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FROM THE EDITOR Time to start over...again PUBLISHER David Rupkalvis EDITOR Karen Gleason WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Brian Argabright Karen Gleason Lucas Hernandez Atzimba Morales ADVERTISING Xochitl Arteaga Ana Ramirez PRODUCTION
Miguel Campos Roland Cardenas EDITORIAL karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 247 ADVERTISING xochitl.arteaga@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 250 STORY IDEAS karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com
2205 North Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 delrionewsherald.com Del Rio Grande is published by the Del Rio News-Herald. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.
It’s the new year, and for weeks now, we have been bombarded by messages, articles and advertisements about how to improve ourselves in 2020 and how to stick to our New Year’s resolutions. More subtly, we’re told we have to be thinner, younger, smarter, friendlier, more productive, more civic-minded, more generous and . . . you get the picture. I try my best not to get sucked into the popular culture’s mantra of self-improvement, but I’m not immune. One of my stated goals for more than a decade has been to get back to my “fighting weight” and to eat foods that are better for me. I actually started a weightlifting class in November at the gym owned by my friend Kim Dupill. Despite having an excellent teacher – thank you, Alex! – I quit after only a few classes. Why? I had tried to do too much too fast and had strained several important muscles to the point of pain. My problem? It had taken years for me to become as overweight as I am, but I wanted to slim down in a couple of weeks. My 58-year-old muscles forced me to realize what I already knew: Things that are important and worth having take time, sometimes lots of time. In 2019, my dear friend Nancy O’Brien introduced me to a great book, “12 Rules For Life An Antidote to Chaos,” by Canadian psychologist Jordan E. Peterson. Peterson says a lot of really important things in this book, but one of the most important is about the method to begin improving your life. “Is there one thing, that you could do, that you would do, and could you and would you do that thing right now?” he asks. (I’m paraphrasing.) The point is that improvement is a journey taken mostly in small steps, and that’s an important thing for me to remember as I take on 2020 and all of its challenges. We have some amazing stories in this issue, and I hope they will inspire you as you, too, take your first steps into the new year. Let’s make it a great year! Karen Gleason Del Rio Grande Editor
UNITED MEDICAL CENTERS
“Providing High Quality, Affordable & Accessible Patient Care” “Propocionado la mejor Calidad de Atención al Cliente y Economicamente Accesible” United Medical Centers (UMC) provides comprehensive medical services that includes: Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Podiatry, Dental, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Family Planning, Women’s Health, Laboratory, Pharmacy and Radiology. Call for your appointment or for more information at any of the three clinic sites in Del Rio to serve you. Evening and Saturday Clinics available. Each Clinics Provides: Healthy Texas Women Program, Free Pregnancy Testing, Family Planning Clinic
UMC proporciona servicios médicos integrates que incluyen; Medicina Familiar; Pedratría, Podiatría, Obstetricia Dental, Ginecología, Planificacíon Familiar, Salud de la mujer, Laboratorio, Farmacia y Radiología. Llame para su cita o para obtener más informacíon en cualquier de las tres clinicas en Del Rio para servirle. Clinicas de noche y Sábados disponibles. Cada Clinica brinda: El Programa Healthy Texas Woman, Pruebas de Embarazos Gratuitas y Planificación Familiar (M-F 8am - 5pm)
Visit our website at/visite nuestra pagina www.umchealth.
Dr. Martinez, Family Medicine
Dr. Keenen, D.P.M. Podiatry
United Medical Centers 913 S. Main St. • Del Rio, TX • (830) 774-5534 Medical
Additional On-Site Services: X-Ray Pharmacy Laboratory
Dr. Salama, OB/GYN
Bedell Avenue Clinic
Dr. Mani, General Practice
Dr. Eyestone, General Practice
Servicios Adicionales: Radiografía Farmacia Labortorio
Ms. Meza, WHNP Women’s Health
2209 N. Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 (830) 775-1272 or (830)488-6950 OB/GYN DEPT
Dr. Astudillo, OB/GYN
San Felipe Health Center
1117 W. De La Rosa St. • Del Rio, TX 78840 (830) 768-4800
DENTAL
Ms. Huerta, WHNP-BC Hardey Patel, DDS Dental Director
Dr. Paul C. Hessler, Pediatrician
Edith Valdez, RDH
For a dental appointment Call / Para Cita dental (830) 774-1700.
Ms. Fernandez, APRN, FNP-C
East Academy Clinic
Moira Graham, RN, MSN, CPNP
Family Medicine
Ms. Delgado, APRN, FNP-BC, Family Medicine
Mrs. Mayté FernandezPatterson, APRN, FNP-C Family Medicine
Ms. Antu,
APRN, FNP-C
Family Medicine
119 East Academy St • Del Rio, TX • (830) 422-3305 Please call for after-hours service/ Por favor llame para servicio fuera de horario (844) 711-3893. Dial 911 for an emergency/Para emergencias llamar al 911.
GRANDE / JANUARY 2020
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CONTENTS 8
CALENDAR Keep busy this month at these local events.
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ENTRE-PAW-NEUR Art Ortiz finds peace, success in dog walking.
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WEST TEXAS INSPIRATION
Linda Ojeda looks to change Marfa ISD culture.
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CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL Liliana Flores showcases a style outside of uniform.
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SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HERE AND MEXICO Kick off the new year with dynamic downtown fashion.
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NEW YOU PICKS
Usher in 2020 with these selections from local retailers.
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JUANA FOR ALL
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START FRESH Enjoy this fruit-filled alternative to your regular salad.
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SCULPTING HER LIFE Candy Jones Garrett turns stone into beauty.
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LAST LOOK Write/photographer Atzimba Morales wraps up the issue.
New you? Try this healthy, fruity drink.
ON THE COVER: Liliana Flores, Port Director of the Del Rio Port of Entry, is a vision in animal print. This Del Rio native, who
graduated from Comstock High School, opens her home and her closet to Del Rio Grande as part of this month’s Closet Confidential. She has been with Customs and Border Protection since 2007. • Photo by Lucas Hernandez
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JANUARY CALENDAR
SOLID GOLD
Jewelry and Watch Repair
Keep busy this month at these fun local events 3
RUTH SCHOLL SHOW • 7 P.M. FIREHOUSE GALLERY • 120 E. Garfield Ave. Join illustrator Ruth Scholl for the opening of her monthlong show at the Firehouse Gallery. Scholl’s simple, colorful paintings in watercolor and gouache celebrate the joys of the ordinary: a cat on a bookcase, a family around a campfire, a woman sipping coffee, a plate of chilaquiles. Scholl’s artwork will be on view at the Firehouse until Jan. 31.
6 JESSE - NEBO - ANA Del Rio’s most trusted repair shop for over 35 years.
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www.borderfcu.com 8
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BLESSING OF THE ROSCA • 10:30 A.M. H-E-B • 200 Veterans Blvd. Join the staff of H-E-B’s bakery department for the annual Blessing of the Rosca, or Kings’ Cake, a traditional celebration of Epiphany. Each year, H-E-B bakers create a huge Rosca de Reyes to be blessed and sampled for good fortune in the year ahead.
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79th ANNUAL 4-H LIVESTOCK SHOW 10 – 8 A.M. to NOON; 11 – 8 A.M. to 2 P.M. COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS • 2006 N. Main St. Join the Val Verde County 4-H for its annual livestock show and premium auction. Judging of rabbits, Angora goats, breeding meat goats, new feeders and showmanship classes will be on the 10th, with judging of meat goats and market lambs on the 11th. The 4-H barbecue lunch will be at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 11th. Barbecue tickets at $8 for an adult plate and $6 for a youth plate and feature brisket, pork, lamb and the famous 4-H hominy.
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DIAMOND PAINTING • 4:30 P.M. COUNTY LIBRARY • 300 Spring St. Join the library staff for “diamond painting,” creating a 3-D artwork by affixing tiny plastic “diamond” pieces to a prepared, adhesive canvas for later display in the library. This event is open to persons ages 12 and up. Anyone interested should arrive early, as the class is limited to 12 and openings are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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UPPER CANYON GUIDED HIKE • 8 a.m. SEMINOLE CANYON STATE PARK • COMSTOCK This guided-only hike, which requires pre-registration, takes you into the remote upper sections of Seminole Canyon’s boundaries, where the participants will be led to several remnant-sites from the Southern Pacific railroad era (1882 - 1892) and to the Seminole Watering Hole, a historical stopover and camp site for the U.S. Army’s Detachment Black Seminole Indian Scouts and Lt. John L. Bullis.
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Dallas’ Top Dog Art Ortiz finds peace, success in training dogs. Story by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT; Photos contributed by ART ORTIZ
Del Rio native Art Ortiz first attended a training seminar with renowned dog behaviorist Cesar Milan in 2013. Ortiz’s first training session was funded through a crowd funding effort and a loan.
I
t’s been a wild ride for Art Ortiz. The 1994 Del Rio High School graduate has gone from college dropout and wondering how he would pay for rent to being one of the most successful, and recognizable, dog walkers in the sprawling city of Dallas. But while he calls Del Rio home, Ortiz’s story actually began in Houston. “I was born in Houston but grew up in Del Rio. I actually got there when I was nine months old. When people ask me where I’m from, though, I always tell them Del Rio,” Ortiz said.
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“My parents (Filemon and Maria Elena Ortiz) were both born and raised in Del Rio. They met while my mom was in college and my father was in law school. As soon as they both graduated from school they moved back to Del Rio,” Ortiz added. “Their intention was always to go back to Del Rio. They planted their roots there and were never going to leave. That was my plan, too. I wanted to go back and serve the community I grew up living in.” After graduating from Del Rio High, Ortiz attended Mary Hardin Baylor for two semesters but returned to Del Rio afterwards. His plan was to stay in Del Rio, but his father
DogFit Dallas co-owner Art Ortiz takes a short break from walking a pack of dogs in downtown Dallas. Ortiz, a Del Rio native, began DogFit Dallas in February 2012 as a one-man operation. Now he has several employees and trainers and serves dozens of dogs and their owners each year.
urged him to go elsewhere and get his education, so Ortiz headed to a junior college in Tarrant County. It didn’t go as well as he’d have hoped. “I did really bad there. I flunked out. I really didn’t know what I was going to do. I felt like a big disappointment to my parents,” Ortiz said. Ortiz again returned to Del Rio and looked to restart his life again. He enrolled in ITT and studied electronic engineering. He then went to work for Nokia mobile phones in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area for the next decade. From there, Ortiz moved to AT&T before resigning from that job to accept a position as
a firefighter for the city of Ft. Worth. That was 2010, and it was the beginning of the worst year in Ortiz’s life. “I was fired from my firefighting job, and I had never been fired before in my entire life. That set off the lowest parts of my life. I had been married just less than a year at that point, and six months after my firing my wife ended up leaving me one day before my birthday in 2011,” Ortiz said. “I went through this period where I was really depressed. They say there are five life events that are the most stressful, and I had two of them so close together.”
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Del Rio native Art Ortiz walks a pack of dogs alongside world famous dog behaviorist Cesar Milan at Milan’s ranch in California. Ortiz has worked with Milan since 2013 and serves as one of Milan’s trainers when Ortiz is not at home in Dallas.
Del Rio native Art Ortiz has called the Dallas area home since 2010. Even when working with world famous dog behaviorist Cesar Milan, Ortiz proudly shows off his Dallas skyline.
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Down on his luck, and feeling his lowest, hope came to Ortiz in the form of his closest friends – his three dogs. “They were the ones who pushed me to keep moving forward. They’d wake me up every morning to take them out. I didn’t want to face the world, but they encouraged me to go outside,” Ortiz said. And it was on one of those walks that Ortiz’s life would change forever. “As I was walking on Main Street in downtown Dallas, a lady approached me and asked if I was a dog walker. At first I was kind of upset. I felt offended because she saw that I had three dogs and was Latino, so I must be a dog walker, but that encounter planted a seed in my mind that there was a need in this city for a dog walker. I wanted to explore the opportunity to see if this could grow into something,” Ortiz said. Ortiz began with just his dogs, but soon he was walking his dogs and the dogs of a couple of his friends. The pack grew from three to five and, before he knew it, to 10 dogs. He said the sight of one man walking a pack of 10 dogs was something many people weren’t used to seeing, especially in downtown Dallas. “They really can’t unsee it. It’s something not a lot of people can do, but it’s something very instinctual to me. It helped me heal from my divorce, and it helped me understand who I was as a person,” Ortiz said. “I built up a reputation as this guy in downtown who just walked all these dogs when in truth I found a way to communicate with these animals and it was very natural. It started as a way to help me heal from divorce, and it gave me the confidence to keep moving forward. It showed me I couldn’t stay stuck in the way I was doing things.” Ortiz called his new business DogFit Dallas, an amalgamation of his love of dogs and CrossFit. Ortiz also started becoming something of a celebrity, thanks to a series of viral videos which showed Ortiz and his pack of dogs visiting various downtown Dallas stores that called themselves “dog friendly” and testing the limits of their dog friendliness.
DogFit Dallas co-owner Art Ortiz takes a pack of dogs out for a walk in downtown Dallas. Ortiz is a Del Rio native and runs the business along with his wife, Anne.
“It got me more recognition and there were more eyes on me. I took a pack of eight dogs into Neiman Marcus and the video went viral. We were there among the purses and jewelry. I just started taking these risks to get more attention towards my business,” Ortiz said. In 2013, Ortiz’s next big adventure took him from the streets of Dallas to the ranches of California and learning under the top dog in the dog training business – Cesar Milan. “One of my clients told me about ‘Training Cesar’s Way.’ I looked into it and saw how expensive it was and thought there’s no way I could afford this. I was barely making a living and was nearly homeless. How was I going to afford
$5,500 to be a part of this? Well, this client helped set up some crowd funding for me, and we were able to raise about half the money. I took out a loan for the remaining balance and went out to L.A. and met Cesar as a student,” Ortiz said. Ortiz worked and studied with Milan for about a month. After returning to Dallas, Ortiz learned from a client Milan would be coming to his town for a live show, and the client suggested that it would be cool if Milan invited Ortiz to work with him on the Dallas show. That’s what happened, and Ortiz’s relationship with Milan grew. “I spent six weeks with Milan at his ranch. It was a volunteer kind of thing. I learned to work with dogs and did
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Seen here visiting Lake Amistad along with his dogs, Del Rio native Art Ortiz takes time away from his busy life in Dallas to enjoy the quiet life of his hometown. Ortiz graduated from Del Rio High School in 1994, and his parents and much of his family still call Del Rio home.
whatever needed to be done. I picked up dog and horse poop, watered the plants, a lot of things. I came back to Dallas with $31 in my pocket and started to implement a lot of what he taught me. Cesar then hired me to be one of his trainers. I always wondered why, since I’d only been working with dogs for about a year, but I guess he saw something in me I didn’t see in myself,” Ortiz said. “Now I go back every year. I’m one of the teachers who assists his students, anywhere from 30 to 50 people from all around the world. I may not do it again for a while
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because I really missed my family and to me, now, family takes priority over everything else,” Ortiz added. Ortiz’s success didn’t go unnoticed. In 2014, D Magazine, Dallas’ premiere magazine, featured Ortiz in its “The Dallas 40” issue, which highlighted some of the greatest stories and greatest people in D Magazine’s 40-year history. In an issue which featured stories about Grammy award-winner Erykah Badu and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry, there was Ortiz, who was chosen to be the face of a story titled, “The Resurgence of
Del Rio native Art Ortiz has been featured in several publications including D Magazine and USA Today due to his dog walking business, DogFit Dallas.
Downtown Dallas.” “I was a finalist for the story along with billionaire Ted Headington, but the publisher or editor picked me. I can tell people I beat a billionaire over something,” Ortiz said with a laugh. And in 2014, Ortiz met the woman he now calls his wife, and the mother of their son River. Anne was a client of Ortiz’s. She signed up her dog, Luna, to be trained and Ortiz set out to help. The final task of the training was to see how Luna would behave at a patio party. The task should have lasted an hour, but the connection between Art and Anne was so strong it lasted four hours. “I wanted someone to be big on me. Anne fell in love with the person I was exactly at that moment,” Ortiz said. Ortiz admitted it wasn’t easy to love again, but he said his path back to love was aided by what he’s learned from his dogs.
“Dogs are best at living in the moment. They’re not dwelling on the past or living towards the future. They’re living in the present whether they’re being calm or excited. Walking with them allowed me to heal and love myself, I realized I couldn’t love someone until I loved myself. That’s an important lesson dogs can teach you – having love for yourself before loving others,” Ortiz said. “I had to forgive my past in order to love someone else. Forgiveness is for us, it’s not for the other person.” Ortiz said he does his best to help others by helping their dogs because people are willing to make changes in their own lives for their dogs. He said it’s not material things or fame that has kept him doing what he loves, but for the people it helps. He said it’s a lesson he learned from his parents and from his home of Del Rio.“I care so much about Del Rio because it molded me into who I am today. I love that city. It has, and will always have, a huge place in my heart,” Ortiz said. •
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HAPPY
UNITED MEDICAL CENTERS “Providing High Quality, Affordable & Accessible Patient Care” “Propocionado la mejor Calidad de Atención al Cliente y Economicamente Accesible”
UMC would like to welcome our
NEW PEDIATRICIAN Dr. Paul C. Hessler, Pediatrician
from
Dr. Paul C. Hessler, Pediatrician is located at the San Felipe Health Center. Dr. Hessler received his medical degree from Ponce School of Medicine and trained at The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper and has been in practice for more than 5 years. Dr. Hessler sees patients from newborn to 18 years. He is board certified in Pediatrics and has been approved for hospital privileges at Val Verde Regional Medical Center. El Dr. Paul C. Hessler, Pediatra, se encuentra en el Centro de Salud de San Felipe. El Dr. Hessler recibió su título de Médico de la Facultad de Medicina de Ponce y se formó en el Hospital Regional de Niños de Cooper y ha estado en práctica durante más de 5 años. El Dr. Hessler atiende pacientes desde recién nacidos hasta los 18 años. Tiene certificación de la junta en Pediatría y ha sido aprobado para tener privilegios hospitalarios en el Hospital Val Verde.
Denise Bowers .......... (830) 719-0076 Sonia Salinas ............. (830) 765-5933 Michaelanna Hunter .. (830) 703-0957 Gilda Vasquez...........(830) 765-2046 Brenda Hunter ..........(830) 703-6621
2602 Veterans Blvd. • Del Rio, TX 78840 • (830) 775-8518 Check out our website at www.delriorealestate.com
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SAN FELIPE HEALTH CENTER
1117 W. De La Rosa St., • Del Rio, TX 78840 • (830) 768-4800 www.umchealth.com
TIME FOL LOWS WHE RE I LEAD POWERED BY ANY LIGHT Never Needs a Battery
We are so grateful to be part of this wonderful community! Wishing you a blessed Holiday Season!
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Beyond the Court Story by ATZIMBA MORALES; Photos contributed by MARFA ISD and DENCY MCCLURE
D
Linda Ojeda gives advice to members of Marfa Independent School District’s girls’ basketball team during a game.
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el Rio is a tight-knit community with a special kind of love and respect for each other. Linda Ojeda carries that sense of community with her and shares it with the student population through school spirit in Marfa Independent School District. A 2001 graduate of Del Rio High School, Ojeda was active in a variety of sports throughout her youth into her years as a Del Rio Queen. She participated in Little League and played volleyball, basketball and softball while at Del Rio High. After graduating from Del Rio High, Ojeda traveled to Alpine in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at Sul Ross State University. Immediately after graduation, she was offered a coaching position during a softball tournament. “I was actually playing in a softball tournament in Van Horn; they asked me if I ever coached. I said, ‘No, but I’ve played,’” Ojeda said. She applied and got the position of softball coach, and a year later decided to return to Sul Ross and pursue a master’s degree. Ojeda eventually learned Marfa ISD, located about 30 miles west of Alpine, was in need of a coach and applied for the position. She’s been with the school district for 12 years and now serves as its athletic director. Coaching and teaching in Marfa provides its own set of challenges. According to Ojeda, the outside of the school at Marfa Independent School District doesn’t match the inside of the building. And that’s just the start. “We actually don’t even have an official - a real - track. We’ve been trying to fix things up,” Ojeda said. Ojeda said she and the students have painted murals along the school building, with some including the school district’s official mascot, the shorthorn. The murals are for the student population to enjoy and respect. The murals are painted
Linda Ojeda listens to both players and coaches as she draws a plan of attack during a basketball game.
by the students and create a sense of pride, according to Ojeda. A few of the murals have been painted outside, and they are meant to incorporate many of the things that are offered in Marfa. “Marfa is heavily known for art; probably the biggest art community in the state of Texas. We have all that, but we haven’t reached out and incorporated that with the school district,” Ojeda said. “We’re having the students do it; that’s one of the biggest things that is contributing to the ownership the students are taking when they’re doing this,” Ojeda said. Despite living more than 200 miles away, Ojeda still comes home to Del Rio regularly to watch whatever sports are taking place at the time of her visits. She said she notices the opportunities available in Del Rio are greater than those in Marfa, especially in regards to what students have access to. “I come here and look at these amazing murals that we have, even within the gym, it’s really nice. I think that’s something these kids would really enjoy and take ownership of it, if they’re able to see it to the fulfillment it could be,” Ojeda said. Ojeda doesn’t remember seeing murals during her time at Del Rio High School, but she does remember the entrance of the gym commemorating the “best athletes Del Rio has produced.” “What I always took note of, right as soon as you walked into the gym, you have some of the best athletes that Del Rio has ever produced. They have pictures of them, plaques, awards and just a bunch of stuff,” Ojeda said. Ojeda believes the addition of the murals is a product of current Athletic Director Ric Smith. “I don’t think we had it when I was in high school, but now it looks pretty amazing,” Ojeda said. The impact a mural can have on a person isn’t noticeable,
and Ojeda pointed out how a mural can influence a Del Rioan. “Here you go to Applebee’s and they have those murals; it’s those kind of things that really encourages students, especially the young ones,” Ojeda said. When a child is young, they look up to the students they see in the murals because that is something they aspire to be, according to Ojeda. The amount of programs offered to local students, such as the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and HOSA, make Ojeda feel proud for the success of Del Rio. Another aspect of the community that makes Del Rio stand out to Ojeda is the number of people who stay and continue contributing to the community after graduation. Ojeda has seen her friends’ children grow up and be a part of the Rams football team and other activities. “If there’s something we could implement in Marfa, that would be it,” Ojeda said. Marfa is currently in the process of becoming a community similar to Del Rio, according to Ojeda. Unfortunately, the cost of living in Marfa doesn’t help foster such a tight-knit community. Property taxes are high in Marfa, thus Ojeda and other people commute to Marfa for work. Ojeda explained the rise in property taxes is due to people from bigger cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, buying lots of properties and homes. Yet, the cost of living hasn’t deterred the girls program from achieving success. “I think in our school district we’ve had a pretty successful girls program in the last 18 years, and it has a lot to do with the kind of structure we’ve had in place for many years already, including the previous coach,” Ojeda said. • GRANDE / JANUARY 2020
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Liliana
Flores L
CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL Photos by LUCAS HERNANDEZ; Styled by XOCHITL ARTEAGA
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iliana Flores, Port Director of the Del Rio Port of Entry, talks about growing up in Del Rio and her career with Customs and Border Protection. I lived away from Val Verde County for almost 23 years, but I could not be more excited to have returned home a year ago. It was never in my plans to return and reside in Del Rio after being away for so long, but God has a purpose for bringing me back to my roots. I was born in Del Rio but grew up in Comstock. I also lived on a ranch between Comstock and Del Rio where my father worked for eight years. Living on a ranch had a big impact in molding the person I am today. This is where I learned the value of hard work. My father always told me that it did not matter what type of work I did, as long as it was honest and gave it 100 percent. At a very young age, my father would take me along to round up sheep, mark and vaccinate lambs and mend fences. Almost 36 years later, I still have clear memories of life on the ranch. I graduated from Comstock High School in 1996 and went off to study at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. I earned a bachelor of arts degree and later obtained my teaching certification and taught bilingual education for three years. In 2007, I left teaching to pursue my childhood dream of working in law enforcement. In 2007, I became a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. Around the same time I started training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy (FLETC) in Glynco, Ga., when my oldest daughter Sabrina
“You can never have too many shoes. These boots have walked a lot miles with me at work. I love the Jessica Simpson heels for their comfort and style.”
“I Am Juicy Couture is absolutely one of my favorite perfumes. It has an alluring scent with a hint of gardenia, my favorite flower. I always wear perfume, except when I’m out hunting.”
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“These are three of the best books I have read. They have taught me the importance of the little things, principles like leading and winning and, most importantly, how to lead like Jesus.”
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“A girl can never have enough jewelry. This “blingstatic” bracelet is one of my favorite ones to wear with jeans. Since I love wearing jeans, this bracelet adds sparkle to my wardrobe.”
was starting kindergarten back home. My two daughters were so young and leaving them for five months was difficult. After successfully completing the academy, my girls and I moved to El Paso where we would live for the next eight years. Initially, living in El Paso as a single parent and raising two young girls far away from family was difficult and challenging, but my girls and I made the best of our lives in this city. At FLETC, I received the Physical Fitness Award for having the highest physical fitness accomplishments among the men and women in my class, and in December of that year, I reported to my assigned duty location at the Bridge of the Americas at the El Paso Port of Entry. At the El Paso Port of Entry, I gained valuable experience as I moved within different units. I was able to apply my teaching skills as the course developer and lead instructor for Operation Intrepid Training where I received my first Commissioner’s Unit Citation Award. The strong work ethic my father taught me and my ability to adapt helped me excel and move through the ranks. I have a passion for the career I chose, for serving my country and my community in Customs and Border Protection. I love to stay physically active. I believe a good diet and exercise are important especially since love to eat. I enjoy different sports, from CrossFit to hiking, running and cycling. The outdoors brings peace to my soul, and it frees my mind. My girls are my greatest inspiration, the reason I strive to do the best. I try to instill the same principles my parents taught me: My father, to be resilient and develop a strong work ethic, and my mother, to be humble and wear perfume. I do not see challenges as struggles; I see them as opportunities to learn and grow. I believe that dreams come true. If you have a dream, you make a plan towards that dream, and you execute that plan with actions. God is my number one. Without Him, I would not have a place in this world, and I thank Him for the opportunities He has given me. I value my family, my brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, and I thank God for the opportunity to serve my nation as a CBP Officer. •
“This photo is one of my favorite portraits of my girls, taken when we hiked Hueco Tanks State Park near El Paso, Texas.”
“These three badges indicate feat of service throughout my career with CBP. They are a result of the lifelong resilient work ethic my parents taught me.”
“I love to write. Since I was a little girl, I have been journaling, jotting down important accounts in my life. These two journals contain life stories of my family, stories of how my parents met, details of my mother and father’s childhood.”
“This was the first challenge coin I was given. It was presented to me by 4th Brigade, 1st Calvary Division for excellence while teaching Operation Intrepid Training to this brigade in the El Paso Field Office.”
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Fashion Shoot
Photos: LUCAS HERNANDEZ Wardrobe: MESQUITE CREEK OUTFITTERS Coordinated XOCHITL ARTEAGA Models: SEBASTIAN SANCHEZ, JESSICA ANAHI ALDAPE, NATAILIA ESCOBEDO, TAMIKA RAQUEL GONZALEZ, SABRINA LIZETTE WILLIAMS
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Jessica Anahi Aldape Early College High School Student/Part of National Honor Society/Student Council/Future Business Leaders of America/Alvernia at Lady of Guadalupe Church Vera Moda Dress $55.00
Jessica Anahi Aldape THML striped blouse $52.00
Sebastian Sanchez Howler Brothers Short sleeve Shirt $79.00
Tamika Raquel Gonzalez Natailia Escobedo Grey Sweater Dress $54.00 Maroon sweater shirt $30.00 Suede Jacket $53.00 Jordan Loves James Cactus earrings $36.00 Lolas Oaxaca Bag $55.00
Natailia Escobedo Future Business Leaders of America/Teen Acts at St. Joseph Church Bell Sleeved Sweater $55.00
Sabrina Lizette Williams Pink Bell Sleeve Sweater $43.00
Sebastian Sanchez High School Senior/Varsity Point Guard/Eucharistic Minister/ CBP Explorer/Active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Southern Marsh Long sleeve Shirt $79.00 • Southern Marsh Fleece Vest $99.00 GRANDE / JANUARY 2020
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Sebastian Sanchez Howler Brothers Short sleeve Shirt $79.00 MCO hat $20.00
Tamika Raquel Gonzalez National Honor Society/National Science Honor Society/Student Council/Vice President of the Junior Class/Miss Congeniality and Second Runner-Up/Miss Del Rio Teen Court/Lector & Minister at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church-Leaders of Youth Program/Fellowship of Christian Athletes Lavender Crop top $30.00 • Suede Jacket $53.00
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Jessica Anahi Aldape Early College High School Student/Part of National Honor Society/ Student Council/Future Business Leaders of America/Alvernia at Lady of Guadalupe Church Vera Moda Dress $55.00
Sabrina Lizette Williams Track/2 Years Regional Track Qualifier/Volunteer with Special Needs Children Bell Sleeved Winter Sweater $40.00 Jordan Loves James Fiesta Earrings $42.00
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! s k c i P u o New Y
Be on time for every important event with this year with the Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Watch, $695 from Robert’s Jewelers. Get your head in the game this year with a stylish new Texas Pride ball cap from Black Eagle, available in various colors, $3.99 each at Casa De Toni.
Make a statement with this Lone Star cut blue topaz pendant set in a swirl of diamonds, $1,350 from Robert’s Jewelers.
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Upgrade any ensemble with this international design winner from Ande, an 8½ carat London blue trillion cut blue topaz in a frame featuring one-fifth of a carat of diamonds, $1,565 from Robert’s Jewelers.
Research shows the most creative people write (or draw) their thoughts. Whenever inspiration strikes this year, reach for one of these Bazic oil gel pens in a rainbow of colors. $3.99 for the set at Casa De Toni.
Meet your 2020 signature scent: Perfumer Margot Elena creates a romantic and ethereal experience with TokyoMilk Dead Sexy, featuring notes of deep vanilla, exotic wood, white orchid and ebony. Offered in a glass bottle embossed with the skull and bones, $114.99 at Russell’s True Value.
Start the new year off organized. Take charge of your busy schedule with these colorful notebooks from Casa De Toni. Buy one in each color at $1.50 apiece.
Take your laundry detergent to the next level with Frey. Try this divinely-scented, eco-friendly product in a set that includes detergent, dryer sheets, wrinkle release spray, fabric freshener and stain remover, $50 at Russell’s True Value.
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LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS
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Brisket Taco
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Start SMOOTH Recipe by SILVIA GARZA/The Solution Juicery & Health Bar; Photo by KAREN GLEASON
T
his month, we here at Grande asked Silvia Garza, owner of The Solution, to come up with a drink our readers could use to kick-start or continue on their healthy living programs in the new year, and boy, did she deliver. Garza created “Juana,” a healthy smoothie chockful of strawberries, creamy Greek yogurt and 2 percent milk. It’s a special kind of drink that’s not only good for you, it tastes great, too. To top it off, it’s supereasy to make, even when you’re groping around in your kitchen still half-asleep before you go out on your morning walk (or run). The Juana gets its rich, creamy texture from Greek yogurt. Be sure to use a brand that contains active cultures to boost your all-important gut health in 2020 as well. Garza estimated the smoothie has about 323 calories, and she said she chose ingredients to boost energy. If you don’t want to make the Juana at home, go by The Solution Juicery & Health Bar, 600 E. Third St., and try it or one of the many other power and energy drinks Garza has created.
Ingredients • Eight fresh, ripe strawberries • ½ cup Greek or other creamy yogurt with active cultures • 1 Tablespoon stevia or other sweetener • 2 percent milk, about 8 ounces • Slivered almonds
Method • Wash the strawberries and trim tops and leaves. • Place strawberries in the blending appliance. Garza suggested a blender; we used a Nutri Ninja, which worked just as well. • Add yogurt. • Add stevia. Although we didn’t try it, you could probably use some other type of unprocessed sweetener, such as agave honey or demerara sugar. • Pour in 2 percent milk. Use slightly less milk than the capacity of the glass you will use: If you’re using a 10-ounce glass, use 8 ounces of milk and so on. You can also use less milk if you want the smoothie to be thicker, more milk if you want it to flow more easily. • Blend strawberries, yogurt, stevia and milk to desired consistency. • Pour mixture into serving glass. Optional: Top with slivered almonds. (Note: We tried one version in which we threw a handful of slivered almonds into the Ninja and blended them along with the other ingredients, and it was equally delicious.
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Start
FRESH Recipe and photo by KAREN GLEASON
E
ating healthy (or relatively healthy) is always a little easier when it doesn’t feel like you’re depriving yourself at meals or snack times. In our very busy lives, it’s also too easy to slide back into bad habits if recipes are complicated and time-consuming. Happily, this adaptation of a recipe for fruit salad is both delicious and easy to make. Even better, it can be individualized so that you can use almost any type of fruit or berry you have in the crisper. Tajin is a brand of dry seasoning made in the Mexico state of Jalisco and widely used as a fruit seasoning in Mexico and throughout the border region. It is made of dehydrated lime juice, chile peppers and salt. Used sparingly, it can amp up the flavor of almost any fruit. Try it on mangoes, melons and jicama for an even faster snack.
Ingredients • 2 Tablespoons lime juice, either fresh or from concentrate • 1 apple, cored and sliced • 1 ripe pear, cored and sliced • 1 can red grapefruit segments in grapefruit juice • 1 can mandarin oranges in juice • Handful of berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or pomegranate seeds • Tajin fruit seasoning
Method • Core apple and slice to desired thickness. Place slices in bowl, leaving enough room in bowl to toss ingredients. • Core pear and slice to desired thickness. Add slices to bowl. • Open and drain can of grapefruit segments, reserving juice in glass to drink later. Add slices to bowl. • Open and drain can of mandarin orange segments, reserving juice to drink later. Add slices to bowl. • Wash berries and trim strawberry stems. Use whole or slice in halves or quarters. Add berries to bowl. • Pour lime juice over fruit and toss to coat. • Pour fruit mixture onto plate or into bowl and sprinkle with Tajin seasoning.
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“Creating a memorable experience through food.”
We’d love to see you in Grande! DECEMBER 2019
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WE ARE LOOKING FOR MEN AND WOMEN TO MODEL IN FUTURE ISSUES OF THE MAGAZINE. • DAILY LUNCH MONDAY - FRIDAY SPECIALS 11AM-6PM • FAMILY STYLE MEALS DAILY LUNCH • GRAB & GO FOODS 11AM -3PM
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If you are interested, send photos and contact information to Xochitl Arteaga at the following email: xochitl.arteaga@delrionewsherald.com or call 830-775-1551. For story and photo ideas, email Karen Gleason at the following: karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com
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Sculpting W
her life
hen Candyce Jones Garrett was very young – too young to ride and help with the roundup – she remembers going to her family’s ranch in the northern part of Val Verde County. While her grandfather Willie B. Whitehead and his crew rounded up sheep and goats, her grandmother Della Rose Halbert Whitehead kept Candyce and her brother out from underfoot by having them pick up rocks inside the sheep pens before the animals arrived. “’You all can go pick up those rocks and pile them up,’ my grandmother would tell us, mainly to give us something to do. So we would collect these rocks and stack them up, and after we did that, she told us to make something with the rocks to keep us busy,” Garrett recalled with a laugh. Today, decades later, Garrett is one of the few female monumental granite sculptors in the world and the only one in the United States. Garrett is the only daughter of Rose Mary Whitehead Jones and John M. Jones Jr. Garrett, lived in Del Rio until she went to college, shortly after graduating from Del Rio High School in 1965. She attended Greenbriar College in Lewisburg, W.V., for two years, then transferred to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Garrett said she had no clear idea what
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she wanted to do with her life when she graduated from high school, but added her mother must have had some inkling of her artistic leanings. “I don’t really know how old I was when I started taking art classes,” Garrett said in a telephone interview from her Taos, N.M., studio. “I know when I was nine, there were these oil painting classes at the county library, and I went every Saturday and painted. Mother would also hire different teachers, and I’d have painting lessons.” Garrett said she initially thought she might teach art, and in college, took art and art education classes. But life intervened, and she married, raised two daughters and divorced in 1981. She moved to Ruidoso, N.M., but before she did, a cousin of her mother’s called her. “He asked me if I knew what I wanted to do, and I said I didn’t know, and he told me, ‘Well, I have a friend in New Hope, Pa., who carves signs, and he asked me if I was interested in learning how to do that, and I said, ‘Absolutely.’ So I learned to carve signs, and then I went back to Corpus (Christi) to live for a year, and the next year, I moved to Ruidoso,” Garrett recalled. “After about six years, I got interested in sculpting and started sculpting in wood, but I had two little girls to raise. I had to make a living, and I knew I didn’t want to
Former Del Rioan creates visionary art Story by KAREN GLEASON; photos contributed by CANDYCE JONES GARRETT
Candyce Jones Garrett is a granite sculptor who lives and works in Taos, N.M. She has her roots in Val Verde County, though, and her mother, Rose Mary Whitehead Jones, was the founder of the Whitehead Memorial Museum. She is pictured here with a piece titled “Bullseye.�
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Candyce Jones Garrett’s piece “Hope, Friendship and Honesty” was created to commemorate the victims of the Tohoku tsunami after she was invited to Japan in 2016 by granite artist Heizo Ushio along with three other international sculptors to make art to remember the 2011 disaster, which took more than 15,000 lives. Garrett said she carved the work from one piece of granite to symbolize the unity of the country following the tragedy.
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“Awakening” is sculpted from a piece of granite that weighs 9,000 pounds. This sculpture is on display on the grounds of the Marriott Hotel in Odessa, Texas. It is one of five major pieces purchased by the hotel.
work indoors, sitting behind a desk,” she added. Garrett operated her successful residential and commercial sign business for the next 25 years. Garrett said she continued her interest in sculpting, first in wood, then in marble and limestone, and, after taking a workshop in 1998 at the Andrews Ranch Art Center with world-renowned granite sculptor Jesus Moroles, she became his apprentice for a year. “I started carving granite, and I’ve never looked back,” she said. “I had wanted to do something different. Wood is so much fun to carve, but it was no longer a challenge, so I started carving limestone and marble, and when I’d been carving limestone and marble for 12 years, I started looking for another challenge, so I went to the workshop and fell in love with carving granite,” Garrett said.
Granite is a harder material than either marble or limestone, Garrett said. “It’s a Number 7 on the Mohs hardness scale (of minerals), and it’s made of quartz and feldspar. I am definitely one of the few female granite sculptors in the world, and I don’t know of any other female monumental granite sculptors in the U.S.,” Garrett said. She described herself as a “hands-on” sculptor who works by herself in her Taos studio without the help of a crew, using water to cut the stone. “I work at the studio in Taos and at the ranch, which is south of Sonora. That’s where I go in the winter, January through about the middle of April, because it’s warmer there,” she said. Garrett describes her finished works as “figurative and abstract,” and said she uses a variety of textures.
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These sculpted pieces of California Academy granite weigh 2,500 to 3,500 pounds each and form a work called “Emergence,” on permanent display in the Santa Fe Botanical Garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“I highly polish, but I also like to use the rough stone against the polished surfaces. The rough is the natural look. The stone was broken that way or cut and chipped. I like the juxtaposition of extremes, the difference in the polished, smoother, shinier surface against the rough,” Garrett said. Rather than imposing her own will and vision on the stone at the start of the piece, Garrett said she lets the stone help inform her finished work. “I just look at the rock and decide what I’m going to do. I had this 9,000-pound granite boulder, and I was going to do an abstract piece, and I started working on it that way. Then I realized it was not going to work, so I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll carve out some wings,’ and when I did, I thought, ‘Well, that looks ridiculous,’ so I started carving a body and decided to leave it like that, and it’s become an awakening angel coming out of the stone,” Garrett said.
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That sculpture, titled “Awakening,” was one of five major pieces recently purchased by the new Marriott Hotel in Odessa, Texas, for permanent display on its grounds. In 2016, Japanese granite artist Keizo Ushio invited Garrett and three other sculptors to travel to Japan and create a piece commemorating the victims of the Tohoku tsunami. She said it can take two to four months to complete a large work and a month or so to sculpt a smaller piece. “If I’m lucky, I can do about three or four pieces a year,” she said. Garrett doesn’t work as part of a gallery. She said she has an agent who represents her work. “It works out better for me that way. People can come by my studio and see what I’m doing. I also teach a lot all over the west. I’ve given workshops in Seattle, Wash.; in Oregon,
Each of the two pieces in “Coming and Going,” sculpted in Texas Sunset Red granite, is six feet tall and 14 inches wide. The work is on permanent display at the Tyler Museum of Art in Tyler, Texas.
“Replenishing the Earth,” sculpted of Texas red granite and African black granite, is 11-and-a-half feet tall and five feet wide. The work is on display at the Santa Fe Farmers Market in Santa Fe, N.M.
northern California, New Mexico and Texas,” Garrett said. Garrett’s sculptures are part of collections across the globe, but one of her works, a piece titled “A Space in Time,” dedicated to her mother and grandmother, can be seen on the grounds of the Whitehead Memorial Museum. Del Rioans can also view more of her work on her web site, www.candycegarrett.com But Garrett said no matter where her art has taken her, its seeds were sown in Del Rio. “From the very beginning, I loved art and felt like I wanted to pursue it, but I didn’t know how to go about pursuing it,” she said. She recounted the story of how her grandmother had her and her brother collect the rocks from the sheep and goat pens before the animals were brought in by her grandfather and his men. “After we did that, she told us to make things with the rocks, little houses, things like that, and that was the beginning, I guess, of my career in working with rocks,” Garrett said. •
Candyce Jones Garrett dedicated this piece, titled “A Space in Time,” to the Whitehead Memorial Museum in memory of her mother, Rose Mary Whitehead Jones, and her grandmother, Della Whitehead. GRANDE / JANUARY 2020
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Last Look Happy New Year, Del Rio! It’s time to begin new year goals, hit the gym and let go of last year’s negativity, or in my case, breaking those goals within the first five minutes. Maybe this month’s drink and recipe will help me keep a healthy lifestyle. Kicking off the new year, Grande staff introduces Del Rioans to people who left the community and continue to have an impact beyond our horizons. Finding former Del Rioans was easy, getting a hold of them was another matter. Take into consideration we put the magazine together a month in advance and the amount of holidays leading up to publication, it could have spelled for disaster. Luckily we made it in one piece. From the arts to federal agencies, Del Rio is a force to be reckoned with and our features can attest to that. Del Rioans inspire and encourage each other for progression. I remember growing up when Dora Alcalá was mayor of Del Rio and that alone inspired me to push for more in life. Whatever the case is, whether you are a native or transplanted Del Rioan, Del Rio becomes your home and goes with you wherever you go. Every person has a story, and listening to those stories continues to open my view of my hometown. As Grande’s audience continues to grow, so does our presence on social media. Readers can follow us on Facebook at Del Rio Grande or find us on Instagram - @ del_rio_grande. Good luck this year, and we’ll see you next month. Atzimba Morales Grande Writer and Photographer
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GRANDE / JANUARY 2020
• Liliana Flores is stylized by makeup artist Lovely Ortiz for the Grande Closet Confidential feature photographed by Lucas Hernandez. • Grande Editor Karen Gleason sneaks in a quick snack after she photographs this month’s food recipe. • Grande staff members, Xochitl Arteaga and Sandra Castillo, gather with photographer Lucas Hernandez, Closet Confidential Liliana Flores, Flores’ children, makeup artist Lovely Ortiz and Mesquite Creek Outfitters staff for a group photo.
RED WHITE & BLUE
5K
RUN WALK
PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT RED, WHITE & BLUE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Check-In and On-Site Registration at Gorzugis 1:00-2:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m. Start
Pre-register at Amistad Bank or the Del Rio News-Herald for more information call Corey Kiesel - cell (830) 719-1740 or Xochitl Arteaga (830) 309-6214 Amistad Bank and DRNH will be hosting a 5k run/walk. All proceeds will go to the Red, White & Blue Scholarship Fund. Education is the beginning of a better tomorrow, we want to impact the lives of our Del Rio graduating seniors who continue their education to a brighter future.
• Start/Finish at Gorzugis (2101 Dodson Ave.) • Event is timed • Awards will be given to top 3 finishers by age category • Drinks, music and awards provided • Register at Del Rio News-Herald and Amistad Bank or ONLINE AT www.delrionewsherald.com • Silent Auction
Pre-register: 5K - $20 Adults 18+ • 5K - $15 Youth 13-17 • 1K - $10 Children 12 & Under Additional $5 Onsite Registration. Children will receive participant ribbon. Running in an event other than the registered event will result in unofficial times and a disqualification for awards.
The first 100 paid pre-registrants will receive a commemorative t-shirt.
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Joining our General Surgeons January 13th! Welcome Dr. Lisa Palacheck!
V
VRMC Welcomes Lisa Palacheck, M.D. Dr. Palacheck is a general surgeon who will make a welcome addition to our surgical staff. She is board certified in Surgery by the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Palacheck will join Dr. Manning on the Main Hospital campus at 801 Bedell Avenue behind Admitting & Registration at the main entrance.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
830.778.3666
Qualifications and Services • Endoscopic Surgical Procedures • Laparoscopic Surgical Procedures • Excellent Surgical Skills • Compassionate Care
living our mission, focused on our vision and empowered by our legacy 48
GRANDE / JANUARY 2020