Mission, Texas Brain

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.