LifeStyles 2019 JANUARY EDITION
OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Bringing Communities & Winter Texans
TEXAS CITRUS FIESTA January 12 - 26, 2019
together!
See Pg. 5 For TCF Calendar of Events
Supplement of the
pg. 2
l 2019 January Edition
LifeStyles Of The RGV
Texas Citrus Fiesta began in 1932 his wife, gave their children some sweet tasting fruit they had never had before. One daughter, Carlota enjoyed the fruit so much she saved the seeds and planted them in 1871, hoping to get some trees so she could eventually have more of this delicious fruit. By 1892 the first citrus grove
to develop his vision of a thriving citrus and agricultural industry in The first citrus grove planted the Rio Grande Valley. in the Rio Grande Valley dates The first carloads of citrus back to 1871. According to the fruits were shipped out of the story, one of the circuit-riding Valley in 1920 by rail. By 1923 priests who visited the Laguna Shary had organized a chain Seca Ranch north of Edinburg, of citrus growers, packing and owned by Macedonio Vela and shipping plants. But there was a need to draw attention to the high quality of citrus fruit being grown in the Rio Grande Valley. The result was the Texas Citrus Fiesta that started in 1932 with the purpose of drawing attention to this new industry developing in the Rio Grande Valley. The goal of the Texas Citrus Fiesta was to promote national markets and sales for the citrus being grown in and around Mission. On Dec. 9, 1932 the first Texas Citrus Fiesta was held. Shary planned several exciting events including the coronation of King Grapefruit, W.D. Toland, John Shary and Emogene Baker (wife of Hidalgo Co. Sheriff A. Y. Baker) are costumed as King and Queen Citrus during a party and Queen Citrianna, Marguerite at the Shary home in December, 1930. This event inspired the first Texas Citrus Fiesta, two years later. Daniels. There were seven duchBy Kathy Olivarez
was growing in the Rio Grande Valley. But there was no citrus industry created in the Valley until the arrival of John H. Shary in 1914. Shary who developed much of Mission and the surrounding area took risks and was ridiculed by some as he became determined
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esses from other cities across the Rio Grande Valley, two train bearers, a crown bearer, a jester and an emcee for the coronation. They had a band concert, where the high school band played “March of the Harvest,” and a parade with 27 floats. An aerial circus was held at flying field west of Mission. Other events included a style show, fruit expositions and boxing contests. Businesses had displays of citrus fruit in their windows. There was even a football game. And of course, there was a queen’s ball where tickets cost $1.65 per couple. The ball was held at the Sproul Fruit Packing Shed, which was the only building large enough to hold the crowed expected to attend. Fox Film Corporation came down to film the show, and clips of the Texas Citrus Fiesta were shown in movie theaters across the nation. The fledgling festival suffered a setback in 1933 when a devastating hurricane destroyed many of the crops in the Valley. But the
Fiesta returned in 1934. It was expanded to two days and the Golden Grapefruit Golf Tournament was added to the fun. The Style Show continued and a rodeo was added to the list of Fiesta events. When Joske’s of San Antonio allowed the Style Show costumes to be placed in their display windows for a couple of weeks, invitations to do the same came from Corpus Christi, Houston and New York City. The Texas Citrus Fiesta was making a name for itself across the state and nation as it proclaimed Texas had the best citrus fruit to be found anywhere. In 1936 a children’s parade became a part of the fiesta. Children walked, rode bicycles and pulled carts decorated with citrus through the streets of Mission. In 1937 there was no Fiesta as it was decided to move the date for the fiesta to January of 1938 to avoid conflict with Christmas. The fiesta has been held in January since that time.
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pg. 3
See TEXAS CITRUS FIESTA Pg. 4
LifeStyles
OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Bringing Communities & Winter Texans
together!
Published by the Progress Times 1217 N. Conway • Mission, Texas 78572 • (956) 585-4893 news@progresstimes.net • www.ptrgv.com
Publisher: Dee Rendon Articles: Bryan Ramos, Kathy Olivarez Advertising: Dee Rendon Graphic Design: Carlos Reyna
© 2019 Savy Publishing, LLC dba Progress Times. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express consent of the publisher. All rights reserved.
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2019 January Edition
parade as it was not affected by weather. Through the years many, many children participated in the Style Show. Another change in 1947 was that dehydrated agricultural products were used to make the Citrus Fiesta costumes instead of the fresh fruit previously used. Using dehydrated products, the
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During the years of World War II, the festival was cancelled. But it was revived in 1947 and grew to a four-day festival with two parades. One was especially for children and their pets; the other had larger floats and bands. There were antique shows and hobby shows as well. By 1947 the Style Show held in the Mission High School gym took the place of the children’s
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from pg. 3
LifeStyles Of The RGV
TEXAS CITRUS FIESTA
costumes would last much longer and could be displayed at different times of the year. In 1951 the Tangerine Court was added as part of the Royal Court. Six-year-old girls competed for the title of Princess Anna and the other members of the court. In the beginning, Princess Anna was selected by stars such as Greer Garson and Gale Storm, who had a Texas connection. The 1960s and 1970s were the heyday of the Product Costume Style Show. Most ladies in the community stayed home and had time to work with members of their churches and other civic organizations to make the costumes very elaborate. Each year they became more and more intricate. Today, the Product Costume Show tradition still continues but costumes are for the most part less elaborate. As the years passed, the coronation became a much bigger event with most cities in the Rio Grande Valley sending duchesses to represent them. These duchesses represented the agricultural products the city was known for, including citrus varieties, flowers and other agricultural products. As these cities developed their own festivals some have stopped sending duchesses to participate in the Citrus Fiesta Coronation, but as Mission grows, there are enough organizations to support additional local duchesses. The Texas Citrus Fiesta Fun Fair was added in the early 1980s to add a new dimension to the celebration with craft shows, fun activities for children, music and lots of food. Many local clubs and organizations participated in the event. Other events like the Vaquero Cook-off, the Mayor’s International Brunch, and the Texas Citrus Fiesta Youth Show have added new dimensions to the festival that now stretches over the latter half of January. When John H. Shary first cre-
ated the Texas Citrus Fiesta in 1932, he had great visions for using the Fiesta as a marketing tool for the Texas Citrus industry. Of course, he did much more than market the Rio Grande Valley citrus industry; he created it. When Shary first visited the Valley in 1912 he immediately saw an opportunity to develop citrus production into an industry. He took risks, first by purchasing 12,000 acres from the Judge Brooks estate and 6,000 acres from the Briggs estate. In 1914, he purchased another 16,000 acres from the Swift estate and 20,000 acres from the Oblate Fathers. Although the Rio Grande Valley had extremely fertile soil, Shary knew he needed water if the land was to be used to produce crops—whether his own or for the Mid-West farmers who bought land from Shary and other land developers. So, he created the United Canal Company to pump water from the river and deliver it to the newly-formed farms. Shary then planted his first 300 acres of citrus at what is now the intersection of Shary Road and Business 83. Soon, he planted another 3,000 acres of citrus, forming Sharyland Plantation. Another hurdle to overcome was not only marketing a new industry, but getting the product to market. In 1921, the first railcar of citrus was shipped from the Valley, and in the 1921-1922 season the Mission area shipped 54 railroad cars of citrus to northern markets. As a result of overcoming these and many other obstacles, Shary is now fondly remembered as the “Father of the Texas Citrus Industry.” Citrus fruit from the Rio Grande Valley is now shipped all over the world due to the hard work of John H. Shary and all the citrus producers who followed during the past century. And the Texas Citrus Fiesta tradition lives on in Mission every January.
LifeStyles Of The RGV
2019 January Edition
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pg. 5
2019 Events Calendar
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PRODUCT COSTUME SHOW
Saturday, January 12, 2019. 2:00 PM Mission Community Center 1420 E Kika De La Garza Loop, Mission, TX 78572 $5.00 per person Winners for Shoe-box Float and Grapefruit Pie Competition will be announced.
e -
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SHOE-BOX FLOAT COMPETITION
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4th & 5th graders from the MISSION CISD, La Joya ISD and Sharyland ISD can contact their school librarian for information. All entries must be submitted by January 10, 2019
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ROYAL RECEPTION
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Saturday, January 19, 2019 $50.00 per person at the Mission Event Center
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“82nd Anniversary” “Citrus Celebrates Hollywood Movies”
ROYAL CORONATION OF KING CITRUS & QUEEN CITRIANNA Thursday, January 24, 2019 – 7:00 p.m. Mission High School- Neuhaus Gym. 1802 Cleo Dawson Mission, TX 78572 $5.00 General Seating - $10.00 Reserved Seating.
PARADE OF ORANGES
Saturday, January 26, 2019 3:00 p.m. Parade will run south on Conway, starting on 495 ending on 1st Street
FUN FAIR
Leo Pena Placita Park 9th & Conway. Live Music, Food vendors, Craft vendors AND MUCH MORE
HEART OF AMERICA CARNIVAL January 17 thru January 27, 2019 Shary Rd. Next to Mission Event Center
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Call Texas Citrus Fiesta For Information About These Events (956)585-9724
pg. 6
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2019 January Edition
Tuesday, January 8, 2019 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
SOUTH
TEXAS WINTER FEST
PORT ISABEL, TEXAS
Port Isabel Event Cultural Center 309 E. Railroad Ave
Danica Rae Bird
Greg Jones
LIVE MUSIC!
Leslie Blasing
LifeStyles Of The RGV
South Texas Winter Fest brings storm of good music, good vibes to Port Isabel By Bryan Ramos
A good kind of winter storm is set to hit the Rio Grande Valley as the inaugural South Texas Winter Fest, an all-day event featuring a variety of music from five top entertainers with a taste for everyone, comes to Port Isabel on Tuesday, Jan. 8 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The stage at the Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center will be rocking from beginning to end with musical artists that are sure to have the crowd moving to the beat. The South Texas Winter Fest was created to bring Winter Texans and locals together for a day full of good music and good vibes, all for FREE as the event is open to the public. The headlining act of the South Texas Winter Fest will be Goldwing Express, an award-winning bluegrass, country and gospel band out of Okmulgee, Oklahoma that’s made up of three brothers and their father. When they’re not performing during Winter Texan Season, they work at Dolly Parton’s Stampede in Branson, Missouri.
Goldwing Express has been nominated for Bluegrass Entertaining Band of the year and has won the Valley Star Family Entertaining Band of the year in the Rio Grande Valley. “We love and strive to make folks happy when they come see the Goldwing Express,” says Goldwing Express website. Leslie Blasing, who has been a full-time professional singer of country and rock n’ roll for over 30 years and performs regularly at South Padre Island’s most popular hotspots year- round, will also be taking the stage at the South Texas Winter Fest. During the “Winter Texan Season”, Leslie performs all over the Rio Grande Valley at many, many RV Resorts for dances and shows. It is also during this time that she has her own themed productions at various events centers throughout the Valley. The Valley Star Awards recently honored Leslie Blasing with “The Lifetime Achievement Award” for a female vocalist. The Kody Norris Show is a very well known group on the bluegrass circuit who is spending their first year performing in
FREE The Kody Norris Goldwing Show Express ADMISSION!
Vendors: $400 To Sponsor an entertainer: will receive 3-4 weeks of free advertising throughout the RGV. Entrance, with table and chairs to South Texas Winter Fest.
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For more information call Lynn Clasen (952) 261-8480 or Norma Reyes (956) 219-9072
S P O N S O R E D B Y:
Goldwing Express
LifeStyles Of The RGV
the Valley. They’re a fun group of young adults who perform fun skits in between their playing of bluegrass and country music. As seen on RFD TV all the way from Tennessee, the Kody Norris Show’s skillset will “captivate -your attention and make you laugh, cry and stomp your feet all in one performance.” Their album ‘When I get the money made’ was named the 2017 Bluegrass Album of the Year by the National Traditional Country Music Association. f Danica Rae Bird is a singer, rsongwriter, dancer of all differ-ent genres who has been detscribed as dynamic, energetic and passionate. She has spent t16 years touring with her band across the country and will soon be performing for the South Texras Winter Fest crowd. , “But the way she engages and connects with her audience is what really makes her in a class dof her own. Danica can make a
”
song feel and sound like it is being written at that very moment. Of course, it goes without saying that her talent, experience and sassy style lend for an amazing show, but her true power is in the way she makes you feel,” from a musician spotlight in the Valley Morning Star. Greg Jones is a country artist and entertainer who has revamped his entire show. With his 12-string guitar, Jones is playing all new music that takes audiences and listeners on a trip from the 1950s through the 1970s. These five acts are coming together to put on one of the best live shows in the Valley at the South Texas Winter Fest on January 8 where they’ll welcome the entire Rio Grande Valley community and Winter Texans. For more information or questions, call Lynn Clasen at (952) 261-8480.
2019 January Edition
Danica Rae Bird
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pg. 8
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2019 January Edition
Wednesday January 23, 2019 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
SOUTH
TEXAS
BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL PORT ISABEL, TEXAS
Port Isabel Event Cultural Center 309 E. Railroad Ave
Goldwing Express
With Special Guest Leslie Blasing
The Kody Norris Show
As Seen on RFD TV all the way from Tennessee
Along with many other bands For more information call Lynn Clasen (952) 261-8480 or Norma Reyes (956) 219-9072
Tickets $20.00 p/p S P O N S O R E D B Y:
LifeStyles Of The RGV
Inaugural South Texas Bluegrass Festival the first of its kind in the RGV By Bryan Ramos
Get ready for a day full of music, entertainment and surprises at the Inaugural South Texas Bluegrass Festival on Wednesday, Jan. 23 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center. The all-day Bluegrass festival is the first of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley and will feature Bluegrass favorites like Goldwing Express and The Kody Norris Show, with a special guest appearance by Leslie Blasing. Midway through the day, the artists and entertainers will go beyond their limits and treat the audience to a musical surprise. Attendees of the South Texas Bluegrass Festival are encouraged to dress in their best Dolly Parton or Hillbilly outfit for the chance to win a costume contest. Bluegrass music is a form of American country music with roots in the English, Irish and Scottish traditional music, and a notable blues influence that emerged in the 1930s and 1940s. The show is set to start at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. with performers frequently taking the stage and performing some of their best hits and classics everybody can sing along to. Tickets for the South Texas Bluegrass Festival are $20 and the event is open to the public. The Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center will also be selling beer and wine. Goldwing Express is a Bluegrass, Country and Gospel band originally from Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The band is made up of three brothers and their father, while their mother Juanita, a fullblood Native-American Creek Indian, named the band “Goldwing Express” after their hobby of riding Goldwing motorcycles in the 1980s. Goldwing Express has been nominated for Bluegrass Entertaining Band of the year and has won the Valley Star Family Entertaining Band of the year in the Rio Grande Valley. “We love and strive to make
folks happy when they come see the goldwing Express,” says Goldwing Express website. The band is made up of Bob Baldridge, the father who plays the mandolin and sings lead vocals for the group, Paul, the eldest son who plays lead guitar and sings tenor, Steven, the middle son who plays the banjo and dobro, and Shawn, the youngest brother who plays the upright bass fiddle and hits all the low end notes. Making a Special Guest Appearance with Goldwing Express is the talented singer Leslie Blasing, winner of the Female Vocalist of the Year for 2013 through 2017 and Entertainer of the Year in 2014, 2015 and 2016, as chosen by the Winter Texans in the Rio Grande Valley and resorts. Leslie has been a full-time professional singer for over 30 years and transferred to South Padre Island where she now regularly performs. The Kody Norris Show, complete with colorful rhinestone suits and cowboy hats, will also be one of the main attractions at the South Texas Bluegrass Festival. As seen on RFD TV all the way from Tennessee, the Kody Norris Show’s skillset will “captivate your attention and make you laugh, cry and stomp your feet all in one performance.” Their album ‘When I Get the Money Made’ was named the 2017 Bluegrass Album of the Year by the National Traditional Country Music Association. “We try to bring a retro effect to the show, something reminiscent of like a 1950s Grande Ole Opry performance,” said Kody Norris of The Kody Norris Show. “The entertainment element of it is the fan experience is of the utmost to us. We really try to captivate the audience with our every move on stage and really try to make that fan experience top notch in all aspects.” To purchase tickets for the Inaugural South Texas Bluegrass Festival or for more information, call Lynn Clasen at (952) 2618480.
LifeStyles Of The RGV
EVENTS
CALENDAR January 5 This group is for you if you know that your life could be better and you’re seeking for ways to transform your life that includes meditation, spirituality and energetic tools. Meditation begins at 7 p.m. inside 7th and park located at 1554 E. 7th St. in Brownsville. January 5 The Tip of Texas Orchid Society will meet at the Valley Nature Center in Weslaco and begins promptly at 2:00pm. Anyone interested in learning more about orchids and how to grow them in the Rio Grande Valley is invited to join. Visit us on Facebook: TOTOS Tip of Texas Orchid Society. January 10-12 The NEW All Valley RV AND Outdoor Show now includes all things having to do with outdoor sports and recreation! The Show is located at the Mercedes Livestock Showgrounds. Call 832-444-5808 or contact info@ RGVparks.org for more details. January 11-12 Rio Grande Valley Woodcarvers Show will be held at the Nomad Shrine Club located at 1044 W. Nolana in Pharr from 10am- 4pm. For more information check their website:www. rgvwoodcarvers.org or contact Fred Stenman at fstenman@ msn.com, (320) 253-2132 or contact Jim Crawford at whittlinsam@outlook.com or (956) 279-6013. January 11-12 Ring in the New Year with the nationally award winning UTRGV Mariachi Aztlán! Enjoy the beauty of Mexican Folk music as we showcase our outstanding UTRGV students. Showtime for Friday is 7 p.m. and Saturday is 2 p.m. For spe-
cial accommodations call 956665-3881. January 12 The Texas Citrus Fiesta Product Costume Show will be held at the Mission Event Center at 2 p.m. The Show features exquisite costumes made of citrus and other local Valley products are exhibited. Through the years, and with modern technology, the costumes have become intricate works of fold art using Valley citrus, fruits, vegetables and foliage that have been pulverized, dehydrated, blended and micro-waved. These costumes have been featured in National Geographic, Southern Living, Texas Monthly magazines, and at shows from Kansas City to Washington D.C. The Grapefruit pie competition and Shoebox Float winners will also be announced. Call the TCF office at 956-585-9724 for more information. January 12 Don’t miss your chance to cross the historical Queen Isabella Causeway over the beautiful Laguna Madre by participating in the 5k Fitness Walk or the 10k Run! Hosted by the Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce, the 35th Annual Longest Causeway Run & Fitness walk will begin at 8 a.m. Call 956-943-2262 for more details. January 12 & 26 Get your ole´on and live the experience with bloodless world-class bullfighting at the Santa Maria Bullring in La Gloria. Gates open at 1 p.m. and bullfight starts at 4 p.m. For reservations call 956-481-3300 or pay when you arrive. January 12 The McAllen Public Library, located 4001 N. 23rd St, welcomes Speaker Corp founder
2019 January Edition Joshua Howard and his fantastic guest speakers for an afternoon of education, entertainment and encouragement to help you and your family live a long and healthy life. Event begins at 11 a.m. For information contact 770-771-8825. January 15-16 The 26th Annual Winter Texan Expo will be held at the McAllen Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m and all seniors are welcome! The Annual Expo will host a wide variety of entertainment and dancing throughout the fun-filled two-day event! For more information call 956-6875115. January 18 Hillbilly’s proudly welcomes back to McAllen Sunny Sweeney! This is a first come first serve seating and doors open at 8:00pm. Hillbilly’s is located at 6000 N. 10th St in McAllen. January 18-20 Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, Newsies is set in turn-ofthe century New York City, and is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right! The McAllen High School Theatre department will be selling pres-sale tickets from now until January 10 and will also have tickets at the door. McAllen High School is located at 2021 La Vista Ave. Showtimes for Friday and Saturday are at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. January 20 The McAllen Marathon is hosting its annual race and offers various routes for runners to compete in. All races start and end at the McAllen Convention Center and begin at 7:00 a.m. Call 956.681.3320 or visit the official McAllen Marathon website for more details.
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January 21 The Mr. Amigo Association is hosting, Taste of la Frontera, which features regional cuisine from restaurants on the border, music, beverages, and entertainment at the Brownsville Event Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Mr. Amigo Association works to promote relations between the United States and Mexico and highlights the way of life between Brownsville and Matamoros. For more information email mramigoassociation@ gmail.com, (956) 230-6796, or visit our website at MrAmigo. com. January 22-26 The 24th Annual Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo is five days of fun for the whole family! This five-day expo is full of fantastic speakers covering all coastal outdoor and nature topics. Each day begins at 8am at the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. For more details call 956-761-6801. January 24 The Royal Coronation for Texas Citrus Fiesta King Citrus & Queen Citrianna will be at 7 pm in the Mission High School Gym. For reserved seating or more information call 956-585-9724. January 25-27 Featuring handcrafted jewelry, fashionable clothing, cosmetics & fragrances, rare arts and crafts, gourmet treats, exclusive home decor items and so much more! Spend your days shopping for gifts and treasures from all over the world during the traditional SPI Market days! This event is held at the SPI Convention Center and is held Friday, 9am 5pm; Saturday 9am 5pm and Sunday, 10am 4pm. January 26 The Parade of Oranges will begin at 3 p.m and it runs south on Conway starting on 495 and ending on 1st street in Mission. The competition floats are made with Valley citrus, fruits and vegetables along with foliage exclusively from the Valley.
pg. 10
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2019 January Edition
LifeStyles Of The RGV
John H. Shary:
Father of the Texas Citrus Industry By Kathy Olivarez It is said that when John H. Shary was trying to decide whether to stay in the Rio Grande Valley and develop the citrus industry or whether to move elsewhere, he took his lucky silver dollar out of his pocket and flipped it three times. Each time it came up heads and that meant he would stay in the Valley. He decided to stay and pursue his dream of creating a citrus industry in South Texas. The son of Austrian immigrants who settled in Nebraska, Shary became one of the most influential men in the Rio Grande Valley. He attended Doane College and became a pharmacist after graduating from high school. He opened a pharmacy in Omaha but gave it up after a couple of years when he was offered a job that gave him
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a chance to travel. Shary first settled in Corpus Christi where he worked as a land developer. He bought 30,000 acres of untouched brushland for $15,000. He eventually made a profit of over $100,000 from the land. With a partner he developed another 260,000 acres of land under the name International Land & Investing Company. Shary sent workers throughout the Midwest to spread the word about the favorable living conditions in Texas. He ran weekly excursion trains to South Texas over a period of 30 years. Shary brought people to Texas to see what could be done in the Rio Grande Valley. He hired people to promote land sales in the Midwest through brochures that showed beautiful homes and bountiful crops and people See JOHN H. SHARY Pg. 12
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Every Sunday – 8:30am
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Followed by Prayer Meeting Every Monday 4:30 – 6pm Dinner Call for menu changes every week Every Thursday Lunch – Burgers & More 11 – 12:30pm Rock & Roll Jam – 12:30 – 3pm Every Friday Alternating Pizza / Soup or Salad Bar • 11 – 12:30pm 2nd Saturday Each Month Craft Sale – 8am – 12noon Breakfast & Lunch available
Dances Every Friday 7-10pm Jan. 4 - Daddy D Three - $8 Jan. 11 - Swing Street Big Band - $10 Jan. 18 - Rewind $10 Jan. 25 - The Agency $10 Feb. 1 - Renaissance Rockers $10 Feb. 2 - The Cruisers $10 “Singles are Welcome” Entertainment 7pm Jan. 9 - Goldwing Express - $10 Jan. 10 - Absolutely Country - $7 Jan. 16 - Adam Pope & Rebel Roots $7 Jan. 17 - Helen Russell & Company $7 Jan. 19 - Lawless & Mae Show $8 Jan. 22 - Bill Chrastil $7 Jan. 23 - Punches $7 Jan. 24 - Kai $7 Jan. 29 - Gene Turner Pick Pocket $8 Jan. 30 - Maggie Mae $7 Jan. 31 - Shelly & Darren $7
All Events Open to Public Peggy Creach – Co Director / Kathy Taylor – Co Director
John H. Shary
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LifeStyles Of The RGV
23rd Annual South Padre Island Market Days returns for two weekends in January, February By Bryan Ramos
South Padre Island is the home to plenty of hidden gems, and if you’re looking to spend your day searching for treasure, look no further than the 23rd Annual SPI Market Days returning for two weekends in January and February at the South Padre Island Convention Centre. SPI Market Days gives you the chance to find gifts and treasures from across the world as vendors bring items such as handcrafted jewelry, fashionable clothing, cosmetics and fragrances, exclusive home decor, health products and unique arts and crafts while shoppers can enjoy good food, giveaways and live music. Cathy Shelton and her late husband Jim launched SPI Market Days 23 years ago. What started with just a few booths has now turned into a major event with over 6,000 visitors and vendors from all over. “My late husband, Jim Shelton, and I started this 23 years ago with just a few booths,” said Cathy Shelton. “We had stores so we were selling our excess merchandise, a few of our friends
came in and sold stuff too, and year after year it got bigger and bigger. Now, we have a minimum of 6,000 people coming in to see us, paying their dollar admission and visiting all the vendors which come from about five different states.” The Happy Band, a local group of musicians, are scheduled to perform on Sunday in both January and February to cap off the 23rd Annual SPI Market Days in a groovy way. “It’s the best show in South Texas, you don’t want to miss it,” Cathy Shelton said. SPI Market Days makes its first stop at the South Padre Island Convention Centre on the weekend of January 25 - 27, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In February, SPI Market Days returns the weekend of Feb. 22 24, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $1 and can be purchased at the doors of the South Padre Island Convention Centre, located at 7355 Padre Blvd on SPI.
2019 January Edition l pg. 11
pg. 12 l 2019 January Edition from pg. 10 JOHN H. SHARY enjoying life. There were also newspaper articles in papers in the Midwest describing the benefits of moving to the Rio Grande Valley to farm. Those targeted were individuals with enough money to invest in land from Kansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Oklahoma. Shary is given credit for attracting more settlers to South Texas than any other developer. Shary made his first trip to the Rio Grande Valley in 1912, where he immediately saw the potential for growing citrus in the Valley. There were citrus trees growing in the Valley but no industry to market them. Shary immediately began to plan for a citrus industry. Although he was ridiculed for the idea, he purchased 12,000 acres of land from Judge Brooks Estate and 6,000 acres from the Briggs Estate. In 1914 he obtained an additional 16,000 acres from the Swift estate and 20,000 from the Oblate Fathers Estate. He put the land togeth-
LifeStyles Of The RGV
er and called it Sharyland. At the time scientists were saying the land along the Rio Grande was the most fertile in the world besides along the Nile River. The land considered to be the Lower Rio Grande Valley was composed of Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy Counties. The Valley formed a triangle composed of about 90 miles along the river, and 60 miles along the coast. It included about one million acres of very fertile land, which could be used for agriculture production if there was a way to get water to it. The Valley was known to have eight distinct types of soils that were good for growing different things. Two of these soils, Laredo Clay, which stretched from Mission to San Benito, and Brennan Loam, found south of Mission closer to the river, would prove to be excellent soils for citrus orchards. Shary realized the land could not be used for citrus without a source of water. In 1914, he organized the United Canal
Company taking over the Mission Canal Company started, by John J. Conway and James W. Hoit. Once the water was available for irrigation, Shary planted his first 300 acres of citrus at what is now the intersection of Shary Road and Business 83. He would follow with another 15,000 acres of groves in what he called Sharyland Plantation. Shary looked to find the best root stock for his trees and found that sour orange root stock worked best in the Valley because it was resistant to gummosis, which created scabs on the limbs of the plants and weakened them, and root rot. Trees were irrigated every four to six weeks and more often if needed during the summer. The first car of graded citrus fruit was shipped out of the Valley in 1921. At that time Shary had 200,000 citrus trees growing in his orchards, of which 70 percent had been grown in the Rio Grande Valley. By the 1921-22 season 54 railroad cars of citrus fruit was shipped north from the Mission
area to northern markets. Approximately 65 percent of the fruit was grapefruit, 25 percent was oranges and the other 10 percent was a mixture of other citrus fruits. The Texas citrus industry had begun. Shary took a group of people to California to study the way citrus was packed for shipping and marketed. The group observed firsthand how the fruit was cleaned and brushed and classified for size. The fruit was packed under a standard brand. When Shary returned he built a modern packing plant, Texas Growers Exchange in Mission, to market all the citrus fruit grown in the Rio Grande Valley. The response from growers all over the Valley was overwhelming. Previously fruit had been marketed under the name Sharyland, Longhorn, Bluebonnet and other brand names. Shary coined the name TexaSweet and used it for all fruit from the Rio Grande Valley. Between 1924 to 1929 there was a great movement to populate the Rio Grande Valley with
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LifeStyles Of The RGV new residents. In addition to Shary’s operation, there were at least 30 other land development companies selling land. The train companies realized the land excursions meant more business for their trains and got into the act by transporting large numbers of people to the Valley to see what was going on. Missouri Pacific even took a traveling exhibit of Valley grown citrus fruit on tour though Texas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma. This special tour brought up to 20,000 people to Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Shary built his home out in the middle of nowhere, at three and a half miles north Shary Road. It was a mansion complete with a ballroom and a bowling alley for entertainment of important visitors. The concept was to create the appearance of a country club atmosphere where everyone would prosper. Employees would take groups of potential customers around to see the orchards that were in production and learn there
were others that could be purchased. Those who purchased land were charged a flat fee for irrigation improvements to land in addition to the cost of the land. Shary then sold them the trees, which were grown in his nurseries. Shary made a profit on the packing, marketing and shipping of the fruit, once they started producing. The success enjoyed by Shary was nothing short of phenomenal. The December 1939 issue of Fortune magazine featured Shary “as the man who had turned brush land into tropical gardens.” By then Shary had been given the title “Father of the Texas Citrus Industry.” Without someone with Shary’s vision, means and determination to develop the land in the Valley and bring settlers to farm it, his desire to create the citrus industry and to provide for the irrigation needed for agriculture, it is unlikely the Valley would have been as successful in the agricultural resources as it was in the 20th century.
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Feb. 2 Feb. 9 Feb. 14 Feb. 16 Feb. 23
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2019 January Edition
LifeStyles Of The RGV
Get to know The Kody Norris Show Meet & Greet one of the biggest bands in Bluegrass in January By Bryan Ramos
The “Winter Texan Season” brings tremendous entertainment all across the Rio Grande Valley, and now, fans can get up close and personal with some of their favorite musicians like The Kody Norris Show on Tuesday’s in January at Martha’s Cafe in Donna for Meet & Greets. Beginning Tuesday, January 15 through January 29, The Kody Norris Show, a fun group of young adults on the circuit who perform fun skits in between their playing of Bluegrass and country music, will be hosting the Meet & Greet events from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Martha’s Cafe in Donna. “We’re very excited about
that, I really love the artist-fan type relations,” said Kody Norris of The Kody Norris Show. “It’s really an open opportunity for the fans to meet the artists in a matter in which they otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity, so it’s fun all around.” The Kody Norris Show was recently nominated for the Bluegrass Band Overall and Bluegrass Instrumental Group awards at the 2018 Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America Convention. Spending their first “Winter Texan Season” in the Rio Grande Valley, The Kody Norris Show brings a different type of entertainment down south as the group combines music and comedy for everybody to enjoy.
ER!! V E ME
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The Kody Norris Band Roll Call for all Entertainers, Fans, Friends, Everyone is invited!
Martha’s Cafe Tuesday Mornings 7:30-9:30 a.m. In Donna, on Val Verde Rd.
Meet and Greet Hosted By: The Kody Norris Band Starting Tuesday, January 15th
Talk one on one with your entertainers of the Valley!!! Look forward to seeing y’all there, don’t be square.
Questions call LYNN CLASEN 952-261-8480
2019 January Edition l pg. 15
LifeStyles Of The RGV
“We’re very excited to bring our type of entertainment to the Valley and we’ve really been looking forward to this for a long time,” said Norris. “I really hope that folks will come out and get to share that experience of our type of hard-driving, high-energy entertainment.” s “The Kody Norris Show gives ra bluegrass fan one of the most solid, entertaining and animated performances they will ever ex,perience. The performances of The Kody Norris Show are rem-iniscent of traditional bluegrass artists, yet Kody brings his own -special, distinct flair to the music. sThe band works regularly on the Cumberland Highlanders Show, fa weekly Bluegrass Program on the nationally acclaimed RFD-TV network. From the first note, The Kody Norris Show will fully captivate your attention and make -you laugh, cry, and stomp your feet all in one performance,” reads The Kody Norris Show website. DANCES – 7 – 10pm
Jan. 11 - Agency $10 Jan. 18 - Renaissance Rockers $10 Jan. 25 - Ralph & The Cruisers $10 Reserved seating tickets sold in the Activity Office Concessions available
SHOWS - 7pm
Jan. 15 – Leslie Show Jan. 22 – Senior Ambassadors Jan. 29 – Lawless & Mae Show Feb. 5 – Williamson Branch Show
Concession available - Doors open at 6:15pm
SQUARE DANCING WITH JOE & CHRIS SALTEL
For more information call 956-283-7581 www.joesaltel.com
The Kody Norris Show is scheduled to perform all over the Valley in the month of January. To find their tour dates, visit TheKodyNorrisShow.com or visit their Facebook page @thekodynorrisshow. Other entertainers from across the Rio Grande Valley are invited to join in on the Meet & Greets. For more information on the Meet & Greets, call Lynn Clasen at (952) 261-8480.
The Kody Norris Band ROCK & ROLL JAMS By RK Welander Every Tuesday During Jan., Feb., and Mar. Lunch available 11:30 – 1pm Jam - Noon - 2pm Ice Cream, Popcorn & Soda JOIN THE FUN!!!
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ROUND DANCING WITH RON & GEORGINE For more information call 360-789-8657
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pg. 16
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2019 January Edition
LifeStyles Of The RGV
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