If your vehicle has experienced hail damage — which is basically all Del Rio car/truck owners — there is a good chance you’ve made the acquaintance of PDR Pros owner Jason Schilling.
The Michigan-born and Del-Rio-raised Schilling is the owner of the successful business. And his business is prolific in scope, probably because he’s all about “customer first.”
“I guess my real enjoyment is taking care of the customers,” Schilling said. “You know, these people pay their monthly premium…to have insurance on something that they don’t want to have to pay for or have something happen. And then, when an incident actually happens, it’s an inconvenience for them. So what I like to try to do, is make the process as smooth as possible.”
PDR Pros absorbs client deductibles, eliminating any out-of-pocket expense. 
“So it’s a win-win-win situation for all my clients, and I always make myself available. So if there’s ever a warranty issue or if there’s ever a problem, I just fix it.”
A testament to his business and people acumen is that PDR Pros has taken him all over the country and to Australia multiple times.
“The traveling has been nice meeting different people all over the country, seeing different things, working on different cars, seeing different perspectives,” Schilling said. “That’s been real enjoyable as well.”
The genesis of PDR came by way of — go figure — a hailstorm.
“There was a major hailstorm in Del Rio in…I want to say it was 2002 when I got introduced to the paintless dent repair process and saw what those guys were doing,” Schilling said.
He committed himself to learning the trade, and PDR Pros was on the move. 
“And then I started traveling all over the country chasing hailstorms, fixing cars. I’ve been overseas fixing cars. I’ve fixed thousands of cars, brand-new cars for dealerships. And I’ve been doing that for quite some time now.”
Perhaps you’ve met Jason or know of him outside of PDR Pros. His involvement in Del Rio commerce is vast. His first job was with UPS before opening up a car audio/alarm store and embracing the world of entrepreneurship. Car stereos then became cell phones.
“And then I ventured into selling cellular phones, kind of like at the peak of the cell phone boom, and did really well, selling phones,” Schilling said. “And then I ended up buying a piece of property where I’m at now…and the cell phone business kind of started to fade out.”
Schilling later embarked into the digital sign space, building some of the digital billboards that are very visible in Del Rio today.  
“…the big one at the overpass. The other one at 1800 Veterans Boulevard. And then the other one down there at Thompson Tire. And so I sold those to a company called Cine Ad out of Houston.”
But it’s Del Rio that actually keeps him most busy these days.
“You can work as much as you want to work if you’re willing to drive and chase the storms,” Schilling said. “But here recently, I’ve been really, really fortunate. There was that big storm in Del Rio in 2020, which basically hit the entire county. If your vehicle was outside, it had hail damage.”
The work that resulted from that storm became so abundant that Schilling had to open his own body shop.  
“Oh, man, that was crazy. There was so much work,” Schilling said. “All the body shops that I typically do work for…they were so stacked up with work they couldn’t handle any of my work. So what I ended up doing is buying a piece of property going towards the base by that Texaco. And I remodeled that and bought some more land and turned it into a full-blown body shop.” 
So Schilling hasn’t had to leave Del Rio for work.
 “Well, I haven’t had to over the past four years because it just keeps haling in Del Rio.” 
The dent-repair specialist is grateful to Del Rio for playing a significant role in his journey. 
“And I’d like to say Del Rio has been really, really good to me. I’ve been blessed…most of the people in Del Rio are really great, great people. There’s the teachers in my life. The different authority figures in town have all had an impact and a positive influence on my life.” 

Professionally, Cory Taylor lives in a catch-22. Success is his reality, but maintaining it can be mentally and emotionally expensive. Especially, with just 25 employees or so. 
“The problem with that is trying to keep up with the demand…So if you tell people you’re too far behind, or it’s going to take X amount of time to get something done, you can lose the work,” said Taylor, the owner of Arc-Rite. “But you can also make somebody mad if you’re taking too long. It can be very stressful at times.”
Providing the needs of those requiring vehicle outfitting, commercial or retail, might seem like a straightforward undertaking, but think again. When a multitude of upgrades or changes are requested — for example, heavy-duty air compressors, diesel tanks, headache racks, work lights tied into the headache racks, running boards, tires, leveling kits and bumpers — it’s a monumental task to be sure. 
“And when there’s so many moving pieces to the puzzle when the fleets coming in and they’re not taking just one thing, they’re taking 40 things, from electrical to window tint to bumpers to the truck beds.”
And when a customer presents something new to Taylor, something he has never installed, it’s not a simple order. 
But Taylor relishes the challenge of a big ask. 
“We did one last week. A buddy of mine, a good customer of mine, bought a 2023 Expedition and wanted us to figure out a way to put Starlink on it. So we did an in-motion Starlink system on it. Let’s, give it a shot. It’s either going to work, or it’s not…if there’s one thing that I’ve always said is cool about us is every day is different. It’s never the same.”
Cory’s father, Clay, established Arc-Rite when the first George Bush was in office, as a one-bay muffler shop, before ultimately turning it into welding services for vehicle augmentation and improvement. Clay offered commercial services but primarily engaged the retail market. 
While continuing to serve the retail customer, Cory has focused efforts on expanding the commercial side of the business. The growth has been exponential. 
“From back then to now, it’s grown tremendously,” Cory said. “And now we’re in manufacturing and distribution. We distribute all over the country…running boards and headache racks and grill guards.”
Commercial fleet outfitting has been a boon for the Del Rio company.
“My thought is, if you become a necessity as opposed to just a straight luxury, then you know, you can be a lot busier,” he explained. “Companies need their trucks. They need them outfitted. They need to get on the road and start working and stuff like that.”
Arc-Rite manufactures and distributes to companies that sell Arc-Rite products.  
“So we’ve got our own product line. I mean, we’re blessed. We’ve got trucks coming in from all over Texas to get outfitted…We’ve been very consistent in progress.”
They’ve also grown into CNC plasma cut design as well, retaining an engineer on staff for blueprints and delineation, before fabricating prototypes in-house.
And Clay. “My dad, for sure…I mean, big shoes to fill. All I’m trying to do is fill those shoes and continue to grow it. Make him proud. You know what I mean?”
As far as the company’s growth, does Cory foresee Arc-Rite inhabiting the commercial outfitting space in other cities and regions? 
“Absolutely, 100%. I just want to keep expanding. I don’t want to stop expanding either…Recently, I’ve really been sitting back and trying to figure out if you can outgrow an area. So we have been looking into expanding into other cities as well. I just haven’t really taken that leap yet. But no, it’s definitely on the back burner for sure.”

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
allmusic.com
​
Blondie is perhaps the quintessential new wave band: an art-pop group who made the leap from punk to the Top 40, polishing their spiky curves while simultaneously broadening their musical purview beyond trashy AM pop to encompass disco, reggae, and hip-hop. They brought underground sounds into the mainstream with a sly, knowing wink and the incandescent star power of Debbie Harry, the lead singer who co-led the group with guitarist Chris Stein. Blondie's blend of girl-group pop and garage rock first took hold in the U.K., when "Denis" and "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" reached the Top Ten in 1978, but when the group collaborated with Mike Chapman -- a producer who was a powerhouse in glam -- they crafted Parallel Lines, a sleek, modernist masterpiece anchored by the glitter-ball pulse of "Heart of Glass." Parallel Lines turned Blondie -- and especially Harry -- into superstars and the number one singles came furiously in the next two years. The Giorgio Moroder collaboration "Call Me" reached the top of the charts, followed by the lilting "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture," which was the first record with a rap to reach number one in 1981. Their fall was sudden as their rise: Blondie split after the dispirited 1982 LP The Hunter. After nearly 20 years apart, however, the group reunited in 1999 for No Exit, a record that revived them commercially and creatively. From that point forward, Blondie steadily toured and frequently recorded, releasing such acclaimed latter-day records as 2011's Panic of Girls and 2017's Pollinator. 
At the heart of Blondie is the relationship between Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, who first formed a bond while playing in the Stilettoes, a band formed in 1973. Harry previously sang in the Wind and the Willows, a precious folk-rock group that released an eponymous album on Capitol in 1968, but found herself drawn to the arty, edgy rock driving the scene anchored at the Mercer Arts Center. The New York Dolls provided particular inspiration for the fledgling singer, leading her to form the Stilettos with Elda Gentile, stylizing the band as a girl group that revitalized and sent up rock & roll oldies and B-movies. Stein joined the Stilettoes as a bassist and the pair built a friendship that turned romantic. Once the building housing the Mercer Arts Center collapsed on August 3, 1973, the scene gravitated to CBGB's in 1974, with the Stillettoes opening for Television in May of that year. By the end of the summer, Harry and Stein had formed their own group with bassist Fred Smith and drummer Billy O'Connor, along with Tish and Snooky Bellomo, playing a couple of shows as Angel and the Snake before settling on the name Blondie. 
Playing a combination of oldies and originals, Blondie quickly carved out a niche in the nascent New York punk scene, one that was adjacent to the buzzsaw bubblegum of the Ramones. Their lineup swiftly shifted, too, with Clem Burkereplacing O'Connor just prior to Smith and the Bellomos leaving the group. Gary Valentine joined as their bassist and Blondie set out to record a demo in June 1975, adding keyboardist Jimmy Destri to the lineup shortly afterward. In 1976, Blondie caught the ear of producer Richard Gottehrer, a veteran of the Brill Building who played a pivotal role in girl group pop; he co-wrote the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back" and was part of the Strangeloves, co-writing their classic "I Want Candy." Gottehrer produced Blondie's debut single "X-Offender," arranging for the indie Private Stock to release the 45 in June of that year. Convinced that a full-length album would showcase Blondie's range, he brought Private Stock's owner Larry Uttall and Frankie Valli, the label's biggest artist, to CBGB's to see the band. Vallipersuaded Uttall to bankroll a full album, leading to the December 1976 release of Blondie. 
David Bowie and Iggy Pop were early supporters of Blondie, offering the band the opening slot for Pop's 1977 tour. Valentine left the group before the recording of Plastic Letters, a sophomore set that was helmed by Gottehrer; he was replaced after the recording by Frank Infante. During the album's sessions, Blondie signed with Chrysalis Records, which bought out the band's contract with Private Stock and released Plastic Letters in February 1978. "Denis," a cover of the old Randy and the Rainbows song "Denise," became a number two hit in the U.K., with "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" following it into the Top Ten. When Nigel Harrison joined as a bassist, Infante switched to guitar, turning Blondie into a sextet. 
Chrysalis paired Blondie with Mike Chapman, an Australian producer who cut his teeth with such fizzy glam rockers as the Sweet and Suzi Quatro. Chapman helped push Blondie in a pop direction on Parallel Lines, the album that proved to be their mainstream breakthrough. That success didn't happen suddenly. Initially, the album found an audience in Europe and England, with their cover of the Nerves' "Hanging on the Telephone" making it into the U.K. Top Ten, but it remained a cult attraction in America until "Heart of Glass" turned into a career-making blockbuster. An old song given a sterling disco makeover, "Heart of Glass" topped the charts in both the U.S. and the U.K., turning Blondie into the first new wave superstars in the process. Subsequent Parallel Lines singles also benefitted from "Heart of Glass: "Sunday Girl" reached number one in the U.K., while "One Way or Another" became their second American hit, peaking at 24 (it would later become a pop perennial). 
Blondie and Chapman reunited for Eat to the Beat, an album rushed out in the wake of Parallel Lines. It performed better in the U.K. than it did in the U.S.: "Dreaming" went to number two, while the LP topped out at 27 on Billboard. Blondie returned to number one with "Call Me," a disco collaboration with producer Giorgio Moroder. Cut quickly while on tour and showcased on the soundtrack to Paul Schrader's 1980 film American Gigolo, "Call Me" became a smash, spending six weeks at the top of the Billboard charts and reaching number one in the U.K. and Canada as well. "Call Me" helped push "Atomic" to number one in the U.K. (it just barely cracked the Billboard Top 40), by which time Blondie was working with Chapman on their next album, Autoamerican. Released at the end of the year, Autoamerican consolidated Blondie's success, with its first two singles, "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture," topping the Billboard charts. "Rapture" in particular helped forge new ground in how it incorporated rap and hip-hop into its new wave pulse. 
Despite all this success, Blondie was plagued with internal problems that began to boil over during the sessions for Autoamerican. The group decided not to support the record with a tour, a break that allowed Harry to record her solo debut KooKoo with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic; in turn, Stein produced Miami, the second album by the Gun Club, and Destri made a solo album, Heart on a Wall. Blondie reconvened with Chapman to make The Hunter, a scattershot album that failed to generate any hits. Within months of its May 1982 release, Blondie broke up. 
Over the next decade, Harry pursued a solo career, scoring minor British hits with "French Kissin" in 1986 and "I Want That Man" in 1989. That year, she and Steinended their romantic partnership; they remained friends. Stein was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease pemphigus vulgaris in 1983. He continued to pursue his interest in photography in the '80s and '90s. During those decades, Burke and Destri were both in-demand session musicians. 
The original Blondie lineup of Harry, Stein, Burke, Destri, and Valentine reunited in 1997 to play several shows, but by the time they released No Exit in 1999, Valentine was no longer part of the band. Supported by "Maria," an unexpected number one single in the U.K., No Exit performed well, peaking at three in the U.K. and 18 in the U.S. The Curse of Blondie didn't do as well in 2003 but it did generate the modest U.K. hit "Good Boys." Destri left the band in 2004, the same year Sanctuary released Live by Request. Blondie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. 
The band toured throughout the 2000s, adding bassist Leigh Foxx, guitarist Paul Carbonara, and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen to the official lineup along the way; Tommy Kessler joined as a guitarist in 2010. This version of Blondie made its debut with Panic of Girls, a 2011 studio album initially released as an attachment to a collectible magazine in the U.K.; it would later be available on its own. A new album, Ghosts of Download, was released as part of Blondie 4(0) Ever, a 2014 set that also featured a disc of re-recordings of the band's greatest hits. Blondie continued to tour regularly in the 2010s, with the group releasing the full-length Pollinator in 2017; "Fun," its lead single, went to number one on Billboard's dance chart. Vivir en la Habana, a documentary of the band's Cuban residency, appeared in 2021, accompanied by a soundtrack EP to the film. Blondie released the mammoth archival project Against the Odds: 1974-1982, a box set containing everything the group recorded for Private Stock and Chrysalis, on Numero Records in 2022. Stein sat out Blondie's tour that year due to problems with his heart, while Foxx couldn't tour either, due to a back injury; they were replaced by Andee Blacksugarand Glen Matlock, respectively.

Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Aerosmith were one of the most popular hard rock bands of the '70s, setting the style and sound of hard rock and heavy metal for the next two decades with their raunchy, bluesy swagger. The Boston-based quintet found the middle ground between the menace of the Rolling Stones and the campy, sleazy flamboyance of the New York Dolls, developing a lean, dirty riff-oriented boogie that was loose and swinging and as hard as a diamond.
In the meantime, they developed a prototype for power ballads with "Dream On," a piano ballad that was orchestrated with strings and distorted guitars. Aerosmith's ability to pull off both ballads and rock & roll made them extremely popular during the mid-'70s, when they had a string of gold and platinum albums. By the early '80s, the group's audience had declined as the band fell prey to drug and alcohol abuse. However, their career was far from over -- in the late '80s, Aerosmith pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in rock history, returning to the top of the charts with a group of albums that equaled, if not surpassed, the popularity of their '70s albums.
In 1970, the first incarnation of Aerosmith formed when vocalist Steven Tyler met guitarist Joe Perry while working at a Sunapee, New Hampshire, ice cream parlor. Tyler, who originally was a drummer, and Perry decided to form a power trio with bassist Tom Hamilton. The group soon expanded to a quartet, adding a second guitarist called Ray Tabano; he was quickly replaced by Brad Whitford, a former member of Earth Inc. With the addition of drummer Joey Kramer, Tyler became the full-time lead singer by the end of year. Aerosmith relocated to Boston at the end of 1970.
After playing clubs in the Massachusetts and New York areas for two years, the group landed a record contract with Columbia Records in 1972. Aerosmith's self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 1973, climbing to number 166. "Dream On" was released as the first single and it was a minor hit, reaching number 59. For the next year, the band built a fan base by touring America, supporting groups as diverse as the Kinks, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sha Na Na, and Mott the Hoople. The performance of Get Your Wings (1974), the group's second album and the first produced by Jack Douglas, benefited from their constant touring, spending a total of 86 weeks on the chart.
Aerosmith's third record, 1975's Toys in the Attic, was their breakthrough album both commercially and artistically. By the time it was recorded, the band's sound had developed into a sleek, hard-driving hard rock powered by simple, almost brutal, blues-based riffs. Many critics at the time labeled the group as punk rockers, and it's easy to see why -- instead of adhering to the world music pretensions of Led Zeppelin or the prolonged gloomy mysticism of Black Sabbath, Aerosmith stripped heavy metal to its basic core, spitting out spare riffs that not only rocked, but rolled. Steven Tyler's lyrics were filled with double entendres and clever jokes, and the entire band had a streetwise charisma that separated it from the heavy, lumbering arena rockers of the era. Toys in the Attic captured the essence of the newly invigorated Aerosmith. "Sweet Emotion," the first single from Toys in the Attic, broke into the Top 40 in the summer of 1975, with the album reaching number 11 shortly afterward. Its success prompted the re-release of the power ballad "Dream On," which shot into the Top Ten in early 1976. Both Aerosmith and Get Your Wings climbed back up the charts in the wake of Toys in the Attic. "Walk This Way," the final single from Toys in the Attic, was released around the time of the group's new 1976 album, Rocks. Although it didn't feature a Top Ten hit like "Walk This Way," Rocks went platinum quickly, peaking at number three.
In early 1977, Aerosmith took a break and prepared material for their fifth album. Released late in 1977, Draw the Line was another hit, climbing to number 11 on the U.S. charts, but it showed signs of exhaustion. In addition to another tour in 1978, the band appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performing "Come Together," which eventually became a number 23 hit. Live! Bootleg appeared late in 1978 and became another success, reaching number 13. Aerosmith recorded Night in the Ruts in 1979, releasing the record at the end of the year. By the time of its release, Joe Perry had left the band to form the Joe Perry Project. Night in the Ruts performed respectably, climbing to number 14 and going gold, yet it was the least successful Aerosmith record to date. Brad Whitford left the group in early 1980, forming the Whitsford-St. Holmes Band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.
As Aerosmith regrouped with new guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in late 1980; the record would eventually sell over six million copies. The new lineup of Aerosmith released Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. Peaking at number 32, it failed to match the performance of Night in the Ruts. Perry and Whitford returned to the band in 1984 and the group began a reunion tour dubbed Back in the Saddle. Early in the tour, Tyler collapsed on-stage, offering proof that the bandmembers hadn't conquered their notorious drug and alcohol addictions. The following year, Aerosmith released Done with Mirrors, the original lineup's first record since 1979 and their first for Geffen Records. Although it didn't perform as well as Rock in a Hard Place, the album showed that the band was revitalized.
After the release of Done with Mirrors, Tyler and Perry completed rehabilitation programs. In 1986, the pair appeared on Run-D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way," along with appearing in the video. "Walk This Way" became a hit, reaching number four and receiving saturation airplay on MTV. "Walk This Way" set the stage for the band's full-scale comeback effort, the Bruce Fairbairn-produced Permanent Vacation (1987). Tyler and Perry collaborated with professional hard rock songwriters like Holly Knight and Desmond Child, resulting in the hits "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Rag Doll," and "Angel." Permanent Vacation peaked at number 11 and sold over three million copies.
Pump, released in 1989, continued the band's winning streak, reaching number five, selling over four million copies, and spawning the Top Ten singles "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What It Takes." Aerosmith released Get a Grip in 1993. Like Permanent Vacation and Pump, Get a Grip was produced by Bruce Fairbairn and featured significant contributions by professional songwriters. The album was as successful as the band's previous two records, featuring the hit singles "Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," and "Amazing." In 1994, Aerosmith released Big Ones, a compilation of hits from their Geffen years that fulfilled their contract with the label; it went double platinum shortly after its release.
While Aerosmith was at the height of their revitalized popularity in the early '90s, the group signed a lucrative multi-million dollar contract with Columbia Records, even though they still owed Geffen two albums. It wasn't until 1995 that the band was able to begin working on their first record under the new contract -- nearly five years after the contract was signed. The making of Aerosmith albums usually had been difficult affairs, but the recording of Nine Lives was plagued with bad luck. The band went through a number of producers and songwriters before settling on Kevin Shirley in 1996. More damaging, however, was the dismissal of the band's manager, Tim Collins, who'd been responsible for bringing the band back from the brink of addiction. Upon his firing, Collins insinuated that Steven Tyler was using hard drugs again, an allegation that Aerosmith adamantly denied.
Under such circumstances, recording became quite difficult, and when Nine Lives finally appeared in the spring of 1997, it was greeted with great anticipation, yet the initial reviews were mixed and even though album debuted at number one, it quickly fell down the charts. The live A Little South of Sanity followed in 1998. Three years later, Aerosmith strutted their stuff on the Super Bowl halftime special on CBS with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Nelly, *NSYNC, and Britney Spears, just prior to issuing their heart-stomping Just Push Play in March 2001. Next up for the band was a blues album, Honkin' on Bobo, released in 2004, along with two live album/DVDs, You Gotta Move and Rockin' the Joint. Another greatest-hits collection, Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith arrived in 2006.
From there, Aerosmith entered a period of volatility. A world tour followed in 2007 and the group attempted to record a new studio album with producer Brendan O'Brien but the sessions were never finalized. Instead, another tour followed in 2009, this time a supporting jaunt for Aerosmith's own special edition of the Guitar Hero video game. This tour proved to be ill-fated, with Steven Tyler suffering a leg injury in June, then falling off the stage in August, leading to the cancellation of the subsequent dates. As 2009 came to a close, Joe Perry released a solo album called Have Guitar, Will Travel as Tyler announced that he was planning on "working on the brand of myself," which included working on an autobiography and a solo album, along with a stint in rehab to wean himself off painkillers prescribed due to his stage injuries.
Before Tyler embarked on solo projects, he returned to the band for a series of concerts in 2010, in the midst of which it was announced that the singer would be a new judge on the televised singing competition American Idol. Perry voiced his dissatisfaction in the press but Tyler's time on American Idol helped raise the band's profile, while providing a platform for Tyler's memoir, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? The book performed better than his two solo singles -- 2010's "Love Lives" and 2011's "(It) Feels So Good" -- singles that did not wind up signaling his departure from Aerosmith. Tyler continued to tour with the band and in 2011 they recorded a new album with producer Jack Douglas, the man who helmed their classic '70s LPs. Originally scheduled for release in summer of 2012, Music from Another Dimension! wound up being pushed back to that year's holiday season, by which time Tyler had departed his judgeship on American Idol.

A week or so ago I was going to visit a friend out by the lake and I saw a rattle snake crossing the highway. I stopped and watched it trying to get a picture of it but I couldn’t do it.
It took me back to the middle seventies when one day I came home for lunch. My wife Barbara told me we have a two-day gig or dance what ever you want to call it.
She said it was the following Friday and Saturday in Sweetwater Texas for the annual rattlesnake round up. They will furnish lodging and food for the two-day event.
We left Del Rio Friday morning and when we arrived, we went to the civic center where it was being held.
They showed me a room off to the main floor and said here are some cots and the restroom is through that blue door.
We spent the rest of the day setting up the instruments and checking everything. The first night we were to play from nine to one.
At six pm they served the food, there was beans, potatoes, fruit salad, jalapeno peppers bread, ice tea and the meat was yes you guessed it rattle snake. I had never tasted rattle snake but to tell you the truth it tasted like chicken; I must admit it was very good. That Friday night we played until 1 a.m. and the crowd did not want to go home but someone there told them they had to follow the law.
Now what I didn’t say was when they told us where we would be sleeping my wife decided she would stay home.
We went to bed around 3 a.m. I woke up around 5 thirty and saw that my drummer Scott was not there. I got up and started looking for him
and found him sitting on the curb outside the civic center smoking a joint. Now I would not allow drugs on the bus but he said he had it in his pocket. I must admit it really upset me but the worst was yet to come. I asked if he had anymore and he said one more joint. Is there
any on the bus? No he replied, I went back inside and 10 minutes later a policeman was hollering at me to come outside.
They had my drummer handcuffed and told me he was under arrest for smoking marijuana. It seems when he opened the door at the civic
center to go outside it set off an alarm, they responded and found my drummer. They ask permission to search the bus and we had to go in front of a J.P. and pay a fine. The judge allowed us to stay and play on
Saturday night as long as we did not leave or go outside after a certain hour. The fine was five hundred dollars.
By noon a place had been blocked of and it was full of rattlesnakes. At around 3 p.m. they blocked off another area next to the snakes and laid a pillow on the floor. Out walked a guy with t-shirt blue jeans and no shoes on and he laid down on the floor and put the pillow under his head. Then they raised the barrier and turned all of the snakes loose into the area where the gentleman was on the floor. Now I am afraid of snakes and sharks but when I saw all of those snakes crawling towards him it was hard for me to watch. Within minutes those snakes were all over him around him on him and I just stood there and watched. He had a cloth over his face. It lasted about forty-five minutes but it seemed like hours to me.
It was an experience to remember. Years later we played another rattlesnake round up in Brackettville. I do not like to talk about snakes but when I saw the snake on the highway, I thought I would share.
In closing let me say enjoy DEL RIO it is a beautiful city and remember the words of my friend TOM KEEP THE FAITH. PRAY TO THE LORD TO
SAVE AMERICA GOD BLESS AND THANK YOU. Thanks to Victor Cirilo and the Val Verde County Library.

No podemos ignorar que la sociedad actual pasa por serios problemas en cuanto que nos hemos dejado convencer que, al hijo, al alumno y a la otra persona no se le puede llamar la atención porque se frustra. Nos hemos dejado llevar más por Freud, por las corrientes que buscan el facilismo y por todos los que no creen en el esfuerzo, las renuncias, el sacrificio para llegar a formar una personalidad recia, estable y firme que nos lleve al éxito. No olvidemos:
“Educad al niño y no será necesario castigar al hombre” (Pitágoras).
“Árbol que crece torcido, no se endereza jamás (Adagio popular).
“El que no hoye consejo, no llega a viejo”.   (Adagio popular).
“El hombre es el arquitecto de su propio destino” (Albert Einstein).
“Hoy pongo al cielo y a la tierra por testigos contra ti, de que te he dado a elegir entre la vida y la muerte, entre la bendición y la maldición. Elige, pues, la vida, para que vivan tú y tus descendientes. Ama al Señor tu Dios, obedécelo y sé fiel a él, porque de él depende tu vida, y por él vivirás mucho tiempo en el territorio que juró dar a tus antepasados Abraham, Isaac y Jacob». (Dt 30, 19-20).
“Hijo, si te decides a servir al Señor, prepara tu alma para la prueba. Endereza tu corazón y mantente firme, en tiempo de infortunio no te inquietes. Únete al Señor y no te separes, para que al final de tus días seas enaltecido. Acepta de buen grado todo lo que te suceda, y sé paciente en las vicisitudes de tu humillación. Porque el oro se purifica en el fuego, y los que agradan a Dios, en el crisol de la humillación.” (Eclesiástico 2, 1-5).
“Por lo tanto, no te molestes en corregir a los necios; solo ganarás su odio. En cambio, corrige a los sabios y te amarán. (Proverbios 9,8).
No tengamos miedo corregir, con amor, pero sin vacilación, porque el que ama desea el bien para los demás y se empeña en guiar por el camino correcto, en cuanto que tiene bien claro que el amor cristiano lleva a vivir en la verdad y a aconsejar el bien.
La permisividad y la falta de autoridad nos han traído grandes conflictos: la perdida de la auténtica escala de valores; hemos caído en el relativismo; hemos perdido la dirección del mundo en que vivimos; hemos perdido los roles y las funciones; no tenemos en cuenta que, al lado de cada derecho, tenemos un deber; el irrespeto a la autoridad y el menosprecio por la disciplina.   
Según Sebastián Torres, “El origen de la autoridad es la necesidad de los grupos humanos de contar con órdenes superiores que regulen, administren y resuelvan los problemas entre los individuos. toda sociedad debe estar liderada por una autoridad”.
El barco que no tiene capitán, seguramente se hunde.  El cuerpo que tiene más de una cabeza, es un monstruo.  Necesitamos recuperar la autoridad, el liderazgo, el querer volver a tomar el timón.  No podemos estar acéfalos, ni a la deriva o como espectadores mudos. Que no sean para nosotros las palabras del profeta Isaías: “¡Esos cuidadores están todos ciegos, no saben nada! Son todos como perros mudos, incapaces de ladrar. Tendidos en sus lechos, no hacen más que dormir y soñar.”  Dejemos el miedo, el conformismo y con humildad y caridad, pero con decisión y precisión asumamos las responsabilidades, tomemos la dirección.
La figura paterna es muy importante y fundamental en el hogar. Se necesitan papás que dirijan, amen y pongan la disciplina en el hogar.  El maestro que forma integralmente es esencial en la sociedad.  Forme, eduque, oriente, guie querido maestro, no se deje intimidar.
Creámosle más a Cristo y a los grandes de la historia que han pensado en una sociedad madura y productiva que a los demagogos e irresponsables que quieren ganar adeptos para favorecer sus intereses personales.  Dolámonos del mundo en que vivimos y advirtamos que “No hay un amor más grande que el dar la vida por los amigos”. La vida la vamos dando en el día a día, cuando afrontamos por amor las dificultades por mostrar el buen camino, por hablar la verdad, por vivir la caridad y aconsejar el bien. Dios los bendiga, Sady Pbro.

So it won’t be long before you may be walking out of any store to people having a knock down, drag out in the parking lot.
All of the sudden one man knocks another to the ground and the man on the ground reaches in his waistband and starts to pull out a gun.
If that were to happen today, the only choice you may have is to duck and take cover so when the bullets fly, at least you will be safe.
That may all change soon enough as Texas Governor Gregg Abbott has recently said that he would sign legislation allowing Texans to carry handguns in public without a license.
In a recent radio interview Abbott said “I support it, and I believe it should reach my desk, and we should have ‘constitutional carry’ in Texas”. Just prior to that Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said the Senate did not have the votes for the legislation then, but he was trying to find a way to move it through the process.
It may seem scary to many of us that everyone would be running around with a gun strapped to their hip BUT when you truly give it some thought, it would be much better than a bad guy pulling one out on you and or your loved ones without you knowing they had it.
So once again you’re faced with a “Damned if you do or Damned if you Don’t” scenario.
Stop and think, either they ban guns on private citizen all together or if you feel secure enough, you get to carry one yourself for your own personal protection.
It’s certainly something that everyone should be talking about today before we go back to the days of the Wild Wild West when we’re all carrying guns on our hips and may the fastest man win. A day that we’ll all be waiting for the GUNSMOKE to clear to find out whowill be left standing to fight another day.
Just another Point of View.

​It’s very creamy, deliciously flavorful and satisfying plus it makes an ideal vegan appetizer too.

And we’re off; Add the olive oil to a pot with the onion and garlic, dried oregano and basil and sauté briefly. Then add the sliced mushrooms and the soy sauce, and cover the pot. Cook on medium high, covered, for around 10 minutes.
The mushrooms to release their water. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, and cook for 10 minutes more while uncovered to allow some of the water to cook off.
Next, add the coconut milk and cook for a final 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to blend properly.
Now, Add sea salt and black pepper to taste, garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Go ahead and enjoy some Happy, Healthy Eating.

To say Del Rio Rams head football coach Rod Taylor is excited about the upcoming season might be an understatement.
Entering his third season as the head coach, Taylor knows that he and his team have a lot to live up to in the 2021 season. The Rams are coming off a season in which they remained in the hunt for a district championship until the final week of the season. And while they got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, just making it back to the postseason was an accomplishment that Taylor and his coaches feel they can build off of going forward.
In April the team began its spring football practices. This time is more crucial this year than in years past due to the majority of sub-varsity players not having taken a meaningful snap since the fall of 2019 after COVID wiped out their season in 2020.
Taylor is looking to build a new foundation for his team, but that means getting the players to become a family not just on the field, but off it as well.
After one recent practice, Taylor was walking off the field at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium when he saw his son, Zachary, speaking to another player. Taylor asked his son how his arm was feeling, and after learning it was fine he turned his attention to the other young man, a recent arrival to the football program.
The young man was soft-spoken but friendly. In short order, other members of the team began speaking to him and asking for his contact information to ensure he was kept in the loop in regards to activities going on after school. Taylor said seeing that was what he meant by “building a family.”
“That builds unity. They want to include him and make him feel like he belongs here and that’s what we want,” Taylor said.
Taylor won’t be empty-handed as he builds his new team. All-district linemen Joey Huizar and Diego Garcia anchor the offensive line and all-district honorable mentions Jovahn West, Abel Ortiz and Arnulfo Ramirez should help shore up the offense and special teams. Add to that group 2020 contributors like running back Luis Pablo Galaviz and Zachary Taylor, who took some snaps in the playoffs.
On defense, Jesus De Luna leads the unit. He’s the sole first team all-district returner for the defensive side of the ball, but he will be joined by second teamer Diego Piña and experienced returners Nathan Mayes, Fabian Venegas and Lonnie Green.
For now the team is working towards this year’s Spring Game, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, May 28, at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium.

“Seguimos en espera de recibir más ayuda por parte del Gobierno Federal con más oficiales para blindar la frontera debido a que los cruces de familias migrantes sigue en aumento cada semana en este sector En dónde se han Atrapado grupos desde 20 hasta 70 personas” dijo el sheriff del Condado de Val Verde Joe Frank Martínez
Asimismo se dio a conocer que los oficiales de la oficina del sheriff están realizando hasta 200 aprehensiones de familias migrantes cada semana mientras que la patrulla fronteriza ha llegado a reportar hasta 600 arrestos en siete días en sólo esta frontera.
El área que están utilizando las familias migrantes para ingresar a este país de manera ilegal es en Vega verde debido a que el nivel del agua es bajo por lo que familias aprovechan para cruzar llevar con ellos a sus hijos menores de edad e inmediatamente entregarse a las autoridades ya que buscan Refugio o asilo político.
El sheriff Joe Frank Martínez digo que todos los migrantes que son detenidos los entregan a la Border Patrol para que sean procesados según sus normas, esto depende en la nacionalidad de los migrantes.
La mayoría de los migrantes que son detenidos cruzando el Río Bravo o que se entregan a las autoridades al Ingresar a este país de manera ilegal son originarios de Venezuela Haití África Cuba ya que su proceso es diferente y después de ser fichados son liberados por el Gobierno Federal y podrán continuar su viaje al interior del país donde podrán reunirse con sus familiares que ya se encuentran establecidos en este país.
Asimismo se informó que los aspirantes a indocumentados de nacionalidad salvadoreña hondureños guatemaltecos y mexicanos intentan evadir el arresto a toda Costa esto porque su proceso es diferente al ser detenido tendrían que purgar una condena en prisión y después son deportados a su país de origen.
Es por ello que estos aspirantes a indocumentados han ocasionado persecuciones a alta velocidad poniendo en riesgo no sólo su vida pero el del resto de la comunidad.
Actualmente los oficiales de la oficina del sheriff están trabajando de cerca con la patrulla fronteriza y también con patrulleros del departamento de seguridad pública de Texas que fueron desplegados en esta área para ayudar en la vigilancia de la frontera debido al aumento de cruces a este país de familias migrantes.
Este es una problemática que se estado viendo desde hace años pero ahora el índice de arrestos ha incrementado de manera considerable debido a que sólo en este año fiscal que inició en octubre del 2020 se han reportado cerca de 97 mil aprehensiones de  aspirantes a indocumentados por parte de la patrulla fronteriza.
Te está esperando la llegada de 500 patrulleros del departamento de seguridad pública de Texas qué ayudará en la vigilancia de la frontera y para realizar arrestos de las familias migrantes estos oficiales son desplegados desde los límites del Condado de Val Verde hasta Laredo Texas Qué es el área en donde se ha tenido un incremento en aprehensiones de aspirantes a indocumentados.