Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A Tale Of Two Cities

Laredo, Texas, where Hispanics make up 96 percent of the metropolitan area, is the least diverse area in the United States. In 2011, of the 24,680 students in Laredo schools, 99.5 percent were Latino and 97 percent were economically disadvantaged.
It's not just Laredo. It's practically all the Texas border towns. In fact, many of them "are becoming less diverse because of rapid growth of the minority populations."

We compare this trend, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, to the spread of fire ants. They're advancing from south to north, in swarms, and you can't stop them.

But it could be worse. Let me hasten to add that, during my stays in Laredo, I've never felt threatened (at least on this side of the border), ostracized, or even uncomfortable (aside from the unrelenting heat). The Hispanic culture has a lot to admire and enjoy - a strong sense of family, a strong work ethic, a zest for life. Like any group, it also has it's share of losers (welfare addicts, professional racists, druggies, etc.), but overall the Hispanics I'm familiar with add more to the fabric of this country than they take away.


And I've learned a lot about being a minority. If you've ever lived or traveled in a country where the people don't look like you or talk like you then you know what I mean.

Now if only I could find a few radio stations down here that broadcast in English...

On the other hand, this is where I live: 

Small town gets big recognition: Boerne among America's best 
Boerne has been named one of the top 10 small towns in the United States in a new national ranking.

The town northwest of San Antonio was ranked fourth by Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America’s best places to live and visit.

We actually live about 10 miles outside of Boerne, but our mailing address is "Boerne, TX."

The Hill Country town offers inspiration through the natural beauty of the area’s rivers, lakes, caves and trails, as well as the historic buildings, eclectic shops, restaurants and people, the site says.

The Guadalupe River is about 3 miles from our house, with the Guadalupe River State Park a few miles more downriver. - lots of tubing, kayaking, and canoeing in the summer.
 

We're also only a couple of miles away from The Cave Without A Name.
Boerne’s historic district includes about 30 shops, and the city has seven art galleries. The community turns out big numbers for events such as the Boerne Berges Fest celebrating the area’s German heritage, the Harvest Moon Celebration and the Kendall County Fair.
 

Dachshunds take to the track during the Weiner Dog Races at Boerne's Berges Fest

Boerne is surrounded by wineries and home to the Dodging Duck Brewhaus, which makes unfiltered and unpasteurized beer. In fact, nearly half of Boerne's approximately 70 restaurants are independently owned and operated.
The Dodging Duck got its name because it's located across the street from a city park that features a dammed-up creek that forms a small pond which attracts migrating ducks. They waddle into the street looking for food. When they do so, they end up dodging the cars. hence the name.

The Dodging Duck Brewhaus

One of the reasons I like this place so much - homemade beer and plenty of wine.
Livability.com editors narrowed down 500 cities to those with 25,000 or fewer residents, then looked at median household incomes and home prices, crime rates, unemployment rates, average commutes and distances to large cities. They also considered the quantity and quality of each town’s lifestyle advantages.
Top 10 Small Towns:

1. Papillion, NE
2. Golden, CO
3. Brattleboro, VT
4. Boerne, TX
5. Chardon, OH
6. Bedford, VA
7. Yankton, SD
8. Clive, IA
9. Danville, KY
10. Sheridan, WY
In an interesting coincidence, town #10 -- Sheridan, Wyoming -- is about 30 miles from the ranch we visit every summer.

Life is good...

9 comments:

JT said...

If only the real estate market here would come back enough so we could sell. The Hill Country beckons...

Bag Blog said...

My hubby and I went to school in San Marcos back before the outlet malls, when it still had a little rock stadium. The hill country is a fun place to visit, but a bit too populated for me to live there.

George said...

Boerne, pronounced Bernie. You can always tell a Central Texas newcomer by the way they pronounce place names.

Is the Riverside Supermarket still putting out good sausage and barbeque?

CenTexTim said...

Harper - I wouldn't live anywhere else.

Bag Blog - I was a student at SWTSU back in 1971 - wonderful place, wonderful time. I had a little too much fun and ended up in the Army a year later. The area around San Marcos, New Braunfels, etc. has become crowded, but the farther west you get from IH 35 the more it's like the old Hill Country. Blanco, Burnet, and the like are pretty much the same as they were 20 or 30 years ago.

George - very good! Seems like every out-of-towner says "Born." And yes, the Riverside Market is still the place to go for sausage and BBQ.

Toejam said...

I was thinking of moving to New Hope, PA on the banks of the Delaware river back in the mid 70's when I was a lot younger and New Hope was kind of a quaint, hippy-dippy place where the shops were small, dusty and the owners and workers made their own products. One guy made his living making Silver items like rings, belt buckles, etc.

My girlfriend at the time had a leather goods store and made belts, pouches and other small but decorative goodies. Life was good drinking Rolling Rock (OK and puffin a little weed, but I didn't inhale) while sitting on the banks of the Delaware on a warm summer's evening listening to CSN (Crosby, Stills & Nash), The Moody Blues, The Stones and Iron Butterfly on an 8-track.

Alas, the shit-headed wall streeters found they could make a day out of driving the 45 miles and by the mid 80's the place was just another 5th Avenue Bling and Glitz center for the NY crowd.

Old NFO said...

Small town life IS a great way to go... :-)

CenTexTim said...

Toejam - Damn those evil 1%ers.

I know what you mean, though. I lived in Austin TX back in the '70s, before it became a wanna-be mix of Hollywood and the Silicon Valley. It's nowhere near what it used to be.

NFO - it's the ONLY way to go...

Pascvaks said...

You know, I think we just about have enough Mexicans in this country to have a special election and make Mexico the 54th State. Or is it 55th now? (Make Note: Call White House) In any case, it's time to start talking seriously about moving the border further South. How's about to the Panama-Columbia border? It sure would lower the price of things grown down there a little;-)

Last time I was in Laredo, and Old New Laredo, was 1970; guess things have changed a little.

Come to think of it, the last time I was in New Hope, PA, was 1969 -- sorry to hear of it's terrible demise. Oh well, hell, like they say: "Once ya leave, ya can never go home again!"

CenTexTim said...

Both Laredos have changed quite a bit since 1970. Nuevo Laredo is a war zone. Laredo isn't too bad -- I feel safer there than I would in Newark or Camden NJ, for example -- but it's become quite busy, what with (legitimate) freight passing through from Mexico and all the Eagle Ford shale oil activity. It's a real boom town now, not the sleepy little tourista berg it used to be.

FWIW, I was arrested in Nuevo Laredo back in 1970. Totally bogus bust - the local cops just needed a little more spending money. After paying our 'fines' (to the arresting officers, of course) we were turned loose. Ah, the good ol' days...