FEBRUARY 15, 2023 www.wintertexantimes.com 20 WINTER TEXAN TIMES BRIDGE OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY 365 DAYS A YEAR Come Experience the In Nuevo Progreso Visit Our Southern Neighbor Never been to Mexico? You don’t know what you’re missing! Nuevo Progreso is welcoming and FUN! Visitors can enjoy from a variety of restaurants and artisan vendors or seek services from a number of certified medical and dental professionals. EVENTS CALENDAR February 4-25 – The Hidalgo Watercolor Society will have their Annual Watercolor Exhibit with an opening reception on Saturday, February 4th from 7 to 9 p.m. This exhibit is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be displayed at the Upper Valley Art League (UVAL) at 921 E. 12th St., in Mission, and will run through February 25th. The exhibit features art made by Winter Texans and local artists. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. February 16 – Bentsen-RGV State Park will host a Bentsen Easy Nature Walk at 9 a.m. Call ahead to confirm program schedule and details at (956) 584-9156. Scheduled programs are free with park admission. February 17 – The Valley Symphony Orchestra presents Out of this World – from larger-than-life heroes to the music of the cosmos, prepare for expanded horizons at the musical event for the whole family. The event will take place at 8 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Center. For tickets and more information, visit https:// valleyorchestra.org/concerts/. February 17 – Bentsen-RGV State Park will host a Grassroots Initiative at 8:30 a.m. Call ahead to confirm program schedule and details at (956) 584-9156. Scheduled programs are free with park admission. February 17 – Bentsen-RGV State Park will host Our Night Sky at 7:30 p.m. Call ahead to confirm program schedule and details at (956) 5849156. Scheduled programs are free with park admission. This program requires reservations. February 18 – Blessed Assurance Children’s Shelter will host their Bustin’ Clay for the Shelter. Check in is at 7:30 a.m., shooting begins at 9 a.m. The event will be held at the Casalan Ranch, 20011 FM 1847 in Rio Hondo. It includes all shooting clays, breakfast, lunch, event T-shirt, and prizes. It’s $400 for a three-man team, $20 mulligans, and $20 Annie Oakley. Participants must bring their own shotgun, shells, hearing, and eye protection. Call (956) 493-0055 or (956) 990-5586 for more information. Sponsorships available. February 18 – Bentsen-RGV State Park will host Steeped in Legacy at 2 p.m. Call ahead to confirm program schedule and details at (956) 5849156. Scheduled programs are free with park admission. February 19 – Join the McAllen Public Library at 2 p.m. as they celebrate Black History Month with a showing and discussion of the film The Woman King (2022). Inspired by true historical events in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa. The discussion facilitator will be Dr. Deb Stark. The film is rated PG-13. February 24-26 – SPI Market Days will be held at the South Padre Island Convention Center, 7355 Padre Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The market will feature fine art, handcrafted jewelry, clothing, arts and crafts, gourmet food mixes, product demos, pet items, live music and more. There will also be door prizes. Parking is free. Visit www.spimarketdays.com for more information. February 25 – Join the McAllen Public Library for their Third World Language Festival. Celebrate international cultures and languages by experiencing international food tasting, crafts and activities by community organizations and performances. All ages welcome. Registration not required. Event is free. The event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. The library is located at 4001 N. 23rd St. March 5 – The Gladys Porter Zoo is back with their annual 5k and onemile fun run to support ocelot conservation. Visit www.gpz.org for register and for pricing information. March 24 – RGV favorite Mariachi Aztlan joins the Valley Symphony Orchestra for an evening of Latin-inspired works including selections from the opera Carmen for the Carmen Y Mas performance at 8 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Centers. For tickets and more information, visit https://valleyorchestra.org/concerts/. April 2 – The McAllen Wind Ensemble will perform “Memories” at the McAllen Performing Arts Center at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the ticketmaster website or at the center. A season pass to all four of their concerts is $40. Ticket prices usually range from $7 to $17. April 21 – Star-crossed lovers and an all-star piano soloist converge on this season finale program West Side Story by the Valley Symphony Orchestra. It will be held at 8 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Center. For tickets and more information, visit https:// valleyorchestra.org/concerts/. was then when a hurricane struck the area and wreaked devastation on the small town of Progreso. After seeing such devastation, Mabel and her sister first started a clinic, built a school, and provided clothing and food for those in the area. Next, was to provide housing for the poor – and Mabel’s Building Mission was established. The first houses were built on a dirt floor, 12’x16’, walls, two windows and a door with a rolled roofing roof. All materials were precut in the US, hauled over in vans and pickups and then assembled on the site. The original design is still used today but part of the materials is purchased here, and the rest in Mexico. Herb and Bev Feirabend, a retired minister and wife, were the leaders until 2011. Currently the program is headed up by Bill and Phyllis Kunzman. While there have been some changes since its inception, the clinic is run by another organization, Canyon Lake residents still head up the Building Mission. The organization is a charitable group, therefore contributors can deduct contributions from their taxes. At the beginning, the group built a couple of houses each year. Now they have built up to 20 houses, on average, in a given year. In 20232024, the first house built will be number 564. A lot goes on in the building of the house – even if it takes less than three hours to put it all together. Quilters at the park make sure that each person in the family gets a quilt. Sheets and other household items are usually donated as well. Families are given a box a food, a Spanish Bible, kitchen utensils and other items donated by park resiMISSION From pg. 1
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