ANA AND I ARE BACK IN BROWNSVILLE

 

Jerry McHale

As Jerry McHale, pictured at left, the Blogfather of Brownsville blogging, mentioned on his blog the McHale Report, I've sort of resuscitated my old blog.

Ana and I spent the better part of a year on a traveling nurse detail in Iowa and, although I did a substantial amount of writing in another venue, nothing from that material would have fit in a blog called the Brownsville Observer.

It appears that, in the interim, the local blogosphere also lost the services of Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, though I've noticed Bobby still comments occasionally on local blogs.

Juan Montoya, a veritable news publishing machine, has not slowed down one iota with his El Rrun Rrun blog.  Of course, Juan's efforts are more than simply a hobby, as he's likely supporting himself and his family with substantial advertising revenue.

Like Jerry and Juan, I'm a grandfather and, at 75, my goal is to at least live long enough to see the lives of my grandsons Jack and Felix, as well as Ana's son Israel develop.

One option we've considered is splitting our time between Brownsville and Cagayan de Oro.  The home pictured above, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, built to strict typhon-proof standards using steel and concrete, is priced at $125,493.  It has granite flooring and mahogany wood ceilings.

Cagayan de Oro

Cagayan de Oro, is a dynamic city that has everything without the horrible traffic of Manila or Cebu.  Public transportation is always just a few steps away and incredibly cheap.  

TRUMP'S LEGACY

 

Now that Trump appears likely unelectable, we can analyze his impact on the country.

Coming down the escalator in Trump Towers in 2015, Trump announced his run for the presidency with a reference to Mexican Nationals, saying "they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists and some, I assume, are good people."

That generalization was untrue, but intentionally inflammatory, designed to energize his base; generally poorer, less educated Whites from predominately rural areas.

The country is still divided similarly.  In Iowa, where Ana and I recently spent a year,  Des Moines and its suburbs voted for Biden, but the surrounding rural counties and farmlands voted overwhelmingly for Trump.

The state of Arkansas, where I lived for 30 years, voted similarly with Little Rock and suburbs for Biden, but all the rural areas for Trump.

Racism was Trump's message loud and clear.  It certainly wasn't conservative spending as he ballooned the national debt a whopping $7.8 trillion during his one term.

Trump, a master con man, totally fooled his base by holding up a Bible and hugging the flag.  He is neither moral nor a patriot.

A moral man, a Bible believer and reader, does not brag about grabbing pussies and pay porn stars for sex, then pay them to keep quiet.

The evangelicals proved themselves to be hypocrites and phonies openly supporting such a man and they were led by the world's biggest scumbags, TV evangelists.

Trump, more than Hugh Heffner or David Duke, nurtured and energized the ugly underbelly of our country.  

That's his legacy.

CARLOS CASCOS LEAVES US AGAIN

Carlos Cascos

The picture above is likely not Carlos' favorite, reflecting pudginess during his tenure as Cameron County Judge, when he won office as a Republican,  announcing that "he'd not left the Democratic Party, but that the Democratic Party had left him."

That line reflected a certain integrity, a commitment to ideals, "come Hell or high water."

Carlos Cascos, now lighter and fitter do to hours of strident walking in Sunrise Mall and, likely, dietary fine tuning, lost that street cred when, after being elected a second time as county judge, he immediately bolted when Governor Greg Abbott dangled the Secretary of State position in front of him.

"Why serve the lowly people of Cameron County when you can be a big shot at the state level?" Cascos' actions seemed to say.

Voters don't like wasting their votes on someone with no interest in serving them.

In Cascos recent campaign to reacquire the county judgeship, he made use of Facebook to offer platitudes and words of wisdom to the faithful as if serving as a mentor to county residents.

Shortly after the election, Cascos announced that he was "leaving Facebook," although few seemed to care.

Cascos' Facebook departure was reminiscent of Richard Nixon's exiting statement after losing the 1962 California gubernatorial race to Pat Brown: "you don't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference."

Self-pity is unbecoming.

Cameron County voters have become accustomed to the departure of Carlos Cascos.

THE OLD CAMERON COUNTY COURTHOUSE~TIMELESS, WITH ARCHITECTURAL RADIANCE by Rene Torres

 

Above is an artist's rendering of the Old Cameron County Courthouse on East Madison Street, completed in 1912.

The three story building, the work of San Antonio architect Atlee Bernard Ayres, built in the Classic Revival style, now holds county offices.

When illuminated like a cathedral, it is the most beautiful courthouse in Texas as Ayres utilized the designs of Louis Sullivan, the father of skyscrapers and modernism and a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright.

The delicate detailing, from an era when buildings were works of art, incorporates "1912" and "Cameron County Courthouse" into a terra cotta shield above the entrance.

Today, the facility is known as the "Oscar Dancy Building," a former County Judge who served 50 years and never owned a car and described his arrival in Cameron County January 9, 1909 as "coming to the foot of the rainbow."

Some say that the old courthouse and the old county judge remind us that buildings and people are not made like "like they used to."

The Old Cameron County Courthouse, an architectural marvel, an iconic piece of Brownsville history!!

SLOVENIAN KID TEARING UP THE NBA~CAN OWNER MARK CUBAN BUILD A TEAM AROUND HIM?

 

During my last decade of secular work I tried to navigate the North 820 Loop into Fort Worth, but it was mostly an impassable parking lot, forcing me into a diversion route through residential areas to get to my job.

Bill Clinton was President, but, even then, north Texas talk radio was mostly vitriol aimed at Hillary Clinton, the person Texans seemed to hate the most.

When the programming shifted to sports, squeaky-voiced Norm Hitzges mostly talked about a skinny German kid Donnie Nelson had discovered.

Mavs coach Don Nelson, Donnie's dad, had gone to Germany to drink beer with the kid's father and try to convince the young man to come to the U.S.

Dirk Nowitzki eventually came to the U.S., overcoming a brief period of homesickness to play twenty-one years for the Mavericks with a certain dignity and loyalty.

In the last couple days, a Dirk Nowitzki statute was unveiled in front of the American Airlines Center, exactly twenty-one feet in length, one foot for every year of service.

But, the Dallas Mavericks, not a particularly well-managed sports franchise, have lucked out again with the rights to another Eastern European basketball savant, Luka Doncic of Slovenia, also a Donnie Nelson discovery.

Luka Doncic

Doncic, as a mere lad, joined Union Olimpija, then, at 17, the Slovenia national team, winning the Eurobasket title that year.

In 2018, Doncic joined Real Madrid, leading them to the EuroLeague title and, that same year became eligible for the NBA draft.

In that draft, both the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings passed on Doncic, allowing the Atlanta Hawks to pick him third, but the Hawks had a pre-draft agreement to exchange draft picks with he Mavs who picked fifth.

Since then, Doncic has soared with the Mavs, winning Rookie of the Year in the 2018-19 season and is now a legitimate MVP candidate.

Just last night Doncic set several NBA records with a 60 point, 21 rebound, 10 assist performance against the New York Knicks.  

Mavs owner Mark Cuban, whose net worth of $4.6 billion is largely connected to his ownership of the NBA team and its facility, faces the challenge to actually build a good team around Doncic.

While Cuban has been more spendthrift, "throwing around nickels like manhole covers,"  owners like Joseph Lacob of the Warriors and Steve Ballmar of the Clippers are picking up players oblivious to the cost.

Dallas fans hope against hope the loquacious Cuban can start competing with the big boys or simply sell the team.

For Dallas fans, Mark Cuban is "on the clock."

GOV. ABBOTT PROVES ONCE AGAIN HE'S NO CHRISTIAN!

 

Governor Greg Abbott

If the President has correct information, Governor Abbott may have celebrated Christmas, but he's certainly no follower of Christ.  Abbott is simply another hypocrite, a phony, a fake, someone who mouths Christianity, but doesn't practice it.

The Biden Administration fingers Abbott as the subhuman responsible for dropping 130 migrants off in front of Vice President Harris' home in 15 F weather, many clad only in t-shirts.

Abbott and his Florida counterpart, Ron DeSantis, have admittedly taken turns in this cowardly display of human cruelty.

These two dumbass bigots remind us of the words of Mahatma Ghandi who once said:  "I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

MY FAVORITE XMAS MESSAGE: WAR IS OVER! IF YOU WANT IT

 

DALLAS COWBOYS WHIP PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 40-34!!!!!!!!! SOUTHMOST CELEBRATES!!!

 

Ezekiel Elliot in Touchdown Rund Against Eagles

SEAN HANNITY NEVER BELIEVED "FOR A SECOND" ELECTION MACHINES WERE RIGGED ACCORDING TO DEPOSITION

Fox News Personality Sean Hannity

Fox News, the largest TV news network in the United States, has consistantly pushed the narrative that the 2020 election was rigged.

The conspiracy pushed by Fox News involved machinery manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems, machines Sean Hannity and others at Fox News claimed ran an algorithm that switched votes for Trump to Biden.

Now, the New York Times has reported that Sean Hannity, under deposition for the trial involving Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News, claims he never believed the conspiracy theory "for a second."

The Times reported that other Fox News reporters have testified similarly, that they never actually believed the lie they were pushing on the American public.

Of course, Fox News solidly backed a con man for president in 2016 and 2020, so it may seem logical that they would push the Trump conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was rigged and finger Dominion Voting Systems.

Did not Fox News have an obligation to its viewers and the American public to correct this bit of misinformation, especially since they clearly knew it to be false?

Some Who Believed the Lie Spread by Trump and Fox News

Millions of American voters, many now in jail cells, believed "for a second" the lies promulgated by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News.

I'm pretty certain local Republicans Tad Hasse and Maggie Ozuna believed the misinformation Fox News was putting out.

One can understand a news outlet unintentionally putting out incorrect information, then, at the earliest opportunity, making the correction, but that's not what happened here.

BEFORE TEXAS SOUTHMOST COLLEGE, THERE WAS BROWNSVILLE JUNIOR COLLEGE AND IT WAS A GREAT SCHOOL by Rene Torres

 

Brownsville Junior College Ranked Among Best

Local school recognized by war chiefs and considered at par with West Point

By Rene Torres

Higher education came to Brownville in 1926 and two years later graduated its first class under the name of “The Junior College of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.  

At that time, it was under the umbrella of the Brownsville Public School System and located on the same campus as the local high school on Palm Blvd.

By 1931, it changed its name to “Brownsville Junior College,” and remained as such until 1949 when the Southmost Union Junior College District was created and thereafter, the institution was known as Texas Southmost College.

Complete separation from the public schools took place in December of 1950.

The divorce began in 1947 when the local school system began negotiations with the War Assets Administration for acquiring the land at Fort Brown.  By that time, the army reservation had been deactivated and as far as local school officials were concerned, the site at Fort Brown was the perfect location for a college. 

The first classes were held at the new campus in 1948.

Since its first graduating class of 1928, the college gained celebrity status. Only four years after it opened its doors, it stood as one of 25 junior colleges in 11 states admitted to membership into the prestigious Southern Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.

This admission/accreditation was very difficult to obtain, especially for a young college. 

In 1930-31, there were only four junior colleges in the state of Texas to receive such recognition, Brownsville Junior College being one of them. 

During this same year, registration at the college showed an enrollment of 160 students.

With this, the local junior college ranked among the best in the country. It was also approved as a first-class institution by the Association of Texas Colleges, was a member of the American Association of Junior Colleges and acknowledged as a top-rated college by the Department of Education.

Faculty members during the 1930s included: E. C. Dodd, dean of the college; Mrs. Louise C. Perkins, registrar and dean of women; R. J. Bingham, head of mathematics; W.L. Dodson, prof. of government; Mrs. Pauline L. Goode, head modern languages; Charlotte Heyman, head English; Grace A. Edman, head social science; Mrs. Lois H. Hughes, head education; Velma Wilson, head science; Mrs. Elizabeth McCollum, head business administration; J.W. Irvine, director of athletics and physical education; N.W. Gunn, prof. of physics and mechanical drawing; Katherine C. Bramlette, prof. business administration; Mrs. W. T. Quinn, instruction in French and music; Ben L. Brite, instructor in physical education; Mrs. S.C. Tucker, librarian; Casteel Garlin, instructor in government; Ruth K. Reed, instructor in education; Louise Parry, instructor in mathematics; Pauline Marler, secretary to the dean of the college.

College at par with West Point...

During this same period, then superintendent of public schools and president of Brownsville Junior College, G. W. Gotke, wrote a letter to the War Department in Washington asking for entrance information to West Point.

His request was made because several local students were interested in transferring their work to the military school. So after a careful investigation by the War Department in Washington, it was revealed that Brownsville Junior College was at par with all other colleges in the United States. 

Offering similar work and that a student graduating here, rated as high as one with two-year credits from any university or college in the country.

The letter received here from the War Department read as follows:

“With reference to your letter of July 7, 1930, in which you seek information relative to the standing of Brownsville Junior College, you are advised that the matter was taken up with the U. S. Bureau of Education, which advises as follows: Brownsville Junior College, Brownsville, Texas, is an institution of college grade offering two years of work equivalent to two years of a standard college. It may be provisionally accredited by the United States Military Academy under the regulation requiring candidates to submit credits on certificate Form I.”

In response to the letter from Washington, written by General C.U. Bridges, Superintendent Gotke said, “This is very complimentary indeed, and means that we have attained a ranking equal to any in the nation. Our students have the same privileges on entering the institution as those from any other college in the United States.” He went on to say, “It means that the United States Government is willing to recognize the Brownsville Junior College.”

Photo: ca. 1940s Brownsville Junior College students at Palm Blvd Campus...L to R: Conrad Lozano, Amelia Parra and Frank Maldonado. Students in background, unknown

TEXAS REPUBLICAN WANTS TEENS BANNED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Rep. Jared Peterson

Representative Jared Peterson has announced that  he will be "introducing legislation next session to ban minors under 18 from using social media."

"It's long past time to recognize the incredible harm social media is doing to the mental health of young Texans. Next session, we put an end to it," Peterson stated.

This whole concept is framed as protecting young people, something our Republican-dominated state has shown zero interest in doing.

Republicans are not wrong in thinking that social media like YouTube has hurt their party and caused it to lose support among young people.

Their problem is that young people can use social media to fact check far right Republican candidates's frequently nutty, QAnon-based statements.

So, it becomes a free speech issue, but also an attempt to control what young people think and the information available to them.

In all honesty, my two grandsons have likely learned as much from YouTube as public school and it would be incredibly obscene and un-American to block them and their peers' access to information.  

MALL OF ASIA IN THE PHILIPPINES

 

TRUMP'S BIGLY ANNOUNCEMENT: ORDER MY DIGITAL TRADING CARDS FOR $99 PER SET

 

SURPRISINGLY, BROWNSVILLE VOTERS ELECTED CARLOS ELIZONDO TO GUIDE THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

 

Former Fire Chief Carlos Elizondo

One personal surprise in the November election was Carlos Elizondo's easy BISD School Board victory over Drue Brown and Philip Cowen.

Elizondo, a personable young man, has had his brushes with the law and countless questionable incidents, including being charged with "unauthorized" ATM withdrawals amounting to thousands of dollars from a Brownsville Fire Department account and other misdeeds, but he's never been convicted.  There were even reports that Elizondo had cheated on his entrance exam, changing his grade from 69-71, but he later referred to the whole thing as a "witch hunt."

My first encounter with Carlos was over a decade ago, introduced by Jorge Lerma and Rigo Bocanegra, de facto leaders within the Brownsville Fire Department.

Back then, Jorge and Rigo were proud of Carlos, a chubby lad working nights in the fire department and taking college courses at UTB during the day.

The story was that then Fire Chief Lenny Perez was giving Elizondo a hard time with tuition reimbursement, something spelled out clearly in the city's contract with the department.

By May of 2016 Elizondo was named Brownsville Fire Chief.

In short order the very men who'd supported Elizondo's climb through the ranks to become Fire Chief, felt betrayed, backstabbed and disrespected, seeing firsthand how easily power corrupts.

As is typical in Brownsville and the valley, Elizondo's hiring was based on compadrismo, not merit.

Eventually, Elizondo was deposed as Fire Chief without pay October 17, 2017 by the city, a decision held up during a 2018 civil service hearing before a 3 member panel headed by retired firefighter Ben Nunez, Sr.

During that civil service hearing and a followup hearing in 2019, Attorney Ricardo Navarro, representing the city, claimed that even after Elizondo's termination, he'd unlawfully accessed a Brownsville Fire Department computer 48 times for emergency response information in attempting to divert emergency calls to a private ambulance service partially owned by Elizondo.

Elizondo was only charged for 11 of the instances of unlawful computer access, but found not guilty, but his tenure as Fire Chief was turbulent and department morale was extremely low.

This is only a partial summation of Elizondo's checkered record, but, no matter, Brownsville voters have deemed him worthy of guiding the education of their children for the next four years.

OUR NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT; MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE

 

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a loud rider on the Republican short bus of American politics, embarrasses herself and her constituents every time she opens her mouth.

But Greene's comments over the weekend about the January 6 insurrection can't be simply blown off as dumb and ill-advised, they were traitorous.

"I gotta tell you something:  If Steve Bannon and I had organized that, we would have won. . . . not to mention it would have been armed."

I'm not sure what the political airhead thinks she would have "won," but, even if she and Bannon, accompanied by other MAGA heads, would have gained control of the congressional chambers, their group of winners would have found themselves quickly surrounded by the Washington police and U.S. military.

Their "win" would have been shortlived.

Georgia, meanwhile, takes an almost daily hit, being represented by the loose-lipped incompetent Taylor Greene.

But, it could have been worse.

The state could also have been represented in the U.S. Senate by werewolf and vampire expert Hershel Walker.

At least Georgia dodged THAT bullet.

ARE REPUBLICANS OLD-FASHIONED, OUT-OF-DATE OR JUST OLD?

 

Out-of-Date Republican Leaders

Many young people view the Republican Party as out of touch, old-fashioned, actually, just old.

The world has changed.  Kids no longer take Lone Ranger lunch boxes to school or play with hula-hoops.

But, Republicans seem stuck in the 50's in practice and ideas.

Visiting the local Cameron County Republican Party meetings it's obvious that the core of the local party is made up of elderly white folks from Harlingen.

The kid in the room is Roman Perez and he has to be pushing 50.

Oh, another thing boys and girls.

The Republicans are not winning with Trump.  The sooner they de-Trump themselves the better.

Speaking of Trump, he's lately taken to calling people socialists or communists.  I doubt he knows the meaning of either word, but that's an old 50's Joe McCarthy trick anyway.

Calling people socialist or communist is not an effective strategy in 2022.

BARTON GIVES UP HIS WORLD-CLASS BEEF CHILI RECIPE

 

As I reach 3/4 of a century of life, I'm totally aware of the need for information to be passed down from one generation to another.  What kernels of life-altering information were lost via the exits of the Mayans, Aztecs and Toltecs?

For at least the last 50 years I've been perfecting beef chili, with many of those years spent in Little Rock conferring with fellow chili master Keith Wine.  

The end result is a very straight-forward recipe that can be prepared in 30 minutes and cooked in just over an hour.

The recipe is minimalized to create only a small potful that will easily fit into the refrigerator.  

Start with 1 to 1-1/2 beef round cubed in half inch squares.  The beef is added to a hot fry pan with two tablespoons of oil, stirring to make sure the cubes are seared on all sides.  The meat is seasoned with salt and pepper.

After searing, the meat is put in a large pot along with 32 oz beef broth and cooking is started while you chop the vegetables.

Finely chop one large Texas sweet onion(the flat one), four large, fresh jalapeno peppers, two habanero peppers and one whole garlic, adding that to the pot.

Next, add 4 tablespoons of comino, 4 tablespoons of chili powder, 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper.

Keep stirring as you cook for an hour.

Into half a glass of warm water, add two heaping tablespoons of corn starch and stir to dissolve, then add to the chili.

This is a good time to taste test the chili.  

It should be very hot, but possibly a little bitter, with the consistancy of gravy.

At this point, add a tablespoon of mole' paste to slightly sweeten the mixture and continue cooking and stirring for an additional five minutes.

Ready to serve.

JUAN MONTOYA REPORTS A RAID ON HOME OWNED BY DR. ALBERTO ALMEIDA, MY PERSONAL CARE PHYSICIAN

 

Juan Montoya broke the story yesterday in El Rrun Rrun of a raid at 3702 Charmaine Lane, a home evidently owned by Dr. Alberto Almeida.  An intern, formerly employed by Almeida, not Dr. Almeida himself, was evidently arrested in September and federal officials had obtained a warrant to search the home.

The story caught my attention because Dr. Almeida has been my PCP for at least 12 years.  

Since there's no picture of Dr. Almeida online, I opted for the cowboy boots above to represent the physician since he wore them the first couple of years I went to his clinic on Los Ebanos Blvd and a picture is displayed prominently in his waiting room of the doctor riding a horse during Charro Days years ago.

Back then you could hear the clunk of boots as Dr. Almeida stomped from one examination room to the other and things got very loud as he approached the room where you waited.

In the last decade, whenever we've had a scheduled visit with Dr. Almeida, we've been seen by interns only.

Within the last year or so a young woman who identified herself as "Maria from Dr. Almeda's office" would call me about once a week to ask how I was doing, did I need medications, etc.  I assumed Dr. Almeida was billing my insurance for this unrequested service.  

Actually, I'd not actually seen Dr. Almeida personally in the last ten years until he popped his head in unexpectedly last month during my annual checkup.(He'd overheard Ana and I discussing with the intern the relative merits of the Baptist Medical Center and Valley Regional and popped in to give his two cents.)

I take full personal responsibility for continuing with Almeida despite being served by various interns through the years.  Actually, I was satisfied with the care.

Ana's been after me to change to a doctor who would actually see me personally, but I keep procrastinating when I think of making the change.

In December 2020 it was Ana who rushed me to the emergency room resulting in triple bypass surgery.  

I recall seeing on some billing that Dr. Almeida's attempt to attach his fees to the billing was denied.  Actually, he did not visit me at the hospital nor did any of his interns.

Somehow, I wound up in the office of Dr. Edward McGlynn, a cardiologist associated with Dr. Jaime Silva.  

I consider Dr. McGlynn extraordinary.

Dr. Mark Morales

I have a similar view of Dr. Mark Morales, the flamboyant doctor who performed my bypass surgery and Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz, pulmonologist who was educated at the University of Buenos Aires.

THE REAL REASON MAYOR TREY MENDEZ CHOSE NOT TO SEEK RE-ELECTION

 

Mayor Juan "Trey" Mendez

On November 23, 2022 Mayor Juan "Trey" Mendez announced via Facebook that he would NOT be seeking another term as mayor.

Trey gave the following as his reason for leaving the mayor's office after a single term:

“I realize that the past three and a half years have taken a heavy toll on my physical, mental and financial health that few can relate to, . . . . . I believe that we have successfully managed a multitude of catastrophic and unforeseen events over the past 36 months that required our absolute attention, but it wasn’t easy.”

While it's understandable Trey felt some burnout and the pandemic was difficult to navigate, his decision to not seek re-election was more likely based on the fact that he was caught with his hands in the city's cookie jar, seeking $200,000 in 4B funds from BCIC to restore and remodel the downtown Coca-Cola building, a building he'd purchased from a local resident for cash and back taxes.

The BCIC funds, were intended for citizens to refurbish their properties, yet Mayor Mendez and city administrator Ramiro Gonzalez were first in line for the handout, along with Abel Limas' son Michael Limas whose firm manages the city's retirement funds.

Former City Planner Ramiro Gonzalez

Gonzalez was actually terminated from his $82000 gig as a glorified city planner for his role in the unethical, if not illegal, scheme.

While it would have been honorable for Mayor Mendez, just as guilty as Gonzalez, to have resigned, he, along with Michael Limas, and Limas simply withdrew his monetary request.  

For heaven's sakes, the WHOLE point of 4B or "quality of life" funds is that such economic development funding would be separate from politics, not for mayors and city administrators with sticky fingers.

Trey's sidekick Gonzalez had long been using his role as a planner to scour the city for inexpensive lots to purchase.

In 2014, while working as City Planner,  Gonzalez discovered a plot with no apparent owner that bordered Central and Lakeside Boulevards, prime city real estate directly across from the Valley Baptist Medical Center. 

The Brownsville City Commission not only allowed Gonzalez to purchase the unclaimed city tract for a mere $7,000, but gave him two adjacent plots free as in "buy one, get two free."  Such reckless, inexcusable handling of city assets!

My point is, that had Trey Mendez sought re-election, he would have been hounded by questions about his blatant attempt to use BCIC funds for his own personal enrichment, especially grievous, since, as mayor, he'd not only been involved in appointing members and staff to the BCIC, but in setting guidelines for the program.

Gonzalez was terminated, but the mayor, as an elected official, had to option to resign.  

For the mayor to be "first in line" to receive the funding was beyond unethical and certified that Mendez was unfit to serve our city as mayor.

So, now you have the real reason Mendez chose not to seek re-election.

THE LOVE STORY OF AMELIA AND NOE GONZALES AS TOLD BY RENE TORRES

Noe Gonzales

After Pearl Harbor many of our local boys did not hesitate to join the war effort, 27,000 in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties alone, according to Selective Service records and many more in Willacy and Starr Counties.

Noe Gonzales, one of those eager to serve, joined in 1942, but left with a heavy heart, having just discovered Amelia Torres, a beautiful sixteen year old who worked at the Dittmann Theater, and later, the Grande in Brownsville as a ticket taker.

Amelia Gonzales

Amelia, the oldest among 11 siblings, possessed a lovely singing voice that could be heard on the airways via KWWG radio in Brownsville, displayed a striking appearance in her theater uniform gaining the attention of many, but especially Noe, who, smitten by love at first sight, became a frequent visitor to the theater. 

The love affair that ensued took a pause when Noe had to report for active duty, but their affection continued through love letters in which Noe promised marriage upon his return from basic training. 

Noe and Amelia married during a furlough, and Noe, having secured his teenaged sweetheart, the love of his life, left to confront the ugly face of war.

Noe’s letters to his dearest Amelia alternated between fear and hope with their future made insecure by war. 

With anxious words they shared their longing for their eventual peaceful life as a married couple.

When the war ended and letters stopped, a foundation for closeness and intimacy had been established.

Now, the hints of romance that they shared before the war became real along with love that would continue to the end of their lives. 

Noe: Hometown hero…

Noe Gonzales was born in Port Isabel in 1919, the first baby delivered in the area by the late Dr. J.A. Hockaday, attending Port Isabel schools, graduating in 1938. 

Noe played on the Tarpon basketball team that captured the Rio Grande Valley Championship in 1937. 

In those days the team used to play on a hard dirt floor with no gym or classification system, so this championship was quite an accomplishment for the Tarpons.

Noe was also on the roster of PI’s first baseball team.

His greatest regret was not obtaining a college degree. 

He was instead self-educated, but an avid reader who closely followed the news. 

In 1942 he attended the Harlingen Army Gunnery School that practiced on pre-developed South Padre Island before the first bridge went up in 1952, training, not only as a gunner, but also as a radio operator. 

Eventually reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Army Air Force's 327th Bombardment Squadron, Noe flew twenty-five missions on the B-17 Flying Fortress in the U.S. Army Air Corps before it became the U.S. Air Force.

Before Noe left England, he received several citations from General Doollittle, commander of the 1942 Tokyo raid to avenge the bombing of Pearl Harbor:

The distinguished Flying Cross on behalf of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and Three Oak Leaf Clusters, all extraordinary achievements. 

Gonzales was the first man to return home from the war front. The community honored him with a barbecue and a street dance on February 27,1944.

Later, he served as a PIISD Board of Trustees in the 1960’s for several terms and was an avid supporter of the Tarpon sports programs, a lifetime resident of Port Isabel and a life member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, always extending a helping hand to those in need.

To support himself and his family, Noe turned to a skill he'd learned at the age of 13 on his father's shrimp boat-making and repairing fishing nets. 

So skilled was Noe that many in Port Isabel came for advice as Noe worked on the nets with the radio blaring in the background with the news of the day.

His shop was neat and clean, well organized with every tool in its place and every stick well defined. He was considered a genius with the needle and twine, all hand work, no machines used just as his dad had taught him.

Noe made the difficult craft of net making look easy!