We’re just connecting the dots
WINTER TEXAN
Volume 10 • Issue 18 February 19, 2025
A 55+ Co-Ed League of Their Own
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Did someone say cheese? No, I’m not talking about smiling for a picture. I’m talking about the kind you eat—morning, noon, or night. It’s no secret to those who know me that I love cheese. In fact, when I see the Cheeseheads during the Packers games, I can’t help but feel like I should have one of those to just wear around town. When I see Wisconsin license plates or even hear “Wisconsin,” all I can think of is all of the varieties of Wisconsin cheese I have tasted—and loved. It’s also no secret that my dream is to one day be a Summer Wisconsinite. But every time I say that, friends from other Midwestern states try to convince me I’d love their states even more. Do you think I should consider becoming a Summer Midwesterner, instead? What, from your Midwestern state, would I savor the way I do Wisconsin cheese? Now, it doesn’t have to be food. Is there a place, a summer event, or something else your state is known for that would draw me back, summer after summer? I’m going to post this column on our Facebook page. Please answer these two questions for me: 1.What other Midwestern states should I consider…when I finally get to be you? 2. What place, event, food, or (fill in the blank) would bring me back, year after year? (I’m already curious to see what I learn!) We’re just connecting the dots…
Thank You
SEASON SPONSORS 2024-2025
by Eryn Reddell Wingert Photos courtesy of the Ed Martens Senior Texans Softball League
“One quick thing,’” Rosy Franks said as our interview wrapped up. “I want to tell you about my softball glove.” Franks, 68, began playing softball at 18 in a parks and recreation league. When she broke her finger at 40, she decided to leave it to the younger players. Franks still wanted to play the sport, but there were no senior leagues available in her community. That was…until she began visiting the Rio Grande Valley via Wisconsin and discovered the Ed Martens Senior Texan Softball League in McAllen. Franks didn’t hesitate to join and has been with the League for 16 years. She did miss one year--as a player--but served as an assistant manager. “ I really believe in good sportsmanship.” Before and after each season, she oils up her softball glove, keeping it in flexible shape. She keeps herself in shape, too, playing pickleball and water volleyball, walking, cycling, and swimming. Franks even recruits, inviting her neighbor, Sherryl Hibberd, a winter visitor from Pennsylvania, to join. “I loved it,” Hibberd says. “That was 10 years ago, and I have been playing ever since.” Softball has threaded in and out of Hibberd’s life,
from neighborhood games as a kid to playing in a teacher league as an adult. “What’s not to like?!” Hibberd, who turns 65 this spring, says playing softball motivates her to stay active. “There’s a lot in it for me, health-wise, mental-wise; it’s enormous.” In addition to the health aspects, Hibberd raves about the camaraderie and bonding experiences of the League. Frank feels the same. “It’s so much fun. It’s like a reunion to see everybody!” An annual reunion where new members are welcome. Tara Piantanida-Kelly is a full-time RVer and has been coming to the Valley for three years. She didn’t hesitate when her husband, Bob, asked if she wanted CONTINUED ON PAGE 2