Mission, Texas Brain

Thursday, December 29, 2005

La Joya Sees Tremendous Growth

There is an article in The Monitor about the growth that La Joya has experienced this year. Overall, the Mission area has experienced growth. Alton is growing, Palmhurst now has a police department and commercial area, and, Palmview is nothing like the sleepy speedtrap of years ago. La Joya, which was once "the boonies" is now a recognizable city. Read on for details.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

MHS JROTC receives donation

The Mission High School (MHS) JROTC program was recently rewarded for providing a drill team demonstration during Veteran’s Day. Among the many activities they were involved in, the students also performed at a Veteran’s Day appreciation luncheon at the Greengate Grove.
In return, the residents of the adult mobile home park donated $468 to support the JROTC program at MHS.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Kops for Kids

Today was a beautiful day in Mission, Texas. The sun was out; but it was not hot. It was the perfect day for the 5th Annual Kops for Kids event held at the Mission Police Department. The event is organized by the Mission Police Department and the Mission Crime Stoppers. Kops for Kids gives out gifts and other items to needy families in the area, which covers Mission and the rest of western Hidalgo county.

Sgt. Martin Garza, Jr., the Public Information Officer for the Mission Police Department and Coordinator for Mission Crime Stoppers, stated that they estimate the event serves about 400 families, each having 3 to 5 children. So, in all, perhaps 1,500 children received gifts this year thanks to Kops for Kids. In addition to toys for children, Kops for Kids handed out food such as turkey, canned goods and mashed potatos to families.

On arrival, you could see a large crowd congregated in front of the Mission Police Department. Amongst the people, you could see McGruff the crime dog and Santa Claus. In the line were parents waiting patiently with their children for their turn. There was music and balloons to help keep the attendees entertained. At the other end of the line, you could see boys and girls playing with their new toys. Some played with toy cars and trucks. There were also bikes and trikes given out.

Sgt. Garza was pleased with the turnout. "We are grateful to the business owners and volunteers who donated time, money, and toys in order to make this event such a success," said Sgt. Garza with a sincere look of gratitude.

Merry Christmas, Mission

We wish the all the residents of the City of Mission, and former residents, a very Merry Christmas from the home of the Ruby Red Grapefruit. May you have a great season amongst family and friends.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Mayberry Open Between Griffin and 2 Mile

The expansion of the bridge just south of Veteran's Memorial High School has been completed and the road is now open to traffic. The bridge continues to be two lanes. The expansion has added a shoulder and pedestrian walk on each side of the bridge. Prior to the expansion, you had to walk on a small shoulder to cross the bridge on foot.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Fruit Bouquets

There is a new shop setting up at 1610 E. Griffin Pkwy here in Mission. The shop's name is Fantastic Fruit Bouquets & More. It's located in Stewart Plaza. It is still not open, but they do have a website with information about their offerings. Visit www.fantastic-fruit.com for details.

Cold Snap

Listening to Accuweather's Joe Bastardi this morning, he went on record forecasting that we have a cold snap coming into town Sunday and Monday. There is a good chance we will have freezing temperatures. To hear the latest from Accuweather, tune into KURV 710 AM radio.

Make sure to check out your heater in advance of the cold weather. Our firefighters get many calls for fires during this season due to poorly maintained heaters. If you have a gas heater, make sure there is adequate ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Bring in your potted plants and pets. Cover your exposed water pipes. And, have plenty of Swiss Miss and pan dulce ready. Oh, and rent DVDs early.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

The Body Shop at Home Sale

I am so excited about what is happening for my customers with The Body Shop at Home!

The attachments you see on this email for the sales are "WHILE SUPPLIES LAST"--so the sooner you order, the better! Please forward this on to anyone else you think would be interested in these great offers!

Here's a quick review of the offers:

1. 25% Off Sale of Selected Items from our Holiday Gift Catalog
2. 2 for 1 Body Scrub Offer
3. $55 or more Order--receive three Body Scrubs FREE ($48 Value): Passion Fruit, Cocoa Butter and Papaya
4. Place an order of $100 or more BEFORE December 16th, I am offering FREE Shipping AND a Holiday Body Butter for FREE--$16 Retail Value (Cranberry, Candied Citrus, or Vanilla Spice).

Combining all these offers for your shopping experience will assist you in a WHOLE LOT of gift giving!

Check out the website on my address line below and when you get there, save it to your Favorites! I am also attaching our 16-page holiday catalog with this email for quick review!

Mendi Brunson
Independent Coordinator
The Body Shop at Home
Mission, TX
(956) 584-8228 (Office)
Shop with me online--anytime!!
www.thebodyshopathome.com/web/mendi

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Quick Wok Has Online Menu

Quick Wok (584-2249) now has their menu online. You can pull up the menu by visiting www.thewoks.com. This is a convenient service to help you decide what to order before you call. This will simplify your experience if you frequently use the drive-thru window.

If you are away from your computer. You can also get the menu on you mobile phone by visiting http://wap.thewoks.com on your wireless web service. Make sure to bookmark the address for convenience; that way you don't have to spell it out every time.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Broken Water Pipe

This morning there was a broken water main just south of the intersection of Business 83 and Mayberry. This is across from where the Mission Housing Project entrance is. Police blocked off access to the area from the north and south. Work crews were on the scene to dig up the affected area. There is no news as to how long the repairs should take or how serious the problem is.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Local Doctor Serves in Iraq

Here is a great article in the Progress Times about a Mission, Texas doctor who recently served in Iraq. Notice how his version of what we are doing there is different from what you hear in national news. Our service men and women are out there doing something good. You may not think that it affects our town. You're right, it doesn't affect our town. It affects our whole country. Listen to the people who serve and be suspicious of the news reporters trying to convince you that we are losing. We are winning this war thanks to people like Dr. Melendez, all volunteers.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Thursday, November 03, 2005

City of Mission Forums Pulled

The last post on the City of Mission Forums was a notice that the city manager asked that the message board be taken off the link from the front page. All public interest and inquiries should be taken to City Hall during City Council meetings. The board is still up and functional, but there will no longer be any official city responses. You can see the forum at http://forum.missiontexas.net. The link from http://www.missiontexas.us will no longer function.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Don't Forget to Vote November 8th

The Progress Times has an article with information about what propositions are on the ballot for November 8th. Don't forget to go vote.

Be careful with Proposition 2. There were recent misleading campaigns that tell you "don't risk it, vote against it". The whole "risk" was a misrepresentation. They don't really tell you what "it" is. Prop 2 basically defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. It also forbids Texas lawmakers from making any laws or regulations that create marriage-like unions like what some states call Civil Unions. The proposition does not in any way affect traditional marriage other than make the tradition official and unchangeable to any other form. Those who opposed Proposition 2 seek to ensure that gay marriage will be a possibility in the future. Of course, if you support gay marriage, vote against Proposition 2. If you are against gay marriage, or other variations of marriage, vote for Proposition 2 in peace. You won't affect the way marriage is done presently or in the future as was misrepresented.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Sharyland Homecoming

Sharyland High School's Homecoming will be November 4th, 2005. The Rattlers will take on the McAllen Memorial Mustangs. Good luck Rattlers! Have a safe homecoming dance.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Monday, October 24, 2005

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Texas Butterfly Festival

Oops! I almost missed it. Mission his holding the 10th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival. Most residents don't realize that Mission, Tx is located in an area where four ecosystems converge. During peak seasons, we have 290 seasons of butterflies and over 400 species of birds. This is a special place. If you are in town, stop by the Texas Butterfly Festival, from Oct 20 to Oct 23rd. For more details, visit http://www.texasbutterfly.com. This is a big event for Mission. Listen to KURV 710 AM radio this week for more news.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Mission Class of 1993 Preliminary Meeting

We will be meeting at Fast Eddie's in McAllen this Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005. It's just a get together of friends. Maybe we'll get some planning done. Mostly, we hope to have a little fun. All classmates are welcome to join.

Mission High School Class of 1986

Mission High School Class of 1986 is planning a 20 year reunion. For more information, contact Cynthia de la Garza Ramos at 867-4665 or cdramos4922@aol.com.

La Joya High School Class of 1996

La Joya High School Class of 1996 graduates are invited to participate in the 10 year reunion planning committee. For more information, contact 580-5928 or email lajoya1996@yahoo.com.

Sharyland High School Class of 1995

Sharyland High School Class of 1995 is planning a 10-year reunion. For more information, call Lizette Lizcano-Martinez at 424-0898.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Sharyland Class of 1986 Reunion

This submission came in this morning:

1986 Sharyland Class Reunion

November 4th and 5th

Friday: Football Game SHS Stadium
After Game Party Tom n Jerry's Sharyland

$20 per alumni, $5 additional football tickets

MUST RSVP BY OCT 28th with # of football tickets to 956-342-3700


Saturday: Picnic 1- 5 pm
North West Corner of 107 and Bentsen (5th House)

Monday, October 03, 2005

Reunions Coming Up

Class reunions are coming up this Homecoming weekend for Mission High School. Head on over to MissionHSReunion.com to find out more. For a little fun, go to the Homecoming Pep Rally. You are sure to run into some alumni there.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

New Businesses in Palmhurst

According to the recent Jim Brunson Commentary in The Progress Times, there will be new businesses on the corner of Conway and 3 Mile, where the new Wal-Mart is. Amongst the new tenants will be Game Stop, Radio Shack, Payless Shoes, Subway, Just-a-Cut, Galaxy Pizza, Dollar Discount, and Taqueria Molcas. The new building shells, two 12,000 sq ft buildings, will be completed early November. There are also plans for a Wendy's and Taco Rico to move in. Across the street, Walgreen's has bought 4 acres.

Leadership Mission Reunion

Leadership Mission Alumni Board members are oganizing the first annual reunion for all Leadership Mission Alumni. The reunion will be Wednesday, Oct. 12. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Mission Historical Museum. There will be food and refreshments available. Contact Roy Salinas at 424-0606, or Lorna Hernandez at 580-8646.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Mayberry Blocked Between Griffin and 2 Mile

Work has begun on Mayberry Road between Griffin Parkway and 2 Mile Rd. This is just south of Veteran's Memorial High School. There is a detour that takes you west through Las Brisas and Francisco (I think). The detour is through a residential area. Work was previously scheduled to expand the bridge that crosses the drainage canal. The construction sign states "Utility Construction Ahead", so it is possible that this is a small project before the expansion begins. I'll find out more.

UPDATE

I received confirmation in the Mission forums about the construction on Mayberry. Here is the message:
The work on Mayberry between 2 Mile and 495 is part of the construction to
improve the bridge and widen the road, too. Construction should be completed
within 12-16 weeks at the most. Thanks

Mission Has a New City Manager

In a recent post, there was this information about our new city manager:
At Monday's City Council meeting, Interim City Manager Julio Cerda was appointed
City Manager by the Council in a 4-1 vote with Councilman O'Cana voted "nay."
Mr. Cerda will be sworn into office at the next Council meeting.

For information like this, visit http://forum.missiontexas.net, the official City of Mission forum.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Power Outage at 495 and Stewart

Shortly before 2 PM a Wal-Mart truck going South onto 495 through an alley West of Stewart Rd. got tangled on a low power line. The result was that as the truck pulled forward, it pulled the power line off the poles. Power was cut to the area around that intersection while AEP workers restored the power line. The area was blocked off and the fire department was present. In addition, a Mission Police officer was dispatched to direct traffic at the intersection during the power outage.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

La Joya Class of 1996 and 1986 Reunions

This week's Progress Times has an announcement for La Joya High School's Class of 1996 Reunion. Dangit, I'm too late. There was a meeting on Sunday, Sept 18 at 5 PM at Allstar Kids' Daycare Center off Moorefield Rd and Expwy 83 in Palmview. The meeting was to finalize reunion plans. Fees are $25 per graduate and $20 per non graduate. Events planned are a tour of the High School, Homecoming parade, and bonfire on Sept 22nd. On Friday, Sept 23rd, everyone will sit together at the football game. Afterwards will be a post-game menudo dinner with drinks at Mario's BBQ in Palmview. Saturday will have a dinner and reception. Sunday will have a family day picnic at Cascade Park in McAllen. Contacts are Patty Gonzalez at 458-7368, or Maribel Barrientos at La Joya Area Federal Credit Union at 585-6207 to deposit dues to the Class of 96 account.

La Joya Class of 86 has an announcement in The Monitor. The reunion is scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 23rd. For more information, call Cindy Ramirez Ponce at 584-2250, or Rames Gonzalez at 458-5777.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Community Announcements

There are a couple of Mission High School reunions planned for October. For details, visit http://www.missionhsreunion.com

Overeaters Anonymous meets at 7 p.m. every Tuesday at Speer Memorial Library. For more information, call 519-3760 or 580-0599.

Texas Advocates for Migrant Students (TAMS) invites the public to the first annual Harvest of Hope golf tournament on Monday Nov. 14. Registration and breakfast starts at 9 am. The tournament starts at 11 am. Dinner, awards, and a raffle will follow the tournament. For more information, or to register, call 585-8575, or email at tamsorg@yahoo.com.

The Blues Committee announces its second annual Blues Festival benefiting the Comfort House. The event is scheduled at 7 pm on Nov 19 at the Club at Cimarron. For info on how to support the Comfort House or tickets to the 2nd annual Blues Festival, call Diego Rivera at 580-9870 or the Comfort House at 687-7367.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Forum Reminder

Just a quick reminder that the City of Mission Forums are back online. Simply visit http://forum.missiontexas.net to visit the forum. It is a good source of city information. You may also post questions that you have about Mission.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Target Shopping Center

I got the word on the Target shopping center:

The proposed Target will be on the east side of Shary and Expressway 83 to
Taylor Road. An HEB is also proposed to be included at the site, as well as
various shops and restaurants.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Mission Reunion Site Coming Back

I straightened out everything with the hosting company. Missionhsreunion.com should be online in the next 24 hours. In the meantime, there is a default page in place. Once the site is active again, the old site should be back in business.

Mission Police Bulletins

Be on the look out for a brown or primer color long oldsmobile type passenger car occupied by two hispanic subjects. One described as 6'00" tall and thin. These subjects are driving around after 10 p.m. and breaking into vehicles and storage rooms.

Vehicle Break-ins
We are currenltly experiencing an increase of burglary/vehicle thefts at the parking lot of Foy's, Wal-mart and both HEB's. Please don't leave anything of value where it can easily be seen through the windows. While in the parking lot of these businesses, look around, and if you see anyone that looks like there up to no good, call us with a description and we'll go and check them outl. The suspects have been seen driving an aqua blue van with handicap license plates. Sometimes the license plates are switched off with Mexican license plates.

Visit http://police.missiontexas.net for more information.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

New Target in Mission?

I'm trying to find out if and where there will be a new Target shopping center in Mission. As soon as there is a reply in the Mission forum, I'll let you know. If there will be, then it would be exciting. I like Wal-Mart. In my opinion, Target has better products for low prices. Regardless, it's good to have options and not have to drive across McAllen for good shopping.

This Week in the Progress Times

I had a chance to pick up last Friday's Progress Times today. Here are the best headlines. Of course, if you want more details, stop by the office. The paper is only 25 cents.

MCISD's New Budget Increased by $4.8 Million (Total is $122,745,695)
City of Mission Hikes Water, Sewer Rates (City needs to comply with required debt ratio)
Penitas Man is Facing Charges (Body was found on a property near 107 and Giles Rd)
La Joya ISD Budget, Tax Rate Are Adopted (Budget of $221,685,595)
Sharyland ISD Approves $56.5 Million Budget, Same Tax Rate
Road Closing Will Affect School Traffic (Mayberry between 495 and 2 Mile)
H-E-B Official Faces Charges (He stole drugs from the pharmacy)

There is other news but those are the more interesting headlines. There is another part of the paper for local sports. The section includes information about last week's games and this past week's games, which have now been played. Sorry, I don't have scores.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Inconsistent Sidewalks

This morning, while jogging, I saw that the sidewalks on Mayberry are not consistent from Griffiin Parkway up to Veteran's Memorial High School. There are parts where there are no sidewalks. The areas in front of new subdivisions have sidewalks that do not match. One bridge has a pedestrian crossing and another does not. I will suggest to planning to make specifications to builders how the sidewalk in front of their new subdivision should look. Or, perhaps the developers could pay the city to have a sidewalk installed. This way the same workers that make city sidewalks would make them the same everywhere. Just an idea.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Help Out Other Americans

Currently, the disaster relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is undergoing some challenges. Getting people and supplies in and out of the disaster area is the biggest problem. It isn't that people and supplies are not available, they are. The main problem is that much of the infrastructure is in such bad shape or underwater. Once there, another problem of the relief effort is what to do with the thousands of victims who are homeless.We dodged a hurricane in the Rio Grande Valley this year. The problems in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama could easily have been us. Please help our fellow Americans by donating money to charities. My preference is the American Red Cross. After the September 11th attacks, I am wary of United Way. You can call the American Red Cross at 1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) to donate over the phone. You can also visit the Red Cross website and donate online. Their servers are running slow right now, so wait for the pages to load or try again later. The Red Cross would be better served by cash donations as they can use cash to purchase the items needed at wholesale costs. Once these items are purchased, the money can go towards transporting the goods and people to those in need. Please take 5 minutes to donate.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Palmhurst is Expanding Its Commerce

I was just reading The Monitor and found out that Palmhurst will be adding more businesses to the town's only commercial zone. Yes, yes, I know. Palmhurst isn't Mission; so, what is news about Palmhurst doing in a Mission website? Well, Palmhurst is stuck between Alton and Mission. Palmhurst phone numbers are Mission exchange numbers. Palmhurst has a Mission ZIP code. Palmhurst kids go to Mission and Sharyland schools. Despite what Sharyland claims, they belong to Mission. Kids on the other side of Palmhurst, in Alton, go to Mission schools. Palmhurst needs Mission's Fire Department in case of emergencies.

It's a matter of time before Palmhurst gets annexed. So, let's just assume that Palmhurst is Mission. Given that, Mission will have a new Radio Shack, a Wendy's (which we really needed), a taqueria (which is already abundant), and a Galaxy Pizza at 3 Mile Rd and Conway Ave. This is exciting news and here is why.

Three years ago, McAllen's northern reaches only went up to 10th St. and Dove. Beyond that were businesses that really did not rely on location. Then, HEB, Home Depot, and Target decided to build on the corner of 10th and Trenton. So, you would drive to Dove, hit a sparsely developed area, and then hit the glorious 10th and Trenton. Now what is happening is that the space in between Trenton and Dove is filling in with plazas and other new businesses.

The same thing is happening with Mission. A couple years ago, town only went as far as Conway and 495. There was some development up to De Alba's bakery, halfway between 495 and 2 Mile Rd; but nothing serious. When Wal-Mart decided to build on the corner of Conway and 3 Mile, it established Mission's version of 10th and Trenton. In the next couple of years, you will see the explosive development of that high-traffic corner and the gradual development of the space between 495 and 3 Mile Rd. Life is looking good in Mission.

Friday, August 26, 2005

Today's Mission News

Just to go over the headlines of today's Progress Times, here's what's happening. If you want more details, be sure to pick up a copy of the newspaper. I only give a brief description. Progress Times give you much more detail and insight into the news around town.

The EPA is still testing for toxic chemicals at the old chemical plant on Holland. People living in the area want the testing to end and to have the government buy them out, which rarely happens. Some people are even protesting the testing.

The county found a use for the tobacco settlement money. They will use it for the Health Services District.

There is news about the Mission Veterans Memorial High School coach who was busted for emailing an undercover agent some pictures of child porn on an AOL chatroom.

Palmhurst is trying to trying to endear itself with the community. Also, they don't have a fire chief and need to borrow Mission's Fire Chief. Mission said no.

http://www.MissionHSReunion.com is not in service, I forgot to update my credit card info back in May and the hosting company pulled the plug. The site should be up next week.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

MissionTexas.net Business Cards

I stopped by PostNet today to order some business cards for http://MissionTexas.net. The idea is to hand them out to people so that they will visit this website for information.

If you have any news or information about Mission, Texas, feel free to send it to news@missiontexas.net. Useful news and information will be posted for the community.

While I was over at PostNet and Quick Wok, I noticed that there is a new business under construction at Stewart Plaza. It will be a Salad Master. The banner at the construction site states that they will have cooking lessons. This is a great idea. I would definitely be interested.

UPDATE: 8/26/05

I went to pick up my business cards, they aren't ready yet. So, I'll go by Monday afternoon. As soon as they come in, I'll start passing them out to people.

If you have any news about town, feel free to email me.

Monday, August 22, 2005

Texas Citrus Fiesta

FH000018
FH000018,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I was uploading some pictures onto Flickr a while ago and ran across some pictures from the Texas Citrus Fiesta from a year ago. Seen here is the Texas Citrus Fiesta parade float.

The floats are decorated using citrus. Mission, Texas is known as the home of the Ruby Red grapefruit. The Ruby Reds are the tastiest variety of grapefruit. These are sweet and not too tart. My favourite way to eat them is with a spoon and some salt. Our town also has the Texas Citrus Exchange; a large complex that processes citrus into juice and other products. Every harvest season, you can smell the sweet scent of burning citrus byproducts.

Mission, Tx is one of the first areas of the Rio Grande Valley to grow citrus. To this day, citrus is an important part of our economy. During harvest, we will have oranges, grapefruit, and lemons in great abundance. You will even have vendors selling 5 pound bags of the fruit by the sides of the roads in rural areas. It is also common to see trucks loaded with large crates full of citrus. Our economy takes a hit whenever we have winter freezes as it takes a few years for our citrus groves to recover.

Not all of the fruit is used for juice. Some, as hinted earlier, is packed in sacks for shipping. Some of the byproducts are used to make citrus extracts and oils.

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Bus 83 (9th St.) and Conway

Bus83 and Conway
Bus83 and Conway,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
This is the corner of Business Highway 83 (9th St) and Conway Ave. In the background you see The Border Theatre and Texas State Bank on the right.

I took this picture back around 2000 or 2001 when I was really into biking around town and had a digital camera. I still have the bike, but don't have a digital camera. This was a lazy Sunday afternoon as you can see by the nonexistent traffic.

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Palmhurst has a New PD

Last night, while driving home, I saw one of the new Palmhurst patrol cars. Palmhurst now has 4 officers, a police chief, and a municipal judge. Palmhurst residents approved a half cent tax hike to help pay for the law enforcement. The biggest help in raising money came from the construction of the new Wal-Mart on the corner of 3 Mile Rd and Conway Ave. Prior to the new police patrols, Palmhurst residents had to call Hidalgo County Sherrif's office for help. Due to the size of our county and the large rural population, getting help from county takes a while.

If you are not from the area, Palmhurst is a town that basically covers the area around 3 Mile Rd. from Holland/Trosper Rd. to a little bit past Shary Rd. That is roughly a 3 or 4 mile stretch along 3 Mile Rd. It's a one street town. To further help you envision this, Palmhurst is right in between Mission and Alton.

Gone are the days of driving 55 miles per hour to and fro through Palmhurst. Now we must travel at the posted 45 miles per hour. Those who do not follow the news will be in for a suprise.

Thursday, August 18, 2005

New Popeye's Fried Chicken

I was just driving through FM 495 between Conway Ave. and Holland when I saw a Popeye's Fried Chicken under construction. Currently, only the wood frame is up. If you are familiar with Mission, the new restaurant will go right next to the Long John Silver/Taco Bell restaurant, which recently opened up. This is good news because it means there will be a few more jobs for our youth and there will be an increase in our city's tax base.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Safe Sex at Mission High School

Last year, four Mission High School students wrote and shot Toothpaste, a movie about two girls who made different decisions. One decided to use a condom and the other decided to abstain. They used the word toothpaste as a codeword for condom. The condom using girl got pregnant and the other did not. That was the original movie. Once a production company got a hold of it, they changed the story a little.

As stated in the article linked here, the debate goes on about the type of Sex Ed that will be taught in our schools. Regardless of what type of education goes on, it's good that there is a debate and that we have alternatives now rather than the "they're going to do it anyway, so might as well teach them to protect themselves" method.

It's like drugs. Kids are going to do drugs anyway, so we should show them how to load the bong or pipe safely.

First, let's teach "don't do it". Then teach "here's is what could go wrong if you do it". And finally, "if you still are going to do it, then these are the best precautions that will mitigate the risk".

At least you know that your teen will hear both arguments in Mission schools.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

City Forums Back Online!

The City of Mission forums are back online. They have been out of serice since they got hacked some months back. For a while, we had a forum at Google, which did not receive as much use as the the old format. I took it upon myself to make a redirect address to the actual forum to make it easier to remember.

While I was at it, I made a redirect address for the library as well. You can visit the Speer Memorial Library site at http://library.missiontexas.net.

Going back to the City of Mission forum, it's a great way to see what is going on in town. You will read posts about citizens complaining about their neighbors, useful information about the progress of public works, and even information about upcoming projects. The new incarnation of the forum has a miscellaneous post section, which I may definitely put to use.

Monday, August 15, 2005

Mission High School Class of 1993 Reunion Kickoff

I want to announce the kickoff of the Mission High School Class of 1993's 15th Year Reunion. All members of the Class of '93 should visit the Forum Topic to participate in the planning.
It is extremely important that you get the word out to as many of our classmates as possible. We want to start early and make this as good or better than the last one.

Let's get the ball rolling!

Saturday, August 13, 2005

New Projects

According to the Commentary section by Jim Brunson at Progress Times, there are two upcoming public facilites projects that stand out on the list. One is a new central fire station. The other project is a new building to house the Mission Economic Development Authority and the Mission Chamber of Commerce. Locations for the sites are under consideration.

First Baptist Church Back-to-School Services

First Baptist Church of Mission will be holding back-to-school services this Sunday, August 14 from 10AM to Noon. The Church is advertising Free Backpacks for Children this Sunday. First Baptist Church is located at 1300 Doherty.

First Presbyterian Church Dedication

Eighteen months ago, vandals set a fire to the lovely First Presbyterian Church at 1102 Ash. The church was one of Mission's finer buildings. It was a pity to see it destroyed. The church has been rebuilt and is ready to offer services. The new church is much bigger. There will be a dedication service held on Sunday, August 14th at 5 PM. Today's Progress Times contained an invitation to attend.

If y ou would like to see pictures of the construction of the new church, visit http://www.fpcmission.com.

Congratulations to First Presbyterian Church on completing the project.

You can also read more details about the reconstruction in today's Progress Times on page 6A.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Experimenting with Forums

Today, I set up forums for MissionTexas.net at Forum.MissionTexas.net. I want to provide a place for the community to gather and share information. I still need to propose a link from the City of Mission site over. The city is currently using a Google forum after crackers disabled the old bulletin board. I am not 100% on this setup. I may need to get another host for the forum as it is currently working off of missionhsreunion.com.

Visit to Mission Historical Museum

Today I went to visit the Mission Historical Museum, which is in the old City Hall. It was amazing to see so much stuff in there. I'm going to visit again when I have more time. It's so awesome to see stuff from Mission's past. There is even a room dedicated to Mission schools, which I plan to use for the Reunion website. There are pictures of the graduating classes going back to the 1950s. I saw Kika de la Garza's Senior picture. I had some extra time and stopped there, but did not take any paper or pen. I'll have to go back to get more information. There is so much to share. If you haven't visited, I recommend you take the kids. It's a small museum, which makes me wonder how the city was able to do business there at all.

I also made a stop at The Luau. The Luau has been in Mission since the 1950s. The new owner was willing to share the information with me, but I did not have a pen or paper. Apparently, the Luau used to be where the Medico Pharmacy was. Then they moved it one corner east. The current Luau is now located in what used to be Preston Milk (I think that's what he said). The structure used to be a freezer. You can still see the foundation of the 2nd Luau incarnation under the parking lot. More information when I have a chance.

Here are links to Mission history:
http://www.missiontexas.us/history.html http://www.missionchamber.com/content/community/history.php

Sunday, August 07, 2005

The Border Theatre

Today, my family and I went to The Border Theatre to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We try to go to The Border whenever we have no plans. Sometimes we go to the newer and bigger Tinseltown Cinema if there is a movie that we just can't wait to see, but we prefer taking the kids to The Border. It only has one screen and is not so big. It's just a place to watch a movie.

Sure, The Border has other things going for it. It's a historical landmark, it's inexpensive, and most of us residents went there as kids. Nostalgia is a big part. Here is another practical benefit. If one of the kids needs to go to the bathroom, it's just a couple steps away. At Tinseltown, a trip to the bathroom requires a trip down and around the stairs, down the hall for some variable, usually long, distance. Aftwards, you need to do it in reverse. You can miss a considerable amount of movie on such a potty break.

If you ever move to Mission to live, give The Border a try. It's a nice little place. You basically see all the staff once you walk through the front doors. The before movie crowd doesn't last long. The after movie crowd is quickly dispersed. Best of all, after the movie, you exit right onto Conway Ave, and can choose to go for a walk through town. Pepe's Mexican Restaurant is around the corner. There is a taco restaurant up the street. There is a park in the opposite direction. Before you ask, why would I want to take a walk? If you are on a date, it gives you a chance to talk. If you have family, it gives the kids a chance to run around a little.

Friday, August 05, 2005

Mission High School Class Reunions

There are a few upcoming class reunions scheduled this Fall. The first is for the Mission High School Class of 1986. This reunion is scheduled for the weekend of September 23rd.

The other class reunion is for the Mission High School Class of 1955. This reunion is scheduled for October 7th and 8th.

Sharyland Class of 1986 will be having their reunion on the weekend of October 21st.

The Sharyland Class of 1995 is in the process of planning their reunion.

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Class Reunions for Mission, Texas High Schools

Mission, Texas has 2 high schools. There is the original Mission High School; and there is the younger Mission Veterans Memorial High School. There is another school district, Sharyland ISD with their own high school, Sharyland High School. Depending on where you live, your teenager will go to one these three schools.

If you are looking for class reunion information on any of these, you can visit MissionHSReunion.com or RGVReunions.com. All visitors are welcome to join and participate in the news and forums free of charge.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Sites with information about Mission, Tx

I found some links that already have useful information or have the promise to provide useful information in the future.

http://www.lone-star.net/mall/txtrails/mission.htm

http://www.topix.net/city/mission-tx

http://www.texasbutterfly.com/

http://directory.google.com/Top/Regional/North_America/United_States/Texas/Localities/M/Mission/

Yahoo! is getting a good list of local businesses at http://local.yahoo.com/. Just type in what you need, our zip code, which is 78572, and submit. Be sure to narrow your search to 10 miles. Mission is not a big town, so it 10 miles is sufficient.

I will be visiting local businesses and posting reviews on Yahoo! for everybody to read.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Progress Times Update

The Progress Times has updated their website with the following articles.

Council Gets First Look At Proposed 2005-06 Budget

Ribbon Cutting Held For Hospital Neonatal Unit *

Sharyland Gets Portables; Good Deal On Insurance


* Mission Regional Medical Center has a website at http://www.missionhospital.org .

Operation Lonestar 2005

Operation Lonestar is a joint, humanitarian military mission conducted for the express purpose of providing no cost medical and dental care at 3 locations. The locations include Mission, Rio Grande City, and Brownsville. The designated sites of operation will be open for 10-12 hours a day for a total of 9 days. There is no screening process and anyone who desires care will be extended the services. The operation is provided through the collaborative effort of civilian volunteers, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

As of today, the Navy may begin screening as they are getting ready to move out. All other medical services are expected to continue. Services are scheduled to end on Thursday August 4th at mid-day. The Mission site is located in E. R. Chapa Elementary on 4 Mile N Doffing Rd, which is in the La Joya School District. Today, I had the honor of meeting two of the military volunteers who shared the information with me. If you know anybody who needs medical attention and can't afford help, help them go to one of the three free clinics before the leave on Thursday.

Monday, August 01, 2005

National Night Out in Mission

National Night Out events will be held on Tuesday, August 2nd at La Lomita/Leo Peña Memorial Park at 9th Street and Conway. The events will take place from 7 PM to 10 PM. There will be representatives from Mission Police Department, La Joya PD, Alton PD, Palmview PD, and Palmhurst PD. National Night Out is an annual event held at Mission and other communities to strengthen ties between police and residents to help reduce crime. For the most part, it's a great excuse to get out of the house and have a good time with your family and neighbors. National Night Out is open to the public at no charge.

Sunday, July 31, 2005

Riding the Trail

This morning I took a ride on the hike and bike trail at the Mission Nature Park. There are some changes since the recent rains we had. Amongst the changes are that some of the areas along the trail are flooded. This gives the trail a little variety, seeing a change in landscape. There is even a couple spaces where the trail itself is under about an inch of water. Near the end of the trail, a trench was dug through the trail to allow drainage for the field along the trail. That will probably be repaired as soon as the area dries up a little. Finally, some of the trail is buried under dirt that has run off from the canal embankment. The trail is still there. What happened is that there is not enough ground cover to anchor the soil so it ran off with the rain onto the trail.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Mission Hike and Bike Trail

The Mission Hike and Bike Trail is one of the best additions to the city parks for exercising. The trail is 5 miles long from the parking lot to the World Birding Center/Bentsen Park. The trail is largely built on top of trails that were used by local mountain bikers. The original trails are mostly destroyed, but the asphalt makes taking the trail much easier. In fact, a dominating feature of the old trails were the acres and acres of prickly pear cactus. Ouch! If you travel the trail both ways, you will have hiked or biked 10 miles. You will find hikers, bikers, and runners at the trails daily.

Mile 1 is marked by a lone palm tree. Mile 2 is right after the first bridge. Mile 3 is a bit after the second bridge. Mile 4 is along Military Rd. And, the 5th Mile is at the end of the trail.

One important note is that our South Texas Summers are extremely hot and humid. Unless you specifically set out to suffer, try to visit the park before 9 am or after 5 pm. There is no shade on the trail and the trees are tall enough to block any breeze. Also, bring plenty of water if you intend to travel the entire trail. There are no facilities available for you to get water.

There is more to the park than just the trail. The trail is actually a part of the Mission Nature Park. The park is covered in brush and mesquite trees. Up on the levee, the trees are a bit taller and provide more shade. As most of the park is wild, you have the opportunity to see local fauna. You'll see the occasional jack rabbit, ground squirrel, chachalaca, or coyote. During the Winter season, you may also see cranes and other birds wading through the drainage canal that the first bridge crosses. You will also see other migratory birds. As the trees grow taller, we will no doubt see more creatures inhabiting the park.

So, if your interest is fitness or the observation of nature, the Mission Nature Park with it's Hike and Bike Trail are sure to please you. Thanks to the improvements, hiking or running the trails is easier and biking yields fewer flat tires. Be sure to visit.

Mission Awaits You

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originally uploaded by shainelee.
You are welcome to stay at our town. Mission is a small community where you don't feel rushed or hurried. You just kind of take your time. Our city is large enough that we don't all know each other. Yet we are small enough that change is noticable. Mission generally offers a lower cost of living and property tax than our nearest neighbor, McAllen. Visit our useful links for more information.