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Culture
Almanac
Hotel Turns 90
Yes‚ the Renaissance Casa de Palmas Hotel is a nonagenarian‚ but it also features many 21st-century amenities.
The hotel that is celebrating its 90th birthday in 2008 underwent a major renovation in 2000 to upgrade much of its infrastructure. However‚ the structure has still retained its old colonial architectural look with fountains‚ tropical birds and elaborate vegetational landscaping.
The Spanish Room restaurant is one of the hotel’s recent upgrades‚ with menu choices that reflect gourmet Latin cuisine. The Renaissance Casa de Palmas‚ now a part of the Marriott chain‚ has served guests in the past that include Anthony Quinn‚ Marlon Brando and President Lyndon Johnson.
Channeled for Discovery
Happy 40th birthday‚ International Museum of Art & Science.
The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and in 2008 will celebrate its 40th year of art‚ science and fun. IMAS has five galleries with fine art‚ folk art and decorative art‚ as well as a children’s Discovery Pavilion that offers hands-on learning.
In addition‚ its outdoor RioScape exhibit simulates a journey along the Rio Grande from the mountains to McAllen. Other attractions include stained glass displays along with a sculpture garden.
Creative Conservation
Picture this: People from all over the world travel to the Rio Grande Valley each year to participate in a photo contest.
The Valley Land Fund South Texas Shootout has taken place every two years since 1994‚ with more than $130‚000 in prize money up for grabs. Photographers team with area landowners to capture the best wildlife photographs on the landowners’ properties.
The shootout is a major fundraiser for the Valley Land Fund‚ with much of the money coming from entry fees and sponsorships. The fund’s primary goal is to promote the conservation and protection of wildlife and habitat.
Killer Bees and Dorados
How suite it is.
A total of 25 private suites and 500 club seats are part of the $20 million Dodge Arena‚ the McAllen area’s multipurpose complex. The arena offers 6‚800 concert seats that can reconfigure into 5‚500 seats for ice hockey‚ football and soccer.
For professional sports‚ Dodge Arena is the current home of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League and the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the af2 Arena Football League.
Good Grades = $1,000
It’s true‚ kids. Good grades earn seniors a grand if they are in the top 25 of their class at McAllen‚ Memorial and Rowe high schools.
The McAllen Chamber of Commerce organizes a banquet each spring that recognizes the top 25 students from McAllen Independent School District’s three high schools. Each student receives a $1‚000 scholarship at the banquet.
As for 2008‚ it will mark the 24th consecutive year that the Chamber will have successfully raised the $75‚000 needed for the scholarships.
Painting the Town
Art lovers: Put on your comfortable shoes.
The McAllen Artwalk takes place every first Friday of the month from September through May. The hours are 6 to 10 p.m.‚ with participants simply walking from art gallery to art gallery in the Old Town part of McAllen. Admission is free.
About 12 galleries and businesses sign up for the event and keep their doors open late on those particular first Fridays. Guests can start their self-guided tour at any location and proceed at their own pace.
Named for Nikki
Here is a salute to Col. James Nicholas “Nikki” Rowe.
The McAllen native was a U.S. Army Special Forces officer who was captured and held in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp until he escaped in 1968. Members of the New People’s Army in the Philippines ultimately assassinated him in 1989‚ as he trained members of the Philippine military to fight communist guerrillas.
Rowe is buried in Arlington National Cemetery‚ and both Colonel Rowe Boulevard and Rowe High School in McAllen are named for him.
The school’s nickname is the Warriors‚ and among the school’s offerings is a Nikki Rowe JROTC program.
Additional Culture Articles
- Take Your Taste Buds on a World Tour by Visiting These McAllen Restaurants
- McA2 Creative Incubator Fosters Artistic, Cultural and Economic Development
- McAllen Native and Astronaut Mike Fossum Shares Thoughts on His First Space Mission, Prepares for Next
- South of the City Limits Concert Series Capitalizes on McAllen's Proximity To Austin Music Scene
- Climate & Cultural Convergence Lure Winter Texans To Permanently Relocate In McAllen
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