, from Minnesota, is the father – the creator – of the Senior Texan Softball League and All-Star Game. The players call him “Commissioner.” He has worked (even though he's retired) endlessly during those two-plus decades, promoting a sport he loves, a game he's played for decades.

But this is his last year – oh, he'll still be around (there's no way you can tear him away from a passion that is as close to him as his own skin) but more in an advisory role, so he says.

20190320 Baseball Marten IMG 4223 He's 86 years old now and uses a softball bat to help him walk on a gimp ankle that he said he may have to go home to Minnesota early to have taken care of. He played softball for 28 years back home, until he needed a new shoulder; he also played until about two or three years ago in the Valley, the shoulder again giving him problems.

But Martens is more than a softball player, he's softball personified – from playing to coordinating to making sure everything is done. He said his floor at home in his Winter Texan park's RV is covered with papers, all softball related. His phone rings endlessly with questions about the teams and league.

Two games took place this year at Westside Park and the annual Canada vs USA friendly contests were dominated by the Canadian teams. They won the first game, a more competitive game, 8-6 and rolled in the latter game “something like 13-2,” Martens said. “But they are both just friendly games. There were even three guys from the U.S. in the first game on the Canada side. It's all about being able to play and having fun.”

Easy plays were fumbled, tough plays were made and Canada fans heavily outweighed USA fans, donning the maple-leaf flag. However, many fans were fans of both, enjoying hot dogs, laughing at the silliness some plays turned into and, cheering for the success of both teams.

All this lies on the shoulders of Martens, who was asked those 25 years ago to help start a league – and he took it to heart. Yet, he never takes credit for the big role he plays in putting the league together.

He said last week's event seemed a little strange.

20190320 Baseball IMG 3958 “It's the last one,” he said, his eyes never leaving the field as he watched the two teams battle it out. “I'll help out a little with the Monday/Wednesday group and build that and get more players and we'll start the league in November.”

He has plans, however, plans to do things he hasn't done with regularity for some time.

“I want to start biking more, I like that,” he said. “And we have two pools at the park, and I'll go to South Padre or San Antonio for a week maybe here and there if I just want to get away. The guys who will run the committee for the softball league are very capable and will be able to handle it.

“I'm not going to interfere – but if they need my advice, they can always call on me.”

Still, everyone who knows Ed knows that softball will be within a softball bat's reach from him. He's already devising a plan to get more softball players next year – hit 'em up early.

20190320 Baseball IMG 4106 “I’m in an RV park that has probably 80 activities or more,” he said. “Pickleball is incredibly popular and now there’s beanbag baseball, and darts are getting very popular again and they don't have to leave the park to have this competition.

“So we're going to try to get them as soon as they get to the Valley. Maybe we can gain some interest before they settle and commit to a certain routine.”

Many of the players have been involved with the league and have played several times in the all-star game. Ken Subbert, of Iowa, said he enjoys playing not only because of the camaraderie but also because it provides him some exercise. He made some good plays for the U.S. in the second game.

Cindy Ellis, who stays at Wagon City South, was there to watch and support two players – one from each team. She said not only does she enjoy watching the games but it's yet another fun event to spend time with friends and make new ones. “It's always different, every year,” she said. “But everyone has a good time – plus we're not back home where it's still terribly cold and snowing.”

20190320 Baseball IMG 4190 Temperatures reached the low 80s on this day – a near perfect day for softball. Meanwhile, back in St. Paul, Minn., the high was 38 and the low was 15. On March 2 in Denver, the high was 6 and the low was -6, making it the coldest March day in Denver since March 12, 1880. Nearly everyone we asked wasn't in any rush to head back north, many saying they would return in mid-April.

Martens remembers playing South Texas softball before the Senior Texan League was established. Only three parks were playing then, he said – Tip 'O Texas, Tropic Star and Bentsen Grove. That's when he took over and opened it for everyone.

“We had players coming from Edinburg, La Joya, Mission and even Harlingen,” he said. “Now we're hoping to get five teams for the league next year. It's funny, during all these years, all the people have been nothing but nice. I've put a lot of time in it and never really had a problem with any of them.

“I'm going to miss that contact with them.”