By Herb Moering
Winter Texans Bill and Nancee Fisher and David and Margie Jones picked a very good time to come see their first Alamo Christmas Parade on Friday, December 12.
First, the weather was in the balmy 70s range all evening, which helped them to forget the cold and snow of Ohio. In fact, the Fishers had just arrived in Alamo four days ago, leaving behind a couple inches of snow.
“The weather is just great,” Bill said. That was the same opinion expressed by David. “If I had to be stuck some place, this would be it,” he added. When talking about the snow, Bill recalled the New Year’s Eve snowstorm of 1977, when the white stuff was above first-floor window units at a hotel.
Secondly, the parade was the longest in recent years with more than 70 entries, which was touted by Alamo Mayor J.R. Garza during comments at the program following the parade. That was also the announcement of winners for best parade entries. First place trophy went to the entry of David Fuentes, Precinct 1 county commissioner, with second place earned by Idea Academy of Alamo and the third-place trophy belonged to Winter Ranch RV Park.
There were a lot of Winter Texans in the crowd near the Central Park stage cheering on their friends in the parade. Some of them said they had been to the Christmas parade in Alamo for a number of years. Ruth Hauert, a visitor from Illinois staying at the Royal Palms Mobile Home Park, was one of those seeing the parade for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it, she said.
The Joneses have been coming to the “Valley” for the past 12 years, with the first six years in Mission and the following eight at Alamo Rose RV Resort. They got their start in coming because Margie’s folks wintered here.
The Fishers came to Alamo after being invited by the Joneses. They are in their third year here. The Fishers noted, “The folks down here are so nice.”
Margie said she likes the Winter Texan Times newspaper with all the information about what is going on in the Valley. David added he appreciates the publication as well.
After the awarding of trophies, the mayor led the countdown to light the large, decorated Christmas tree for that evening. It drew lots of applause.
And then it was into entertainment by area students in high school, middle school and elementary school. One new dance group was the Alamo Starlettes, a group of youngsters formed recently under an Alamo Park and Recreation Department program.
