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Annual Golden Age Olympics is underway

20190123 GAO Bird a thon HMoering 1169 PRINTThe 44th Annual Golden Age Olympics is underway under the guidance of McAllen Parks and Recreation Department. The event started in 1983 with competition in three events and has grown to include over 30 events. Competition is limited to men and women over the age of 50.

The Golden Age Olympics includes a wide range of competitive events for seniors, including shuffleboard, billiards, poker, hearts, bowling, bridge, bike tours, bingo, pickleball, painting, volleyball, table tennis, jigsaw puzzles, bean bag toss, race walk, and a few others. Different events are offered each week now through February 24.

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Winter Texans’ focus on children offers surprising benefits

aLand Diane carrying 2 balls USE PRINTBy Barb Zanetti
Photos by Dennis Zanetti

For a second year Winter Texans from Alamo Palms RV Resort and Alamo Rec-Veh Park helped Roy Landa, owner of The Landmark on Tower, decorate his half-a- football-sized courtyard, as well as distribute toys to hundreds of children Thursday, December 21.

What emerged was a community event that did much more than add a brightly lit and festive holiday atmosphere meant to put smiles on children’s faces.

According to The Landmark owner, it wasn’t the children who benefited most from the hours invested by Winter Texans. He felt he was the one who enjoyed it most of all, and perhaps the Winter Texans themselves did, too.

“A lot of you all were strangers to each other, but you all have that sense of community,” he said. “It’s the way I grew up, too. I see that in the Winter Texans … where you work in such a close-knit community that when you see projects – especially for holiday events – it’s a sense of family, of community, even if you don’t know each other.”

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How a South Texas educator transformed the Chicano Movement

MOTSH ThomasRayGarcia Headshot PRINTThe Museum of South Texas History will host Aurelio Manuel Montemayor and Thomas Ray García during the Sunday Speaker Series presentation, “How a South Texas educator transformed the Chicano movement,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, January 14.

Montemayor and García will present on their historical memoir, “El Curso de la Raza: The Education of Aurelio Manuel Montemayor.” The authors will share the historical context behind the South Texas Chicano Movement, including first-hand accounts from Montemayor. Key events include the founding of El Curso de la Raza, the founding and the fall of the Colegio Jacinto Treviño, and the role of the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA). The authors will also share insights into the writing process for the book and what they hope 21st century readers will take away from Montemayor’s story as an educator-turned-activist.

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Retired Nurses Luncheon will be held January 30

20230118 Nurses luncheon webThe Annual Retired Nurses’ Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, January 30. All retired RNs and LPNs in the Rio Grande Valley are invited. The event will be held at Peter Piper Pizza, 3101 E. Expressway 83, in Weslaco (exit International Blvd./FM 1015, north side of the expressway). Check-in is at 12:30 p.m. with lunch following at 1 p.m. There will be a buffet lunch that includes pizza, breadsticks, salad bar, dessert, and a beverage. A social, announcements and doors prizes will follow. No reservations are required. For more information, call or text Jan Bergman at (956) 532-1223.

MHM holds lecture series presentation

The Mission Historical Museum Lecture Series presents: Sifting through South Texas Ancient History Stone Tools and Archaeology by F. Nick Morales. Presented on Saturday, January 13 at 11 a.m., admission is free to the public. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

The presentation centers on how geology influenced the manufacturing of lithic tools in South Texas and Northern Mexico and how they are identified and used. Critical to this task will include archaeological methods employed in the collection and documentation of artifacts. Additional information will be presented regarding the Ancients that lived in this area.

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VA holds free drive-thru food pantries

McAllen20Food20Distribution PRINTLocal Veterans Affair offices will be holding drive-thru food panties. On Thursday, January 18, there will be a drive-thru pantry at the McAllen VA Clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or while supplies last. The Clinic is located at 901 E. Hackberry Ave.

On Thursday, February 22, from 9 to 11 a.m., or while supplies last, there will be a drive-thru pantry at the Harlingen Health Care Clinic located at 2601 Veterans Drive.

Veterans must be enrolled in health care at the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System and present a valid VA identification card to confirm their Veteran status.

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Edinburg calls for nominations

Do you know someone who has made a lasting impact in Edinburg? The City of Edinburg is asking its residents to nominate an individual of “extraordinary public service or exemplary contribution” ahead of the ‘Hometown of Heroes’ Half-Marathon, set for March 3, 2024

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Five day Pickleball event planned

20200213 Casa Del Valle Pickleball Ribbon Cutting DAB 0021 webPickleball is a growing sport, not just nationally, but also in the Rio Grande Valley. Pickleball is a sport similar to tennis, but the court is only half the size and a whiffle ball reduces the speed a bit in the back-and-forth volleying.

The growth of pickleball is evident by how many city parks and recreation departments have pickleball courts, or are in the works of getting some in. If you look online, you can also find many Rio Grande Valley pickleball groups that have regular games.

When we covered a pickleball event in 2019, one Winter Texan said it’s the perfect game for retirees because of its combination of learning a new skill, getting good exercise, and the social aspect of meeting new people. The attraction, he said, over tennis is less movement is required, and the cost is minimal to play.

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Ron Hoover hosts annual open house

20220113 Ron Hoover Open House HMoering DSC 0920 webRon Hoover will host their 17th Annual Open House next week, Thursday, January 11 and Friday, January 12. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. The annual open house has become a popular event in the Rio Grande Valley, drawing thousands of people each year.

Dustin Hoover said the cool thing about this event is that it’s the largest attended dealer open house in the nation, in the RV or marine industries. Previous events have seen as many as 10,000 people come through the doors.

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Farmers Market debuts in Mission This weekend

New Farmers Market in Mission webBuena Vida 77 Farmer’s Market will debut this weekend on Sunday, January 7, at Bannworth Park Pavilion in Mission. The market will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and will continue every Sunday thereafter. Bannworth Park is located at 1822 N. Shary Rd.

While many vendors have already registered, there is still an opportunity for interested vendors to join. The market aspires to grow continuously, welcoming vendors at any time. More importantly, community members are urged to attend and demonstrate support – admission is free.

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Toss your Christmas tree and go green

20231127 Tree Farm MM 257 Texas AM AgriLife photo by Michael Miller webAs the holiday season winds down, the City of Edinburg invites residents to join in the environmentally friendly tradition of recycling Christmas trees. The Tree Recycling Program encourages residents to transform their festive evergreens into valuable mulch at designated drop-off locations.

Starting January 1 through January 26, residents can drop off their bare Christmas trees at the following locations: Resource Recovery Center, 3102 S. Business 281; Edinburg Regional Landfill, 8601 N. Jasman Rd.; and Edinburg Nature Trail Park, 1300 N. Doolittle Rd.

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RGVHS to relocate

This holiday season has arrived with many surprises and unexpected changes for the Rio Grande Valley Humane Society (RGVHS). The Harlingen shelter will be going through a transition period in the weeks to come.

The City of Harlingen will no longer be in partnership with the Rio Grande Valley Humane Society. 

The RGVHS at Harlingen will relocate to 2729 N Expressway 77, Harlingen. This new location will host RGVHS’ low-cost community clinics, spay/neuter clinics and be the main location for our Harlingen foster programs.

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VA improves healthcare access

Veterans living in the Rio Grande Valley/Costal Bend Area, who need transportation to and from medical appointments, now can get a ride via VA Uber Health Connect.

"The VA Uber Health Connect Initiative bridges the transportation gap by ensuring Veterans have reliable transportation for their health care needs,” said National Lead of VA Uber Health Connect Indra Sandal, Ph.D. “By offering ridesharing as an additional means of transportation, VA is helping Veterans access the best and soonest possible care — while still achieving cost savings.”

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McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Run right around the corner

In exactly one month, McAllen will see thousands of runners take to the streets for the McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Run, taking place on Saturday, January 20, 2024. All races, including the marathon, half-marathon, relay marathon, 10K, 5K and Kids Final Mile will be held that day, starting from the McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd., with runs starting at 7 a.m.

Anyone wanting to participate in this Boston Marathon qualifier should register online now and up until January 19, by visiting www.mcallenmarathon.com.

Read more: McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Run right around the corner

Soar into 2024 with a First Day Hike

20170415 Palmetto State Park 16 webAUSTIN— As the year ends, so does Texas State Parks’ Centennial Celebration, but the fun doesn’t stop when the clock strikes midnight. Kick off your resolution to explore the outdoors in 2024 with a First Day Hike at a state park, which will host ranger-guided and self-guided walks, bike rides, paddling trips and polar plunges in honor of the national initiative aimed at getting people outdoors.

Read more: Soar into 2024 with a First Day Hike

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