Star on the Mountain Comments

My entry regarding the Star on the Mountain received a number of comments - all of them quite good. Mike Gaglio's comment was spot on and I hope everyone gets a chance to read it. Of course the bigger concerns are the waste of energy, local pollution and litter - although I wouldn't minimize the concern that mercury is being absorbed by plants, eaten by animals, and vaporized into the air (not enough really to probably be a major concern.)

Mike owns High Desert Environmental Consulting & Native Plants. He's an expert and does great work even just with excavating. He and his trusty Bobcat helped to rescue cactus last year where EPISD is building two new schools. He also "plowed" the way for the new cactus garden at the Lee and Beulah Moor Children's Home. Mike serves on the Frontera Land Alliance and did a bang up job at their recent fundraising gala at Ardovino's Desert Crossing.

Of course, I hope that you read Mike's comment as well as the others. PeiHaus offered, I think, the best recommendation. I did want to flag her proposal and repeat it here:

"I recommend that the star's functioning CFLs be given free to the poor so they can reduce their electric bills. Wire in good shape and any other materials should be re-used for the benefit of the community. Then, the star area should be cleaned up and returned as much as possible to its original state. That should be funded by El Paso Electric as they have been the entity responsible for maintenance of the site."

I do hope that elpasonaturally will be a great place for all the Mikes and Bobbys and Bills, etc. to give their input for a better environment. There is just so many in our community who care about the environment and making a difference. It would be great to give them a place where their voices can come together and be heard by a wider audience.