Thanks, Rose: Former commissioner, advocate leaves healthy legacy

Even though she was scheduled to leave town the next day, Rose Gowen set up her “Quilted Carrot” vendor booth to sell vegan delights one last time at the Brownsville Farmers’ Market, on Halloween. Then it was off to Eugene, Oregon, with her husband, Jeff, to start a new adventure and be closer to their kids. Gowen, a retired obstetrician/gynecologist who served on the Brownsville City Commission for 16 years, leaves behind an impressive legacy of helping Brownsville become a healthier, happier place. She was founding chair of the Brownsville Wellness Coalition (BWC), secured the initial city grant for the Brownsville Farmers’ Market way back when, and helped get CycloBia rolling. Besides that, Gowen’s name will forever be associated with the West Rail Trail — literally, since the city last year renamed it the Rose M.Z. Gowen M.D. Trail in her honor. Her name is likewise synonymous with the Caracara Trails network, of which the Gowen Trail is a part. Ditto with The Challenge RGV, which