The Love of Family. January is National Blood Donor Month. This Month: Donating Blood. January 2016 The Little Paper You ll Want To Keep & Share

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1 This Month: Donating Blood June Holidays Helping The Homeless Birding RV & Outdoor Show RGV History Stamp & Coin Show Llano Grande Quilt Show SPI Lifestyle Food Bank Resolution Modifying The Art of Pet Giving Behavior Summer Jeep Night in RV Toys Resorts For Tots Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge Support the Local Economy Winter Texan Expo IN PRINT, ONLINE & ON FACEBOOK January 2016 The Little Paper You ll Want To Keep & Share Vol. 2 No. 8 Crazy as in... Leaving behind 80 degree temperatures and driving 1400 miles to be in degree temperatures with wind chills near zero. exit the Interstate and make a 40 mile detour to get around the problem spot. Venturing out into a frigid Minnesota night with 5 layers of clothing, just to have a few puffs of tobacco. What could possibly cause an otherwise sane person to go through all this craziness? The Love of Family Spending a few precious days with your children and grandchildren makes putting up with temporary inconveniences in Even though the time went by much too quickly, and we spent more time traveling than we were actually there, my wife and I were blessed to spend some holiday time with our precious loved ones. We hope that you too were blessed this Holiday Season and wish the entire RGV a Happy New Year! January is National Blood Donor Month 4.5 million Americans would die each year without blood transfusions. Approx. 32,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States. Every three seconds someone needs blood One out of every 10 people entering a hospital needs blood. Just one pint of donated blood can help save as many as three people s lives. There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O. AB is the universal recipient and O neg. is the universal donor. Blood centers often run short of type O and B blood. Shortages of all types of blood occur during the summer and winter holidays. If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood. 3 gallons of blood supports the entire nation s blood needs for 1 minute. Blood donation takes four steps: medical history, quick physical, donation, and snacks. The actual blood donation usually takes less than 10 min. You cannot get AIDS or any infectious disease by donating blood. Fourteen tests, 11 of which are for infectious diseases, are performed on each unit of donated blood. Any company, community organization, place of worship or individual may contact their local community blood center to host a blood drive. Contact these organizations about donating blood or hosting a blood drive: United Blood Services 610 Ed Carey Dr. Harlingen, TX (956) S. 6th St. McAllen, TX (956) South Texas Chapter of the American Red Cross 6914 W. Expy 83 Harlingen, TX (956)

2 Providing Help to Those in Distress By Alma Seong The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released the 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (AHAR) with half of the homeless population in the U.S. leading to viduals). Catholic Charities of the Rio organization, seeks to continue with the mission to provide help and create hope to those facing a crisis such as the homeless population in the valley. Ernie is one of the many homeless individuals that has come to CCRGV for aid this past year. How did he end up that way? you may ask. He was born and raised in the upper part of the Rio Grande Valley and until his middle age had lived a rather normal life working and being a parent to his children and a husband to his wife. Suddenly, he started suffering from a painful nerve illness, asthma, and more recently an optic nerve condition that now has him partially blind. Due to various factors including his health deterioration, he lost his job and what followed was a downward spiral as he abandoned his family and took to the streets. With no place to live, no steady income, he ended up getting into trouble with the law. Carlos R. Canas Over 35 years experience! Singing Only the Very Best Oldies! American Standards Country Classics 50s Rock & Roll Easy Listening 40 s 70 s Dances Reunions Retirement Communities RV Resorts Dinner Music Special Events SingALongs Call to book Carlos for YOUR EVENT TODAY! Available Statewide Year round For more than a decade, he has lived in the streets and as he tries to get back onto the right path, he mentioned that he is very thankful to CCRGV for helping him along the way. He says that its he is so ill and cannot lift heavy objects. Through the ESG program, Catholic Charities has assisted him with an emergency shelter as well as a winter jacket, a blanket, and canned food. He mentioned that the jacket has really come in handy with the winter weather. I asked him for his goal and he seemed very clear with it: He would like to work towards obtaining a bicycle so that he can continue his search for a job. Would you help us be a beacon of light to those is distress? If so, would you like to donate to Catholic Charities of the RGV? For a donation, please send a check payable to Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley to the following address: Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, PO BOX 1306, San Juan the check, please write: Regular Donation On behalf of all of us at CCRGV and those we serve, we look forward to hearing back from you and we truly thank you for your support which helps us continue with our mission to help others. The Grotto in San Benito 1801 West Expressway 83 (3rd House Down from The Longhorn) Come Shop, Stay & Pray First Communion Gifts NOW IN STOCK.. TRUNK SHOWS AVAILABLE CALL Spiritual Gifts That Help Focus Our Attention on Jesus Christ The Savior Of The World Bibles, Rosaries, Prayer Cards, Novenas, Children s Books, Medals, Divine Mercy, Pamphlets, Crosses, Necklaces, Rings, Italian Made Religious Articles, Handmade Religious Wooden Niches, Handmade Decade Rosaries We can also order any item from our supply companies that sell thousands of items for weddings, quinceneras, funerals, anniversaries, prayer groups & religious conferences Come visit our Grotto built in The 1st Marian Year instituted by Pope Pius XII. Bring this ad for a 10% discount off your purchase! The Valley Spotlight is published by Created Images and More 305 E Los Ebanos Managing editor: Rod Graham rod@rgvaff.com Advertising: January 2016 Issue Vol. 2 No all rights reserved

3 Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Grounds Mercedes, TX Bring The Whole Family to Enjoy Great Food & Lots of New Vendors th Thurs. Jan. 14 Sat. Jan. 16 th RGV LIVESTOCK SHOW GROUNDS MERCEDES, TX 9 AM 5 PM $ 5 Admission Vendor Booths including: Campers RVs Conversion Vans Trucks RV & Mobile Home Resorts ATVs Mobile Homes Motorcycles Trailers Park Models AND MUCH MORE! For More Information Call Presented by the RGV Chapter of Texas Recreational Vehicle Association ~

4 5th Greater Rio Grande Valley Stamp and Coin Show by Judy Stevens In this era of s, texts and Tweets, the idea of collecting postage stamps... Philately... may seem silly, but there s more to these little bits of paper than getting mail from here to there. For collectors like my husband and me, each stamp becomes a little paper guide to history, geography, the sciences, the arts and culture. And collecting them is like Antique Roadshow... you never know what s coming up next. covered the Magic Valley Stamp Club in Harlingen. The club, which had been with avid stamp collectors. My husband ing is an opportunity to learn more and to improve our collections by trading or auction, which can get lively when two members want the same auction lot. Aside from the meetings our club has sponsored children s summer classes and annual Stamp Shows. This year s show (January 23, 2016) promises to be unique. We have joined with the McAllen Stamp Club to sponsor the 5th Greater Rio Grande Valley Stamp and Coin Show at the Harlingen Cultural Arts Center, Drive. But that s not all: 2016 marks the American Legion Loyal Service Post #37 of McAllen, Texas, as part of the Texas Centennial celebration, sent some mail by small rockets from McAllen to Reynosa, Tamps. and back. On exhibit at our show will be some of the stamps and postal history from that event. I look forward to the show, since I collect stamps about Astronomy and space exploration. Stamp collecting has been a wonderful way for my husband and me to meet people, see the world (and space, too.) Come visit us at the show. Whatever your age, wherever you are from, there s an opportunity to collect and admire your very own set of miniature art. Llano Grande Lake Park Resort 7th Annual Quilt Show by Monica Myers The Llano Grande Quilting Bee is proud to present its 7th Annual premier quilt show on Each year the show theme is carried out by the name of the Opportunity Quilt and this year it is the Heirloom Rose of Llano. The quilt is an exquisite, traditional rose design in shades of ivory and rose created in French linen with light weight wool batting. In keeping with tradition, several of our bee members will display their family heirloom quilts at the show. The Heirloom Rose theme will also be carried out in our 2016 Challenge. The Challenge participants have been given identical, small fabric swatches in a nostalgic rose pattern. Bee members will create an original wall hanging incorporating that piece of fabric in a unique design. The creativity of the Llano quilters will be exciting to see. The Llano Grande Quilt bee has a well earned reputation for entering up to 200 beautiful quilted projects in the show each year. Expect to see hand and machine quilting in many variations such as the breath taking, hand appliquéd Woodland Creatures by Shirley Pokorski which was awarded Best of Show in There are also many amazing wall hangings in traditional and landscape techniques as well as table ware, purses, and totes. The incredible assortment of hand crafted items sold in our boutique has people rushing tickets to win one of the hand made purses and totes given away in the drawing at the end of the day. And while the Opportunity Quilt is not awarded the day of the show, tickets are purchased for the February drawing with hopes of winning the Heirloom Rose of Llano. The show also offers the opportunity to purchase fabric and notions from dedicated merchants as well as the service of an experienced scissor and knife sharpener. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned quilter, or perhaps simply appreciate the beauty of color, design and the artistry of this ageless craft, prepare to be WOWED at the Llano Grande Heirloom Rose Quilt Show, January Responder volunteers. Admission: $1.00. Llano Grande Lake Park Resort 2215 East West Blvd. Mercedes, TX. Exit South from US 83/I2 on Mile 2 West Road, enter the Park via our Main Gate.

5 Make A Worthwhile New Year s Resolution by Omar Rodriguez With a new year comes many of the same resolutions: lose weight, save money or try to be an overall better human being. Many of these resolutions happen to be some of the hardest things to commit to. By February, resolutions are long forgotten. Maybe we re aiming too high? Regardless, the desire is still there to make 2016 better than 2015, right? Maybe the answer is simple as helping the Food Bank RGV. It s pretty easy to at least do one of the following throughout 2016 and make a big impact. Donate money healthy meals for children right here in the Valley. Larger monetary donations can feed more people and be eligible for tax deductions. That also goes a long way to becoming a pretty cool human, too. Advocate This is pretty simple. Simply by sharing Food Bank RGV posts on social media and sharing information about hunger in the Valley (about 1 in 7 households struggling to balance bills and food) can to accept that children go hungry in my town. Let s do something about it! Volunteer Yup, volunteering can go a long way to helping the Food Bank RGV save money while feeding up to 42,000 people per week across the Valley. You can volunteer by sorting food, bagging food for our elderly program or working up a sweat in our community garden. Sounds suspiciously like exercise. Maybe that could help you shed a few pounds by swimsuit season. So, in a nutshell, helping feed your neighbors might help you reach all your goals in You won t know until you try. We ll be here when you are ready! or visit us at: The old Valley Fruit Company packing plant has been our new home since The facility is conveniently loin Pharr, Texas. Our physical address is 724 North Cage Blvd. Pharr, Texas. Making... and Breaking New Year s Resolutions by Rod Graham The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. In the Medieval era, the knights took the peacock vow at the end of the their commitment to chivalry. It is commonly believed that at the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Year s resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did. A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail. According to holidayinsights.com, January 17 has been designated as Ditch New Years Resolutions Day. This makes it rather convenient for those of us who have tried diligently, but for whatever reason just can t seem to keep that pesky resolution made just a couple of weeks ago, to gracefully bow out from our committment. Some common resolutions which fail are improve physical wellbeing eat healthy food, lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, stop biting nails and get rid of old bad habits. If you are counted in the 12% that manage to keep your New Year s resolutions... I salute you! ADVERTISE IN The Valley Spotlight call Here are some common sense resolutions that I and others should consider... take that the cook made. the merge sign. If you travel Expy. 83 at the 281 interchange, 45pm, you know who you are! having an outdoor party. OK, I admit it. These are just some of my personal pet peeves! So... I resolve to be more tolerant of people who do not use common sense. (at least until January 17th)

6 Spotlight on Boys and Girls Clubs of the RGV The Art of Giving Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV has begun ticket sales to their annual Steak in Your Community event to be held located at 702 Cullen St (Rogers & Expway 281). The Steak in Your Community fundraiser is the Club s live music from the RiverRock Band, good food by Palacios Endowment and great company. This year s honoree is Art Ortega, CEO at Texas National Bank. Art was born and raised in Mercedes, Texas by Jose P. and Genoveva Ortega. Art s parents came to the U.S. from Mexico in search of a better life for themselves and their children. They settled in the rural farming community south of La Villa where Art was instilled with a strong work ethic, family values and morals. In addition, his parents had a strong sense of faith and belief in the education system. It is through that teaching that Art felt a strong need to help the Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV in their annual fundraising efforts. Club members are happy to announce the 2016 nance was when he began work at Texas State (now known as University of Texas Rio Grande sulting. After 17 years of working with Fortune 500 companies such as Merrill Lynch, Chase Investment and UBS Financial, Art decided to join forces with his brother Saul Ortega on a fulltime basis and grow several ventures they had invested in throughout the years. Two of the businesses had a special meaning to the duo as one farm, Platon Farms, was named after their father s middle name and the other ranch, Tres de Enero Ranch, after their mother s birthday. Art was brought back into the banking industry by Texas National Bank where he is the out Hidalgo County. At Texas National Bank, Mr. Ortega has fostered community engagement amongst its employees. The service mindset is something he has held since his childhood and he believes that the future belongs to the children residing in our communities. Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV provide a huge service to our younger generation. While I grew up in an atmosphere where I was fortunate to have one of my parents at home to watch over and guide our development, the same is not true of many of todays youth said Art Ortega. He further explained that single family homes and homes in which both parents work make teaching family values and morals near to impossible. He gap in a very positive and safe environment. yond measure. In seeking this year s honoree it was important that the children of the club be the main focus of all fundraising efforts. In that sense, there could be no individual more committed to positively impacting the club other than Art Ortega. In this sense, the Art of giving is about more than writing a check or having checks written. It is maintaining a true passion for providing the next generation with the most and best resources available to help them be tomorrow s CEO. Proceeds from the event will help support youth development programs of the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Youth of the Year scholarship program. The 2015 Youth of the Year will be announced at the event. Tickets are $100 per person with a limited number of tables available for $1,000 (seats 10). The Board of Directors would like to extend an invitation to anyone who would like to celebrate with us. by calling or logging on to EASY MEDIUM HARD Numbers cannot repeat down a column Numbers cannot repeat across a row

7 on All 2015 Models The Rio Grande Valley s #1 NEW Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep dealer is here to assist you with all of your automotive needs

8 RGV Jeep Enthusiasts Giving Back To The Community by Alyssa Cavazos bers s Jeep Night. In the spirit of the holidays December s Foundations. Many thanks once again to RGV Pro Lighting for hosting such a special event. It was a great turnout as Jeepers gathered to spread some Christmas cheer. The atmosphere was vibrant and the night a live band. Burns Motors also sponsored dinner for the night. David Nunez once again cooked up some delicious burgers and hot dogs for our guests. Things were changed up a bit in December as the Jeep Night s monthly award was to be given to the Club as a whole. Everyone was encouraged to bring a toy to donate to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Clubs present included the Texas Jeep Crawlers, Texas Off Road Republic, South Texas Rebels, and the Calaveras. All groups went above and beyond but a winner still had to be chosen. Texas Off Road Republic took the award home this month for the most toys donated as a group. Jeep Night is extraordinarily grateful to all Clubs and participants for their generosity during this holiday season. It is much appreciated beyond expression by many. We ended the night with an abundance of toys and gifts. This month, Burns Motors will be sponsoring the 2016 McAllen International our Jeep Night Facebook page, as well as the Burns Motors Facebook page, for any updates on this event.

9 For Kids Only No matter how old you are! Have Fun and Learn while you solve these puzzles and practice your coloring skills items found in the party picture above. BANNER BOYS CAMERA GIRLS HATS MUSIC NOISEMAKER PARTY STARS STREAMERS

10 I RESCUED A HUMAN TODAY by Janine Allen, who works for Rescue Me Dog, an organization committed to promoting shelter adoption and providing education and training resources to adoptive pet owners FUNNEL CAKES RASPAS ICE CREAM FRIED SNACKS MUNCHIES DRINKS Your Pet s Comfort is Our Priority! Paws and Claws Pet Resort call to arrange a FREE TOUR of Our Facilities HOURS: Mon. Thur. 3 9 pm Fri. & Sat pm Sunday 2 8 pm ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF WILLIE S BBQ on ALAMO RD. 990 S. Tower Road... Edinburg, TX (956) Mon Fri, 9 am 6 pm Sat, 9 pm 12 Noon... Sun, 3 pm 6 pm pawsandclawsedinburg@gmail.com It is not what I like, it is what Sully the border collie likes. He gets the best of care... Our dogs always love staying at Paws and Claws... we appreciate all you do to make them feel so comfortable! Lower Rio Grande Valley Birding & Outdoor Store I rescued a human today. Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn t want her to know that I hadn t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn t want her to think poorly of them. As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone s life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one. I rescued a human today. Coats & Tails Professional Dog Grooming at Competitive Prices 1615 N. 11½ St. in McAllen (Off Pecan, West of 10th St.) Linda Utberg Flea & Tick Dip j Dog Sitting We re open when it suits you Call ahead and set up your time to browse We accept credit cards FREE Flea & Tick Dip JacLin s Florist and Art Gallery is on the McAllen Artwalk trail every of the month through May.

11 Love of Christ ELCA Lutheran Church Winter Schedule: Worship Services 8AM & 11AM Western Way Worship Service Sunday, February 7th 11 AM Corner of Border & Third Streetet in the facilities of Faith Lutheran Church Weslaco, TX The Winter Texan Connection Your Internet Source for Everything Winter Texan Our Mission: 1: To promote the Rio Grande Valley as the number one destination for winter visitors who have reached the age of retirement. 2: To provide visitors to the Rio Grande Valley an online resource to assist them in planning their daily and weekly activities. It is very easy to locate what you are looking for in this website. For instance, as you look at the Navigation Menu Bar pictured above you will see a button labeled Winter Texan Communities. Hovering your mouse pointer over this button reveals links to a pages where resort parks in the RGV listed by city, complete with contact information and maps. 4 Sale or Rent... Find Mo bile Homes, Park Models and Recreational Vehicles for sale or rent by owner in the Rio Grande Valley. Get your property listed here where hundreds of prospective buyers or renters can see it daily. Under Public Activities & Entertainer s Schedules you es, Music Jams & Karoke, Craft Shows, Parkwide Sales, Entertainment Shows, Information on over 100 of the entertainers and dance bands who perform in the Valley s resorts including links to their websites and schedules. All of this information is posted in an easy to read format. RGV Features will show you all of the many attractions that bring visitors to the RGV and provide us the opportunity to live an active and fun lifestyle while we are here. Hover over Announcements and More to reveal opportunities to post announcements on the WTC Bullein board. You can also post your opinions and comments on a variety of topics related to the lifestye of Winter Texans. The More refers to pages where you can play a variety of online games, see the works of Winter Texan artists, and even show off your pets. No doubt many Valley residents already have heard of the top Valley birding hot spots, twenty to thirty of them. At the head of the list is Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, with 2,088 acres, just south of Alamo, along several miles of the winding Rio Grande encircling Wildlife Refuge in the Valley, having been pur Santa Ana N.W.R. offers 12 miles of hiking trails, three Resaca (oxbow lake) clusters, a great visitors center, picnic tables, bird feeders and ponds. It has a photo blind, a forty and a suspended rope walk twenty feet off the ground. Its habitat is comprised of thorn brush, mowed meadows, wetlands, and riparian (river) forest with its hanging clusters of Spanish moss that looks like an old man s grey beard. We have experienced many years of drought during the last two decades. During this time at Santa Ana the dryland thornbrush does well while the rich riparian forest recedes. Then during years of good rainfall the riparian forest expands again. Since the Rio Grande now Then during summer they dry out again, and some of the special animals that live in them, burrow into the muddy earth as they dry out and hibernate until there is again standing water in the Resacas. These Resacas also help sustain the valuable Riparian forest. Wintering birds love Santa Ana N.W.R. They the water and stalking through the shallows. Ducks and shorebirds are common here during our cool season. The trees attract song birds, through the dappled light and shade. Raptors sail overhead or roost atop vantage points. Volunteers lead nature walks and stake out spots at Willow Lake to help visitors locate, Bob cats, armadillos, and javelina are common, even cougar are spotted on rare occassions. Spring and Summer are also rich birding times here. If one adds the number of 550 national wildlife refuges in the United States, it turns out that Santa Ana has the highest species count of any of them, making Santa Ana the Jewel in the Crown of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The best part is we here in the Valley can visit Santa Ana N.W.R. any day of the week between dawn and dusk, and it is close by. We are so fortunate compared to the thousands Canada, and from overseas countries, to experience this amazing refuge. Plan to spend some time in the very interesting visitor center, ask to see a video about the refuge in the theatre, and take a tram tour around the refuge to hear about some of its natural history from interpreters. Our children should all become familiar with Santa Ana, because it and our other great refuges and parks here represent the rich natural heritage of our Valley.

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