DID JESSICA TETREAU VOTE AGAINST THE TENASKA DEAL FOUR TIMES AS SHE CLAIMS?

 

Commissioner Jessica Tetreau

Candidates for public office frequently toss around words like honesty, transparency, integrity, although, in actual practice, they seldom measure up to their claims.

Repeatedly, Commissioner Jessica Tetreau, currently seeking the office of mayor, has stated in public  forums and on the campaign trail, that she was opposed to the Tenaska deal that resulted in Brownsville ratepayers receiving inflated power bills to cover the cost of a huge power plant that was never built.

We submit the work of Juan Montoya, investigator and journalist, quoting from his blog, El Rrun Rrun:

"Jessica Tetreau – blandly asserts that she voted against the Tenaska project four times. Readers of this blog have pointed out that Tetreau (in the interest of truth in advertising we'll give notice that she advertises here) may be stretching the truth a bit, if not outright lying in the ad below. A fact check has yielded evidence that contradicts her claims.

A cursory examination of the official record shows that Tetreau was sitting on the commission when Martinez rammed the project through in meetings held December 11 and December 17, 2012, browbeating the unbelieving commissioners to sign on to the project that was supposed to assure the availability of electricity for residents and attract manufacturers.

On December 11, 2012, when the first reading on the two ordinances – one to allow the city to operate a gas-powered plant and the other to raise utility rates to pay for it – Tetreau was present and was one of the commissioners who unanimously approved them during a vote. 

And she was absent for the second reading December 17 when the other commissioners voted unanimously – albeit without the District 2 commissioner – to make it final. At the time she never raised any objection. And her absence after she had cast the "yes" vote to adopt the ordinances in the December 11th meeting indicated she was for the Tenaska Project.

Those votes of December 11 and December 17, saddled the residents of Brownsville with the Tenaska Fiasco.

Being absent for the December 17th meeting could be construed to mean that either she was fine with the project, or that she was derelict in representing her constituents when she had the chance. In city politics, you can't have it both ways.

And on March 5, 2013, when planner Ramiro Gonzalez told the commission that in order to grant Tenaska a tax abatement they would have to enlarge the boundaries of the 550 Reinvestment Zone to cover their facility, she not only voted in favor, but seconded the motion to close the public hearing and then seconded the motion to approve the item. 

We're not picking on just the commissioner here, because she was but one of the members of the entire city commission who were bamboozled by master manipulator Martinez. 

But the record shows that much later, on November 17, 2015, Tetreau seconded commissioner Ricardo Longoria's motion and cast her vote to implement subsequent utility rate increases  according to the city's Memorandum of Understanding with Tenaska. 

Does the record show that the commish was against Tenaska as she claims in her television ads? 

Obviously not, but in an election it'll be up to the voters to decide whether to believe the ads or the official record." 

"MOTHER" ENDORSES MIKE PENCE FOR PRESIDENT

 

Karen Pence with her Husband

WILL TAD HASSE AND ROMAN PEREZ TURN BROWNSVILLE RED?

SUSAN RUBALCABA, CANDIDATE FOR CITY COMMISSIONER AT LARGE "A" RESPONDS TO MARIO SAENZ' CHARGES

 

Susan Rubalcaba

You say you have researched me Mr Saenz yet I have never met you. 

You say I support the charging of the capital and innocent lives being taken-FALSE. 

You say I am supporting the taking of Medicaid, social programs and Social Security benefits from our Elderly, your research is quite inadequate then, as my business depends on those who have Medicaid and Medicare, and I personally have assisted hundreds of people in getting those benefits, even assisting them in appeals. 

You compare me to Marjorie Greene what's her name-FALSE I can't stand that lady. 

What is sad is that you continue to label people simply based on one historical vote, you do not care what I have done and continue to do for the community we both live in. 

You will probably erase this comment, but if you ever want to actually write the truth about me, inbox me and I will gladly take you to lunch! 

OH and BTW my number one supporters are My Husband and kids!

MY LIFE LONG AGO AT THE VALLEY INN MOTEL

In 1967 I was 19 and working from midnight till 8:00 AM as a bellman at the Valley Inn Motel on Central Blvd. 

Every hotel or full service motel has its own distinct personality at night.  The tone can be set by the night desk clerk as he or she mixes it up on a nightly basis with the regulars and the passers through.  

The Valley Inn Motel on Central Blvd. owned by the Valley Inn & Country Club was in full decay mode by the mid-sixties when Paul Sanders and I worked the front desk.  The regulars knew what we weren't and the first-timers would soon be underwhelmed.

My most frequent role as bellman was to move guests from one hot room to another.  Entering the replacement room,  I would quickly turn down the thermostat and noise would be made as if cooling would soon occur.  Eventually, guests would stop complaining and simply go to sleep.

Our regulars included "Mr. Fried Chicken."  An auditor found that an odd name on the registry until it was explained that twice a week he would come in with a different lady, not give us his name and, at 2 AM order two fried chicken dinners from Higgies, the only all night restaurant in Brownsville at the time.

Paul Sanders, the night desk clerk, was 21, the son of a Lutheran minister, engaged to be married, but had suddenly dropped out of Oregon State University one semester shy of graduation.  He explained that his whole life was already programmed and he didn't like that feeling.  

Paul had traveled extensively thoughout Mexico, had tired of a relationship with a profesora at the Universidad Nacional de Mexico and had taken the poorest paying, but most interesting job he found at the border, making $1.10 an hour for booking guests, checking up, answering the switchboard, pacifiying complainers and pontificating all night his world view to any who would listen.  

I claimed .80 per hour plus non-existent tips for putting two sofa cushions together in the manager's office and sleeping till morning.  I would keep one ear open to the lobby conversation in case it interested me enough to join in.

Of course, I was always on call.

Typically, I would be repeating the room number to myself as I headed down the long hall, finally realizing what my mission was after many steps.

During the night I would have to take over the switchboard as Paul would be seriously trying to balance the night's books.  

The switchboard connected all of the motel rooms and all of the country club phones.  I would have to find a long distance operator for any long distance calls.  For room to room, it was a simply matter of  plugging a flexible cord into that room's slot.  A mechanical timer reminded us to issue wake up calls if we remembered to set the timer.

If a single phone was off the hook at any of the V.I.C.C. homes, it would take away one of our lines, so I would usually have to drive over there, knock on that door and explain the problem.

Brownsville Observer editor at 19

One 50ish lady, after getting my knock one night, left her phone off the hook the next night, only to answer the door clad in bra and panties.  I did not take advantage and she stopped that trick after a couple nights.

Although the Valley Inn was run down, the Travel Lodge across the street was more so.  Plus, we had the connection with the country club with singer/actor Dean Martin supposedly owning one of the country club units.  His pending arrival was the occasional rumor that never materialized but was used to put us on full alert.  

My big celebrity guest was country singer Rusty Draper.  I had to move him and his wife from a hot motel room to a suite at the country club.  The large number of bags I loaded created visions of a five dollar tip in my head.  

Draper used his thumb to flip me a quarter from across the room.  "Get yourself a beer kid."

Santiago Na-me', the classical guitarist with the fake last name pronounced "na.may" usually serenaded a girl in the parking lot after the club closed.  Paul always gave the nonpaying singer a room not yet tidied up by the maids.  

Santiago also played at Michael's Pizza next to the Gibson store further down Central Blvd. 

Pierre, a 5'3" shrimper from Morgantown, LA would entertain us with stories from the Gulf.  Pierre kept a wash cloth and an 8 penny nail in his pocket to demonstrate to anyone who would watch how he could drive a nail into a board with his palm, leathered from years of heading shrimp.

FWIW, I ran into Paul or bumped into him a few years later. 

"I'm Jesus Christ," he said as stumbled into me.

Obviously drunk, sporting a long beard, I quickly ascertained that Paul had become a shrimper and succumbed to the "wine, women and song" lifestyle for which they were notorious.

Oh well, maybe it was better than the programmed life in Oregon he dreaded.

IS CATY PRESAS-GARCIA THE MOST CORRUPT CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN BROWNSVILLE?

 

Caty Presas-Garcia

Whether you know her by her given name, Catalina, or the more feminine "Cata" or more youthful "Caty," this frequent candidate for office over the last couple decades, has proven time and again that she cares more about what benefits Caty than serving the interests of Brownsville taxpayers.

During Caty's years of service as a BISD trustee, for example, she was a dutiful and loyal advocator for the delinquent school tax collection firm of Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP.

Caty's devotion to the Linebarger firm sometimes bordered on the humorous.

Once, during a presentation by the Pena Law Firm, represented by Enrique Pena, Caty chose to take a potty break during that rival company's time slot.

The rythmic, but loud clogging of Caty's footwear could be heard as she made her way and back from the lady's restroom.

Despite repeated, seemingly annoyed requests by BISD Chairman Enrique Escobedo for Pena to continue his presentation, he patiently waited for Caty to return before restarting.

"I will when Mrs. Presas-Garcia makes it back in," Pena stated.

Then, after Caty was finally settled in her seat, Enrique Pena added with some obvious sarcasm:  "Thank you for joining us, Mrs. Presas-Garcia."

After Presas-Garcia and gang were successful in changing BISD's delinquent tax collection firm to Linebarger, Presas-Garcia spearheaded an increase in the collecting agency's fee, from 12.5%, as it had been with the Pena firm, to 15% for Linebarger.  That immediately added $125,000 to Linebarger's collections.

But, likely, Presas-Garcia's lowest point as BISD Trustee came when she, along with Enrique Escobedo, Lucy Longoria and Christina Saavedra voted to dismiss the $14.3 million lawsuit against Ted Parker's Healthsmart for insurance overcharges.

Parker had faced a similar lawsuit with the city of Lubbock, TX, but, with the help of convicted con artist Carlos Quintanilla, had succeeded in securing a settlement for a mere $4 million.

Parker summoned the clever, super-slick Quintanilla to Brownsville to do the same and he was instrumental in the election of Presas-Garcia, Longoria and Saavedra, whom he affectionately referred to as his "bitches."

Again, Quintanilla, utilizing his three recruits along with Enrique Escobedo, settled the $14 million lawsuit for mere pittance, depriving BISD's huge district of needed funding, despite the fact that local attorneys were willing to take the case on a contingency basis.

Presas-Garcia, a realtor, was also involved in a theft of funds lawsuit initiated by the buyer and seller of a property the sale of which she handled.  The lawsuit contended that the buyer, Miguel Salinas, had entrusted Presas-Garcia with $8,000 to be used as downpayment on the property, but Presas-Garcia had submitted a mere $500 to the title company.

Miguel Salinas, the buyer and Juan M. Figueroa, the seller, joined together in a lawsuit to recover the funds from Presas-Garcia.

Quintanilla on the left, Presas-Garcia second from right

If you need more documentation of Presas-Garcia's unfitness for office, Google her name and "milk scam" to read about another of her personal enrichment projects along with con artist Quintanilla.

For longtime Brownsville voters, who've kept up with Presas-Garcia's shenanigans over the years, most of this is old news, but we post it to give newer voters some perspective as they make up their minds about the candidates running for office in our city.

 

FASCIST POLITICIAN FROM FLORIDA FRIGHTENED BY A MOUSE!

 

ARTURO TREVINO DISPLAYS MARKETING SKILL WITH LOS TREVI'S DRIVE-THRU

 

Arturo Trevino, owner of Los Trevi's drive-thru adult beverage locations throughout town, knows how to merchandise.

While many in Brownsville simply set up shop and wait for customers who never come, Trevino know how to market his product, especially how to take advantage of free advertising on Facebook.

My wife Ana, not a beer drinker herself, always alerts me to Arturo's fabulous specials, usually featuring products that didn't generate enough sales or were seasonal items.

Arturo Trevino

Arturo's latest offering, Shiner Tex-Hex, pictured upper left, was given a rating of 87 by BeerAdvocate, with one subscriber submitting this observation:  

"I was not expecting a brew this impressive from Shiner. No macro vibes at all. No off-flavors. Malt character is typical for an IPA. Hop aromas very faint - maybe because it's at the expiry date? Even without the hops there is some depth & complexity here (from the cactus water?). Dare I say there's even a small hit of capsaicin, but my tolerance is so high it's hard to tell.

Pairs well with supreme pizza and probably tex-mex."

Thanks to Arturo's merchandising, we have a case of Shiner Tex-Hex in our vehicle for our trip to Iowa.

A LOVERS DISPUTE AT THE ZOO WITH P.U.B. TO THE RESCUE!

 By Rene Torres

How deep is your love? The story of a love affair at the Glady Porter Zoo took a turn for the worst when a white male rhinoceros made an unwelcomed advance.

A desperate attempt to get the attention of a female rhino went south when she got a bit frisky and shoved him into a canal.

Brownsville’s Public Utility Board (PUB) over the years has received some unusual calls in the line of duty.

But, in December of 1988, it had one of the strangest calls on record and it came from the Zoo. It was a dire situation because zoo officials did not have the equipment to rescue the animal.

Who do you call? The call was made to PUB. 

Homer Trevino and Donato Herrera were two employees that were used to working with heavy equipment, but this situation was a bit unusual.

First, a backhoe was used to remove the rhino from the canal—but the monster lights were frightening to the rhino, and he kept on charging, making it a difficult rescue.

That is until PUB came up with an eye-catching idea—why not build a rock levee for the animal to climb out?

 After some in-depth thinking from the rhino, he eventually used it and was out. 

His first action was to charge Homer and Donato, but after zoo staff reunited him with his mate—love took over, and his devious behavior stopped. 

They say that love is blind!

A love affair PUB will never forget! 

“Sometimes the service we provide is a little of the ordinary,” commented PUB.

PROSECUTORS FILE MOTION TO PREVENT TRUMP FROM ATTACKING, INTIMIDATING WITNESSES

 From The Intel Drop

Donald J. Trump

Prosecutors in the hush-money case filed a motion Monday to ask Judge Juan Manuel Merchan for a protective order that would prevent Trump from blabbing about any evidence obtained during the discovery process.

“Defendant Donald J. Trump has a longstanding and perhaps singular history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, trial jurors, grand jurors, judges, and others involved in legal proceedings against him, putting those individuals and their families at considerable safety risk,”

Assistant District Attorney Catherine McCaw wrote in the motion. If approved, Trump would be blocked from posting evidence publicly or giving it to third parties. He would also only be allowed to view certain sensitive records in the presence of his lawyers, and would be unable to copy, photograph or transcribe that material. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

DID FOX NEWS PRODUCER ABBY GROSSBERG GET TUCKER CARLSON FIRED?

 

Abby Grossberg

Former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg has accused former Fox News host Tucker Carlson of overseeing a hostile work environment, where antisemitic banter and chauvinism were commonplace.

Fox News announced Monday morning it would part ways with Carlson — a network star who drew solid ratings while promoting incendiary and often misleading rhetoric. Grossberg filed a lawsuit against Fox News last month shortly before being cut loose by the right-wing cable operation.

TUCKER CARLSON OUT AT FOX NEWS, LIKELY FIRED FOR PUSHING "BIG LIE"

 

Carlson with heroes, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and former president Donald J. Trump

“Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. . . . We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.” 

That was how Harris Faulkner informed Fox News viewers of the departure of Tucker Carlson, one of the loudest promoters of the "Big Lie" that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

While the claim has been made that Carlson and Fox News reached the decision "mutually," others claim Carlson was simply "fired" by company owner Rupert Murdoch after a $787,500,000 settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

Court filings have shown that Carlson and other Fox News hosts knew the claim of election rigging was a lie, but that they continued to push the conspiracy theory anyway.

THE GAME CALLED PINGTON~A NET GAME THAT TRAVELED FROM MEXICO TO TEXAS SOUTHMOST COLLEGE

by Rene Torres 

Pington was not an ancient sport played by the Greek and/or by kings and queens, but rather a game, the father of which is unknown, that had its roots in Mexico, played since the 1950's. 

The question is how this net game crossed the border and instantly found a welcoming home at Texas Southmost College.

When the '59 TSC basketball team traveled into Mexico, then Coach Steinbach noticed a group of youngsters having a blast playing this unusual game hitting a wad of paper over a net with ping pong paddles with fast action like badminton. 

It was not long before Steinbach introduced the game to his physical education classes in Brownsville replacing the paper wad with a badminton bird. 

But as the game evolved, the sport took on a new name; “Pington” and the ping pong paddles eventually gave way to a unique, locally designed wooden paddle. The origin of the name, according to Jim Lemons, stemmed from the funny sound of the paddle hitting the bird in flight.

Pington is a combination of badminton, ping pong and tennis that, up to 1970, was mainly played at the college gymnasium. While the sport flourished in the physical education classes, as an intramural sport and among Brownsville and Matamoros businessmen, little was done to spread the game outside the confines of the TSC gym.

Former TSC student and player of the game, Lucy Tijerina Torres, recently stated that the game was so popular among local businessmen that they formed the Brownsville Men’s Pington Club. 

“Their devotion to the game was evident every afternoon at 4:00 p.m,” said Lucy.

By 1992, after playing the game for many years, Jim Lemons and Judy Walton, both UTB/TSC physical education instructors at the time, decided to a write a book about the game, one, to help spread the knowledge of the sport and secondly, to set-up a scholarship fund in honor of Werner Steinbach,the stepfather of the game.

Beyond the book, Lemons often conducted demonstration workshops to expand the interest of the game. “It’s a great conditioning sport. 

"It’s easy to play and it’s inexpensive,” Lemons said.

Jim not only talked a good game, but he backed it up by demonstrating skills that few could better.

Lemons wrote, “One of the theories of learning is that anything you succeed at you like.

That’s one of the reasons the kids like the game so much—they are successful at it.”

The dream of Lemons and Walton was that pington would spread throughout the United States and the world, but they were content if the game would spread to the local school districts and some colleges.

Both have retired, leaving behind footprints of the game. 

Unfortunately, the game today is part of Texas Southmost College history.

I’d be remiss If I did not mention the person who managed the gym’s equipment room, an icon who, for decades ran things like a drill sergeant, known on campus as the "Sgt."

Photo: Former Kinesiology faculty member Jim Lemons presents his textbook on Pington to UT-B/TSC President Dr. Juliet Garcia

Photo 2 Doubles Champs 68

GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT, DUPED BY FOX NEWS, WANTS TO PARDON MURDERER

 

Army veteran Garrett Foster, pictured above with his fiancee' of ten years, Whitney Mitchell, a quadraplegic, was killed by now-convicted murderer Daniel Perry at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, deficient of moral values, has expressed the intention of pardoning the murderer, if given the opportunity by the parole board, based on Abbott's erroneous understanding that Foster was a member of Black Lives Matter, a liberal, likely even a Communist, as if any of those views justify murder. But, life is cheap among shameless Republicans like Abbott.

One fact likely escaping our dimwitted governor is that Garret Foster did not hold the views Abbott thinks he did. Foster, it's now been discovered, was a right wing libertarian, mourned at his death by the Texas Libertarian Party.

That fact doesn't make his murder more or less justified, but it does betray the ignorance, racism and braindead partisanship of this governor.

BOBBY WIGHTMAN-CERVANTES QUESTIONS JUDGE EDDIE TREVINO'S HUGE PROFITEERING IN THE DEFUNCT TENASKA DEAL

 Bobby Wightman-Cervantes, longtime editor of the "Brownsville Voice," has been sending me bits of info recently, encouraging me to utilize the information in stories on my blog.

As I explained to Bobby, my blog, the "Brownsville Observer," is essentially inactive, except for the occasional baseball-related anecdotes from Rene Torres.

The blog totally lost steam during the year Ana and I spent recently in Iowa when she worked as a travel nurse.

Now, we're making plans for a similar trip and blogging is not a priority.

As I told Bobby:  I'm 75, with two genius grandsons and a wife who makes everything an absolute joy.

Anyway, here's a recent memo from Bobby to be followed up in a subsequent posting by some observations he has about Jessica Tetreau:

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr.

"Jim, Trevino was paid approximately $1.92 million over the period April 2013 to June 2018, of which $1.28 million was allegedly for Tenaska related services. 

However, we could not ascertain why Trevino was involved in the project to that extent, given that there were six other firms associated with legal fees for the project and given his role simply as board counsel. 

Aside from typically taking five to seven months to produce his billing details, it appeared that most of his invoices revolved around attending meetings, being included in conference calls, and being copied on emails.

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes on the left

Moreover, his role as board counsel was a
potential source of conflict due to his elected position of Cameron County Judge. In fact, it appears to be that conflict that sparked his resignation in late 2017. '"

Did you know he was Board Counsel at the same time he was county judge?

Texas has a well founded discovery rule concerning limitations. Limitations for fraud is 4 years after it is discovered or should have been discovered.

We need outside counsel to to sue the hell out of everyone involved to include Tenaska.

I am not going to blog but this is beyond any form of corruption I have ever seen.

Bobby Wightman-Cervantes"

CHANGING THE FACE OF PLAYGROUND BASEBALL

 

By Rene Torres

Before you read about playground baseball, allow me to share a fictional story about a little boy who dreamt of becoming a hero:

“If only I could hit the ball, it would be a cinch,” said the little boy to himself. 

He was known to swing for the fences and often, when failing, stared at his bat in disgust. 

I’m talking about “Little Johnny Strikeout,” a boy who dissolved into tears every time his teammates mocked him as he swung like a rusty gate. 

But soon things changed. . . 

One day after practice as he sat crying at a park bench, he heard a distant voice telling him not to give up. 

The mysterious voice offered the following advice: “Keep your eye on the ball and swing level at all times.”

Little Johnny heard that same voice again as he stepped up to the plate with two outs and the game on the line. 

“Hit’em where they ain’t,” the voice said. 

Johnny listened to the voice and followed through with a mighty swing, causing the ball to clear the fence with room to spare.

After the game, when a stranger approached him to offer congratulations; it was that same familiar voice.

“Just a minute mister,” Johnny countered. 

“Who are you?" 

The man responded, “I’m Joe DiMaggio.”

By 1936, many kids wanted to be like Joe D and, in order to create more heroes like him, the Brownsville Playground League made some rules changes.

Depression Era Diamond Heroes...

Being that the city playground league had too many “Little Johnny’s,” it was time to change the rules of pitching. 

According to playground baseball officials, the game was for kids to have fun so no more deceiving the batter with illegal pitching deliveries. 

Playground baseball in Brownsville in 1933 would see a major change on how the game was played.

The local committee that monitored the league said, “The game was designed as a hit-and run affair.”

The new rule will compel hurlers to keep their shoulders parallel to the front of the plate during the delivery of the ball.

League officials insisted that fans wanted to see more hitting and fewer strikeouts. 

The hurler would now take aim at the bat and toss the ball, rather than throwing it; curbing “strikeout pitching.” 

An infraction of this rule would be to call the pitch a ball, providing the batter didn’t swing at it.

Along with pitching changes, the fans would see more hitting, faster fielding and better playing conditions. 

And how was the lighting, you ask? 

According to the main characters, the kids; “not as good as it should be.”

After the floodlights were improved, this led to better playing. With additional lighting — they could now see beyond their feet, inducing a whirl of spectacular plays and curbing dropped fly balls. 

Gloves were optional, as these were trying times.

Some kids showed up with no gloves. Others had homemade ones and the fortunate few, used a genuine cowhide/horsehide glove.

As part of the improvement plan, new bleachers adorned the field at West Brownsville. 

With this addition, the league could now charge 5 cents admission for adults. 

Beyond the bleachers, better parking arrangements were provided for fans that preferred to watch the games from their cars.

With all the intangibles in place, the league progressed without a hitch. 

Although the boys did not make the sports newsreels of the day, they did contribute to the much-needed entertainment of the period.

Maury Allen, biographer, when writing about baseball of the 1930s said, “baseball then was the unifying force in American life.” 

It was played in every lot, every farm and every city. And within this region, it was also played by kids that lived at the Farm Security Administration Camp in Weslaco.

MECHANICAL FAILURE DISAPPOINTS HUNDREDS OF PATIENT LAUNCH OBSERVERS

When it became clear that today's rocket launch was being aborted due to the failure of a pressure valve, the two young men in front of us from Guadalajara, Mexico asked about the weather in Montana.

While I've lived in Idaho, just next door, and traveled in Montana, a man visiting the launch site from Alaska answered before I could.

"It gets very cold in Montana, but the weather is almost perfect right now, a great time to visit," the Alaskan observed.

Ana and I saw license plates from a number of states and provinces of Canada.  Quebec seemed particularly well represented.  

In an extraordinarily long line to the men's restroom, I spoke with guys from Houston and Corpus Christi.  One was using a week of vacation for the trip.

While we left our home in Brownsville at 4:00 AM, by the time we crossed the Queen Isabella Causeway, the traffic was bumper to bumper and it took just over an hour to make it to the Isla Blanca toll booth.

Cameron County pulled in a lot of revenue today, but the launch has been rescheduled for Wednesday morning, so that should be another great money-making day.

Ana and I were able to use the day's access pass we purchased for $12 to go to another access point and enjoy the water, sun, sand and breeze.

BROWNSVILLE NEWCOMER SUGGESTS STARLINK CONNECTION AT ALL BUS SHELTERS, BUT BROWNSVILLE'S BUS SHELTERS ARE FEW. FAR AND BETWEEN

A recent move-in to Brownsville, Jack Yuen, likely a SpaceX employee, suggested that all city bus shelters be equipped with Starlink, a company describing it's charter as: 

"Starlink is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more."

My response to Mr. Yuen:

Jim Barton

What if Brownsville actually had bus shelters at more than just a few stops?

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  Jack Yuen

  Jim Barton I am still relatively new here to Brownsville and I don't take the bus so my information about the need for shelters is through watching posts and observation. I think the City has purchased 30+ shelters ( from Europe !!! ) and has yet to receive and install them. Must be some dandy shelters.

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  Jim Barton

  Welcome to B'ville. This is a city with a large segment of the population reliant on public transportation. As you drive around the city during your stay, you will frequently witness the elderly standing out in the blazing south Texas sun, waiting for the bus. . . . no shelter, no seating. That's just the way of life down here where life is cheap and Brownsville Metro and the City Commission are deaf.