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Published Brownsville Herald Nov 22, 2010

Halloween has past and Thanksgiving will be here on Thursday and already the red and green colors of Christmas are in the advertisements everywhere.
The advertisements are now taking more space than news in the Sunday paper.
The election results for Congressman and County Judge, here in Cameron County have lasted more than a week. It is strange that a Republican had a chance at all; but just imagine a situation where the final results bounce back and forth for days.
Libertarian Candidate Ed Mishou has accomplished wonders in defining the Libertarian ideals in a way that is better understood in this former Democrat stronghold than ever before. Even though, Republicans kept promoting the idea that “Third parties” can’t win, Ed wrestled more than 5300 votes from the “big two” which more than doubled any past election results.
The political ideals in the Rio Grande Valley continue to mature and “We the people” continue to show that we are not willing to tolerate the “political boss system” any longer.
As further evidence we saw that in the statewide elections, Libertarians continued to gain more acceptance, our own Jim Holder pulled down 147,969 votes in the State Land Commissioner contest. A really fine showing for his first time out!
This guarantees the Libertarians a place as one of the three major parties with a guaranteed place on the ballot in the next election.
It is a genuine statement that “We the people” want leaders that stand for a recovery of their lost freedoms and a party that advances the ideals of the “Tea Party” year round.
Thanksgiving is the beginning of the traditional season of sharing good things and good wishes with family and neighbors and sometimes just folks in need.
As it arrives this year my thoughts go back five years to the loss of a business associate and a good friend.
Just five years ago Duane Tyner, the owner of Valley Trucking, passed away. He was a unique person, a tough businessman in a rough business.
Thanksgiving is the time I think about him most frequently.
Every Thanksgiving that I knew him he stopped company business for a day and furnished a Thanksgiving dinner at the company offices and garage on Coffee Port Road, for all the company workers especially the drivers who he called in from the road.
Over the years, most anyone that knew him shared in the good will, from the high politicians to us regular folks. He seemed at home with everyone.
According to the story he once told me, Dwayne came from Florida in 1981, a “barefoot Indian” and became a partner with Max Marcus at Valley Trucking; then a company of just a few trucks.
Now, Valley Trucking has 560 or more trailers and more than 145 tractors.
He also developed a number of other businesses that included a truck driver training school, a restaurant, a warehousing company and a highly sophisticated custom steering wheel factory.
When I was starting Isabel Cortes Ferry Service and later Padrino Maritime, Dwayne Tyner saw something in the idea and assisted by supplying refrigerated trailers to allow the carriage of fruit concentrate to a processor in McAllen and fresh fruit from Honduras for a major grocer in Chicago.
To prove the value of shipping produce in time of a shortage on the market, he arranged for melons to be loaded into the trailers, in the fields in Honduras just prior to the ship arrival.
We loaded those trailers on the ship on the Wednesday of arrival.
The ship departed that same evening and arrived in Port Isabel on Saturday morning. Shortly after arrival Customs and Agriculture completed the clearance requirements.
Dwayne’s drivers hooked up to the trailers and drove them to Chicago where they were placed on the market shelves in time for Monday morning shoppers; undamaged, fresh, sweet and succulent less than a week from the fields.
It was the answer to a produce need at a time when the weather in South Texas was not friendly to the growers.
Though the potential loss was substantial, the timely shipment he conceived also demonstrated that quality produce from Central America could supplement the needs here in the U.S. at modest prices, using a boutique shipping solution and a creative trucker. Dwayne was one of the few visionaries I have ever met.
Later, at his own expense he visited Honduras and promoted this method of shipping to develop Central American business here that would develop more business for my ventures as well as his own.
There were profits to be made but the risks were certainly larger than other ventures that crossed his desk. Still, Mr. Tyner understood this more than most but still participated.
Dwayne also shared his good fortune with many others in the community by actively participating in Brownsville Police Department Christmas for Kids, and the Boys & Girls Club.
He also participated in advancing the community as past Board Director of United Way, a past Board Director for Texas State Bank, and Texas Bank and Trust as well as a member of Chamber of Commerce, BRG Railroad Board of Trustees, and Airport Advisory Board.
Dwayne was indeed a bigger than life person that touched many of our lives, I miss that big wave from him while meeting him on the highway from South Padre Island in his Red Jaguar.
He and his family will be in my prayers this Thanksgiving
I would like to wish his wife Carlotta, sons Neal and Jason and family, my continuing best wishes.

1. Pat Muniz says:

   December 1, 2010 at 10:45 pm

   Dear Fred;

   This e-mail is in reference to your article on Dwayne Tyner..
   It is refreshing to hear someone remember someone like him. He was a wonderful man and partner to David Clements.
   I worked for him 28 years, both at Valley Trucking as Safety Dir. and as Director of the driving school. He was both a friend and a boss.
   He helped so many prople in this town and arond the area.
   He was a boss that asked you to do something and never came back to as if it was dione, you just did it.
   As a friend he allowed me to do extra things at work to be able to put my two sons through college. Three of my sons worked for him during the summer.
   I have had many of the past employees call and let me know about the article, he was loved and always will be in our hearts.
   God rest his soul & David’s
   Thank you again for remebering a wondeful man and a great company. There will never be his type again.
   Patricia (Bennett) Muniz
   Love n’ Prayers < *)))>< Pat Muniz

   What ever it take to be a success, "You are worth it!"

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