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Telling Our Stories~ Museum History with Edward Meza 5/31 6:30p

Today’s Telling our Stories has been re-scheduled for next Thursday, May 31 @ 6:30 pm.

Edward P. Meza presents “The History of the Port Isabel Museums”

The Museums of Port Isabel and the Laguna Madre Museum Foundation are proud to present its “Telling Our Stories” Series of 2012 on Thursday, May 24th, at the Treasures of the Gulf Museum, 317 East Railroad Avenue at 6:30pm. This month’s topic will be on “The History of Port Isabel Museums”, presented by Edward P. Meza.

Edward P. Meza, born in Alice, Texas and raised in Corpus Christi. Meza graduated from Texas A & M University in College Station with a B.S. in Museum Studies under the Wildlife and Fisheries Department. Mr. Meza worked in the Museum field for 20 years, as a Executive Director for the Grayson County Historical Museum in Sherman, Texas, Curator of Education and Programs for the African American Museum in Dallas, Texas, Executive Director for the Webb County Historical Foundation in Laredo, Texas and Director of Historical Preservation for the Port Isabel.

Meza was selected to attend a two week Leadership training course at the Smithsonian Institute in 1990, as one of twenty participants from throughout the United States. Meza has also served as chair for the following organizations, Chair of the Grayson Historical Commission and Sherman Historical Society, President of the Northeast Texas Museum Association, Member at Large for Texas Association of Museums, Board member of the Dallas Historical Society, Chair of the Webb County Historical Commission, Cameron County Historical Commission and the Los Caminos del Rio Historical Board and Charter member of the Tropical Trails Committee.

Throughout his museum career he also worked as a consultant for various museums in designing and developing exhibits including the: Van Alsytne Museum in Van Alsytne, Texas, the Dallas Chapter of Public Accountant’s Museum in Dallas, Texas, the George West Historical Museum in George West, Texas, the San Benito Historical Museum featuring the Freddy Fender Museum, South Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame, and the San Benito Historical Society, the Brownsville Historical Association’s Historical Museum, the Brownsville Historical Association’s City Cemetery Center and the Weslaco Historical Museum.

Currently, and for the past three and a half years, he serves as the City Manager for the City of Port Isabel.

Please join us as we learn about “The History of Port Isabel Museum”. All locals and visitors are welcomed to attend this free presentation. Complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be provided and are being sponsored by Ron & Cecilia Bliss of South Wind Inn.

‘Telling Our Stories” is an educational program aimed to preserving the heritage of the City of Port Isabel and the Laguna Madre area. Our goals are to preserve and educate our local and natural history through presentations and exhibits. The program is co-sponsored by the Museums of Port Isabel and the Laguna Museum Foundation. “Telling Our Stories” is presented on the last Thursday of each month from January through September at the Treasures of the Gulf Museum. Admission is free.

Sponsored by: Mr. & Mrs. Ron Bliss – South Wind Inn

For more information on Telling Our Stories or to help sponsor an event, contact Jeannie Marie A. Flores at (956) 943-7602 or visit www.portisabelmuseums.com or you may also send an email to jrivera@copitx.com.

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Telling Our Stories: Fishing Heritage by Mike Cateora 3/31 6:30p

“FISHING HERITAGE” presented by Mike Cateora

The Museums of Port Isabel and the Laguna Madre Museum Foundation are proud to present its “Telling Our Stories” Series of 2011 featuring Mike Cateora with the “Fishing Heritage” on Thursday, March 31, at 6:30 pm inside the Treasures of the Gulf Museum.

Mike Cateora is actively the Chairman of the Historic Preservation Board and Vice Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board. For roughly 84 years, Mr. Cateora’s family has been involved in the fishing industry, going back as far as 1927. A Port Isabel native, Mike went into the family business where he devoted 25 years into the shrimping and fishing industry. Today, Mike Cateora is part owner of Cuevas Bait and Shrimp Company with business partner Jose Cuevas.

For years Port Isabel has always drawn the attention of fisherman well beyond the 1400’s from the Native Americans who inhabited the land to the avid sports fisherman that frequent the island today. Fishing in many ways has sculpted this area into one both Port Isabel and South Padre Island have embraced. Native Americans would use Padre Island as an unofficial home away from home where fishing was the main objective as well as gathering oysters and other shell fish. During the 1950’s at the peak of the industry, Port Isabel was known as the “Shrimp Capital of the World”. Today with fewer shrimp boats still in active use due to the importation of shrimp, Port Isabel has had to evolve in many ways from a fishing community and turn to tourism as a way to stimulate economic growth, but we still cherish those memories of old. That large catch of shrimp and fish your father or uncle brought back, that story of how the largest fish you had ever hooked just somehow got away. This great fishing heritage of ours is what made Port Isabel and its people.

Please join us as we tell the history of Port Isabel’s great fishing heritage.  All locals and visitors are welcome to attend this free presentation. Complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be available.

“Telling Our Stories” held by the Museums of Port Isabel is a free presentation open to the public. These presentations are set on the final Thursday of the month from January through September at 6:30 pm. Our thanks go out to the Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce, the Port Isabel Merchants Committee, the Laguna Madre Museum Foundation and the City of Port Isabel for their continued support.

This event is sponsored by: Coastal Mail and Southwind Inn Hotel.

The Museums of Port Isabel and the Laguna Madre Museum Foundations goals are to help preserve and educate our local natural history through presentations and exhibits.

For more information on telling our stories or to help sponsor an event, contact Gabriel Godines at 956-943-7602 or visit www.portisabelmuseums.com you can also send an email to ggodines@copitx.com.

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Museums Telling Our Stories ~ IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 9/30 6pm

“If These Walls Could Talk”

The Museums of Port Isabel and the Laguna Madre Museum Foundation are proud to present the final “Telling Our Stories” for the year on Thursday, September 30, at the Treasures of the Gulf Museum, 317 E. Railroad Ave. at 6:00 p.m. Calvin Byrd, former Mayor and owner of the “Quik Stop Seafood Market”, a bait shop and fishing supplies store and Manuel Hinojosa, co-owner of Doubleday’s Sports Bar & Restaurant, architect, artist, and avid historian/collector present “If these walls could talk”, the evolution of the Museums of Port Isabel. Mr. Byrd and Mr. Hinojosa will talk about the evolution of the museums and the countless contributors that helped with the acquisition of the Treasures of the Gulf Museum, the Champion building and the Lighthouse. This is a story that has yet to have been told.

A former Mayor of Port Isabel, Calvin Byrd has contributed with the development of the Museums of Port Isabel. Mr. Byrd has also participated with the Rio Grande Empowerment Zone Corporation as a Board Member and serves as a Chamber of Commerce board member.

Mr. Manuel Hinojosa, respected architect and accomplished artist has contributed to the Museums of Port Isabel, donating an extensive collection of U.S. Mexican War artifacts and Civil War artifacts. Mr. Hinojosa is also a Chamber of Commerce board member and has also participated with the City of Port Isabel in creating the design concepts of the new state of the art Event Center, which will grace the City of Port Isabel in the near future.

We welcome all locals and visitors to attend this free presentation. Drinks and refreshments will be served.

September’s “Telling Our Stories” is sponsored by SOUTHWIND INN; ‘Clean, comfortable, and affordable rooms that are so close to the fun!’ and QUIK STOP SEAFOOD MARKET; ‘Your one stop fishing headquarters’.

The Museums of Port Isabel and the Laguna Madre Museum Foundation’s goals are to educate and preserve our local history. With the help from supporters and the public, we can continue to preserve our past for future generations.

For more information contact Gabriel Godines at (956) 943-7602 or visit www.portisabelmuseums.com.