Thursday, August 20, 2015
What A Storm
We had quite a light show and hail last night. There was some destruction, but not like other times. Electric service was affected in some areas. 
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
A Visit to Ice House
Today I visited Ice House, which is a family owned business in Mission. Ice House has been around for years; but like many things, I never made the time to stop by and check it out, even if it's right there. The Statue of Liberty probably has the same issue with resident New Yorkers.
Today, being my birthday, I went out with my Mother, whose birthday was yesterday, to have a beer. She asked where we should go. We've gone to some other places in the past; but, being a lazy summer, it seemed better to go somewhere nearby. Ice House is just a few blocks away.
I suggested we check out the Ice House. I had known from others that the Ice House mostly caters to older people, especially during Winter Texan season. But, I think this is inaccurate.
As we entered the bar, we did see that there were several older people, likely retirees around the place. But, Ice House is more than that to me in the sense that it is reminiscent of some of the bars up in Wisconsin and pubs in the UK. You would feel perfectly fine taking your family to a pub. It's a place to have drinks, eat something, and socialize.
Bars in the RGV are more suited to getting plastered and making Neanderthalish attempts at attracting mates. The Ice House, on the other hand, is much calmer and friendlier. Given the older customer base, all that pretense of the youth is long gone. Sometimes you want to sit down and have a beer in peace.
My mother liked the place. I don't think it's half bad. I would certainly go back again. I don't know that I would take my family, although it would be a suitable establishment. The establishment accommodates smoking, which could be problematic for my young ones. This could be easily solved by sitting in the outdoors area; but, in 103 degree weather, that's unlikely.
In any case, I can see the appeal of Ice House for our Winter Texan population. The establishment is very reminiscent of bars up north. In addition, they don't have to deal with young trouble makers.
I think I will visit again.
Today, being my birthday, I went out with my Mother, whose birthday was yesterday, to have a beer. She asked where we should go. We've gone to some other places in the past; but, being a lazy summer, it seemed better to go somewhere nearby. Ice House is just a few blocks away.
I suggested we check out the Ice House. I had known from others that the Ice House mostly caters to older people, especially during Winter Texan season. But, I think this is inaccurate.
As we entered the bar, we did see that there were several older people, likely retirees around the place. But, Ice House is more than that to me in the sense that it is reminiscent of some of the bars up in Wisconsin and pubs in the UK. You would feel perfectly fine taking your family to a pub. It's a place to have drinks, eat something, and socialize.
Bars in the RGV are more suited to getting plastered and making Neanderthalish attempts at attracting mates. The Ice House, on the other hand, is much calmer and friendlier. Given the older customer base, all that pretense of the youth is long gone. Sometimes you want to sit down and have a beer in peace.
My mother liked the place. I don't think it's half bad. I would certainly go back again. I don't know that I would take my family, although it would be a suitable establishment. The establishment accommodates smoking, which could be problematic for my young ones. This could be easily solved by sitting in the outdoors area; but, in 103 degree weather, that's unlikely.
In any case, I can see the appeal of Ice House for our Winter Texan population. The establishment is very reminiscent of bars up north. In addition, they don't have to deal with young trouble makers.
I think I will visit again.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Business Spotlight: Abel Riojas Photography
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Last Week's Buenas Tardes Luncheon
Last Wednesday, I made the time to head over to the +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce monthly Buenas Tardes Luncheon at the Cimarron Country Club. The guest speakers at the luncheon were the school superintendents of +Mission CISD, +La Joya ISD, and +Sharyland ISD. I'm late writing about it because. . ., nevermind that.
You would expect such an event to by your typical stuffy event composed of people in suits and controlled speeches meant to not offend anybody or cause controversy. I must say that the event was pleasantly surprising, entertaining even.
The panel consisted of, all Doctors by the way, Ricardo Lopez (Mission CISD), Alda Benavides (La Joya ISD, and brand spanking new Robert O'Connor (Sharyland ISD).
They were very open to sharing their views on what the districts face in the coming year. Dr. Benavides was very candid in talking about how competition with charter schools has been a good thing for public schools, requiring them to do a better job of educating students. Her view is that charter school competition is an opportunity to improve rather than a threat to public education.
Dr. Lopez was frank about sharing some of the budgetary challenges that schools face when the legislature sets money aside, but then adds many extra unfunded requirements while cutting budgets elsewhere.
Dr. O'Connor is the new kid on the block. He stated that he doesn't have statistics to offer, we'll have to wait until next year. However, he did share that his focus this year will be building his team, which is understandable. There have been some politica going on over at Sharyland ISD in recent years, which tends to inhibit teamwork. Best of luck.
The only other thing of note is that Alex Meade of the Mission Economic Development Corporation shared the success of their Code the Town initiative geared towards fostering an environment for students to learn how to program. Many of the high paying jobs of the future will consist of software development for all manner of uses from websites, robotics, corporate networks, to gaming. Mission EDC is getting statewide and national recognition for the effort, which is unlikely for a small town such as ours.
You would expect such an event to by your typical stuffy event composed of people in suits and controlled speeches meant to not offend anybody or cause controversy. I must say that the event was pleasantly surprising, entertaining even.
The panel consisted of, all Doctors by the way, Ricardo Lopez (Mission CISD), Alda Benavides (La Joya ISD, and brand spanking new Robert O'Connor (Sharyland ISD).
They were very open to sharing their views on what the districts face in the coming year. Dr. Benavides was very candid in talking about how competition with charter schools has been a good thing for public schools, requiring them to do a better job of educating students. Her view is that charter school competition is an opportunity to improve rather than a threat to public education.
Dr. Lopez was frank about sharing some of the budgetary challenges that schools face when the legislature sets money aside, but then adds many extra unfunded requirements while cutting budgets elsewhere.
Dr. O'Connor is the new kid on the block. He stated that he doesn't have statistics to offer, we'll have to wait until next year. However, he did share that his focus this year will be building his team, which is understandable. There have been some politica going on over at Sharyland ISD in recent years, which tends to inhibit teamwork. Best of luck.
The only other thing of note is that Alex Meade of the Mission Economic Development Corporation shared the success of their Code the Town initiative geared towards fostering an environment for students to learn how to program. Many of the high paying jobs of the future will consist of software development for all manner of uses from websites, robotics, corporate networks, to gaming. Mission EDC is getting statewide and national recognition for the effort, which is unlikely for a small town such as ours.
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Bats in Mission, Texas
The other night while walking at dusk around Oblate Park in Mission, I saw some fluttering up above. I thought perhaps it was a bird. However, as the creature's silhouette passed by a lighter backdrop, I saw that it was a bat.
Since, these aren't Medieval times, I was a little fascinated and amused to see bats fluttering around in circles. Presumably, they are catching insects. With all the rains these past few weeks, the mosquitoes and other bugs are abundant. Of course, that means a feast for bats.
The only other place I have seen bats in Mission is at the Rio Grande Valley Bentsen State Park. During a Creatures of the Night tour, the park Rangers took our group up to a skywalk that oversees the trees. While up there, the Rangers had a device that could make the bat ultrasonic clicks audible to us. The Rangers would also shine a light on the bats for us to see.
Out in the wild, it is not too difficult to imagine that the bats may find somewhere to roost, if that's the proper word. However, within the Mission city limits, I have to wonder where these bats might be staying? It's possible they sleep in somebody's shed or attic. I would hate to be the person who discovers bats in their residence, complete with bat droppings.
Bats are a mixed blessing, one supposes. On the one hand, they help us keep the insect population under control. On the other hand, they aren't exactly the type of creature you want nesting around you.
Be sure to visit Oblate Park or Bentsen Park if you want to see bats fluttering around.
Since, these aren't Medieval times, I was a little fascinated and amused to see bats fluttering around in circles. Presumably, they are catching insects. With all the rains these past few weeks, the mosquitoes and other bugs are abundant. Of course, that means a feast for bats.
The only other place I have seen bats in Mission is at the Rio Grande Valley Bentsen State Park. During a Creatures of the Night tour, the park Rangers took our group up to a skywalk that oversees the trees. While up there, the Rangers had a device that could make the bat ultrasonic clicks audible to us. The Rangers would also shine a light on the bats for us to see.
Out in the wild, it is not too difficult to imagine that the bats may find somewhere to roost, if that's the proper word. However, within the Mission city limits, I have to wonder where these bats might be staying? It's possible they sleep in somebody's shed or attic. I would hate to be the person who discovers bats in their residence, complete with bat droppings.
Bats are a mixed blessing, one supposes. On the one hand, they help us keep the insect population under control. On the other hand, they aren't exactly the type of creature you want nesting around you.
Be sure to visit Oblate Park or Bentsen Park if you want to see bats fluttering around.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Hazy Days of Mission, Texas
Driving home one day, I was struck by how hazy the air is on hot and humid days. It gets like this especially with all the rain that we have been getting. It is also pleasing to see everything green.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
June 2015 Reading Programs at Speer Memorial Library
Speer Memorial Library Summer reading programs.
Monday, May 04, 2015
Beer Variety in Mission
If you are one to shop around for new flavors of beer in Mission, Texas, then there really are only a handful of places to shop. Specifically, you'll hit HEB or Walmart. Convenience stores for the most part stick to the usual big brands, adding the occasional apple ale or, rarer still, an import.
My neighborhood HEB, on Conway Avenue and Business 83 does not offer too much beer variety. Instead they stock plenty of the national brands with a few of the other varieties. The wine section at this store is not too great either.
Your next best bet is the new Neighborhood Walmart that went up on Bryan Road and Business 83. What you may like about that Walmart is that you can create a 6 pack of an assortment of pre-selected beers for a flat price. This is a good deal if you are one to want to taste a variety of beers. The wine selection at the Walmart is much larger than Mission HEB #1.
Mission HEB #2, located on Griffin Parkway and Conway Ave offers a much better beer selection than the previous two stores. You will find the occasional oddball beer at this store, which you should probably snatch up before it is no longer offered. They offer just enough variety to keep you coming back to check for more. Their wine selection is comparable to the Neighborhood Walmart.
Having mentioned wines, the Walmart Supercenters in Palmhurst and Sharyland have about an equal wine selection to the last two stores mentioned. However, they lack the beer variety, stocking mostly national brands in large quantities.
In Mission, Texas, the place you want to go for uncommon beer varieties is the HEB on Shary Road, off the frontage road to Expressway 83. The Sharyland HEB offers a plethora, yes Guapo, a plethora, of beers. You will find all kinds of local, domestic,and imported beers. There is even a section in the cooler for 1 liter bottles of oddball beers from all over the world. Obviously, the beers cost more, so you would drink them for the joy of drinking different beer rather than simply getting plastered. Of course, the wine selection at the Sharyland HEB is not too bad either.
There is another fancy pants-ish HEB in Palmhurst; but, that store serves a completely different market. It's like walking into another world. The beer variety isn't worth the extra drive. I know, 2 miles won't kill you; but, it will waste your time.
None of these stores would obviously replace a well-managed and located liquor store, of which there are a few in town. However, they will make your love of beer and wine affordable and sufficiently varied for a while.
If you need to find something new with the least amount of seeking, then head straight to and the Sharyland HEB or at least the Mission HEB #2. Those are your best bets.
UPDATE
There is now the Whistling Duck bar near Griffin Parkway and Stewart Road where you can find a good variety of beers on tap.
My neighborhood HEB, on Conway Avenue and Business 83 does not offer too much beer variety. Instead they stock plenty of the national brands with a few of the other varieties. The wine section at this store is not too great either.
Your next best bet is the new Neighborhood Walmart that went up on Bryan Road and Business 83. What you may like about that Walmart is that you can create a 6 pack of an assortment of pre-selected beers for a flat price. This is a good deal if you are one to want to taste a variety of beers. The wine selection at the Walmart is much larger than Mission HEB #1.
Mission HEB #2, located on Griffin Parkway and Conway Ave offers a much better beer selection than the previous two stores. You will find the occasional oddball beer at this store, which you should probably snatch up before it is no longer offered. They offer just enough variety to keep you coming back to check for more. Their wine selection is comparable to the Neighborhood Walmart.
Having mentioned wines, the Walmart Supercenters in Palmhurst and Sharyland have about an equal wine selection to the last two stores mentioned. However, they lack the beer variety, stocking mostly national brands in large quantities.
In Mission, Texas, the place you want to go for uncommon beer varieties is the HEB on Shary Road, off the frontage road to Expressway 83. The Sharyland HEB offers a plethora, yes Guapo, a plethora, of beers. You will find all kinds of local, domestic,and imported beers. There is even a section in the cooler for 1 liter bottles of oddball beers from all over the world. Obviously, the beers cost more, so you would drink them for the joy of drinking different beer rather than simply getting plastered. Of course, the wine selection at the Sharyland HEB is not too bad either.
There is another fancy pants-ish HEB in Palmhurst; but, that store serves a completely different market. It's like walking into another world. The beer variety isn't worth the extra drive. I know, 2 miles won't kill you; but, it will waste your time.
None of these stores would obviously replace a well-managed and located liquor store, of which there are a few in town. However, they will make your love of beer and wine affordable and sufficiently varied for a while.
If you need to find something new with the least amount of seeking, then head straight to and the Sharyland HEB or at least the Mission HEB #2. Those are your best bets.
UPDATE
There is now the Whistling Duck bar near Griffin Parkway and Stewart Road where you can find a good variety of beers on tap.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Monday, August 11, 2014
Wireless Nerd: Community / Municipal Networks and Classroom Exten...
Wireless Nerd: Community / Municipal Networks and Classroom Exten...: An article got published in our local paper with a few lines I was quoted on regarding citywide wireless access. " Misison to Set...
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Oblate Park in Winter
Oblate Park in Mission, Texas
Black and white medium format photo taken on a Diana F+ photo. ISO 400 film.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
City of Mission Municipal Wireless In the Works
Mayor Beto Salinas has announced in several instances, the creation of a Municipal Wireless project. Such a project would be a great initial benefit to the community as it would be a great service to citizens who do not have broadband at home. But, as is in most networks of this type, it would likely start off in the business corridor where people shop and eat.
Such a placement makes sense because as a community we want to attract and retain shoppers to our local businesses. Free Wi-Fi in our downtown area would be a great benefit to help boost our local economy. With increased revenues, the City could then slowly expand the project.
Why not start the community wireless in the neighborhoods?
I have experimented in creating community wireless through Mission Wi-Fi, which was an out of pocket project. The project included hotspots in both commercial and residential areas. The results of the experiments are very distinct.
In commercial areas, people connect to the Wi-Fi for a few minutes here and there on their mobile devices. These included phones and tablets. On occasion, you would see a laptop; but, not too often.
In residential areas, the use of broadband is much more demanding. Once people are in their homes, they are pulling down movies and other high bandwidth services. It severely impacted my own personal quality of service.
Therefore, if the City is going to launch Internet service for the community, it has to start where it has a chance to grow and not be ground down to a crawl while taking its first steps.
Mission has four main business corridors, Conway Avenue, Griffin Parkway, Business 83, and Shary Road. Presumably, these would be the ideal places to light up with Wi-Fi as they offer the best access to broadband service to be injected into the network.
From these four corridors, the City of Mission could slowly expand service into the neighborhoods; but, they do not necessarily have to do it. Projects in Europe, such as Guifi.net and Freifunk.net show that citizens can build their own community networks to bridge the gaps in coverage. In addition, many of the participants in those community networks donate their own personal bandwidth to the community.
Ideally, the City of Mission would create a very local fiber optic network that goes around the city just as Chanute, Kansas has done. Their network serves the same purpose as our city roads, to transport data from point A to point B. The network connects their utilities, schools, and government offices. In addition, they act as a way to carry broadband to businesses by buying bandwidth wholesale and reselling it for a markup that pays for network maintenance. More importantly, Chanute was able to build the network much more affordably on their own than if they had paid service providers to do it for them.
But, all that is a long way off. Mayor Salinas has kicked off what could be the biggest change in our city's history in his last term. We can only hope that his successors can take his vision and run with it.
People Are Always Calling Me About the Mission Hike and Bike Trail
It's funny that I randomly get phone calls to ask about the Mission Hike and Bike Trail. This is fine, I don't mind answering questions. But, it is odd that this is the only thing about Mission that people call to ask about.
I finally asked one of the callers where they got my phone number to call. Apparently, there is some confusion that MissionTexas.net is a city website. Oh, well. In any case, the trails are a great asset to the community.
I finally asked one of the callers where they got my phone number to call. Apparently, there is some confusion that MissionTexas.net is a city website. Oh, well. In any case, the trails are a great asset to the community.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Mission Easter Egg Hunt
The +Mission Speer Memorial Library will host an Easter Egg Hunt on April 17 at 6 pm. Children in the community up to 5th grade are invited to attend this event. The event is Free to all attendees.
You can request more information by visiting their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SpeerMemorialLibrary, or calling 580-8750.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Speer Memorial Library Board Meeting Apr 16
The Speer Memorial Library Board of Directors will have their meeting on April 16 at 5 pm in the Speer Memorial Board Room.
We are attempting to get a copy of the agenda, which would be posted here.
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
One Foggy Morning in Mission, Texas
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| Business 83 near City Hall |
Saturday, July 06, 2013
Ribbon Cutting for Style Hub
+The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new member, Style Hub, located at 2704 E Griffin Parkway. The event was Friday, July 5, at 5:30 pm.
More photos of the event available on our G+ event post at https://plus.google.com/events/c6gduten6cdd6rqdjortd6tetj0 .
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Veterans Memorial HS Students Top in State Math/Science
Veterans Memorial High School students returned from the recent state Texas Math and Science Coaches Association (TMSCA) meet with plenty of awards, including some state champions. The team placed second in the 4A division.
The Calculator Applications team members placed first at this state competition. The Number Sense team placed second. The Math team placed third. While the Science team placed seventh.
Top placing VMHS 12th grade students in the Calculator Applications competition include: Juan Moreno, second place; Lisa Lozano, third place; Aaron Tijerina, fourth place; Adrian Perez, ninth place; Gabriel Siegel, tenth place; Kivani Sanchez, fourteenth place.
Top placing 12th grade students in the Number Sense competition were: Gabriel Siegel, seventh place; Michelle Guajardo, eighth place; Gavin De Leon, fourteenth place.
Top placing 12 graders in the Math competition were: Adrian Perez, seventh place; Lisa Lozano, ninth place; Gabriel Siegel, fifteenth place.
Michelle Guajardo placed seventh in the 12th grade Science competition.
Matthew Sparks placed first in the 11th grade Calculator Applications competition and fourteenth in the Math competition.
In the 10th grade competitions, Darius Davis placed first in Number Sense, third in Math, ninth in Science, and tenth in Calculator Applications. Henry Davis III placed second in Calculator Applications. Noel Barsenas placed eleventh in Science. Juan Ibarra placed twelfth in Calculator Applications.
Top place finishers among the freshmen were: Hector Iglesias, fifth place, Math; Rene Olivarez, ninth place, Science; Feliciano Escobedo, fourteenth place, Number Sense.
Almost half of the students listed for Top Gun honors include: Lisa Lozano, eighth; Michelle Guajardo, ninth; Gabriel Siegel, tenth; Adrian Perez, eleventh; Juan Moreno, twelfth; Aaron Tijerina, fifteenth. The Top Gun honors ranks competitors against the others in their grade level in all four events.
# # #
Contact: Craig Verley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Office: 956-323-5530 • Fax: 956-323-8103 • cverley@mcisd.org
Upper Valley Art League Ribbon Cutting
The Upper Valley Art League is celebrating the opening of their new building, called the Art Link. +The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce will lead the ribbon cutting on Friday, March 29 at 6 pm. The community is invited to attend.
The Upper Valley Art League is located next to the library. The address is 921 E 12th St in Mission.
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