Safe Family Fun at McAllen Halloween Festivals

Bring the kids for a night of fun to the City of McAllen Annual Halloween Festival on Monday, Oct. 31 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Lark, Las Palmas and Palm View Community Centers. Presented by the City of McAllen Parks and Recreation, Fire and Police departments, the annual festival provides safe Halloween fun with free admission for the entire family.

Each McAllen community center will have candy and prizes to hand out and participants will enjoy a variety entertainment including games, contests, arts and crafts projects and a haunted house.

Contact McAllen Parks and Recreation at (956) 681-3333 for more information.

Festival Locations

• Lark Community Center is located at 2601 Lark Avenue.
• Las Palmas Community Center is located at 1921 N. 25th St.
• Palm View Community Center is located at 3401 Jordan Road.

Limited Quantity of City of McAllen Commemorative Coins for Sale at Quinta Mazatlan

To commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the City of McAllen city charter, Quinta Mazatlan (the McAllen wing of the World Birding Center) is selling a limited quantity of the 2011 City of McAllen Centennial Coin and the 2011 McAllen City Coin.

The coins were created by coin designer Raul H. Gonzalez and coin artist Jesus Solano, from the Hidalgo Coin Club.

A box set of the Centennial Coin and the City Coin can be purchased together for $50, a single City Coin can be purchased in a presentation box for $25, and a City Coin encased in a protective plastic cover can be purchased for $15. 

Quinta Mazatlan is located at 600 Sunset Drive and its hours of operation are Tuesday to Saturday, from 8 am to 5 pm.  On Thursday nights Quinta Mazatlan is open until dark.

Checks, debit cards and credit cards are all accepted methods of payment. 

COIN DESCRIPTIONS:

2011 City of McAllen Centennial Coin

OBVERSE
The design features McAllen’s first mayor, Frank G. Crow and the city’s centennial mayor, Richard F. Cortez in an antique silver finish.  The 10-carat diamond image at the bottom center is the gemstone for the 100^th Anniversary.

REVERSE

The portrait design features the iconic home of the McAllen Wing of the World Birding Center—Quinta Mazatlan with several tall palm trees behind it.  The colorful foreground features a branch of bouganvilleas (city flower) and a Green Jay (city bird).  The entire coin is minted with an antique silver finish.

2011 McAllen City Coin

OBVERSE

The design features Douglas Clark’s “The Irrigation Worker” statue, which is emblematic of the pioneers that first cleared the wilderness, dug out canals and planted crops.  The shovel gives rise to the city’s blue logo below 3 distinct buildings.  The Compass Bank, Chase Tower and Bentsen Federal Building are adorned with palm trees in a shiny silver finish.  The field has a sandblasted finish with all the lettering and the rim in a shiny gold tone.                                                                                                                              

REVERSE

The design features an airplane coming in under the word Explore above the Spanish-styled Convention Center.  The left bottom is a typical beautiful nature scene while the right bottom pays tribute to the ever growing arts scene.  Mick Reber’s metal sculpture, “The 3 Graces—Faith, Hope & Charity” is located on Main Street.  The field has a sandblasted finish with all the lettering and the rim in a shiny gold tone.

For more information about the City of McAllen Centennial Coin and the McAllen City Coin, call Quinta Mazatlan at (956) 681-3370. 

3rd Annual Dia de los Muertos Fundraiser

McAllen, Texas- The Hidalgo County chapter of Texas Democratic Women is holding our 3^rd Annual Dia de los Muertos Fundraiser. The fundraiser will take place Tuesday, November 1, 2011from 7 pm to 9 pm at Ponchos Mexican Restaurant located at 808 North Cage Boulevard just south of Expressway 83 in Pharr, Texas.

The Hidalgo County chapter of Texas Democratic Women’s annual event honors democratic women who continue to inspire even after their passing. It is to celebrate their life and honor their memory. The 2011 honorees are Alicia Garza, Barbara Jordan and Geraldine Ferraro. Alters representing their lives will be on exhibit.

Alicia Garza is quoted as saying, “Life isn’t just about living; it’s about giving and helping others!” Alicia Garza worked as an educator for the La Joya Independent School District for 39 years. Alicia truly believed that everyone deserved a chance to get a good education and prosper because of it. She proudly served with the American Red Cross, United Way, and La Joya Lion’s Club.  She was a founder and secretary for the La Joya I. S. D. Crimestoppers Board.  She was a city commissioner and mayor pro-tem for the city of Sullivan City.  Ms. Garza was also a board member for the La Joya Area Federal Credit Union. As a registered organ donor in death, she continued to give by donating her tissue and bone to others in need. She was a true role model.  There is no doubt that her beliefs and her desire to help others will serve as an incentive to many, especially when they feel no one cares. One person referred to her as the "Poor man's voice."  

Barbara Jordan was born and reared in Houston, Texas. She was the first African-American elected to the Texas Senate in 1966 after reconstruction and the first Southern black woman elected to theU.S. House of Representatives in 1973. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous other honors. On her death in 1996 she became the first African-American woman to be interred in the Texas State Cemetery.

Geraldine Ferraro, a Democrat was the first female Vice Presidential candidate to represent a major American political party. She served in Congress for six years and as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for three years. She passed away on March 26, 2011 after living with cancer for the last 12 years of her life.

Donations go to further the mission of the Hidalgo County chapter of Texas Democratic Women. HCTDW members work to promote increased representation of women in party and governmental institutions. HCTDW members promote legislative, executive, and judicial policies that enhance equitable representation of women in party and government affairs. The members of Hidalgo County chapter of Texas Democratic Women provide training and other support for Democrats working in party organizations, campaigns and/or seeking public office.

Donations and sponsorships are appreciated. For tickets contact: Alexia Solis, Fundraising Chair (956) 400-9541, Leslie Gower (956) 624-5978 or Rosalie Weisfeld (956) 793-5814 or emailrweisfeld@rgv.rr.com. This event will be “Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Working towards the Future”.

Census Reveals New Info About City

McAllen, Texas-- McAllen residents make more money, stay in school longer, more are Hispanic and women are earning college degrees faster than men, according to new information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau using information from the decennial census.

The Census Bureau’s American Fact Finder 2 shows that City of McAllen median household earnings are up 22 percent more over 2000, the last time the national census was performed. Some information has been reported before, such as population, where McAllen grew by 23,463 to 129,877 residents.

The American Fact Finder 2 further breaks down information gathered into hundreds of categories using 2010 Census information and American Community Survey from its 1-year estimates. The latest numbers help provide a more accurate picture of the City of McAllen community – which is separate from the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro area (Hidalgo County).

The selected categories below compare McAllen to other cities around Texas. The numbers show that McAllen residents are finishing high school and college at higher rates than in 2000. And the median household income is up significantly over the last decade, which may reflect the higher education rates.

McAllen competes well with cities such as Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Laredo, Brownsville, Waco, El Paso and the entire state when it comes to earning power and educational attainment. Still, the city is challenged in other categories by having an inordinate amount of poor families and a lower percentage of the population graduating from high school (GED included).

Other notable information shows that Asian and Black households in McAllen – although few in number – earn more than twice the city median household: Asian $91,250; Black/African American $82,263. White non-Hispanic households make $55,708. There are 3,288 (2.5%) Asians in McAllen along with 833 (.6%) Blacks. Non-Hispanic Whites are at 15,193 or (11.7%).

Also, individual high school grads earn an average of $17,186 compared to associates degree holders (or adults with some college) $22,346, bachelor’s degree $42,463 and graduate degree or higher make $58,676. All the educational attainment information is based on residents 25 years old and older. The Census also unveiled a new trend for women in McAllen: they increasingly hold more bachelor’s degree than men – 36% to 24% in the 25 to 34 age group. In older groups, men have the edge by far.

In another bit of information, almost two-thirds of McAllen residents (60%) live in a home they own, while nearly 40 percent live in a rented housing unit. As for the McAllen metro area, which includes the entire county, it records lower incomes and lower educational attainment rates than McAllen.

City or place	Population	Hispanic population	Household income	Families w/ health ins.	Fams below poverty lev.	4-yr degree/higher	HS grad or higher
McAllen 2010	129,877	85%	$41,018	64%	21%	28.6%	75%
McAllen 2000	106,414	80%	$33,641	N/A	21%	23.6%	65%
Brownsville	175,027	93%	$30,454	63%	34%	15.6%	60%
Corpus Christi	305,215	60%	$41,845	79%	16%	21.4%	80%
El Paso	649,121	80%	$37,278	72%	18%	21.5%	75%
Fort Worth	741,206	34%	$48,224	76%	14%	26.0%	80%
Laredo	236,097	96%	$36,000	64%	27%	17.5%	65%
Lubbock	229,593	32%	$40,712	82%	14%	29.9%	86%
San Antonio	1,327,407	63%	$43,748	77%	15%	23.8%	80%
Sugarland	78,817	11%	$118,190	87%	3%	52.9%	94%
Tyler	96,900	21%	$39,755	73%	11%	29.9%

November is Adoption Awareness Month

Why Not Me? Why Can’t I Have a Family?

National Adoption Awareness Month spotlights children waiting for families

Children in foster care frequently wonder "Why not me? Why can't I have a family?" November is National Adoption Awareness Month and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is asking caring adults “Why not you? Why not adopt an older child?”

The annual "Why Not Me?" campaign focuses on the thousands of children in state care, particularly older and minority children who desperately need loving families they can call their own.

Throughout November, mass adoptions, match parties, and other events are held to put the spotlight on the plight of children waiting for permanent homes and normal lives.  Many events occur around National Adoption Day on the 19th of November.

Date	County	Event
10/26/2011	Hidalgo County	Heart Gallery Opening
11/3/2011	Cameron County	Heart Gallery Opening
11/4/2011	Webb County	Adoption Day
11/8/2011	Nueces Country	Adoption Recruitment
11/9/2011	Webb County	Heart Gallery Opening
11/10/2011	Nueces Country	Heart Gallery Opening
11/12/2011	Nueces Country	All Agency Adoption Information Day
11/14/2011	Webb County	Proclamation Reading
11/18/2011	Nueces Country	Adoption Day
11/20/2011	Nueces Country	Calling Out - Heart & Soul Gallery

Additional details of the above listed events will be sent out as reminders prior to events.

There is never a shortage of children needing adoptive families. Last year, 4,611 abused or neglected children and teens were adopted from state care. Today in Texas, more than 6,000 children and teens are waiting to be adopted and more than a third of them ten years old or older.

“Older children tend to stay in the system longer,” says Audrey Deckinga, DFPS assistant commissioner for Child Protective Services. “But no matter their age, children and teens never outgrow the need for parents and the love and stability that only a family can give."

	Children Available	Children Adopted
Region 11 County	As of Sept. 2011	In FY 2011
Aransas	7	2
Bee	8	0
Brooks	9	4
Cameron	50	20
Duval	3	0
Hidalgo	17	4
Jim Hogg	0	0
Jim Wells	5	1
Kennedy	0	0
Kleberg	8	8
Live Oak	1	0
McMullen