4th Annual Park Olympics This Saturday

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Byrd Gets Park Olympics Trophy

Rep. Susie Byrd, Chuy, Jim Tolbert, Judy Gutierrez

This past Saturday Representative Susie Byrd received the coveted traveling trophy won by the Newman Park Neighborhood Association Fighting Chihuahuas at the 2nd Annual Park Olympics. Newman Park Neighborhood Association President Jim Tolbert presented her and her Assistant, Judy Gutierrez, with the prize. They will display it proudly at the El Paso's District Two office at City Hall during the coming year. Although Chuy, the trophy, will be up for grabs again next year, Las Vegas odds makers are already saying that the Mexican mongrels are the odds-on favorites to win again.

Fighting Chihuahuas Get the Gold!

Paco Dominguez slam dunks another point for the Fighting Chihuahuas.

The Fighting Chihuahuas of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association took the "gold" trophy at the Second Annual Park Olympics. Competing against four other neighborhood associations (Manhattan Heights, Kern Place, Mission Hills and Rim Road) the Chihuahuas swept all of the volleyball and tug-of-war contests and did well in enough of the other contests to be certified the victors by an unbiased group of judges from the University of Texas at El Paso. The final point tally was Newman Park-24, Mission Hills-19 and Kern Place-14.

When asked why Newman Park easily won the day, tug-of-war captain and volleyball sensation, Paco Dominguez, responded: "We won because we were the better nourished team. After all, we have Papaburgers, Kiki's and the House of Pizza."

Robert Taylor, Becky Friesenhahn, Jim Tolbert

At the end of the contest, Becky Friesenhahn, the head of the Olympics Committee, presented the trophy to Jim Tolbert, President of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association. Tolbert along with NPNA Treasurer, Robert Taylor, then presented Becky with gifts thanking her for her dedicated work as Vice-President of the Association for 4 years and tireless organizer of many of the organization's other events including the Park Olympics.

Radio La Chusma

The very popular Radio La Chusma closed out the day with their great style of music as people from all five Associations enjoyed grilled hamburgers and hot dogs provided by Representative Susie Byrd's office.

Commenting on the success of the event, Becky Friesenhahn said: "Once again, Newman rocked the house!!!"

A Message from El Presidente about Tomorrow's Park Olympics

Greetings Newmanistas,

Tomorrow we will host the 2^nd Annual Park Olympics. Four other neighborhood associations will join us: Manhattan Heights, Kern Place, Rim Road and Mission Hills. There will be plenty of games for all ages – some competitive and some not – but all for fun. I hope all of you can come out and have a great time beginning at 4 p.m. at our beautiful Newman Park. Many of you will want to participate in the games and many of you will want to just enjoy being with your neighbors and cheering those who do compete – again just for fun. We aren’t out to prove anything and we want everyone from all the different associations to have a good time. Around 7 our Association will serve grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. People from different neighborhoods will bring side dishes. There will be plenty of soda pop and water.

Remember to get your Fighting Chihuahua T-Shirt whether you are a team player or team supporter.

As there will be many people enjoying our park and probably more will join us when the very popular Radio La Chusma begins to play at 7:30, expect that there will be more cars parked along our streets. Know that El Paso’s finest plan some extra patrols just to keep an eye on things for us. When you come to the park, please be sure your homes are secure and turn on your porch lights. Love your neighbor – be your neighbor’s keeper as well.

Keep in mind that there are a few simple park rules for our safety. No glass containers of any kind and no alcoholic beverages. Dogs should be on a leash – even Chihuahuas. Always (not just tomorrow) pick-up your dog’s droppings. There are bags for that at the park or you can bring your own. (I have a friend who recycles plastic grocery bags for this very purpose.) Frankly, the park tomorrow may not be the best place anyway for an animal because there will be so much going on. There aren’t too many people who smoke any more. Keep in mind that many people (especially ex-smokers) are very sensitive to cigar and cigarette smoke.

Finally, please help us keep a clean park. There are trash bins and there will be large yard waste bags to accommodate all of our trash. Please pick-up after yourself and your children and help gather any litter.

I’m excited. I’ve been looking forward to this event for a year. Please join me in thanking Becky Friesenhahn especially. She has been the Chief Organizer of this event. Also take time to greet and thank members of the other Associations who also worked very hard to make tomorrow a success and fun for all.

Sincerely,

Jim H. Tolbert

President

Newman Park Neighborhood Association

915-525-7364

jimhtolbert@elp.rr.com
www.newmanpark.blogspot.com

Get Your Newman Park T-Shirt Now

With the Park Olympics coming up this Saturday, NPNA Fighting Chihuahua T-Shirts will be available to buy for the Olympics and for any other occasion to show your neighborhood pride. Here's what this year's shirts look like:

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The shirts come in a variety of sizes - both adult and youth. They either have the full logo/picture on the front or the smaller chest emblem. You can also buy a shirt with "79930" on the back. Specify full front or chest emblem and whether you want the zip code on the back. Sizes now available: youth medium and large; adult large and x-large. There are also adult small and medium with full front only and a choice of the zip code on back or not.

T-shirts are just $10 each.

Order by email or on the day of the Park Olympics.

Second Annual Park Olympics August 20th

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Get Ready for the Park Olympics

Get ready for the Second Annual Park Olympics! This year your Newman Park Neighborhood Association is sponsoring the Olympics at Newman Park on August 20^th beginning at 4 p.m.

Four other neighborhood associations will futilely take on the Fighting Chihuahuas of Newman Park. They are: Manhattan Heights, Rim Road, Mission Hills and Kern Place Neighborhood Associations.

There will be games for everyone. Points will be awarded to 1st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners. The Neighborhood Association with the most points accumulated at the end of the evening will take home the traveling trophy. Games for points will include Volleyball, Tug-of-War, 3-Legged Race and a Sack Race for adults; and Tug-of-War, 3-Legged Race, Balloon Shave Cream, Sack Race and an Obstacle Course for children. There will also be plenty of games and activities just for fun including chalk art, hula hoop, piñata, Washa and Pétanque.

Plan now to participate or cheer your Fighting Chihuahuas to certain victory.

Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served at 7 p.m. Then, at 7:30 p.m., Radio La Chusma.

So make plans now. Mark your calendars. Put a big note up on the refrigerator door. Tag the Chihuahua.

In case you missed it, Newman Park surrealist sculptor, Ho Baron, was featured in an El Paso Times story about him and a lesser known artist, Hal Marcus, and their outdoor art. Really now. Can anyone even begin to compete with Ho’s yard art?

Finally, congratulations to Newmanista Willie Kucera who recently celebrated his 106^th birthday. Willie is the oldest member of the Military Order of the World Wars nationwide. The Fort Bliss Monitor Online published this story when Willie turned 105.

Vaya con Dios!

¡Hola Vecinos!© is an emailed newsletter for the people and businesses in the Newman Park neighborhood of El Paso, their friends and other interested persons. It is written and published by Jim Tolbert who takes sole responsibility for the content of the letter. To subscribe or unsubscribe, just reply to this letter or email jimhtolbert@elp.rr.com.

Please visit www.newmanpark.blogspot.com and www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com.

The mission of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association is to improve the quality of life in the Newman Park neighborhood through care and attention to the park and surrounding areas, and to build a community network of care, watchfulness and concern for each other and our beautiful desert environment.

This is Volume 5 and Number 25 published on August 5, 2011

Newman Park to Host 2011 Park Olympics

George Saucedo (far left) checks tires for the obstacle course

In a thank you email acknowledging the hard work of so many who made the First Annual Park Olympics a huge success, Mission Hills President George Saucedo accepted the invitation of Newman Park to host the 2011 Park Olympics:

To all,

Thank you all for being a part to the first ever Park Olympics, held for the 1st time at Mission Hills Park, a fun competition between neighborhoods, for our children and parents, for camaraderie and friendship.

Jim Tolbert remarked that this was my brainchild. Actually it was the brainchild of my daughter Madison, who, after attending one of our planning meetings said there should be more than just movie nights, Halloween parties, block parties, BBQ's, Mini-Dribbler camps, swim meets, etc.(you get the idea). I asked her, that if she was serious about this idea, she should put it down on paper and present it at the next board meeting. She outlined the general idea in a 2-page format, presented it and the rest was history. So obviously, my first "kudos" go to my daughter-THANK YOU!!

There are a lot of other people I'd like to thank as well:

Steve Yellen-your enthusiasm was relentless. When I first talked to you about this, you generated a slew of ideas and of course recommended the movie “The Kids who Saved Summer". No UTEP BB players showed, but we all understand that many of them were out of town and could not make it, maybe next year.

John Moye- for showing up to every meeting we had and bringing a small, but enthusiastic group, especially the Patanque group.

Lynn Coyle- for presenting the idea to the Newman Park board and handing this off to Jim Tolbert.

Bob Halter- for getting an email blast out to the Kern Place Assoc. at the last minute.

David and Denise from CroosFit/The Human Lab (on Doniphan Park Circle) for use of their tires and sand bags for the obstacle race.

Isaac Valles- for putting together the Super Slide(which I think was key to the success we had).

James Shaheen- who put BB together

Charlie Entebbe- who put soccer together

George Cisneros- for coming by to help us finish putting together the Super Slide/Obstacle Race competition.

To the board of the Mission Hills Park Association for not only bringing this all together, but helping where help was needed(organizationally, team captains, etc.).

Jim Tolbert of Newman Park- who enthusiastically brought a most formidable team to the Olympics, had them totally organized, helped where help was needed, competed fiercely and helped Newman Park to a 2nd Place finish.

Finally to Lisa, my wife and daughter Madison, who put up w/ all the planning and distraction, especially after being out of town in the week leading up to the Olympics.

Newman Park has graciously offered to host the 2011 Park Olympics. We will be there in force to defend our title and know that Kern and Rim will be there in force as well.

Thank you all again!

George Saucedo

Jim Tolbert, President of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association had previously emailed this thank you to Mr. Saucedo:

Hi George,

On behalf of the Newman Park Neighborhood Association and its Board of Directors, I thank you, the Mission Hills Neighborhood Association and its Board for a great get-together at Mission Hills Park this past Saturday. The First Annual Park Olympics – your brainchild – was a huge success and we all loved it and had a great time. We appreciate your hospitality and the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones.

We wish to extend to you and your Association an invitation to the Second Annual Park Olympics at Newman Park next summer. We would like to see this become a valued tradition of our neighborhoods as well as Rim and Kern and perhaps others. We know that the Park Olympics is the “baby” of Mission Hills. We are so grateful to you for the idea and appreciative that you chose us to be part of it. We hope that you will favorably consider sharing the event by letting it travel to a different neighborhood where possible each year.

Accept our invitation for hosting the Olympics next summer along with our thanks for a great day of fun.

All the best to you and yours.

Jim H. Tolbert

Fighting Chihuahuas: Get ready for 2011!

Fighting Chihuahuas take on Mission Hills in first volley ball game of the Olympics

Fighting Chihuahuas Take "Silver" at First Park Olympics

Newmanista Susie Byrd prepares to slam the volleyball for a point

The Fighting Chihuahuas of Newman Park Neighborhood Association were just a tug of war match away from the gold . . . but it wasn't to be. Hosts, Mission Hills, walked away with some bragging rights as well as an invitation to come to Newman Park next year for a re-match.

The First Annual Park Olympics were the brainchild of George Saucedo (Saucedo Brothers Locksmiths on Texas Avenue), President of the Mission Hills Neighborhood Association. Kern Place and Rim Road also sent residents to participate and have a day of fun this past Saturday. The games ended with Mariachi music. Hot dogs and a smorgasbord of potluck dishes and sliced pizza fed the multitude. Insights El Paso Science Museum provided additional entertainment for children young and old.

Ori Coyle Dominguez gets set for the slip and slide contest

Valerie Friesenhahn and Hannah Hollandbyrd pull opponents to their side in tug-of-war

The Estradas came to have fun

Becky Friesenhahn and Lynn Coyle hanging and having a great time