By Mary Torres, Special to the Star
The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Genealogical Society cordially invites you to its general meeting at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 16, at the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum, 2425 Boxwood St. The society is proud to announce that it is returning to in-person meetings after a hiatus of over a year. At 2 p.m., one of the society’s most popular speakers, Manuel Hinojosa, FAIA, is back with a program on his latest book “Rode Hard: The Rise and Fall of Jockey Legend Herbert Hinojosa.” The book is about Herbie Hinojosa (no relation,) who passed away in December 2019. “Herbie was a national icon and a hometown Brownsville guy put in the huge theater” that was horse racing at the time.”
The book is about a jockey’s life during the golden age of racing in the 1950s, ‘60s and 70s, when Hinojosa rode alongside and against racing greats like Eddie Arcaro, Bill Shoemaker, Ronald Blum, Ismael “Milo” Valenzuela, Bill Hartack, Braulio Baeza, Manuel Ycaza, Angel Cordero and Don Pierce among others. During a career that spanned 40 years, Hinojosa won 3,334 of the 25,160 thoroughbred races he rode, and his mounts earned just under $18 million. He won 13% of his races, placed first, second or third in 39% of them, and won multiple graded stakes races, according to Equibase, the horse racing industry database.
Manuel Hinojosa earned his B.A. in Art at Pan American University and a degree in Architecture at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Manuel is a historian and archaeologist who has spent over 30 years documenting the Ancient Camino Real, starting in Guanajuato, Mexico, and crossing into Texas at Eagle Pass to the battlegrounds of San Jacinto as well as the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, Brownsville, and other sites in the Rio Grande Valley; he’s currently a partner with ROFA Architects in McAllen, the District Architect for the Brownsville ISD, an artist/ author/speaker, sports historian/sports memorabilia collector (and more) who has spent a lifetime involved in projects closely affiliated with athletics and well-known sports figures. Hinojosa also co-owns Doubleday Bar of Champions in Port Isabel, where he displays his artwork. Manuel currently resides in Port Isabel with his wife, Norma. Book signings will be held before and after the meeting.
The Valley Byliners, a nonprofit writer’s support organization and the Harlingen Public Library invites you to “Poetry Night,” via Zoom on Tuesday, May 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and to the Fourth Saturday Publishing and Marketing Meeting at 1:30 p.m. on May 23, 2021. Join the meetings at https://zoom.us/j/99678692109?pwd=M1ZIeXpRaVJHQmNFQ1dMWHZPY3E0UT09, Meeting ID: 996 7869 2109, Passcode: 322652. The Byliners are waiving annual membership fees until they can meet face-to-face and their meetings are free and open to the public. For more information visit their Facebook page.
The Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum and the Rio Grande Valley Museum Association invite you to visit two new exhibits currently on display: “On the Surface,” a solo show by Rachel Comminos of Harlingen featuring beautiful handcrafted rugs and tapestries and, “Here Come the Brides” featuring wedding dresses from the collection of June Ramirez, The Antique Emporium, Downtown Harlingen. The museum is following City mandates for COVID-19, so remember to bring your mask and practice social distancing. Museum hours are: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday, 1 to 4 pm and Monday – closed. For more information call (956) 216-4901.
I’m happy to report that Market Days in Downtown Harlingen has returned on the first Saturday of the month and the Downtown Art Night is scheduled for Friday, May 28.
