Winter Texans Donate $10,000 to La Feria Fire Department

by Tony Vindell/LFN

Adams Gardens Mobile Estates, a mobile home village along US. Highway on the east side of La Feria, has been like any of the dozens of parks largely inhabited by silver haired residents who come to the Rio Grande Valley from the Midwest and Canada during the winter months.

In this part of the country they are known as Winter Texans. Other places call them Snow Birds.

Park residents are generally active. Some of them hold fundraisings, bake sales, hold music jams, BBQs, hold exercise sessions, dances and many other activities.

Adams Gardens, a park with some 300 park lots, has been no different than the rest of the RV/MH communities.

But things have been changing there lately.

Fewer people live at Adams Gardens and their numbers keep declining.

So for that and other reasons, its residents have decided to dissolve its homeowner association created in the 1960s.

“We will still be at Adams Gardens,” Mary Joslyn, a longtime park resident, said, “but we will not be having the events we used to have.”

But at Tuesday’s March 12 meeting of La Feria City Commission, about a dozen residents showed up for yet another event.

They gave a check of $10,000 to the city’s fire department as a token of appreciation for the job its firefighters and paramedics do in the community.

Joslyn said the money came from their piggy bank and it was accumulated though the years from their homeowners association fees, bake sales and other events.

“We would like to present this money to you,” she said as Fire Chief David Phinney stood by. “We are very pleased to do this.”

Phinney thanked the group, saying they were more than happy for the donation.

Later on, the park residents, members of the city council and fire department staff gathered for a picture session.

The smiles on their faces said everything.