PICS CAPTURE THE FLAVOR OF "ANGELITA'S CASA DE CAFE" ANNIVERSARY EVENT!

From the editor:  For those who missed the one year anniversary of "Angelita's Casa de Cafe," 2200 Boca Chica Blvd., these mostly unposed pics catch some of the flavor of the event; the owners and friends singing "Happy Birthday," guitarist Isaac Romero, performing in shorts, as always, even on a 48F day, card games, checking your phone, chatting with the coffee tender behind the bar, etc.  

I was going to try Blueberry something-or-other, but I'm sort of stuck on Texas Pecan.  Maybe next time Blueberry.

ps: I may have promised to utilize the "aspect ratio" feature to make certain folks appear "thinner," but I lied.   

DONATIONS NEEDED FOR GOOD NEIGHBOR SETTLEMENT HOUSE INC. TO ACCOMMODATE CENTRAL AMERICAN ASYLUM SEEKERS

From the editor:  We received an email early this afternoon from Vicente Martinez of the Good Neighbor House.  He's requesting help from the community to accommodate the sudden appearance of several hundred asylum seekers from Central America.  We post Mr. Martinez' email below:

Asylum Seekers Waiting on the Matamoros Side of the B&M International Bridge

From: Vicente Martinez <vmartinez@aclutx.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2019 1:28:19 PM
To: rvpark645@hotmail.com
Subject: Donations needed for Good Neighbor Settlement House Inc.

Good afternoon Jim,

As many of you know, CBP has been releasing hundreds of people at a time. Good Neighbor Settlement House Inc. has helped them by providing food and shelter while they get ready to travel to their destination. At the moment, Good Neighbor Settlement House is asking for donation. They are looking for hygiene products, white towels, 8oz water bottles, clothes (please divide and label them), juice pouches, cookies, and fruit. If you're able to donate please do, if you have any questions I am going to list the address and phone number of Good Neighbor Settlement House below.

They also would like volunteers to help with greeting, intake, provide travel information, sorting resources, and comfort for migrants. If you would like to volunteer please contact them to see what times they need volunteers.

ADDRESS: 1254 E. TYLER ST. Brownsville, Texas

PHONE NUMBER: 9565422368

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GoodNeighborSettlementHouse/

WEBSITE: https://www.goodneighborsettlementhouseinc.org/

Best Regards,

Vicente Martinez Jr

FREE COFFEE ON A COLD DAY AS ANGELITA'S CASA DE CAFE CELEBRATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

From the editor:  You can't beat free coffee from 2:00 to 3:00 PM on a cold, 48 degree day.  I will walk in the door at two to answer any questions about my fiancee' Ana or hear criticism of any of my blog articles over the last nine years.  See you there!

RETIRED DETECTIVE CLIPPER, FIRST RESPONDER IN THE MARISA GOVEA HERNANDEZ HIT-AND-RUN CASE, SHARES HIS VIEWS

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Retired BPD Officer Thomas Clipper and Girlfriend at Charlie Cabler for Mayor Event

Trying not to stare at the broad shouldered, totally pumped man behind the sunglasses, I kept asking myself:  "Where have I seen this guy?"

Then, it dawned on me. . . . . . "It's Clipper, Thomas Clipper from the Marisa Govea Hernandez hit-and-run trial, the first guy to the scene after the incident was finally reported!"

Introducing myself, I told Clipper:  "You're Thomas Clipper.  You were at the Marisa Govea Hernandez trial?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to talk about it," Clipper responded.

"OK, I understand that.  I won't ask you about it," I replied, aware that I was close enough that Clipper could totally take me out with either arm.

Then, without prompting, unable to contain himself, Clipper blurted out:  "80% of what's been reported on that is false!"

I just looked at him.  He seemed steamed.

"Let me ask you this," Clipper started.  

"If your wife had been driving on that dark road that night(FM 803), would you have wanted her to stop?"

"I admit that's a dangerous road with no shoulders," I responded.

"All right, then," Clipper continued.

"A guy was hit on the Interstate and killed recently.  No charges," stated Clipper.

"It was clearly a 'no report' incident."

Actually, well after the fact, the hit-and-run driver's son, Deputy Sheriff Marin Hernandez called the incident in a a "10-50." that is a fender bender, not a "10-57," hit and run.

"Anyway, what was she doing on that road at night?" asked Clipper rhetorically.

Of course, on FM 803 that night there were several driveways Ms. Hernandez could have pulled into to check out what she'd hit, but some evidence shows she was on the phone at the precise time of the accident and minutes thereafter.

Clipper had yet another question for me:  

"If that had been your wife and she had a relative in law enforcement, who do you think she calls, '911' herself or her relative in law enforcement?"

"The important thing is the accident be reported," I responded cautiously.

"Exactly!" answered Clipper.

Later, it would not be Clipper that was sent to the home of Hernandez, but then rookie cop Esteban Nino, who did not actually interview Marisa Govea Hernandez, but instead spoke with her son, Deputy Sheriff Marin Hernandez, then 25.(Marisa Govea Hernandez stayed behind a slightly cracked front door, only handing out her driver's license to Nino.)

The two of them(Nino and Hernandez' son Marin) came up with the theory that Ms. Hernandez had struck a skunk, despite being just a few feet away from a white Volkswagen with a dent at the 30" mark on the front end, a busted windshield and wiped out side mirror, not to mention human flesh on the side panel.

"Let me ask you one more thing," I told Clipper.

"Did anyone ask you to 'stand down' on this case?"

"No one ever asked me to stand down.  I worked over a thousand murder cases and they were all solved," Clipper responded, despite the fact that he seemingly was replaced on this case by young Nino and was was reportedly reassigned to a desk job.

Clipper was still not finished.

"Do you know where she (Mary Tipton)

was staying?"

"Yes, I reported she was staying at the motel on the Interstate(the Deluxe 6 Motel at the corner of the I-69 frontage and FM 511) and that her and her husband were separated at the time," I replied.

"Well, just check that out," Clipper continued, "and I think you might have some answers."

FRED ARIAS CAMPAIGN KICK OFF FOR JP, PCT 2, PLACE 1, TONIGHT AT DIRTY AL'S

FIANCEE' ANA AND I ATTEND CHARLIE CABLER EVENT AT THE LEAL HOME ON THE RESACA

From the editor:  Yet another Charlie Cabler for Mayor event, this time on the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Leal family, 5401 Camino de la Tierra.

Cabler gave his basic stump speech, calling for all city departments to work together, with no micro-managing, but also calling of the City of Brownsville to work with other cities in the valley to make the region greater.

During Charlie's speech I received a videocall from Ana Adiong, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, Phillippines, my fiancee'.  

Continuing to hear Cabler on the loudspeaker, I took Ana on a tour of the grounds; the waterfall, the butterfly garden, the deck, etc.  She'd never heard the word "resaca."  I explained the theory that resacas are old riverbeds of the Rio Grande River that the city keeps full of river water to enhance the beauty of Brownsville.

JP CANDIDATES SET FOR 4/7 PODCAST, REFLECTIONS ON SAENZ EVENT, NEW ETHICS CODE

April 7 Whine & Cheez Podcast Participants:  Cyndi Hinojosa, JP Linda Salazar and Fred Arias, Candidates for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Place 1

Despite no live stream podcast this week, with Erasmo Castro frolicking in NYC and Philadelphia, Angelita's Casa de Cafe will still be a happening place, celebrating their one year anniversary with free coffee from 2:00-3:00 PM.  

The podcast will return April 7 at 1:30 PM, featuring JP candidates Cyndi Hinojosa, JP Linda Salazar and Fred Arias.

Is it mere coincidence that young, articulate Attorney Aida Montanaro-Flores, who has her law office neatly positioned on lawyer's row, E. St. Charles Street, was master of ceremonies for both the Pat Ahumada and Luis Saenz campaign event?   Any political aspirations Aida?

Another young female attorney, Sara Stapleton Barrera, pictured at left singing the national anthem at the Saenz' event, has confirmed her plans to run against State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. in the fall.  The rumor of Barrera, even contemplating

running against his dad, got Eddie Lucio III's dander up, the young man putting it out on Facebook that, if Barrera decides to run, she will we actually running against "two Lucios."  LOL. . The arrogance!

We've reached out to the Eddie Lucio, Jr.'s camp to appear on the podcast, while Sara Stapleton Barrera has already agreed to appear.  If Lucio ignores the invite, perhaps Aida Montanaro-Flores can take his place.

Last night District Attorney Saenz highlighted his work combating domestic violence, commendable to be sure.  What about stricter, more even enforcement of DWI laws?  Blogger Bobby Wightman-Cervantes noted several wristslaps for DWI offender, Victor Garcia, Saenz' nephew.

Another case that may come back to haunt the district attorney's office is the prosecution of Marisa Govea Hernandez in the Mary Tipton hit-and-run death of 2015.  Ralph Tipton, Mary's husband, has reported destruction of evidence by the DA's office and general stonewalling.  

To be fair to the office, the BPD totally bungled evidence gathering in the case, among other things.

LUIS SAENZ CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER OVERCOMES AMIGOLAND EVENT CENTER'S BAD ACOUSTICS

The National Anthem with Sara Stapleton Barrera(singer) & Baby, Attorney Aida Montanaro-Flores, Luis V. Saenz, Delia Saenz 

Sara Stapleton Barrera, clutching her baby, opened the Luis Saenz Campaign Fundraiser Event at the Amigoland Event Center with a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Saenz referred to Barrera as "Brownsville's American Idol."

A local preacher gave one of those long-winded prayers where it was difficult to discern if he was talking to the God of the Universe or the "400-500" in the auditorium.

Just as she did for District 2 City Commissioner Candidate Pat Ahumada, Attorney Aida Montanaro-Flores was the Master of Ceremonies,  describing, among other things, her job interview with Saenz after getting her law degree as a breeze except for his question about her experience with domestic violence.

"I'd gone to a candlelight vigil once, but that was the extent of my relationship with domestic violence," stated Montanaro-Flores.

Saenz himself took up a similar theme.

"The drug cartels won"t bother you unless you mess with them, but people are being hurt in our community by domestic violence," Saenz said.

Saenz also claimed that the federal government, that had ceased to interact with his predecessor, the now-imprisoned Armando Villalobos, had been totally cooperating with local law officials since 2012, the year Saenz took office in his current stint as District Attorney.

Behind the seated group was a collection of a hundred or so who continued their conversations throughout the event.  In most venues, that would not be a problem, but, the hard walls, flooring and ceiling of the Amigoland Event Center, not the best acoustics, ricochet those sounds off the hard surfaces, making the event almost inaudible.

"Please show some respect and end your conversations for 5 or 10 minutes while I finish my speech," Saenz had to say.

"All of you are invited by here for my swearing in ceremony, January 1, 2021," Saenz added.

HISTORIC GRAPHIC ART FROM MUSICIAN/ARTIST DIEGO LEE ROT

From the editor: For 47 years I've unsuccessfully tried to peek into the mindset of my son, artist/musician Diego Lee Rot.

The child of two oppressively restrictive parents, Diego, like a long-compressed spring, expanded his consciousness at the first sign of freedom.

We repost just a sampling of his graphic art minus the captions: