The Monitor from McAllen, Texas • 49

3 VALLEY LIFE DEAR ABBY Operation Dear Abby gets boffo reviews all over: 12E SECTION School menus: 7E Travel: 8E Dave Barry: 13E SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1996 isii JIM MUNT NAME: Jim Munt. HOMETOWN: Mission. i )CCUPATION: Retired (tired). EDUCATION: 12 years school and 54 years hard knocks. PERSONAL: Married to Mary Lou and have one daughter, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Baseball teams, Scout master, church Involvement, entertainer for public, especially nursing homes. FAVORITE COMMUNITY ROLE MODEL OR Photos by Larry W. ClubbThe Monitor MINI Exhibit: On prominent display at McAllen International was built in Coroneo, Guanajuato, circa 1940, and was donated by Museum is a treadle loom constructed of wood and metal. The loom an Austin Collector three years ago. ORGANIZATION: Church.

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT THE VALLEY: Weather in the winter and lack of traffic in the summer. 'The Weaver's Art' features garments of Indian groups from southwest Mexico FAVORITE VALLEY SPOT: Home; and a good place to eat. By JESSICA DeLEON The Monitor JOST REWARDING "EXPERIENCE: Entertaining and visting in the nursing homes (43 so far). Working with kids. Singing the Catholic Mass on television.

lnr ADVICE TO FRIENDS OR 1 I i I COLLEAGUES: Keep a cool stool. Enjoy looking at smiling McAllen International Museum. The exhibit features the colorful garments and weaving techniques of Indian groups from southwest Mexico, and was intended to provoke both the eyes and the mind. "The exhibit should be a learning experience," said Vernon Weckbacher, curator of collections for the McAllen International Museum. "It also has to look good." And look good it does.

The clothing is displayed cleverly on mannequins, and written explanations are put up for each of the three groups represented the Amusgo, the Huichol and the Tarasco, from the area around the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacan and people. Take one day at a time. 7 T7cALLEN-The Lw I traditional clothing featured at the McAllen International Museum's latest exhibit is not -something you'd expect young people to wear -today. But a group of fifth- grade students from Alvarez Elementary School in McAllen thought the stuff was pretty cool. They're colorful," student Marcus Garcia said after visiting the exhibit, "The Weaver's Art: Textiles from Southwest Mexico." "They're manmade," WHAT TYPE OF READING MATERIAL CAN BE FOUND ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE OR NIGHT STAND: Music books, Reader's Digest and The Monitor.

MY FRIENDS SAY: Thank you. MY PERSONAL GOAL: Keep my health and maintain a sense of humor. BIGGEST PET PEEVE: People who don't like my dog. classmate Jesus Villarreal chimed in. Student Eva Sauceda liked the exhibit for much of the same reasons.

"The colors," she said, awed. "The machine. How you Sew the things She paused as she tried to remember the name of the machine. "The loom," docent Fred Merrill told her. "Do you think you can strap the backstrap loom?" Eva and the other girls in her group responded with a collective, "Mnun." The students will not be the only ones fascinated by "The Weaver's Art," which runs all year at the Guerrero.

The exhibit also shows the treadle and backstrap looms used to make the garments. The looms were one of the highlights for the Alvarez students. The treadle loom, a large implement made predominantly of wood, was donated by an Austin collector three years ago. It is one of the reasons the museum chose to present "The Weaver's Art." "We wanted a good excuse to use it in an exhibit," Weckbacher said. By comparison, the backstrap loom is more compact and is hung on the wall for this exhibit.

See EXHIBIT page 7E MY IDEAL VACATION: Get in an RV and just go. BRUSH WITH FAME: Traditional Garments: The above items of clothing are from San Andres Cohamiata, Jalisco, and were made in 1988. Left, a cotton blouse, circa 1986, from the Tarasco ethnic group, Tarecuato, Michoacan. Performing on television and getting fan mail. JUESTSATMY CELEBRITY DINNER: Pope Inloko Inlap'nin to bsnefifi restoration of Edinburg depot John Paul II on Sunday, Mayor Othal Brand on Monday, Hulk Hogan on Tuesday, Andy Griffin and Opie on Wednesday, Opra -Winfry on Thursday, my neighbor on Friday and Mr.

Gatti on Saturday. Special to The Monitor Hap'nin' as well as other fund-raising efforts. While keeping with the same general theme, this year's event moves uptown to the Edinburg City Auditorium. The suggested attire remains ultra-casual: "Being at the auditorium, we'll have sa; much more room." Hudsonpillar said. Construction at the depot site prohibited staging the party there this year.

Among the highlights of this year's auction will be a newly-commissioned painting of the depot by nationally renowned artist George Boutwell. Last year's watercolor of the depot by local artist Don Breeden went to San Benito Trust and is on display in the lobby of their Closner location. For those who like to travel in style, auction highlights will include a trip for two to New Orleans via Amtrak, an airplane ride in a classic Maule Bush plane and a classic red 1977 MG convertible. This year's grub, also to be served out of tin cans, will include -chicken and dumplings, fried okra and cobbler catered by the Echo Hotel. Reservations to Hobo Hap'nin' are $50 per person, which includes dinner and an open bar.

Anyone interested ihstending may call the chamber office at 383-4974 for reservations and information. The Hap'nin' starts happening at 6:30 p.m. on March 2. "Word got out last year that it was such a fun event, and we're looking forward to everyone ho heard about it coming this year," Hudsonpillar said. EDINBURG It's not a celebration of Texas Independence, although it does fall on the night of Saturday, March 2.

And it's not a black tie affair either, although the guest list reads like a Who's Who of Hidalgo County. It's the second annual Hobo Hap'nin, that unique party that the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce throws every year to benefit the restoration of the Southern Pacific Depot in Edinburg. Last year's premiere party brought hundreds of guests in from the cold to the rustic surroundings of the depot in all its pre-restoration glory. Dressed in ragged clothes, mufflers, worn mittens and stovepipe hats, these "hobos" dined out of tin cans and snagged auction souvenirs like an autographed Nolan Ryan baseball and a trip on the Orient Express luxury passenger train to Branson, Mo. Chairing the event once again, Carol Hudsonpillar exudes enthusiasm about what makes Hobo Hap'nin' happen.

"To me, it's just phenomena the support that the community has shown for this event," she said. More than 200 mostly local businesses made contributions to the various auctions last year as well as to the event itself, enabling the Hobo Hap'nin' committee to contribute significantly toward completion of the depot project. The Heritage Foundation of Hidalgo County, an organization dedicated to the preservation of historic county buildings, has taken on the Edinburg depot as a project and will assist with Hobo i Anyone interested in being featured in the Sunday People column, or who would like to suggest someone, may call The Monitor at 971-1836 or 971-1897 and ask for Queenie Miller. Photo by Delcia LopezThe Monitor Unique Party: The annual Hobo Hap'nin will benefit the restoration of the Edinburg depot Supporters of the event are Vivian Martin, left, and Elaine Hamlin..