Taste of the Valley

THE GRIFFIN GRILL 956-600-7183 1906 E. Griffin Pkwy • Mission, TX FREE 1/2 STACK Buttermilk Pancakes With any breakfast Entree (With coupon) Exp: 1-12-21 Served 8 am-11 am

Mon.- Wed. 8am - 3pm • Thur. - Fri. 8am - 9pm Sat. 8am - 9pm • Sun. 9am - 2pm

BOGO DINNER Buy 1 Dinner Entree & Get Second at 25% Off (of equal or lesser value) (With Coupon) Exp: 1-12-21

$699

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY | NO SUBSTITUTIONS © 2020 DFO, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A. At participating restaurants for a limited time only. Selection and prices may vary. While supplies last.

20% OFF ENTIRE GUEST CHECK

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One coupon, per table, per visit. Not valid with any other coupons, promotional offers, the 2468 Value Menu™, Super Slam™ or AARP discount. This offer can be redeemed only once by the original recipient. Coupon has no cash value. No change returned. Taxes and gratuity not included. Alcoholic beverages not included. Valid at participating restaurants for a limited time only. Selection and prices may vary. Photocopied and Internet printed or purchased coupons are not valid. No substitutions. Offer valid for dine in only. Not valid for online orders. Restrictions apply. © 2020 DFO, LLC. Offer ends 12.31.20 1-31-21

711 N 77 Sunshine Strip,

Harlingen • (956) 230-5050 Winter Texan 20% Off All Food Items

Drinks Not Included

Expires March 31, 2021

Do Your Mouth A Flavor!

619 E Harrison Ave, Harlingen • (956) 230-3820 Griffin Grill: Consistently

Exceptionally Good

There is one thing guaranteed to happen when I walk out of the Griffin Grill in Mission. I am gonna be a happy person with a smile on my face and the thought of doing a joyous cartwheel will pop in my head...for a second. After a fresh side salad with my favorite, bleu cheese dressing, I decided on the fried mushroom as a side and avocado chicken as my meal.

The first thing I noticed about the mushrooms was they remained shaped like mushrooms. These mushrooms tasted like mushrooms perfectly coated with a tongue-tastic tasty batter. Parmesan cheese is sprinkled along the mushrooms as soon as they are done cooking. An excellent way to begin digging in.

Being consistent in life is so critical and I feel that being consistent in the dishes customers are served should be consistent as well. You know what you are getting when you eat here if you have eaten here before. If you have not you should (it's' going to be fantastic). Everything from the refreshing decorations to the service.

The food is exceptionally good, the tastes balanced to where nothing is so overwhelming that other flavors cannot be found and whenever I am done, I'm satisfied – but always tempted to get something else.

The avocado chicken, with a creamy sauce covering, was exactly as advertised. The fresh slice of avocado placed neatly above the chicken and sauce, was mouthwatering fresh. The vegetables and side of rice also cooked to perfection and complemented the guest of honor (the actual chicken avocado).

This time – the day after Christmas, I decided for some holiday cheer with a cappuccino and some tiramisu (it was the chef's recipe – how could I NOT partakeofthiselegantdessert?).Thecoffee-flavored Italian dessert did not disappoint. The whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, cocoa (mascarpone cheese in the traditional making) and ladyfingers was smooth, not too rich, or heavy and was tantalizing along with my cappuccino.

The holidays can be stressful and, in my case this year, a little lonely as my daughter was out of town for a few days. However, on this day sitting in a beautifully decorated restaurant, listening to Christmas music quietly playing in the background, mixing with the laughs and smiles of the other patrons, having great service and an amazing meal left me smiling (from ear to ear) as I walked out yet once again.

And no, I still did not do a cartwheel – but one day....

Los Comales American & Mexican Food RESTAURANT

Winter Texans Always Welcome 10% Off

Come Visit Mercedes Best Kept Secret! Handmade Tortillas • Traditional Mexican Recipes Free Coffee Every Wednesday from Open to Close Open Everyday from 6am to 3pm (956)565-9966 151 1/2 N Texas Ave, Mercedes, TX 78570

Coupon Good For

Buy 1 Entree Get 2nd 1/2 Price (Of Equal or Lesser Value) Happy Hour

Tuesday - Saturday 4pm - 7pm $2 Margaritas / $1 Off Bottled Beer $2 Off Selected Menu Items

(1 Coupon Per Table Expires 12/31/20)

(956) 276-4995 • 2301 Bus Highway 77 San Benito, TX

FREE CONE OR DISH WITH PURCHASE OF ANY COMBO MEAL Not valid with any other offers. Limited to one single cone or dish per guest.

Additional toppings and/or waffle cone available at an additional cost. Must present coupon to redeem. Dine-in-only. VALID AT PHARR, MCALLEN, HARLINGEN AND BROWNSVILLE, TX LOCATIONS ONLY. EXPIRES 03/31/2021

12 DECEMBER 30, 2020 www.wintertexantimes.com

SHADE From pg. 7 Mulch can be used on the surface, but only a thin layer to minimize weeds and the need to use string trimmeet – to be level with the ground. the key.” mers near it.

“You don’t want too deep or too However, you must limit root ex- “I don’t use mulch, but a little on shallow,” he said. “The tree’s root posure to open air, he said. Prolonged top doesn’t hurt,” Taylor said. “It can collar should be no more than an inch exposure to air can kill the tender help cut down on grass and weeds below the soil when planted, but you young roots. growing around the tree, which can also don’t want roots to be exposed to Root direction is crucial, Taylor prevent it from being killed by string the open air.” said. Trees planted with bounded roots trimmers. I always caution people

Do not pull the tree by the stem are likely to decline rapidly around about using a string trimmer around when removing it from a contain- 10-15 years because as the bounded young trees with very thin bark beer because of potential damage to roots and trunk grow in girth, they cause irreparable damage can happen the cambium layer, girdle and strangle the quickly.” Taylor said. Lay the cambium layer if it sur- Watering newly container on its side, vives the planting. transplanted shade treesthe push on its sides Taylor said you can Taylor said watering correctly is as you rotate to loos- test for root binding the next critical aspect of helping the en the soil before and girdling in young transplanted tree establish. The key carefully removing trees already plant- to remember is water to promote root the pot from the tree. ed by rocking the tree expansion.

Make sure the back and forth. If the “There’s a lot of advice to use a waroots are ready to base of the tree moves, tering can or water hose at the base of explore new soil the roots have not ex- the tree or to create a mulch or soil and not wrapped around each other or plored the soil and could be replanted berm around the perimeter of the tree pointing upward, he said. in some cases. to hold moisture,” he said. “But con-

“It’s OK to take a sharp knife and Once the tree is in place, backfill stant watering at the base of the tree gently cut from top of root ball to bot- the hole carefully with good quality prevents roots from seeking moisture tom in several locations so that they soil, he said. Mix in some sand if the in new soil, and the berm filled with are able to grow directly outward,” he soil removed is heavy with clay. This water could drown the roots or cause said. “You can gently finagle the roots will help the roots explore. Do not use fungal diseases and root rot.”and move them around where they are mulch in the soil mix because it con- Taylor suggests watering with a facing outward, away from the trunk. tains elements limiting root growth. soaker hose just beyond the root ball Having them pointing straight out is to begin. At each watering, run the Go...With Jo! Tours & Travel Welcome Back Winter texans! soaker hose until moisture reaches 10-15 inches into the soil. No water should run off the soil. If it does then your soaker hose is on too high.

Dear Traveler, In accordance with the recommendations of the CDC, we will be observing social distanceing on all of our tours. Therefore the number of passengers on buses, trains and planes will be reduced. Consequently, tour prices have increased in order to cover the expenses. Help us to win our battle against this pandemic by wearing a mask and observing the social distancing. Let’s get back to normal! Jo “Sprinklers do very little for trees,” he said. “Trees need the water to reach deeper, so a separate watering regimen is needed. Block the sprinkler water from reaching the tree because there can be fungal problems from sprinkler water getting on the leaves. Keep supU.S. TOURS plemental water off of the tree.”

Eagle Pass Gambling(2 Days) Jan. 13, 27; Feb. 10, 17, 24; Mar. 3, 10 1 nt. hotel.. $129 Watering frequency will depend on rainfall and temperatures, Taylor said.

Big Bend Adventure (6 Days) Feb. 5, 7 Meals, 2 nts. In the chisos Basin ........$939 Newly planted trees, with their small (Prices are per person, double occupancy) root system, will need watering every MEXICO BUS TOURS three to four Sandy soils days may for the first need more summer. frequent

Monarch Butterflies (7 Days) Feb. 17, 1 nt. in San Miguel + meals ...............$1,019 watering than loamy or clay soils.

Monterrey Tres (3 Days) Dates: To be announced soon.................................... (Prices are per person, double occupancy) $TBA It’s best to water in the early evening to help trees recover from the heavy transpiration demands during ONE DAY BUS TOURS the day, he said.

King Ranch (1 Day) Jan. 27; Feb. 10; Mar. 3, Incl. BBQ Lunch ....................... $109pp Fertilizer is a ‘no-no’

Peace & After - A Link to the Past(1 Day) Jan. 28; Feb. 11, 25; Mar. 4, Incl. Lunch......$79pp Taylor said newly planted trees should not be fertilized. Fertilizer will

Farm Tour (1 Day) Feb. 17; Mar. 10, Incl. Lunch...................................................$95pp artificially force the tree to elongate

King Ranch Farm Tour(1 Day) Feb. 24, Incl. Lunch + Feed Lot & 12 mile loop rd. $119pp and grow its tips beyond its grow potential form. 27146 McLelland Road., Harlingen, TX 78552 Fertilizing can help fortify healthy (956) 423-1446 Lower Valley / 956-664-1446 Upper Valley trees to resist decline from a tough 1-800-999-1446 / www.gowithjo.com spring or early summer, he said, but

WINTER TEXAN TIMES

fertilizers are not necessary for newly planted trees.

“Fertilizing newly planted trees, or any tree that is under stress, whether it’s disease or pests or the stress of transplanting, is not good,” he said. “You don’t want the tree to use carbohydrate reserves to grow. Instead, the tree needs those reserves to produce defensive compounds and respond to stress.”

Staking a tree for support

Most smaller transplants won’t need supports to keep them stable, but larger trees or a tall tree replanted to fix root-binding may need stakes, Taylor said.

Taylor said to be careful when staking trees for support. Use straps designed for the task or anything that creates a large surface area to distribute the pressure along the stem to protect the cambium. Also, make sure the support points are not wrapped too tightly around the tree.

“You can find tie points for sale, but I’ve seen people use items around the house like old rubber hoses, which are good,” he said. “You want something that won’t cut into the cambium and that can be adjusted.”

An eyebolt can also be screwed into the stem of the tree at the proper height to provide support in multiple directions, he said.

“An eyebolt creates one little wound rather than the risks associated with wrapping something around the tree,” he said. “Once the tree stabilizes, you can remove it and the tree will respond quickly and fill the hole.”

Taylor does not recommend using the eye-bolt method in areas with known cases of oak wilt because the disease enters through open wounds. Go native

Taylor said tree choice is a matter of preference, but he recommends planting species native to the region.

“Native species perform better than out-of-place, non-native trees,” he said. “Native species like black gum and swamp chestnut oak have the same, desired properties people want like fall color and shade but are often much hardier and resistant to environmental stressors than their non-native options.”

Taylor said Texas A&M Forest Service has several web applications that provide good tree species options and recommendations for specific Texas regions and how to care for trees, including managing pests and diseases.

WINTER TEXAN TIMES www.wintertexantimes.com

LAND - The Lower Rio Grande ValON THE ROAD ley. You will see and hear about the wall and visit sites that played a most impressive part in the forming of what we now call Our Valley Home. Particwith Jo Liston ipants will even drive by the newest historical development - the Space Happy New Year Center - on the way to view Boca Chica Beach. You will enjoy a fun Oops! Christmas time and family celebrations have now come and gone. I hope that you practiced social distancing and followed the suggestions of our CDC and government mandates and stayed home. Yes, it was difficult not to visit with family and loved ones. But if we are to conquer our battle in this pandemic, we must do all possible to fight it. Just a few more days and it will be time for another celebration...2021 is just around the corner and we will be saying goodbye to 2020 and welcoming a New Year. All of us will no doubt be glad to welcome in a New Year with hopes that by the end of this coming year, this pandemic will be behind us. Staying at home has certainly given me time to plan the tours for the coming year. Sometimes it is like pulling teeth to get hotels to furnish group quotes especially now when their capacity is reduced and monitored. Even so, I still am missing a few contracts and a few bus quotes. When you look at all the different tours that are offered, I do hope that you find several that you would like to be a part of. One of the local tours that I added last year was the most difficult one to sell and yet that particular tour received not one negative report. As I tried to determine why the tour did not sell well, I received the same answer more than once, ‘Women don't like the word Battlefields.’ So, we have renamed it - OUR BORDER day and partake of the best included lunch ever. As I noted before, this tour received not one negative comment. Your evaluations are especially important to me. I read every one and when, and if at all possible, I follow your suggestions as I attempt to constantly improve the tours. Several people requested that I offer Fredericksburg as it had not been offered for several years. Fredericksburg is a remarkably interesting town in the Texas Hill Country. For a small Texas town, it boasts the only Museum dedicatedtothePacificWar.Thetown was settled by German immigrants, one of the largest ethnic groups in the United States. Bier Gartens and German food are still extremely popular in this area. Close by is the Texas White House, the former home of Lyndon Johnson.

DECEMBER 30, 2020 13

The tour is filled with visits to these well-known places.

********

And now how did you do on your Resolution for the New Year? Are you going to make a positive resolution rather than a negative one? Are you going to add something to your life that will enrich your life as well as the life of someone else?

I promised I would help you out and here it is. How about choosing one day out of the week when you will make it a point to call someone that needs a little cheering up, a little caring. Instead of feeling sorry yourself and suffering with a "pity party", why not think of someone who is carrying an extra burden - perhaps the loss of a loved one, or an illness or maybe just someone who lives alone and would like to hear a friendly voice. I am adding that to my last year's resolution which was to remember to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and a happy hello to all those I met.

Let us go a step further and enrich some one's life. Let us be a positive influence in this world.

Happy New Year!

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14 DECEMBER 30, 2020 www.wintertexantimes.com

MISSION tory as to the date La Lomita ChapFrom pg. 1 el was constructed by the Catholic priests. According to one account, missionaries, Bishop Odin, visited rode through scrub brush filled with the chapel was built in 1899; another France, Italy, Germany, and Ireland long thorns and cactus. They never says it was first built at another site in in hopes of recruiting more priests to dismounted in the little towns and 1865 then relocated to the present site. serve the Texas mission. He did tell ranches until they were invited into They built not just the Chapel, but also those he addressed, that they would lead the community. small cottages, a warehouse for provithe life of a true missionary in South Churches these priests, seminari- sions, and a store. There was also a 60 Texas. ans, brothers, and sisters built between square foot plaza on the grounds. All

Those Oblate Brownsville and but the chapel were destroyed during priests who came the upper Valley a hurricane. to the Valley remain today. They Nonetheless, it is known that the came to be known dot the landscape, chapel became part of a project turnas the “Cavalry of and the voices can ing the former ranch into headquartersChrist” because still be heard in for Oblate priests, they travelled on those buildings. who rode along horseback from Because of these the river from ranch to ranch, priests, in Mission Brownsville to braving border you will find the Roma spreading clashes, bandits, La Lomita Chapel Christianity and the Civil War, a still standing today. serving the peoyellow fever ep- La Lomita, Span- ple on the ranchidemic and other St. Joseph and St. Peter Seminary ish for “little hill,” es bordering the harsh conditions. is the location of the river.

They rode horseback, often for first settlement in the area of Mission, The chapel days without seeing another person. the place where Catholic priests fre- is located about They traveled along the river to the quently stopped to rest during their halfway between ranches performing marriages, bap- long, arduous horseback journey Brownsville and La Lomita Chapeltizing children, speaking over grave along the banks of the Rio Grande Roma, which is a sites to bless the newly departed and from Brownsville to present-day distance of 120 miles on the current teaching the Word of God to the fam- Roma. expressway but was 300 miles when ilies who lived on the ranches. They Historical accounts are contradic- traveling along the curves and bends in the river. The La Lomita stood on a huge parcel of land. John Conway and James Hoit later bought 17,000 acres of the land for the development of the original town site of Mission. The City of Mission was named for the chapel. Conway is credited with being the founder of Mission. He came to the Rio Grande Valley in 1906. After visiting the Valley, he saw the potential for development and stayed to help make it happen. He and Hoit, were able to purchase the land for $9 an acre. He also purchased another 10,000 acres from John Closner and J.B. Wells. Conway-Hoit would clear and ready the land for agriculture and then sell it for $40 to $50 an acre. They sold the farmland in 40-acre tracts to farmers from the Midwest that were planning to relocate to Texas. Conway had planned the development of the townsite with alleys for garbage pickup, schools, churches, and libraries. Even though he was Catholic, he donated land to establish the Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches. These can all be found on Doherty Avenue in Mission. (You will find Spanish speaking ones on the south side of the tracks, and predominately En(956)566-1157 glish-speaking churches on the north

WINTER TEXAN TIMES

side.) He was also one of seven that organized the First State Bank.

They began construction of canals and a pumping plant to help with the booming agriculture of the area. Crops such as sugarcane, wheat, cotton, and corn were becoming fruitful. But it was not too long before Mission was being advertised as “The Home of the Grapefruit” in posters advertising why people should come to the Valley – the “Garden of Eden.”

John Shary is known as the Father of the Citrus Industry. On a coin toss when visiting the Valley, he decided to stay and pursue his dream of creating a citrus industry in South Texas. He saw untouched brush land ready for development. He started developing over 300,000 acres of land and made a mission to attract more settlers to the area.

Seeing that the soil was fertile, Shary started growing citrus. He studied the soil, how citrus was grown in other areas, and developed his own method in the Valley. He eventually built the Texas Growers Exchange to market all the citrus fruit grown in the Valley.

Shary coined the name TexaSweeet – a brand that can be found in your produce sections still today.

By 1924, there were two million trees in grapefruit production and another million ready to be planted.

Shary built a large home in what is now Palmhurst, on Shary Rd and Three Mile. The home is still surrounded by citrus trees.

Because of Shary, we celebrate grapefruit, and other citrus, as part of Mission heritage with the Texas Citrus Fiesta. Texas Citrus Fiesta events are held throughout the year with the largest event, the parade, being held in late January.

To find out more about the City of Mission, visit https://missiontexas. us/. The Mission Historical Museum (previously the Shary Building) can be seen at https://missionmuseum. org/. The museum features exhibits from the past, a wall and room honoring veterans of the community, and rotating exhibits that share the history of the City of Mission.