There’s a hurricane coming:
Everything’s up in the air.
Alice says she’s got to be going;
Sonda says she doesn’t care.

The lights are going down:
We’re whispering in the dark.
There’s no need for running,
You know we’d only get caught.

You said it doesn’t really matter
I didn’t break your heart.
But there’s a hurricane coming;
Something’s bound to start.

There’s a hurricane coming;
Weatherman says its for sure.
Out on the island they’re praying,
Looking for the miracle cure.

They’re shutting down the power;
They’re shutting down the streets.
Here’s an end to running;
Here’s an end to me.

I thought we had made the investment
We’d built on solid ground.
But there’s a hurricane coming.
My heart’s starting to pound.

There’s a hurricane coming.
You can’t tell if it’s day.
I see my life on the faces of the clouds.
They’re all blowing away.

Here comes the water.
If it could wash us clean,
Wash me down the river,
Wash me to the sea.

It’s easy to say that nothing matters;
We can build it all again.
There’s a hurricane coming,
It’s coming to an end.

This is a song I wrote some time ago. My notes say 10/31/2000 although, as often has been the case with songs, I probably had it bubbling in my head for a while before that, singing snatches here and there. It’s a seventy-something rock thing in three repeating parts, the A part (two quatrains) over a D/A/Bm pattern, the B over G and A7, and the last line over Em/F#m/G.

Of course, the reason that it came to mind this morning has been the repeated warnings about the approach of Dolly, now a tropical storm according to the 10 am advisory from the National Hurricane Center, but thought possible to advance to a minimal hurricane before landfall sometime tomorrow. I mentioned that we needed to get the windows boarded and Mrs. Raines tut-tutted me. It’s just going to be a category one hurricane, as if that’s old hat these days.

There was Berry in the early eighties, the first storm we sat through, that time in the La Hacienda Apartments on Boca Chica Boulevard and a segment of the Old Town Resaca. Berry made lots of noise coming in then stopped a few miles offshore and sputtered a few tornados at us and then died. I saw people in t-shirts with “Berry who?” printed on them. Nevertheless, there was flooding in parts of Southmost and in large parts of Matamoros, and, to my mind, flooding is not to be disregarded.

Bring it up high enough and flooding will surely destroy your house where high winds, even eighty and ninety miles an hour, won’t do much if one has battened down properly and been assiduous in trimming the trees and bushes and fence maintenance. Well, that’ll be the test here. We do have trees, some of which are rather tender. A large one in a neighbor’s yard dropped a couple of limbs across the fence last year and I had to cut them the rest of the way myself to get rid of them, although I was reaching across the fence to do so. We have a good relationship and work it so that whatever’s on my side is my problem and what’s on his is his. This includes a very fecund grapefruit tree that he planted within a foot of the fence, so it’s not just problems that come over. There is also fruit, and in enough abundance that we give away quite a bit and still eat off the tree in June. We have discovered that, as long as they remain on the tree, grapefruit remain sweet and fresh. I suppose it’s something to do with hormones passed back and forth from fruit to tree, but I don’t know.

Of course, the song is not about hurricanes.  As a proper post-modernist, I turned it into a discussion of what’s going on in my head, as that is the only part of the universe of which one can properly have actual knowledge. Or so I think. There is a railing against the recent outbreak of agnostic and atheist thinking by one David Berlinski (previously unknown in our most recent model of the universe) that pushes me once again towards the view that the world is mystery and, except for the arbitrary conventions of names and language generally, we do not have much in the way of tools to describe much beyond our ability to construct analogies. Science gives us arbitrary names and then assigns numbers to them from some observation set or other and then starts looking for analogies to explain the results. The closer scientists get to explanation, the farther the universe recedes from their explanations, a phenomenon experienced as well by theologians as well, God and gods receding always from our definite sayings about them so that we are left with echoes of knowledge, but little else.

We note a powerful letter from our friend José Pérez in this morning’s Brownsville Herald on the irregularity of building permits in recent (recent meaning the last five years or so) construction and the consequent problems. We heartily recommend Mr. Pérez’s letter to your attention.

Mr. Pérez provides us with as concise information as he can in a case where eight building permits were issued to an un-named but well-known developer over a period of two years based on an abandoned 1926 plat that, as an afterthought, was re-instituted in relatively secret proceedings by our county board. The consequences are that houses are going up in lots that met standards in 1926 but do not in 2008. Standards have changed not because of whims but because our experience and understanding have changed.

In the Olmito case, Cameron County is apparently going to get stuck with building platted roads that the developer never got around to and the new residents are placing mailboxes next to the road on county right-of-way, creating hazardous driving on overly-narrow streets.

This is a major problem in Cameron County: our so-called public officials taking care of their developer friends at the expense of the rest of us. My family lives in a neighborhood that has experienced periodic flooding since Drainage Ditch Number One was dammed up to act as a collection pool for the artificial resacas that grace the former flood plain now known as the Paseo de Resaca development and which increased the value of that land by at least ten-fold.

Cameron County has much to offer its citizens and residents, but until its citizens start paying attention, we will not have worthy government. Our founders premised the whole enterprise on an assumption that citizens would actively inform themselves and actively prevent corrupt practices from becoming “normal”.  We hope this soon becomes the case for our beloved county.

Every Tuesdays Nights Amateur Talent Night
Open To Performing Artists including: Musicians, Poets, Singers, Dancers, Stand Up Comedians, Actors, Or Anybody Who Thinks They Have A Talent.  Etc…
Fan Favorite will win a prepaid Credit Card.
Free Admission       8pm-12am
Come Early & Sign Up
Limited Seating Available

Come and join us for a creative and enjoyable time.

Regional Tourism Workshop - Thursday, August 14, 2008, Kingsville, Texas

Saddle Up!
Rein in the Power of Tourism for Your Community

Presented by Texas Department of Agriculture’s GO TEXAN program

Join us in Kingsville for a day-long workshop featuring industry experts offering stimulating and information-packed presentations and breakout sessions, including the latest information and innovative tools and strategies to help Texas communities build and sustain local tourism success. Learn the latest about industry research, industry trends, development strategies, funding opportunities, marketing, etc., customized to meet the needs of the South Texas region.

Whether you’re a seasoned tourism industry veteran or an industry newcomer in South Texas, the Kingsville workshop will provide you with new ideas and practical tools to use in your hometown.

Download the Registration Form at:
http://www.ttia.org/regional/kingsville.html.

The Registration fee is only $75 and includes a workshop notebook, hand-outs, continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments.

(Note: There is no Early Bird or Late Registration rate for the Kingsville workshop. The registration fee for all registrants, regardless of when received, is $75)

See below for the workshop schedule.

Workshop Location:
Texas A&M University - Memorial Student Union Bldg.
1050 W. Santa Gertrudis Ave.
(Santa Gertrudis Ave. @ University Blvd. )
Kingsville, TX 78363

Hotel Information: Comfort Inn
505 N. Hwy. 77, Kingsville, TX 78363
Phone: 361-516-1120
TTIA rate: $79/night (single/double),
state rate is $70/night
(ask for “Tourism Workshop” group rate)
Cutoff deadline - July 31, 2008

Thanks to All of Our Sponsors:

• GO TEXAN
• Texas Department of Transportation
• Texas Historical Commission
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
• Texas Commission on the Arts
• Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism Division
• Texas Coastal Bend Regional Tourism Council
• McAllen CVB
• Kingsville CVB
• King Ranch

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

7:30 - 8:15 AM
Workshop Registration, Continental Breakfast

8:15 - 8:25 AM
Welcome and Introductions

8:25 - 9:00 AM
General Session - TBA
Speaker: TBA

9:10 - 10:05 AM
Morning Breakout Sessions (Concurrent)

• Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
  Marketing can be a challenge regardless of your budget, but when you are working with little money and limited resources, it takes even more ingenuity, imagination and know-how. If you have been squeezed to make your advertising, promotion and PR budgets go further, this will be a session for you to attend. You never know, something you learn here may make you a hero at home.
  Speaker: Dan Quandt, Executive Director, South Padre Island CVB
• From Camo to Fido - Putting Tourism to Work for Your Town.
  Buda, Texas is an example of how small Texas communities can successful leverage tourism as an effective strategy for economic development. A committed city leadership, dedicated partnerships, and an energized community spirit have helped Buda diversify and expand its economy through initiatives as diverse as Cabela’s and the Annual Wiener Dog Races. Learn from a local economic development professional how your community can take the tourism path to economic prosperity.
  Speaker: Warren Ketteman, Executive Director, Buda Economic Development Corporation.
• Funding Opportunities for Tourism
  Speaker: Bennett Sandlin, General Counsel, Texas Municipal League

10:15 - 11:10 AM
Morning Breakout Sessions (Repeated)

11:20 - 12:20 PM
State Agency Briefings
Texas state agencies are your partners in the travel and tourism business. They offer a wealth of projects and programs that provide tourism opportunities for you and your community. Don’t miss this chance to learn how you can take advantage of state programs that can boost your tourism
efforts.
Speakers:
Doris Howdeshell - Director, Travel Division, Texas Department of Transportation
Louri O’Leary - Travel Research Manager, Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism Division
Marlett Bahn and Nancy Deviney - Texas Tropical Trail Region, Texas Historical Commission Heritage Tourism Program
Gaye Greever McElwain - Director of Marketing, Texas Commission on the Arts
TBD - Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

12:25 - 1:15 PM
Networking Lunch
Join in round table discussions with other workshop attendees and speakers. This is your opportunity to discuss state, regional and local issues with your peers and experts in the Texas tourism industry.

1:25 - 2:20 PM
Afternoon Breakout Sessions (Concurrent)

• GO TEXAN/Certified Retirement Community Program
  Speakers: Natalie Houghton, Marketing Coordinator for Rural Texas Communities and Sherri Gothard-Barron, Program Coordinator, GO TEXAN Certified Retirement Community Program, Texas Department of Agriculture
• Researching Your Target Market - Learn What Sets You Apart
  This presentation features the latest state research on travel to Texas and the South Texas region. Learn about the economic impact of travel to your area, was well as key demographics and travel motivators and preferences for visitors. This session will help you better understand your key targetmarkets and how to more effectively market to them.
  Speaker: Louri O’Leary - Travel Research Manager, Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism Division
• How to Go Green Without Breaking the Bank
  Sustainability means, among other things, conserving water, energy and money. This session will teach you why and how to start a green movement in your community, working with hotels, restaurants and general businesses. You’ll learn how to encourage participation with elected officials and other community leaders, and how to market the efforts to encourage awareness,support and community pride.
  Speaker: Nancy Millar, Vice President, McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau

2:30 - 3:25 PM
Afternoon Breakout Sessions (Repeated)

3:25 - 3:40 PM
Afternoon Refreshment Break
Sponsored by Texas Coastal Bend Regional Tourism Council

3:40 - 4:15 PM
General Session - Texas Tourism: What Does the Future Hold?
Learn how emerging industry and economic trends will impact the future of travel and tourism in Texas and the South Texas region.
Speaker: Nelson Gumm - President AJR and Associates

4:15 - 4:30 PM: Open Discussion, Q&A, Adjourn

If you have any questions, please contact David Teel (davidt@ttia.org) or Jennifer Roush (jenniferr@ttia.org) at 512-476-4472.

Download the Registration Form at:
http://www.ttia.org/regional/kingsville.html.

Missionite Maurine Duncan, an associate producer of the film, is pictured holding a hat she made and wore in the movie.  Also pictured is Sol Marroquin, former congressional aide and aspiring actor from Mission, holding the Mexican soldier’s cap he wore in the movie.  He played the role of Pancho Villa’s right-hand man, Colonel Vacaro.  Sol has appeared in nine movies, including “The Thin Red Line” (1964), “Get Out of Town” (1960), and “Harvest of Redemption” (2007)

Mission Historical Museum has planned a reunion of the actors and extras who played a role in the movie “She Came to the Valley” which was filmed in and around Mission during 1977 and released in 1979.  The reunion will be held July 24, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Museum. Anyone who had a part in the film is asked to contact the Museum at 956-580-8646.

Producers were the Albert Band Film Company of Hollywood, California.  Albert Band was director and Robert S. Bremson was Producer.  Associate Producers were Bill and Maurine Duncan and W.T. Ellis of Mission, under the banner of R.G.V. Pictures, Inc. Albert Band and Frank Ray Perrili wrote the screenplay, which was based on the novel “She Came to the Valley” by Dr. Cleo Dawson of Mission and Lexington, Kentucky.

The book was first printed in hardcover in 1943.  The paperback edition came out in 1978 after the filming of the movie.  Copies may be purchased at the Mission Historical Museum.

Mission Historical Museum
Adela Ortega [aortega@mission.lib.tx.us]
956-580-8646

Daniel García Ordáz, aka The Poet Mariachi, appeared on Channel 23 News to promote his reading series this weekend in McAllen. Take a look.

LIX

Listen again. One Evening at the Close
Of Ramazán, ere the better Moon arose,
In that old Potter’s Shop I stood alone
With the clay Population round in Rows.

LX

And, strange to tell, among that Earthen Lot
Some could articulate, while others not:
And suddenly one more impatient cried-
‘Who is the Potter, pray, and who is the Pot?’

LXI

Then said another-‘Surely not in vain
My Substance from the common Earth was ta’en,
That He who subtly wrought me into Shape
Should stamp me back to common Earth again.’

LXII

Another said-‘Why, ne’er a peevish Boy,
Would break the Bowl from which he drank in Joy;
Shall he that made the Vessel in pure Love
And Fancy, in an after Rage destroy!’

LXIII

None answer’d this; but after Silence spake
A Vessel of a more ungainly Make:
‘They sneer at me for leaning all awry;
What! did the Hand of the Potter shake?’

LXIV

Said one-‘Folks of a surly Tapster tell’
And daub his Visage with the Smoke of Hell;
They talk of some strict Testing of us-Pish!
He’s a Good Fellow, and ‘twill all be well.’

LXV

Then said another with a long-drawn Sigh,
‘My Clay with long oblivion is gone dry:
But, fill me with the old familiar Juice,
Methinks I might recover by-and-bye!’

LXVI

So while the Vessels one by one were speaking,
One spied the little Crescent all were seeking:
And then they jogg’d each other, ‘Brother! Brother!
Hark to the Porter’s Shoulder-knot a-creaking!’

*

LXVII

Ah, with the Grape my fading Life provide,
And wash my Body whence the Life has died,
And in a Windingsheet of Vine-leaf wrapt
So bury me by some sweet Garden-side.

LXVIII

That ev’n my buried Ashes such a Snare
Of Perfume shall fling up into the Air
As not a True Believer pasing by
But shall be overtaken unaware.

LXIX

Indeed the Idols I have loved so long
Have done my Credit in Men’s Eye much wrong;
Have drown’d my Honour in a shallow Cup,
And sold my Reputation for a Song.

LXX

Indeed, indeed, Repentance oft before
I swore-but was I sober when I swore?
And then and then came Spring, and Rose-in-hand
My thread-bare Penitence apieces tore.

LXXI

And much as Wine has play’d the Infidel,
And robb’d me of my Robe of Honour-well,
I often wonder what the Vintners buy
And half so precious as the Goods they sell.

LXXII

Alas, that Spring should vanish with the Rose!
That Youth’s sweet-scented Manuscript should close!
The Nightingale that in the Branches sang,
Ah, whence, and wither flown again, who knows!

LXXIII

Ah Love! could thou and I with Fate conspire
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire,
Would not we shatter it to bits-and then
Re-mould it nearer to the Heart’s Desire!

LXXIV

Ah, Moon of my Delight who know’st no wane,
The Moon of Heav’n is rising once again:
How oft hereafter rising shall she look
Through this same Garden after me-in vain!

LXXV

And When Thyself with shining Foot shall pass
Among the Guests Star-scatter’d on the Grass,
And in thy joyous Errand reach the Spot
Where I made one-turn down an empty Glass.

TAMAM SHUD

Editor’s notes: Kúza-Náma: The Book of Pots

Taman shud: the very end

The Poet Mariachi Daniel Garcia Ordaz performs his original poems July 17 at 7 – 9 pm at South Texas College - Pecan Campus Library (2nd Floor Rainbow Room)

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Blues musician Seth Walker performs at Cine El Rey July 19 at 9 pm as part of the “South of the City Limits” concert series sponsored by McAllen Chamber of Commerce and El Rey Productions

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Noe Torres presents two books and signs autographs at South Texas College; Starr County Campus; 142 FM 3167; Rio Grande City, TX on July 22 at 7 pm

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On Thursday. July 17, the City of Tampico and the Mexican Consulate in McAllen sponsor the solo-exhibit of abstract paintings by Benilde González Fernández at IMAS.

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Meanwhile “Self Conscious World Identity” featuring the artworks of Victoria Suescum and Jimena Marin opens at at STC’s Pecan Campus and later The Poet Mariachi encourages an Open Mike session. At the same time Noe Torres enlightens about UFOs in Rio Grande City’s STC.

******    ******

Friday brings Disney star Raven Symone to Dodge Arena, in a fundraising effort for the Discovery School in Edinburg.

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On Saturday an acoustic guitarist performs at Arte Expressions while Bluesman Seth Walker entertains at Cine El Rey.

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Sunday’s program at MOSTH is a presentation and book signing by Alex de la Fuente’s The Case Runner.

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On Tuesday Eco Explorers have a Nature Camp at Edinburg World Birding Center and Shades of History Junior Ghost Hunting Camp starts Wednesday at Brownsville Historical Complex.

******    ******

Next week, get ready for Cahoots Summer Stock Theatre at UTPA and the Beachcomber Art Show at South Padre Island.

******    ******

Read complete details in www.ArtsRGV.com to know what is happening in the RGV Art World and send your comments to ArtsRGV@aol.com.

Virginia Gause

McAllen- Benilde Gonzalez Fernandez’ exhibition at the International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS), titled Everything Intertwines, includes 14 paintings that echo impressions of the sea, the night, motion, noise, and silence, through an array of symbols expressed in gesture, geometry, texture, and color. These qualities reflect the rich diversity found in her native city of Tampico, a beautiful and progressive port by the Gulf of Mexico which, in conjunction with the Mexican Consulate of McAllen, has graciously sponsored this exhibition.

“Ms. Benilde González Fernández has a fascination for abstract design; taking color, shapes, and textures she creates dynamic explosions which continue a thread of communication with their source of origin” remarks Maria Elena Macias, IMAS Curator.  Her dramatic work is exhibited in the Welcome Pavilion from July 17, 2008 through September 7, 2008.   The artist will be present at the opening reception on Thursday July 17, 2008 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.  Free admission for members and general admission applies for non-members.

After completing her studies in Interior Design in Mexico City, Ms. Benilde González Fernández continued her Visual Arts education under the direction of artists such as Fernando Vega y Gomez (Conceptual Art), Angelina Perez (Sculpture and Ceramics), architects Cain Valdez and Jose Luis Diaz (Painting and Drawing), and Katty Harvey (Fusion Glass).  Ms. Gonzalez has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions including Proyectart Gallery, Casa de la Cultura Tampico; Casa de Cultura Tamaulipas in Mexico City; Poliforum Siqueiros, Mexico City; Chile-Mexico Mythology; Selected in the Art Competition Ramon Garcia Zurita, Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, and Cultural Space Metropolitano in Mexico City.

The mission of the International Museum of Art & Science is to promote a deeper appreciation of the arts and sciences through exhibitions, cultural events, and educational programs; and to expand, preserve, and display its permanent art and science collections. The museum is located at the intersection of Bicentennial Way and Nolana Avenue. Monday: closed; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. General admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and $4 for children ages 4 to 12. Children under age 3 are free, and unlimited general admission is provided on a complimentary basis to IMAS Members. On Sundays, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. IMAS offers free general admission, thanks to the generosity of Hidalgo County.