Today, citizens of El Paso will submit to the Municipal Clerk a petition.
The right of the people to petition their government is key to our democracy and enshrined in the Constitution of our country. There is also provision for it in our City Charter. We come today to ask that land along Transmountain Drive abutting the State Park and known as the Scenic Corridor be preserved and left in its natural state. We believe that we have gathered the necessary number of signatures of voters registered in the City of El Paso. Unlike our last attempt, we carefully checked each item on our petition pages against the voter registration records of the County of El Paso.
We also worked with Mr. Chacon of the County Elections office to resolve any discrepancies that we found. We believe that the Municipal Clerk’s office will concur that we have enough signatures. If it does, then you will have another opportunity to vote to preserve this land.
Our petition is not an issue of morality but of policy. We believe that it is in the best interest of the people of El Paso to preserve this land not just for its beauty but for the economic advantages to be gained from such conservation. We disagree with those who believe that there is any financial gain from selling the land. We are aware that many of you do not agree with us or, at this time, favor our proposed ordinance. We respect the difference of opinions. However, know that, if our ordinance fails to pass City Council, we shall immediately begin the petition drive to have that same ordinance placed before the voters of El Paso, Texas on the next available ballot which probably will be next spring rather than this November. We have communicated our intentions to the Federal Highway Administration, TxDOT and to you, our elected representatives.
We hope that we can work together. Our ordinance does not oppose the widening of Transmountain Road as some have deceptively claimed. We are all reasonable people and can work together just as long as no El Pasoan is ever bypassed.
Friday, August 12, 2011
My Comments to City Council
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
I am the Franklins
Today we (citizens from all walks of life, members of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, conservationists, environmentalists, many of what I call the "usual suspects" announced to the City Council that we were submitting a petition to preserve the area known as the Transmountain Scenic Corridor as Natural Open Space. I made the announcement and then several other persons spoke. Petitions were submitted to and received by the office of the Municipal Clerk. Mr. Brian Heller and his assistants were most helpful, courteous and professional.
I am the Franklin Mountains
by Raul F. Amaya
8/9/11I am the Franklin Mountains called by the conquistadors Las Sierras de los Mansos or Las Sierras de los Organos.
I am the outstanding geological feature in the town then city that I tower over & that grew up around me.
I was born about 50 to 70 million years ago from geologic & volcanic activity & have been growing & changing since then.
I am the Franklin Mountains.
I’ve seen many creatures come & go over my life span like dinosaurs as they migrated from Northern Mexico to Colorado, millions of years later Mammoths & giant sloths.
About 50,000 years ago I saw the formation of the Rio Grande below me, and eventually it cut a path, named by the Spaniards who came thousands of years later, El Paso del Norte, between me the Sierras de Juárez forming the Rio Grande Valley.
I am the Franklin Mountains.
Many kinds of plants & animals make their homes in me; plants like barrel cactus & Mexican poppies, & trees like cottonwood, hackberry, oak, and juniper; and animals like rodents, deer, mountain lions, foxes, lizards, snakes, hawks, & many other kinds of birds.
About 10,000 to 7,000 BC the Paleo-Indians arrived although it wasn’t until four thousand years ago that I saw the first humans, the Manso, Suma, and Jumano tribes make their homes at my foothills in Keystone Park & up and down the Rio Grand Valley.
I am the Franklin Mountains.
In 1581 I witnessed the 1st Europeans cross the pass the Rio Grande cut through me. In 1598 I witnessed the 1st Thanksgiving celebrated by Juan de Oñate who named the town & city beneath me.
I saw the establishment of Ft. Bliss in 1849. Then in 1881 I saw the arrival of the railroad which greatly accelerated the growth in the lands below me.
Starting in 1914 I saw the Texas State School of Mines & Metallurgy being built on my foothills.
I am the Franklin Mountains.
From my peaks people can see 2 countries, the United States of America, & 3 states, Texas, New Mexico & Chihuahua.
Yes in my long history I have seen many things including 6 flags flying over me & the lands around me, the flags of Spain, Mexico, France, the Republic of Texas, the United States of America & the Confederacy.
I am the Franklin Mountains.
Some people want to live within & on top of me. They want to economically develop me for commercial & residential properties, to make money. I don’t really care because I’ll be here long after they & all their building are long gone. But animals & plants would be destroyed to accommodate this development. And there are people called conservationists, environmentalists & greens who like me the way I am & do not want to see any further development on or immediately around me. They love the way I look & they want to keep me that way. They want to preserve & protect the habitat I provide the animals & plants that live around me. For their sake & that of the animals & plants that make their homes in & around me I hope you will support their efforts on my behalf & the animals & plants whose home I am & which I sustain.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Attend City Council Tomorrow at 9 a.m.
PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND City Council tomorrow morning (Tuesday, August 9) at 9 a.m. The results of the petition drive to save the Transmountain Scenic Corridor will be announced. Afterwards, the petitions will be filed with the Municipal Clerk’s office. Map to City Hall. Parking may be an issue. Take plenty of quarters – one will buy you 20 minutes at a City parking meter.
There are now more than enough verified signatures to request the City Council of El Paso to preserve the Transmountain Scenic Corridor. Of course, the Municipal Clerk’s office makes the final evaluation about each signature and whether there are enough. However, petition gatherers used current voter registration rolls to check signatures as they were gathered. Confidence is high.
Mr. Charlie Wakeem, the Chairman of the Open Space Advisory Board, created this excellent presentation about the Scenic Corridor:
Trans Mountain Scenic Corridor NOS 3-23-11
You can read the petition here
In a letter to Mr. Gregory Punske and Ms. Elizabeth Hilton of the Federal Highway Administration, Franklin Mountains Wilderness President Scott Cutler wrote:
“We are writing to assure you that if Council should deny our initial request, we fully intend to gather the second round of signatures. We are a motivated group of citizens who have dedicated ourselves to making sure that community values are reflected in the final alternative for a Transmountain Freeway. We believe that our petition represents these values and will ultimately be approved by the voters.”
Here is Mr. Cutler’s complete letter to the FHWA:
Fmwc Letter to Fhwa
As mentioned in the last elpasonaturally e-letter, the Federal Highway Administration has still not ruled on the TxDOT Environmental Assessment although word through the grapevine is that they will in the next couple of weeks or so.
If you are interested in having an information booth, being a vendor or a speaker or providing entertainment at the 7th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta on September 17th, see the list of contacts. Get more information about the Festival.
Also plan now to attend the El Paso Water Utilities/Public Service Board Strategic Planning meetings, September 8 and 9 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the TecH20 Center, 10751 Montana Avenue, El Paso, TX. (Map) EPWU/PSB is an agency of the City of El Paso. It belongs to you, the people of El Paso. It’s your water department. Your voice in strategic planning is important.
Finally, the Rio Bosque is DRY. Watering of trees, shrubs and grasses is a 5-days per week chore. If you can help, please call John Sproul at 915-861-4361.
Dry conditions are having devastating effects on El Paso’s largest park. Ground water levels are the lowest in five years. Three of the park’s monitoring wells are dry. The Irrigation District is continuously pumping from the Bosque into the irrigation channel. Due to the new concrete lining of the cannel, there is no recharge back to the ground water. Willows, cottonwoods and more are dying. Even the Tornillos are stressed.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sign-Up for Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta
7th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta, September 17, 2011
The 7th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta is sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Franklin Mountains State Park at the Tom Mays Unit. Park staff, members of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, and other environmental education groups will be on hand to offer free demonstrations, guided tours, guest speakers and informational booths designed to introduce the curious to the wonders of our fascinating desert.
For more information on how to have a free information or demonstration booth contact Diane Perez at deperez@epwu.org
For more information on how to be a vendor selling gift items, crafts, artwork or food contact Dr. Cesar Mendez at Cesar.Mendez@tpwd.state.tx.us
For more information on how to be a speaker contact Rick LoBello at rickllobello@cs.com
For more information on how to sign up to be an entertainer contact Veronica Myers at myersvx@elpasotexas.gov
Thursday, August 4, 2011
More Than Enough Signatures!
PLAN NOW TO ATTEND the El Paso Water Utilities/Public Service Board Strategic Planning meetings, September 8 and 9 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the TecH20 Center, 10751 Montana Avenue, El Paso, TX. (Map) EPWU/PSB is an agency of the City of El Paso. It belongs to you, the people of El Paso. Your voice in strategic planning is important.
Petition gatherers for the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition announced today that they now have more than enough verified signatures on a petition which calls for the preservation of the Scenic Transmountain Corridor. Plans are being made now to announce the results of the petition drive at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 9, at approximately 9 a.m. Supporters are invited to attend that presentation. Immediately afterwards, the petitions will be formally submitted to the Municipal Clerk’s office.
The petition reads as follows:
The undersigned ask that the El Paso City Council pass the following ordinance:
The City of El Paso shall preserve, in its natural state and in perpetuity, all of the acreage in the land legally described as “Parcel 1 - Nellie D. Mundy Survey 246, City of El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, and Parcel 2 - a portion of S.J. Larkin Survey, Abstract 10070, Tract 1, City of El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, and Parcel 3 - a portion of S.J. Larkin Survey, Abstract 10070, Tract 1-A, City of El Paso, El Paso County, Texas.” The City shall take all steps necessary to preserve this land and to prevent it from being developed with either private development or major public roadways. (This land is also known as “the West Transmountain Scenic Corridor.”)
As mentioned in the last elpasonaturally e-letter, the Federal Highway Administration has still not ruled on the TxDOT Environmental Assessment although word through the grapevine is that they will in the next couple of weeks.
Take time to read Lisa Tate’s excellent history of Transmountain which is the feature story in the August El Paso Scene. Her story concludes with comments about the open space issue from our very good friend, Rick L. LoBello. The Scene can be found at these locations.
Judy Ackerman of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition sent this very encouraging email message:
This week, members of FMWC met with new City Representatives Niland and Noe. They both expressed support for our efforts to preserve land on the Scenic Corridor in NW [El Paso] and Castner Range in NE [El Paso]. Ms. Cortney Niland assured us that she wants to protect our mountains because she and her family are active rock climbers and mountain bikers. Dr. Michael Noe expressed support for smart growth concepts and wants to stop the sprawl in east El Paso that causes traffic jams and other problems.
Interested in starting an eco-tourism business or community project? It’s not too late to register for the Eco-Tourism Workshop. (See flyer.) Registration must be done by tomorrow (August 5). Just contact Dr. Ray Bader at rbader@ag.tamu.edu or calling 915-860-2515. The registration fee is $50.00. Read Judge Veronica Escobar’s letter about the event.
The El Paso Native Plant Society will meet next on Thursday, August 11 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Dave Nolan of the National Weather Service will speak on “Weather 2011 Style”. Also, the El Paso Cactus and Rock Club will host a pot-luck luncheon and cactus plant lottery beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 13. Both events take place at the Garden Center, 3105 Grant Avenue. For more information, call 915-833-7637.
Finally, the El Paso Sunrise Hikers, Franklin Mountains State Park Volunteers, the El Paso Ridgewalkers and the El Paso Hiking Group are having a rummage sale at this year’s Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta on September 17th to benefit the Franklin Mountains State Park. Please donate any good, clean used (or new) hiking or camping gear that you don’t plan on using again. For more information and/or to make a donation, please call Jim Tolbert at 915-525-7364 or email him or call Richard Love at 915-474-1384 or email him. We will arrange to pick up all items that you wish to donate.
This is Volume 2 and Number 26 published on August 4, 2011 of the Elpasonaturally e-letter. To subscribe, email and write "Subscribe elpasonaturally".
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Sunrise Hikers E-Letter, Vol. 3, No. 49
Men: think twice if you believe that you are better hikers than women. Jennifer Pharr Davis just set the record for the fastest walk down the Appalachian Trail (2,180 mile trek from Maine to Georgia). She did it in a record 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes! Here she is at the finish line. Not long ago Sunrise Hiker Hall of Famer, James Holloway, hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
Hiking and walking take a toll on our feet. I asked two of our experts, Judy Ackerman and John Moses, what tips they can give us for foot care. Both emphasized wearing good footwear and breaking in your boots first before doing long hikes in them. Wear them for some walks around the block before taking a trek up the mountain. Judy and John also emphasized the importance of clean, dry socks. Both carry an extra pair on every trek. Judy mentioned that properly laced high top boots will help toes from being jammed (and a toenail lost) when going downhill. Judy repeated that hikers must find what works for them: foot powder, insoles, ointments – whatever. My favorite after hike care is to soak my feet in a basin of very warm water with dissolved Epsom salts! Checkout online tips here and here. If you are diabetic, go here. For overall foot pampering – here.
Here’s our line-up of upcoming hikes:
Thursday, August 4 at 6:00 a.m. South Tin Mine/East Cottonwood Springs Hike. Meet at Chuck Heinrich Park. (Parking is at the end of Jon Cunningham Blvd. just west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.) This is an easy to moderate hike over good trails except for the last 100 yards to East Cottonwood Springs, which is bushwhacking over firm and loose rocks and cactus. Hike leader Mark Worley calls this a 3 hour moderate hike.
Saturday, August 6 at 7:00/8:00 a.m. Dripping Springs. With the recent rains, will the falls be roaring or dripping or something in between? Come and find out on this easy 3.5 mile hike with very little elevation gain into the beautiful Organ Mountains. The hike culminates at an old sanitarium with a lovely natural pool and waterfall. Sorry, pets are not allowed.
Easy directions: Go north on I-10 to Las Cruces. From the junction of I-10 and I-25, follow I-25 north one mile to the University Avenue Exit. Turn right (east) on University Ave. University Avenue will turn into Dripping Springs Rd. Follow Dripping Springs Road east for about 5 miles until the pavement ends. Continue an additional 2.5 miles to the junction of Dripping Springs Rd. and Baylor Canyon Rd. Just a little further ahead on Dripping Springs Road you will find the paved entrance to Dripping Springs Natural Area. The entrance fee is $3 per vehicle.
Meet at the I-10/Transmountain Shell Station at 7 a.m. for carpooling. Otherwise, we will see you in the parking lot of the Visitor’s Center at Dripping Springs at 8 a.m. Bring plenty of water and a snack.
After our hike, there’s plenty to do and great places to eat in Las Cruces. After all, what’s an excursion without food and libations, good company, and rollicking conversation. One of our favorite places in Cruces is the High Desert Brewing Company. One Sunriser suggested the International Delights Café. There’s always a fine selection of restaurants in Mesilla. And, of course, Hatch is less than 40 miles up scenic Highway 185. What’s in Hatch? Sparky’s of course. All I’ve thought about recently are their Chile Mango shakes. Perhaps, before lunch or afterwards depending on when we finish our hike, there is the Las Cruces Farmers Market. Look for Karen Hackey’s decorative sandblasting art. No visit to Cruces (or the Farmers Market) is complete without spending time browsing books at COAS Bookstore.
Saturday, August 6 at 7:30 a.m. Reservoirs Down the Valley Birding Trip. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Feather Lake, 9500 North Loop at Bordeaux. Carpool from there. Bring lunch, water and binoculars.. This is a popular trip because we'll visit three reservoirs in the Lower Valley that offer a variety of land birds and water birds. The first stop will be McNary, then on to Ft. Hancock and finally Tornillo with a stop along the way to have a picnic lunch. Some possible birds are egrets, herons, hawks, pelicans, gulls, sandpipers, grebes, cormorants, ducks and others. Nonmembers of Audubon Society and beginners are always welcome. Contact Mark Perkins 637-3521 or mperkins4@elp.rr.com.
Every Sunday is Scenic Sunday at Scenic Drive from 6 - 11 a.m. Walk, run or bicycle this 4.1 mile round trip of panoramic views and 500 million-year-old fossils. Pets (dogs) are allowed. Even Chihuahuas.
Do check out, bookmark and join the El Paso Hiking Group and the Las Cruces Hiking Group. Bookmark Celebration of Our Mountains now and start looking for a line-up of their fall festival (September – November) excursions.
Finally, the El Paso Sunrise Hikers, Franklin Mountains State Park Volunteers, the El Paso Ridgewalkers and the El Paso Hiking Group are having a rummage sale at this year’s Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta on September 17th to benefit the Franklin Mountains State Park. Please donate any good, clean used (or new) hiking or camping gear that you don’t plan on using again. For more information and/or to make a donation, please call Jim Tolbert at 915-525-7364 or email him or call Richard Love at 915-474-1384 or email him. We will arrange to pick up all items that you wish to donate.
Excelsior!
Jim H. Tolbert
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