Del Rio Grande 0317

MARCH 2017

Ready To Rally Del Rio Gypsies plan annual St. Patrick’s Day event

SHEPHERD’S PIE A simple and hearty Irish meal

BUILDING BONDS Riding in style with Danny Cardenas

BORDER BASS BATTLE Big bucks for big fish on Lake Amistad

MARCH 2017 $3.99

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Join TODAY! Del Rio Chamber of Commerce & Military Affairs Association

Working for the Betterment of our Community for more information call 830-775-3551 or Email frontdesk@drchamber.com 2

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CONTENTS 6 READY TO RALLY St. Patrick’s Day event on tap

12 CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL Step out in style with Israel Carrera

14 BUILDING BONDS

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SPRING FASHION Royal Blush Baby - Newborn Baby Boutique

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BRISCOE-GARNER MUSEUM Explore the lives of two Texas political legends

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Danny Cardenas crafts a stunning street monster

DOÑA PAULA LOSOYA

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Del Rio’s founding mother casts long shadow

SHEPHERD’S PIE An Irish treat from the kitchen of Gail Schroeter

20 SPRING LOOKS

38 BORDER BASS BATTLE

43 SEND US YOUR SNAPS Calling all photographers

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POTATO STAMPS Spruce up your spring with spuds

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20 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT Oscar Cardenas

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SAY WHAT Readers share their plans for spring break

New tournament set for Amistad

Fresh looks for kids

ON THE COVER: Gavin Von Lopez is sporting his spring look from our local Bealls Department Store located in Plaza Del Sol Mall. He’s wearing a three piece Nautica outfit with Sperry dress shoes.

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GENERAL MANAGER/ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sandra Castillo INTERIM EDITOR Karen Gleason WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Karen Gleason Brian Argabright Bonita Santillan Roland Cardenas SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS: April Little, Larry Pope ADVERTISING Ashley Lopez Selene Rodriguez EDITORIAL karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 300 ADVERTISING sandra.castillo@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 245 STORY IDEAS karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com

2205 North Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 delrionewsherald.com

Del Rio Grande is published by the Del Rio News-Herald.

No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine.

Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.

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Connect with us at AshleyHomestore.com

DEL RIO, TX VETERAN’S BLVD AT TENTH ST 830.775.1508

Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm EAGLE PASS, TX Saturday: 10am-6pm VETERAN’S BLVD AT ZACATECAS DR Sunday: CLOSED 830.757.8800

FROM THE EDITOR

REV IT UP, DEL RIO!

I

didn’t really know what to expect the first time I met the members of the Del Rio chapter of the Gypsy Motorcycle Club face-to-face.

I’d been sent to the Elks Lodge along San Felipe Creek to cover one of the club’s Toys For Tots fundraisers and – like most of the uninitiated – when someone said “motorcycle club,” my mind went straight to brawny, harddrinking men who would happily bash in each other’s heads at the drop of a hat. My mental image, it turned out, was a complete fiction.

The Gypsies, led by the quietly humorous Carlton Green, are for the most part, men and women of certain age who love the freedom of riding their motorcycles and the feelings of friendship and family they have found with each other.

Another surprise was the number of women involved in the club.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Gypsies and the culture they espouse, I’d urge you to attend the group’s St. Patrick’s Day Rally at the Elks Grounds. The entry fee also goes to a good cause: the Gypsies’ annual Toys for Tots toy drive.

Also in this month’s issue, we feature another cycle enthusiast: Danny Cardenas and his stunning, hand built road machine.

March’s day trip took us to the city of Uvalde and the Briscoe-Garner Museum, housed in the John Nance Garner House and containing artifacts and information about the lives of John Nance Garner and Dolph Briscoe, two giants of the Texas political landscape.

Closer to home, we look into the life and times of one of Del Rio’s founding mothers, Doña Paula Losoya Taylor Rivers. Volumes could be written about the life and work of this iron-willed woman, but let this serve as an introduction to one of the people most instrumental in the city’s founding.

Brian Argabright gives us a peek into the kitchen of Assistant District Attorney Gail Schroeter, and Bonita Santillan shows us an easy spring creative project.

Hope you all enjoy!

Karen Gleason Grande Interim Editor

In our February issue, we incorrectly identified one of Romelia and Jose Rodriguez’s daughters as Norma Leticia Nanez. Her name is Norma Leticia Hernandez. The black-and-white wedding photo on Page 15, identified as that of Ninfa and Juan Sanchez is actually a photo of Romelia and Jose Rodriguez. The Grande staff apologizes to the Rodriguezes and the Sanchezes and regrets any embarrassment or inconvenience our errors caused.

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FEATURE

Ready to rally!

Story and photos by KAREN GLEASON

F

amily, freedom and friends.

That’s the credo of the members of the Gypsy Motorcycle Club Del Rio Chapter, which this month will host its 42nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Rally.

Carlton “No Show” Green, a tall, soft-spoken former Air Force member, leads the Del Rio chapter of which he has been a member for nearly 40 years.

“I’ve always had a motorcycle. Rode by myself a lot, and first time I went on a Gypsy rally, I saw how family-oriented they were. They were just a fun bunch of people. But I thought it might have been a fluke, so I stayed away, but they came looking for me. They wanted to include me in what they did,” Green said.

Green’s time is currently his own, but before he retired, he spent 20 years in the Air Force. When Laughlin Air Force Base converted to civil service maintenance, he applied for the same maintenance management position he’d held while in the Air Force.

Green went back to work at Laughlin and retired for the second time after 22 years with civil service.

The Charleston, S.C., native originally came to Del Rio after he was reassigned to Laughlin following tours of duty in Southeast Asia. Retiring from the Air Force at Chanute AFB in Illinois, he returned to Laughlin as a civilian.

Like many other transplants, he fell in love with the area and

Members of the Del Rio chapter of the Gypsies Motorcycle Club proudly displayed their club patch, a sour pickle riding hell-for-leather on a red motorcycle, on the backs of the club vests.

Is he running for the border? He just might be.

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One of the newest members of the Del Rio chapter of the Gypsies is D.J. Ealy, shown here on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle outside the Elks Lodge. Ealy “patched in” in December 2016, but has ridden motorcycles for years.

A member of the Del Rio chapter of the Gypsies Motorcycle Club crosses his club patch with a black ribbon inscribed with the “road name” of a former club member who has died. The Del Rio Gypsies honor other members who have passed with patches sewn onto their club vests and with scholarship fund efforts.

Del Rio Gypsies President Carlton Green displays the rockers with his “road name,” No Show, and his status as a life member of the club on the back of his mustard-yellow club vest.

Longtime Del Rio Gypsies include, from left, Scott Bullington, Darrell Jameson and Carlton Green. The three are pictured here outside the Elks Lodge, where they met for a session to plan this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Rally, which will be held on the Elks Lodge grounds.

Family, freedom and friends.

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“

I love the club’s family atmosphere.

Everyone treats you like a brother or a sister. We look out for each other.

“

decided to stay.

The spirit of egalitarian camaraderie that drew Green to the Gypsy Motorcycle Club was mentioned by several other Gypsy members when asked why they first joined the motorcycle club.

Darrell Jameson has been a Gypsy for 26 years.

“Back in the day, there were a bunch of military people at Laughlin that had gotten together to ride and have a good time, and I had seen the Gypsies riding around for about 10 years before I decided to join. They seemed like a really good group of people, who liked to ride across the country, go to rallies and be a family.

It was just a really good group of people; still is,” Jameson said.

Like the club’s president, Jameson landed in Del Rio when he was in the Air Force and assigned to Laughlin AFB in 1980.

“I’ve been riding since I was five years old, and it’s always been a source of enjoyment for me. I’ve had dirt bikes, mini-bikes, Enduros, been on the street, rode across the country.

It’s just nice to have the wind in your face, be out in the weather, look at the country,” Jameson said.

Bonnie and Scott Bullington have joined the Gypsies twice.

The Bullingtons first joined the Gypsies in 1989, then left the club for a time and rejoined in October 2013.

“I met (Scott), and I enjoyed riding behind him, and we joined for the fun and friendship we found here.

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Carlton “No Show” Green is the current president of the Gypsy Motorcycle Club Del Rio Chapter.

Green, who came to the Del Rio by way of the United States Air Force, has been a Gypsy member since 1977.

Diana and Darrell Jameson are both members of the Gypsy Motorcycle Club Del Rio Chapter.

I love the club’s family atmosphere.

Everyone treats you like a brother or a sister. We look out for each other. If I go to a run by myself, I know I’ve got all my brothers there looking out for me,” Bonnie said.

D.J. Ealy, an aircraft sheet metal mechanic at Laughlin Air Force Base, is one of the club’s newest members, having “patched in” in December 2016.

Asked why he decided to join the Gypsies, Ealy said, “Family.

Brotherhood. I liked the fact that I’m married, and I’ve got two little girls, and we’re all Gypsies. My wife Anahi is a full-patch Gypsy as well. That’s what really drew me to the Gypsies, is it being so family-oriented.”

“I also like that they work in the community, the Toys for Tots and scholarships. That moved me,” Ealy added.

The Delaware native who said he began his aviation career in Michigan said he has loved motorcycles for most of his life.

“My dad used to ride me around Del Rio when I was seven years old.

I love the freedom,” he said.

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Rally begins on March 17 and continues through March 19.

All events will be held on the grounds of the Elks Lodge 837 off U.S. Highway 90 on the city’s east side.

A warm-up party with canned music is set for Friday, with a fun run, field events, 50/30/20 awards and live music scheduled for Saturday, and CMA services on Sunday.

There is some limited space for recreational vehicles and free camping – as space is available – on the grounds outside the Lodge.

Pre-registration tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for youth ages 8 to 16.

Tickets at the gate are $20 for adults and $10 for youth.

To obtain tickets and more information, contact Green at 830734-3184 or noshow@wcsonline.net or club member Diana Jameson at 830-734-9066 or dmjameson1956@ yahoo.com. •

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2223 Veterans Blvd., Del Rio, TX 78840

P: 830-775-2431 • F: 830-775-7418

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ISRAEL CARRERA

“There’s a place in Mexico where I buy my ties; you can just tell they’re different. They’re thicker than the ones that I’ve bought in this area. The ones that are really bright colors, I bought in the New Mexico area. They have the really flashy colors.”

“I wore these suits a lot when I first started at college when I got my first job as a teacher and a coach. I wore them out because I was just starting out, and as I got into administration, you can just see the difference — made well and tailored. But I kept my older ones because that’s where I started my collection. I like stuff that is flashy, so I like my white suit, my gold one and my black ones that have different patterns — squares, lines, pinstripes. They’re not common colors that you see people wear.”

“I mainly collect Fossil watches. I wear a different one every day.”

CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL

“This is the only pin I really wear. It has a lot of meaning because it was my first, and every time I wear a tie, I wear it. I can’t recall where I got it from either. It has a “C” on it, so whoever gave it to me, I’m assuming they either meant it for my last name, Carrera, or for Christ.”

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“These are my Stacy Adams shoes. I really like that they’re comfortable but still professional. They are my favorite type of shoe.”

“My son is usually the one who gives me my colognes.

Joop! used to be my favorite, but my wife doesn’t care for it too much. I wore it when I was young and single, even when I was first teaching. The other three I use every other day — I trade them off.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Israel Carrera, an administrator for the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District, has collected more than 50 fashion suits over the past 20 years. He is drawn to professional, classy styles patterned with unique details that will stand out in a crowd. But aside from his fascination for formal wear, his passion for devotional and daily Bible reading is what encompasses his daily lifestyle. Waking up early every day to work out and engage in Bible reading and study readies him for the day ahead.

Style icons: “I would say T. D. Jakes, Steve Harvey … those are the ones I first saw with these types of suits. I thought, man, those guys dress sharp. It’s different, it seems more classy, professional, in my opinion. Everywhere I’ve gone people say, that’s not from here; it stands out.

Being an administrator, that’s where I first started wearing these. Kids knew who I was … It seemed like kids have a lot of respect for you, too, in my profession. A lot of these kids are looking for somebody to look up to. So, any little bit helps to just get the conversation going.”

Favorite designers: “I would say Steve Harvey.

He has his own brand. As far as formal dress, this is what I usually wear, I don’t even think I own a regular suit that just comes regular. I’ve always worn these. I really like how they feel, how they fit. I get them custom fit so that really helps …

I’m not your normal sized guy either. They’re not like some of the other suits I’ve had where they just feel tight. They used to call them zoot suits, but now, if you ask for them, they’re known as fashion suits. If you ask anybody from the 60s or 70s, they’re gonna say, those are zoot suits. But Steve Harvey calls them fashion suits.”

Celebrity wardrobes you’d like to raid: “I would like to see T. D. Jakes’. From his suits to the shoes that he wears are amazing. And Steve Harvey’s also. To me those are the most classy dress shoes I’ve ever seen. I really like the way they look — most people know them as the Stacy Adams. I have brown ones and I have black ones.

There’s another pair that I wear — Cole Haans — I really like those, too. Those are the two shoe brands I wear.”

“I’ve learned that if you really like something that’s gonna last you, you’re gonna pay a good price for it.”

Best place to snap up a fashion bargain: “I’ve learned that if you really like something that’s gonna last you, you’re gonna pay a good price for it. I really just look at the style that I like. The only store I’ve gone to to actually try to buy my style suits is in Dallas. I don’t recall the name of it, but I know how to get there.”

Fashion crime: “I don’t like to see these types of suits … tight — tight slacks — I don’t care for that. I think that when you’re dressed up, those aren’t as professional, in my opinion. But I know a lot of people who like those … to each his own.”

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BEHIND THE WHEEL

BUILDING BONDS Story by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT - Photos by ROLAND CARDENAS

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W

hat began with a simple question has turned into a beautiful work of art that helped bring a man and his father-in-law closer together.

Del Rioan Danny Cardenas has been a fan of classic cars and trucks since he was young. It was something instilled in him by his late father and a passion he carries today.

“I’ve had old cars since I could first drive. My first was a 1951 Chevy pickup I got when I was 15,” Cardenas, now 37, said.

Cardenas grew up and got married and began to spend more time around his father-in-law Oscar Torres’ shop, T&T Cycles. One day, Torres asked Cardenas if he ever thought of building his own motorcycle. Cardenas, who admitted that he had ridden bikes in the past and enjoyed doing so, suggested it could be something he’d enjoy doing.

“He asked me what I was looking for, what kind of bike I would want, and I really didn’t know because I didn’t take it seriously. Two days later, he called me up and told me to

come by the shop, and he had a frame picked out and asked me if I was ready to go through with it. I checked with my wife to make sure we were on board, financially, and she gave me her blessing,” Cardenas said.

Building his first bike wasn’t an overnight challenge. Instead, it took Cardenas and Torres about a year and a half before the idea became a complete reality.

“We had the frame. Then we found the motor a few months later, and then we found the transmission.

It kind of happened organically. It was a slow process, from beginning to end, but we wanted to make sure everything was what we wanted,” Cardenas said. “It could have been

done faster, but there were financial constraints, and I didn’t have the time as I could only work it on certain days or at certain times.”

The majority of the bike is constructed from Ultima products.

The blue and white dream machine was completed in 2006 and features a 113 cubic inch motor and sixspeed transmission. The paint job was done by the Losoya brothers from Artesia, N.M. “Everything else, from the wiring to the assembly, was done inhouse at T&T Cycles. Myself and my father-in-law did most of the work, but we had some help from a mechanic. It was mainly my fatherin-law because he’s the one with the knowledge,” Cardenas said.

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Cardenas also said the white and blue paint job really catches people’s attention whenever they see his bike.

“People love it. There are a lot of bikes around here that are black or blue, but I always wanted a white one. I guess because it’s not the norm and you don’t see them very often,” Cardenas said. “Even my father-in-law asked me if I wanted to go with a white bike, and I said I wanted to go with a light color and if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. I felt it would stand out more than normally would and people have really taken notice. It’s different without being too kind of crazy.”

The most unique feature of the bike isn’t in any particular pieces, but a heartfelt addition that harkens back to Cardenas’ roots.

“My dad was a music teacher here in town, so I always had an idea of a tattoo to honor his memory – a guitar with wings. So right before I got married,

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my wife surprised me by paying for me to get the tattoo. So when we were building the bike, my father-in-law had the artist who painted the bike draw that tattoo on top of the tank to honor my father,” Cardenas said.

Cardenas said he rides the bike when he can, especially on weekends and with friends. However, he added that he would love to build another bike sometime in the future. By then,

he said, he hopes to have move time to ride.

“I’m happy with what I have. This definitely was an experience to create a new bike, and it gave me a chance to bond with my father-in-law,” Cardenas said. “Right now I have a ’53 Chevy car and a ’53 Chevy truck I’m working on, so once I’m done with those, and maybe when my sons are a little older, I’ll look at building another.” •

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It’s hearty.

It’s tasty.

And it’s a traditional Irish dish that will fill your stomach with plenty of soul.

Shepherd’s Pie I

t’s shepherd’s pie, and it’s a favorite of Del Rioan Gail Schroeter.

Schroeter, an assistant district attorney, had her own law practice for seven years before accepting a position with new District Attorney Michael Bagley. She came to Del Rio from Lubbock but was born in Florida.

“I got to Texas as quick as I could,” Schroeter said.

Though shepherd’s pie was a family recipe for Schroeter growing up, she discovered the traditional way of making the dish during a trip to Ireland in 2013.

“This is a more traditional shepherd’s pie. The one I usually make for my family is very different and uses only four ingredients – beef, mashed potatoes, corn and cheese. That’s it,” Schroeter said.

“We usually have a party for St. Patrick’s Day and serve this or other traditional Irish dishes such as corned beef and cabbage or Guinness beef stew.

The shepherd’s pie … I’ll probably make it a couple times a year.”

Schroeter’s recipe makes about four to six servings.

You’ll need the following ingredients: • 3 medium russet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds worth), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces • ½ cup of milk • 5 tablespoons butter, divided • 1 teaspoon of salt, divided • ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided • 2 medium onions, chopped • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped (Schroeter says, “The thicker the cut of carrot, the longer it’ll take to cook.”)

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme • 1 ½ pounds of ground lamb (Beef can be substituted. For this article, Schroeter used a mixture of beef and bacon-wrapped lamb) • 3 tablespoons of tomato paste • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 ½ cups reduced-sodium beef broth (Schroeter uses a gelled bouillon that turns to broth when added to water) • ½ cup of frozen peas

Cooking Time: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 1 1/2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

First you’re going to need to make your mashed potatoes. This will serve as the top layer of the pie.

“You want to make sure you get all your ingredients out at one time so you can see what you’re working with,” Schroeter said.

“If you have everything out, you’ll avoid scrambling for one item while another item is on the stove.”

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The sautéed onions, carrots and thyme are nearly ready to be combined with the beef and lamb mixture.

Pour the filling into a prepared baking bowl.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan; add cold water to cover them by about two inches. Bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat and cook until tender. It usually takes about 16 to 18 minutes. You’ll then drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan.

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it’s hot. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Stir it all until the butter is melted. Pour the milk into the saucepan with potatoes and get to mashing until everything is smooth. Set it aside.

Now it’s time to sauté your vegetables.

Melt the remaining tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your onions, carrots and thyme and cook it all about 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Don’t let them get brown. You’ll want to occasionally stir them to make sure they’re evenly cooked.

Once the vegetables are cooked, it’s time to add the meat. Schroeter prefers to season her meat with simple salt and pepper as all the unique ingredients will add their own flavors to the dish. Once you combine the meat and vegetables, cook until the meat is no longer pink. It usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes. Be sure to drain the excess fat once it’s cooked and then add the tomato paste, broth and Worcestershire sauce.

You’ll cook that, stirring occasionally, for about 7 to 8 minutes or until the liquid is almost evaporated. At that point, it’s time add any remaining salt and pepper and the

peas. Cook that for about 1 to 2 minutes and now you’re ready to pour and build.

Get your prepared baking dish and pour in the meat and vegetable mix. Make sure to even it out in there. Once that’s done, scoop out the mashed potatoes and pile them on top. Use a spatula or fork to spread the spuds across the top of the meat and veggies mix as evenly as possible. You can even add a swirl or crosshatch design to the potatoes for a little extra flair. If there’s any excess fat left, be sure to drain it as well.

Carefully place the baking dish inside the oven and bake for 35 minutes. This allows the filling to finish cooking and browns the potatoes. Once you’re done and you’ve removed the dish from the oven, let it set for a couple of minutes before serving. “This allows it to thicken up and helps it cool down. Remember, everything was boiling in there so it’s going to be fiery hot if you dig into it right away,” Schroeter said. •

Use a fork to create lines in the mashed potatoes. It helps the potatoes to cook evenly and create a sort of spud crust.

Note the mashed potato crust and the filling ingredients. The peas, carrots, onions and meat will be hot, so remember to let the dish cool before serving it.

Take your prepared mashed potatoes and create an even top layer, making it as even as possible.

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Spring Into These

NEW LOOKS

GAVIN LOPEZ Nautica 3 piece outfit Coral pant and plaid shirt with bow tie $54.00 - Bealls Sperry shoes $34.98 - Bealls

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ISABELLA ARMIJO Dress $64.00 - Bealls

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AUBANY DE LA O By&By -Blush pink party dress with attached gold necklace $58.00 - JCPenney ISABELLA ARMIJO Dress $64.00 - Bealls Steve Madden Jswansee shoes $50 - Bealls LILLY DE LA O Knit works- White lace dress with attached turquoise belt and necklace $

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TOMAS PEREZ Polo Plaid shirt $45 - Bealls and-polo stone colored pants $40 but on sale for $19.99 - Bealls Black and white converse $45 Dockers belt 2 for 1 $18.00 - Bealls

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NAVY MINNIE SET $45.00

FLORAL TUNIC $25.00

Spring Fashion

ROYAL PURPLE ROMPER $28.00

Available at

DRESS WITH GOLD BLOOMIES $40.00

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ANCHOR SET $35.00

707 Avenue G • (727)-276-8149

BOY TEES (TEEPEE AND BATMAN) $12.50 Each

SPRING FLORAL ROMPER $23.50

BLUE ROMPER $15.00

MERMAID SET $23.50

BLOOMERS $8.00 HELLO LOVE SET $21.50

HEAD WRAPS $5.00 Each

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day trip

BRISCOE-GARNER MUSEUM

T

exas has – and has had – its share of bigger-than-life politicians: the Bushes, No. 41 and No. 43, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan, Sam Rayburn and Stephen F. Austin are some of the names that spring immediately to mind.

Whether party bosses, presidents or provocateurs, that slate must surely include the names of John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner and Dolph Briscoe Jr. Garner served as vice president during the first two terms of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, from 1933 to 1941, and as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1931 to 1933 in the presidency of Herbert Hoover.

Briscoe was governor of Texas from 1973 to 1979.

The lives and legacies of these political potentates can be viewed at the Briscoe-Garner Museum, 333 N. Park St., in Uvalde.

Uvalde lies 70 miles east of Del Rio, about an hour’s drive on U.S. Highway 90.

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.

There is no entry fee, but guests may leave a donation to assist in the facility’s upkeep. Tour groups of 10 persons or more are asked to phone the museum staff in advance at 830-278-5018.

The museum is in the John Nance Garner House, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The house sits back from the street on an oak-shaded lot, a two-story tan brick edifice that evokes a grander, more gracious time.

The rooms of the house’s first floor are dedicated to the display of art and artifacts from Garner’s lengthy and storied political career, and the expansive second floor recalls Briscoe’s life and times.

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Story by KAREN GLEASON - Photos by KAREN GLEASON & LARRY POPE

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The Briscoe-Garner Museum is located in the John Nance Garner House, 333 N. Park St., in Uvalde. Garner and his wife Mariette – “Ettie” – built the stately, two-story tan brick edifice in 1920 and 1921. Garner donated the house to the city of Uvalde in 1952, though he continued to live in a cottage on the grounds until his death in 1967. The John Nance Garner Home was designated a national historic landmark in 1977. In 1999, the city of Uvalde gave the house and grounds to The University of Texas at Austin, and it became a division of the Briscoe Center for American History. It was renamed the Briscoe-Garner Museum in 2011.

A bronze bust of John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner stands on a plinth on the first floor of the BriscoeGarner Museum in Uvalde. Garner served as an elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1903 to 1933, where he was Speaker of the House from 1931 to 1933. Garner served as vice president to Presdent Franklin D. Roosevelt during Roosevelt’s first two terms in office.

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Dolph Briscoe and his wife Janey in his Uvalde office in the 1970s. A display in the Briscoe-Garner Museum notes, “As governor, Briscoe frequently conducted official business from his office in the First State Bank in Uvalde. ‘Austin is a poor place to learn what the voters want from their government,’ Briscoe said.”

John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner was known as a Texas politician for many reasons, but perhaps most memorable was his signature white Stetson, a topper that became the subject of innumerable caricatures.

As you enter the house, you will likely be greeted in Texas friendly fashion by Kaity Kelsey, the museum’s site manager. Kelsey is happy to answer visitors’ questions about the museum and the lives of the two Texas politicians it commemorates.

A placard on the museum’s first floor offers an excellent overview of Garner’s life and work, calling him “the most powerful vice president in U.S. history and the second 30

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A display of gavels in the John Nance Garner section of the BriscoeGarner Museum are some of those given to Garner by friends and colleagues in the U.S. Senate and elsewhere.

most powerful politician in the U.S. during the Great Depression of the 1930s . . .”

Garner was born in northeastern Texas in 1868, but called Uvalde home. Garner was an attorney who began his political career by running for, and winning, election to the office of county judge in Uvalde County.

In an interesting side note, a rancher’s daughter named Mariette “Ettie” Rheiner opposed Garner’s run for the judgeship.

Garner sought her out after hearing of her opposition, and John and Ettie wed two years later. She became his enduring helpmate as he journeyed first to the Texas House of Representatives, then to the U.S. House and to the White House.

“After 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives (two years as its Speaker), Garner served as vice president during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first two

Garner refuses a third term as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vice president in this newspaper cartoon from the 1930s.

An oil portrait of “Cactus Jack” Garner, painted by artist Eben F. Comins, while Garner was serving as vice president, hangs on the ground floor of the Briscoe-Garner Museum.

A smiling “Cactus Jack” is seen leaving behind the “political name calling” of Washington, D.C., for his “home on the range” in Uvalde, Texas, “where never is heard a discouraging word,” in this period newspaper cartoon.

administrations. As vice president, Garner played a critical role in the passage of much of the federal legislation aimed at alleviating or ending the most severe economic crisis in U.S. history. Garner’s influence and power were rooted in his keen knowledge of government and his close friendships with key individuals like Congressman Sam Rayburn; Houstonian Jesse H. Jones, head of the powerful

Reconstruction Finance Corporation; and newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst,” the museum placard reads.

Garner’s relationship with Roosevelt soured over differences in policy, and Garner left Washington in 1941 and returned to Uvalde, where he and his wife built the house that now contains the museum.

Information on the museum’s web site

Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of then-U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy, signed a thank you note after Garner sent her a five-pound bucket of Uvalde honey.

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Campaign paraphernalia, from lunchboxes to boxers, bumper stickers to buttons, can be seen in a display case on the second floor of the Briscoe-Garner Museum.

The Briscoe brand in the foreground with a pair of leather chaps in the background.

indicates, “Garner served as a political inspiration and mentor to Dolph Briscoe (1923-2010), who was a member of the state legislature from 1949 until 1957.

Briscoe was elected governor in 1972 and served through the oil-boom years of the 1970s, during which he increased spending for highway improvements, signed into law the Texas Open Records Act and streamlined state agencies.”

Artifacts and photographs from Briscoe’s life fill the second floor of the Garner House, from Briscoe campaign memorabilia to a Briscoe Ranch branding iron.

Of particular interest to Del Rio visitors will be that section of the exhibits that deals with Briscoe’s efforts to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the eradication of the screwworm fly.

The screwworm eradication efforts in Del Rio were carried out from the city airport by the former Del Rio Flying Service, which maintained, at the height of its operations, the largest fleet of singleengine, piston-driven aircraft in the world, according to a former employee.

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Boxes containing sterile screwworm flies were dropped relentlessly over south and west Texas until the screwworm threat was pushed farther and farther south, into Mexico and Central America.

Another little-known fact: When Briscoe’s father died and he inherited the family’s 200,000-acre ranch, Briscoe became the largest individual landowner in Texas.

After wandering through both floors of the museum, have a plate of barbecue brisket and beans (or a plate from the incredible salad bar) at Oasis Outback, 2900 E. Main St./U.S. Highway 90, then walk off that lunch by visiting some of the antique shops surrounding Uvalde’s charming town square, which is anchored by the historic Uvalde Opera House.

•

Dolph Briscoe’s cowboy boots, stitched with his initials. Briscoe’s pedigree as a rancher went deep, and he once said, “I’m a product of the land, and nearly everything that I have done in my life has had some connection to the land.” In the early 1970s, Briscoe owned more land in Texas than any other individual.

After visiting the Briscoe-Garner Museum, make some time to wander Uvalde’s quaint town square, anchored by the Uvalde Grand Opera House and its signature dragon.

An elaborately embroidered Mexican sombrero was a gift to Garner from Mexico President Lazaro Cardenas in 1936.

Among the many shops and businesses lining the town square in Uvalde are a variety of antique shops, where visitors can spend hours browsing treasures of yesteryear.

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HISTORY

The front porch of the historic Taylor-Rivers House, 100 Hudson Drive, is shown in this view looking south along Hudson Drive. Cynthia and Hayden Glatte, who researched the house’s history in 1984, said, “The exact date of the building of the house is not known, but it probably was built about 1870-71, so that it would be in readiness when the Taylors moved permanently from Uvalde, as they did not sell all of their land or their dwellings in Uvalde until June 7, 1871.”

Losoya DOÑA PAULA

Story and photos by KAREN GLEASON

Doña Paula Losoya Taylor Rivers in a photograph on file at the Whitehead Memorial Museum. The photographer and the date the photograph were taken are unknown. Paula Losoya was likely born in northern Mexico around 1830 and died in Del Rio on July 17, 1902.

It is believed she was buried in a family plot behind her home, now known as the Taylor-Rivers House, 100 Hudson Drive, along with her second husband, James Taylor, two infants who did not survive and Felix, her son from her first marriage.

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F

ew photographs remain of Paula Losoya Taylor Rivers, who, along with her husband James Taylor, was one of the earliest permanent settlers in the area that would one day become Del Rio. One such photograph is a mottled sepia portrait carefully preserved between sheets of plastic in a file inside the Daughtrey Research Center at the Whitehead Memorial Museum.

The woman in the photo is no longer young: Her long hair, pulled back from her face and caught up in a bun on top of her head, is mostly white, and time and care have carved furrows from the sides of her nose to her jaw. She wears a high-necked black dress embellished with an elaborate, gauzy black bow, and her dark eyes, full of what must have been a most canny intelligence, stare off into the distance as if the future was already visible before her.

No one knows exactly where or when Paula Losoya was born. A number of references, including the late Diana Sotelo Zertuche’s “Spirit of Val Verde,” published in 1986, say she was born in Rio Grande City, on the Texas side of the Rio Grande.

But research done by Cynthia and Hayden Glatte in 1984 for a paper titled “Del Rio and the Early Settlers,” as well as stories that have come down to her descendants, say Paula Losoya was born in Mexico in 1830, in the town of Guerrero in northern Coahuila.

The Glattes’ research indicates Paula Losoya emigrated from Mexico to Texas in 1849 at the age of 19.

Pablo Padilla III is one of the Losoya family descendants still living in Del Rio.

Pablo Padilla III, an assistant chief of the Del Rio Fire Department, is one of the descendants of Doña Paula Losoya Taylor Rivers still living in Del Rio. Other Losoya descendants live in Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico, and elsewhere in Texas.

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This is a front view of the Taylor-Rivers House, 100 Hudson Drive. A small walkway from the house’s front porch crosses the irrigation canal known as the San Felipe Ditch, part of an extensive, still-used system of canals, locally called acequias, ordered built by the founders of Del Rio to carry the remarkable water of the San Felipe Springs to a variety of crops planted in an area of the city that is now south Del Rio.

Padilla, an assistant chief with the Del Rio Fire Department, is the youngest son of Pablo Griner Padilla and Dora Valdez Reyes.

Padilla’s father, Pablo Griner Padilla, was one of eight children born to Ofelia Griner, and Ofelia Griner was one of the three children of Soledad Losoya Thompson Griner and her second husband, Frederick Leonard Griner.

Soledad Losoya was the daughter of Eustaquia Losoya, the sister of Paula Losoya.

Padilla said his wife, Cecil Austin Padilla, has also researched Paula Losoya’s origins and said he has learned Paula was the daughter of Manuel Losoya, an early settler of what is today Bexar County. Land records show a tract of land bearing Manuel Losoya’s name near the Alamo mission about the time of the Texas Revolution in the mid-1830s.

Other tracts of land in the same area bear the names of other Losoya family members.

Padilla said his wife’s research indicates that the Losoyas were a family with Spanish roots who had long-standing land grants in what before the revolution was northern Mexico, but who fought on the side of the Texians in that storied conflict. Indeed, another Losoya, Toribio Losoya, was one of the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and is memorialized by a bronze statute along the San Antonio

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Riverwalk.

A handwritten family tree on file at the Whitehead Memorial Museum names Paula Losoya’s first husband as “Nino Refugio Perez,” and shows the couple had a son, Felis (later referred to as Felix) Perez, who was born in 1850.

The Glattes’ research showed that after her first husband died, Paula Losoya married James H. Taylor in Uvalde in 1855 or 1856.

Taylor was reportedly a Pennsylvania native who moved to Eagle Pass in 1850, then settled in Encino – what now Uvalde – in 1855.

The Glattes note Paula and James Taylor are listed in the 1870 San Felipe Del Rio census and built a home near the San Felipe Creek in 1870-71.

That small adobe structure, located at what is now 100 Hudson Drive, is “probably the oldest house in Del Rio that has not been

A detail of the front wall of the historic Taylor-Rivers House shows some of the original adobe bricks of which the small house was constructed in the late 1800s.

greatly changed,” according to the Glattes.

Taylor reportedly held a government contract to supply corn for nearby Fort Clark Springs and its military garrison.

Taylor also owned a gristmill on the creek and leased land to tenant farmers.

Paula Losoya Taylor likely worked alongside her husband, supporting his endeavors and keeping the small house in good order. Zertuche, in her account of Paula Losoya’s life in “The Spirit of Val Verde,” writes that Paula’s sisters Maria del Refugio and Eustaquia Losoya and

The grave site of Soledad Losoya Thompson Griner lies near the southwest fence line of the Cementerio De La Loma De La Cruz. Soledad Losoya was the daughter of Eustaquia Losoya, the sister of Paula Losoya Taylor Rivers. Soledad Losoya was the greatgrandmother of Pablo Padilla III, who still resides in Del Rio. The hill in the background is now called Round Mountain or Loma de la Cruz, but in Paula Losoya’s day was known as “Sugar Loaf Mountain.”

Paula’s brother, Antonio Losoya, moved to the Del Rio area and lived with her and James Taylor.

Taylor was one of five men to sign the “rules and regulations and by-laws” and the “articles of agreement” of the San Felipe Agricultural Company. Taylor also was a signer of the San Felipe Agricultural Manufacturing & Irrigation Co., organized to plan, construct and maintain the canal system that continues to irrigate south Del Rio to this day.

As the canals brought the fresh spring water of the San Felipe to the fields north of the Rio Grande, those fields flourished, bearing a variety of crops, and the small settlement of San Felipe Del Rio began to grow and flourish. Taylor also owned a store on Del Rio’s Main Street.

Sadly, James Taylor would not live long enough to see but the barest beginnings of this growth. In 1876, the year after the canal company formed, Taylor died and, according to the Glattes, “was buried in the back yard of (his and Paula’s) home on Hudson Drive,” along with Paula’s son from her first marriage, Felix, who had been killed in horseback riding accident in 1873, and two infants born to Paula and James.

Paula Losoya Taylor remarried in late 1876, to a Fort Clark Springs medic named Charles Rivers, but that marriage only lasted three years until Rivers was killed in a duel in 1879.

Paula did not remarry, but continued to operate the business enterprises she had inherited from James Taylor.

The Glattes note Paula “could neither read nor write,” though one is hard-pressed to imagine that she must not have had enough “book learning” to keep track of the many operations of her ever-growing enterprises.

The Glattes wrote, “There is a Mexican legend that says (Paula) was so rich that she kept her money in buckets, and it may well be true. James Taylor left her a very wealthy widow. . . Every deed said that she must be paid in gold dollars, so she may well have kept them in buckets.”

She donated land “for a Mexican free public school” as well as land “for the benefit of Mexicans for a Catholic church,” the Glattes wrote.

Finally, when Paula Losoya Taylor Rivers died in 1902, she was almost certainly buried near her husband and son in the family

The Texas Historical Commission marker outside the Taylor-Rivers House, 100 Hudson Drive, was placed in 1982. The house is considered the oldest house in Del Rio that has not undergone substantial changes.

The land on which the house is sited was sold to James Taylor, one of Del Rio’s founding fathers, in 1868. The house now belongs to Del Rio artist and architect Adrian Falcon, who bought the property in 2010.

burial plot near her home, though she also donated land for a cemetery. That cemetery, “El Cementerio de la Loma de la Cruz,” still exists, though no one has been buried there in decades.

Padilla, Paula’s great-grandmother’s sister, said he believes Paula Losoya would be proud if she could see the city Del Rio became and continues to become.

As for Paula in her own time, she was a force to be reckoned with.

The Glattes wrote: “Paula was a very generous and deeply loved woman. She became a legend in her own time, the benefactress of the Mexican people in San Felipe, and in love and respect, they called her ‘Doña Paula’.” •

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37

Border Bass Battle Story BRIAN ARGABRIGHT

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M

ore than 10 years ago, Amistad Lake and Del Rio became the center of the bass fishing universe.

In 2006, Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) introduced the Elite Series upon the world and revolutionized the sport with new ways to cover anglers and their targets, new ways to for anglers to expand their brand, and put Amistad on the map as a destination for serious bass fishermen from all over the world.

“This lake renews your passion for fishing. It makes you forget all the small fish, all the cold mornings and all the rainy days you’ve ever experienced,” said pro angler Randy Howell.

Now, 11 years, later the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce and its special projects committee has created a new tournament to

The weigh-ins for major fishing tournaments at Lake Amistad became just as big as the tournaments themselves, drawing hundreds of people from all around the state. For four consecutive years, BASS brought the Elite Series Battle on the Border to Lake Amistad, pumping millions into the local economy.

Courtesy photo

showcase the big blue gem that is Lake Amistad.

It’s called the Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q Border Bass Battle, and it’s coming March 18.

“We know that our fishing tournaments have fallen off, but they’re starting to come back,” Blanca Larson, executive director for the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, said.

“We realize that it is important to highlight the lake because of its beauty and because the fishing is so good.”

One of the biggest changes to the bass fishing landscape at Amistad concerned the awarding of prizes in tournaments. Many tournament organizers preferred to dispense cash prizes at the site of the weigh-ins, which were typically done at Diablo East.

However, according to the National Park Service management policies, tournament organizers were not allowed to present awards of “more than a nominal value” to participants within park boundaries.

Current ANRA Superintendent Chris Ryan

informed the chamber that he was able to obtain an exception to the policy, and beginning Feb. 7, prizes for tournaments would be able to presented on ANRA grounds.

“Tournament directors/organizers are encouraged to have their weigh-ins within the park, in order to reduce the stress on fish as they are transported in boat livewells to an off-site location. This should reduce fish mortality as well. Now they can award their prizes in the park!” Larson GRANDE / MARCH 2017

39

Lake Amistad has always been known for producing big bass. Tom Sutherland set the lake record in 2006 with a bass that weighed in at 15.68 pounds. Here he holds a replica of his record-setting bass. - Photo by Brian Argabright

Kurt Dove was a top 12 finalist at the 2008 BASS Elite Series Battle on the Border at Lake Amistad. Dove is lending his expertise and knowledge to the inaugural Rudy’s Country Store and BarB-Q Border Bass Battle this month.

Photo by Brian Argabright

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wrote in an email.

The lake, which is located about 10 miles west of Del Rio, has been attracting visitors to the area since its construction in 1969. According to the National Park Service, which oversees the lake and the surrounding Amistad National Recreation Area, 2.5 million people visited the area in 2009.

Unfortunately, economic woes and concerns about the political climate in Mexico have affected those numbers. In 2016, the number of visitors totaled 1.2 million.

Larson is confident events like the Border Bass Battle will help to bring those visitors back, and bring a much-needed boost to the local economy.

“The lake is a big draw for this area, and the numbers will go back up. Things are getting better not only here, but in Mexico,” Larson said.

The one-day tournament is expected to draw several hundred anglers, and offer more than $20,000 in cash and prizes.

Prizes will be offered to the top anglers in each hourly weigh-in as well as the overall biggest largemouth and smallmouth bass and for the smallest bass weighed in.

Early registrations are taking place now and will continue until March 12. The final registration will be held at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q on March 17 from 6 to 10 p.m.

The entry fee is $125 per angler.

Unlike most tournaments, the Border Bass Battle will feature eight one-hour long weighins beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. All the weigh-ins will occur at the Diablo East Fish Tube and only smallmouth and largemouth bass will be allowed to be weighed in.

As in most tournaments, only live bass will be allowed to be weighed in, but the biggest rule is that no participant may weigh-in more than one bass per official event hour. You can head to the weigh-in area in each of the eight different times, but you’ll only be allowed to weigh-in one bass each time.

The complete set of rules will be available on the official Border Bass Battle Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ BorderBassBattle/ - and on the chamber of commerce’s official website – drchamber.com. •

The fans at the BASS Elite Series Battle on the Border tournaments were always welcoming to the pro anglers who took on Lake Amistad.

Here, fans offer high fives as Fred Roumbanis brings his bag to stage to be weighed in on the final day of the 2006 tournament.

Courtesy photo

GRANDE / MARCH 2017

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Big fishing tournaments mean a lot of boats, and that can mean an aquatic traffic jam. Organizers of this year’s Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q Border Bass Battle are hoping for at least 200 anglers to compete in the inaugural event this month. - Photo by Brian Argabright

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2300 VETERANS BOULEVARD, DEL RIO, TX 78840

Your Photo Here!

Imagine you and your family and friends in this magazine! How?

Easy! Send us your best photos, and you could have the chance to be featured in our next issue!

April will be all about the George Paul Memorial Bullriding and Del Rio’s rodeo lifestyle!

We want your rodeo best!

Pictures of all sizes are welcomed and encouraged!

Submit your photos to roland.cardenas@delrionewsherald.com or selene.rodriguez@delrionewsherald.com

GRANDE / MARCH 2017

43

DO IT YOURSELF

POTATO STAMPS Story and photos by BONITA SANTILLAN

P

otatoes are a spring garden favorite. But aside from its culinary uses, potatoes can be crafted into stamps, making it an eco-friendly way to incorporate arts and crafts during the spring season.

Potato stamps are simple and fun to create, and they don’t require many materials. These stamps can be a fun project to do as a family when the kids are out of school during spring break. It’s an inexpensive project that can be done at home but requires adult supervision.

The following steps will help you turn ordinary potatoes into homemade stamps of different shapes and sizes.

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What you’ll nee

d:

• Raw potatoes (different shap es and sizes) • Fabric paints (acrylic paints will work on n on-fabric surfac es) • Paring knife • Paintbrush • Paper • Pen

Draw the shape you want to stamp on a piece of paper, and cut out the shape. Use this as a stencil to carve the shape out of the potato.

potato stamp DIY: will need to complete the Pictured are supplies you knife for car ving. a and nsil ute a paintbrush, a writing nt, pai ric fab es, ato pot

STEP 1: Any type of potato will work — even a sweet potato.

And depending on the shapes you want to make, you should consider using different shapes and sizes — round, oval, large and small.

Cut the potato in half and use a paper towel to dry off any moisture from the surface.

STEP 2: On a piece of paper, draw out the shape you want to stamp. Cut out the shape, and use the paper as a stencil by outlining the shape on the surface of the potato.

Paint over the carved out shape of the potato making sure that you don’t leave any bare spots. Remember that the potato soaks in the color, so make sure the layer of paint is not too thin.

STEP 3: Using a paring knife, carve out the shape, and leaving the shape protruding from the potato about ¼ to ½ inch. Fun tip: You can also use cookie cutters to carve out shapes, but drawing them out allows you to customize the shapes to your liking.

STEP 4: Using a paintbrush, paint over the carved out shape of the potato making sure that you don’t leave any bare spots. Remember that the layer of paint can’t be too thin since the potato will absorb some of it.

Use the stamp on any fabric surface such as a tote back or a pillowcase. Make sure to press the stamp onto the surface so that the shape can transfer completely.

STEP 5: Apply the painted stamp onto your desired surface.

Make sure to apply some pressure to the stamp so that the entire shape can transfer. This is especially important when stamping onto fabric surfaces.

STEP 6 (OPTIONAL): Add any final touch ups to your project, e.g. I added black dots to my lemon shapes using a thin paintbrush.

You can also use your stamps on surfaces such as:

GIFT-WRAPPING PAPER • PENCIL POUCHES • GREETING CARDS PILLOWCASES • CURTAINS • T-SHIRTS

Add the remaining details to your stamp designs if desired.

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Pictured, from left, are Mila Sol Delgado, Oscar Cardenas’ granddaughter; Kristina Garcia, Oscar’s daughter; and Sylvia Cardenas, Oscar’s wife of 18 years.

Courtesy photo

Oscar Cardenas offers some advice to Robert Torres on the fifth hole at the San Felipe Springs Golf Course. Cardenas has been the head golf coach at Del Rio High for 28 years. Photo by Brian Argabright

S

ports has been a part of Oscar Cardenas’ life since he was young. First it was baseball, but now golf is his passion. For the past 28 years, Cardenas has been the head coach of the Del Rio High School golf program. Still, his life has taken him to a variety of states, allowed him to cross paths with a variety of celebrities and given him the dream of one day playing on the PGA Senior Tour.

1) I’m the youngest of seven children, though one died prematurely. There were four boys and two girls and we were all raised by a single parent – our mom, Edelmira “Del” Cardenas.

2) My first love was baseball. I played from Little League all throughout high school. I was a left fielder.

I even played some college ball, though it was a sanctioned baseball club at Southwest Texas. It didn’t become an official sport there until after I left.

3) I played with the Expos when I was younger. They were a semi-pro team here, and we were owned by a

20 Things You Didn’t Know About

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Oscar C

Oscar Cardenas is the youngest of six children. Pictured, from left, are his sister, Adelila “Lily” Cardenas; his brother, Jaime Cardenas; his mother, Edelmira “Del” Cardenas; his brother, Jose Cardenas; his sister, Lety Jimenez; and Cardenas himself. Not pictured is his brother, Roy Cardenas. Courtesy photo

guy from McAllen. I played along some of the best players in Del Rio’s history including Gene Flores, Gene Selmon, Lavell Blanks, Steve Bixby and Preston Tucker. Roger Blanks was our coach, and we played teams from Austin, Houston, McAllen, Midland and San Angelo. I also played in Acuña … team Carta Blanca. I was 16 years old and was paid $50 a game.

4) I picked up golf the first year I was teaching. A student in middle school taught me the game. I was asked once by Doug Newton how I could play in a tournament with so many older men. My answer was simple, “All I care about when it comes to golf was drinking beer, smoking cigars and hitting the ball.”

5) When I first began teaching, I taught seventh grade football, basketball and track in addition to my regular teaching and coaching duties. I was also the assistant high school baseball coach under Hodie Garcia.

Oscar Cardenas gives his daughter Kristina a piggyback ride after she notched an eagle on the 10th hole at Pecan Valley in 2011.

Kristina played for her father for two years on the Del Rio High girls golf team before transitioning to cheerleading. Courtesy photo

6) Lupe DeHoyos offered me the head golf coach job. That was in 1992 and from then on I have coached exclusively boys and girls golf.

7) I won the club championship at the San Felipe Country Club in 1993 and 1994. It was a bigger tournament then and there were a lot of very good golfers competing – Clint Block, Andy Dayton, Aaron Billings. There were 12 flights, and there was a waiting list just to get in.

8) I’ve played in several PGA qualifying tournaments. I played in Midland, the Valero Open qualifier and the U.S. Amateur qualifier.

I made it to the second day but didn’t make the cut beyond that.

9) I have one daughter, Kristina. She played for me two years and then broke my heart to go and become a cheerleader. She currently attends UTSA and is set to graduate next December.

10) My teams have won countless district titles, coached several regional qualifiers and had two players – Luke Healy and Guy Goodspeed Jr. – make it to state three straight years. There have only been three years out of my 28 years of coaching that my teams didn’t reach the regional tournament.

11) One thing people don’t know about me is that I love to dance. They call me the “Texas Tornado.” I learned when I was younger … all self-taught. I enjoy dancing to country, Mexican music, salsa and sometimes bust out moves from the 70s and 80s.

12) I have played against a couple of future major leaguers – Calvin Schiraldi and Roger Clemens. I played against them when I was in high school. It was a tournament in Austin.

13) During the flood of 1998, myself and a friend named Steve used his boat to help rescue people around Fox Drive and Plaza

Cardenas

GRANDE / MARCH 2017

47

Del Rio High head golf coach Oscar Cardenas jokes around with Guy Goodspeed Jr. during a photo shoot in 2005. Goodspeed was a three-time state qualifier under Cardenas’ tutelage. News-Herald file photo

Street. I lost my whole house … everything in the flood. We were even presented an award from the VFW for our actions. It’s something I usually don’t talk about.

Del Rio High head golf coach accepts a flag from the 2016 AT&T Championship autographed by Fred Couples from then-San Antonio Burbank head coach Robert Garcia as his brother, and former Del Rio High golf booster club member Ralph Garcia, looks on. Cardenas is a collector of a variety of golf memorabilia. Photo by Brian Argabright

Del Rio High head golf coach Oscar Cardenas writes in the scores for the players from Laredo United during this year’s Brown Automotive Del Rio High Boys Invitational Golf Tournament. Cardenas hand writes all the scores on the customized scorecards utilizing his calligraphy skills. Photo by Brian Argabright

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14) I was the pool manager for the city of Del Rio for 15 years. I also trained lifeguards along with Carol Mireles and still serve as a CPR instructor. I also ran the base pools for five years.

15) I collect all kinds of sports memorabilia.

I have photos and autographs from a variety of star athletes from golf, football, baseball and more. I have autographs from Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Lee Trevino, John Daly, Roger Staubach, Clint Longley, and others. My personal favorite is an autographed photo of Mickelson from his first Masters win. He’s truly a professional, a great example of a sports celebrity because he signs for everybody – from kids to adults. He takes the time to do that and makes sure everyone gets something.

16) My first job was as a recreational scorekeeper for the city’s basketball and softball leagues. Lupe DeHoyos gave me the job after my mom was in a serious accident when I was a teenager. He offered a lot of

support and helped guide me through that rough time.

17) I’ve been married to my wife Sylvia for 18 years. I met her when I went to Del Rio National Bank to do some mutual funds.

She was the assistant vice president. She puts up with all my nonsense, and she’s my right hand. I wouldn’t be where I’m at if not for her.

18) My mom has always been my biggest supporter. She always told us she wanted us to be better than she was. I’ve always carried that with me, and it led me to becoming the first in my family to graduate from college.

She’s 82 years old and still works at SAS not because she has to, but because she likes to.

She always told me don’t work just to work.

Do it because you love what you do.

19) My goal is to work about 10 more years and then try out for the PGA Senior Tour.

There are more qualifiers for the senior tour, so I’m going to give it a shot. You never know until you try.

20) I’ve had nine hole-in-ones in my time playing golf. The last one was about eight years ago. •

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GRANDE / MARCH 2017

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?

say what

Zelina Carbajal

“I’m going to spend time with my kids and spend some time doing a community service project for my college classes.”

Alex Garza

“I will be conducting some tennis camps throughout the spring break week.”

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GRANDE / MARCH 2017

What are your plans for spring break?

Riley Hennessy

“I’m going camping at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming with my friends.”

Thomas Treviño

“I can’t wait for our spring break road trip bash to South Padre Island!”

Candice Parra

“Grand Canyon! That’s the plan anyway. If not, Lost Maples. Either way, I’m going to climb a mountain!”

What they are talking about...

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Six Del Rio couples share their secrets to happy marriages

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Walk on the wild side at Amistad National Recreation Area

GRANDE / FEBRUARY 2017

1

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GRANDE / MARCH 2017

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GRANDE / MARCH 2017