THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER ANTICIPATES A "TASTE OF LA FRONTERA"

IS ANGELITA'S CASA DE CAFE BECOMING BROWNSVILLE'S POLITICAL HANGOUT?

Group Picture After Whine and Cheez Podcast Sunday at 
Angelita's Casa de Cafe

There are places, legendary places in Washington, D.C., like the notorious Le Diplomante brasserie, where it is said "you might not see a Clinton, but will find a John Boehner," places where politicos hang.

El Hueso de Fraile, downtown on Elizabeth Street is such a place, featuring live music, poetry reading and coffee, but Angelita's Casa de Cafe on Boca Chica exudes that same vibe.

Owners Martin and Angelita Leal greet everyone who opens their bistro's door with "Welcome home!" even while a Whine and Cheez podcast is being livestreamed on Sunday.

An eclectic mix on young people, retired school teachers and activists wander in for black coffee, art, a latte, cupcake or even a gingerbread man or just to listen in along the fringes of the podcast.

BTW, city commissioner candidate Nurith Galonsky is set for next Sunday's show at 1:30 PM with one of her opponents, William Garza mulling over his participation.

Mr. Garza expressed the concern last night that "your partner is biased," referencing Erasmo Castro, but he may still show up.

This past Sunday, former City Manager Charlie Cabler, a mayoral candidate and Michael Rodriguez, running for District 1 City Commissioner, gave us some lively commentary.

CARLOS GUERRERO, CANDIDATE FOR CITY COMMISSIONER AT LARGE "A" MEET AND GREET WEDNESDAY

MAYORAL CANDIDATE CHARLIE CABLER SET FOR INTERVIEW TODAY ON WHINE AND CHEEZ PODCAST

Former City Manager and Mayoral Candidate Charlie Cabler

After a missed connection last week, former City Manager Charlie Cabler, currently a candidate for mayor of the City of Brownsville, has agreed to appear on the Whine and Cheez podcast to be livestreamed from Angelita's Casa de Cafe on Boca Chica Blvd. across from Chase Bank.

Connect to the program on the Erasmo Castro or Jim Barton Facebook page starting at 1:30 PM Sunday.

IT'S "VEGANUARY" AT AN ASIAN GROCERY~MY ADVENTURE AT LEM'S ORIENTAL MARKET by Laura A. Miniel

Lem's Oriental Market in the El Globo Shopping Center

I didn't set out to spend my entire week's food budget at a small, Asian specialty grocery store on Sunday. Tucked into a corner next to El Globo, Lem's Oriental Market is now one of my favorite places to bike to, although for years I had no idea this place existed.

This is my source for re-supplies of sushi seaweed, rice paper for spring rolls, and all the ingredients to make real miso soup - refrigerated miso paste, tofu, and giant, inexpensive bags of dried seaweed. 

Maybe I've always loved the walls piled high with bags of ingredients written in a language I can't read, giving a first impression of entering an old world apothecary. The small English translations at the bottom of the bags "Black fungus" "Fresh durian fruit" "Pickled Bamboo" heighten the feeling. Some of it looks vaguely familiar, like the green tea flavored KitKat bars from Japan. 

A friend of mine once found a package of "Puto" on the shelf and couldn't stop laughing. I still have not tried a Puto, which is apparently some kind of a white bread dumpling. Maybe I need more Puto in my life? Maybe it will be a revelation, the way discovering chipotle in adobo was, for me. 

Chipotle in adobo, I discovered, added to pretty much anything makes it taste better, especially things like hummus (chipotle hummus is better), or mayo (chipotle mayo is better on a burger) and salsa. This place promises a menagerie of flavors and ingredients unlike anything at the El Globo next door.

So I've long had a fascination with this store, but I'd never fully committed. I'd drop by, buy my soy sauce or my sushi paper, scratching the surface of familiar Asian dishes served in America that I'd tried before at restaurants. 

Friendly Filipina Cashier at Lem's

But you have to admit, that's the equivalent of going to an authentic Mexican restaurant and ordering simple quesadillas. I hadn't actually gone in and bought a basket of things I couldn't pronounce, just to crack open a can and see what it tastes like. Good? Bad?

Maybe the apprehension I felt is what tourists from up north feel when they come to Brownsville and face a menu entirely in Spanish. I'd taken visiting friends to the flea market on 77 and seen them struggle to make out the words, "Chicha-chic-cha-rron," eyeing a plate of machacado and nopales with hesitation. 

What is all of this Oriental stuff? Yet it smells so good, and the store is filling up with people on Sunday afternoon, I'm pushing past several others in the narrow walkway, as they peruse the aisles, filling their baskets with unusual-looking fresh vegetables, and imported specialty items not to be found anywhere else in town.

They say you shouldn't grocery shop when you're hungry, and maybe that was the catalyst. I'd skipped breakfast and suddenly all of these foods were calling my name. Though I couldn't pronounce them, the packages looked insanely delicious. Fried banana chips, jackfruit chips and taro? I'm listening. 

The cover photo promises it's crunchy, sweet, fried and salty. Yes, yes, into the basket, you. What else is there, those Kit Kats. Never tried Japanese strawberry Kit Kats. Will they be like ours? Ok, you're coming too. Pocky and sugared ginger candy, I've had that before. Red bean jelly rolls dusted with coconut, hmm, could be good. 

Really, you're doing this, you're going to buy all this candy like a little kid? Turn away! It's universal, all stores put the candy at the front of the store and this is the reason why. My candy compulsion is consumer psychology and impulsive behavior in action.

On the opposite shelf are the pastas. Shirataki! Ah what a find! HEB's supply is spotty and unpredictable at best. Shirataki noodles, aka "miracle noodles" are a calorie-free, carb-free, fat-free noodle made of a type of Japanese yam. 

The word Shirataki means "waterfall", because it is like a waterfall of noodles you can stuff into your face while not worrying about getting fat. The shirataki, of course, will cancel out the sugar and carbs from the candy and deep fried fruit I just bought. 

There are more varieties of ramen noodles than I ever imagined existed, thick udon noodles, bean thread noodles (love those), rice noodles for pad thai, fresh noodles, and .. ah, soba noodles, the brown, real buckwheat kind. I've never cooked with them before, but I liked them in restaurants. 

Take this home, let's experiment with noodle dishes this week! Already I'm imagining a garlic-peanut sauce noodle bowl sprinkled with sesame seeds, half buckwheat udon, half shirataki, all deliciousness. This could be really good.

My plan had been to run into Lem's for soy sauce and dumpling sauce only. Soy sauce at Walmart runs $4 for a regular bottle, but you can get a giant quart of it at Lem's for about the same price. I had a shopping list written for my next stop, HEB, with the usual broccoli, salad, lasagna ingredients, rice, etc. HEB and Walmart had nothing on the rice selection here, there was purple rice, black rice, wild rice, white rice, brown rice, red rice, sushi rice, pudding rice, rice balls, rice flour. I'd never seen purple rice before, except in fancy Pinterest recipes. 

My Shopping Basket at Lem's

Lem's was expanding, a new produce section offered fresh, crisp looking vegetables and fruits, and freezers full of more fresh produce and who knows what else. Quite frankly, Asia Market's offerings looked much greener and healthier than what I had written on my list. I didn't know what some of these fresh greens were, but green things are generally healthy, right? You'd be hard pressed to name a fresh green leafy thing that wasn't a nutrient bomb ready to detonate healthy vitamin shrapnel all over your cells. My mind was giving way to a new plan. Forget HEB, shop here, take random things home and just start cooking! Even if I had no idea what it was? 

But what if it's gross?

But what if it's excellent?

One thing is for sure, it will be fresh, and different.
Already this sounds more fun than another week of broccoli rice, oatmeal and lasagna.

My stomach's rumbling. The greens look extra crispy, good enough to eat raw. There are a few ziploc bags of greens in the fridge, with long narrow leaves that I didn't recognize. I pull a leaf off and taste it. Like basil... it must be thai basil. What a huge thai basil, and so crisp! This is like prehistoric dinosaur basil. Enough to make a salad. 

Does someone have a garden nearby to supply something this fresh? I'd only ever seen a few wilty leaves of thai basil as a garnish, or in a spring roll. Next to the basil, were several larger bags of dark, big leafed greens. I pull a leaf off and quickly chomp down on it, hoping no one is watching me graze. This one, I couldn't place. It looks like giant leaves of spinach, but vaguely sweet and crispy. 

No idea. It's good though, real good. Like spinach, the way you wished raw spinach would taste. I grab a bag of both, and put them in my basket. More produce in the center of the room, long purple eggplants over a foot long, wrinkled cucumber looking things, and the crispest head of cabbage I've ever seen. Already my imaginary bowl of noodles is growing a topping of hot braised cabbage and greens tossed in sesame oil, sriracha and garlic. 

If I get tired of stir fry, I can use these greens in place of spinach in an Italian alfredo pasta with tomatoes, basil and olives. Perfect. But what dinner can you make with a two foot long eggplant? No idea. But it's going home. It's all going in the basket.

By now the owner of the store had come in. Stocking the shelves with others who worked there, conversing in a language I couldn't place. The place was filling up with people and my basket was getting heavy. Time to check out and go home. 

Time to go home and eat this stuff, right?

But no. Because at that moment, is when I found it. Or, I should say, the fridge in the corner. It had seaweed - not just dried seaweed (which I have at home, it's ok for miso soup), or seaweed salad, the tiny containers that go for $5 at Gucci-B, no, this was an entire bag of FRESH seaweed. I knew it existed, but had never seen it before up close. 

Refrigerated, fresh seaweed. I imagined Japanese dudes in diving masks, leaping off boats, down into the clear water off the coast into an undulating forest underwater. Like a gold panner who finds a gold chunk on his tray next to a silver nugget, literally, on the same shelf as this bag of fresh seaweed is nothing less than fresh, long white enoki mushrooms. 

Houston is the closest I would have expected to find treasures like this. I'm standing there in shock, staring at these delicacies here in Brownsville, a few hundred feet away from the El Globo.

So Enoki mushrooms are a tender, delicate ghost fungus of the winter forest. They thrive in cold, misty mountain weather, preferring a temperature of around 50 degrees, grown under high carbon dioxide concentrations to encourage them to grow long and tall, delicate ghostlike strings ready to play all the culinary notes of a forest guitar. On your tongue, they fall apart, after a slight chewy bite.

I guess this is why they say not to grocery shop when you're hungry. I'm totally romanticizing this stuff, imagining all these flavors and I just want to eat everything.

As a lifelong vegetarian / now vegan, it's like stumbling into some kind of vegan food paradise. The best thing about ethnic cuisine, is that most non-Western cultures long ago developed an entire food catalog around non-animal proteins. Even the native South Texas cuisine used to rely heavily on local plants such as mesquite beans.

Eastern diets are heavily centered on greens, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains like rice, while incorporating a variety of proteins from beans, lentils, legumes, greens. The introduction of large quantities of meat, dairy and sugars is more recent, and seems to be a Western influence. (Sadly, obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and heart disease have risen concurrently in areas that adopt these Western products.)

In the US, my first vegetarian meals were generally meat meals sans meat. Like spaghetti without meatballs, or grilled chicken salad without the chicken. In the US we are taught to throw away the protein- and nutrient-rich broccoli leaves and only eat the flowers, to toss the celery leaves in the trash and only eat the stems. In the Eastern tradition, on the other hand, greens make up the basis of the dish, and karma-loving protein staples such as seitan were developed by Buddhist monks over 1500 years ago. 

The monks discovered that whole wheat flour, if you knead it and then let it sit overnight in a bowl of cold water, allows the wheat protein to form into solid strands. Running it under cold water, washing the starch away, a protein rich component aka "wheat meat" similar in taste and texture to meat is produced. It's as high in protein as a steak. 

I find myself staring at a can of this centuries-old ancient protein in amazement. Nearly two millenia later, seitan is still a popular food packaged as "mock duck", and a can with three servings is on sale for $2. Now's my chance to try it, into the basket! I feel like I've won some kind of lottery. There was inexpensive tofu (another bean protein), edmame (more protein), varieties of protein rich beans, snake beans, mung beans, black and white sesame seeds, giant bags of peanuts selling for peanuts, yellow beans, exotic mushrooms galore, and yet another dried vegetarian protein called Thit Chay, which I had never heard of before. 

The freezers at Lem's provide even more bounteous temptations and surprises, with the infamous frozen Durian fruit (!! the stinkiest fruit in the world) of Bizarre Foods fame, and more invitingly, generous size packages of veggie spring rolls at 25 calories each (whuuut?) and spicy Kimchi dumplings. 

Are kimchi dumplings good in miso soup? I don't know, can't wait to find out. (Turns out, they are ok in soup, but best lightly coated with peanut and sesame oil, fried to crispy perfection then dunked in sauce).

Two weeks of stir fried greens, rolls, dumplings, salads, and noodle bowls later, I was hooked. Spending my week's food budget of $35 at Lem's (now known as Asian Market) resulted in restaurant quality deliciousness, literally the healthiest, greenest, most savory homecooked food I've made in years.

Stir Fry

Would anyone believe me though?  My shopping companion, Jim Barton, could cast the deciding vote.

So we went back, got another week's worth of veg and protein. Made a simple stir fry, rice with quinoa, Japanese seaweed salad, lightly fried Korean dumplings & spring rolls, and bitter melon with garlic and onion - a recipe suggested by his fiancee Ana. All of this was vegan and cholesterol free, made with the smallest amount of light olive oil and sesame oil just to keep everything from sticking to the pan. What do you think?

Vegetables Prepared for Stir Fry

So the basic secret to good stir fry is getting your pan very hot before you add anything. This gives you that golden brown crisp on all your veggies. To the hot pan was added minced ginger, garlic, onion and celery stems. Then enoki mushrooms, shredded celery greens, a few sprigs of shredded gai lan ( a broccoli relative that is mostly green broccoli leaves), two sliced snake beans, two shredded leaves each of green cabbage and red cabbage.

The "mock duck" or seitan, was marinated in a Korean BBQ mix of ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, worstechire sauce, real maple syrup, a few drops of sesame oil, and dusted with corn starch. This was then put on the hottest part of the pan to give it a crispy sear, then tossed with the rest of the veg. Pan deglazed with soy sauce at the end, then plated.

Bitter Melon

Jim's fiancee' Ana's suggestion was to press all the water and bitterness out of the bitter melon first, to saute the bitter melon (sliced it razor thin) with garlic and onion. I'd heard before that bitter melon is a kind of nutrient powerhouse, and her suggestion to make it garlicky and delicious went well mixed with the stir fry.

Seaweed

Fresh seaweed tossed in sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sambal olek (hot chili sauce) from the Asian Market. Same recipe as commonly found in restaurants, but without the added sugar.

Dumplings and Spring Rolls 

Less than a tsp. of oil put on a tiny pan. Kimchi dumplings and veg spring rolls defrosted in microwave for 1 minute, lightly rolled in the hot oil to prevent them from sticking to each other, then browned to a crisp on all sides before removing from heat, plating.

Rice 

Combination of white rice and HEB three-color quinoa that I stock in the pantry, about 50% rice to 50% quinoa. Quinoa is a complete protein-rich grain that I try to add to all my rice to up the nutrient quotient. Basically they both require the same amount of water and cooking time, so you put a half cup of rice and a half cup of quinoa to two cups of hot water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes, let it steam undisturbed for another 20 until ready to serve.

Finally, Our Vegan Meal, Thanks to Lem's

THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER ADDS LAURA A. MINIEL TO WRITING STAFF

Laura A. Miniel

From the editor: The Brownsville Observer is pleased to announce the addition of Laura A. Miniel to our writing staff.  Ms. Miniel, with a degree from Cornell University, studying Biological Science as well as International Relations with an emphasis on Middle Eastern Affairs, has worked on several local political campaigns, but has a broad range of interests beyond politics.

RODRIGO MORENO, BROWNSVILLE'S POLITICAL GURU

Rodrigo Moreno

COWEN FAMILY INVADES COBBLEHEADS FOR JOHN COWEN, JR. MEET AND GREET

Uncle Ralph Cowen Introduces Nephew John Cowen, Jr.,
Candidate for City Commissioner At Large "A"

When Ralph Cowen shouted into the microphone "Can you hear me?" several within the Cobbleheads Bar and Grill audience shouted "No!" likely hoping that Ralph would break into one of his famous gritos, but no such luck.

Ralph was all business, loosely following a prepared script while introducing his somewhat quiet nephew, John Cowen, Jr., a candidate for City Commissioner At Large "A."(Ralph later handed me his notes with the admonition to "share this with McHale.")

John himself spoke from a prepared script, likely with some thoughtful observations about the needs of the city, but the club's acoustics muffled his words.  

Anyway, it was a raucous crowd, one of the largest we've seen at the popular venue, including all the Cowens, but also City Commissioner Ben Neece, mayoral candidate Trey Mendez, BISD Trustees Erasmo Castro and Phil Cowen and several other local politicos. 

Blogger Jerry McHale, from his accustomed vantage point at the bar, knocked down a couple Bloody Marys, repeating to me the timeworn line "if you don't do your job, I can't do mine."

  

Matamoros attorney and radio talk show host Jerry Danarche(pictured above) has invited Juan Montoya, Jerry McHale and I for a discussion of local issues at 12:00 PM today on KKPS-FM 99.9, "La Nueva."  Danarche's show commands an audience of 100,000 in Brownsville and northern Mexico.

WHAT HAPPENED TO BROWNSVILLE'S PLANNING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT? ALSO, INTERNET COVERAGE, CHARLIE CABLER

Jesus' Auto Service

For those of us who view Brownsville's Central Boulevard as one of the city's main arteries, once the "Welcome to Brownsville" promenade off Old Highway 77, seeing the construction of a hastily-built lean-to, utilizing not even standard plywood, but particle board, quickly covered with gray paint, seems out of character for a city trying to pull itself up by its own bootstraps.

Nothing recently built in Southmost, Matamoros or even the Philippines seems this substandard.

Yet, once the four walls were up and paint slapped on, cars began to be service and used tires mounted at Jesus' Auto Service, close to where Central Boulevard meets W. Elizabeth Street.

It would be a total shock if this newly-constructed edifice survived a strong gust of wind.  

City of Brownsville:  Did this new construction pass code?  Really?

While Wednesday's meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization was routine, something stated by GBIC Director Marion Losoya captured our attention, an internet report stating that Brownsville was the "least connected community in the country."

Speaking with Losoya(pictured above) and Assistant City Manager Dr. Arturo Rodriguez after the meeting, Losoya shared the site on his phone, indicating that over 60% of Brownsville homes do not have internet.(Another study puts the number at 45%.)

Rodriguez, just back from a trip to San Antonio, offered that the San Antonio Housing Authority has installed wifi in all its housing projects.

"I'm looking into what it would take to get wifi into our housing projects.  Since homework can be now done online, I don't want these children at a disadvantage," added Rodriguez.

After a missed connection last week, Mayoral Candidate Charlie Cabler has agreed to appear on Erasmo Castro's Whine and Cheez podcast, livestreamed Sunday for Angelita's Casa de Cafe on Boca Chica Blvd.

TENASKA, CASA DEL NYLON, POLICE ISSUES SURFACE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH CITY COMMISSIONERS

Jerry McHale

Despite being designated recently by Jerry "The Blogfather" McHale as "Mr. Meetings Man," dispensing "bureaucratic bull," even a blind squirrel occasionally stumbles upon a nut.

It was at Wednesday's BMFA exhibition of photographs inspired by religious paintings that Commissioner Cesar De Leon dropped a hard kernel on my head, mentioning that the audit committee, recently disbanded, obliterated and quashed by Brownsville's City Commission, had, not only been looking at the diversion of the city's emergency calls to a private ambulance service, but also at possible irregularities with respect to the Tenaska deal and subsequent utility rate hike and the dubious purchase of La Casa del Nylon at 1304 E. Adams Street.

Commissioner Tetreau-Kalifa

City Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa concurred that the "Tenaska" and "Casa Nylon" deals had been mentioned as subjects of audits, remembering that a "deadline was fast approaching" for action on the city's purchase of La Casa del Nylon.  

"It needs to be addressed immediately," she added.

The commissioner also offered:  "I have fought tirelessly for 8 years for the betterment of the people of our community.  I wish for nothing more than these deals be exposed."

Commissioner Neece

City Commissioner Ben Neece, who, along with Tetreau-Kalifa and Commissioner Joel Munguia had formed the Audit Committee, made it clear it was not a "single issue" entity.  

Neece stated that, once the committee was formed, citizens were coming to him with reports of impropriety they felt needed investigation, mentioning reported irregularities with the city's Public Works Department and B.U.S., now known as Brownsville Metro.

Neece mentioned another issue that had been presented to the committee, a formal complaint by BPD Commander David Dale allegedly "interference" with police activity by Commissioner Tetreau-Kalifa.

"The Brownsville Herald is waiting on a reply to their Public Information Request for a taped conversation between Tetreau and Dale," Neece continued.

"Then, based on that tape, citizens can make their own determination as to whether such interference occurred," added the commissioner.

Whatever methodology the City Commission uses to get to the bottom of these various issues, Brownsville's taxpayers need and deserve the transparency these public servants promise every time they run for office.

MAIN STREET ADVISORY BOARD GETS SPECIFICS FOR B.I.G. DOWNTOWN INCENTIVES PROGRAM

Main Street Advisory Board

Cori Pena, the Administrator of Grants and Contracts for the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, the 4B entity entrusted with dispersing about $5 million annually for "quality of life" projects, was on the agenda as a presenter for the Main Street Advisory Board meeting Wednesday. 

I've been curious about the  BCIC's so-called 50/50 improvement program for downtown property owners and business tenants since it was first mentioned.

The program, set to start in April with applications for assistance accepted in March, provides up to $600,000 in incentives, $200,000 annually for three years for property owners and tenants to upgrade facades, bring electrical and plumbing up to code, remove false ceilings and make masonry repairs.

Matching funds up to $15,000 may be offered.  

Rent subsidies of 50% for the first 6 months up to $800 per month, plus 30% subsidies for the second 6 months are also part of this initiative, with the requirements of a two year lease and a business open at least 6 days per week.

Grants for the Business Improvement Grant Program, using the acronym B.I.G., will be issued through a grant committee composed of 2 members of the Main Street Advisory Board, 2 members of the Historic Preservation and Design Review Board, 2 BCIC Board members and 4 City of Brownsville staffers.  

At Wednesday's meeting, Angelina Macias was selected to represent the Main Street Advisory Board on the committee.

Qualifying businesses must be located is a specific downtown area, roughly between E. Jefferson Street and E. Fronton Street, International Blvd. and E. 5th.

MIGUEL ROBERTS' PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION OPENS AT BROWNSVILLE MUSEUM OF FINE ART

Brownsville Herald photojournalist Miguel Roberts, along with his fiancee' Claudia Henry, explained the motivation for the first half of their collection of photographs, Sanctus, Martyrs of Faith.  

Miguel Roberts, Claudia Henry, Deyanira Ramirez

"Both of us take our faith seriously and have been inspired by local priests and Bishop Flores," Roberts told a group of about half a hundred at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art for the opening reception of Roberts' show that will run until the end of February 2019.

John Cowen, Candidate for City Commission At Large
"A" and Fernando Valdes Vl, Deputy Consul, Consulado
de Brownsville

Deputy Consul Fernando Valdes V. of Brownsville's Mexican Consulate represented his country in showing appreciation for local art.

City Commissioner Cesar De Leon, TSC Board Chairman
Adela Garza

In an extended conversation with City Commissioner Cesar De Leon, a number of subjects were broached, some of which we may discuss in time.
I was surprised to learn that the city commission's audit committee was not only charged with investigating the diversion of calls to a private ambulance firm, but also the Tenaska deal and the purchase of Casa del Nylon, all incidents never explained to the taxpayers, but with obviously corrupt aspects.

LARGE CROWD FORCES CITY OF BROWNSVILLE WORKSHOP OUT OF CITY MANAGER CONFERENCE ROOM

City of Brownsville Workshop in City Manager's Office

For the second time in recent weeks, Brownsville's City Commission opted to hold what is considered a "public" meeting in the ridiculously small quarters of the City Manager's Conference Room.  The few chairs constituting "seating" in the room could not accommodate  the several dozen citizens jammed against the walls, extending out into the hallway.

Just two weeks ago, the City of Brownsville held a workshop on the proposed merger of the three Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the Rio Grande Valley in what was a nearly full city commission chambers.  Did they now assume that those folks no longer cared about the issue?

After the presentation by Mark Morris from the Dallas-Fort Worth MPO, Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa suggested that next time this meeting should be held in another, larger venue.  

Mayor Martinez then asked that everyone, including the sizable audience, go to the City Commission chambers where Mr. Morris  answered questions from the audience.

Eddie Hernandez, a member of the Brownsville MPO, wanted more information about how the merged MPOs would be structured and how funding would be split.  Morris promised that the DFW MPO would network and mentor the Brownsville group.

Mr. Burke, an elderly cycling activist, asked how large the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth were before joining in an MPO.  Morris answered that cities with at least 50,000 in population qualified and urban and that the DFW MPO encompassed an area larger than the state of Maryland with a total population of 7.5 million.

Speaking to Burke and Larry Holzman before the meeting, I learned that they view MPOs as merely pawns for large huge contractors making enormous profits from highway construction.

Before the meeting, I had a nice chat with Amigos del Valle, a group providing meals on wheels for seniors.  I will visit there operation soon at 2575 Russell Drive in Brownsville.