Solo Recorder Recital at St. Alban's Episcopal Church

Make plans now to attend Music Forum El Paso’s presentation of a solo recorder recital by Dale Taylor with special assistance by Sam Rhodes at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday April 18 right here in the neighborhood at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1810 Elm Street (the SE corner of Elm and Wheeling). Admission is free and open to the public.

Music from over 900 years will be performed on a variety of recorders and modern bassoon. Included will be an arrangement of the Bach Suite #3 for solo Cello in C major, works by Albinoni, Bassano, Quantz, Telemann, Ziani and van Eyck, contemporary works by Amico Dolci and Dale Taylor, anonymous cantigas from the court of Afonso el sabio and a late medieval estampie from the court of Milan. For students of the recorder, Mr. Taylor will perform the last number of the concert on a school-grade plastic instrument.

Dale Taylor recently moved to El Paso. He studied with Bernard Krainis, Philip Levin and Arnold Grayson, and has performed all across the country on recorders and other early winds. He built fine hand-made copies of museum instruments with Levin Historical Instruments (some of which he will use in this concert) in New York and is in demand as a repairman, workshop clinician and private teacher.

Dale Taylor will be interviewed on Monica Gomez’s State of the Arts, KTEP FM, at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday April 11.

Samuel Rhodes is the principal bassoonist in the El Paso Symphony and El Paso Opera. He will assist Mr. Taylor in a work for recorder and bassoon written by Mr. Taylor and based upon the rhythmic games found in Renaissance, medieval and Balkan folk music.

Enjoy recorder music by Teleman - Concerto Recorder & Transverse Flute:

Neighbor Witnesses Worker Littering

The work continues on the alley way between Savannah and Frankfort from Kentucky east. The work continues and so does the littering.

About 7:20 a.m. this morning a neighbor watched as one of the workers littered the street with a 6 fluid ounce plastic bottle of Cacique Yonique Strawberry Banana Yogurt. First he threw the bottle cap on the ground and then the bottle after he had finished eating.

The pictures above show the contracted worker's (and litterer's) truck with the bottle underneath. Be on the alert for the litterer who drives this truck with Utah car tags:

The City of El Paso has often expressed that it cares about having a clean, litter-free environment. However, when it comes to supervising workers and contractors, the City of El Paso does not show that it values a clean environment. Instead, it perpetuates the culture of trash.

JAR Construction , Inc. is the principal City of El Paso hired contractor. Joey Rosales of JAR says:

"The truck pictured is not one of JAR Construction’s trucks. Our employees do not use their personal vehicles, they use the company owed vehicles with the JAR company logo on them. There are several other contractors doing work in that area. JAR has been in business for over 51 years and has a great reputation with the City of El Paso and has been a client of theirs for almost the same. It is our practice to follow safety procedures and respect the cleanliness of El Paso."

Streets Director, Daryl Cole, does not know who the truck belongs to.

In Spite City Promises Mayfield Wildscape Again Assaulted by Contractors

In spite of assurances from the City Manager's office and the Streets Department, Mayfield Wildscape is again under assault by contractors hired by the City of El Paso to do work in the alleyway between Savannah and Frankfort Avenues.

Dug up pavement and concrete now litter the site as do plastic soda bottles that quenched the thirst of workers.

Above shows the dumping and debris.

Here are JAR Construction workers walking away as I take photos:

El Paso's Mayoral Candidates

There's a whole slew of candidates who want to be elected Mayor of El Paso on May 9th including the incumbent, John Cook. As always, Newspaper Tree has the "scoop" with videos of comments by each candidate.

Go to Mayoral nuggets: A quick look at the candidates on Newspaper Tree.

My big question: Are there any "green" candidates for Mayor? Not once were any of the words "environment", "open space" or "sustainability" used. We already know that John Cook is running as far away from impact fees as he can. He has also deemed as "potheads" those who agree with Beto O'Rourke that there should be a new debate on the American drug war policy.

El Paso Safe in spite of Border Violence According to Sheriff Wiles

Sheriff Wiles was the guest speaker at Representative Susie Byrd's monthly Thursday morning breakfast yesterday. The Sheriff spoke about consolidating services between the County Sheriff's Department, the City of El Paso and other local municipalities. Consolidation makes some services more efficient and cost-effective.

He also discussed border security. Wiles speculated that, one of the reasons El Paso has remained so safe in spite of the violence in Mexico, is the fear the drug cartels have that the border might shut down if violence spreads into the United States. Sheriff Wiles praised the Obama administration for reviving a program to fund the hiring of new law enforcement officers for a period of 3 years. He also was encouraged by the administration's plan to put 100 new ATF agents along the border.

Representative Susie Byrd holds public meetings every first Thursday and third Saturday of the month. Thursday breakfast meetings are held at Tierra del Sol Restaurant, 4201 Alabama, at 7:30 a.m. The Saturday morning meetings continue at the Memorial Park Library, 3200 Copper, at 10:00 a.m.

She is currently running for re-election.

Let's Go Fly Some Kites: First Fridays Begin Tomorrow at Newman Park

First Fridays are all about getting outdoors, visiting neighborhood friends, meeting neighbors and celebrating our beautiful Newman Park. According to Lee Byrd, "First Fridays are for remembering what a great treasure we have in Newman Park and what a great neighborhood we live in." First Fridays will go from now through October.

The first First Friday begins tomorrow, April 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Come for all of it or at any time that you wish. Picnic, fly a kite, play a board game, take a walk and just enjoy time with your fellow Newmanistas.

Kite-flying weather should be great. Newman Park Neighborhood Association Board member, Becky Ayala, is donating 32 kites.

Let's go fly a kite!!!

Spruce Up Your Front Yard: Great American Clean-up Is This Saturday

Above: some of last year's Newman Park clean-up crew: Jim, Lisa, Ruben, Eddie, Louie and Miles

Once again the Newman Park neighborhood will be participating in the Great American Clean-up sponsored by Keep El Paso Beautiful this Saturday, April 4. This biannual clean-up is sponsored also by the El Paso Fire Department, Environmental Services Department, the El Paso Street Department and Neighborhood Services and Community Volunteers. All of us are working for a cleaner, healthier city.

A roll off will be available until Noon at Newman Park along Louisiana. Bring all the clutter and debris from in and around your home that you would like.

The Newman Park Neighborhood Association is asking neighbors to focus especially on their front yards this spring. If you need tools, know that there are public tool sheds nearby that are sponsored by Keep El Paso Beautiful.

Once again this year six Firestone locations in El Paso will be accepting old tires. You can leave old tires by the roll off and El Paso Environmental Services will pick them up. Do not put the tires in the roll off.

You can also get involved by:

Joining Board members at 8 a.m. at the park to clean-up Cleaning up your front yard Bringing throwaways to the park where a big roll off will be available until Noon
Taking old tires to Firestone locations
Walking through the alleys and pick up trash
Walking down your block and remove trash from plants and curbs

Keep El Paso Beautiful has recently won the 2009 Governor's Community Achievement Award for outstanding community improvement. Winning communities were chosen for their achievements in community leadership and coordination, education, public awareness, litter prevention and cleanup, illegal dumping enforcement, beautification and property improvement, and solid waste management. As a result of this award, KEPB will receive $265,000 from TxDOT which will be used for further beautification in the City of El Paso.