Tuesday, December 05, 2023
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Christmas activities start this week

20181207 Mission La Placita Christmas Lights JMB 0017 webThanksgiving is over, so that means the Christmas celebrations have begun. The Valley is full of celebrations that start with tree lightings, then parades, and Christmas lights that stay on the entire month, sometimes lasting until the first week of January. We try our hardest to make sure we give you as much information as possible, but we might not have everyone here. So look to your city’s website or Facebook to see if your city is doing anything special for the holidays.

The Brownsville Holiday Village has already started with their little houses and search for the gingerbread man. The village is set up at the Dean Porter Park. Admission is free with live entertainment scheduled and Santa visiting on Friday’s and Saturday’s.

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Reserve your booth for Mission Health Fair

health fair webThe Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce is inviting local businesses to the Annual Mission Health and Wellness Fair that will be held on Friday, December 8.

This year the event will be held at the Mission Event Center from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. In partnership with Mission Regional Medical Center, they’re providing free services that include blood exams, bone density tests, blood circulation checks, and more to the community.

Read more: Reserve your booth for Mission Health Fair

The pecan tale of plenty

Firefly pecan pie 70112 webU.S. Senator John Cornyn

As the days grow shorter and cooler, pecan trees in Texas prepare for their annual debut. Leaves take on hues of amber and crimson, painting a breathtaking landscape that attracts visitors from near and far. Amidst this natural transformation, pecans reach peak maturity and are ready to break through their sturdy shells.

In 1919, the pecan tree was named the state tree of Texas, thanks in large part to former Texas Governor James Stephen Hogg. On March 2, 1906, Hogg expressed his wish for a soft-shell Texas pecan tree to be planted at his grave with its nuts distributed to Texas farmers for planting. Years later, journalist Katie Daffan suggested the pecan tree become the state tree of Texas in Hogg’s honor. This idea quickly gained widespread support, leading the state legislature to unanimously pass a resolution formalizing the designation in 1919, which was reaffirmed eight years later during the 40th Texas Legislative Session.

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Veterans Day ceremonies cancelled, rescheduled, or location changes

Mission Veterans IMG 5812 webCities throughout the Rio Grande Valley have had to make some adjustments to their Veterans ceremonies due to inclement weather. Some of these ceremonies are being rescheduled, locations are changing for a couple, and some are being cancelled. There are still one or two that will still occur as scheduled.

The City of Mission is making changes with almost every event they had scheduled.

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Edinburg honors Veterans with parade

DSC 0921 webThe Veterans Day observance got off to an early start with Edinburg holding a parade Saturday morning honoring those locally who have served in the U.S. military.

Nearly 90 entries from the community were part of the event, which featured the commander and crew of the Navy ship USS Gonzalez as the grand marshals. Other units included local high school, middle school and elementary school marchers, American Legion, scout troops, city, and school officials.

Read more: Edinburg honors Veterans with parade

Valley cities remember Veterans

DSC 0016 webCities throughout the Rio Grande Valley are holding activities to remember and honor Veterans that have served. We have several stand-alone stories that highlight some major celebrations, so make sure you look through the entire issue so you don’t miss anything that might be in your area.

The City of Mission is having activities starting on Thursday and running through Sunday. Some of the activities include a Land of the Free Jeep Show at 5x5 Brewing Co., 801 Bryan Rd. The event is sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club and will start at 6 p.m.

Read more: Valley cities remember Veterans

GPZ holds groundbreaking

The Gladys Porter Zoo recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the future site of the Soaring Eagle zipline, which is set to be completed by late summer 2024.

This new attraction will take guests up to 120 feet in the air . . . well above the treetops. After reaching the highest point, riders are treated to breathtaking views as far as the Rio Grande River and Mexico, then return to the starting point at speeds reaching an exhilarating 35 mph. This is the first of many projects detailed in Phase I of the Zoo’s new master plan, which was accepted by the Brownsville City Commission in late 2022.

Read more: GPZ holds groundbreaking

RGV Humane Society seeks help

From the RGV Humane Society

Earlier this week, we had an outpouring of support from the community about the brush fire that was dangerously close to our Mission shelter. Thanks to the City of Mission and the Mission Fire Department, our animals are safe from harm.

You do not have to be a first responder to save a life today. Right now, every dog under our care in our Mission shelter remains at risk once again. The Rio Grande Valley Humane Society (RGVHS) dog kennels are over capacity at the Mission location. Dogs will be at risk of euthanasia if we cannot make space through adoption or foster.

Read more: RGV Humane Society seeks help

Cricket: A game back on the rise

20231021 IARGV Cricket Match ALB 0082 webBy Anastasia Brunson

If you've never been to a cricket match the first thing that may surprise you is the circular layout of the field. There are painted boundaries marking the infield and the outfield, and at the center is the pitch with a wicket at each end. The pitch is where a batter will face off against a bowler -- the one throwing (bowling) the ball. The bats are also much different than what you see in somewhat similar games like baseball and softball, a cricket bat has a flat side and a ridge on the reverse side.

Read more: Cricket: A game back on the rise

Visit MOSTH to see Dr. Garcia’s gold

Dr Jose Garcia webEarly in 2022, the Museum of South Texas History (MOSTH) received a donation of 400 gold coins along with a fascinating South Texas story. “Dr. García’s Gold,” an exhibit that opened in September tells the story of gold buried under a house in San Diego, Texas, almost a century ago.

The long and winding story of “Dr. García’s Gold” begins with small town doctor José García, who operated a medical practice in San Diego between 1900 and the 1950s. According to family documents García began to acquire gold coins in the 1890s. In 1933, García buried about 500 American gold coins under his house in San Diego after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to collect gold held privately by Americans.

Read more: Visit MOSTH to see Dr. Garcia’s gold

Texas Quilt Museum has stunning exhibits

isntPlayingBetterThanQuilting Susan P Stevenson webLA GRANGE — Two groundbreaking exhibits of quilts will be on display at the Texas Quilt Museum through December 23.

First, we’ll pay tribute to the wildly popular series of books by James Herriot as well as the recent smash PBS series with the animal-themed juried show “All Creatures Great and Small.” And we’ll also dip into the amazing archives of quilt collectors and dealers Mary and Joe Koval with “Antique Quilts from the Koval Collection.”

Read more: Texas Quilt Museum has stunning exhibits

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