Newman Park Needs Monkey Bars

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Get Ready to Scramble: Easter Egg Hunt April 3

On your mark, get set . . .

Children 12 years and younger are invited to bring their own Easter baskets and come to the Newman Park Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 3 beginning promptly at 10 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Newman Park Neighborhood Association and is made possible by the generous support of Michael and Becky Friesenhahn and the office of Rep. Susie Byrd.

Radio talk show host and Newmanista, Lisa Degliantoni, tells us:

"The annual Newman Park Easter Egg hunt is one of the anchor events for the neighborhood association for the year and children and their parents come from all over the city to participate. We hide more than 500 eggs, we do big basket giveaways and we make everyone feel welcome, if they live in the neighborhood or not. Newman Park is particularly well-suited for an Easter Egg hunt too as the main lawn is a wide open space and once we yell "Go!" you can see all these kids fanning out all over the park and with the mountain on the right and the view of Mexico, it's such a fantastic picture."

You can hear the Lisa D Show weekdays from 1-2 p.m. www.talkradio1150.com.

A Sign Coming Our Way

A sign similar to this will soon adorn Newman Park

Newmanistas will soon have a beautiful new sign for Newman Park.

City Council members voted 8-0 to approve the latest round of Neighborhood Improvement Program requests amounting to $500,000 for sidewalks, parks and signs in several neighborhoods including our own. Spearheaded by Association Vice-President, Becky Friesenhahn, the Newman Park Neighborhood Association applied for and was awarded $14,800 for a new sign for Newman Park. It won't be just any sign. It will be similar to the beautiful signs that you see at the entrances of Scenic Drive.

Neighborhood Improvement Program funds come from Certificates of Obligation. The current NIP funds are from 2008 CO's. The City is not spending money that is used for the current fiscal year budget. Nevertheless, the El Paso Times ran an editorial today opposing the NIP funding. They asked, ". . . should $14,800 be spent so that Newman Park in Central El Paso can have a sign similar to those marking the entrances to Scenic Drive?"

Ah . . . yes.

Should the El Paso Times ever be taken seriously? Give them credit for Louie Gilot and Maria Cortés Gonzalez and a good story about the Poppy Festival in Tiempo today. That's all I'm going to say.

Los San Patricios Headline St. Pat's Celebration at Ardovino's Desert Crossing

Newmanistas know where to party on St. Pat's: Ardovino's Desert Crossing where Los San Patricios will be playing. Ailbhe Cormack, Johnny Byrd, Eddie Holland, Bob Lail, Everett Saucedo and Tim Aquilina will delight you with their live traditional Irish music.

Ho Baron Exhibit Begins at UTEP

Video courtesy of Lisa Degliantoni

Ho Baron's exhibit (Gods for Future Religions: Surreal Sculptures by Ho) opened yesterday evening at UTEP with a well-attended reception that included many of his neighbors.

Lisa Degliantoni gave this summary of the video:

"Tonight Newmanista Ho Baron celebrated a very well-attended opening of his work at the UTEP Exhibition Gallery. Known for his surreal sculpture The Water God that faces traffic on the corner of Piedras and Aurora, Baron is a longtime Newman Park Neighborhood resident. This show features more than 30 free standing sculptures plus a small room of about seven reliefs accented with vibrant colors. Influenced by his time spent in Africa when in the Peace Corps, Baron is collected all over the world and you can catch him this summer at the Santa Fe Flea Market where he'll have his own booth. For more information on Ho and his career, visit www.hobaron.com."

Of the opening reception Ho Baron said:

"The opening was a big success: lots of friends, lots of interesting people, a fine setting. Surprisingly, a number of people from the neighborhood showed up - people who had passed my house lots of times said they enjoyed my work but they'd never stopped to say 'hello'. It was great.

"My 'gods' shined."

Chew Cruises to Victory

Pat Chew speaks with guests during her election party

Patricia Chew, a Newman Park resident and Association member, easily won her bid to become the next Judge of Probate Court #1. She garnered the overwhelming support of 55% of the electorate.

Pat had won wide-spread endorsements including 71% of her fellow attorneys who were polled by the El Paso Bar Association.

Her sister, Linda, also a Newmanista, ran unopposed and will continue serving as Judge of the 327th District Court.

Neither Pat nor Linda face opposition in the November general election.

Also winning her election easily was our neighbor and current County Commissioner: Veronica Escobar. She won 54% of the vote and will face Jaime Perez in the general election in November for County Judge.

Surrounded by family, Veronica Escobar speaks with television interviewer