r e t n Wi an Tex
TIMES
Happy Trails! See you in the fall!
Serving Winter Texans From Mission To South Padre Island Since 1987 Vol. 29, No. 23 © 2015-2016 It’s time to say farewell By Kathy Olivarez Another season is drawing to a close and the excitement of having so many warm and friendly people staying among us and taking part in the many concerts, festivals and special events for Winter Texans is ending. Although the roads are more crowded and restaurants busier when Winter Texans are here, it seems as though something is missing when they leave. The style shows, the picnics, and other special events planned for Winter TexSee FAREWELL pg. 09
By Brittany Asbury Woodcarving is both art and avocation for Bob Corriveau of Eagle Creek, Wis. and Tropic Star RV & MH Resort. All of his pieces have won ribbons at various woodcarving shows, and two sculptures have won top awards in the World Fish Carving Championships. “ P u m p k i n Seed,” a carving of a
“Black Crappie” wood carving by Bob Corriveau
See HUB PHESTIVAL pg. 10
Jackson Street Classic Car Show set for April 9
The ninth annual Jackson Street Classic Car Show will be held on Saturday, April 9, in historic Downtown Harlingen. The Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America is organizing the car show. Cars will be displayed along Jackson between 4th and Commerce. The show is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration for the car show will open at 8 a.m. on April 9. The first 100 entrants will receive an event T-shirt. In lieu of a monetary entry fee, participants are asked to bring non-perishable food products for the Harlingen NeighborSee CAR SHOW pg. 07
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Bob Corriveau is world champion woodcarver
Hub Phestival comes to Pharr April 9
PHARR, TEXAS – The City of Pharr will host “Pharr Hub Phestival 2016,” a community-wide festival held to provide family-friendly entertainment and activities for Pharr residents and to celebrate
www.wttrgv.com
Sunfish, was awarded first place, Judges’ Choice, and Best in Category for Novice Level, while “Black Crappie” won third place for Novice Level in the same show. Along with fish, Corriveau has a wide variety of carvings such as various ducks and other wildlife, as well as Santas and ornaments, most of them full sculptures. Other carvings are done with wood burning and colored in with oil pencils, or carved in relief. One relief carving was of a complete picture–horse, barn, fields, clouds–and its frame, all created from a single piece of wood. “I usually bring that one to my show, because a lot of people like horses. I’ve carved horses, but also moose and deer. Deer hair, it’s real fine, I have to carve it on one hair at a time. This moose, he’s fighting wolves, protecting the cow and calf. Got a lot of ribbons for them.” Corriveau also
creates shoes for orthopedic patients, and owned a shoe shop before being hired by the government in 1955 as part of the U.S. Forest Service Job Corps to teach shoe repair and orthopedic work. “I stayed in the Forest Service for 20, 25 years,” Corriveau explained. “I delivered the National Christmas Tree to the White House when Reagan was in office. Picked it out, supervised the cutting, the wrapping, and delivered it to the architect at the White House.” Corriveau smiled and added, “I would have liked to be an orthopedic surgeon, but it cost too much. Orthopedics is a four-year course, and I did it in two years, so they made me a student-teacher. I worked on a lot of artificial limbs. At that time you had to make a leather sock to go over the limb.” When the Job Corps discontinued its shoe-repair classes, Corriveau was reassigned to teaching in the construction shop. Corriveau believes that much of his current success in woodcarving came from his years teaching in the Job Corps See WOODCARVER pg. 07
Johnny Rodriguez, Bo Garza headline Onion Fest This year’s featured entertainment at the Texas Onion Fest will include some or the biggest names to ever perform at Texas Onion Fest. Look for long time classic country singer, Johnny Rodriguez, popular Valley native, Bo Garza, and Grupo Control. The Annual Texas Onion Fest is scheduled for Saturday, April 2 at Weslaco City Park. Live entertainment is scheduled at the Hermes Music Stage and the Frost Bank Cool Spot Stage all day Saturday. Attendees will enjoy the sounds of country, pop and Tejano music on the Main Stage including flamenco guitarist Mario Aleman, local pop star Gabriela Ariana and country singer Madelyn Victoria. The evening’s headlining entertainment kicks off with Texas country singer and RGV native Bo Garza, legendary Nashville star Johnny Rodriguez and Tejano super group Grupo Control. Always a crowd favorite, Rancho Caballo de Puro Raza Azteca will be performing at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. at the H-E-B Charro Arena, featuring dancing horses. Live cooking demonstrations and the onion and salsa recipe contests will be held at Dancing horses from Rancho Caballo de Puro Raza Azteca will be performing as part of a full day of entertainment provided at the AEP Texas Culinary Center. Texas country radio star and RGV native Bo Garza will kick this year’s Onion Fest in Weslaco. off Texas Onion Fest’s headline entertainment. Garza began In the mid 80s, Bo Garza opened for many legends at the Vilhis musical career in 1980 as part of the Junction Band, who larreal Convention Center in McAllen, such as Merle Haggard, regularly played at the Kings X Lounge in McAllen. George Jones, and George Strait. Later on, in the early 90s, Grupo Control will headline this year’s Hermes Music Main Bo recorded “Precious Heart” and “The Show Must Go On” in Stage, bringing the sounds of Tejano to Texas Onion Fest. See ONION FEST pg. 06