Deirdre Reyna joins 250th Anniversary Celebration as new project coordinator

By Tom Moore

Deirdre Reyna, public information officer with the Parks and Recreation Department, has expanded her purview with the City of Laredo with the undertaking of additional responsibilities as new coordinator of Laredo 's 250th Anniversary Celebration. She takes over the position previously held by Eddie Zavala, who now works for Congressman Henry Cuellar in Washington .

Reyna pointed out that she is not alone in spearheading the project. “The event planning is actually overseen by the 250th Anniversary Celebration Commission, which is comprised of many of Laredo 's business and civic leaders, and the 250th Anniversary Ad Hoc Oversight Committee, which is made up of city council members Gene Belmares, Hector García, and José Valdez, Jr.,” said Reyna.

Reyna assumed coordinator duties January 20. “The commission was already well into its planning and had already completed its first three events: the poster competition and unveiling, the creation of a commemorative calendar, and the inaugural ceremony in January,” she said. “The commission has worked incredibly hard, and on their own time, to plan out an entire year of activities to celebrate Laredo 's founding, and I'm here to help them see their plans come to life. An interesting aside: the commemorative calendar was created from the artwork of the 12 finalists in the poster competition.”

Planning for the celebration has already been done by the commission, Reyna added, with input from the ad hoc committee. “I am there to help execute the plans already put in place by the commission, which has been working on the celebration activities since last summer,” she said. “Basically, I am maintaining an established agenda. I am here to help coordinate, promote, and execute the events already set by the commission. I am also doing peripheral things to keep the public informed of our activities and events, such as creating a web site linked to the city's main web page. The site has links with a calendar of events, information on the city's history and the seven flags of Laredo , and it will soon have a photo gallery to showcase all of the events held to date.”

There are many anniversary celebration events that Laredoans can look forward to, according to Reyna. “The city will have a float in both of the WBCA parades, which will showcase Laredo's seven flags and its founder, Tomas Sanchez. We will have children from Parks and Recreation's Miracle Youth Committee on the float representing the different countries whose flags have flown over Laredo , hopefully in period costume. Other events will include Founder's Day activities, with a banquet to honor descendants of Laredo 's founding families, a dramatic production featuring Laredo 's heritage and history, and a historical-themed parade. These events are being sponsored by the Webb County Heritage Foundation. We also are planning a two-day Seven Flags - Seven Cultures Festival for the Fourth of July at the Civic Center grounds, with a variety of bands, vendors, and all sorts of fun activities that will showcase Laredo's multicultural heritage,” said Reyna.

“Other events focus on educating the public on Laredo 's history, with traveling exhibits created by the Webb County Heritage Foundation,” she said. “The exhibits will be on display at various Laredo schools and will travel throughout South Texas as well. One is already on display at United South Middle School. Also, a symposium on regional history is being hosted by Texas A&M International University in October, and a seminar on the history of Los Dos Laredos is being organized in Nuevo Laredo in November.”

Originally from Virginia, Reyna has lived in Laredo 10 years, and she cites her non-native perspective for becoming involved in the anniversary celebration. “As an outsider, I have found Laredo to be an extremely warm and generous city, and this is an opportunity for me to give something back. I play a small role in helping to carry out the city's 250th anniversary events, but I am proud of my association with the commission and with the work it has done to plan these events for our community,” she said.

“It's exciting to be a part of history, especially in a city as unusual as Laredo,” Reyna said. “This city is truly one of a kind; seven different cultures have blended to create a unique and interesting community. I find it fascinating, and this anniversary year allows us to showcase the best of what Laredo has to offer -- not only to its tourists but to its residents. When you grow up in a place and spend your entire life there, it's easy to overlook the things that make your community unique; I hope this year that every Laredoan will learn a little more about their community and its history through the events we have planned. And I hope they have fun doing it!”