YOU CALL IT PACHANGA, YZAGUIRRE CALLS IT NETWORKING

By Juan Montoya
Every four months or so Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector hosts one of his tardeadas at his Ranchito Escondido at 1305 Honeydale Rd.
The occasion is looked forward to by just about everyone who is anyone in the city and surrounding towns. At any one of these gatherings you will see elected officials, candidates for office, city and county employees, attorneys and people from the building trades.
They all pitch in $20 and spend the afternoon partaking of fajitas, cabrito, ceviche, frijoles a la charra and all sorts of antojitos mexicanos washed down with cold beer or refreshments.
Yzaguirre says the tradition started many years ago after he bought the property and rear lots from the Faulk matriarch, Rusty's mom.
"When I first got it, there were old fence posts that the ranchers used to divide their land," he said. "We were standing under a tree and a friend said that it looked like a ranchito escondido (a small hidden ranch) and it stuck."
During election time, it is not unusual to have the candidates in the differing races mingle with the crowd pressing the flesh. But all is not political. Just as you could meet doctors, lawyers, judges and businessmen, there are also common people who ply their crafts such as plumbers, carpenters, house contractors, and just about any service that one can use.
"People pass out their business cards in case someone can use their services," Yzaguirre said. "It's more of a networking gathering than a pachanga."
The entertainment there has range from having mariachis serenade someone celebrating their birthday, a conjunto playing the crowd's favorite corridos, or a group playing nonteño music to the milling crowd.
Yzaguire first started public service when he was in high school and entered a shadow program where students were given part time work to get their feet wet in public service. After he graduated, he worked for the city tax assessor. That was in 1968 and after he left the city, he ran for the county tax assessor-collector position and won. After 47 years of public service, he has met just about anyone who has been in office here and in surrounding cities in Cameron County. (The photo at right shows him in those bygone years.)

There in his office a group portrait when Bill Clinton visited Cameron County in 1998 to deliver the bridge permit to the Port of Brownsville. Over the years, he has put an "X" over those that have passed on through the years.
"There's not that many of us left," he quipped as he showed the framed photograph. "Adolfo Betancourt is gone and so is Oscar de la Fuente, and some others like (Port of Brownsville commissioner) Dan Reyna. There's just a few of us left. Lucino (Rosenbaum) was the county commissioner then and he's still around."
During Clinton's trip to Brownsville, the Secret Service detail joined the crowd at el Ranchito Escondido to the surprise of many of the guests.
"They came in with coats and ties and really stood out," recalled Yzaguirre. "The were tall white guys with crew cuts and dark glasses. They had fajitas and BBQ before they had to leave. They really enjoyed themselves."
This Thursday, Yzaguirre is having another gathering at his Ranchito Escodido and is inviting his friends to attend. If you haven't gotten a ticket, you can pay at the door. Among those who attends the gatherings religiously is local businessman and former Port of Brownsville commissioner Mario Villarreal.
"The food is always good and the talk is even better," Villarreal said. "Everyone know each other and it's a good chance to touch base with old friends. Sometimes you meet people you haven't seen in years."