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Iconic “Travis Letter” available to view at Alamo Exhibit

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has loaned the famous letter written by William Barret Travis on February 24, 1836, signed “Victory or Death,” to the Alamo Trust. The public is invited to view this iconic Texas Treasure through March 24, at the Alamo Exhibit at the Ralston Family Collection Center, 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio. Details regarding the exhibit can be found at www.thealamo.org/visit/return-of-the-travis-letter.

On display at the Alamo for the first time since 2013, the letter was written as a call for reinforcements addressed “To the people of Texas and all Americans in the world.” After a 13-day siege, Santa Anna's troops broke through at daybreak on the morning of March 6. Active fighting lasted only about 90 minutes, and all the defenders of the Alamo perished.

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McAllen Heritage to host open house

20240320 CORRECT Not Alone Exhibit Reception Invite 03212024 webThe McAllen Heritage Center Museum of History and Culture is very pleased to present the newest exhibit, courtesy of the Bullock Texas State History Museum. They will host a special open house and reception event on Thursday, March 21 from 6 to 8 p.m.

“Not Alone: Working together in the Fight against Human Trafficking” has been on display since March 6 and will run through April 10, 2024, and is sponsored by the Zonta Club of West Hidalgo County. The panel exhibit educates visitors about human trafficking and gives them a sense of hope and empowerment in combating the issue.

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Jammin’ at Oleander Acres

20240313 Oleander Acres 3 webOleander Acres Resort is the oldest family-owned RV resort in Mission purchased in 1978 by its current owner Ed Welliver. Ed’s daughter, Salome, plus third generation family members and office manager, Lois, also manage the resort. On site is a butterfly garden plus a tropical nursery with plants for sale to the public.
Tuesday, February 6 and 13 from 1 to 3 p.m., I attended two of their country-gospel jams in their recreational hall. I met with the co-managers of the jam, Ervin Bertrand and Frank Deramus. It is important for the band, jammers, and audience to have a great sound system. Claude LaBelle, the sound engineer, has developed an excellent sound system that delivers a ‘balanced’ sound between the band and singers that is pleasing to the listeners.

The February 13 stage band members were Ervin Bertrand, jam manager, guitar, cajon drum and vocalist; Bill Foster, harmonica and vocalist; Irene Griffiths, keyboard and vocalist; Ken Griffiths, lead guitar and vocalist; Bill Knight, lead guitar and vocalist; Frank Rinchiuso, guitar and vocalist; Ray Trudeau, guitar and vocalist; and Dennis Wiese, bass guitar and vocalist. The February 6 stage band consisted of Ron Liptow, guitar and vocalist; and Larry Robertson, harmonica and vocalist; plus the other members of the February 13 band (with the exception of Ray Trudeau and Bill Foster).

20240313 Oleander Acres 2 webThe 28 jammers who sang and performed at either or both of these jams were Delbert Allen (guitar), Don and Bonnie Ausland, Don Baker, Keith Churchill (keyboard), Joyce Congdon, Frank (guitar) and Linda Deramus, Mark Fecho (banjo), John Filo, Bill Foster (guitar), Verna Funk, Diana Gibson, Judy Goolsby, Tim (guitar) and Shelli Johnson, Charles Josephes (guitar), James Kropenske (guitar), Patrick LaBore, Janie LaPoint, Tony Ozark (guitar), Ryan Pels (guitar), Dixie Rinchiuso, Carole Robinson (guitar), Nelson Skryock (guitar), John (guitar) and Sara Weihmiller, and Iris Wiese.

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Planning for next season

Goodness me – how this season has just flown by. Spring will soon be here, and I know many of you are thinking of going back to your summer homes. The phones have been busy asking about next season, especially for the Houston Quilt Festival. And yes, we already have about one third of the bus full. Departure is scheduled for October 30 with return on November 2, 2024.

Sorry, I cannot give you a definite price right now, as I am still waiting on another bid from a hotel in Houston. All I can do is estimate that it may run somewhere around $550 per person in double occupancy. A triple will be a little less, and a single is always much more as you are paying the entire cost of the room. The tour will be made by charter motor coach and that price and reservation I already have. I just need the hotel contract.

I am delighted that a quilt aficionada has agreed to be your guide. I am not a quilter, but I very much appreciate all the beautiful quilts that my mother and grandmother gave to me. My memories go back to the time when the quilting frame was raised to the ceiling when not in use to be lowered again when the ladies met to quilt and socialize. I am quite sure that the ladies of the small farming community where I grew up were all judged by how small and delicate their stitches were just as the men were judged by how straight the rows were in the fields they plowed.

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Can-Am Softball game is a time for memories and fun

Softball HMiller 6 webThere’s something special about the annual Winter Texas softball Can-Am (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.

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Mission top Winter Texan destination in US

2024 Mission Winter TExan Fiesta IMG 5354 webAccording to a recent survey, Mission, TX is on the top ten snowbird destinations in the United States. The City of Mission is the number one Winter Texan (we don’t use the word snowbirds) destination in the State of Texas.

The survey, done by StorageCafe looked at several different metrics including weather, storage use, average temperature, vacant housing units for the season vs. non-season, number of RV parks in each city, and more to determine the most popular places for winter migration.

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Winter Texans visit the Valley to stay active

IMG 8044 webOne of the things that we hear around here is that Winter Texans come to the Valley during the winter months so they can still live an active lifestyle. If they were still up north, they would be stuck inside during snowstorms, and wouldn’t have much to do but a few indoor activities when it is too cold outside. The only activity they would really get is shoveling snow, and that is something they don’t want to be doing.

So, they come to south Texas so that can have a wide variety of activities to choose from. Because of the warmer climate, and predominantly dry season, Winter Texans have a full range of outdoor activities they can participate in while in south Texas from October through March.

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Winter Texans have places to go, things to do

20161208 McAllen Performing Arts Center webWinter Texans have places throughout the Valley they can visit. There are sites to see, things to do, parks to visit, and more. There is a wide range of places to go and things to do from Rio Grande City all the way down to South Padre Island.

The Valley is full of history. There are forts in Rio Grande City and Brownsville, a battlefield from the Mexican American war in Brownsville, and more. Fort Brown in Brownsville features an old morgue, captain’s quarters, and the old hospital. Mission has the La Lomita Church, where the city got its name.

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McAllen lands in top affordable cities to visit in Texas

Downtown McAllen webMcAllen has once again landed in the top five of another state list. The ranking, compiled by TheTravel website, looked at 10 cities and compared travel costs, including flights, hotel, and affordable entertainment options. McAllen earned the number four spot, while other border cities, Laredo and El Paso were named three and two respectively. Other cities on the list included south central communities and Dallas’ neighbors, Arlington and Fort Worth.

While the cities listed are more affordable than Dallas, they are still bustling cities in their own right. In fact, according to the author of the article, many of them are hidden gems in Texas that offer wide open spaces, cultural richness, and cost-conscious opportunities.

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Rio Grande Valley parks feature top Wintertainers™

FB IMG 1709841753535 webThe Rio Grande Valley's Winter Texan scene isn't the quiet, gem in the rough secret that it once was.

For the winter visitors, that's a good thing – especially when it comes to entertainment. Winter Texans are known for having fun. The Valley provides tons of it too.
More and more Wintertainers™ are coming to the Valley to entertain Winter Texans. The growth can be attributed to entertainers like Gordy and Debbie who came to the Valley nearly 15 years ago and were an immediate hit. When they returned home, they spread the word and brought some friends down.

Read more: Rio Grande Valley parks feature top Wintertainers™

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