submitted by Rene Torres
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Monday, January 29, 2024
๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐~~๐พ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐, ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐๐, ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐!!
Saturday, January 27, 2024
๐ช๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐'๐ฆ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐-๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ง
From the editor: Below is a rant from former Mayor Pat Ahumada (He now prefers "Patricio").
Ahumada basically regurgitates the QAnon, Newsmax, Fox News talking points.
While not disagreeing with every point Ahumada makes, we'll try to limit ourselves to facts, not the propaganda spewed by Rupert Murdoch et al, who, after all, as the principal at Fox News, settled in 2023 for $787.5M for a batch of lies told.
Hilariously, Ahumada thinks it in the best interest of our country that Donald Trump be elected as President in 2024.
Patricio, seventeen, yes, SEVENTEEN who served in the Trump administration have come forward to declare Trump incompetent, unqualified to serve as President. Do you think these men and women are liars, Patricio, or that you know better?
Chief of Staff John Kelly, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, National Security Advisers John Bolton and H.R. McMaster, Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert, Special Assistant Cliff Sims, Communications Directors Omarosa Manigault Newman and Anthony Scaramucci, National Economics Director Gary Cohn, White House Counsel Ty Cobb and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have all stated that Trump did not understand the duties and responsibilities of the Office of President.
All of the above, who actually SERVED in the Trump administration, have said Trump was incompetent, unqualified for the office and yet, you, Patricio, know better?
Just a few more facts for Patricio. . . .
While Trump promised to "eliminate the national debt in two years" as president, he actually added more debt in one term than any president in history~$8Trillion!
Trump also promised to "drain the swamp," but ended up filling the swamp with all sorts of criminal types, swamp rats he then pardoned despite their misdeeds; Michael Ashley, bank fraud, Stephen Bannon, wire fraud, money laundering, Elliot Broidy, lobbyist, Randall Cunningham, bribery, Paul Erickson, wire fraud, money laundering, Rick Renzi, extortion, bribery, insurance fraud, money laundering, racketeering and of course, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner and many others.
Anyway, it would take all day to factually refute the many false claims Ahumada makes, but, please remember, he's merely repeating the pablum he's been fed by Fox News.
Like so many in our country, Patricio Ahumada has been totally duped, tricked and fooled by the purveyors of falsehood in the sick, right-wing media.
Patricio Ahumada |
The radical Marxist, socialist and Communist who has taken over our Democrat Party starting with Biden and Obama cannot stand on the merits of their polices, as they have been exposed and proven to be to destroy America.
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
๐๐ ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ "๐๐๐พ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐" ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐
My first goal was to locate Papagayos, my old lunch venue from the 60's and it was there, as it's always been, along the railroad track.
I did encounter of group of so-called asylum seekers huddled up near the bridge. An older man at the front of the line informed me they were "todos de Nicaragua."
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
๐๐ข๐ช๐ก๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ช๐ก๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ~๐ฌ๐ญ/๐ฎ๐ฏ/๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ
Monday, January 22, 2024
๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐พ๐พ๐๐๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐
Remnants of the same trade winds that have driven ships across the ocean for hundreds of years have done a number on the sign advertising the Tradewinds Motel on Central Boulevard, battering it to smithereens.
The establishment, proudly in business since 1955, offers a short term "Bano y Siesta" stay for "$19.95 and up," likely a euphemism for a discreet, midday sexual liaison.
Actually, Central Boulevard was dotted with several inexpensive motels when I first came to town in 1966, typically frequented by shoppers from Mexico.
If there was a flagship business for Central back then, it was FedMart, selling groceries and general merchandise roughly where H.E.B. is located today.
An elderly Anglo lady ran a smaller version of the Toddle Inn back then, turning it over to her primary assistant, Alex Torres, when she got sick in old age.
Coffee back then set you back a dime including free refills.
Saturday, January 20, 2024
๐๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง? ๐ผ๐ก๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก.
By Rene Torres
It all started probably in 1892, when Jesse O. Wheeler, then owner of the Brownsville Herald, wrote in one of his first editorials about the fact that they were too many “muchachos” (a term he used to describe Mexican kids) begging in the streets of Brownsville.
The column headed “Little Locals,” suggested the following: “If some of these muchachos who go around the streets begging would get a box of blacking and a brush, they would earn more by blacking shoes than they can by begging. A few picayunes would set a boy up in the business, and could easily be gotten by subscription. A town the size of Brownville without a boot black in the streets is without a parallel in the United States.”
Wheeler's words did not go unnoticed—soon after, in that same year and just in time for Christmas, Alex Parkerson, made history by opening the first “Shine Parlor” to serve Brownsville’s seven thousands souls. Still later the “local kids” caught the idea, and thus “Shine, Mister?” was born.
Moving forward…
As Brownsville progressed and its population grew—more and more kids were seen in the streets reminding you that your shoes looked shabby.
But starting in the business was not an easy proposition; there was the cost of buying your own liquid, brush, grease and rags.
And if you think that rags were plentiful, think again. A rag was a precious commodity back then—and people held on to them. At one point, the Brownsville Herald was adverting that it would pay 5c for a piece of rag.
Shining shoes was not a seasonal trait, as many boys, who liked the sound of jingle in their in their pockets, would work after school to make extra money.
But the best time of the year for the business, according Reynaldo Barrientos and Alonzo Gaznares, two young enterprising Brownsville young men, was during the Christmas season.
In the late 1940s, Herald staff writer, Joe Oliveira interviewed Rey and Alonzo and what follows is their story:
It was two days before Christmas and the boys were up early to beat the competition, but the day started, unfortunately with a slow morning. So they took a break and stood in front of a downtown display window and said:
“Look Alonzo, see that super duper Buck Rogers flare gun. That’s what I hope to get for Christmas.”
“Yes, replied Alonzo, “it sure is beautiful, Reynaldo, but take a look at that cowboy outfit.”
Later both admitted that a new shoeshine box would be a good gift too.
Alonzo 11, and Reynaldo 12, went on patrolling the streets shining shoes and running errands for whatever they could earn. In fact, Alonso had a second job cleaning a downtown studio.
“I’ve had a slow morning, earning only 25c” said Reynaldo. “But maybe I’ll make enough this afternoon to buy a gift for my parents. As they spoke their last words to the roving reporter, they turned around and walked away giving the famous old cry, “Shine mister? Five cents.”
Thanks to the police department, various department stores and local civic organizations, Pedro and Alonzo, along with 1,500 underprivileged children enjoyed a “Merry Christmas,” as all received toys, candy, fruits and other gifts.
No, the government did not help the “Shine Boys” of then to set up their own business. Nobody was waiting around for a handout—it was an era when everyone had to work to make a living.
It was also a period when boys and girls created their own after-school programs. They were so active and since fewer calories were around to be consumed, most had a well-defined ribcage. If you know what I mean.
It is not known whether Pedro and Alonzo made enough money to buy their parents a gift or whether Santa got them the flare gun or cowboy suit, but you can rest assure that the Monday after Christmas, both boys were on the streets again, hustling to make an honest nickel.
Photo: unnamed Brownsville kids…ca. early 1900s
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Thursday, January 11, 2024
๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐!
Former TSC Director Thomas Tynan |
Last fall this blog reported on the trials and tribulations of vocational training at Texas Southmost College under the slipshod direction of Thomas Tynan, Director of Construction and Manufacturing Education.
Tynan is long gone, now free to pursue his primary hobby of monitoring undocumented immigrants on the border.
To replace Tynan, TSC President Jesus Rodriguez ventured a mere 26.2 miles to poach Harlingen's TSTC for one Richard Mesquias, someone whose first move was to hire a welding instructor, also from TSTC, who passed the welding exam with great difficulty.
Richard Mesquias, VP of Workforce Training |
To back up Mesquias in TSC's workforce training program, President Rodriguez snagged TSTC's Amanda Posada, a young lady with a background in hotel management.
So, how's TSC's new leadership duo performing?
Let's just say: "Great things are NOT happening at TSC!"
Comparing TSC's advertised courses posted September 12, 2023 with the course list released just yesterday, January 10, 2024, shows a severe gutting of vocational training programs:
So, what happened to courses in laser, orbital, TIG and pipe welding?
What about pipefitting so necessary for employment at the Port of Brownsville or in construction of the proposed new LNG plant?
Is the $1,000,000 of recently purchased equipment at TSC simply lying idle?
What about reports that several instructors have resigned over dissatisfaction with the inexperienced leadership?
This will be an ongoing story as information becomes available.
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฃ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐ง๐๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐
Trump Attorney D. John Sauer |
If you're still supporting Donald John Trump for president in 2024, I implore you to pay close attention to what Trump's attorney D. John Sauer is claiming during the appeals hearing in the District of Columbia.
Sauer, using legal arguments carefully relecting Trump's own statements, is claiming that Trump as President could not be held criminally liable for any actions unless first impeached and convicted by the U.S. Senate.
“You're saying a president could sell pardons, could sell military secrets, could order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival,” Judge Florence Y. Pan said to Sauer.
Sauer conceded that selling military secrets “strikes me as something that might not be held to be an official act,” but allowed that political assassinations undertaken by Trump as president could not be prosecuted without the requisite impeachment and conviction.
Seal Team 6 |
So, once elected as President, according to this scenario, Trump could order assassinations of Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton without paying any legal penalty.
Certainly, such actions would make any possible political opponent, Democrat, Republican or independent think twice about speaking up to Fuhrer Trump.
Trump fans, if you think this is bull shit, follow the trial.
Saturday, January 6, 2024
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
๐ฅ๐๐ข ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฌ'๐ฆ~๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ช๐ก๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ข
By Rene Torres
By the 1920s many of the towns in the Lower Rio Grande Valley provided baseball teams that participated in organized semipro leagues.
The Brownsville team played on a dusty diamond on the outskirts of town.
To the local fans, it was a chicken wire stadium whose playing boundaries were marked off with ropes looped between posts.
Fans had a choice, either sitting in the stands, standing along the first and third base lines, or watching from their cars, which they could park side by side along the outfield boundary line. The games were popular and usually drew healthy crowds.
The 1925 season was not any different than previous years. The teams were well matched, each with their own local talent, when things suddenly changed.
Archrival San Benito had hired a former big-league pitcher who would often strike out opposing batters—being able to pitch every Sunday, placed his team in an unbeatable situation.
The Brownsville team had suffered several embarrassing losses at the hands of the San Benito Saints. Brownsville fans demanded that the mayor and city commission come up with a solution to equalize matters. This was serious enough that the mayor formed a committee to look for a new coach.
The baseball committee soon approached Fred W. Rusteberg. Fred, they said, “You are the man that can produce a winning team”.
Fred Rusteberg |
Fred took the challenge and soon let it be known around the state that he was looking for new talent. His efforts resulted in recruiting several former professional and major college players.
One of those recruits was a tall cocky eighteen-year-old from Italy, Texas.
The guest introduced himself to Fred as Art Shires. “What can you do?” Fred asked. “I’m a home run hitter” replied the guest and “I’ll play for expenses until you figure I’m worth a salary”. Without hesitation and without knowing it, Fred acquires his future star.
Hearing about the new home run hitter on the roster, it was standing room only for a Sunday single game against the Saints. With the magic sounds of the local Santa Cecilia Band arousing the crowd, spectators filled the base lines and cars lined the perimeter of the outfield. “Play Ball batter up” screamed the umpire, as the home team took the field with Shires at first base.
After striking out the first two batters as usual, the San Benito pitcher walked the third, and Art Shires, the new cleanup hitter, was up to bat. The crowd murmured in anticipation of what this new player might do.
On the first pitch, Shires took a disfiguring swing—hitting the ball high over the cars in the outfield. The crowd roared its approval, and a hat was passed around collecting contributions for the feat. It was a game where a strike out and a home run brought equal cheer.
The game went into extra innings—in the 10th Shires came to bat again. He was given a standing ovation as he came to the plate. With two strikes on him, Art was nervous at the plate.
Sensing a quick strikeout, the pitcher decided to throw a sucker pitch to humiliate his adversary. As the “blooper” barely reached the plate, Shires took one step forward and hit it out of the ballpark for the winning run.
As he crossed home plate he was mobbed by the fans and later presented with a bushel of money dumped into a basket by the hat full. “Great game!” said the manager to his new star. “By the way, what kind of salary were you expecting?” “A bushel or two a game,” replied Shires with a grin.
Since there was no contract to keep him in Brownsville—Art “The Great” Shires disappeared, only to be seen again on the roster of the 1928 Chicago White Sox.
His major league debut was as successful as his debut in Brownsville. He stroked four hits including a triple in his first major league game. He played for 4 years in the major leagues and finished with a .291 lifetime batting average. Art ended his career with the Boston Braves in 1932.
The Brownsville win over San Benito was a story book victory. But one game doesn’t make a season. The San Benito Saints demonstrated to be one
of the strongest teams in the Rio Grande Valley between 1924 and 1927.
The Saints also participated in the Rio Grande Valley League of 1931—a class “D” professional league that included the McAllen Palms, La Feria Nighthawks, Harlingen Ladds, and Corpus Christi Seahawks.
I remind baseball fans that America’s game is controlled by outs. Out of your seat and you miss out—three strikes and your out—make no outs and time is endless.
See you at the park!
Editor’s Note: Excerpts from this story were taken from a letter written by Fred W. Rusteberg to his children.
Photo: Fred W. Rusteberg—The new coach in town
Photo: Art Shires
๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ, ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ผ๐, ๐๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐. ๐๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟรฉ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐรญ๐ฎ
submitted by Jerry Danache ๐๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐. ๐๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟรฉ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐรญ๐ฎ HE Mons. Eugenio Andrรฉs Lira Rugarcรญa VI BIS...
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Dr. Lorenzo Pelly M.D., Lic. No. G2453, Brownsville On August 20, 2021. The Board and Lorenzo Pelly, M.D., 2012 Valley Baptist Physician ...
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There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a sister." Proverbs 18:24 New Living Bible Sylvia...
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HTML Source Code: Leo Quarterback from Leo Rosales on Vimeo .