The Laredo Birding Festival is inviting participants to bird the border virtually on Saturday, February 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event will feature virtual birding videos, an online bird art gallery and interactive workshops.
Blessed with a rich and diverse river eco-system, Laredo is home to hundreds of species of local and migratory birds. It’s no wonder that Laredo is considered part of the “birdiest” corridors in the North America.
Read more: Laredo Birding Festival next week
AUSTIN - The Texas Veterans Land Board recently announced a statewide campaign to bring Valentine’s Day love to the nearly 1,000 Veterans residing in state-ran nursing homes. The mission is to bring awareness from Texans that although the Veterans have had to isolate for nearly a year due to COVID-19, they are not forgotten by their nearby communities.
Read more: TX VLB initiates operation “Share the Love”
The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation and the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to host a Paycheck Protection Program webinar on Thursday, February 4th, at 10 a.m.
During the free webinar an overview of the Paycheck Protection Program and other services available to small businesses will be provided.
The events featured speakers will include: the U.S. Small Business Administration, UTRGV Small Business Development Center, and Workforce Solutions.
Learn about the application process, resources, and get any questions regarding the program answered.
To register for the webinar, visit www.edinburg.com.
This past week when I went to Weslaco, I did something different after I stopped at the Weslaco Museum (by the way, the museum is a must go to spot) – I checked for historical landmarks in the area. I had been told about a few places I should go by, but by searching for historical landmarks in the area, it opened my eyes to places I would not have seen otherwise. And then, by going to these places I was able to see more of Weslaco, it’s architecture, and culture.
Read more: February 3, 2021 - Rina's Ramblings
The Hidalgo Watercolor Society Annual Exhibit will open next weekend, February 12, and run through March 6. The exhibit will be displayed at the Upper Valley Art League (UVAL) at 921 E. 12th St. in Mission.
The exhibit features art made by Winter Texans and local artists. A “Meet the Artists” event will be held on Saturday, February 13th, outside, with gallery viewing from 4 to 6 p.m.
Gallery hours are Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required for all events.
For more information, call the gallery at (956) 583-2787.
When going into Weslaco, there is one prominent structure that kind of calls out and is noticed by all that travel down South Texas Blvd. or Business 83 – El Tinaco Tower. The tower stands at 100 feet tall on six concrete pillars. Upon its completion in 1941, the tower was proclaimed a marvel of modern construction. It received a Texas Historical Landmark designation in 1982. There was even a working Tower Theatre in one of the buildings at the base of the tower. But, the tower isn’t the only thing interesting about the City of Weslaco.
Read more: Weslaco, more than a tower
By Susan Thomas, Bit-O-Heaven Activity Director
Bit-O-Heaven RV and MH Resort residents in Donna like to help the local community when possible. This season the park held their Second Annual Reverse Advent Calendar event for charity. The concept is to buy the food item on the list for each day of the month of December and have a basket of food ready to deliver by Christmas to a needy family. It is really easy to do and most residents just buy all the recommended items at one time and fill two tote bags per family. You can usually purchase all the items at Dollar Tree for $25-$30.
Read more: Bit-O-Heaven serves their community
If you drive along the expressway, now I-2, heading south from Pharr – which I coverd last week – you will find Pharr’s neighboring cities, that all share a school district with, San Juan and Alamo.
The most distinct thing about San Juan is the Our Lady of San Juan del Valle shrine. It was designated a national shrine in 1998 and the following year, Pope John Paul II designated it as a minor Basilica. The history of the shrine begins in 1920, when Reverend Alfonso Jalbert, OMI, built a small wooden chapel in San Juan as a mission church of St. Margaret Mary Church in Pharr.
Read more: More to discover in San Juan and Alamo
Tammy Garrison-Maier has found a fun way to keep the residents at Oleander Acres active. As the activity director, Tammy has had to come up with new ways to entertain the residents and keep them on their toes. She started something last year before the Pandemic, and since it was such a hit, she is doing it again.
She is hiding beautifully painted rocks around the park. The fun is, if you find one, you get some chocolate. You have a choice of keeping the rock or hiding again for someone else to find.
Read more: Rocks of Kindness, Spreading the Happy
Yep… another busy week has gone by. Despite the dreariness of a few wet days last week, it flew by fairly fast.
I had a great time last week visiting with the activity director at Oleander Acres. She stays busy at the park coming up with ideas to keep the residents occupied.
She has had to come up with new ways to do activities. One of them includes her arts and crafts time. She has also been painting up a storm. Not just her rocks that she will be hiding, but also signs representing where residents are from.
I hope to visit the park again when the weather is a bit nicer to see the park’s butterfly garden in full bloom.
Watch the Butterfly Garden at Oleander Acres and you will see what this little garden brings to the park.
If you have a butterfly garden at your park, I would love to know and see yours. Send me a picture. Let me know what kind of visitors you get in your park. Send me pictures and information to news@wintertexantimes.com. I would love to see what you are doing at your park and be able to share it with others.
In the meantime, enjoy the weather. Go for a walk. Smile at a neighbor. You can still spread some happy while being socially distant.