FORE! GOLFING IN THE RGV!
This week features a golf course where you have two courses to choose from.
UPCOMING EVENTS!
Check out this week’s listings of what’s happening in the RGV!
RECIPE CONNECTION!
Executive Chef Bettina Tolin shares a healthy Mediterranean recipe dish!
Welcome Home See details on page 13.
See calendar on page 27.
VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 19 • March 1, 2017
Try her recipe on page 45.
®
WINTER TEXAN
• • • your official connection to the rio grande valley • • •
Valley Native Frank Wiseman Honored for Achieving Milestone as Texas Master Naturalist Special to Welcome Home RGV
It’s
hard to believe it is already March 1! Where has the season gone? We have had such a great time documenting this season and keeping you informed of all there is to do across the Rio Grande Valley over the winter. We don’t really think a five-day cold front constitutes being called 'winter,' but then again, that’s why you come to South Texas, right? This is the time when we begin to lose some of you. You start getting itchy to get back home, see the kids, or, well...we all know it’s your grandkids you really miss. Or maybe it’s time to start planting, preparing for spring cleaning, or just hitting the road for your next adventure. We know what makes the season so special. It's YOU!! Your stories, your submissions to this paper, and your events and activities are the lifeline. We are so proud to be a part of your lives, however long you stay. Whether it be for a few weeks or a few months, we’re happy you chose South Texas this winter, and we certainly hope to see you again in the fall. Stop by and see us before you head out. We’ll send you home with marketing materials so you can convince your friends and family to spend next ‘winter’ with us! •
We’re just connecting the dots,
Kristi
Valley
native Frank Wiseman was honored Tuesday for achieving a significant milestone of 5,000 volunteer hours in the Rio Grande Valley Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist organization. In recognition, Wiseman received a special state Texas Master Naturalist 5,000-hour service pin--a gold dragonfly with a diamond. The dragonfly is the official Texas Master Naturalist trademark. In a presentation honoring Wiseman’s achievements, he was lauded for his leadership and expertise as an educator, community speaker, mentor, and native habitat advocate. Wiseman has served in officer positions and as a board member since the Chapter’s inception. Wiseman was one of a dozen local men and women who began clearing thorn scrub in Harlingen’s Hugh Ramsey Nature Park 16 years ago. The team designed and maintained native plant specialty gardens along the walking trails in the park, which led to the group establishing the first Texas Master Naturalist Chapter in the Valley in 2002. As a Texas Master Naturalist, Wiseman is noted for his creativity in preparing and presenting public presentations, as well as for his years of volunteer hours spent clearing and revegetating Hugh Ramsey Nature Park. “Initially, it took more than eight years to establish the park as a true nature preserve, introducing only Valley native plants,” Wiseman said. “Many plants were rescued from land slated for development. At last count,
Frank Wiseman
we have around 200 different native species showcased in the park.” Wiseman currently is passing his native habitat knowledge on to a younger crew of Texas Master Naturalist volunteers each Thursday morning throughout the year. Under his tutelage, volunteers continue to design and maintain native gardens around the park’s Ebony Loop and guide plant walks twice a month, free to the public. As a member of the organization, Wiseman has combined his longtime appreciation for plants with his passion for teaching. A 1950 graduate of La Feria High School, Wiseman earned a degree in language arts from the University of Texas at Austin and, later, master’s degrees in guidance and counseling from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and in education from the University of Texas-Pan American (now UTRGV) in Edinburg.
Much of Wiseman’s professional career as a language teacher and counselor was spent overseas teaching in the U.S. military school system. He taught in Lyford prior to retiring in Harlingen. He is a veteran, having served in the United States Army. Texas Master Naturalist is an educational program of the Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Sea Grant, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife, with chapters throughout the state. Agent Tony Reisinger and Ranger Javier de Leon are the Rio Grande Valley sponsors. The Texas Master Naturalist organization is made up of volunteers with diverse interests who are involved in myriad activities to help educate others about the Valley’s unique native habitat. Chapter members volunteer with more than 60 local partners, including federal and local wildlife parks, coastal naturalist programs, cities, schools, and other public entities. Visit www.rgvctmn.org for a list of monthly speakers, a gallery of member-written articles, a list of Valley native plant growers, membership and scholarship information, and a list of Hugh Ramsey Nature Park guided tour dates. •
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR 2016-2017 SEASON SPONSORS