AYALA'S FRIENDS SAY HE EPITOMIZES BEST OF BROWNSVILLE

By Juan  Montoya
We have heard from at least four different sources now that Brownsville Visitors an Conventions Bureau director Mariano "Bean" Ayala is in a serious battle with cancer.
Sources say his growing absenteeism to get treatment indicates the disease has progressed. performance at that position.
The last we heard was that the disease had spread from his lower extremities toward his head. These, of course, are not good news. We have known Ayala for decades and wish him well. Cancer is an insidious disease that is not to be ignored or whose danger should be minimized.
Friends who grew up with Ayala say he hails from the Muralla area, literally the other side of the tracks and river levee. Despite the bad reputation (undeserved some say) of the barrio, Ayala chose the straight and narrow and literally rose above his surroundings.
It was in the days when the brothers over at St. Joe's Academy would scour the public schools for hardship cases and then offer promising students working scholarships. Bean was one of those chosen to go to St. Joe's. Believe it nor not, he turned out to be a ferocious football player and all-round athlete, even for his size.
Old friends remember him when his family lived upstairs of the Iris theater. He and his siblings were raised by his mother and his friends still remember when they used to go to his home and she would insist they stay and eat, even though the family was dirt poor.
Over time, Ayala was placed in charge of the Boys and Girls' Club (when we had one) and when he left, there was a budget surplus close to $300,000. That was quickly depleted by the incoming directors and administrations.
The same things happened when he was placed in charge of the Brownsville Visitors and Conventions Bureau after the tenure of Mike Gonzalez, who left in disgrace after the board discovered he and his secretary had used the bureau's budget like a personal ATM machine.
Ayala is credited with setting that ship on course and protecting the public's interests.
A former board member said that if not for Ayala's zeal in promoting Brownsville, the bureau was headed for the eventual dismantling of its role in promoting the city.
"Bean actually encouraged local residents to get acquainted with the history and attractions of the city so that everyone cold be an ambassador for Brownsville," she said. "We wish him the best and we know he's a fighter."
If this illness has progressed as we are hearing, it may be for the best for Bean to consider fighting it full time. If it has gotten to the point where he cannot look after the city's business, it may be up to the board to consider seeking his replacement and granting him medical leave to battle the illness.
Only he and they know.
But if the rumors have spread around the city regarding its seriousness, it may soon become a public policy issue and both the patient's and city's best interests might have to be considered.
We wish Bean the best. Un abrazo!