Shoppers Find Plenty of Goodies at NPNA Yard Sales

Visitors find plenty of goodies at the Wester-Perez yard sale

For the second year in a row, the Newman Park Neighborhood Association promoted the yard sales of members. Some homes even jumped in at the last moment to add to the number of opportunities people had to purchase some very special items.

Thanks go to board member, Lisa Degliantoni, who coordinated and advertised the event. Her parents visiting from California pitched in and got the word out the local businesses along Piedras. Becky Ayala is the former board member whose idea it was to hold yearly yard sales promoted by NPNA. Once again she procured advertisement for the event on the large Western Refinery I-10 digital sign.

Lisa Degliantoni and sons, Louie and Miles, at their yard sale

Hannah Hollandbyrd offers a map to the yard sales while Sally Sauli gives a friendly welcome

Big thanks go to Hannah Hollandbyrd and Sally Sauli who passed out water and maps to the yard sales to interested visitors and shoppers.

Neighborhood Yard Sale Tomorrow Morning

The Estrada children helped Mom and Dad with their 2009 yard sale

The Newman Park Neighborhood Association’s

NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALE

SATURDAY, September 25

6 a.m. - noon

Visit our booth at Newman Park on the Southwest corner and pick up a free bottle of water and a map of the yard sales in the neighborhood.

We invite you to shop around our beautiful neighborhood:

2731 Altura

2808 Aurora

2606 Frankfort

2631 Altura

2415 Frankfort

2809 Richmond

2715 Savannah

2820 Richmond

2528 Louisville

2416 Savannah

2627 Louisville

Mayfield Wildscape Feathered Friends

"Mom and Pop" Gambel's Quail at Mayfield Wildscape

The "Youngster"

Donna Stephens described the following experience as "just another beautiful part of our neighborhood":

"Wednesday morning while driving the rolling hills of the Newmanista Vista Bonita, I had to come to a quick stop as these quail were walking across the street heading for the shelter of the cactus and it's red fruit. I sat for several minutes watching the lead bird guide the youngster as they picked at the cactus fruit and climbed to the top of the wildscape towards Mayfield. I drove up the hill and there that little fellow stood tall and proud on the curb. I was able to get off a couple of shots before they all flew off. It seemed there were several of them hiding. I was too slow and missed the flight of the quail."

For more information about Gambel's Quail including their bird call, go here.

Wester-Perez Work To Be on Display at Artistic Celebration of Our Mountains

Newmanista Susan Wester-Perez gazes at a work-in-progress

Newman Park's very own, Susan Wester-Perez, will be one of the local artists whose work will be on display at tomorrow night's Artistic Celebration of Our Mountains. The art exhibit has traditionally been the opening reception for the annual Celebration of Our Mountains , a series of events meant to encourage appreciation of the El Paso region's environment.

Although painting since she was 7-years-old, Susan only began to exhibit her work since 2007. A scion of generations of artists, Susan prefers water colors since, she says, "I'm not one for preparation."

"One just needs some cups of water and cans of paint and is ready to go. Who knows how long the Muse will be there," she told me.

Our Lady of Guadalupe on Alabama is the subject of this ornament

Influenced by O'Keefe, Matisse, Van Gogh and others, Susan's works have a dreamy quality of magical realism. She is inspired by the old missions, mountains and natural life of our region. Recently Susan left full-time work in the book retail industry (she was a manager with Barnes and Noble) and now works for a company that discounts textbooks. The work there is intensive for just a season which means that she now has far more time to devote to her painting year-round.

The Artistic Celebration of Our Mountains will be held at Ardovino's Desert Crossing from 6 until 9 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, September 23rd. Savor the delicious Ardovino hors d'oeuvres. A cash bar will be available.

Plan now to see more of Susan's work at this year's Chalk the Block. For more information about Susan Wester-Perez, visit www.susanwesterperez.com.

Union Plaza by Susan Wester-Perez

Second Annual Neighborhood Yard Sale

Shoppers check out merchandise at Robert and Tony's 2009 yard sale

You are invited to the Newman Park Neighborhood Association's second annual Neighborhood Yard Sale this Saturday, Sept. 25 from 6 a.m. to Noon. Pick up your map and a bottle of water at the Southeast corner of Newman Park and shop your way around the neighborhood at the following locations:

2606 Frankfort

2415 Frankfort

2416 Savannah

2715 Savannah

2631 Altura

2731 Altura

2501 Richmond

2531 Richmond

2809 Richmond

2820 Richmond

2528 Louisville

2808 Aurora

Want to participate and have a yard sale? Email Lisa D. at ldcanytx@gmail.com and we'll put you on the map.

Dave Ford Hits the Road Again for Art

Pencil-tipped water bottles

Newmanista and visual artist, Dave Ford, is ready to hit the road again. You will recall that Dave recently created a series of subway drawings in New York City. Now he is preparing to create a truck drawing, using the movement of a truck to create a 12’x 7’ drawing using pencil-tipped water bottles suspended over paper in the back of a moving truck. Ford will drive from El Paso to Grand Rapids - more than 1,600 miles. In the back of the truck, movement and time will create the truck drawing.

Dave Ford invites Newman Park Neighborhood residents to an open house/studio this Thursday, Sept. 16^th, from 6 p.m. on as he prepares a Truck Drawing for competition in Arptrize 2010.

ArtPrize is a radically open competition. Open to any artist in the world who can find space. Open to anybody in Grand Rapids, Michigan who wants to create a venue. Open to a vote from anyone who attends. For more information visit www.artprize.org.

Info: Sept. 16^th, 2808 Aurora Ave., between Piedras and Elm. 6 p.m. – midnight.

For more information on Ford’s work visit www.fordart.com.

Crime Is Down in Central El Paso

Officer Henry Stack just sent these statistics. Looks like crime in the central El Paso is really down in 2010 from 2009 especially burglaries.

Central
Offense	2009	2010	% Change
Murder	1	1	0%
Sexual Aslt	30	29	-3%
Robbery	107	101	-6%
Aslt	1,610	1,506	-6%
Burglary	269	223	-17%
Larceny	1,763	1,662	-6%
Veh Theft	293	295	1%
*Burg Vehicle	414	273	-34%
Total:	4,073	3,817	-6%

*Burglary of Vehicle included in the "Total" (As a component of Larceny)

UCR Guidelines implemented to measure crime

What's Going on with Scenic Drive and Wheeling?

The result of a head-on with a car coming off of Scenic even with the extended "slowing" curb

You will recall that there has been some talk about closing the intersection at Wheeling and Scenic Drive. At issue is the fact observed by neighbors that too many cars too often speed down Wheeling from Scenic. An extended curb was created some time ago in an attempt to slow traffic turning off of Scenic onto Wheeling. Hector Montes reports with analysis on what happened at the most recent meeting about the issue:

"I did attend the meeting with Rep. Susie Byrd. Rep. Ann Lilly was also present. The latest plan is to put 'no right turn' signs on Scenic to prevent cars from turning and speeding down Wheeling. Traffic would still be able to go up Wheeling and turn right or left on Scenic. However, Wheeling would remain two-way and there would be no barrier which would actually prevent anyone on Scenic from turning right. It appeared most people present were okay with the plan, but after thinking it over, I'm concerned that because there will be no barrier, and probably little enforcement, the city may once again be taking one dangerous situation and turning it into another. With no one watching, many people familiar with the turn, and particularly joy-riders, will probably ignore the signs and continue to turn and speed down the hill. The danger of head-on collisions will remain, especially because those going up will not be expecting anyone to turn down. With a barrier, I'm sure very few would be willing to turn into the opposite lane.

In addition, there is no plan to correct the curb on the right side corner going up Wheeling, which causes vehicles that turn right onto Scenic to go into the oncoming lane. Many people I know who are familiar with this turn, including police officers, have commented that it is very dangerous, especially when cars suddenly come racing around the mountain going west just as you are turning. Ted Marquez, the engineer from the city, said there is no budget to correct this curb he designed, and both he and Susie said there is no budget to put up a barrier that will actually prevent the right turn going down Wheeling."

One suggestion by neighbors continues to be ignored by the City's traffic engineers: Create a three way stop at Dakota and Wheeling - one block down from Scenic. Engineers have their rules and formulas and they claim that no stop sign is required at that intersection. One person attending the meeting told me that Mr. Marquez was adamant about not having a stop sign or stop signs no matter what anecdotes people who live nearby can offer. The issue is not so much slowing the traffic coming off of Scenic (although that may be part of the solution), the issue is stopping cars from speeding down the street. A stop sign at Dakota and Wheeling would be a cheap and easy answer. There is common sense and then there are engineer's formulas.

Similarly, Newmanistas along Richmond have often asked for a four way stop at Richmond and Louisiana just as there is at Altura and Louisiana. Again, engineering says that there are no grounds for such a four-way stop and point to measurements that they have made. (I've seen those measurements. They are usually taken for just a few hours of a day and not during the busiest times.)

Keep in mind that any reduction or cessation of traffic off of Scenic onto Wheeling will mean added traffic onto Richmond past Newman Park. Engineering has measured traffic going between an average of 32 and 34 mph past the Park. Does any sane person believe that 34 mph past a busy park is safe? That's just too fast - but so far, since there have been no mangled cars or dead people, things will remain dangerously the same.