December 2006 Issue

If you have a desire for the finer things, take a short drive up to Sonora and shop at Tedford Jewelry in the recently State of Texas-designated “Main Street” city’s historic downtown. John and Del Tedford’s jewelry business has been booming since 1975, with customers all over the World. John Tedford attributes his store’s success to their long-standing credibility in the business.

Russell True Value Hardware is Del Rio’s central location for both traditional home repair and enhancement merchandise, hunting and fishing gear, and lawn and garden supplies, but it’s also a first choice for shoppers looking for unique gifts, wedding presents, fashion accessories, and unusual foodstuff.

Del Rio is chock full of “best kept secrets,” but one worthy of unveiling is Khan’s Empire in a small strip mall facing What-A-Burger. The small store houses astonishing collections of Oriental jewelry, art, teapots, clothing and craft from all around the Pacific Rim. Owner Yunling is also a storehouse of knowledge about the cultures of a dozen or more countries, as well as the pearls and jade that adorn necks, ears and wrists around the globe.

Del Rio’s Ross Building Emporium is a historic landmark in downtown’s historic district, and enjoys pilgrimages this time of year by loyal customers and newcomers to the area largely because of its reputation as a fun place to visit.  The startling variety of children’s games, books and toys, combined with an old fashioned soda fountain, are a draw many parents and their progeny cannot resist.

Downtown Del Rio’s only eatery and fashion shop combination, the Brown Bag Deli and Buffalo Girls, is geared up for Christmas shoppers’ acquisitive and culinary appetites. An extensive inventory of new seasonal gifts and clothing fills the shelves and all corners of Buffalo Girls, and owner Shannon Brown believes her lunchtime menu is just as festive.

Marisa Zvorak is the artist and florist behind the Amistad Florist and Garden of Art Gallery on Veterans Boulevard. A native of Spain with a cosmopolitan view and experience of the world, Zvorak strives to maintain an environment of learning and creating art among serious art students here. Her own art and collections are on display now, too.

Shoppers are richly rewarded with both hospitality and quality merchandise when they take the brief trip across the international bridge to Ciudad Acuña. LIVE! highlights three shops, each vastly different, close together, and sharing the common determination to present Mexican pottery, furniture, art and décor at their finest.

Sad though it seems, there are Del Rioans who simply refuse treatment for serious illnesses if it means traveling often and frequently to San Antonio or San Angelo. Two Del Rio physicians, Dr. Michele Di Blasi and Dr. Tina Di Blasi, are determined to offer as many services as possible for cardiac and diabetic patients. They have already brought several technologies and services here that didn’t exist a few years ago, and they have big plans for many more.

“There is nothing good about a firefight,” Staff Sgt. Israel Del Toro said. “Once you get into one, you never want to be in one again.” Del Toro, now a highly experienced and decorated combat veteran had already seen it all. And, being in a TACP, he had probably seen more of it than most when he and his scouting team departed the base camp on a weeklong patrol of the Afghani countryside.

Fort Davis, the town and the historic military post, are a double-barreled combination for families with children to relax and learn about Texas’ rich and vibrant frontier controversies between U.S. Army cavalry and the light horse cavalry of Apache, Comanche and Kiowa Indians. Sumptuous accommodations in the nearby community offer historic-appearing rooms, fine food, gift shops, spirits, and ice cream.