Rep. Byrd Posts 2010 Breakfast Schedule

Sheriff Wiles at a 2009 Breakfast Meeting

City Representative Susie Byrd

BREAKFAST MEETINGS

2010 CALANDAR

Tierra Del Sol Restaurant 4201 Alabama 7:30 A.M.		Memorial Park Library 3200 Copper 10:00 A.M.
February 4 Guest: Veronica Escobar County Commissioner, Precinct 2		February 20 Guest: Kim Forsyth, Senior Planner Traffic Engineering
March 4 Guest: Dr. Tony Payan, Assoc Professor of Political Science at UTEP		March 20 Guest: Katherine Palafox Keep El Paso Beautiful
April 1 Guest: Tom Fenton Editor, El Paso Inc.		April 17 Guest: Edgar Fino, Transportation Engineer Supervisor Texas Department of Transportation
May 6 Dinah Kilgore, Executive Director Chief Appraiser, Central Appraisal District		May 15 Guest: John Cook Mayor, City of El Paso
June 3 Guest: Karl Rimkus, Senior Env. Scientist Environmental Services		June 19 Guest: David Cuthbertson FBI Special Agent in Charge
July 1 Guest: Joyce Wilson City Manager		July 17 Guest To Be Announced

Contact Info:

Susie Byrd, 2 Civic Center Plaza, 10^th Fl., El Paso, TX 79901

Administrative Assistant: Judy Gutierrez/541-4416

New Trash Collection Day Begins on Tuesday

Newmanistas will need to begin a new schedule for putting out their garbage and recycling. Beginning next week, the City will collect trash in this area on Tuesdays instead of Fridays. So, beginning next Monday evening, February 1, trash and recycling should be set out for collection on Tuesday, February 2.

Tammy Fonce-Olivas, the Public Affairs Coordinator for the City of El Paso, sent us this list of procedures to help manage waste:

• Do place container adjacent to the curb, with the arrow on top of the lid facing towards the street, the night before day of collection after 6:00 p.m., or day of collection by 5:00 a.m.
• Do bag your waste to prevent spillage
• Do wash out your container on a regular basis; it’s the responsibility of the customer to keep a clean container
• Do not place container no more than 3 ft from the curb
• Do not place anything outside, or on top of container
• Do not overflow container
• Do not leave lid open; must be closed at all times
• Do not place container close to mailbox, underneath or next to a tree, cable, electrical or telephone boxes, or basketball court
• Do not place container within 3 ft. of a parked vehicle
• Do not place rocks, dirt, construction debris, or any large heavy metal object in the container
• Do not leave container out on the street. Container must be stored within your property no later than 7:00 p.m. on the day of collection
• Do not refill the container, and take it across the street, or to the neighbor’s curb for a second collection
• Do not stand by the curb waiting for the truck to empty container and then refill for an additional collection
• Do not remove or switch the container from the assigned address
• Do not place containers too close to each other, maintain at least 3 ft. distance
• Do not place hazardous materials such as motor oil, anti-freeze, batteries or chemicals.

Here's a map of the new collection days for the City.

Ben Sáenz Reading To Benefit Friends of the Library

Ben Sáenz

Here’s a great way to support the Friends of the Downtown Public Library and for your teenager to hear a writer who was just named one of the 50 most influential writers in the world. Poet and novelist Benjamin Alire Sáenz will be the guest speaker for the Friends of the El Paso Downtown Public Library this Sunday, January 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Downtown Library, 501 N. Oregon. Ben will be reading from his latest young adult novel Last Night I Sang to the Monster, a book which is receiving starred reviews and has been considered for prestigious national awards.

The book is published by Cinco Puntos Press owned by Newmanistas Lee and Bobby Byrd.

The Friends of the Library have assembled some really cool door prizes including autographed books and baskets of teen novels.

Taste of Frontera Benefits Land Conservation

I urge you to support Frontera Land Alliance. It protects in perpetuity a network of lands that are chosen for their natural beauty, conservational utility, and cultural values throughout West Texas and Southern New Mexico. Frontera cooperates with landowners, donors, government agencies and other organizations to conserve the region’s deserts, mountains, arroyos, canyons and rivers for all. Frontera, the El Paso area’s only 501(c)3 land trust, is a member of the national Land Trust Alliance, and subscribes to the LTA’s Standards and Practices for Land Trusts which set forth a legally and ethically sound program of natural resources transactions and stewardship.

Frontera helped preserve Resler Canyon and today manages the Wakeem/Teschner Nature Preserve. Through a conservation easement, Frontera has taken on the responsibility of conserving Thunder Canyon. Under the leadership of our fellow hiker and a Master Naturalist, Judy Ackerman, Frontera is on its way to preserving Castner Range as open space land.

The Frontera Land Alliance’s second annual gala fundraiser, Taste of Frontera, will be held on Thursday, February 18, 2010 starting at 6:00 pm. at Ardovino’s Desert Crossing in Sunland Park, New Mexico.

This year’s Taste of Frontera promises to be a memorable event with local wines, tasty foods, live music, and a plethora of silent auction items and door prizes. Proceeds from the fundraiser support conservation and restoration of critically important natural land resources in the El Paso region. Congressmen Silvestre Reyes will be the special guest that evening.

Tickets cost $40 per person and will be available at the door. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 526 7725 or 490 8601. For more information about The Frontera Land Alliance, go to their website at www.fronteralandalliance.org.

Insights Publishes First Newsletter of 2010

We like to follow the great work that Newmanistas are doing. As we have posted before, Mandy Chew, who is married to Chief Justice David Chew, is the new Executive Director of Insights El Paso Science Museum. Insights has just published its first newsletter for 2010 and I hear that it is head over heels better than previous newsletters when Mandy wasn't there. Read the newsletter by clicking on the images below to enlarge and also take time to surf their web site. (Rumor has it that Currey@Adkins is helping them with updating the site. Jim Currey has been helping Newman Park with the McKee Mansion sale and he loaned his golf cart for the big geology event on Scenic Drive - A Walk Through Time. That event was organized by Eric Kappus, the discoverer of dinosaur tracks at Cristo Rey - land now owned by Insights because of efforts by Eric. Small world isn't it?)

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Subway Drawings on Display

Newman Park neighborhood resident Dave Ford is a conceptual sculptor who recently returned from a trip to New York City where he produced a collection of “subway drawings.” Using a box with a lead–tip pendulum and paper, Ford rode subway routes over several days to produce the drawings pictured here.

Best known for his work published in McSweeney’s of his Truck Drawings, Ford creates works that capture exterior forces such as the movements of a train or truck to produce drawings. “Some have criticized this work as lacking 'artfulness', lacking the hand of the artist. I contend that allowing exterior forces to contribute, expands the artists relationship in the work, rather than being the master-end-all-dictator of the work,” says Ford.

To make an appointment to see the subway drawings, email dave@fordart.com. To view more of Ford’s work, visit www.fordart.com.

A Subway Drawing

New York City Subway Map (Click to enlarge)

2009 Luminarias Sale a Huge Success

Bob Foskett, Emily Tolbert and Gale Tolbert fill the sacks with sand

On Christmas Eve 25 homes plus Newman Park and the Mayfield Wildscape were lit by luminarias from the Newman Park Neighborhood Association. This year the Association made and distributed its own luminarias. After paying expenses, the Association made nearly $580 which will help fund neighborhood programs in 2010.

Members of the Association folded sacks, filled them with sand, added candles, distributed the orders, lit the luminarias at the park and wildscape, and did the cleaning-up. Almost 30 neighborhood volunteers made this year's Christmas project possible.

A big thank you goes to Kathleen Harmon who guided the group from planning through distribution. "We just couldn't have done this on our own without her," said Luminarias Chairman, Jim Tolbert.

Foreground: Judge Linda Chew, Hannah Hollandbyrd and her brother, Johnny Andrews, Gabriela Gallegos

Newmanistas Find Ways to Help Haiti

As reported by the El Paso Times this morning, El Pasoans have joined the Haiti aid effort. One way is to donate clothing at Agua Boutique, 5857 N. Mesa, Suite 20 (585-6300). Board member, Lisa Degliantoni offers a means for making these donations of clothes easily. Just email us here at the blog and Lisa will pick-up any clothes you have to donate and take them to Agua Boutique.

Cindy Milazzo emailed and wrote: "Friends - if you can help with the relief effort in Haiti, there's a worthy organization called MedShare that donates surplus medical supplies to third world countries. They have containers ready to go and need help with shipping expenses. The son of a friend of mine sits on the board . . . "

The person Cindy is referring to is Greg Cudahy a managing partner of Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Mr. Cudahy emails:

This note goes out to a variety of my friends and colleagues within and beyond Accenture whom I know to be big-hearted individuals. By now you have most likely seen the devastating situation in Haiti post the earthquake there yesterday… the pictures are heart-wrenching enough, but the reality on the ground appears to be of truly massive scale. While I’m sure you are aware of this tragedy, what you may not be aware of is that Accenture is affiliated with a truly outstanding charitable organization, MedShare International, that is well-positioned to have an immediate impact on the well-being and lives of many of those in trouble right now in Haiti.

MedShare, on whose board I sit representing Accenture, is the world’s leading distributor of surplus medical supplies to the less fortunate in third world countries. The US wastes ~$7 billion of medical supplies each year due to insurance issues, manufacturing surplus, substitution of new, improved products, etc. MedShare takes these supplies, carefully quality controls them, and (with the help of individual and corporate donors) ships them around the globe where they are literally life-saving in many cases. The multiplier effect of each donor dollar is exceptionally high given that the surplus supplies would otherwise cost both contributors and recipients much more than just the freight.

MedShare has quickly geared up to respond to the Haiti crisis immediately. They are already preparing several 40-foot container loads to get to Haiti in the next few days, and have the capacity to ship even more if they can get help in paying for freight for additional loads. The cost is $4500-6000 per container depending upon destination port. If you are interested in contributing to the sponsorship of freight for a much-needed container, please visit the attached link (http://www.medshare.org/donate/critical-need-alert) to contribute.. even a small amount will make an impact. For those of you in the Atlanta-area, where MedShare has its primary sortation facility, they will be needing volunteers to help over the coming weeks as they surge to support Haiti relief.

Please note that, while MedShare is indeed a key non-profit relationship of Accenture’s which I am proud to represent, my note is not an “Accenture-sponsored” request… while there is a need for speed, you should not feel obligated in any way. Rather, it is a personal appeal on behalf of a great partner that, with even a small amount of incremental support, can have very rapid, positive impact on this crisis.

If you have any difficulties with the web link or have any other interest, please feel free to contact directly the MedShare representatives cc’d above. Also, feel free to forward this note to any others you believe might be interested in helping.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

There is also an easy way to donate to the American Red Cross as our First Lady, Michelle Obama, lets us know:

Border Network for Human Rights Finds Home in Newman Park

Louis Gilot and Saul Soto share a light-hearted moment

Since July Newmanistas have had a new neighbor: Border Network for Human Rights. This non-profit organization offices at 2115 Piedras between Richmond and Louisville.

In an email I asked Communications Director, Louie Gilot, to tell me a little about the organization. She responded:

The Border Network for Human Rights moved to its new offices at 2115 N. Piedras in July. The Border Network is an 11-year-old non-profit dedicated to organizing communities through rights education. They have about 4,000 members in communities all around El Paso and Southern New Mexico. For the past several years, the Border has focused on the need for a comprehensive immigration reform and is in the midst of organizing a statewide conference on immigration reform in Austin, February 20. You can visit them at www.bnhr.org and at www.reformimmigrationfortexas.org. The Border Network is delighted to be part of the neighborhood.

Gilot also told me that they are undergoing a major upgrade of their web site. Stay tuned for that. Also, take time to visit Louie's new environmental blog: La Greenga.

Communication Director Louie Gilot

with one of several BNHR informational banners

Lisa Degliantoni Is Back on the Air

Go ahead - make our 2010! Our very own, Lisa Degliantoni, is back on talk radio. Lisa is a member of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association Board, a wise gringa, and a champion of the El Paso arts and cultural scene.

Here's the press release:

“The Lisa D Show” live on Talk Radio KHRO 1150 AM

January 4, 2010 – “The Lisa D Show” will air weekdays on KHRO 1150 AM from 1 -2 p.m. Tune in or stream the show from www.talkradio1150.com and call in at 915.880.4376. Featuring interviews with musicians, artists, writers, chefs, entrepreneurs and more, the format of the “The Lisa D Show” will be inventive and clever. Taking calls from listener and reading texts from fans, host “Lisa D” brings a fresh perspective to talk radio. “This show is a fantastic outlet for listeners yearning for something other than religious, political or sports talk. Yes I am open to interviewing the Mayor but only if he’s willing to talk about fashion trends and bad television,” says host Lisa D.

A veteran of the airwaves, Lisa D. (Degliantoni) has been the host of various radio talk shows, to include “Charlando con la Gringa” a radio talk show dedicated to celebrating Mexican culture in North American. Become a “Lisa D Show” fan today; blog: thelisadshow.blogspot.com; Twitter: TheLisaDShow; Facebook: Lisa Degliantoni.

For press inquiries or requests to be a guest on “The Lisa D Show” email thelisadshow@gmail.com or call 917.881.3128.