MARCH 19, 2025 www.wintertexantimes.com 18 WINTER TEXAN TIMES Call or Email ads@wintertexantimes.com 956.580.7800 1217 N CONWAY, MISSION Follow us on Facebook.com/ wintertexantimes BRING US ALONG, & THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO SEE, MORE TO DO Winter Texan TIMES Serving Winter Texans From Mission To South Padre Island Since 1987 Vol. 37, No. 22 © 2024 www.wintertexantimes.com Wednesday, March 13, 2024 TAKE HOME EDITION See pages 13-18 INDEX Events Calendar p 4 Reunions p 6 Parks Calendar p 8 WintertainersTM p 8 Jammin’ in the RGV p 19 On the Road with Jo p 20 Taste of the Valley p 23 Classifieds p 24 Business Guide p 24 I can’t believe the season is almost over. Here we are with our Take Home Edition that highlights some of the things parks have done and shows you a little insight into why you should choose to winter in the Valley. The Valley is a great place to be. There are so many things to do in the parks and resorts that cater to you, our Winter Texan family. As you can see from this issue, and most of our issues, we are able to feature a park, or an activity that has been done at a park. While you get to see some photos, and hear what they are doing from the stories, this is only a little bit of what is happening in the parks and resorts in the Valley. Parks have sports, hobby activities, and gatherings to interest anyone that visits the Valley. There is also entertainment like dances, happy hours, and shows. Parks also have special events like holiday parades, fundraisers, contests, and 50th anniversary parties. There is also plenty of food with your choice of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to attend. Some parks are even well known for certain entrees. We hope you have found a reaCan-Am Softball game is a time for memories and fun Forget the glass slipper – give me clogging shoes! Photo by Henry Miller There’s something special about the annual Winter Texas softball CanAm (Canada-America) games. Whether it’s listening to long-ago remembered stories of the “Blizzard of 66” to talking about ice fishing in Minnesota to Ed Martens retelling of how he snuck out of a military hospital to go play a baseball game for his team, there’s always something enjoyable. See SOFTBALL pg. 28 See RAMBLINGS pg. 6 Rina’s Ramblings Margarita Cloggers Carolyn Pullen, Sally Lynch, Bub Harper, and Peggy Harper. Courtesy photo Submitted by Carolyn Pullen On February 27, the Margarita Cloggers at Greengate Grove RV Park hosted the RGV Clogging Fun Dance. There were four clogging groups from the Valley in attendance. Angelika Eleni, a professional Irish dancer, demonstrated different Irish dances/steps and then taught us a step from Seon nos (pronounced “shan-nos”) which means “old style” in Irish, that we could use in our clog dances. This style of Irish dancing reminded me of the “flat footing” style in American clogging. Irish dance steps were See CLOGGING pg. 6 Winter Texan TIMES Serving Winter Texans From Mission To South Padre Island Since 1987 Vol. 37, No. 22 © 2024 www.wintertexantimes.com Wednesday, March 13, 2024 TAKE HOME EDITION See pages 13-18 INDEX Events Calendar p 4 Reunions p 6 Parks Calendar p 8 WintertainersTM p 8 Jammin’ in the RGV p 19 On the Road with Jo p 20 Taste of the Valley p 23 Classifieds p 24 Business Guide p 24 I can’t believe the season is almost over. Here we are with our Take Home Edition that highlights some of the things parks have done and shows you a little insight into why you should choose to winter in the Valley. The Valley is a great place to be. There are so many things to do in the parks and resorts that cater to you, our Winter Texan family. As you can see from this issue, and most of our issues, we are able to feature a park, or an activity that has been done at a park. While you get to see some photos, and hear what they are doing from the stories, this is only a little bit of what is happening in the parks and resorts in the Valley. Parks have sports, hobby activities, and gatherings to interest anyone that visits the Valley. There is also entertainment like dances, happy hours, and shows. Parks also have special events like holiday parades, fundraisers, contests, and 50th anniversary parties. There is also plenty of food with your choice of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to attend. Some parks are even well known for certain entrees. We hope you have found a reaCan-Am Softball game is a time for memories and fun Forget the glass slipper – give me clogging shoes! Photo by Henry Miller There’s something special about the annual Winter Texas softball CanAm (Canada-America) games. Whether it’s listening to long-ago remembered stories of the “Blizzard of 66” to talking about ice fishing in Minnesota to Ed Martens retelling of how he snuck out of a military hospital to go play a baseball game for his team, there’s always something enjoyable. See SOFTBALL pg. 28 See RAMBLINGS pg. 6 Rina’s Ramblings Margarita Cloggers Carolyn Pullen, Sally Lynch, Bub Harper, and Peggy Harper. Courtesy photo Submitted by Carolyn Pullen On February 27, the Margarita Cloggers at Greengate Grove RV Park hosted the RGV Clogging Fun Dance. There were four clogging groups from the Valley in attendance. Angelika Eleni, a professional Irish dancer, demonstrated different Irish dances/steps and then taught us a step from Seon nos (pronounced “shan-nos”) which means “old style” in Irish, that we could use in our clog dances. This style of Irish dancing reminded me of the “flat footing” style in American clogging. Irish dance steps were See CLOGGING pg. 6 Winter Texan TIMES Serving Winter Texans From Mission To South Padre Island Since 1987 Vol. 37, No. 22 © 2024 www.wintertexantimes.com Wednesday, March 13, 2024 TAKE HOME EDITION See pages 13-18 INDEX Events Calendar p 4 Reunions p 6 Parks Calendar p 8 WintertainersTM p 8 Jammin’ in the RGV p 19 On the Road with Jo p 20 Taste of the Valley p 23 Classifieds p 24 Business Guide p 24 I can’t believe the season is almost over. Here we are with our Take Home Edition that highlights some of the things parks have done and shows you a little insight into why you should choose to winter in the Valley. The Valley is a great place to be. There are so many things to do in the parks and resorts that cater to you, our Winter Texan family. As you can see from this issue, and most of our issues, we are able to feature a park, or an activity that has been done at a park. While you get to see some photos, and hear what they are doing from the stories, this is only a little bit of what is happening in the parks and resorts in the Valley. Parks have sports, hobby activities, and gatherings to interest anyone that visits the Valley. There is also entertainment like dances, happy hours, and shows. Parks also have special events like holiday parades, fundraisers, contests, and 50th anniversary parties. There is also plenty of food with your choice of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to attend. Some parks are even well known for certain entrees. We hope you have found a reaCan-Am Softball game is a time for memories and fun Forget the glass slipper – give me clogging shoes! Photo by Henry Miller There’s something special about the annual Winter Texas softball CanAm (Canada-America) games. Whether it’s listening to long-ago remembered stories of the “Blizzard of 66” to talking about ice fishing in Minnesota to Ed Martens retelling of how he snuck out of a military hospital to go play a baseball game for his team, there’s always something enjoyable. See SOFTBALL pg. 28 See RAMBLINGS pg. 6 Rina’s Ramblings Margarita Cloggers Carolyn Pullen, Sally Lynch, Bub Harper, and Peggy Harper. Courtesy photo Submitted by Carolyn Pullen On February 27, the Margarita Cloggers at Greengate Grove RV Park hosted the RGV Clogging Fun Dance. There were four clogging groups from the Valley in attendance. Angelika Eleni, a professional Irish dancer, demonstrated different Irish dances/steps and then taught us a step from Seon nos (pronounced “shan-nos”) which means “old style” in Irish, that we could use in our clog dances. This style of Irish dancing reminded me of the “flat footing” style in American clogging. Irish dance steps were See CLOGGING pg. 6 IN PRINT, ONLINE ON ANY DEVICE YOU WILL WANT TO TAKE IT WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO www.WinterTexanTimes.com FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Home is located in Corpus Christi (next to Driscoll Children’s Hospital), we have Family Rooms in Harlingen and Edinburg hospitals, and a 40-foot mobile medical unit that just launched that offers dental, medical, and mental care to children beginning at six months of age, in Cameron and Willacy Counties. Lastly, a major-motion picture will be released in select theatres at the end of March, titled “Audrey’s Children” which will illustrate the origins of the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. Judge Adela Kowalski-Garza added, “In 1992, my sister stayed at a Ronald McDonald House to be near her child, and I visited her there. They helped us tremendously.” Harlingen Police. “I’ve come to five annual teddy bear give aways. I make sure the kids know the teddy bears come from Bonham’s Bears,” said Officer Rolando Gonzales. Loaves and Fishes. Melissa Gutierrez and Eddica Gomez shared their story. The mission of Loaves & Fishes of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc. is to improve the community by restoring broken lives. Loaves and Fishes does this by feeding the hungry; sheltering the homeless; training and placing into jobs those that desire to rejoin the community as productive members; and by providing monetary and non-monetary aid to those experiencing a life-altering event that takes away their ability to afford the necessities of life. We also provide clothing for work and personal use and hygiene kits. Teddy bears are provided for any children coming into our shelter to make them feel at home and so much more. Harlingen Fire Dept. Richard Alvarez shared, “I’m a 27-year veteran at the fire department and I can tell you the teddy bears help 100%.” Last year, the police had to remove a child from a home and a firefighter gave the child a teddy bear. The child held that teddy bear tightly the whole time during a long processing. The police department sent a note to the fire department, thanking us for comforting the child with a teddy bear. I would also like to thank Ronald McDonald House for helping my daughter. She was treated in San Antonio when she was 13, 16, and 20. She wanted to pay back for the help she received and is now a social worker. La Feria Fire Dept. Joe Garcia said besides firefighting, we give first aid classes and teach hurricane preparedness. For example, people don’t think about outdoor furniture going astray in a hurricane. The teddy bears take kids’ minds off difficult situations. Texas Department of Family Protective Services. We have a Rainbow Room for children and a Silver Room for adults, said Cornelia Garza. Children often leave with only the clothes they’re wearing. The Rainbow Room offers showers, new clothing, new shoes and a teddy bear. We do 10,000 family visits and safety checks on the children. In short, “Who doesn’t need a teddy bear?” Children’s Advocacy Centers of Cameron and Willacy Counties (CACCWC). George Pardo described how it used to be when a child made an outcry. The child would tell the teacher. The teacher would get the counselor involved, then they would go to the principal. The principal would call local police, who would call child protective services. Each, and every, time the child would have to tell the story over again and we know that it was re-traumatizing the child. That is why the Children’s Advocacy Center model was formed, so the child can tell the story once with a Forensic Investigator while local law enforcement or child protective services listened to what the child was saying and not asking BEARS From pg. 2
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