The Countdown Begins

Poppies on Castner Range. Picture by Mark Clune

Will a Castner Range National Monument be set to launch in the next two weeks or is it down for the count? President Obama now only has 19 days left as President. Will he declare Castner Range a National Monument . . . or not?

Recently Mr. Obama made Bears Ears in Utah and Gold Butte in Neveda national monuments. 

According to the Portland Press Herald: "Administration officials are eyeing an expansion of the California Coastal National Monument and Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument as well as the establishment of one monument in South Carolina and two in Alabama to commemorate the Reconstruction and civil rights eras, respectively."

No mention has been made about Castner Range.

However, Congressman Beto O'Rourke told this anecdote in public:

"Amy and I were waiting in line to greet the President at the White House’s annual Christmas reception. I said to Amy: 'I just can’t bring up Castner Range to the President on an occasion like this. I’ll just shake his hand and wish him a Merry Christmas.' But Amy said: 'You have GOT to bring up Castner Range! This may be your last face-to-face with President Obama!!' So when I shook the President’s hand I said: 'I really want you to declare Castner Range a National Monument.' To which he responded with one word: 'Okay.'"

Nineteen days to find out. Nineteen days.

Castner Range Public Meeting: A Must Attend Event

Courtesy of Mark Clune

elpasonaturally cannot emphasize enough the importance of tomorrow's public meeting to make Castner Range a National Monument. In order to become a National Monument, Castner will need the approval of Congress or the President. Do not count on Congress and, once Mr. Trump is inaugurated, do not count on the President. President Obama is our last, best hope. We must show his administration our overwhelming support. Please attend Rep. O'Rourke's meeeting tomorrow at EPCC Transmountain Campus Forum Theater. (MAP) Here is Rep. O'Rourke's message and more details: 


Castner Range is one of the cultural, historical, and ecological treasures of our region that should be protected for future generations.

I want to invite you to join me for a public meeting that I am hosting about the future of Castner Range on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. 

The event will take place at the El Paso Community College Transmountain Campus Forum Theater (9570 Gateway N Blvd). There will be experts, public officials, music, and culture. 

This is your chance to make your voice heard. I hope to see you on November 19th! 

RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/BetoORourkeTX16/events/ 

Thank you,

Beto


Congressman Beto O’Rourke announced he will hold a public meeting to discuss why the President should designate Castner Range a national monument. This public meeting will be the community’s chance to speak directly with public officials and experts about why this land should be protected in perpetuity. 

Join us Saturday, November 19, for a family friendly event to show your support for Castner Range as a National Monument! 
Enjoy music, performers, food trucks, kids free activities and much more!  Please do not forget to walk inside to view the beautiful art work by our local school children ranging in ages from pre-k to high school, all telling through their art why Castner Range should be forever.

Inside Venue (Forum Auditorium): 
9:00 to 9:50 a.m.: Castner Range Video, and Live Performances by Brass Quintet and Viva El Paso.
10:00 – 12:00: Public Meeting on Castner Range

Outside Venue: 
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Live Entertainment, Music, Food Trucks, Free Activities (Obstacle Course, Rock Wall, Bouncy House)
11:30 a.m. Awards Ceremony Recognizing Participation of Schools


Let us hear your voice Saturday on why you want to see Castner Range as a National Monument!

O'Rourke to Lead Campaign for Preservation of Castner Range

Click on image to enlarge.

I just got this from the Director of Frontera Land Alliance, Janae' Reneaud-Field:

Important announcement from Congressman Beto O’Rourke: He will lead the campaign to make Castner Range a National Monument, preserving it forever! 

On Nov. 12 we met with Congressman Beto O’Rourke and five members of his senior staff at the El Paso Community Foundation’s “Foundation Room.” There, Beto announced that he himself will lead the campaign to make Castner Range a National Monument, thus preserving it forever!

And now we’ve got our marching orders: “Work harder than ever to conserve Castner Range!!!” Since Nov. 12 we’ve been collecting letters of support, with the goal to get 1,000 letters by January 6, 2016, 5,000 by April and 10,000 by September. We’re also seeking City of El Paso and El Paso County resolutions. We are setting up a Castner Range National Monument webpage, twitter, and Facebook site. Until the sites are up and running you can learn more about Castner Range by watching a 10-minute summary: http://fronteralandalliance.org/castner/.

As all of you know, Castner Range occupies 11 square miles on the eastern slopes of El Paso’s Franklin Mountains, just east of the state park. The Range is in nearly pristine condition thanks to the stewardship of the US Army that owns the land, and the unexploded ordnance that possibly lies thereon. But commercial development of Castner has been a constant threat for decades and is still a threat today. 

Anyway, please send us your letter of support to designate Castner Range as a National Monument. Mail or email the letter to Janaé Reneaud Field, Frontera Land Alliance, 3800 N. Mesa St., Suite A2-258. El Paso, TX 79902. E-mail: Janae@Fronteralandalliance.org

If you’d like to help in these efforts or if you want additional information, please call Janaé at 915-351-8352 or send her an e-mail.

One way to sign the letter is to visit Santa at the El Paso Zoo December 12-13. Go see Santa, the Meerkats, the other animals, and stop by the Frontera booth to sign the letter.

Below is the letter. Click on the title above it, then download and print. Please sign, print name, address, etc. underneath your signature. Send to Janae' at the address above and NOT the President.

Letter to President Obama to Preserve Castner Range as National Monument

Former Congressman Silvestre Reyes laid a foundation for the Castner preservation. He arranged for "a $300,000 grant to the Castner Conservation Conveyance Committee, which from early 2010 through September 2015 did a ton of background work (including two book-length publications and a ten-minute video) and truly prepared the way for O’Rourke’s current effort," according to CCCC member, Dr. Richard Teschner.

O'Rourke made the announcement that he would lead the preservation effort this past Saturday, November 21st, at a town hall meeting at Fire Station #5 in South Central El Paso.

Elect Jim Tolbert

Click on image to enlarge.

Click on image to enlarge.

Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress Beto O’Rourke has written Zia Engineering of Las Cruces expressing his support for a continuation of the Fort Bliss RAB (Restoration Advisory Board) and his opposition to its adjournment. The Ft. Bliss RAB is key to keeping the drive to conserve Castner Range on track.

Here is an image of O'Rourke's letter to Zia:

Click on image to enlarge.

Previously elpasonaturally posted a letter by Richard Teschner to Zia urging the same thing. Teschner is the V-President of Frontera Land Management and  has been personally involved with efforts to conserve Castner as a member of the Castner Conservation Conveyance Committee and RAB delegate.  In an email to others in the environmental/conservation community, he writes: "If you yourselves have not yet written Zia Engineering & Environmental Consultants (755 S. Telshor Blvd., Suite F-201, Las Cruces, NM 88011), please do so right away. The public-input period comes to an end by the Fourth of July. Let’s all support (and thank) Beto for his willingness to stand up for the RAB!"

Learn Your Water Footprint

By now we should all be getting the message: Conserve water. There’s a water shortage.

The hand writing is on the wall: aquifer pumping has become a concern in neighboring Doña Ana County. Since the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) has chosen to deliver more water sooner to Mexico, thus depriving Texas farmers, Texas State Agricultural Commissioner, Todd Staples, fired off a strong letter to the IBWC. You can see for yourself that the Rio Grande is dry. More water may not be released until June. EPWU CEO Ed Archuleta encouraged all of us in an El Paso Times op-ed piece to conserve more and to participate in the utility’s Less Is the New More program. For now, watering our yards twice a week is a suggestion. One wonders when it might have to become mandatory.

EPWU’s Less Is the New More program is a good one for all of us to get involved with. Do check out our water utility’s conservation page; and, as you do more spring planting, see their plant page.  Like and follow EPWU’s Facebook page.

Water conservation programs that encourage or require our watering our gardens less or using water-efficient shower heads are great short-term solutions to periodic drought. Even the Texas Department of Agriculture has a poll on its home page that suggests that conserving water is just a matter of using better appliances, fixing leaky faucets and taking shorter baths. What we have to realize is that water is embedded in everything that we use – the food we eat, the clothes that we wear, the gasoline that we put in our cars. We need to know our water footprint.  National Geographic has a water footprint calculator that educates as well as demonstrates how much water we use. Also visit the Water Footprint Network and try out their calculator.

Get to know Sandra Postel. Watch one of her videos on elpasonaturally and see more at YouTube. She knows about the concept of a water footprint.

One issue Postel raises is our need to irrigate our crop lands more efficiently. An elpasonaturally reader recently told me that Middle Eastern students visiting UTEP are always aghast at how we irrigate our fields and even the water-hungry crops that we grow. Note that only a handful of people can vote in the elections of board members of the El Paso Water Improvement District. Yet, your voice for water conservation and irrigation reform should be heard.

Read between the lines of Archuleta’s El Paso Times op-ed piece. If 50% of our water comes from our river, and if Caballo/Elephant Butte is down to 18%, then what happens to the draw rate on the Hueco Bolson and who’s water will we need? How much water farms require to grow water-hungry crops needs to be questioned especially now that the Rodriquez/Quintanilla bill cut 75,000 people out of public decisions on an essential public good – water. Your non-public Public Service Board and officers of EPWU endorsed that bill. Whose behind it? Big donors to Silvestre Reyes who control the EPWID whose general manager is Silvestre’s brother, “Chuy”.

I guess that there is no mistaking that I support Beto O’Rourke for Congress and am delighted by the EP Times endorsement. The recent pandering to local conservationists by Rep. Reyes on the issue of Castner Range was a big yawn. Beto gave a solid response.

I recently wrote an email to Jim Carrillo of Halff Associates, Inc. regarding the updating of the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Master Plan. I posted that email on the blog and hope you will read it. I argue that, more than just recreation, Parks can help us to become more connected with nature.

Finally, elpasonaturally is saying more about bicycling. There are more activities in El Paso for Bike Month. Check them out.

O'Rourke Responds to Reyes Castner Chicanery

From Beto O'Rourke, candidate for Congress:

Dear Open Space Advocates:

I want to thank you for all of your work to preserve Castner Range. While I'm excited to see some movement on this issue at the federal level, it is clearly not enough. Instead of a suggestion to preserve Castner Range, we need a clear congressional directive to preserve Castner Range. We also need the funding to clean up the unexploded ordinance so that El Pasoans can enjoy hiking and biking this wonderful community asset.

I have worked with many of you to make conservation a priority in El Paso. We have developed Open Space plans, preserved major open space assets and put in place dedicated funding to preserve those natural spaces that matter to El Pasoans, like the Palisades. It is because of these community efforts that generations to come will be able to enjoy these rare special places. We need the same outcome for Castner Range.

Thanks again for your efforts and for your consideration. 

Sincerely,

Beto O'Rourke

Glad Beto Is Running

Most of you probably followed the excellent series in the El Paso Times about public corruption. You don’t even have to read between the lines to see the hand of current U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes in the midst of it. It’s good that Beto O’Rourke is running for that seat. Beto recently said how his support for conservation and environmental protection in our City and region is personal to him in an elpasonaturally blog post, Caring for the Environment and Conservation is Personal with Beto O'Rourke. Be sure to check out the Beto for Congress media page.

Silvestre’s brother is, of course, Chuy Reyes, the General Manager of the El Paso County Water Improvement District #1 that elpasonaturally has begun saying more about. The Reyes boys were behind a recent successful effort to pass a bill which disenfranchised 75,000 El Paso voters in the WID and placed the control of El Paso water into the hands of a few powerful farmers. Note the recent big donors to Silvestre Reyes: Skov and Stubbs.  Now see who is on the Board of Directors of the Water Improvement District: Skov and Stubbs. 

I recently was able to see a voting certificate of a member of the WID. This person registered late and yet has a low certificate number which probably means that no more than a thousand or less persons can now vote in the Water Improvement District as the result of Sen. Jose Rodriguez’s infamous bill. The voting card is valid for only one year and, after that, the voter will need to furnish ID and proof of ownership (water) in order to vote again. There are only two places for early voting. In short, the WID with the help of Sen. Jose Rodriguez and others has made it very difficult for the remaining voters to vote. I have emailed Mr. Jesus “Chuy” Reyes an open records request under the laws of the State of Texas asking for the current voting registration rolls. He has acknowledged receipt of my email.

Stay tuned to elpasonaturally for more on the large farmers who run EPWID and why your Public Service Board needs to be far more accountable to all of you – citizens of El Paso – the Public.

Still no word about the Sierra Club petition for an injunction to stop construction on the TxDOT Transmountain project. I say this with a bit of trepidation because, just as I say this, something might happen. I re-published the El Paso’s Sierra Club Chairman’s request for donations for the legal battle. What may have held up U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel from making a decision on this injunction is a ruling that he just made on a Planned Parenthood request for a preliminary injunction to allow it to continue serving women under a State of Texas program for low-income women.  Now that that decision has been made, perhaps action on the Sierra petition will come more quickly.

Also, no news to report about the NW Master Plan, methods to preserve the arroyos and a “conservation easement” to preserve the natural open space in perpetuity. Carlos Gallinar of City of El Paso Planning has been upfront always when reporting to the Open Space Advisory Board and when answering questions from the public. He has been very interested in Low Impact Development (LID) solutions for preserving arroyos. His interest and the Planning Department’s research about LIDs is just another good side benefit of the petition that seeks to preserve land in the Scenic Corridor of Transmountain.

In case you didn’t know, the City’s Environmental Services has a free mulch program. Mulch is a great way to conserve water by preserving soil moisture in your garden and with your landscape plants, shrubs and trees. Mulch is a great ground cover and will help control weeds. Also, over time as it breaks down, mulch will add nutrients back into the soil. Each of the Citizen Collection stations has mulch that you may pick-up. (Bring a shovel.) Environmental Services Director, Ellen Smyth, says that the mulch is free and that you do not need to show a water bill to get it. Environmental Services also has a great Mulching and Composting guide online. Be sure to read it.

Speaking about water conservation, there is still time to get a free water-efficient showerhead from EPWU. Details here. You must fill out the coupon sent with your water bill or download one from online.  Do visit, bookmark and surf EPWU’s Less is the New More water conservation tips page. There is great information here and a number of ways to save money.

I wish that I could visit the PSB/EPWU website and not find anything too egregious. Unfortunately, the current first entry on the home page describes land in the NW Master Plan/Scenic Transmountain Corridor as “PSB-owned land”. No sugar coating – it’s a lie and one they just can’t stop telling. It’s City of El Paso owned land – your land as a City – not the PSB’s but only managed by the PSB. Some of us hope that the day will come when managing City of El Paso land will be the prerogative of Planning and Development. Some of us hope that the day will come when we citizens stop subsidizing developers and sprawl by turning $500/acre desert land without water into $10,000/acre land with plumbed water and sewer.

Finally, congratulations to Judy Ackerman, this year’s recipient of the Frontera Land Alliance “Rock Award”.

Caring for the Environment and Conservation is Personal with Beto O'Rourke

Beto O'Rourke with friend, David Guinn, on a hike 

at Smuggler's Gap in the Franklins

(Click on each image to enlarge.)

Democratic U.S. Congressional candidate, Beto O'Rourke, has always been one of the great heroes to El Paso's conservation and environmental community. As he says below, "I understand at a personal level that these issues are deeply connected to quality of life for me, my family and this community."

Here is Beto O'Rourke on his love and work for conservation in the El Paso region:

"As a life-long El Pasoan I've spent countless hours hiking and walking in the Franklin Mountain State Park as well as in the arroyos, levees and open desert areas around town. I'm an avid back-packer and regularly take trips into the Gila and the Lincoln National Forest. Conservation and environment protection are not abstractions and working on these issues is not political gesture; I understand at a personal level that these issues are deeply connected to quality of life for me, my family and this community.

Beto and Amy with children 

at Celebration of Our Mountains Scenic Sunday event

Before I was elected to Council I joined neighborhood and community efforts to stop the re-permitting of ASARCO, and once I was on Council I did everything in my power to ensure that the smelter did not re-open. 

On Council I was the beneficiary of time spent with people like Charlie Wakeem and Rick Bonart who made sure I understood the importance of preserving arroyos, of favoring natural irrigation channels vs. concrete, and of preserving the greatest natural assets this community has. 

Conservation and environment protection are not abstractions and working on these issues is not political gesture; I understand at a personal level that these issues are deeply connected to quality of life for me, my family and this community.

I worked with them and others to preserve arroyos, protect important natural open space and push the envelope in the planning and development process to stop sprawl development. I also did my best to make sure that the Open Space Advisory Board kept its power to influence the direction that development took in El Paso in a positive way.

When the Chamber of Commerce and REDCO floated an idea to develop Castner Range, I helped ensure that the Council came out strongly against the proposal and strongly for preserving Castner in its entirety. 

I worked with Steve Ortega to write into ordinance that a percentage of all revenues from Stormwater fees were dedicated to open space preservation. This helped lead to the purchase of the Palisades trail system in the Crazy Cat area of the Franklins. 

I did my best to work with John Sproul and others who were trying to get additional water resources for Rio Bosque, even though it was not in my Council district. 

My dedication to open space preservation, to encouraging sustainable development, to protecting and promoting our natural assets will continue if I am elected to represent El Paso in the U.S. Congress." 

Backpacking to Hillsboro Peak in the Gila Wilderness

 Visit BetoforCongress.com. 

My dedication to open space preservation, to encouraging sustainable development, to protecting and promoting our natural assets will continue if I am elected to represent El Paso in the U.S. Congress." - Beto O'Rourke

Reyes Chief of Staff Loses Control

Last Thursday candidate for U.S. Representative, Beto O’Rourke, was Susie Byrd’s guest at her monthly breakfast. It’s sad to report that he was targeted by a very rude member of Silvestre Reyes’ taxpayer-paid staff. Artist and nearby resident, Ho Baron reports:

“There were maybe 20 people at the forum, two of them evidently from Reyes’ office. Beto spoke about 20 minutes, then opened the discussion for questions. He had discussed the poor veterans facilities in the city, and one guy stood up ranting about Beto being a liar regarding the veterans. He wouldn’t shut up until another guy yelled: ‘We didn’t come here to hear you.’ The guy ranted on until the moderator, Susie’s assistant, interfered, and he finally shut his mouth. The guy was really rude.”

Rep. Byrd was out of town but her assistant, Judy Gutierrez, was there on her behalf. Judy identified the rude man as Sal Payan, Rep. Reyes’ Chief-of-Staff, a taxpayer-paid position and not a campaign person. Mr. Payan apparently lost control, was yelling so loudly that kitchen staff came out to see what was happening, and called Mr. O’Rourke a “liar”. More than one person asked Mr. Payan to settle down. Ms. Gutierrez with assistance from outraged members of the audience finally got this tax-payer paid public official to quit his ranting. Judy reminded everyone that courtesy is to be given speakers, Mr. Reyes will be Rep. Byrd’s guest early next year, and that the community breakfasts are not a forum for debate and certainly not an excuse for incivility.

More later.

Another Open Space Plan Moves Closer to Implementation

Click to enlarge

Another recommendation of the City Council approved Open Space plan is now closer to being implemented. Clearly stated in Chapter 6 (An Implementation Plan) is this: "The rezoning of all the currently undeveloped lands that do not have approved master plans or land studies to the Rural Farm (RF) zoning category should occur immediately." The Open Space Plan was adopted in 2007. It is now 2010. About time.

At the December 28, 2009 meeting of the Open Space Advisory Board, motions were made and passed unanimously to recommend the "down-zoning" to the Legislative Review Committee for Planning and Development as well as to the City Council.

The LRC met yesterday and heard presentations. Of course, staffer Pat Adauto, argued against the down-zoning. (Tell me again why there are staff members who oppose the vision and approved plans of City Council even working for the City.) The PSB also opposed down-zoning.

Representative O'Rourke moved and Representative Byrd seconded a motion to recommend down-zoning to the full City Council. The vote was 3 to 1 in favor and that 3 to 1 was something of a surprise: Representative Quintana's was the third affirmative vote whereas Representative Lilly's was the "no" vote.

The proposal now goes to City Council. It does not appear to be on the agenda for the upcoming February 2 meeting of Council.

Open Space Board Chairman, Charlie Wakeem, sent this message to board members following yesterday's LRC meeting:

"I went to the Planning LRC today for the item on down-zoning PSB land to R-F (Ranch-Farm) that the Board voted unanimously to recommend. This was the Chapter 6, A-1 recommendation in the Open Space Plan. In spite of opposition by staff and the water utilities, the Planning LRC voted 3-1 to recommend the downzoning with conditions to the full City Council. It may be on the Council agenda as soon as next Tuesday. I'll keep you posted."

Jobe's Proposal for Arroyo 41 A

I will follow up with more later. For now, here is this communication by email from Charlie Wakeem, Chairman of the Open Space Advisory Board regarding a meeting this afternoon with Mr. Stanley Jobe. Mr. Jobe made his proposal regarding Arroyo 41A which must be agreed to by the General Land Office of the State of Texas and the Public Service Board. It was sent to the Board members with a copy to Parks and Recreation persons: Shamori Whitt, Nanette Smejkal and Rick Garcia; Gonzallo Cedillos of the El Paso Water Utilities who sits ex-officio on the OSAB; City Council Representatives Representatives Ann Lilly, Susie Byrd and Beto O'Rourke; Matt McElroy of the City of El Paso; Ed Archuleta, CEO of PSB; and Stanley Jobe:

Dear OSAB members,

Reps. Ann Morgan-Lilly, Susie Byrd, and Beto O'Rourke met with Stanley Jobe, Ed Archuleta, Mathew McElroy, OSAB co-chair Richard Thomas and me Wednesday afternoon to discuss Mr. Jobe's offer to vacate a portion of FEMA Arroyo 41A on his leased premises with the GLO. He is willing to vacate the 41A flowpath on that property up to the rim directly above it as recommended by the Open Space Advisory Board, and as I understood it, would include a buffer. He stated that the quarry operations will not affect the Mountain to River corridor in any way.

First, the GLO must agree to dedicate the land as an easement to the PSB and the PSB must be willing to accept it. Mr. Jobe will then survey the property. When the stakes are laid out, there will be an on site inspection by the PSB and others with interest in the property to deem it worthy of accepting.

I am very optimistic that an agreement will be reached for the good of the community and all concerned, and that Mr. Jobe should be commended for doing this. I also thank Rep. Ann Morgan-Lilly for working with Mr. Jobe during the past few weeks to help facilitate it.

Charlie Wakeem

Chairman

Open Space Advisory Board

City Council Members See First Hand What Open Space Board Contends With

I am so elated by today's Planning LRC (Legislative Review Committee) of the El Paso City Council. This committee is chaired by Representative Ann Lilly. Also present were Representatives Susie Byrd and Beto O'Rourke.

It was apparent from the beginning that the Council members want the Open Space Advisory Board to be more pro-active and less reactive and that they see a need for the Board to become more empowered to carry out its mission of reviewing information and making recommendations to the Mayor and City Council regarding preserving, protecting and acquiring open space for the benefit of all El Pasoans. Mr. O'Rourke clearly voiced that Council wants the Board to be able to have "power and purview" to get to where the City needs to go and to be able to implement the Master Plan and stay on an ambitious schedule.

Representative Susie Byrd made it clear that the intention of Council when giving OSAB the duties of the sunsetted Mountain Committee was the inclusion of the broader responsibilities of the Mountain Committee. The language used by legal when writing the ordinance actually passed by Council had not reflected the intention of Council.

When some staff members tried to minimize the value of the Mountain Committee duties, developer Richard Thomas spoke of his experiences developing an area - an area that withstood the flooding of 2006 because of the MC advice as opposed to the problems experienced at other developments. Mr. Thomas is also a member of the OSAB.

Most of all, Council members got a first hand experience of the kind of contentiousness by staff that members of the OSAB have experienced from the very beginning. I'm not going to go into all of the gory details now - but various staff members kept objecting to the legitimate concerns of the OSAB. I myself pointed out how an action item requested by the Chairman for the next meeting was arbitrarily taken off of the agenda by Parks and Recreation Liaison, Shamori Whitt and that time was of the essence to put it back on the agenda in order to meet with public notification laws. With a copy of the most current agenda in hand, Chairman Rick Bonart and I were able to correct the record when Parks and Rec Director told the Council members that the agenda had been taken care of when it had not.

My example was the least of the problems. Again, Rick Bonart and Charlie Wakeem gave a presentation that included the solutions that will empower the OSAB to fulfill its duties to Council. The LRC directed the City Manager's office to re-do the enabling ordinance for the OSAB to include all of the suggestions made by Dr. Bonart and Mr. Wakeem.

I will post more later. For now, I'm so happy and excited. Let's chug some Fosters and celebrate that today the good guys won. Here's another rousing Waltzing Matilda:

Scenic Sundays Move to 7 AM

Representative Beto O'Rourke strolling with family at the recent Scenic Sunday "Walk through Time" event

Beginning this Sunday, October 4, Scenic Sundays will run from 7 a.m. until Noon. The new time will be in effect until next spring.

Scenic Sunday is a year-round program sponsored by District 2 of the City of El Paso and the Newman Park Neighborhood Association. Scenic Drive is closed to all vehicular traffic from Richmond to Rim/Robinson during the posted hours. El Paso Police Department officers are on hand to block the road to vehicles and provide security for all participants.

District 2 Representative Susie Byrd says: "Now that the weather is cooler, it's a a great opportunity to get outside, get some exercise and enjoy the views of El Paso."

Most Sunday mornings Byrd is found walking along Scenic Drive.