Pecos Trail Newsletter Mar-2016

Texas Pecos Trail Region
Newsletter March 2016
TPTR Mission
The Texas Pecos Trail Region develops and
promotes heritage preservation and tourism
throughout the richly diverse
West Texas area.
Inside this Issue:
Digital Newspaper Project
Southwest Collection, TTU
1
Invite to Pecos Trail Partners Event
Mar 17, Odessa
2
Travel Itinerary:
Spring Break Destinations
2
Main Street Applications Open
3
News on the Pecos Trail
3
Preservation Spotlight:
Val Verde Winery
3
Mar Calendar of Events
4
Contact Information
4
TPTR Board of Directors
Bill Hodges (Chair)
Sonora Main Street, Sonora
Ellen Crossland (Vice Chair)
Mendoza Trail Museum, McCamey
Peggy Kelton (Secretary)
Upton Cnty Historical Commission, McCamey
Betty Damron (Treasurer)
Crane County Historical Commission, Crane
Russell Nowell
Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville
Sherry Phillips
Former Mayor of McCamey
Bill Simon
Smart Choice Auto Group, Junction
Jefferson Spilman
Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Sheffield
Ruben Vargas
Trendy T’s, Midland
Southwest Collection’s Digital Newspaper Project
The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech
University has an ongoing project to digitize newspapers. Their Digital
Newspaper Project reflects a growing community of regional newspapers
that contain a multitude and variety of historical events and information.
Old or archived newspapers are scanned and digitized at no cost to the
newspaper. The Southwest Collection has the ability to handle physical
newspapers, microfilm, and born-digital files, while their preservation lab
can accommodate materials in various conditions.
Each newspaper issue is downloadable via PC and mobile device. High
quality images are viewable at a high level of magnification. All
newspapers are searchable by keyword or text. The general public may
view and download newspaper copies free of charge.
Newspapers can be accessed at www.collections.swco.ttu.edu. The
Southwest Collection also preserves manuscripts, photographs, maps,
and diaries relating to Southwestern history, literature of the Southwest
and rare books, oral history interviews, Texas Tech University archives,
and much more.
Also contact (806) 742-9070 if you are interested in having your
community’s newspaper copies digitized.
Samples of
newspapers
digitized:
Big Spring Daily
Herald, 1931-11-11;
Eldorado Success,
1928-12-28.
Courtesy of the Southwest
Collection/Special Collections
Library, Texas Tech Univ.
Invite to Pecos Trail Partners Event — Odessa, Mar 17
Join us for our next bi-monthly Pecos Trail Partners Event on
March 17, starting at 10 a.m., in Odessa TX at the Barn Door
Steakhouse (2140 Andrews Hwy). The public is welcome to attend,
and we particularly encourage those involved in tourism and heritage
preservation.
We will convene and later lunch at one of Odessa’s iconic
landmarks, hear guest speakers from the Presidential Archives and
historic White-Pool House, and have the opportunity to tour the
nearby Pecos Depot and Globe Theatre.
Cost of lunch is $10 and will be collected at the door.
RSVP by March 11 to Scott Jordan at [email protected] or
(325) 387-3900.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Travel Itinerary: Spring Break Destinations
Take time off with family and friends at these recreational sites!
South Llano River State
Park
Junction
Fort Clark Springs
Brackettville
Pristine Hill Country scenery with
opportunities for kayaking, hiking,
swimming, fly-fishing, birding, and
other activities. Lodging nearby.
Historic fort, founded in 1852, is at
the center of many activities
including a par-3 and full 18-hole
golf course (with restaurant),
hotel, RV park, museum, theater,
and hiking & nature trail.
Rio Grande
Eagle Pass
Lake Amistad
Del Rio
Enjoy canoeing and kayaking on
the Rio Grande during the grand
opening of Epis, try your luck at
Lucky Eagle Casino, and experience
the annual International Friendship
Festival.
Large reservoir operated by the
National Park Service offers
swimming, boating, jet-skiing,
fishing, and nearby restaurants and
lodging.
Balmorhea State Park
Balmorhea
Monahans Sandhills State
Park
Monahans
The world’s largest spring-fed pool,
built in the 1930s, is an oasis in the
desert , and also has overnight
lodging facilities and is near local
hotels, scuba shop, and
birdwatching spots.
Natural glistening dunes stretch for
miles and are great for family
outings, exploring and hiking, sand
-surfing, RV, and horseback riding.
To learn more of these and other heritage tourism attractions in the Pecos Trail Region visit http://texaspecostrail.com.
Pecos Trail Newsletter
Mar 2016
Page 2
News on the Pecos Trail
Main Street Applications Now Open
The 2017 application process for new Texas Main Street
cities is now open. Applications to become a designated Main
Street community are accepted once a year on the last
working day of July.
Each year the Texas Historical Commission may select up
to five Texas cities for official Main Street designation.
Historic neighborhood commercial districts are also eligible
to apply. There is no application fee.
With the Main Street designation, communities become
part of a powerful statewide and national network.
Designated communities receive a range of services from the
Texas Main Street Program staff that includes strategic
planning, design services from a licensed architect to help
downtown property owners undertake effective restoration
and adaptive re-use of buildings, as-needed technical
consultation with business and property owners, product
development, comprehensive city planning and economic
development technical assistance, and other benefits.
An applicant must agree to hire a full-time Main Street
manager, adequately budget for the local program, and
demonstrate several criteria that includes a commitment to
historic preservation, community and private sector support,
and financial capacity.
Optional letters of intent are due May 13. Applications are
due July 29. For full requirements, due dates, and application
visit www.thc.state.tx.us.
The Permian Basin Petroleum
Museum in Midland will have a
grand re-opening on April 2 to
showcase the extensive
remodeling of the facilities and
introduce new state-of-the-art
exhibits and drilling artifacts.
The Victorian House in
downtown Eagle Pass hosts the
new Galleria Art Walk every first
Thursday evening of the month,
with arts and crafts, food, and
live music entertainment.
The Whitehead Memorial
Museum in Del Rio has a
temporary exhibit, “Rural Texas
Women at Work, 1930-1960,”
through the end of March.
Preservation Spotlight
Welcome to the oldest continually operating winery in Texas!
Established in 1883 by Italian immigrant Frank Qualia, Val Verde Winery has
produced quality, home-grown wines in Southwest Texas for 130 years. Qualia
brought with him the techniques of traditional wine-making, and soon discovered
upon arrival to the Del Rio area that Lenoir grapes grew well in our warm and
sunny Southwestern Texas climate.
Award-winning wines are carefully hand-made in small quantities, using
traditional methods passed down through generations. Today the winery is
operated by Thomas and Michael Qualia, who continue the efforts and
expertise of the family business. In addition to wines, they’ve developed the
production of olive oil from Arbequina olive trees planted on site.
The Val Verde Winery has received the Land Heritage Award from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture for single-family-ownership of vineyards over 100 years
old. The winery is a landmark to the Texas wine industry and provides a muststop for culinary and agricultural tourism.
Wine tasting (min. age 21) and tours are offered Mon – Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should call
ahead. Visitors can purchase a unique variety of wines and olive oil, browse the gift shop, and see exhibits
detailing wine production at the winery. Join the 1883 Wine Club and receive wine shipments twice a year!
The winery is located at 100 Qualia Drive, in the south-central residential neighborhood of Del Rio. Contact by
phone (830) 775-9714 or visit www.valverdewinery.com.
Pecos Trail Newsletter
Mar 2016
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Regional Upcoming Events
Mar
1-31
1-31
3
3
4-31
4-5
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5
5
5
5
12
12
12
13
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17
17
18-27
18-20
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22
25-26
Event – Location
Statewide Events, Workshops, Etc.
Otra Vez Exhibit — Centennial Library, Midland
Vintage Hat Happenings Exhibit — Crockett County
Library, Ozona
Family Science Night: “Mad Scientist” — Permian Basin
Petroleum Museum, Midland
Big Ranch, Big City — Petroleum Club, Midland
“Rural Texas Women at Work, 1930-1960” —
Whitehead Memorial Museum, Del Rio
Fort Clark Days — Fort Clark, Brackettville
First Friday Art Walk — Downtown Del Rio
Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House,
Brackettville
Texas Independence Day Celebration — Whitehead
Memorial Museum, Del Rio
Birding for Beginners –- I20 Wildlife Preserve, Midland
Mozart Requiem — Wagner Noel Performing Arts
Center, Midland/Odessa
Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House,
Brackettville
Presa Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State
Park & Historic Site, Comstock
Little Market on Main — Pocket Park next to
Secondhand Treasures, Del Rio
Upper Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State
Park & Historic Site, Comstock
Texas Proud in Pecos — Windmill Square, Pecos
Third Thursday Reading Program — George W. Bush
Childhood Home, Midland
Pecos Trail Partners Event — Barn Door Steakhouse,
Odessa
International Friendship Festival — Downtown and
Shelby Park, Eagle Pass
Permian Basin Comic Con — Midland County Horseshoe,
Midland
Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House,
Brackettville
Presa Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State
Park & Historic Site, Comstock
Upper Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State
Park & Historic Site, Comstock
Ozona Chamber Banquet — Civic Center, Ozona
Easter Weekend Happenings — City Park, Junction
Mar 19
CHC Orientation Workshop — Magoffin Home, El Paso
— Workshop designed specifically for County Historical
Commission appointees. Contact (512) 475-2692.
Mar 24
Texas Friendly Hospitality Instructor Training Workshop
— Texas A&M University, College Station — Sponsored
by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Bryan/College
Station CVB. Individual registration $150, which includes
resource materials and lunch. To learn more and register
visit https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu.
Apr 5-8 Texas Assn of Museums Annual Meeting — Omni Corpus
Christi Hotel, Corpus Christi — Annual conference for
museum professionals and volunteers statewide. To
learn more and register visit www.texasmuseums.org.
Apr
25-26
Texas Travel Fair — Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference
Center, San Marcos — Annual trade show for TTIA
members to promote attractions face-to-face to travel
counselors statewide. For schedule, instructions, and
registration visit www.ttia.org.
For more details on upcoming events, please visit the Events
or Highlights sections at http://texaspecostrail.com.
The Texas Pecos Trail Region Newsletter is scheduled for website publication and
electronic distribution each month.
Texas Pecos Trail Region, P.O. Box 212, Sonora, Texas 76950
Office 325-387-3900
Cell 325-206-2571
Fax 325-387-3977
Email [email protected]
Website http://texaspecostrail.com
Executive Director and newsletter publisher: Scott Jordan
Pecos Trail Newsletter
Mar 2016
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