Pancho Claus wears a zoot suit and delivers 10,000 gifts to kids year-round in a lowrider
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HOUSTON, Texas Richard Reyes first took on the role of Pancho Claus in 1981, and now he and the character are one and the same.
The Houston, Texas man first played the Hispanic version of Santa Claus in a play and wanted to give the role personality. He performed a poem and replaced the iconic red suit and reindeer with a zoot suit and lowrider cars.
Reyes continued to play Pancho Claus year after year and would visit a few dozen families every holiday season to deliver gifts and cheer. But he has become a Houston icon with the role for nearly four decades.
Dec 15, 2020
LAWRENCE â Five weeks after one election, the city must decide whether to hold another election â this time to choose an interim mayor to finish the term of Daniel Rivera.Â
Rivera is preparing to leave the mayor s post to become president and CEO of the state agency MassDevelopment.
At Tuesday s City Council meeting, Lawrence s nine councilors are expected to discuss the pros and cons of having a special election, which is required by the city charter for a new mayor to be named.
The charter says the council president in this case Kendrys Vasquez becomes acting mayor if the mayor is unable to perform his duties. The charter, which is outlined at cityoflawrence.com, requires that a special election then happen to elect a new mayor. That election must take place within 90 days of the date the vacancy is created, according to the charter, which says the winner of the election would fill the outgoing mayor s unexpired term.
Dec 12, 2020
TIM JEAN/Staff photoMayor Daniel Rivera speaks at Lawrence General Hospital s COVID-19 testing site, as Gov. Charlie Baker looks on. Tim Jean
LAWRENCE â As Mayor Daniel Rivera moves on to the next chapter of his career, members of the city s political network are applauding his rise to a major state post.
After seven years as Lawrence s leader, Rivera announced Thursday he is stepping down as mayor to accept a job with MassDevelopment, becoming president and chief executive officer of that state agency. His decision comes with one year left in his second mayoral term.
MassDevelopment s Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to appoint Rivera to the position.
For four decades, Housonâs own Tex-Mex Santa, Pancho Claus, has been rolling up in his low rider and spreading joy to Houston children in need. But this year, itâs the big man himself who needs a bit of Christmas cheer.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the local Papai Noel finds himself without financial sponsors, Richard Reyes, the man underneath Pancho Clausâs signature red zoot suit and fedora, recently told the
Houston Chronicle. And this year, more toys are needed than previous years because so many families have lost their income as a result of the ongoing pandemic. In fact, he needs triple the the usual amount, according to ABC13.