Friends
Remember Helicopter Pilot
The
F.A.A. says a helicopter pilot was following hogs in La Salle County when he
went down. 40 year old Brian Faglie of Uvalde died Saturday in that crash
along with another man from Houston. The F.A.A. says Faglie's helicopter was
flying at low altitudes, but it's unclear what caused him to crash. Friends
say he was an experienced pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board
continues to investigate the crash. Faglie leaves behind a wife in Uvalde.
Daylight Saving Time
Every Spring we move our clocks one hour ahead and "lose" an hour during the
night and each Fall we move our clocks back one hour and "gain" an extra
hour. But Daylight Saving Time (and not Daylight Savings Time with an "s")
wasn't just created to confuse our schedules.
The phrase "Spring forward, Fall back" helps people remember how Daylight Saving Time affects their clocks. At 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March, we set our clocks forward one hour ahead of Standard Time ("Spring forward"). We "Fall back" at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November by setting our clock back one hour and thus returning to Standard Time.
Ruben
Vela dead at 72
HARLINGEN
— Conjunto legend Ruben Vela’s career stretched from his boyhood in dusty
South Texas dance halls to the days of the powermix and the music video. The
accordion mastery that kept people dancing for more than half a century has
been forever silenced. Vela, 72, died Tuesday evening at Valley Baptist
Medical Center.
Known as the "King of the Dance Hall Sound," Vela started recording in the 1950s but scored his biggest success at an age when most people start considering retirement. In the late 1990s, Vela’s hits "El Coco Rayado Powermix" and "La Papaya" brought the 60-year-old international fame and a whole new generation of fans.
Vela’s distinctive style kept dance hall crowds moving during a performing career that began when he was only 12. Whether it was a polka, ranchera or cumbia, the dance floor was always full when Vela started playing.
His wife, Molly Vela, said, "There will never be another Ruben."
"He was a wonderful, down-to-earth person. Everybody loved him because he was such a good person," she said.
"He never complained about anything. He was very happy with his music." This April, they would have been married 48 years.
Rey Avila, founder of the Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame and Museum in San Benito, said conjunto music will miss one of its finest artists. "It’s sad. He was one of the pioneers of real traditional conjunto music," Avila said.
Avila said Vela’s family called him Tuesday night to give him the news. "We all loved him," Avila said. "Conjunto music has really lost a true pioneer."
"He was one of the best, there’s no other way to describe it," he said.
Local conjunto accordionist and singer Frutoso Villareal called Vela more than just a great musician. Villareal said he’ll always remember Vela as a loving father, a strong family man and a trusted friend. "For me, he was like a friend, like a brother," Villareal said.
Villareal called Vela a mentor and teacher who showed him how to play conjunto music since the young age of 12. "I’m truly going to miss him," he said, adding, "I’ll always remember him whenever I play conjunto music."
Villareal said the Rio Valley should be proud of Vela, calling him one of the style’s greatest ambassadors.
"Right now, it’s a loss for conjunto music, but I know he’s in heaven playing conjunto music at the golden gates," he said.
Born May 10, 1937 in San Antonio, Mexico, Vela grew up in Relampago and Mercedes. The Velas were a musical family and Ruben’s nine brothers and one sister could all play instruments. When he turned 11, Vela’s mother spent the princely sum of $70 to buy Vela his first accordion.
Vela practiced day and night. At dances and quinceańeras, he would watch the playing of conjunto pioneers such as Narciso Martinez, Valerio Longoria, and in particular, Tony de la Rosa. By the next year he felt ready to start performing in public.
By the mid-1950s, Vela had become a regular on Martin Rosales’ live radio show on KGBT-AM. Impressed by Vela’s talent, Rosales introduced him to Arnaldo Ramirez Sr., the owner of McAllen’s Discos Falcon. Vela’s first single was an instrumental called "Adolorido," a tune based on two old traditional Mexican songs, "Adolorido" and "El Abandonado." It became an instant hit.
It was the first of many hits for Vela. Others included "Te Regalo El Corazon," "Mire Amigo," and "El Oso Negro." Two of his most beloved singles were "El Pajuelazo" and "El Tiroteo." Over the decades, Vela also recorded for labels such as Bego, Freddie, Dina, Joey and Hacienda, and most recently, Crown.
Vela’s years of performing and his influence on conjunto were recognized by countless awards and honors. He was inducted into the Halls of fame of the Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame and Museum, the South Texas Conjunto Association and the Tejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio.
The Vela
musical tradition has been passed on: Ruben "Rabbit" Vela Jr. is the drummer
in Vela’s conjunto band. His daughter, singer Marlissa Vela, has several CDs
to her name and a musical career that has taken her all over the country.
City Council Candidates Running Unopposed for Positions
The
Uvalde City Council candidate list is now complete, with the filing deadline
passing March 8th at 5 PM. in the city council race. Place One will become
District four in 2012.
Patrick
Williams will serve the unexpired term of Raul T. Flores. That term comes to
an end in 2012.
Place 2 at large becomes District one this year. Jesse Rodriguez is the only
candidate that filed to run. He is replacing Ernest Santos.
Place 3 will become District 5 this year. That office will be occupied by
Todd Dorris who replaces John Yeackle.
Place 4
becomes District 3 this year. Rogelio Munoz will be serving another
term having had no opposing candidates file against him. Munoz, by the way
was unanimously selected by council members present Tuesday night to serve
as Mayor Pro Tem. Place 5 becomes district 2 in 2012. That office is
currently held by J. Allen Carnes.
12th Annual Uvalde area Job & Career Fair
2010
Staff photo by Mario Rangel
The 12th Annual Uvalde area Job and Career Fair was held
Thursday March 4, 2010 at the Uvalde Civic Center.
Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce Hires New Tourism Director
UVALDE,TX
(March ,2010)-The Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce has hired Miss Megan
Hundahl as the new Director of Tourism. Miss Hundahl will be responsible
for managing the marketing/advertising efforts for the Uvalde County
occupancy tax contract that was awarded to the Uvalde Chamber.
Miss Hundahl was born and raised in Houston, but spent many of her summers
in the Uvalde/Concan area with her grandparents George and Ruby Horner.
“I have such great memories of this area. I learned to two-step at Garner
State Park, loved going to the soda fountain at Rexall and I can’t count how
many chicken fried steaks I’ve had at Neal’s.” the new Tourism Director
said.
Prior to her new position, Megan spent 10 years in New York City working in
the broadcast news industry at CNN and ABC News. As a Senior Editorial
Producer for Anderson Cooper, she worked on a variety of stories including
Election 2004 and Katrina. Since returning to Texas, Megan has been doing a
variety of public relations/marketing and advertising consulting. In
December, she made a permanent move to Uvalde.
"We are excited that Megan will be joining our team as the Director of
Tourism with the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce," said Tony Arce, Jr. ,
President of the Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce. "She brings a wealth of
experience in marketing and communications that will greatly benefit our
efforts to increase overnight lodging and year-round tourism for the Uvalde
County area."
Adds Executive Director, Wendy Speer, “Megan’s official start date is March
15. She plans to hit the ground running, which is important as we have so
many great things to get started on.”
If she has any questions about working in the Uvalde area, she has the
perfect resource at her fingertips. Her grandfather, George Horner, is a
former Mayor of Uvalde and helped run the Horner’s store from 1947-1983.
“My granddad always says he can do two things really well. Eat and give
advice.” Megan said. “I can tell you he has the eating part down and I am
so thankful to be able to still ask for his advice.”
Megan graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in
Radio/Television and Film.
She is the daughter
of Ernest and Louise Hundahl.
One on One
Photo by Journalism student Angela Mason
Cavender Neutze interviewing former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Thursday at the Uvalde High School.
Donuts with Uvalde High
School Principal set for Friday March 12th.
New Councilman Takes Office
Staff
photo by Mario Rangel
Uvalde City Council man Patrick Williams is now in office. He was
sworn in last night to replace outgoing councilman Raul T. Flores
who stepped down after fourteen years in office to run for County
Commissioner Precinct Four. Pictured above is Municipal Court Judge
Leo Aviles, administering the oath of office to Williams.
Flores was presented with an outgoing plaque for his years on the
council, 1994 to 2000 and 2002 to 2010. He is the democratic nominee
and sole candidate in November for Uvalde County Commissioner
Precinct 4.
School Board Candidate List Complete
Uvalde School Board East Zone candidates running for two at-large
positions will not face opposition. The deadline to file for office
was 5 PM Monday and Willie Edwards and Mickey Gerdes are running for
the offices about to be vacated by Bill Cockerill and Bob Lester.
Incumbents Carlos Fernandez Junior and Celso Carza will be running
against challenger Javier Flores for two at-large positions in the
West Zone. The terms served will be four years.
Edwards Aquifer Authority Board Hires New General Manager Karl J.
Dreher, the former director of water resources for the State of
Idaho, will assume the position of general manager of the Edwards
Aquifer Authority effective March 15, 2010. The Authority's Board
of directors voted to approve an employment agreement with Dreher at
their regular meeting Tuesday.
Dreher, with more than 30 years experience in water resources
management, was selected from more than 150 applicants to succeed
Velma R. Danielson as general manager.
Annual Rabies Drive
Staff photo by Richard Morris
Girl Scouts visit Uvalde Radio
Photo by Julissa Alvarado
Bryson
Dalrymple, Weekly News Column
It is that time of year to start preparing for your spring garden.
The average last freeze date for the area is March 1st, although I
have seen it freeze as late as Easter weekend.
Site preparation for your home garden should be underway. Remember,
the idea garden site should get full or nearly full sun and should
have a deep well drained soil. When preparing your garden site,
never work the soil when it is wet. You can determine if the soil is
dry enough by squeezing together a small handful of soil. If it
sticks together in a ball and does not easily crumble under slight
pressure by your thumb and finger, the soil it to wet for
working. Working the soil wet will compact the soil. The idea foil
for planting should be granular and not lumpy or powdery. If your
soil is heavy clay, you can improve the soil by adding 1 to 2 inches
of good sand along with 2 to 3 inches of organic matter to the
surface of the soil in late winter or early spring. You will then
need to turn this mixture under and mix it thoroughly with the
soil. Just remember, it may take several years for you to improve
the soil’s physical condition. Before you fertilize your garden, you
should get an accurate recommendation regarding fertilization rates.
You can come by the Texas AgriLife Extension office located on the
3rd floor of the Uvalde County Court House and pick up a soil test
bag. Once you have collected your soil sample you will need to send
it to the soils lab at College Station. They will test your soil
and will send back a detailed print out of the soil sample and give
you specific recommendations of what type and how much fertilizer to
apply. This service cost around $10-$15 and can help you save money
in the long run by not over fertilizing. It will also help with
water quality because excess fertilizer can leach (migrate) into
soils and into water tables or be picked up by excess water and
carried off into storm drains or creeks and end up eventually in our
rivers and lakes.
If you choose
not to have your soil tested, and you have deep sandy soils, you can
apply a complete pre-plant fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 at
the rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet. Soils with a high
percentage of clay, you can apply a fertilizer such as 1-20-10 or
12-24-12 also at 1 to 2 pounds per 100 square feet.
You should plant your garden as early as possible in the spring sot
the vegetable will grow and mature in ideal conditions. Our
summers are extremely hot and production is low during the hottest
months. To help you get a head start, use transplants rather than
seeds. This allows them to mature earlier and extend the production
period of many crops.
Once you have your garden up and going, apply enough water to wet
the soil to a depth of at least 6”. Most gardens require about 1”
of rain or irrigation per week during the growing season. If you use
a sprinkler to water, make sure you water in the morning. This will
allow the plant foliage to dry out before night. This will help
prevent foliage disease. One of the best ways to water your garden
is by using a drip irrigation system. This keeps the moisture at the
root zone and off of the plant foliage. You will also have less
evaporation of water. You can also set up a drip irrigation system
in conjunction with rainwater harvesting systems. These systems are
easy to install. They can be constructed by installing a gutter
system, or utilizing existing gutters and diverting the water to a
storage tank. From here, you can use the water to hand water plants
or set up a drip or soaker hose to water flower beds or gardens. If
you would like more information on rainwater harvesting come by the
Texas AgriLife Extension office and I would be glad to help.
The Uvalde County AgriLife Extension Office is located at 100 North
Getty Street in Uvalde on the third floor of the Uvalde County Court
House. You can contact us at P.O. Box 1708 Uvalde, TX 78802. By
phone 830-278-6661 or by email at
jbdalrymple@ag.tamu.edu
Educational Programs of Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service are open to
all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion,
age, or national origin. Individuals with disabilities who require
an auxiliary aid, service, or accommodation in order to participate
in meetings are encouraged to contact the Extension Office at (830)
278-6661 for assistance. The information given herein is for
educational purposes only. References to commercial products or
trade names are made with the understanding that no discrimination
is intended and no endorsement by Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service
is implied.
Brackettville Man
Has a Bad Morning Man caught with more than 600 pounds of marijuana
DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Brackettville
Station arrested a Brackettville man as he was trying to circumvent a Border
Patrol checkpoint with more than 600 pounds of marijuana valued at nearly
$500,000.
Agents observing traffic, Feb. 11 on Ranch Road 334, stopped a 2005 Ford
F-250 crew cab pickup truck loaded with sacks of deer corn and fencing
materials two miles east of Brackettville. After stopping the vehicle the
agents discovered the marijuana concealed underneath the deer corn and
fencing. The driver, a United States citizen, was placed under arrest and
turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with the
contraband.
KVOU 104.9 FM
Rob Martin weekday mornings 6am-10am
KUVA 102.3 FM
Mario In The Morning Show weekday
mornings 6am-10am
