RGV LIfe Magazine Issue #1

Inside the magazine
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Henry Roberts
“Giving Back”
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rgv life magazine

Content List
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08
11
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Henry Roberts
Inspiraaonal, Hard Working, owner of
Bicycle World, and his amazing story.
Raziel Cano
Markeeng through Passion
State Farm Markeeng Director with
a Passion for Music
First Friday
Juan Trevino writes about a great
event that is becoming very popular
in Brownsville, Texas
Fitsity’s Zumbathon
Personal Trainer, Heather George, and
the Fitsity Gym, host a great event in
hopes to raise money for a great
cause.
Blues on the Hill
Outdoor Concert Series a “Big Hit”
for local entertainment in Harlingen
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Jalapeño 100 Bike Ride
Bicycle World RGv hosts its 26th
Annual bike ride benefifing the Harlingen
Boys and Girls Club.
Jailbreak SPI 2016
Annual Jailbreak Race Event 2016
Clayton’s Beach Bar, South Padre
and much more...
Cycling and Safety
Cycling Enthusiast, Richard Cavin,
shows us how important it is to prac-
-ce safe habits during cycling.
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Henry Roberts
Giving Back
Entrepreneur with a Heart
by: Roger Davila
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www.rgvlifemagazine.com
E
very now and then there is an individual
that comes around that makes a difference
in the world, Henry Roberts, owner of
Bicycle World RGV is that individual.
Henry Roberts, born in the Bahamas, is a person that
always saw something more in his life. At an early age,
Henry would work long hours day in and day out in
hopes that one day he would make a name for himself.
His hard work and sheer determinaaon eventually paid
off. Raised in the Bahamas, Henry was not born with a
silver spoon in his mouth thus having to work for anything
he wanted. He began working at an early age and
eventually openened up a window repair business with
a friend. He quickly displayed his drive and passion for
business and customer service, earning him a
reputaaon for being a hard and honest worker, but he
wanted something more. So he came to the United
States.
Times were hard in the beginning. Despite having
come to the United States with nearly nothing in his
pockets, Henry vowed to himself that he would be
successful.

Henry kept striving forward despite having liile to
no luck at landing a great paying job, and in those
mes, it was hard for anyone to find such a thing.
Henry kept perservering and striving to do more. He
eventually began fixing bicycles and learning what
would one day be his passion without even knowing
it. He kept grinding day in and day out, working long
and ring hours, never giving up on the American
Dream.
Then one day, it came true. He opened up his own
bicycle shop.
The hours became longer and the work began to
seem as if it were never ending, but Henry was now
living his dream. He worked connnuously to make
himself a beeer boss, friend and husband to his wife
and partner, Kelly. Together with his wife, Henry
began to wonder if there was something else out
there for him. In other words, his drive never allowed
him to be content. Henry is an individual that is constantly
growing, always learning something new and
exciing. He ssll wanted more. He went through
touch mes at his store, someemes wondering if he
would make it, but he never gave up. He connnued
to do what he knew how to do.... Succeed. He never
quit, and NEVER gave up. Now, 36 years later, Henry
Roberts is the proud owner of 3 Bicycle Stores
named Bicycle World RGV. Drive and determinaaonare
the reasons he is so successful.
I met Henry Roberts a liile over 2 years ago and
was immediately mesmerized by his persona. His
smile and the passion in his eyes made me instantly
recognize a great person. We sat on a bench at his
Harlingen, Texas store and spoke for hours without
even realizing it. We spoke about his desire for learning
and connnuoulsy growing in customer service,
and markeeng. Henry someemes is referred to, by
his family and friends, as being a liile crazy because
of his desires. He believes that everyone should be
taken care of made to feel as if they are family instead
of just customers. He believes that it is more
important to make a friend than a sale. If others
believed as Henry Roberts believes, the world
would be a beeer place. Henry has aaended many
seminars pertaining to markeeng and business, although
being very successful. He constantly wants
to learn how to be a beeer businessman. He ssll to
this day works hard every single day. I someemes
visit Henry at one of his stores and find him painnng
, cleaning or speaking to one of his many customers.
He greets everyone with a smile and either a hug or
a handshake and treats you like family. Henry connnues
to give back to the community in ways that
people can only dream of doing. He has held the
Jalapeño 100 Bicycle Ride for over 25 years now benefifing
the Harlingen Boys and Girls Club, raising
thousands of dollars each and every year. He also
speaks to the youth of the community as a rold
model of what you can accomplish, ooen doing feats
of strength, like bending rebar with his neck.
Awesome .... Stop by one of the three Bicycle World
stores across the RGV and you may be privelaged
enough to meet Henry.. a great man with a great
passion for life.
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viva Streets Harlingen
viva streets harlingen was s fun event
to attend. People came out in great
numbers for the run, the fun and of
course the food trucks. There were
booths set up on jackson street with
information and activities for the
whole family. a great event for
harlingen.
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lues on the Hill is an incredible event
hosted by the Harlingen’s Convennon and
Visitors Bureau . in which patrons come
Bout for an evening of entertainment under
the stars. The smoke and the aroma of the many food
trucks that come out for this great event are absolutelycappvaang.
Hundreds of people come out to this event
and it is evident that they are going to have a great
me.Children are running around and playing as their
parents sit and wait for the evening’s entertainment.
Melissa Landin, Director of the Harlingen CVB, and
Rachel Flores, Markeeng Direcor, dedicate long and
ring hours to make sure that Blues on the Hill, is a huge
success. Let me tell you, they have hit it out of the park
each and every me. The energy and the smiles is what
makes this event and all of its work worthwhile. The Harlingen
CVB transforms its city into a BLAST FROM THE
PAST when people would come out to city parks to let
their children play, sit on blankets, eat and listen to
some great music. In a me where the United States is
caught up with electronics, mass shooongs, and the rest
of the issues surrounding our Naaon, it is good to see
some great wholesome fun. The shows are carefully
orchestrated and the lineups are usually incredible with
entertainment from all over the United States. People
are walking around enjoying the Classic Cars as well as
the many vendors that aaend the venue. All in all, we
would like to thank Melissa Landin and her team for put-
-ng on such an incredible event. Check out the Harlingen
CVB website or facebook page for the next one.
“Music and Fun Under the Stars”
Blues on the Hill
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rgv life magazine
jarekus singleton pictured here

Blues on the Hill
an exciting event sponsored by the
harlingen convention and visitors
bureau. lawn chairs, blankets and
music were on hand for an evening
under the stars. food trucks were
lined up from end to end anticipating
the flood of concert goers. rgv life
was glad to be a part of this great
event.
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The RGV Fitness (R)evolution
“The Valley wasn’t ready, and neither were we”. It
was July of 2014, I had just been asked by a physical
therapist in Harlingen why we had decided to create
the South Padre Marathon now, why hadn’t we tried
it a few years earlier? Looking back, just two short
years later, I realize there was more truth in my
words that I had known at the me.
If life is mostly “aatude and
ming”, then we
couldn’t have come to the Rio Grande Valley at a
beeer me than the spring of 2012, the year we held
the first Jailbreak Beach Escape on South Padre
Island. We would produce five Jailbreak events
across Texas that year; Aussn, Dallas/Ft Worth, Houston,
El Paso and South Padre Island.
While we had great crowds in each of the markets,
no place welcomed us quite like the RGV. There was
a colleccve spirit of graatude and appreciaaon
unlike anything we had experienced elsewhere, and
we were immediately intoxicated with it.
I first came to the Valley in 2011 at the request of a
former resident. He had told me the region was
“hungry” for an event like the Jailbreak and would enthusiasscally
support it. However, I had very liile
knowledge of the RGV beyond the headlines, and
the headlines weren’t good.
I knew the area had the highest rates of diabetes,
obesity and poverty in the ennre State of Texas. Not
exactly the combinaaon you look for when picking a
locaaon to hold an obstacle course race. What I
didn’t know at the me, and wouldn’t for a couple of
years, was the undercurrent of change that was already
underway, and quickly gaining strength.
However, the staasscs didn’t tell the full story. They
didn’t tell you about German Hadrazo, Jun Ellormio
or Adolfo Pereira who were opening running stores
in spite of the staasscs. They didn’t tell you about
2RunCrew, Team Healey, Running 101 or the dozen
other running clubs that were growing in direct defiance
to the staasscs. Mark Twain once said, “there
are lies, damned lies and staasscs”, while the staasccs
may not be an actual lie, to believe they tell the
story of the RGV would be a damned lie.
The RGV is moving. There are health clubs, CrossFit
boxes, smoothie shops, running clubs, cycling clubs
and triathlon clubs popping up all over the Valley. Fitness,
once a fringe movement, has becoming mainstream.
The undercurrent is now manifessng itself
as a dal wave, if you haven’t jumped in, prepare to
be swept away. I’m ooen asked to characterize the
Rio Grande Valley and South Padre Island for people
around the country who are unfamiliar with the
region. I usually find myself stumped, searching fruitlessly
for the right words. How do you arrculate a
feeling or emooon to someone who has not experienced
it? How do you explain the spirit of the
people, when all they have read are staasscs? I have
seen Cinderella at the ball, but they have only known
her through the words of the stepmother and stepsisters.
In the end, I invite them to come and experience
it for themselves, it’s the only way to know how
the shoe actually fits.
-tim Scrivner
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Hillary or Trump? The Lesser of Two Evils?
The Presidennal Eleccon of 2016 is heaang up quite
nicely. Hillary or Trump? Democrat or Republican?
Who should the American people vote for? Should we
vote for a loud mouthed boisterous Republican or
should we vote for an ethically quessonable Democrat?
Either way, the American people are in for a virtual
rollercoaster ride. I do not believe that even Fiesta Texas
has a rollercoaster as scary as this years Presidennal
Eleccon. So I ask again, whom should we vote for?
The United States is in a state of turmoil at the moment.
Police Officers geeng shot, as well as shooong people
for small peey crimes. Racism is rearing its ugly head
once again in our country and values such as integrity,
honesty and the love thy neighbor aatude is almost
non-existent. How has our society changed so much
since the 70’s and 80’s when music was understood and
people were not walking into universiies or malls shooting
people just to shoot people. When schools were allowed
to pray before a sporrng event or commencement
exercise? When being a police officers were
viewed as protectors of ciizens and not gun toong
judge and execuuoners. The massacre that recently
occured in Dallas, Texas where 5 Dallas Police Officers
were maliciously gunned down by someone that was
not too happy with the recent killings of young black
individuals under very scrupulous circumstances. There
are many issues surrounding the United States right
now that need to be addressed and addressed now. Do
we truly believe that one of these individuals can help
fix an already troubled society? Hillary or Trump? Which
do we choose? Can it be that either one that is voted
into being the Commander in Chief will get us more into
trouble than what we already are in? AAer hearing the
plaaorms of both of these individuals, I have come to
the conclusion that whichever way America votes, we
will be in trouble. I remind you that this is just an opinion
and not the views of this magazine or its employees
but a simple observaaon. We would love to hear your
views on this subject. We will be possng a quessonaire
on our website and facebook for you to chime in. The
Lesser of Two Evils.... Which do we choose? It is going
to be up to the American People to decide. Vote!!
Remember, it is our Right to Vote that enables us to choose who will run our country. We
have to exercise that right and show our support for whomever we choose. As complicated
as it may be, we need to fully research and listen to each of these two individuals just simply
because November will be here before you realize it and we need to be informed to vote.
Let’s do what is right for our country, vote with clear and concise informaaon. That is the only
way to fix what is wrong with our country.
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interested in joining the RGV Life Magazine
Team? Send us an email and we will schedule an
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“I believe that there is a perfect plan set before
each of us, and when we follow that plan things
work out exactly as they should. For example,
many would not believe we were meant to be a
part of each other’s paths, yet here we are”
― Rachelle Dekker
Simple Plan
Smart Inspiraaon
ave you ever woken up and realized that there is more
out there? Have you considered that life can offer you
so much more, but what escapes you is drive and the
Hdesire to go out and get it?
LIfe doesn’t offer any rewinds or takebacks, so you must go out and
conquer each day as if it were the last day you would be alive. Live
each day to the fullest, not worrying about what lies ahead but instead
going out and changing it for the beeer. All too many mes
people let circumstances overtake their lives and they believe that
no maaer what they do, NOTHING CAN CHANGE THEIR LIVES.
There is no greater lie than what they are telling themselves. I have
personally met people that have overome obstacles that would leave
the normal person curled up in a ball crying their eyes out. What
needs to change for those parrcular people is their ATTITUDE. That
is the number one thing that separates the successful people and the
people that dwell in their own pity. Successful people will do whatever
it takes to get the job done whereas; the Pitydwellers only deal in
what bad luck they are having and cannot change it.
Life is what you make of it, go out and conquer the world and do not
let the world CONQUER YOU.
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RGV LIFE MAGAZINE

Cycling and Safety – We All Share a Responsibility
Richard Cavin, is a technology professional who lives
and works in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South
Texas and is also an avid cyclist. He started cycling at
the age of 57 and has ridden his bicycles over 35,000
miles in his four and a half years of cycling.
The tale of an ordinary ciizen, a cyclist…..past, present
and future. Why safety and awareness are so important.
Remember when you were young and full of energy?
Maybe you are ssll young and full of energy but a lot of
us are not young anymore, but ssll young at heart.
As a kid do you remember riding your bicycle when the
world was not so crazy, hurried and complex? I do!
Some of us remember those mes well and have very
fond memories. Tassels on the handlebar ends, baseball
cards in the spokes to make motor sounds, connected
to the fork via mom’s clothespins! Our favorite ssckers
on the bicycle frame, you name it, we lived on the bike!
Yes those were the days. Life seemed much simpler
then and less hurried.
As the years passed, the advancements in technology
and society, automobiles have become much faster and
sophisscated. As we’re all aware, technology has taken
over the life of the majority of our society. Distraccons
are numerous: family, kids, friends, radios, phones, tablets,
our jobs; you name it.
While the technology behind cycling has also advanced:
one basic fact remains, people ride bicycles and those
people are even more vulnerable to accidents today. A
cyclist will lose the baale of a collision between almost
any other object, whether it is the ground, a curb, a tree
or a motor vehicle. Does it always have to be that way,
maybe not……..
So why do people connnue to cycle today? Maybe it is
the love of the sport, the exercise, the feeling of enjoying
the outdoors, the social aspect of meeeng and
riding with friends or as a primary means of transporta-
-on. Well as it turns out it is for all those reasons and
more.
By: Richard Cavin
Have you ever wondered what type of people ride bicycles?
Are they normal, produccve members of our society?
Yes they are! While some cyclists may have different
viewpoints, they are in general outstanding people and
ciizens. Our society is challenged with many health
issues related to complacency and lack of physical accvity.
Cycling is one way to reverse that trend. How many
mes have you heard we are an obese society, the facts
are there to prove it.
For me, the love of cycling re-entered my life in May of
2011 aaer my wife passed away the previous year. I
needed something to do besides work to fill that huge
void in my life. Somehow I found cycling and I’ve embraced
it tremendously. The accvity has been great; but
the friends and contacts I have made have been the
greatest and most unexpected benefit. I’ve met so many
people from all walks of life: housewives, college students,
lawyers, police officers, preachers, laborers,
teachers, technicians, engineers, business owners, touring
cyclists from all over the world and numerous
others. So yes we are out there riding our bikes.
I guess I should get to the point of this short arrcle: that
of safety on the roads. How would you feel if you accidentally
caused an injury, minor or even fatal to one of
these cyclists? I believe you’d probably feel preey bad
and heartbroken. What if one of your friends had been
killed or suffered severe injuries by a negligent car
driver? I have experienced firsthand the loss of a close
cycling friend and known others who have suffered serious
injuries.
So yeah, cyclists are normal and produccve members of
society. Sure we make mistakes riding our bikes and
someemes those mistakes can be fatal. Some cyclists
stupidly ride through stop signs and red lights, SHAME
ON US!! As a cyclist we should always assume that drivers
“don’t see us”, let’s face it we must ride defensively
at all mes. The same goes for all of the automobile drivers
out there. Watch out for us, pay aaennon to the
road, quit texxng and looking at your phones when you
should be driving. If you’re red, been drinking or
should not be driving ask for help or just stop! Do not
drive…. Yeah we’re all guilty of driving when we should
not, me included, let’s all try our best to be more responsible.
So I’m asking everyone to just remember the next me
you see someone on the road on a bicycle….be aware.
Our goal should be to share the road, yes give us a wide
berth, it only takes a few extra seconds to be careful and
smile because you have allowed us all to make our roads
a beeer place to ride.
Check out the rest of this arrcle at www.rgvlifemagazine.com
rgv life magazine 29

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info@rgvlifemagazine.com
956-293-1353
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Issue #1