Newmanistas Lose Friend

The City of El Paso and the General Services Department lost one of its own last week with the passing of Mr. Gregory G. Reynolds, the Department’s Land Management Superintendant.

Greg was the Land Management Superintendant who oversaw grounds work at Newman Park as well as other City parks. He was always very responsive to our requests and valued neighborhood feedback.

Greg arrived in El Paso only recently after being hired by the City on May 3, 2010. Prior to coming to El Paso, Greg had an illustrious and distinguished land management career in both the private and public sector. He served in a variety of management positions with several private-sector companies, was a consultant, and provided park and field management leadership at the local government level to many agencies, including several municipalities in Texas and school districts throughout the country.

He began his career working as a consultant from 1995-1998, providing contracted grounds maintenance for school districts in Atlanta, Georgia and Hamilton County Tennessee.

Following his school district contract work, Greg transitioned to municipal park land and athletic field management. He served as the City of Pearland Parks Superintendant and Urban Forester from 1999 to 2001 before returning back to the private sector as Vice President of Operations for Service Corporation International. While at Service Corporation International, he provided executive oversight to cemetery operations and turf management in the multi-state markets of Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama.

Greg returned to Texas municipal park land management from 2004 through 2007, where he served in a variety of capacities as the City of Midland’s Assistant Manager of Parks, the City of Del Rio’s Parks and Recreation Director, and the City of Gillette’s Parks Superintendant. Prior to being hired by the City of El Paso, Greg served in the state of California’s second largest school district as the San Diego Unified School District’s Landscape Services Manager.

Greg Reynolds’ family will be honoring his memory and celebrating his life on Saturday April 2, 2011 at 11:00 at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home located at 740 S. Edmonds Lane, Lewisville, Texas 75067 (972) 436-4581.

Greg will be cremated as he wished. His family will take him to his beloved White River in Arkansas where he spent many wonderful times and where his father’s ashes were spread less than a year ago.

In lieu of flowers, Greg’s family has requested that donations be made to either the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association in his memory.

Concert Saturday to Benefit the Homeless

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Radio La Chusma and Jon Hogan headline a benefit concert right in our own backyard this Saturday evening, April 2nd. The concert will be held at the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater.

Mayor John Cook says: "All the proceeds will go to our Feeding the Nation's Homeless Foundation and it's going to be a great concert!"

Of course, La Chusma is just warming up for their August 20th gig at Newman Park.

April Means Neighborhood Clean-up & Egg Hunt

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Home Fire Safety Survey

Fire Technology Instructor, Joseph Savage, talks to Rep. Susie Byrd about fire safety.

Joseph Savage, a retired Division Chief of the El Paso Fire Department and now a Fire Technology teacher at Austin High School's Sandra Day O'Connor Academy, and his students put together the power point presentation below in concert with the El Paso Fire Department for fire safety programs. Mr. Savage and his students assisted the Fire Department at their first ever community outreach program this past Saturday at Newman Park.

Assistant Fire Marshall and Newmanista Orlando Arriola called the event at Newman Park a success: "We provided 21 home safety surveys within the immediate neighborhood and also installed or issued 21 smoke detectors and 21 carbon monoxide alarms. An additional six requests were placed at the command post at the park for home surveys and smoke detector/CO alarm installations and the Fire Prevention Division will be following up in meeting those requests."

Here is the Home Fire Safety Survey:

Home Fire Safety Survey

EPFD Holds First Ever Fire Safety Day at Newman Park

The giant El Paso Fire Department American flag flies over Newman Park.

The Newman Park Neighborhood Association hosted the very first City of El Paso Fire Department fire prevention day. Fire Chief Drozd, Assistant Fire Marshall (and Newmanista) Orlando Arriola, and former Fire Academy now Austin High School teacher, Joe Savage, were on board with fire inspectors and AHS Sandra Day O'Connor Fire Technology students to conduct home fire inspections and install 20 free smoke/carbon monoxide detectors.

Fire Chief Drozd helps Abbie Majerczyk sign-up for a free home fire inspection.

Austin High School Fire Technology students install a new smoke detector in the Castaneda home.

Many families came to the fire prevention event for the Chalk the Park Block contest. Young artists were supplied with colorful chalk and a sidewalk "square". Artist and Newmanista, Susan Webster-Perez, judged the art work and picked 4 prize-winners.

NPNA Board members Sally Sauli, Lisa Degliantoni and Becky Friesenhahn supervised the chalk contest.

Young artist draws a portrait of her Mom.

New Signs

El Paso Transportation crew member installs new street sign with lower case lettering

Newmanistas will start seeing all new street signs. The older "ALL CAPS" signs are being replaced by street signs that contain lower case letters. FRANKFORT is now Frankfort. Why? Jim Stingl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relates what an official from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) told him:

"Using all capital letters takes up more space on the sign, leaving less non-letter space, and therefore making it a bit harder for the eye to distinguish the word, he said. It's a difference of a split second, but saving that time can help a driver make a quicker and safer decision about whether this is where to turn.

"He said the new rules are contained in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or MUTCD. Let me make that easier for you to read - Mutcd."

You will enjoy reading all of Stingl's article.

The cost of the new signs for Milwaukee is $1.4 million. For NYC it will be $27 million. For El Paso? No idea - but I wish I were the sign vendor.

New mileage marker signs tell walkers at Newman Park how far they have gone on one side. 4X around the park equals one mile.

Hospitality Is a Spicy Bowl of Yummy Menudo

Becky Friesenhahn serves menudo to Walgreens volunteers as son Ruben watches.

Newmanistas love to show their hospitality. This past Sunday Walgreens employees stopped by teh Friesnehahn home for some delicious menudo. They had volunteered that day to help clean-up litter and other debris along Scenic Drive as part of a year-long program with Keep El Paso Beautiful. Micheal and Becky Friesenhahn opened their home to the volunteers as a way for the Newman Park Neighborhood Association to say "thank you" to Walgreens. Just about everyone agreed that Becky's menudo was some of the best that they have ever had!

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What a great way to start our Spring Break here in the Newman Park neighborhood. The Fire Department will be here (with their big flag) to give neighbors fire prevention information from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Smoke detector installation and home fire safety walk-through surveys of homes will be provided free of charge for neighborhood residents requesting the services at one of the many canopy/tables set up by the department in Newman Park. You can also call the Fire Prevention Division at 915-771-1090 and make an appointment for this Saturday. Since smoke detectors will be installed on a first come first served basis and based on available supply, phone-in appointments prior to Saturday are encouraged.

Here is the press release from the Fire Department about the event:

Fire Prevention Community Outreach at Newman Park

Lisa D. Takes El Pasoans "On the Road"

"Lisa D."

Communications Goddess and Newmanista, Lisa Degliantoni, is taking El Paso "On the Road". Using YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, Whrrl, text messaging and more, Lisa guides us as we discover great spots in all 50 states. Her new program streams live online at http://www.khro1650.com every Saturday from 5 to 6:00 p.m. Check out her blog On the Road with Lisa D., Rediscovering America.

Here's the press release:

Talk Radio Goes 4D via “On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America”

3.1.11 – Lauded border region talk radio host Lisa Degliantoni (Lisa D.) has launched a new radio project taking multimedia audiences all over the world on virtual and real adventures across America.

Using the latest digital and online platforms and content partners in all 50 states, “On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America” connects audiences no matter where they are to great spots around the U.S. via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, Whrrl, text messaging, and more. Audience-generated content and reviews from fans on travel news & tips. provide a truly interactive experience for followers of the show, who can also take advantage of giveaways, intimate and off-the-cuff interviews with event organizers, tips from foodies, and just about anything else that can help them plan an excellent adventure.

"It's amazing just how much you can discover in the next town," says Degliantoni, former host of "The Lisa D Show" on 1150 AM Talk Radio in El Paso, Texas. "We're aiming to help Americans rediscover the exciting, diverse and picturesque travel options we have in our own 50 states while the power of the Web will give international visitors the chance to experience America in a whole new way."

Degliantoni launches this timely, technologically innovative project with more than 10 years of media experience. The last Managing Editor of Spy Magazine, Degliantoni has also revamped and maximized online, print and on-air media in the world's largest border community of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. She served as Editor in Chief of El Paso Media Group, overseeing El Paso’s only monthly magazine El Paso Magazine and taking local news website www.newspapertree.com from a for-profit news outlet to a nonprofit news paradigm—the first of its kind in the market. A veteran of the airways, Degliantoni hosted talk radio shows “Charlando con la Gringa” and “The Lisa D. Show”.

“On the Road with Lisa D.—Rediscovering America” will stream online every Saturday from 5 to 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time at http://www.khro1650.com/. The latest schedule, archived interviews, and news about the show can be found online at www.ontheroadwithlisad.blogspot.com. All media queries can be directed to 915-238-6624 or otrwld@gmail.com