Today's video was suggested by a blog post from Pachamama Alliance (and on Facebook). In it they discuss the Lakota Sioux concept of “Mitakuye Oyasin" or interconnectivity of all that is. It is definitely worth a read and you can see it HERE.
The video is from the YouTube channel, Tragedy and Hope, which follows the writings of Alan Watts, one of my favorite philosopher-theologians. This video is entitled "It all goes together":
Friday, January 31, 2014
Support the 2014 Poppies Fest - Here's How
A view of the Mexican gold poppies on the grounds of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, courtesy of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology
The Poppies Fest Committee in Collaboration with the
El Paso Museum of Archaeology and MCAD Announces
2014 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest
on Castner Range March 29, 2014
The eighth annual 2014 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest on Castner Range will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology at 4301 Transmountain Road.
The Poppies Fest Committee welcomes everyone to this free family fun day which features a program of nature walks, educational exhibits and demonstrations by local environmental organizations and wildlife displays include a live socialized wolf from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and Houdini the Harris Hawk from the El Paso Zoo. A children’s activity center will offer a variety of arts and crafts led by local community members including Girl Scouts. Local performing groups will provide music and dance. Local vendors will be offering original and hand-made merchandise for sale. Lunch and snacks can be purchased from food vendors on-site. Additional details will be announced in future press releases.
Free parking will be off-site with handicapped accessible shuttle bus service provided from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, funded by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department. The location of off-site parking will be announced soon.
The Poppies Fest Committee is seeking donations to support the event and volunteers, to assist please contact Lisa Gutierrez at 915-269-1239 or lisamarie177@juno.com.
The Poppies Fest celebrates the marvelous open space in Northeast El Paso where the 15 acre grounds of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology are surrounded by the 7,000+ acre Castner Range, a former artillery range known for its unique cultural, geologic and biologic features. If the rain and weather cooperate, it is most known for its beautiful and vast display of Mexican Gold Poppies in the spring.
The Poppies Fest is an opportunity to enjoy our beautiful outdoors while learning about what our mountains and desert have to offer. For example, the museum's Chihuahuan Desert Gardens boast examples of more than 200 native plants and Franklin Mountains State Park offers trails for hiking and bicycling, camping, day use, environmental education programs and festivals such as the Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta.
Information: Marilyn Guida, 915-755-4332, guidamr@elpasotexas.go
Our Mission:
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology is dedicated to the interpretation of archaeological and anthropological artifacts through research, exhibits, and education. We focus on the prehistory and culture of the El Paso-Juárez region and the Southwest.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Download the Environmental App Please Mayor Leeser
Mayor Leeser is a great guy but he has got to begin valuing environmentalism more.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Open Letter to Mayor Leeser on City Manager Search
Read HERE today's El Paso Time's story about those meeting with Affion Public as part of the search for a new city manager. What's missing in those meetings is the green community of El Paso. Here is a letter that I wrote Mayor Leeser and hand delivered to his office today:
January 28, 2014
The Honorable Oscar Leeser
Mayor of the City of El Paso
300 N. Campbell
El Paso, TX 79901
Dear Mayor Leeser,
After reading the El Paso Time’s front page story this morning about the search for our next City Manager, it became clear to me that a very important part of El Paso stakeholders are not part of the search process. My hope is that you can help correct this oversight. There are no representatives from El Paso’s open space/conservation/environmental community.
It is essential that a City Manager possesses good business and financial sense, education and experience and has strong, well-honed administrative and managerial skills. So it is a good thing that Affion Public is visiting with our Chambers of Commerce and that the successful business community is well-represented by the Council members’ appointees to the advisory committee. On the other hand, a City Manager also helps to shape the culture throughout city government and participates in the formation and implementation of a City’s vision based on [all of] our City’s values.
El Pasoans do care about issues related to the environment, sustainability, open space and natural areas. El Pasoans have a deep sense of family and generations and want to see precious resources such as water and open space conserved for their great-grandchildren and beyond.
We reflect these values in many ways. You yourself will be an introductory speaker at the Eco-El Paso Symposium next week. The El Paso Convention and Visitor’s Bureau regularly promotes outdoor recreation in our natural open spaces. Through the Office of Economic Adjustment our City received a grant to develop a forward-thinking Master Plan, Plan El Paso. Senator Rodriguez has a citizen’s advisory committee on sustainable energy and another on the environment. The Master Gardeners have a new community garden at Ascarate and the Columban Fathers have a community garden on Magoffin. El Paso has important and involved organizations such as the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, the West Texas Urban Forestry Council and the Borderland Mountain Bike Association to name just three. Celebration of Our Mountains had a very successful 19th annual schedule of fall events in 2013.
Please consider inviting one or two members of El Paso’s conservation community to meet with Affion on Thursday. May I suggest that you invite persons who are not only successful business people but who also highly value our outdoors? Charlie Wakeem has the most city expertise. Don Baumgardt does the official El Paso visitor’s guide. Robert Ardovino is someone with great business and “green” sense. There are others.
Thank you for considering this proposal. Thank you for your great leadership in bringing El Paso together.
Sincerely,
Jim Tolbert
January 28, 2014
The Honorable Oscar Leeser
Mayor of the City of El Paso
300 N. Campbell
El Paso, TX 79901
Dear Mayor Leeser,
After reading the El Paso Time’s front page story this morning about the search for our next City Manager, it became clear to me that a very important part of El Paso stakeholders are not part of the search process. My hope is that you can help correct this oversight. There are no representatives from El Paso’s open space/conservation/environmental community.
It is essential that a City Manager possesses good business and financial sense, education and experience and has strong, well-honed administrative and managerial skills. So it is a good thing that Affion Public is visiting with our Chambers of Commerce and that the successful business community is well-represented by the Council members’ appointees to the advisory committee. On the other hand, a City Manager also helps to shape the culture throughout city government and participates in the formation and implementation of a City’s vision based on [all of] our City’s values.
El Pasoans do care about issues related to the environment, sustainability, open space and natural areas. El Pasoans have a deep sense of family and generations and want to see precious resources such as water and open space conserved for their great-grandchildren and beyond.
We reflect these values in many ways. You yourself will be an introductory speaker at the Eco-El Paso Symposium next week. The El Paso Convention and Visitor’s Bureau regularly promotes outdoor recreation in our natural open spaces. Through the Office of Economic Adjustment our City received a grant to develop a forward-thinking Master Plan, Plan El Paso. Senator Rodriguez has a citizen’s advisory committee on sustainable energy and another on the environment. The Master Gardeners have a new community garden at Ascarate and the Columban Fathers have a community garden on Magoffin. El Paso has important and involved organizations such as the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, the West Texas Urban Forestry Council and the Borderland Mountain Bike Association to name just three. Celebration of Our Mountains had a very successful 19th annual schedule of fall events in 2013.
Please consider inviting one or two members of El Paso’s conservation community to meet with Affion on Thursday. May I suggest that you invite persons who are not only successful business people but who also highly value our outdoors? Charlie Wakeem has the most city expertise. Don Baumgardt does the official El Paso visitor’s guide. Robert Ardovino is someone with great business and “green” sense. There are others.
Thank you for considering this proposal. Thank you for your great leadership in bringing El Paso together.
Sincerely,
Jim Tolbert
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Lingering Doubts about EPWU and Rio Bosque Are Much Ado about Nothing
Just in the past week I have written two posts about the great news coming out of the El Paso Water Utilities regarding the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park. You can read those posts HERE and HERE. A new authorization for reclaimed water is found in the first of those two links or you can go HERE.
In spite of the good news and the new authorization, some in the environmental community have continued to have doubts and suspicions. What everyone needs to know is that the new authorization supersedes "all of the above".
Better than my explaining, here is how EPWU CEO John Balliew answered the questions in separate email messages that I have combined together. I have also clarified when necessary by using []:
"Many have seen the proposed TCEQ language [in the current and previous authorizations] and are questioning whether or not it gives EPWU authorization to discharge effluent to the Rio Bosque. As a point of clarification, 'effluent' becomes 'reclaimed water' when it is beneficially used. So, any time you take effluent and put it to a beneficial use rather than to a disposal situation, it becomes reclaimed water. So, the use dictates the distinction[my emphasis]. When we take effluent and put it onto Rio Bosque it becomes reclaimed water.
"Once you are talking reclaimed water, which we are, then you next talk about quality. Reclaimed water can be Type I or Type II depending on quality measurements. Type I is the higher quality designation. There are three measures: Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Turbidity and Fecal Coliforms. Type II has only two measures: Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Fecal Coliforms. There are numerical standards for these parameters. We feel the effluent from the Bustamante plan would meet Type I requirements most of the time. However, we only need Type II for this purpose.
"A question has arisen about the term 'rapid infiltration' [my emphasis] and that is something different from what we have talked about in terms of Rio Bosque and effluent. We did not request authorization to do rapid infiltration because that has some specific connotations and it is likely approval of that use designation would require soil modification to the Bosque and further treatment at the Bustamante plant. I do not think any of us had in mind that kind of drastic changes to the Bosque nor were we thinking costly treatment. Based on the quantities of surface water applied to the Bosque by the District, we know that application of reclaimed water to the Bosque is going to result in recharge.
"The term 'Rapid Infiltration Basins' in TCEQ lingo is something very specific and refers to a method of effluent disposal. Rapid infiltration basins are typically artificial creations. We have several in the NE part of town. Our primary purpose with the Bosque is to supply water to the wetlands. Secondarily, we recognize that some water will infiltrate. We know from the water that EPCWID#1 has provided in the past that the amount of that recharge is significant. But, we are not going to alter the Bosque to accomplish more recharge than would naturally occur. So, we did not apply for a rapid infiltration permit because that is not our intent."
The new authorization again supersedes previous documents. It is a blanket authorization which includes the Bosque or any other wetland for that matter. As the semantics shift with the new authorization, a permit for a third, fourth, fifth . . . tenth turnout is not needed. It is authorized. Period. No further authorizations, MOA's, whatever are required.
As I reported in my last post on this issue, Balliew stated and he stated again to me today in a telephone conversation: the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park will have 3 sources of water including the turnout which is ipso facto authorized.
Here's what I wrote which was almost verbatim from Balliew:
"Bottom line: the Rio Bosque will have 3 sources not just 2 for water: directly from the Bustamante, from the turnout at the Riverside Canal as it currently gets from the WID#1, and now water from the ponds owed to EPWU by the WID#1."
All of the above is not just good news but great news. If some find it necessary to continue to look for cabals and hidden agendas, I am powerless over them and their distrust. The sky is blue. There is no attempt to make it just seem so. It does not help our cause for the environment and conservation to see things in every instance as dirty dealing - to see things broken and demand that those things be fixed by the very system one can't trust. (Never mind taking personal responsibility with lifestyle choices.) I'll agree that institutions have inertia and much too often people seek and hold power to control policy for special interests and reap personal benefit. But keep this in mind: CEO Balliew is the same guy who instituted a policy to save wildlife habitat and has already put it in action at the Charl Ann Pond, a natural bird preserve. When habitat was being destroyed this past summer in the Upper Valley, Balliew responded by bringing together wildlife experts and ecologists with an EPWU attorney and an environmentalist along with crew members. They crafted good wildlife and conservation policy. I do not recall many in the environmental community speaking out. In fact, I remember lots of Chamberlain whispers and inaction. The proof is in the pudding. Balliew is making lots of pudding.
In spite of the good news and the new authorization, some in the environmental community have continued to have doubts and suspicions. What everyone needs to know is that the new authorization supersedes "all of the above".
Better than my explaining, here is how EPWU CEO John Balliew answered the questions in separate email messages that I have combined together. I have also clarified when necessary by using []:
"Many have seen the proposed TCEQ language [in the current and previous authorizations] and are questioning whether or not it gives EPWU authorization to discharge effluent to the Rio Bosque. As a point of clarification, 'effluent' becomes 'reclaimed water' when it is beneficially used. So, any time you take effluent and put it to a beneficial use rather than to a disposal situation, it becomes reclaimed water. So, the use dictates the distinction[my emphasis]. When we take effluent and put it onto Rio Bosque it becomes reclaimed water.
"Once you are talking reclaimed water, which we are, then you next talk about quality. Reclaimed water can be Type I or Type II depending on quality measurements. Type I is the higher quality designation. There are three measures: Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Turbidity and Fecal Coliforms. Type II has only two measures: Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Fecal Coliforms. There are numerical standards for these parameters. We feel the effluent from the Bustamante plan would meet Type I requirements most of the time. However, we only need Type II for this purpose.
"A question has arisen about the term 'rapid infiltration' [my emphasis] and that is something different from what we have talked about in terms of Rio Bosque and effluent. We did not request authorization to do rapid infiltration because that has some specific connotations and it is likely approval of that use designation would require soil modification to the Bosque and further treatment at the Bustamante plant. I do not think any of us had in mind that kind of drastic changes to the Bosque nor were we thinking costly treatment. Based on the quantities of surface water applied to the Bosque by the District, we know that application of reclaimed water to the Bosque is going to result in recharge.
"The term 'Rapid Infiltration Basins' in TCEQ lingo is something very specific and refers to a method of effluent disposal. Rapid infiltration basins are typically artificial creations. We have several in the NE part of town. Our primary purpose with the Bosque is to supply water to the wetlands. Secondarily, we recognize that some water will infiltrate. We know from the water that EPCWID#1 has provided in the past that the amount of that recharge is significant. But, we are not going to alter the Bosque to accomplish more recharge than would naturally occur. So, we did not apply for a rapid infiltration permit because that is not our intent."
The new authorization again supersedes previous documents. It is a blanket authorization which includes the Bosque or any other wetland for that matter. As the semantics shift with the new authorization, a permit for a third, fourth, fifth . . . tenth turnout is not needed. It is authorized. Period. No further authorizations, MOA's, whatever are required.
As I reported in my last post on this issue, Balliew stated and he stated again to me today in a telephone conversation: the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park will have 3 sources of water including the turnout which is ipso facto authorized.
Here's what I wrote which was almost verbatim from Balliew:
"Bottom line: the Rio Bosque will have 3 sources not just 2 for water: directly from the Bustamante, from the turnout at the Riverside Canal as it currently gets from the WID#1, and now water from the ponds owed to EPWU by the WID#1."
All of the above is not just good news but great news. If some find it necessary to continue to look for cabals and hidden agendas, I am powerless over them and their distrust. The sky is blue. There is no attempt to make it just seem so. It does not help our cause for the environment and conservation to see things in every instance as dirty dealing - to see things broken and demand that those things be fixed by the very system one can't trust. (Never mind taking personal responsibility with lifestyle choices.) I'll agree that institutions have inertia and much too often people seek and hold power to control policy for special interests and reap personal benefit. But keep this in mind: CEO Balliew is the same guy who instituted a policy to save wildlife habitat and has already put it in action at the Charl Ann Pond, a natural bird preserve. When habitat was being destroyed this past summer in the Upper Valley, Balliew responded by bringing together wildlife experts and ecologists with an EPWU attorney and an environmentalist along with crew members. They crafted good wildlife and conservation policy. I do not recall many in the environmental community speaking out. In fact, I remember lots of Chamberlain whispers and inaction. The proof is in the pudding. Balliew is making lots of pudding.
CRRMA Unanimously Ends Relationship with Predatory Lenders
By a unanimous vote at it meeting this morning, the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority directed Executive Director, Raymond L. Telles "to issue written notice to the CRRMA's back-office service providers [North Texas Tollway Authority and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority] to end their acceptance of cash payments at local retail locations for the César Chávez Express Toll Lanes." The local retail locations in question is the payday lender, ACE Cash America.
The same motion also asked the Director to "continue working with the City of El Paso's One-Stop Shop for acceptance of cash payments for the same toll lanes.
Bottom line: the CRRMA unanimously did the moral thing - they ended their relationship (although indirect through other tollway authorities) with a company in an industry that too often victimizes the most financially vulnerable in society. The need for the cash option, as Director Telles explained, is that El Paso has a large population of people who use cash only. Also, the cash option is the least expensive means to purchase a toll tag.
According to CRRMA Chair, Scott McLaughlin, the CRRMA will work toward using other local retailers. Besides taking cash payments, authorized dealers will need to be able to set-up customer accounts with the NTTA.
Mr. Telles' presentation to the Board can be seen HERE.
If you emailed a Board member, please thank them for listening and responding to El Pasoans regarding this moral issue. Contact info is HERE.
Finally, consider that, except for one vote, the CRRMA and City Council unanimously agreed to do something about payday lenders. The one lone vote came from a man who never says anything at City Council meetings but apparently will speak-up for predatory lenders: District 2 Representative Larry Romero.
The same motion also asked the Director to "continue working with the City of El Paso's One-Stop Shop for acceptance of cash payments for the same toll lanes.
Bottom line: the CRRMA unanimously did the moral thing - they ended their relationship (although indirect through other tollway authorities) with a company in an industry that too often victimizes the most financially vulnerable in society. The need for the cash option, as Director Telles explained, is that El Paso has a large population of people who use cash only. Also, the cash option is the least expensive means to purchase a toll tag.
According to CRRMA Chair, Scott McLaughlin, the CRRMA will work toward using other local retailers. Besides taking cash payments, authorized dealers will need to be able to set-up customer accounts with the NTTA.
Mr. Telles' presentation to the Board can be seen HERE.
If you emailed a Board member, please thank them for listening and responding to El Pasoans regarding this moral issue. Contact info is HERE.
Finally, consider that, except for one vote, the CRRMA and City Council unanimously agreed to do something about payday lenders. The one lone vote came from a man who never says anything at City Council meetings but apparently will speak-up for predatory lenders: District 2 Representative Larry Romero.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
