Stop Mountain Development in Northeast El Paso

From our friends at Franklin Mountains Wilderness Society:

ATTEND City Council! 
An outpouring of attendance at City Council can spur their action.
!!  Attend  !!
What:  City Council Meeting, Call to the Public
Date:   Tuesday, 19 Apr 2016
Time:  8 am
Location:  City Hall, 300 N. Campbell. MAP
Sign up to speak during Call to the Public HERE.  
Sign up to speak on “Save Our Sierras” (SOS) even if you change your mind later.  That way your opinion counts.  

Why:  City Council must commit to, and initiate negotiations with willing land owners in order to preserve privately owned land around our mountains.  The owners of this land have stated their willingness to sell or trade.
Background:  Land owners plan to develop over 600 acres in Northeast El Paso between Hondo Pass and McKelligon Canyon, including the Sierra del Puerte development.

Recent Events:

On 5 Apr, SOS and Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition (FMWC) members asked City Council to stop the Sierra del Puerte development on our mountainside in Northeast El Paso.  City Council heard us.  Now we need to follow through.  Our message is simple: “Only City Council has the power to protect our mountains.” and “What has the City done on negotiating with the land owners?”   You can view the entire 5 Apr meeting HERE under City Council Meetings for that date.

On 9 Apr, the El Paso History Radio Show interviewed land owners Sherry Mowles and Dan Knapp about their plans for developing and the history of their land.  You can listen to the entire interview HERE.  

On 24 Mar City Planning Commission approved all exceptions to the Planned Mountain Development subdivision code that the developer requested.  The reason the developer needed exceptions was because of “severe topographical conditions.”  Members of Save Our Sierras spoke in opposition and you can view the entire meeting HERE under City Planning Commission for that date.

!!  Attend  !!
!! Sign up to Speak!!

Our Mountains need your presence and your voice.

Save Our Sierras!

El Paso Heritage Tourism Summit Seeks Sponsors and Volunteers

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014
SAVE THIS DATE for The El Paso Heritage Tourism Summit

The first Summit event was on January 3, 2014 for the Party-Meeting-Mostly-Party to explain the Summit and ask for volunteers. El Paso Gold video recorded that meeting - all 19 minutes of it:



This coming Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. there will be a NEWS CONFERENCE announcing the Summit, followed by a meeting of volunteers, at 11 a.m. The conference and meeting will be held at 400 W. San Antonio, the location of the historic Locomotive No. 1. Parking is at the same building. MAP

On March 11, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. City Council Meeting, 300 N. Campbell (MAP) City Council will declare a Proclamation for the El Paso Heritage Tourism Summit.

We Need Your Help!   

We are looking for sponsors to help make El Paso’s Summit on Heritage Tourism happen. Hundreds of people turned out or tuned in online for the 2013 summit and town hall discussion on El Paso History Radio Show, and we plan to outdo ourselves this year. Your donations help make this event free and open to the public, as well as fund El Paso focused TV programs.

Last year’s summit on El Paso’s history made history itself in providing a forum for discussion among the public about concerns for our local landmarks. We were even able to stream the town hall live online so that El Paso’s history was available to the world.

Your sponsorship funds help make this all possible again so that the world will see the best of what El Paso has to offer: Our Heritage!

PLATINUM SPONSOR - $7,500 and beyond

Featured in the name of the event (The El Paso Heritage Tourism Summit, presented by ABC Company and XYZ Incorporated)
VIP treatment for up to FIVE people the day of the event, including lunch and a behind the scenes look at the production set-up the day before the event
Name and logo will appear on all materials related to event, including printed materials, signs, and website and in the credits of all TV programs originating at the event.

GOLD SPONSOR - $4,000-$7,499

VIP treatment for TWO people the day of the event, including lunch and a behind the scenes look at the production set-up the day before the event

Name and logo will appear on all materials related to event, including printed materials, signs, and website and in the credits of all TV programs originating at the event.

SILVER-LEVEL SPONSOR - $1,000-$3,999

Name and logo will appear on all materials related to event, including printed materials, signs, and website and in the credits of all TV programs originating at the event

BRONZE SPONSOR- $5-$999

Name and logo will appear on website and in the credits of all TV programs originating at the event


All funding arrangements will go through the El Paso County Historical Commission, which can issue tax documents for donations.

Please make checks payable to: El Paso County Historical Commission, c/o Bernie Sargent, 819 W Sunset Rd, El Paso, TX 79922; 915-581-7920. 

For info contact Jackson Polk at 915-833-8700 or jpolk@elp.rr.com.

Volunteers please contact Shelley at 915-244-6487 or shelleysutherlandsss@gmail.com.

KVIA and Jackson Polk Lead the Way with Conservation and History Coverage

This is a follow-up to my post yesterday about the lack of coverage of conservation and heritage stories by the El Paso Times. I was specifically talking about the non-coverage by the Times of the recent commemoration of the B-36 crash of December 11, 1953. I reprinted Terry Sunday's excellent letter to the editor. To be fair to the Times, they apparently weren't even told about the event. Elpasonaturally is offering to do publicity for conservation, outdoors recreation and heritage organizations and events in El Paso. As Marshall Carter-Tripp said in an email to me: "You are right, we don't do PR very well…did you see anything in the Times about the 3M award to Keystone?" (The Times did run the story online. I don't recall seeing it in print.)

One of El Paso's TV news stations leads the way in coverage about environmental, outdoors recreation and heritage stories. KVIA-TV News seemingly produces more stories about these events than any other news media. This may be largely due to the fact that General Manager Kevin Lovell is an avid hiker who cares about our environment. After he read my post yesterday, he emailed me the following:

"KVIA devoted extraordinary resources to the crash site anniversary.  Reporter Matt Dougherty traveled to the site on the day before the anniversary.  He discovered a woman who visits the site every year, bringing flowers from Juarez even though she has no personal connection to the plane crash.  Later in the week we covered the dedication."

On December 12th, KVIA-TV did this story. Then again on December 15th they ran this story about the commemoration event. It is very touching. I hope both stories can be uploaded to a history site of some sort - perhaps along with other KVIA stories on YouTube.

Of course, when it comes to the history and lore of El Paso, no one tells it better than Documentary Filmmaker, Jackson Polk. You can watch the entire
B-36 Crash Site Historic Marker Dedication by going to EPHistory.com. There is a link to the video. Later, when appropriate, I may put an embedded copy on elpasonaturally as well. 

Be sure to listen to El Paso History Radio Show with Jackson and Melissa Sargent on KTSM-690 AM on Saturday mornings from 10 to Noon. Polk has begun archiving previous broadcasts. You can see a list with links HERE.

Get KVIA news alerts in your email by going HERE.

Kevin von Finger Wetlands Dedicated at Keystone

The Kevin von Finger Wetlands were dedicated at Keystone Heritage Park this past Saturday. There have been a number of tributes to Kevin von Finger recently including the dedication of this year's 2013 Celebration of Our Mountains to his memory.

Here are some pictures of the event courtesy of Valerie Provencio:

Emcee Bernie Sargent does live broadcast on the El Paso History Radio Show

Ribbon cutting by Keystone Board member, Lori Lowman-Hutson, County Commissioner Patrick Abeln, and John Balliew, EPWU CEO

Bird Blind

Rio Bosque Dry Again

Please sign the Complete Streets Petition.  A complete street “will accommodate all road users, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transportation.  Complete streets might include sidewalks, bike lanes, cycle tracks, wide paved shoulders, special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible transit stops, frequent crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, or curb extensions.” Get information and sign the petition.  Scroll down the page; there are links to much more information.  Bike Texas has complete streets as part of their legislative agenda which also includes safe passing and a ban on texting while driving.

And while we are on the subject of Bike Texas, be sure to read an article by our own Beth Nobles, Executive Director of Texas Mountain Trail. She writes about a way to earn dollars for a favorite charity through a new iPhone or Android app called Charity Miles.” The program is for walkers, runners and bikers. Beth is also the oomph behind Peak Fitness Challenge along with Don Baumgardt of GeoBetty.  Keeping El Paso naturally means keeping our Trans-Pecos/Southwestern New Mexico region naturally and fit as well. (And charitable.)

For great hikes and events just check out El Paso Hiking Group, GeoBetty, Guadalupe Mountains National Park Meetup Group,  Las Cruces & El Paso Adventurists, Peak Fitness Challenge,  High Desert Hikers and Las Cruces Hiking Meetup.

Sad to report that effluent to the Rio Bosque has stopped.  On top of that, in spite of the water district’s finally allowing the transfer of water rights to the Bosque by private landowners, there are apparently still some hold-ups.  Charlie Wakeem chronicles his attempts to transfer his water rights and I make some comments in a blog post today: When a Water Right Isn’t a Water Right. El Paso Water Improvement District General Manager Chuy Reyes visited Senator Rodriguez’s Environmental Committee and answered their questions yesterday.  I was in attendance.  Here’s the bottom line: The Board of the Water District should give Mr. Reyes a raise. He is discharging his fiduciary responsibility by serving his customers – those small tract owners and large farmers who pay to have their land irrigated.  Given the drought, every drop is dedicated and directed toward paying customers. Thus, the Bosque is not going to get any more water even after a turnout is constructed from the canal into the Bosque.  They may get water in wet years to come – but not now.  Moreover, people with water rights will discover that they won’t be successful giving their water to the Bosque.  If they aren’t going to use it, then the paying customers are first in line.  This means that the only way that the Bosque can be guaranteed a regular supply of water is for the EPWU (which now holds the Bosque in its inventory of land) to deliver the water directly from the Bustamante plant by constructing a nearly half-million dollar pipeline – chump change really.  EPWU dumps water from the plant into the District’s waterway because it is obligated to give so much water back to the District and because it cannot now deal with some of its excess. That excess (if it becomes purple pipe water) can go to the Bosque. The water district will lose it – but then they could have given some of that free water to the Bosque without converting it to purple pipe water.

One more thought. Farmers around here raise some pretty water intensive crops: cotton and pecans come to mind.  Both crops are quite profitable than other crops that require less water.  So for the gain of immediate profit and personal enrichment, some farmers in our area will impoverish future generations of water.  Here’s the thought: perhaps water districts by law should have to go to a tiered system of billing just as the EPWU does with you and me.  If I use a little bit of water, I buy it at a pretty good rate.  If I leap into the next tier of water use, then my rate more than doubles.  Water conservation would be encouraged. Remember the Iroquois maxim:  “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”  This beats the heck out of that slogan that says that “he who dies with the most toys wins.”

I have said just about all that I can say about the ASARCO stacks.  You can read my final (probably, maybe penultimate) blog post for now.

If you want a recreational and educational excursion in the El Paso/Las Cruces area, sign up for one of the Back by Noon events sponsored by the Southwest Environmental Center.  See a Back by Noon poster.

Not just a coffee table book – Cacti of Texas by El Pasoans, Gertrude and Ad Konings, should be in the library of every Chihuahuan Desert recreationalist.

El Paso history comes alive with Melissa Sargent and Jackson Polk every Saturday morning from 10 to Noon on the El Paso History Radio Show on KTSM AM 690 Talk Radio.  Tomorrow morning Melissa and Jackson welcome some Harvey Girls and hear about their role in railroad history. They will also speak with President Dehrkoop and a master mistress re-enactor, Patricia Kiddney, who will portray several of the old West famous women. On February 16 El Paso City Manger Joyce Wilson is on hour one of the show to talk about preservation of downtown buildings.

Do also visit and like on Facebook Old West El Paso Town. Henry Flores writes:  The site “has been created to show and spread the word of the long overdue proposal for the creation of a western town attraction in the heart of our historic city of El Paso, Texas. “Old West El Paso Town” will be built in replica of 1800's downtown South El Paso Street with several historic structures . . . that sadly no longer exist . . . [It] will house small shops, eats and non-stop entertainment.”

Finally and sadly we note the passing of Kathy Goodell, the wife of Dr. Phil Goodell.  Read her obituary.  You will recall that the Goodells recently gave $1 million to UTEP’s College of Science for a center of entrepreneurial geosciences.

El Paso History Summit March 16th

NEWS RELEASE              

February 13, 2013                              

FROM: El Paso History Radio Show

PO Box 221466   El Paso TX 79913

Contact:    Jackson Polk    915-833-8700

                Bernie Sargent  915-581-7920

                Sara Belger       915-244-6487

     First-ever El Paso History Summit to be held March 16

Launch of ‘I Am El Paso’ campaign 

Contribute family photos for new Digital Wall

The El Paso History Summit is free and open to the public. It features screenings of local documentaries, a Town Hall meeting about local history, and an opportunity for El Pasoans to share their history with the community.

The Summit will also mark the launch of the “I Am El Paso” campaign. The public is invited to record their "I Am El Paso" testimony in a 1-2 minute video clip, and to bring up to 10 old photos to be scanned and included on the Digital Wall that will be installed at the El Paso Museum of History.

Photos will be scanned on site and returned to the owners, who will also receive a disc with digital copies of their personal photos. Photos should be at least 25 years old and have all persons identified, if possible, as well as the date and place. The scanning and the CD are free and are offered on a first come, first served basis.

At 1 p.m., the History Summit will present the world premiere of segments from Capstone Productions’ latest documentary, "The Last Tour of the El Paso Smelter." After three years of filming the demolition of the former Asarco site, the first installment of the El Paso Smelter documentary series covers the history and construction of one of the world’s tallest smokestacks. The film includes a tour inside of the stack, a review of the construction of the stack, and footage from several climbs up the stack.

At 2:30 p.m., there will be a Town Hall meeting on El Paso history with special invited guests state Sen. Jose Rodriguez and El Paso County Historical Commission chairman, Bernie Sargent. The Town Hall will be moderated by hosts of "The El Paso History Radio Show," Jackson Polk and Melissa Sargent. The Town Hall will be video recorded for a TV special on YouTube. Attendees can ask questions about El Paso's history, share their thoughts about what should be done at local and state levels regarding our local history, and contribute topics for discussion.

Other events include a viewing of clips from Capstone Production’s "El Paso’s Mission Trail" documentary, and giveaways of videos and other door prizes throughout the day.

Local history organizations are invited to provide information about their activities, events, volunteer opportunities and general information.

All events are free to the public, but donations will be accepted to benefit the El Paso Mission Trail Association. 

Snacks, hot dogs and hamburger will be available for purchase.  The Scenic View Ballroom is a standalone building located behind First Presbyterian Church at 1340 Murchison near Brown Street in Central El Paso.

This free summit is hosted by "The El Paso History Radio Show," El Paso County Historical Commission, El Paso Mission Trail Association and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association, CARTA.

For more information, visit www.elpasohistorysummit.org or contact Jackson Polk at (915) 833-8700,   jpolk@elp.rr.com Sara Belger at (915) 244-6487, sbelger13@gmail.com or Bernie Sargent at (915) 581-7920,  countyhistory@sbcglobal.net

EL PASO HISTORY SUMMIT Schedule

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Scenic View Ballroom, First Presbyterian Church, 1340 Murchison near Brown Street

Noon - 6 p.m. - Record a 1-2 minute video clip about your history for the "I Am El Paso"campaign to go on the new Digital Wal at the El Paso Museum of History.

- Bring 10 old  photos to be scanned and included on the Digital Wall. 

    

1 p.m. - World premiere of segments from "The Last Tour of the El Paso Smelter" by Capstone Productions Inc.

2:30 pm - Town Hall meeting on El Paso history with invited guests El Paso state Sen. Jose Rodriguez and El Paso County Historical Commission chairman Bernie Sargent, moderated by Jackson Polk and Melissa Sargent of "The El Paso History Radio Show"

4 - 6 p.m. - View video clips about El Paso history on the big screen. Free scanning of pictures continues, plus recording “I Am El Paso” clips