Images McAllen, TX: 2008

McALLEN 2008 | IMAGESMCALLEN.COM | VIDEO TOUR ONLINE

TEXAS

Unconventionally Spectacular New convention center becomes an instant landmark

EAT GLOBALLY, DINE LOCALLY International cuisine takes your taste buds on a world tour

HATCHING A RENAISSANCE Creative incubator fosters professional growth for artists SPONSORED BY THE McALLEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

McAllen Realty We S pe

Rachel Hardison-Oliva Broker

ak t

he L

ang

th eR

io

Tony Rios Realtor

Consepcion Briones Realtor

Joseph McKeever Realtor

Gr

8045 S. Frontage Rd. Olmito, TX 78575 (956) 350-8018

le y

Darrell Smith Broker

Cony Miner Realtor

in g

he Va l

Liz Perez Realtor

Fernando Miner Realtor

rv

ge of t

Sonia Rivas Realtor

Rebekah Oliva-Brush Realtor

Se

ua

Derrick Wooden Realtor Domingo Chua Realtor

an de Val le

Alma Mascorro Realtor

y Sin ce 19 88

220 Nolana Loop McAllen, TX 78504 (956) 687-7172 • (866) 687-7172

Kay Kim Realtor John Baker Realtor Victor Rosales Realtor

1400 S. Cage Blvd., Ste. 5 Pharr, TX 78577 (956) 702-7301 • (866) 987-4277

McALLEN 2008 EDITION | VOLUME 6

TEXAS

McALLEN BUSINESS CO NTE NT S F E AT U R E S 12

JUST LIKE PARADISE Climate and cultural convergence entice many Winter Texans to relocate here permanently.

16

EAT GLOBALLY, DINE LOCALLY Take your taste buds on a world tour by checking out McAllen’s many restaurants that offer international cuisine.

18

28 The Color of Money McAllen’s retail sector is red hot for national companies and independently owned businesses alike.

30 Biz Briefs 32 Chamber Report 33 Economic Profile

D E PA R TM E NT S 8 Almanac: a colorful sampling of McAllen’s culture

NATURAL TREASURES OF THE TEXAS TROPICS

23 Portfolio: people, places and

Eco-tourists flock to the Rio Grande Valley for its bountiful biodiversity.

35 Education

20 HATCHING A RENAISSANCE The McA2 Creative Incubator fosters artistic, cultural and economic development.

23 UNCONVENTIONALLY SPECTACULAR The new McAllen Convention Center has become an instant landmark.

McALLEN

events that define McAllen

39 Arts & Culture 4 1 Sports & Recreation 43 Health & Wellness 45 Community Profile: facts, stats and important numbers to know

ON THE COVER McAllen Convention Center Photo by Wes Aldridge

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

3

McALLEN TEXAS

SENIOR EDITOR LISA BATTLES COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS SUSAN CHAPPELL, KIM MADLOM, ANITA WADHWANI ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN, JESSICA MOZO DIRECTORIES EDITORS AMANDA MORGAN, KRISTY WISE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DANNY BONVISSUTO, DAN MARKHAM, JOE MORRIS, GARY PERILLOUX, JULIA BENITEZ SULLIVAN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER TODD POTTER INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER CLAY BANKS ONLINE SALES MANAGER MATT SLUTZ SALES COORDINATOR SARA SARTIN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, WES ALDRIDGE, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, MICHAEL W. BUNCH, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN M CCORD CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH PRODUCTION PROJECT MGRS. MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER ALISON HUNTER GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, CANDICE HULSEY, JANINE MARYLAND, LINDA MOREIRAS, AMY NELSON, CARL RATLIFF WEB PROJECT MGR. ANDY HARTLEY WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ WEB PRODUCTION JILL TOWNSEND COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC MEGHANN CAREY, SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART EXECUTIVE EDITOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA McFARLAND, LISA OWENS, JACKIE YATES RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH MARKETING COORDINATOR AMY AKIN IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR NICOLE WILLIAMS SALES SUPPORT MANAGER/ CUSTOM MAGAZINES PATTI CORNELIUS OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM

McAllen magazine is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and its member businesses.

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: McAllen Chamber of Commerce 1200 Ash Ave., P.O. Box 790• McAllen, TX 78505-0790 P: (956) 682-2871 • F: (956) 687-2917 www.mcallenchamber.com VISIT MCALLEN MAGAZINE ONLINE AT IMAGESMCALLEN.COM ©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Member

Magazine Publishers of America

Member Custom Publishing Council Member McAllen Chamber of Commerce Please recycle this magazine

McALLEN

What’s Online

More lists, links and tips for newcomers

IMAGESMCALLEN.COM

WEB SITE EXTRA

MOVING PICTURES

PLUS SEARCH OUR ARCHIVES Browse past issues of the magazine by year or search for specific articles by subject.

INSTANT LINKS Read the entire magazine online using our ActiveMagazine™ technology and link instantly to community businesses and services.

VIDEO TOUR INSIDE LOOK Join us on a virtual tour of McAllen through the lenses of our award-winning photographers at imagesmcallen.com.

EVEN MORE Read full-length versions of the magazine’s articles; find related stories; or read new content exclusive to the Web. Look for the See More Online reference in this issue.

GARDENING IN TEXAS Texans have excellent opportunities for establishing all kinds of gardens. Soils and climatic zones are quite diverse, and there are wonderful plants available. Find out more at imagesmcallen.com.

SPICING IT UP IN THE SOUTHWEST Quesadillas, enchiladas, tamales, burritos, fajitas – they’re just a few of the popular entrees synonymous with Southwestern cuisine. Get a taste of regional cuisine at imagesmcallen.com.

A B O U T T H I S M AG A Z I N E McAllen magazine is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. In print and online, McAllen magazine gives readers a taste of what makes McAllen tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts.

“Find the good – and praise it.”

– Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

jnlcom.com

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

5

McALLEN McALLE & j 7;/53A;1/::3< 1=; j D723= B=C@ = & 327B7=< j D=:C;3 $

B3F/A

C\Q]\dS\bW]\OZZg A^SQbOQcZO` <Se Q]\dS\bW]\ QS\bS` PSQ][Sa O\ W\abO\b ZO\R[O`Y 1= <B3 <B A 4 3 /B C @ 3 A 8CAB :793 >/@/27A3 ESObVS` O\R QcZbc`OZ Q]\dS`US\QS S\bWQS [O\g EW\bS` BSfO\a b] `SZ]QObS VS`S ^S`[O\S\bZg

$ 3/B 5:=0/::G 27<3 :=1/::G BOYS g]c` bOabSPcRa ]\ O e]`ZR b]c` Pg QVSQYW\U ]cb ;Q/ZZS\¸a [O\g `SabOc`O\ba bVOb ]TTS` W\bS`\ObW]\OZ QcWaW\S

3/B 5:=0/::G 6/B167<5 / @3</7AA/<13 27<3 :=1/::G

BVS ;Q/ 1`SObWdS 7\QcPOb]` 7\bS`\ObW]\OZ QcWaW\S bOYSa T]abS`a O`bWabWQ QcZbc`OZ O\R SQ]\][WQ RSdSZ]^[S\b g]c` bOabS PcRa ]\ O e]`ZR b]c`

;Q/::3< 0CA7<3AA & BVS 1]Z]` ]T ;]\Sg

;Q/ZZS\¸a `SbOWZ aSQb]` Wa `SR V]b T]` \ObW]\OZ Q][^O\WSa O\R W\RS^S\RS\bZg ]e\SR PcaW\SaaSa OZWYS

! 0Wh 0`WSTa ! 1VO[PS` @S^]`b !! 3Q]\][WQ >`]ÂżZS

2 3 >/ @ B; 3 <B A & /Z[O\OQ( O Q]Z]`TcZ aO[^ZW\U ]T ;Q/ZZS\¸a QcZbc`S

! >]`bT]ZW]( ^S]^ZS ^ZOQSa O\R SdS\ba bVOb RSÂż\S ;Q/ZZS\

!# 3RcQObW]\ !' /`ba 1cZbc`S

! C<1=<D3<B7=</::G A>31B/1C:/@

6/B167<5 / BVS ;Q/ZZS\ 1]\dS\bW]\ 1S\bS` P]Oaba []`S bVO\ %" a_cO`S TSSb ]T @3</7AA/<13 [cZbWTc\QbW]\OZ a^OQS ]\ & OQ`Sa

" A^]`ba @SQ`SObW]\ "! 6SOZbV ESZZ\Saa "# 1][[c\Wbg >`]ÂżZS( TOQba abOba O\R W[^]`bO\b \c[PS`a b] Y\]e

1`SObWdS W\QcPOb]` T]abS`a ^`]TSaaW]\OZ U`]ebV T]` O`bWaba ;Q/::3<

=< B63 1=D3@ >V]b] Pg ESa /ZR`WRUS ;Q/ZZS\ 1]\dS\bW]\ 1S\bS`

A>=<A=@32 0G B63 ;Q/::3< 16/;0

7 ; /5 3 A ; 1 / : : 3 < 1 = ;

!

Turn the pages of our

Virtual Magazine

i

LIVE LINKS

Hot links allow users to quickly link to other sites for additional information, and an ad index allows you to easily locate local advertisers in the magazine.

SEARCH AND YOU SHALL FIND An easy-to-use search function allows you to ďŹ nd speciďŹ c articles or browse content by subject.

A VIRTUAL TOOLBELT Tools allow you to customize the look and function of the magazine on your desktop as well as print individual pages or save the magazine for ofďŹ&#x201A;ine reading.

MORE OF THE SAME And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good thing.

Inside, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ďŹ nd the same award-winning photography and compelling content as in the printed magazine.

SHARE WITH A FRIEND E-mail individual stories using the pop-up text window.

imagesmcallen.com McALLEN

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

7

Almanac

Channeled for Discovery

Hotel Turns 90 Yes, the Renaissance Casa de Palmas Hotel is a nonagenarian, but it also features many 21st-century amenities.

The hotel that is celebrating its 90th birthday in 2008 underwent a major renovation in 2000 to upgrade much of its infrastructure. However, the structure has still retained its old colonial architectural look with fountains, tropical birds and elaborate vegetational landscaping.

The Spanish Room restaurant is one of the hotel’s recent upgrades, with menu choices that reflect gourmet Latin cuisine.

The Renaissance Casa de Palmas, now a part of the Marriott chain, has served guests in the past that include Anthony Quinn, Marlon Brando and President Lyndon Johnson.

Happy 40th birthday, International Museum of Art & Science.

The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and in 2008 will celebrate its 40th year of art, science and fun. IMAS has five galleries with fine art, folk art and decorative art, as well as a children’s Discovery Pavilion that offers hands-on learning.

In addition, its outdoor RioScape exhibit simulates a journey along the Rio Grande from the mountains to McAllen. Other attractions include stained glass displays along with a sculpture garden.

Creative Conservation Picture this: People from all over the world travel to the Rio Grande Valley each year to participate in a photo contest.

The Valley Land Fund South Texas Shootout has taken place every two years since 1994, with more than $130,000 in prize money up for grabs. Photographers team with area landowners to capture the best wildlife photographs on the landowners’ properties.

The shootout is a major fundraiser for the Valley Land Fund, with much of the money coming from entry fees and sponsorships. The fund’s primary goal is to promote the conservation and protection of wildlife and habitat.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLF NUSSBAUMER • LANDOWNER: EL TECOLOTE RANCH, PHIL AND KAREN HUNKE

8

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

Killer Bees and Dorados PHOTO COURTESY OF CLIFF RANSON/RANSONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

How suite it is.

A total of 25 private suites and 500 club seats are part of the $20 million Dodge Arena, the McAllen areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multipurpose complex. The arena offers 6,800 concert seats that can reconfigure into 5,500 seats for ice hockey, football and soccer.

For professional sports, Dodge Arena is the current home of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League and the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the af2 Arena Football League.

McAllen | At A Glance POPULATION (2006 ESTIMATE) McAllen: 126,411 Greater McAllen area: 700,634 281

LOCATION McAllen is in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, 70 miles west of the Gulf of Mexico.

BEGINNINGS The city of McAllen was unofficially founded in 1904 when rancher John McAllen donated land to establish a new railroad stop.

McAllen became incorporated in 1911.

FOR MORE INFORMATION McAllen Chamber of Commerce 1200 Ash Ave. P.O. Box 790 McAllen, TX 78505-0790 Phone: (956) 682-2871 Fax: (956) 687-2917 www.mcallenchamber.com

McALLEN

McAllen

H I DA LG O

7 77

Edinburg Rio

83

Gra

McAllen

Mission

nd

e

Pharr

83

Weslaco 281

Reynosa R o osa

Harlingen rlin ing UNITED STATES

77 7 7 2 28 281

Rio G Grande MEXICO

Brownsville ow wn v

Rio Bravo Matamoros

SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of McAllen at imagesmcallen.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

9

Almanac

Good Grades = $1,000 It’s true, kids. Good grades earn seniors a grand if they are in the top 25 of their class at McAllen, Memorial and Rowe high schools.

The McAllen Chamber of Commerce organizes a banquet each spring that recognizes the top 25 students from McAllen Independent School District’s three high schools. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship at the banquet.

As for 2008, it will mark the 24th consecutive year that the Chamber will have successfully raised the $75,000 needed for the scholarships.

Painting the Town Art lovers: Put on your comfortable shoes.

The McAllen Artwalk takes place every first Friday of the month from September through May. The hours are 6 to 10 p.m., with participants simply walking from art gallery to art gallery in the Old Town part of McAllen. Admission is free.

About 12 galleries and businesses sign up for the event and keep their doors open late on those particular first Fridays. Guests can start their self-guided tour at any location and proceed at their own pace.

Fast Facts ■ McAllen’s population nearly doubles each year from October through March as retirees known as Winter Texans descend upon this area from the north.

■ The Candlelight Posada begins the holiday season with a large parade and procession that reenacts Joseph and Mary’s search for lodging.

■ Paseo de Palmas is a network of walking/biking trails that stretch along main roads such as Bicentennial, Col. Rowe, Nolana, Trenton and U.S. Business 83.

■ The Veteran’s War Memorial of Texas pays homage to the men and women who were killed or declared missing in action in all wars and conflicts involving the United States.

■ McAllen’s slogan is “The Texas Tropics” because of its flora, fauna and climate.

Named for Nikki Here is a salute to Col. James Nicholas “Nikki” Rowe.

The McAllen native was a U.S. Army Special Forces officer who was captured and held in a North Vietnamese prisonerof-war camp until he escaped in 1968.

Members of the New People’s Army in the Philippines ultimately assassinated him in 1989, as he trained members of the Philippine military to fight communist guerrillas.

Rowe is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and both Colonel Rowe Boulevard and Rowe High School in McAllen are named for him.

The school’s nickname is the Warriors, and among the school’s offerings is a Nikki Rowe JROTC program.

McALLEN

SEE MORE ONLINE | For more Fast Facts about McAllen, visit imagesmcallen.com.

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

11

Just Like

PARAD

CLIMATE AND CULTURAL CONVERGENCE ENTICE MANY WINTER TEXANS TO RELOCATE PERMANENTLY

12

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

ISE

STORY BY JULIA BENITEZ SULLIVAN

S

WES ALDRIDGE

ipping a scotch on his patio and watching his Boston Bull Terrier, Selena, romp in the yard, Jim Cox vividly remembers when he decided to make the Rio Grande Valley home. The Ohio native and his family had come down to visit his Winter Texan in-laws over Christmas break in 1977.

“I got off the plane – having boarded in Ohio where it was bitterly cold and damp – and stepped into paradise; at least that’s how it felt after Ohio,” says Cox. “It was sunny and balmy here, and I decided right then and there that I was going to make this home.”

The former McAllen High School basketball coach and teacher has been here ever since. He and his wife of 11 years, Thelma, are both retired and have time to enjoy all that the area has to offer. They regularly dine out and have an active social calendar, taking advantage of the many festivals, special events, parks and wilderness areas available in this subtropical metropolis.

“Where else can you enjoy your patio nearly year round? Even in summer there’s always a breeze,” says Thelma, as she pets Selena.

In addition to the pleasant climate, there also is an alluring bicultural atmosphere throughout the area. Founded in 1909, the city of McAllen is located in the center of the sprawling Rio Grande Valley and just eight miles north of

McALLEN

Jim and Thelma Cox relax by the swimming pool at the clubhouse in their gated community in McAllen.

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

13

STAFF PHOTO

McAllen’s trail system, Paseo de Palmas, provides miles of scenic paved paths for joggers, skaters and bikers.

the U.S.-Mexico border. The Mexican influence can be found in the architecture, landscape and dining.

Various community events are founded upon or influenced by Mexico.

The Candlelight Posada, held the first weekend in December, is an example of the way area events embrace both countries. The festival combines the U.S. tradition of a Santa parade with the posada – a stylized re-enactment of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter on Christmas Eve. In addition to the Candlelight Posada, there is also Dias Festivas Marketplace, also held the first weekend in December to benefit the Junior League of McAllen, with more than 80 merchants from McAllen to Pennsylvania offering their wares.

“The interdependence of the American and Mexican cultures and business is also a great stimulus for the enjoyment of our bicultural area,” says Dr. Cayetano Barrera, a local family physician whose family helped settle the Rio Grande Valley in the 1700s. “They (Mexican visitors) McALLEN

like our shopping, technology and culture, and we like their food, friendliness, work ethic and culture.”

Barrera says times have changed considerably since the 1920s, when his father became the first MexicanAmerican to graduate from a recognized Texas medical school at a time when opportunities were not as easily available to minorities.

Today, the majority of the population in McAllen is Hispanic, and people who have grown up in this bicultural community speak two languages, eat the cuisines and understand the traditions of both countries.

In McAllen, the positive attributes of both countries have created a cultural atmosphere with unlimited opportunity. The community supports a symphony, ballet and theatrical organizations as well as jazz, blues and rock concerts, professional sports, galleries and museums.

Largely for these reasons, the population nearly doubles in McAllen between November and April, when

residents of Northern states and Canada – locally referred to as Winter Texans – temporarily relocate to take advantage of the Valley’s temperate climate and social activities.

“I can’t say enough good things about the people and culture,” says Evelyn Weiner, a longtime Winter Texan. “We’ve made some wonderful friends, and it’s interesting to learn about other people.”

Weiner and her husband of 52 years, Harvey, have been wintering here since the mid-1980s and say they would like to become year-round residents someday.

Although the two couples have yet to meet, both believe strongly in giving back to their communities. Jim and Thelma Cox serve on the board of a credit union and volunteer in their community office and homeowners association. Harvey and Evelyn Weiner volunteer at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and McAllen Medical Center.

“Volunteering keeps us out of mischief,” says Evelyn Weiner. “We’re not the type to sit around and do nothing.”

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

15

EAT Globally, DINE Locally

16

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

FEAST IN FOREIGN LANDS WITHOUT LEAVING McALLEN

STORY BY DANNY BONVISSUTO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

J

ust eight miles north of the border, you can’t swing a sombrero in McAllen without hitting some of the most authentic Mexican restaurants Texas has to offer. But venturing outside that culinary comfort zone is easier than you think. You won’t need a passport to do some gourmet globetrotting within the tip of Texas.

The Southwest and South Asia have plenty in common at Taste of India. Owner Satnam Singh keeps things spicy with specialties including chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo and a tandoori mixed grill with king prawns.

Can’t handle the heat? Lap up a mint or mango lassi, a yogurt-based drink that’ll keep things cool.

Continue along the continent to Japan, the main influence on the menu at Kumori. All three locations of this restaurant keep the focus on fresh fish and sushi including tuna, salmon, flounder and even octopus, rounded out with soups, salads and desserts.

Banana tempura, anyone?

We can’t say hasta la vista to Asia without a refreshing cucumber martini at Onyx, a rare gem in the Rio Grande with influences that straddle the line between east

and west. Voted one of the hippest restaurants in the Valley by Texas Monthly, its distinctive dishes include a Cuban Cobb salad and king crab-stuffed flounder.

You’ll be hungry from the long haul to Argentina, land of inspiration for La Pampa owner Antonio Lopez.

“Argentinean steaks are our specialty,” Lopez says of the never-frozen Black Angus beef his customers clamor for. “A lot of restaurants use spices and sauces, but the secret to our steaks is the true charcoal taste.”

From there, make the toothsome trek to Mexico via Koko’s Café Uptown, where the chile con queso is the best way to begin, and the four-person botana platter – full of flautas, bean and cheese tostadas and more – is the fastest way to feed the family.

Before you cross the border, make a culinary stop in Monterrey, Mexico, where Pier 67 Bar and Grill owner Fernando Muzquiz was born. Muzquiz says his seafoodcentric menu of tapas and entrees was built for sharing.

“The tuna manchego is definitely our best seller,” he says of the sublime steak served with fried sheep’s milk cheese.

“The salmon carpaccio is also a favorite.”

Back home on Texas turf, chef Justin Rowland has fans of J Row’s in northwest McAllen hankeringfor panko.

“We get a lot of people in here for our gulf shrimp because we use panko, or Japanese breadcrumbs, to fry them,” Rowland says. “It’s light and fluffy and doesn’t hold onto the oils.”

Rowland also counts among his top sellers his nilgai antelope burger, which is based on a recipe from Texas Style, a wild game cooking show from years past hosted by his father, Bud, that plays continuously in the restaurant.

The ambiance of Kumori reflects a new, young and hip attitude in McAllen and is a favorite among locals for sushi, such as the Charrito roll, pictured.

McALLEN

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

17

Natural Treasures

TexasTropics of the

ECO-TOURISTS FLOCK TO RIO GRANDE VALLEY FOR ITS BOUNTIFUL BIODIVERSITY

STORY BY JULIA BENITEZ SULLIVAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

A

long with multitudes of birds and butterflies, more than 125,000 eco-tourists annually migrate in and out of the Rio Grande Valley, an area known as “The Texas Tropics.”

With nine branches composing the World Birding Center, nature festivals, museums and parks, the region is nearly as rich with opportunities to appreciate its natural offerings as the variety of flora and fauna itself.

“Eco-tourism is a healthy way to

enjoy our natural treasures without stressing the land. So it’s a win-win,” says Colleen Curran Hook, manager of the McAllen branch of the World Birding Center, located at the historic Quinta Mazatlan.

Martin Hagne, executive director of Valley Nature Center in nearby Weslaco, says the 6-acre park attracts two types of visitors – eco-tourists and families.

“Our visitors come from all over the world to enjoy our natural resources,” Hagne says. “But we also get a lot of families and school field trips that come to learn about nature, like our birds, butterflies and all the species of plants and animals you can find here.”

The Valley is home to hundreds of species of wildlife, including endangered large cats like the jaguarondi and ocelot, and birds such as the green jay and red-crowned parrot. In addition, veteran birders consider the Valley to be the most desirable of all U.S. destinations because of the more than 500 bird species that migrate through and live here permanently.

The McAllen International Birding Festival, held each spring, highlights the biodiversity of the area with guided field trips to experience plants and animals found nowhere else in the country. Other

locations to enjoy nature include the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Frontera Audubon Thicket, Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and the North American Butterfly Association’s Butterfly Park.

The Santa Ana Refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk and offers 12 miles of trails and photography blinds.

Located along the Rio Grande, just southwest of Mission, Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park offers visitors native wetlands, dry chaparral, shady trails and bird-watching.

Quinta Mazatlan is considered a backyard habitat among the World Birding Center locations. The historic and beautiful 8-acre estate is one of the largest remaining hacienda adobe homes in Texas. Built in the 1930s, it is nestled in a backdrop of lush green vegetation.

Curran Hook says area residents don’t need to live on a ranch or estate property to experience their own backyard refuge, and families may learn how to create just that at the annual Hummingbird Days event in April.

“Families learn simple and inexpensive projects that can enhance their own backyards to attract and support our local specialties and migrating birds,” Curran Hook says.

McAllen is the center of the Rio Grande Valley, an area known as “The Texas Tropics” for its abundance and variety of plant and animal life. In addition, McAllen’s thousands of palm trees have earned it the title “City of Palms.”

18

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

McALLEN

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

19

20

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

Hatching a

Renaissance MCA2 CREATIVE INCUBATOR FOSTERS ARTISTIC, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

STORY BY CAROL COWAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

M

ultitalented artist and musician Kim Snyder Johnson rattles off a list of benefits she’s gained from being a part of the McA2 Creative Incubator in McAllen, not the least of which is her husband’s happiness about clearing the auto parts that make up much of Johnson’s artwork out of their garage.

“I do mixed-media artwork, assemblage and collage with found objects, mostly auto parts,” Johnson says. “Now I have a place to go and really stretch out. I can have a lot of things out all the time and not have to put them away.”

Johnson is a resident artist at the McA2 Creative Incubator and held her first exhibit, titled “Culmination,” there throughout September 2007.

The McAllen Chamber of Commerce initiated the McA2 Creative Incubator in 2005 to enhance McAllen’s cultural vitality by supporting the professional growth of local artists.

“The arts enrich all our lives. They are the glue that binds communities together,” says Rita Perera, cultural arts coordinator for the Chamber. “McA2 Creative Incubator provides the tools, encouragement and opportunities for artists to develop their work and create new markets.”

Some of those tools include low-cost studios; legal, business and financial consultations and workshops; promotion of events and exhibits; and access to office equipment.

The building, located on the corner of Jackson Avenue and South 16th Street, has a stage, gallery space and a staffed front office in addition to 12 studios occupied by artists specializing in a variety of media, such as photography, painting, sculpture, fashion design, literature, film and theater.

Brandon Garcia and his mother, Rebecca Hayley-Zamudio, own Leyenda Production Co. They write and produce musical stage plays and are branching out into filmmaking. So far, they’ve had capacity crowds for their shows at the incubator.

“The greatest thing the incubator provides us is a stage – a place to hold events and practice,” Garcia says. “And it’s been great being in such close contact with the other artists in the community. There is a vibrant arts community in the area.”

Other artists also attest to benefits that include facilities and services, plus much more.

“It’s been really good getting to know fellow residents,” Johnson says. “We come in and bounce ideas off each other.”

In fact, Johnson had another McA2 artist take photographs for her music CD, and she will provide keyboard tracks for a resident sound production company.

“We complement one another,” Johnson says.

Cristina Nebre, a photographer and fashion designer, does all her sewing in her studio at the incubator. Not only has her work gained exposure there, but she’s also made some good friends.

“It’s a wonderful art family,” Nebre says.

The support of the Chamber of Commerce gives local artists a leg up they appreciate.

“It’s pretty edgy for our city to be supporting the arts like this,” Johnson says. “The fact that we have a creative arts incubator in McAllen, Texas, is pretty amazing. It’s an exciting place to be right now.”

Find information about artists, events and exhibits at http://mcallenart.com.

The McA2 Creative Incubator provides studio space at nominal rates for artists specializing in all kinds of media.

Kim Snyder Johnson is one of those artists, pictured here with various works she has shown recently.

McALLEN

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

21

Portfolio

Unconventionally Spectacular LONG-ANTICIPATED McALLEN CONVENTION CENTER BECOMES INSTANT LANDMARK

A

The new McAllen Convention Center has spurred additional development on adjacent parcels of land.

McALLEN

WES ALDRIDGE

t the long-anticipated, newly opened McAllen Convention Center, you can cheer at a sporting event, rock out at a concert, laugh till your sides ache at a comedy show and, of course, attend a major convention or expo.

Opened in March 2007 after 18 months of construction, the McAllen Convention Center boasts more than 174,000-square-feet of multifunctional space on 18 acres.

“We have an oval park with a beautiful cascading water fountain, a band shell and a really nice entrance that greets visitors,” says Omar Rodriguez, director of the McAllen Convention Center. “It’s been fantastic so far. We’ve had more than 170 events since we opened, including trade shows, concerts, conferences and graduation ceremonies.”

The convention center and grounds incorporate elements that reflect the cultural and natural diversity of McAllen, with features such as indoor palm trees and a butterfly-shaped crystal chandelier in the 10,000-square-foot ballroom.

In addition to enriching the quality of life in McAllen by bringing so many events to the city, the McAllen Convention Center has provided a boost to the local economy.

“More than 500,000 square feet of retail development is occurring in the immediate vicinity of the convention center, and more than 500 hotel rooms will be built here in the next two years,” Rodriquez says. “It has been a tremendous stimulant for our city’s economy.”

In 2008, the convention center is slated to host a number of boxing events and Rio Grande Valley Silverados games, as well as a plethora of other events. To find out what’s happening at the McAllen Convention Center, visit www.mcallenconventioncenter.net.

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

23

Portfolio

Keeping Downtown Close to Heart I

f you haven’t visited downtown McAllen lately, you’re in for a treat.

“Downtown is packed on Sunday afternoons. It used to be empty,” says Alida Hernandez, chairman of the board for McAllen’s Heart of the City Improvement Corp. “Now it’s where people are taking their families.”

The newfound energy downtown is in part thanks to the Heart of the City organization, a nonprofit group that was formed in 2004 to revitalize McAllen’s urban core.

“The core downtown needed redevelopment to make it more attractive instead of leaving it behind and resorting to urban sprawl,” Hernandez says. “McAllen’s downtown has been a thriving business area for a lot of people and still is one of the greatest downtowns around.”

Heart of the City set several goals in 2006, one of which was the construction of a new five-story parking garage that opened downtown in fall 2007. The organization also is working with

property owners to redevelop their downtown properties, and it helped revitalize the historic El Rey Theatre.

“We’ve taken down old signage and redone eight buildings,” Hernandez says. “They’re breathtaking.”

The focus area is three blocks of South 17th Street, which was designated by the city’s master plan to be a cultural and entertainment destination district.

“It is the oldest street in McAllen and where the majority of McAllen’s merchants developed,” Hernandez says.

Seven restaurants dot the historic district, including a new martini bar and a popular Mediterranean restaurant called The Buddha Bar. “People are talking about bringing in more venues, and the building next to The Buddha Bar is being refurbished,” Hernandez says. “We’re really seeing the fruits of our labor.”

Five years from now, Hernandez envisions downtown McAllen to be a lively place with lights, lots of people, parades and outdoor music.

“We want it to be like no other city,” she says. “I’m a firm believer we’re sent here to make things better for those who come after us.”

A banner hangs on South 17th Street, where McAllen’s Heart of the City organization has made many recent beautification improvements.

24

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

Dr. Joe Sanchez was one of the first three people to be awarded a McAllen Innovation Grant.

Program Incentivizes Innovation hen McAllen resident Dr. Joe Sanchez heard the McAllen Chamber of Commerce was giving away money to creative entrepreneurs, he jumped at the chance to make his business idea a reality.

Sanchez was one of three recipients of $10,000 innovation grants the Chamber awarded in 2007 to entrepreneurs developing fresh concepts and products. The McAllen Innovation Grant Program was launched in 2006 and is a joint project of the Chamber and the City of McAllen. Inspiration for the program came from Richard Florida’s best-selling book, The Rise of the Creative Class, and organizers hope it will attract and retain creative entrepreneurs like Sanchez to the area.

An educational psychologist and educator, Sanchez invented a Webbased application for school systems that allows educational professionals to immediately access analyzed data on each of their students, including attendance, grades and behavior.

“It’s extremely user-friendly and saves them time, money, effort and redundancy,” Sanchez says. “Since the data is analyzed, a teacher could, for instance, look up students who have three absences, and it would give them an alphabetized list. They can have the application right on their desktop for the specific students they deal with.”

Sanchez has been an educator for more than 20 years and has spent the last 15 years developing the application.

Sanchez launched his company, Academic Success Plus Inc., and is using the grant money for third-party Beta testing and to address legal issues related to patent and copyright.

McALLEN

PHOTOS BY WES ALDRIDGE

W

Commercial Property • Auto • Liability Workers’ Compensation Homeowners • Life • Health

“You’ll Like the Way We Do Business” 801 N. Main 1906 E. Tyler, Ste. B P.O. Box 1630 P.O. Box 1830 McAllen, TX 78501 Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 682-2841 (956) 423-8755 Fax: (956) 630-4015 Fax: (956) 423-0730 (800) 446-2471 (888) 423-8755 www.shepardwaltonking.com

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

25

Portfolio

WES ALDRIDGE

Developing a Reservoir of Ideas M

cAllen citizens will have a new place to gather in the near future, thanks to plans that call for a Centennial Park project and town center development at the site of the Boeye Reservoir.

“Because of the size and growth of McAllen, we need to expand the capacity of our water reservoir, so we will be moving it somewhere else,” says McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez. “As a result, we’ll have 67 acres of prime property when we vacate the reservoir.

The city is going to build a beautiful, state-of-the-art park there for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Planners envision the park will incor porate fountains with water features, a recreational trail, an amphitheater and pavilions.

“We’d like for the park to have an international flavor, with pavilions that look like Europe, colonial Mexico, South America and Asia,” Cortez says.

“Those are being designed to go around the park, and inside the park we hope to have a canal with bridges coming in from surrounding commercial and residential developments.”

Approximately 250,000 square feet of lease space is expected to surround the park, creating a destination where families can dine and shop.

“It’s going to be a gathering place where people can have a good time,” Cortez says. “It will be well-lit and safe, and we might even have police officers there on horseback. We want to bring street musicians and artists to the area to entertain as well.”

The state legislature gave McAllen $2 million to move the water reservoir and $2 million toward the completion of the park.

“It will take at least two years to move the reservoir, but it will be a wonderful thing,” Cortez says. “The project will add tremendously to McAllen’s quality of life by giving citizens a clean, wholesome environment to enjoy.”

McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez is a key figure in the development of Centennial Park, a city project in the design and concept stages.

26

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA

Astronauts Mike Fossum (left), a McAllen native and STS-121 Discovery mission specialist, and Mark E. Kelly, pilot, experience weightlessness.

A Giant Step for McAllen

M

cAllen native Mike Fossum has made his hometown proud. The 1976 McAllen High School graduate was one of the seven NASA astronauts on board the STS-121 Discovery space mission in July 2006.

“A gripping moment I’ll never forget was the clock counting down to launch.

Some of the last major checks take place when you get inside 30 seconds,” Fossum recalls. “I twisted around in my seat to see the ground, and when the main engines started at seven seconds before launch and white steam started billowing out, I thought, ‘Oh boy, we’re going somewhere.’ ” Fossum had trained hundreds of hours in a simulator for launch, but the actual experience still surprised him.

“When the rocket boosters kick in, an incredible force pushes you off the pad with more violence than I expected.

It was amazing to feel that intensity,” Fossum says. “I had a mirror strapped to my leg, and I saw the coast of Florida getting further away and a column of smoke trailing behind us.”

Once in orbit, Fossum looked out the window to see the curve of the earth, a thin band of atmosphere and black space.

“I said a quick prayer thanking the Lord for getting me there,” he says.

“Then it was time to get to work.”

Fossum performed three space walks on the 13-day mission, testing new tools and equipment to repair shuttle damage while in orbit.

“Sliding out of the airlock hatch was life-changing,” Fossum recalls. “It was McALLEN

unbelievable to go floating, weightless, and look up to see the space station hanging in space and the earth – a big blue and white ball – moving below you.”

Though Fossum lives in Houston with his wife and children, he visits McAllen when he can. In August 2006, McAllen welcomed him for Michael Fossum Day, which included a parade and a luncheon at the country club.

“The McAllen homecoming blew me away,” Fossum says. “I couldn’t believe the huge response from all the school kids. All the bands and cheerleaders were in the parade, and I got the chance to talk at my home elementary school, Jackson Elementary. Next time I hope to get around to more of the schools.”

McAllen’s newest middle school, slated to open in fall 2008, will be named Michael E. Fossum Middle School in his honor.

“That’s pretty overwhelming,” Fossum says humbly. “When they told me that, I was like, ‘Are you guys sure?’ ” Fossum is training for his second space mission, STS-124, scheduled for April 2008. He will be the lead spacewalker, and the crew’s mission is to install a lab to the space station.

“I love the challenge and adventure of being an astronaut. I’m living my dream,” Fossum says. “I appreciate support of people in the Valley who are so gracious and inviting. I want to convince kids there that there are opportunities they can achieve if they believe in their dream.”

– Stories by Jessica Mozo I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

27

Business

The

of

Color

Money

McALLENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RETAIL SECTOR IS RED HOT

La Plaza Mall is a popular shopping location in McAllen that still flourishes among the growing retail developments in the city. Many chain retailers experience their highest national per-square-foot sales in their La Plaza Mall locations.

28

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

STORY BY GARY PERILLOUX | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER

R

ich, molten hues ring the terra cotta roof line of McAllen’s La Plaza Mall.

And nothing could be more appropriate.

Measured in mercury, sales in this Rio Grande Valley shopping mecca would be red hot. By a more conventional measure, La Plaza stores can soar past the $500-per-square-foot mark, besting sister stores anywhere in the nation.

That spells success for mall owner Simon Property Group, anchors like Macy’s and in-line tenants like Guess.

But McAllen’s penchant for luring millions of shoppers a year from two hours deep into Mexico is a boon for independent retailers, too.

A second-generation jeweler, 31year-old Ricardo Portillo watched his parents Carmen and Ricardo Sr. grow their business from a couple of jewelry cases to a thriving Brownsville location with several thousand square feet.

Nearly a decade ago, Ricardo Jr. launched a Harlingen store and in 2005 opened Portillo Jewelers’ third store in La Plaza Mall.

McAllen commerce, he says, is a multifaceted international gem.

“Any given day, a German engineer could come into the shop who happens to be on a one-month hiatus to consult with a business that has a factory in Reynosa (Mexico) and an office here in McAllen,” the younger Portillo says.

The next day might bring Filipino nurses recruited to McAllen for their medical skills.

“Part of our competitive advantage is the individualized attention we give – finding out not just what they came in for, but what they might be happiest with.”

Portillo’s creative catering symbolizes what’s happening on a macroeconomic level: Developers do more every day to McALLEN

Going on a Mission in Monterrey

W

woo shoppers.

And besides a heightened focus on customer service, strategic location is becoming even more critical among so much competition.

In 2007, Simon Property opened the 600,000-square-foot Palms Crossing in west McAllen, adjacent to the new $36 million convention center that is enjoying steady bookings from conventioneers such as the NAACP and the Catholic Daughters of America.

Traveling east on the U.S. 83 expressway, Las Tiendas Plaza and several adjacent plazas offer frontageroad retail, while 10th Street north to Edinburg features many popular boutiques and specialty stores, an upscale cinema serving food and alcoholic drinks, and the J.C. Penney-anchored Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley, an $80 million development under way

by First Hartford Realty.

Farther east on U.S. 83, Chelsea’s Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets grew sales taxes fivefold the first year of operation. That prompted a 40-store expansion to 150 outlets.

Some 37 percent of McAllen area sales stem from Mexican visitors, whose buying power helps create more choices.

“That’s the conservative estimate,” says NAI Rio Grande Valley broker Michael Blum of the 37 percent.

McAllen itself registered $3.3 billion in annual retail sales in 2006. “It’s an astounding number.”

Blum says development of 1.5 million square feet of retail space is under way or recently completed, with another 800,000 square feet recently announced.

“It continues to grow each year,” says Chamber CEO Steve Ahlenius, who hopes for high-end retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom soon. “I see nothing but opportunity on the horizon.”

hen the Anzalduas International Bridge opens in 2009, it will create a third Rio Grande tourism and trade route to the McAllen metro area, saving time for shoppers, tourists and trucks as they bypass downtown Reynosa, Mexico.

But the bridge is hardly McAllen’s first effort to beef up Mexican-Texan ties.

In 1994, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce opened a trade and tourism office in Monterrey, Mexico, shortly after passage of the NAFTA agreement. Today, Casa McAllen – as the office managed by Silvia Garza is called – arranges high-profile business meetings, participates in trade exhibitions and sends Mexican consumers to McAllen with hordes of coupons.

“It was the Chamber’s effort to grow McAllen in terms of tying it into the Monterrey market,” says Chamber CEO Steve Ahlenius, explaining why that metro market of 4 million people made an obvious choice.

“It’s the epicenter of business activity for the whole country of Mexico.”

Casa McAllen resides in Cintermex, Latin America’s largest exhibition hall with more than a million square feet of convention and permanent office space.

The Chamber’s lease entitles it to enviable booth space rates and a setting at a vibrant business crossroads.

“I call it the mall for business,” Ahlenius says. “It’s been an ongoing success for McAllen.”

– Gary Perilloux

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

29

WES ALDRIDGE

Mexico Mio offers a wide variety of art pieces hecho en Mexico, or made in Mexico, that are readily available in a retail space in McAllen. Among the most interesting items for sale are scores of intricately designed crosses.

MEXICO IN MCALLEN Virginia Topete has moved “her Mexico.”

Mexico Mio, or My Mexico, is Topete’s home décor and gift store devoted exclusively to pieces crafted south of the border. She recently relocated her store to 1111 N. 10th St., Suite I, to take part in the community’s monthly ArtWalk events.

Topete’s colorful store highlights the variety and talents of Mexico’s artists and artisans.

“I have a little bit from all the different states,” Topete says.

Her inventory consists of fine furniture, crafts, cookware and religious images, among other items. Topete personally selects each of the pieces during her regular visits to San Miguel, which she describes as “a little town filled with art.”

Mexico Mio’s customers range from Anglos interested in experiencing Mexican culture, Valley Hispanics and

even Mexican nationals visiting McAllen on shopping trips.

Mexico Mio is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

HORSEPOWER GREW THIS GROVE A county institution was born for want of a horse.

When Will and Julie Klement moved to their rural residence 35 years ago, the family’s four sons collectively begged their parents for a horse. The couple agreed on the condition that the boys paid for the equine investment by picking and selling the fruit from the 3-acre citrus grove that came with the property.

From those humble origins – which included a cash box and honor system for sales, the boys got their horse; and

Klement’s Citrus Grove and Country Store developed into a citrus empire, with the family now maintaining 55 acres of groves in the area.

As business grew, the Klements constructed a retail store, where sales of oranges, grapefruits and juices are supplemented with fudge, nuts and gift items. The store, located at the corner of Buddy Owens and Taylor roads, is open from the first of November through the end of April but is closed Sundays.

Julie Klement attributes the store’s growth to quality fruit and quality service.

“We always treated people like we would want to be treated,” she says.

Gain a firsthand understanding of South Texas’ role in the citrusproducing industry at Klement’s Citrus Grove and Country Store, where you can pick your own citrus in the grove, order fresh fruit to be shipped to friends and purchase fresh orange and grapefruit juice, dried fruits, homemade fudge, dressings, sauces, jams and more.

30

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

STATIONERY BUT NOT STATIONARY Quips ‘n’ Quotes began its existence as a seller of greeting card and paper items.

Its history, however, has been anything but stationary.

The store, founded by Bruce and Susan Leahy, was once found in Texas malls, but is now restricted to standalone facilities in McAllen and Harlingen. And what was once primarily a stationery store has evolved many times over in its 30-plus year history.

Today, Quips ‘n’ Quotes is a onestop shop for gifts, coffee and postal services. Each store has a coffee bar, which also offers lunch. And its gift menu includes baby and wedding gifts, fashion, religious items, candy, fragrances and other products.

The 16,000-square-foot store on 10th Street now is in the hands of David Leahy, who recognizes the need to evolve in order to stay relevant. The shop’s latest products include the popular footwear Crocs and Webkinz, an interactive plush toy.

The McAllen store is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

ONE-OF-A-KIND BUILDER Averill Builders doesn’t engage in the speculation game.

The McAllen construction company handles only custom work, in both the commercial and residential markets.

“We don’t build something and try to sell it,” says Joe Averill Jr. of the company founded by his father in 1976. “We made a decision that there was a market for people who wanted projects done at a quality level, rather than who could do it the cheapest.”

Each Averill Builders job is a oneof-a-kind project that involves working with individuals, tradespeople and architects to deliver the desired home or business to the company’s clients.

In addition to new construction, Averill Builders Inc., which also includes wife Nancy, stepson Allen Gray and four other employees, handles a lot of remodeling work.

“If you build homes for 30 years, you end up in the remodeling business.

You’ll do add-ons or remodels,” Averill says. “Sometimes, you end up building the client another home.”

McALLEN

A SPOTLESS IMAGE Appearance really is everything at Carwash Carwash.

Customers at the company’s five locations notice immediately that the company puts a premium on looking good. The business’s manicured grounds, impeccably dressed employees and even art-adorned walls all work together to send the proper message.

“The car wash market in this area is fairly saturated,” says Scott Crane, owner of the company’s three locations in McAllen, one in Harlingen and one in Weslaco. “By keeping the premises clean and well-landscaped, we try to make it upscale, professional and pleasant.”

The company’s efforts are most evident at its 10th Street location, which features a local art gallery on the premises. Local and national artists display their artwork in the waiting area while the company’s team of employees performs the vacuuming, washing, towel drying, spray waxing and its complete line of services.

WES ALDRIDGE

Business | Biz Briefs

Carwash Carwash has three locations throughout the city of McAllen.

“We try to give the customers something nice to look at to make the wait a little more bearable,” Crane says.

– Dan Markham

Dock High & Coolers Available

Warehouses Produce & Others From 1,400 - 2,800 sq. ft.

Rent starting at $800/month

Coming June 08: 5,000 - 10,000 sq. ft.

Call Carlos Zambito 618-4455 • Cell: 624-0819 carloszambito@hotmail.com Shown below: McAllen Produce Terminal Market

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

31

Business | Chamber Report

The McAllen Chamber of Commerce’s newest grant program encourages small-business growth.

STAFF PHOTO

What a Capital Idea SMALL-BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES BOOST TO AREA ENTREPRENEURS

S

mall businesses in and around McAllen have a new source of financing, thanks to the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.

After the success of its new Innovation Grant program, the Chamber has launched the Small Business Grant effort, which is closely modeled after the innovation grants setup.

But while the innovation grants are designed to help an existing business with “the next new idea,” says Steve Ahlenius, president of the McAllen Chamber, the small business grant program “is much more targeted at small businesses. They’re 95 percent of our membership, and we wanted to do programs that would be of benefit to them.”

With $25,000 in non-repayable funds up for grabs, Ahlenius says he expects to see a lot of interest in the new grant.

“We had between 10 and 15 applicants for the innovation grant, and we awarded three $10,000 grants,” Ahlenius says.

“And we’re looking at doing a second round of that process beginning in the spring of 2008. We think the small business grant program will be just as successful.”

Entrants must have an established business, with 50 percent of sales coming from outside Hidalgo County. The grant money can be used for nearly any purpose that is related to further developing the business.

The call for business plans ended in September 2007, after which a five-person review panel began the evaluation process 32

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

and selected finalists. The business leaders who were selected then were required to make 20-minute presentations, each complete with a question-and-answer session. After that, the panel made recommendations to the Chamber’s board, which makes the final decisions on awarding funds.

“The amount can vary; a person may only need $15,000, and the panel may decide to award them the entire $25,000 that’s available,” Ahlenius says. “If it’s a really good idea, then the board’s definitely going to do what it takes to help make it work.”

Whoever comes out the winner, the fact that that Chamber has now created two different business-friendly grant programs in as many years says volumes about how the organization listens to its members and makes significant efforts to be proactive, Ahlenius says.

“We’re coming from a place where we want to figure how we foster innovation and creativity,” he says. “We’ve got the innovation grant and our creative incubator, but how do we foster entrepreneurs and small businesses? There’s money out there for them through the SBA, but that has to be paid back.

This is something that can be used to expand the business and doesn’t have to be paid back. This is a great way for us to invest in our business here, to create jobs, create economic opportunity and create wealth.”

– Joe Morris McALLEN

Business | Economic Profile

McALLEN BUSINESS CLIMATE McAllen has grown and developed from an agriculture-based economy to a strong and diverse business climate. It is the region’s shopping, social, trade, recreational, cultural, health-care and financial center.

DISTANCE TO OTHER TEXAS CITIES Abilene, 480 miles

TRANSPORTATION Airport McAllen-Miller International Airport, 682-9101 Harlingen/Valley International Airport, 430-8604 Railroads Rio Valley Switching Co. Rail service to Mexico – Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico

Amarillo, 728 miles Austin, 300 miles Dallas-Fort Worth, 491 miles El Paso, 745 miles Lubbock, 618 miles San Antonio, 236 miles Waco, 410 miles

Employer

SUPERLATIVES Named as the best place to buy real estate in the nation (growth of 8.5 percent in 2007 and another 9.8 percent in 2008), Fortune magazine, Dec. 21, 2006 Ranked as the No. 1 red-hot market in the country, with 11.4 percent (12-month growth forecast), Money magazine, June 2006 McAllen is the No. 12 Best City to do Business in the Nation, Inc. magazine, May 2006 Named as best place to invest in 2006 (57 percent projected gain in home prices in the next five years), Business 2.0 magazine (CNN.com)

COST OF LIVING INDEX Philadelphia, 125.1 Denver, 104.7 Syracuse, N.Y., 101.0 Dallas, 103.4 Austin-San Marcos, Texas, 95.3 Shreveport-Bossier City, La., 92.8 Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas 86.4 McAllen MSA, 83.7 Source: ACCRA Report (2nd quarter 2006)

TOP 10 EMPLOYERS McALLEN MSA Product/ Service

No. of Employees

Edinburg Consolidated I.S.D.

Education

3,600

McAllen I.S.D.

Education

3,595

Edinburg Reg. Medical Center

Health care

3,000

University of Texas Pan American

Education

2,842

McAllen Medical Center

Health care

2,800

Hidalgo County

Government

Mission Consolidated I.S.D.

Education

1,955

City of McAllen

Government

1,489

Rio Grande Reg. Hospital

Health care

South Texas College

Education

2,211

975 811

TOP 10 PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYERS McALLEN MSA Edinburg Regional Medical Center

Health care

3,000

McAllen Medical Center

Health care

Wal-Mart

Retail

Ranked No. 1 in job growth and No. 2 for low cost of living in a survey of top U.S. metropolitan areas, Forbes magazine, 2005

Rio Grande Reg. Hospital

Health care

975

T-Mobile

Communications

720

H-E-B

Grocery

Ranked No. 7 on the list of “hot” metro areas for entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur magazine, 2005

Dillard’s

Retail

354

Foley’s

Retail

350

McDonald’s

Fast Food

350

Sam’s Club

Retail

350

Ranked No. 4 by Milken Institute-Best Performing Cities Index in the Nation for jobs created and sustained, 2005

McALLEN

2,800 1,000+

380+

Source: Real Estate Center Market Overview 2005

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

33

INCOME STATISTICS McAllen MSA Median household income $24,778 Average household income $33,910 McAllen Median household income $37,310 Mean family income $52,337 Per capita income, $17,114 Source: www.census.gov

TAXES 2005 Property tax per $100 assessed value City, $.4213 County, $.59 McAllen School District, $1.542 STC., $.1647 South Texas ISD., $.0392 Drainage District #1, $.0435 Total, $2.8012

Personal Services 24-hour front desk Dry cleaning/laundry Express check-in/ check-out

Sales Tax City, 2% County, None State, 6.25% Total, 8.25%

Ice machine On-site guest washer/dryer

State Income Tax Texas has no individual income tax.

Safety deposit box High-speed wireless areas

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Vending machines

Amenities Free breakfast • Free high-speed & wireless Internet access Free local calls • Microwave/refrigerator Outdoor pool/jacuzzi • Exercise room

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites 205 W. Nolana Loop Pharr, TX 78577 (956) 259-7829 • (956) 283-9525 www.hiexpress.com/pharrtx

Stay Smart 34

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

®

McAllen Chamber of Commerce 1200 Ash Ave., P.O. Box 790 McAllen, TX 78505-0790 Phone: (956) 682-2871 Fax: (956) 687-2917 www.mcallenchamber.com McAllen Economic Development Corp.

6401 S. 33rd St. McAllen, TX 78503 Phone: (956) 682-2875 Fax: (956) 682-3077 www.medc.org

Sources: www.medc.org www.mcallenchamber.com www.city-data.com

McALLEN

WES ALDRIDGE

Education

Jeanette La Fevers is the coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program in the McAllen Independent School District. The system’s IB program was the first in Texas and the only one of its kind in South Texas.

Bon Voyage, Jeanette TEACHER LA FEVERS WILL TRAVEL THE WORLD SETTING UP IB PROGRAMS

M

cAllen’s upcoming loss will soon be the gain of school systems throughout the United States – and beyond.

Jeanette La Fevers was teaching physics at McAllen High School in 1999 when she was asked to participate in an International Baccalaureate feasibility study for the McAllen Independent School District. Indeed, the IB program eventually was set up in the McAllen ISD for the 2001-2002 school year, with La Fevers serving as program coordinator.

Now, in June 2008, La Fevers will retire from the successful IB coordinator post in McAllen to travel part-time throughout the nation and parts of the world to set up IB programs in other communities.

“I have enjoyed my time in McAllen, and working in the IB program was the best experience of my 34-year teaching career,” La Fevers says. “It’s just time for me to help spread the good message of IB to other school systems that don’t yet offer this amazing program.”

The International Baccalaureate program originated in Switzerland in 1968 to provide a worldwide high school curriculum based on rigorous international standards. IB classes include advanced English, math, science, art and foreign languages, with qualified high school juniors and seniors taking these courses that are equivalent to classes they would take as freshmen and sophomores in college.

McALLEN

Juniors and seniors who successfully complete the twoyear IB program receive an International Baccalaureate diploma at their senior graduation, along with their regular high school diploma. Approximately 150 students in McAllen have received IB diplomas to date.

“Recently in McAllen, parents with kids in the lower grades started asking if an IB program could also be implemented in middle schools and even in elementary schools,” La Fevers says. “I’ve been working on that initiative during the last couple of years.”

As a result of the efforts of La Fevers and others, today an IB philosophy is being implemented in six McAllen elementary schools (Bonham, Fields, Garza, Gonzalez, Milam and Rayburn) as well as three middle schools (Cathey, DeLeon and Travis).

La Fevers says the IB program for elementary students simply offers a framework for students to become good learners, so that teachers can devote energy to teaching instead of dealing with discipline and motivation.

“Meanwhile, the middle years program for grades 6-10 begins developing specific academic skills that will ultimately help students be successful once they enroll in the IB diploma program in grades 11-12,” she says. “The International Baccalaureate program is something I strongly believe in, and soon it will be time for me to take the message to other school systems that want to better themselves.”

– Kevin Litwin I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

35

Education

Building Momentum SEVERAL SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE IN FULL SWING

I

t has been all about reading, writing and new roofs for the McAllen Independent School District ever since a $97.85 million bond was passed in 2005.

A total of 11 major construction projects were scheduled for the McAllen ISD once voters agreed to the bond, and six of those projects were completed in time for the start of the 200708 school year. They included four new elementary schools opening their doors.

One of the new schools – Fields Elementary – has replaced the old Fields school that was 60 years old. Another new campus – Thigpen-Zavala Elementary – replaces both the old Thigpen and Zavala schools.

Also opening in time for the 2007-08 school year were Sanchez Elementary and Perez Elementary schools, both located in the north area of McAllen. In addition, two old wings were torn down at Navarro Elementary School in order to add 18 new classrooms.

“The students at Navarro have entered what is essentially a whole new school,” says Mark May, community information director with the McAllen ISD.

Meanwhile, McAllen High School has expanded by constructing a new wing onto its existing building, resulting in the addition of eight classrooms.

“The building matches very well,” says Kevin Hitchcock, bond project manager with Jacobs Facilities Inc., the company that is overseeing all construction. “The new wing looks like it has always been there.”

In October 2007, work was completed on a new gymnasium at Lincoln Middle School, while construction began in September 2007 on a yet-to-be-named elementary school that will be located on Ware Road and Flamingo Avenue in north McAllen. It will be ready in August 2008, and the brand new Fossum Middle School will also open at that time.

Another big project taking place is replacing the heating/ air-conditioning unit at Memorial High School, while construction also has begun on a new building to house the district’s central kitchen as well as all maintenance operations.

“All 11 of these major projects will be completed before school begins in 2008,” May says.

– Kevin Litwin

The new Thigpen-Zavala Elementary School was constructed as a replacement facility for two previous elementary schools. The structure was completed through a bond issued for the McAllen Independent School District. WES ALDRIDGE

36

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

Computer Network Service

Man, Oh Manufacturing

M

anufacturing jobs often produce the highest wages, so a large new manufacturing and research development park is being built in McAllen to attract such industry.

Plans are already in place to construct the NAAMREI Rapid Response Manufacturing Regional Center on 80 acres along Ware Road. NAAMREI, or North American Advance Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative, was created by the U.S. Department of Labor to help establish a premier manufacturing infrastructure facility for the seven-county Rio South Texas Region.

“This region wants to eventually have highly skilled, high-wage manufacturing jobs representing at least 10 percent of the total workforce in this region,” says Wanda Garza, executive officer for workforce development and external affairs at South Texas College.

Garza says the way to attract manufacturing industries is to offer them rapid response customization of products.

“For example, if the NAAMREI center could design a specific widget for an industry and get it to market within 30 to 60 days, we beat out our competition in China and other Asian nations,” she says. “Other manufacturers would hear about how advanced we are in this region and want to do business with us. That’s the goal of this whole initiative.

– Kevin Litwin

McALLEN

Evolving Technologies, Innovative Solutions.

IT MANAGEMENT & CONSULTING 1053 W. Mile 3 Rd. • Mission, TX 78574 Mailing: P.O. Box 4162 • Edinburg, TX 78540 (956) 207-4855 • (956) 207-0684 • Fax: (866) 243-3264 E-mail: service@compnetservice.net www.compnetservice.net

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

37

38

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

Arts & Culture

Southbound Sound CONCERT SERIES CAPITALIZES ON McALLEN’S PROXIMITY TO AUSTIN MUSIC SCENE

W

McALLEN

a broader appeal.

“One of our goals is to increase the availability of the arts for individuals here,” Millar says. “The local folks absolutely loved ‘South of the City Limits,’ and our creative community did as well. They see it as the city putting more of an emphasis on the arts all the way around, and what helps one helps them all.”

On the tourism side, the series is one more way that McAllen can promote itself as the Valley’s cultural arts and entertainment center, she adds.

“This kind of program helps us promote leisure tourism, as well as

convention sales,” she says. “Almost every show was sold out last year, so there’s plenty of interest here.”

In fact, bands already are sending their promotional materials to the Chamber’s office and to the Cine El Rey’s management, so word-of-mouth buzz promises to make the second year even more successful than the first. And with season tickets for all eight shows going for a very reasonable $160, Millar expects nothing but positive reactions going forward.

“It really is a good bargain,” she says, “and the talent is just incredible.”

– Joe Morris

ANTONY BOSHIER

ith a terrific venue and a lot of regional talent, the only question about McAllen’s “South of the City Limits: The Best of the Austin Sound” concert series is “What took so long?”

The series, which had its first run from November 2006 to July 2007, allows McAllen to showcase its own arts community while drawing in music lovers from around the area, says Nancy Millar, director of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce’s Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

“The Chamber of Commerce has for several years been seriously involved in promoting the arts in McAllen, and one of the things that we were interested in doing was increasing our offerings,” Millar says. “Art and culture make a big difference in all aspects of economic development, from tourism to encouraging businesses to come to town.

Quality of life really can make the difference in where a business will locate or expand.”

Once the idea of a concert series began to gain traction, the pieces fell into place quickly.

“We have this wonderful, renovated historic theater, the Cine El Rey, already showing a lot of films, and so we came upon the idea of sponsoring a series of live performances,” Millar says. “We’ve got Austin right up the road, so it was logical to pick some of the best acts that were appearing there and bring them down here for performances.”

Entertainers in 2006-07 included Grupo Fantasma, The Eggmen, WC Clark’s Blues Revue, Commander Cody, Ian McClagan, Rusty Wier, The Austin Mother Truckers and the Lounge Lizards.

It helped that the CVB was no stranger to creating high-profile art events. The organization ran a series, “Winterstage,” for about 15 years, stopping two years ago. The new program took a lot of ideas from its predecessor, but was designed to have

The Cine El Rey is an iconic McAllen landmark that is located on South 17th Street.

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

39

PROVIDENCE MEDICAL

& G E R I AT R I C ASSOCIATES, P.A. Olga M. Olivares-Herrera M.D.

Board Certified

• Family Medicine • Geriatric Medicine • Palliative Care

• Management of chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Cholesterol, Hypertension and others • Preventive screenings • Osteoporosis prevention and treatment • Memory clinic – early detection of Dementia and treatment • Adult immunizations • Pain clinic • Hospice & palliative care services • Nursing home care

222 E. Ridge Rd. • Ste. 101 McAllen, TX 78503 (956) 971-8800 Fax: (956) 971-8804 www.mypmga.com

40

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

ANTONY BOSHIER

WES ALDRIDGE

Sports & Recreation

The Rio Grande Valley Silverados play at the newly constructed McAllen Convention Center.

Left: The Rio Grande Valley Vipers play at Dodge Arena.

Hoops Fans See Double SILVERADOS AND VIPERS PRO BASKETBALL TEAMS LAUNCH FIRST SEASONS

P

rofessional basketball has arrived in the Rio Grande Valley – in duplicate.

In November, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers began play in the NBA Development League, a minor league for the National Basketball Association. At almost the same time, the Continental Basketball Association welcomed the Rio Grande Valley Silverados to the fold.

The Silverados were the first to hit the hardwood, debuting Nov. 17 at the 3,000-seat McAllen Convention Center. Team co-owners Kevin Mitchell and Art Gonzalez founded the expansion franchise as a gift to the region.

“We wanted to bring something to the Valley,” says Mitchell. “This is something we’re passionate about.”

The team plays in the 10-team CBA, a 60-year-old league that has sent scores of players to the NBA. That will be the dream of the first crop of Silverados, who were selected at the CBA’s draft and through various tryouts.

Leading the club is Bob Tucker, the team’s coach and director of basketball operations. Tucker has the experience for the job, as the Silverados are the sixth expansion franchise he’s directed.

The team plays a 48-game schedule from November through April, followed by the league’s playoffs.

But wins and losses will only be part of the equation for the front office when it weighs the results of its first year of operation.

McALLEN

“Success for us will be being able to provide a high level of entertainment,” Mitchell says.

Less than a week after the Silverados tipped off, the Vipers played their first game in Hidalgo’s Dodge Arena, which seats more than 5,500 for basketball games. The team sold more than 1,000 season tickets in advance of the first game.

The franchise was born after a meeting between Ryan Murphy and the NBA president of development and expansion.

Murphy quickly put together a group of community investors to entice the NBA to choose the Valley as the site of an expansion franchise.

The Vipers’ roster will be stocked with players from three NBA clubs: the Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers. Many of those players will bounce back and forth between the Vipers and the NBA. Bob Hoffman, who coached at Texas-Pan American in addition to other stops in a lengthy career, was tabbed as the team’s first coach. NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin serves as the club’s director of basketball operations, part of what Murphy calls “a superstar team.”

Murphy says one goal of the franchise is to “promote the Rio Grande Valley and bring national and international exposure to the McAllen region.”

The club plays a 50-game schedule, also from November to April.

– Dan Markham I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

41

Improving Your Health.

Improving Your Lifestyle.

Where can you find qualified and caring medical professionals?

Advance Health Resources

Miguel A. Hernández, M.D., Board Certified Salvador Méndez, M.D., Board Certified Helping our patients back to a healthy lifestyle is our number one priority. We at McAllen Bone & Joint Clinic would like to do the same for you, call today to meet with any one of our Board Certified Physicians.

Any Orthopaedic Emergency Within  Hours Night Clinic • Mon.-Fri. p.m.-p.m.

Minor Orthopaedic Emergencies Physical Therapist On-Site • Accepting Most HMO & PPO Insurances

Let us give you a helping hand.

• Professional medical employment staffing valleywide • Qualified nurse staffing (full-time, part-time and temporary) • Servicing hospitals, nursing homes, doctor offices and clinics • Providing medical billing services WE ARE ALWAYS ACCEPTING RNs, LVNs and all certified medical staff.

Apply in person or online.

Orange Medical Plaza • 1421A N. 2nd St. • McAllen, TX 78501

(956) 618-4414

612 Nolana, Ste. 345 • McAllen, TX 78504 • (956) 686-7033 www.advancehealthresources.com Licensed by the State of Texas, professional and liability insured and bonded.

questions answers

©2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

42

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

McALLEN

Health & Wellness

The newly constructed Women’s Hospital at Renaissance is a $67 million, 200,000-square-foot facility exclusively dedicated to women’s health care.

Going Through a Growth Cycle DOCTOR’S HOSPITAL AT RENAISSANCE EXPANSIONS INCLUDE WOMEN’S HOSPITAL

A

people already working at Doctor’s Hospital to operate the new facility, which will also be staffed by more than 45 local obstetricians and gynecologists, Castañeda says.

Doctor’s Hospital also is expanding its cancer treatment and behavioral health offerings even as it continues to add new other programs and services. The planned behavioral health hospital will have 80 beds, while the new cancer center at the hospital offers 30 infusion treatment stations, a PET CT scanner and a 16-slice computerized tomography, or CT, scanner.

All told, the hospital has undergone more than a dozen expansion projects of varying size and scope since it opened, always with an eye toward meeting the various healthcare needs of growing Hidalgo County. To date, these have included four freestanding imaging centers located throughout the Rio Grande Valley, a wound care center, acute care rehabilitation hospital specializing in the treatment of stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as neurological disorders.

Currently the hospital has 13 general operating rooms, six endoscopy suites, five cardiac catheterization laboratories, 20 critical-care unit beds, a 12-bed step-down unit, 30-bed telemetry floor, 32-bed emergency department, 16-bed pediatric floor, 32-bed medical/surgical floor, a hyperbaric/ wound care center, outpatient infusion center, four freestanding diagnostic imaging centers, an outpatient cancer treatment center, diabetes center and 38-bed rehab center.

– Joe Morris

McALLEN

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

decade into its operation, Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance is in the midst of a major growth spurt.

A consortium of 400 physicians and businessmen owns the hospital, which began as a day-surgery center in 1997. It officially became a hospital in July 2003, and since then it has undergone a series of major physical enhancements, including a four-story patient tower, completed in 2004, which added 96 beds and a variety of labs and surgical suites.

Altogether, the hospital now has a total of 180 beds.

In fall 2007, the hospital opened the doors to its new Women’s Hospital at Renaissance, a 200,000-square-foot facility that offers 24 labor and delivery suites, 24 postsurgical patient suites, 48 postpartum suites, a 47-bed newborn nursery, a 50-bed neonatal intensive care unit, five surgical suites and eight ante-partum beds. All suites in the new women’s facility are private.

With a $67 million price tag, a lot of thought and research went into exactly what services were needed by area women, and the hospital responded accordingly, says Marissa Castañeda, chief operations officer.

“This facility will be the only hospital dedicated exclusively to women’s health care in the Rio Grande Valley,” Castañeda says. “This project will be a huge investment in the community’s health and will have the capability of 8,000 deliveries per year.”

An additional 1,000 staff members will join the 1,200

43

Health & Wellness

Pair Provide Top-Quality Care TWO LOCAL HOSPITALS GARNER NATIONAL RECOGNITION WITH AWARDS

44

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

families and a much better traffic flow system for our nurses and physicians who first see the patients.”

Similar activity is taking place at Rio Grande Regional, where Jones says a million-dollar overhaul was wrapped up in November 2007.

“We’re working to improve the patient experience in our emergency department,” he says, “and also provide better customer service there as well.”

Both Ryder and Jones say that having outstanding medical facilities in McAllen benefits the entire region, especially as

the population continues to grow.

“These awards compliment not only the hospital, but the physicians,” Jones says. “McAllen has grown significantly in the last five years, and so have physician specialties. The goal of our hospital and our medical community is to provide as much medical care in the Valley as we can and not have to transfer people to San Antonio and Houston.”

“People can fee very secure to know that there is this level of excellence in the Valley,” adds Ryder.

– Joe Morris

WES ALDRIDGE

T

he awards come in a steady stream at Rio Grande Regional Hospital and McAllen Medical Center, both of which have received the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. The designation, which is given by HealthGrades after studying 28 different components of a hospital’s operations and patient outcomes, means that the two institutions rank in the top 5 percent of the nation’s hospitals.

“We’re very proud of that,” says Rebecca Ryder, interim CEO of McAllen Medical Center. “It means a lot for the patients who come here for care, as well as the staff who works here.”

McAllen Medical Center’s McAllen Heart Hospital also has been recognized

by HealthGrades for the past several years for its pulmonary care, pulmonary services and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary embolisms.

Over at Rio Grande Regional Hospital, the institution’s pulmonology and orthopedics services have earned HealthGrades recognition. The hospital also has been recognized as a bariatric center of excellence, making it the only hospital in Texas south of San Antonio to receive the distinction, says Stephen K. Jones Jr., CEO. “We’ve spent a lot of resources on that program and are extremely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve there,” Jones says.

Even as the honors come in, neither organization is content to rest on its laurels; both are actively engaged in making sure their services and facilities remain up to date.

McAllen Medical Center put the finishing touches on a remodeled emergency department in August 2007, with improvements designed to create a more comfortable space for patients and their families as well as improve traffic flow through an area that has accommodated almost 185,000 visits in the past five years.

“We wanted to look at both of those issues,” Ryder says. “Now we have a beautiful waiting area for patients’

Both McAllen Medical Center, above, and Rio Grande Regional Hospital have earned HealthGrades’ Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence.

McALLEN

Community Profile

McALLEN SNAPSHOT McAllen Pro Bodyis known as the “City of Palms,” but the locals refer to it as “the Jewel in the Valley.” The city’s population doubles from October through March, when retirees known as “Winter Texans” flock here for the warm weather.

Higher Education South Texas College (800) 742-STCC (7822) 631-4922

EDUCATION McAllen Independent School District, 618-6000 Public Schools Elementary, 20 Middle, 7 High school, 4 Alternative, 3

South Texas Vocational Technical Institute, 631-1107 University of Texas-Pan American, 381-2741 (866) 441-UTPA

CLIMATE

McAllen ISD accolades Eight schools are state exemplary schools with TAAS achievement rates of at least 90 percent.

Private Schools Central Christian School 687-2340 Covenant Christian Academy 686-9470

Semi-tropical Average annual rainfall, 23.2” Average annual snowfall, None Average temperature, 74 F Average seasonal temperatures: January, 63 F July, 84 F Altitude, 122 ft. (Hidalgo County ranges from 40 ft. to 275 ft.)

The Discovery School, 381-1117

POPULATION

Our Lady of Sorrow Catholic School, 686-3651

(U.S. Census) McAllen MSA, 569,463 McAllen, 106,414

St. John’s Episcopal Day School, 686-0231 St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, 682-2345

2010 (estimated) McAllen MSA, 749,168 McAllen, 132,459

UTILITIES Cable Time Warner Communications 425-5897 Electricity CPL Retail Energy (731) 877-3733 First Choice Power (281) 585-1649 Hino Electric Power Co. (956) 428-8877 Magic Valley Electric Co-op (866) 225-5683 Reliant Energy 581-5377 TXU Energy (214) 812-5827 Natural Gas Texas Gas Service (800) 700-2089 Telephone AT&T (800) 464-7928 (residential) (800) 499-7928 (business) Westel Long Distance 682-0251 Water/Sewer McAllen Public Utility 681-1600

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) • Infants and toddlers, birth to age three with delays or disabilities • Free screening and assessment

EASY RIDE GOLF CARS

Inclusive Child Care

2508 W. Exp. 83 Mission, TX 78572 (956) 580-3370 Tel (956) 583-3634 Fax www.easyridegolfcars.com

• Children of all abilities learning and growing

The area code for McAllen is 956.

• Quality child care for children ages six weeks to five years

Call today: (956) 631-9171 Visit our Web site: www.easterseals-rgv.org

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

45

FAMILY PRACTICE WITH COMPETENCE AND INTEGRITY

CAYETANO E. BARRERA, M.D. Fellow A.A.F.P.

HOMERO RIVAS, M.D. Diplomate A.A.F.P. Fellow A.A.F.P.

DANIEL J. GUERRA, M.D., P.A. Diplomate A.A.F.P. Fellow A.A.F.P.

LEONEL G. MORENO, M.D. Diplomate A.A.F.P. Fellow A.A.F.P.

FAMILY PHYSICIANS CLINIC

VALLEY NIGHT CLINIC

Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sat. 8 a.m.-Noon

Open Every Night of the Year 6 p.m.-Midnight

Since 1967

Since 1981

682-4515

682-4515

606 S. Broadway • McAllen, TX

(956) 686-7661 513 W. Business 83 McAllen, TX 78501 www.markhamsautomotive.com

606 S. Broadway • McAllen, TX

MARKHAM’S WHEEL ALIGNING AUTOMOTIVE & SPRING SHOP Since 1945 • Complete Automotive Repair • Suspension Specialist • Complete Spring Service • U-bolts Made While You Wait • Brakes • Oil Changes • Radiator, Engine & Transmission Flushes • State Inspections • Tune-ups • High-speed Balancing • Alignments on Cars, Trucks, Trailers & RVs • Engine Diagnostics

46

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

MCALLEN

Community Profile MEDIA Newspapers The Monitor (daily), 686-4343 Town Crier (Wednesdays) 628-2423 Television XRIO-Channel 2 (Spanish) 630-2222 KGBT-Channel 4 (CBS) 421-4444 KRGV-Channel 5 (ABC) 631-5555 FOX-TV-Channel 6 (Fox) KVEO-Channel 23 (NBC) 544-2323 KMBH-Channel 60 (PBS) 421-4111 Radio KHID-FM 88.1 (NPR) KFRQ-FM 94.5 (rock) KKPS-FM 95.5 (Tejano) KIWW-FM 96 (Tejano) KVMV-FM 97.6 (Christian)

1st Choice The Massie Team

Designers by

PAYLESS OPTICAL McALLEN 2214 N. 10th • (956) 630-3999 WESLACO 901 N. Texas Blvd.

(956) 969-3444

Where quality eyewear is affordable

Joan Massie

612 Nolana • Ste. 220 McAllen, TX 78504 Office: (956) 668-8555

Broker/Owner (956) 227-3629

Michelle Massie Contreras Realtor® (956) 522-0070

Britt J. Massie www.themassieteam.com Each Office Independently Owned & Operated.

Owner (956) 227-2727

Joy Bangles 2405 N. 10th McAllen, TX (956) 668-0790

The area code for McAllen is 956.

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

47

KTEX-FM 100 (country)

Visit Our Advertisers Advance Health Resources www.advancehealthresources.com AEP Texas www.aeptexas.com Border Capital Bank www.bordercapitalbank.com Clark Chevrolet www.clarkchevrolet.com Computer Network Services www.compnetservice.net Copy Graphics www.copyg.com Copy Zone www.copyzone.net Designers by Payless Optical Deutsch & Deutsch www.deutschdeutschjewelers.com Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley www.easterseals-rgv.org Easy Ride Golf Cars www.easyridegolfcars.com Falcon International Bank www.falconbank.com Family Physicians Clinic First Christian Church www.fccdoc@highline.net Holiday Inn Express www.hiexpress.com/pharrtx International Bank of Commerce www.ibc.com Joy Bangles www.joybangles.net Keller Williams – Joyce Smithers www.joycesellsmcallen.com Keller Williams Realty www.kw.com Lynn Lee Inc. Dairy Queens www.thedqteam.com

KSOX-FM 102.1 (oldies) Markham Automotive www.markhamsautomotive.com McAllen Bone & Joint Clinic McAllen Economic Development Corporation www.medc.org McAllen Independent School District www.mcallenisd.org McAllen International Airport www.mcallenairport.com McAllen Produce Terminal McAllen Realty www.mcallenrealty.com Portillo Jewelers www.portillojewelry.com Providence Medical www.mypmga.com Re/Max in the Valley www.mcallenneighbors.com Re/Max First Choice www.themassieteam.com Rio Grande Regional Hospital www.riogranderegionalhospital.com Shepard Walton King www.shepardwaltonking.com South Texas Health System www.southtexashealthsystem.com Spikes Ford www.spikesford.com Texas State Bank www.txstbk.com The Family Church www.cotgs.com Valley International Airport www.flythevalley.com Young America Furnishings www.youngamericafurnishings.com

I spy something green.

KBFM-FM 104 (top 40) KVLY-FM 108 (adult contemporary) KURV-AM 710 (news/talk) KVJY-AM 840 (easy listening) KRGE-AM 1290 (rock) KGBT-AM 1530 (Spanish)

LIBRARIES McAllen Memorial Library 688-3300 Lark Branch Library, 688-3320 Palm View Branch Library 688-3322

MEDICAL FACILITIES McAllen Medical Center 632-4000 Rio Grande Regional Hospital 632-6000 Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, 664-0036

NUMBERS TO KNOW City of McAllen, 681-1000 McAllen Convention & Visitors Bureau (877) MCALLEN, 682-2871 McAllen Economic Development Corp., 682-2875 McAllen Fire Dept.

Central Fire Station, 972-7500 McAllen Police Dept.

972-7378

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Everyday moments can be learning moments with your kids. For more tips, visit bornlearning.org

McAllen Chamber of Commerce 1200 Ash Ave., P.O. Box 790 P.O. Box 790 McAllen, TX 78505-0790 Phone: 682-2871 Fax: 687-2917 www.mcallenchamber.com

Sources: www.city-data.com www.mcallen.net, medc.org www.mcallenchamber.com

48

I M AG E S M C A L L E N . C O M

MCALLEN