RGV Life

The Costco in Pharr, Texas is looking to hire a few good people for their new store. Get 2012 off to a good start.

I had an opportunity to tour the new McAllen Public Library prior to the grand opening this weekend. They have done an incredible job. I'll share some details later, thought I'd share some photos for now. Back later to share details about the new library. UPDATE: The grand opening is this Saturday, December 10th. There will be free tours and giveaways. Lucky winners can walk away with an iPad, Nook, or Kindle; you definitely don't want to miss the grand opening.  I definitely want to point out that there will be WiFi everywhere on the premises. You simply need to provide your email address for access. Other features include...well books, obviously, and e-books, computer common areas, meeting spaces, a cafe, a teen room, a 180 seat auditorium, and other features you expect from a library, like study rooms.  The new library covers 123,000 square feet, making it the largest single-story library in the entire United States. The library was converted from an old Wal-Mart bui...

This Holiday season, give something you know others will want to use, a $25 Smashburger gift card. For your thoughtfulness, you get $5 back in Smashbucks for your next purchase. Seriously, that sweater you are thinking of giving? Put it back. We have two weeks of winter in South Texas. On the other hand, we have 365.25 days of hunger each year. That special somebody is going to eat one of those days. You can't go wrong with a $25 Smashburger gift card. Let's not forget that you get $5 in Smashbucks back with your thoughtful purchase. You're probably thinking, "oh, great, what am I going to do with $5 in Smashbucks?" Well, Mr. or Ms. Sarcastic, you can try the limited-time only Cinnamon Spice Shake, made with real Häagen-Dazs ice cream. This special shake will only be available until December 31st or while supplies last. Where else do YOU get rewarded for giving an awesome gift by getting something awesome in return? It doesn't happen, except when you st...

Sunset Near Lions Park in Mission, Texas

Google recently opened up pages for business. As a sort of "business", we are experimenting with a page for this blog. The use for the page is not certain yet; but, you will be advised on its future. In the meantime, please add RGV Life's Google+ Page using the button below. RGV Life on Google+

Pharr Chamber Members and Community Associates: You are cordially invited to join the City of Pharr and the Pharr Chamber of Commerce in welcoming COSTCO, at a Groundbreaking Event on Tuesday, November 8th at 12:00 Noon, at their development site located on the corner intersection of Kelly and Jackson Road in Pharr. For more information regarding this event, or to RSVP, please call the Chamber at (956) 787-1481 or email  frontdesk@pharrchamber.com .

For more information about the Texas Butterfly Festival, visit http://www.naba.org

Thursday night, I made the effort to attend the Hispanic Tea Party meeting in Edinburg. They rent the meeting space at Abundant Grace Community Church. I have spoken with Reverend Armando Vera, the group's leader, in the past. I was curious to see who else attends the Hispanic Tea Party meetings. I'm glad I made it; the organization is completely different from what you would imagine. In fact, attending a Hispanic Tea Party meeting is very uplifting. First, you should know that the way the regular Tea Party is portrayed in the media is a complete mischaracterization of what actually happens at the meetings. When Rev. Vera launched the Hispanic Tea Party, the organization was also mischaracterized in the news. The only consolation they received was from the McAllen Tea Party with a "welcome to the club."  From my observation, the Hispanic Tea Party is composed of people who understand the heart and culture of Hispanics. The group has a heavy representation of p...

Smashburger in McAllen, Texas is doing something really nice on October 27. Anybody who brings in five canned goods on that day will receive a free kids meal certificate. If you bring in ten items, you get two certificates, and so on. You might be thinking, "well, five canned goods would cost about the same as a kids meal." Sure, except that you would have had to buy the canned goods to donate to the Food Bank RGV (you WERE going to donate anyway, right?); and you would also have had to buy your child a meal. Doing it your way, you would have donated and walked away empty-handed. Smashburger is rewarding your kindness. Let's not forget the most important aspect, teaching your young ones to be charitable. Since you were going to donate to the Food Bank RGV anyway, Smashburger is stepping up to thank you for your generosity through their own generosity. Their goal is to collect 500 pounds of food for the Food Bank RGV. Of course, they won't be angry if they coll...

JUST A REMINDER MY FRIENDS: Don't forget to join me tomorrow evening as I kick-off my Campaign for State Representative. Hope to see you there. thank you, Rene

PRESS RELEASE October 5, 2011 T.C. Betancourt Announced His Intention Not to Run Against Representative Gonzalez Should They be Paired in the Same District Democrat will continue to be a candidate for State Representative  (Edinburg, Texas) – Democratic candidate for State Representative T.C. Betancourt announced today that if he is paired with State Representative Veronica Gonzales in district 41, it is not his intention to run against her for the March 2012 election. He went on to say, "As I analyze the current turmoil with the state house district maps, I find it imperative that I take this time to determine our strategy for the potential changes. It is important to me that the democratic party find some sense of stability through these trying times." The Justice Department declared recently that the voting map for House district 41, among others, does not meet federal anti-discrimination provisions. In a court filing it as state that the district boundaries redra...

Smashburger recently launched the Windy City Smashburger for a limited time. The Windy City Smashburger consists of layers of melted cheddar cheese, haystack onions, lettuce, tomato, and Gulden's spicy mustard on a pretzel bun. Normally, you can only get the Windy City Smashburger in the Chicago area; but, you can get a taste here in McAllen until October 30. It's hard to improve on the mouth-watering burgers; but, to make things even better, Smashburger is GIVING AWAY a free trip to Chicago and $1000 cash to spend while you are there. How's that for you? All you need to enter is to obviously visit the local Smashburger at 1020 Nolana in McAllen. You'll receive a validation code that you can enter at http://smashburger.com/chicago until October 30. The winning entry will receive a trip for two including hotel and airfare, plus the cash.  When you buy a lottery ticket, all you get is a piece of printed paper if your numbers don't win. When you enter...

Hidalgo County is offering people who owe outstanding fines to Justice of the Peace courts a clean slate by making a payment on their collection website . Anybody who owes money to the JP courts is not able to renew their license or use other services unless the fine is paid. Rather than pile on to people who may be having trouble making payments, Hidalgo County is offering this easy to use payment option to give people the opportunity to wipe the slate clean in terms of late payments. Hidalgo County reports that they have roughly $35 million in unpaid fines still outstanding. This is an effort to both help the public and make it easier to collect on these receivables.

For immediate release Contact: Rob Neagle 956-984-9000 or robneagle@yahoo.com Have a Presidente Margarita, save a life... Chili's Grill & Bar invites the community to join them on September 26th when 100% of the day's profits will be donated to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. (Mission, TX) - Chili's Sharyland at 2419 East Expressway 83 in Mission will donate all of their net profits on September 26th to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to further help them in their fight to find a cure for pediatric cancer and other diseases. "We are proud and honored to be able to help this great cause," said Rob Neagle, Managing Partner at our hometown Chili's. "I hope the entire community will join us on the 26th and show their support for the brave kids at St. Jude!" Chili's Grill and Bar is a longtime supporter of St. Jude. The popular restaurant brand continues to work towards a 10-year commitment to raise $50 mi...

During the entire month of September, First Choice Power will track canned food donations made at the three chambers from Sept.1 to Sept. 30. The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley will post an update on its website on Sept. 16. First Choice Power will award the chamber who collects the most cans with a $250 donation to keep or donate to the charity of its choice and will make a $250 donation to food bank in honor of that winning chamber. All Donations will count toward First Choice Power's goal to provide 1 million meals to Texans in need. First Choice Power also will donate a meal to the Texas Food Bank Network for each person who: Drops off a donation at the First Choice Power Mission Local Office, 2423 E. Expressway 83, Suite 400, Mission,TX (956) 424-0068 Retweets the company's #HungerAction/#FoodFirst message on Twitter in September Comments on any Hunger Action Month blog posts on the company's blog, The Current Posts a comment on First Choice Power's F...

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PRESS RELEASE September 15, 2011 Sergio Muñoz Jr. Announces Reelection Campaign for Texas House of Representatives South Texas Democrat to run a second term for District 36 House Seat with continued support from local area leaders and the community MISSION, TEXAS – Today, Texas State Representative Sergio Muñoz Jr. announced that he would seek reelection to the District 36 House seat to which he was first elected in 2010. Commenting on his reelection campaign, Representative Muñoz said, "This session was very challenging, but even with the session being as difficult as it was, we were able to produce some effective legislation for South Texas. I appreciate the knowledge I gained and wish to return and do more. I am committed to public service and the people of District 36." Representative Muñoz, a local attorney and community servant, had an extraordinary inaugural session in the legislature that included the passage of major bills and amen...

Celebrate "man's best friend" this weekend at the Mission Sports Complex. The event will include a dog parade, Muttsquerade, dog competitions (including cutest and ugliest dog), Pet/Owner look-alike, Spazziest Dog, Waggiest Tail, and more. The event includes vendors, music and lots of fun. This is a great family event. Register today at  http://services. missionchamber.com/Events/ details/dog-days-of-summer- are-over For sponsorship or vendor information   Lindslee Brunson at 789-6345

Smashbuger in McAllen, Texas has announced new additions to their menu. Some are temporary and some are permanent additions. Smashburger Does Vegetarian Starting September 28, the Smashburger menu will include the Black Bean Burger, which is a vegetarian, made from scratch patty, smashed, seared, and seasoned on the grill like their traditional burgers. Order a side of veggie fries and it's like heaven. Other Additions Other items are being added to the Smashburger menu, which you ought to check out. Texas Dog - 100% Angus beef hot dog with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, jalapeños, chipotle sauce, tomatoes, and onions.  Chili Cheese Fries - fries topped with chili, cheddar cheese, onions, and jalapeños. Fried Jalapeños - with a side of buttermilk ranch dressing.  Permanent shake flavors: Oreo, Butterfinger, and Nutter Butter. All made with authentic Häagen Dazs ice cream.  For a Limited Time Only When they say a limited time only, it means...

Here are the Results of the 36 Hour Film Race The 6th Annual 36 Hour Film Race was a great success! We had 17 teams register. Eleven made the deadline. Three turned in late. Three dropped out. The teams had 36 hours to do a 10 minute horror short film. They had to include a Harlingen mural, a Locals Lounge sticker, a DJ, and say "I think we're back in business". Here are the 14 films, team names and the awards they won. 1. Better - Gorillaman Pictures Best Actress - Ivana Gonzales 2. Dead - Quad "S" Entertainment 3. Final Broadcast - Ozzie Lozza Productions Best Use of Harlingen Mural 4. Gameshow - C.A.B. Films Best Use of Sticker Best Lighting - Edwin Mendoza Best Makeup - Patty Moreno & John Flores Best Special Effects - Johnathan Torres Best Supporting Actress - Laya Hernandez Best Supporting Actor - John Flores Best Actor - Rob Garcia Best Director - Albert Mancha Best Film 5. Good Samaritan - Shrinking Mushroom 6. Half and Half - 2160 Productions Best E...

Texas Short Film Project This casting call was sent to us. Please contact them for more information. Three short films, three minutes long by three Méxican directors. The Texas Short Film Project presents: La Intemperie del Amor/ The Elements of Love. 20 MENTES FILMS, CASTRUITA FILMS & BISONTE ROJO FILMS, invite you to become part of this ambitious project. If you are an Actor, Producer or Filmmaker send your info to this following address. The three films will be shot in the RGV on September 14-17, 2011. We are looking for leading roles fluent in spanish. Synopsis The lives of PAULA, ALLY and SOLEDAD collide with a murder along a deserted road. Three females between the age of 16-25, fluent in spanish. Three males between the age of 16-25, fluent in spanish. One male between the age of 40-50 fluent in spanish. One female between the age of 40-50 fluent in spanish. Also calling out all producers and executive producers who are interested in becoming part of this project. Thank ...

Contact: Laura Espinoza or Martha Noell at 956-968-2102 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce hosts upcoming business seminars The Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting three business seminars in the upcoming weeks.  With its chamber members in mind, the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce strives to provide relevant and necessary information that aids in the development of local businesses. The Lunch and Learn Series will continue on Wednesday, September 28 with the topic "Staying Calm When the Market Goes Wild", presented by MFS Investment Management, which is based out of Austin, TX. Sponsored by Edward Jones Investments, this topic will cover the timely issue of how to handle your investments in a shaky economy. The seminar will take place at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, 322 S.  Missouri.  The fee is $5, lunch included.  Space is limited. Reservations can be made at 968-2102. On Tuesday, October 4, the Weslaco Chamber will be h...

CineSol Film Festival It's Closing Weekend at UTPA September 17-18 The CineSol Film Festival continues with it's Closing Weekend at UTPA September 17-18. Saturday, September 17th We start off our Closing Weekend with Deseada. Deseada is a 1951 Mexican movie on loan from the Agrasanchez Film Archive. It will be followed by a panel discussion: The Golden Age in Mexican Film: A Discussion With Rogelio Agrasanchez Jr. and Alvaro Rodriguez. We will be screening several documentaries, such as Una Ruta Nada Santa, New Children/New York, Damn!, Challenge of a Champion: The Story of Lane Frost and Red Rock, Where Soldiers Come From and Portraits on the Malecon. Jose Quintanilla has been involved as jury, film critic or staff top film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, Guadalajara, Toronto and many more. He will be discussing Film Festivals: A Tool to Promote Movies/A Good Place for Films. In the evening, we will be screening The Summer of Massacre. Here is their website and her...

It's that time of year again. Head on over to FoodBankRGV.com to purchase your Empty Bowls 2011 tickets . Food Bank RGV's Empty Bowls 2012 event will be held at the Pharr Events Center, located at 3000 North Cage, Pharr, TX 78577. Lunch will be available from 11 am to 2 pm on September 22, 2011. Empty Bowls 2011 has food samples from great restaurants. As part of your admission, you can pick up a hand-made bowl made by local artists. In addition, there is a silent auction on many donated items. Don't miss out on this annual event that grows larger every year.

The Women's Business Center is hosting the 2011 Women's Business Summit tomorrow in Harlingen, Texas. The event serves as a way for local women in business to discuss solutions to their challenges and best practices. The event starts at 7:30 am and goes until 2 pm at the Texas State Technical College campus. Registration is still open. Men and women are both welcome. As an added bonus, TXU Energy will be giving away a free Kindle to one lucky attendee. All you have to do to register to win is Like the TXU Energy in Your Community Facebook page between 10 am and 1 pm tomorrow, August 26, 2011.