Featured Article
"Art is Not Dead" Show at The Percolator
by NPT Staff
The Percolator is located at 217 N. Stanton and will celebrate an art opening tonight from 5-9 p.m. The owner Bobby Smith plans to feature art on the coffee shop walls from now on.
Posted on May 9, 2008
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Top Stories
EPISO Walks for Water and Sewers
May 9, 2008 (Opinion)
Holguin Pushes Stormwater Fee Rollback
May 9, 2008 (News)
Calendar of Events 5.9.08: Billy Townes and Billy the Kid
May 9, 2008 (Culture)
NPT Family Tree: Bloggers and the Commissioners Court Resolution
May 8, 2008 (Features)
Voter IDs: a Modern Poll Tax?
May 8, 2008 (Opinion)
Shopping the Downtown Plan, Phase Two
May 7, 2008 (Opinion)
Rush Puts Racial Foot in Mouth With "Shoeshine Guy" Comment, And He's Not Alone
May 7, 2008 (Opinion)
Special Report
Featured Video
Jay J. Armes, Private Investigator, PM MAGAZINE
From the YouTube blurb: "Years ago, I was a co-host for PM Magazine, a nationally syndicated show that aired in major markets here in the USA. I produced many feature stories about unique people. None were as inspiring as this story about Jay Armes."
Local Headlines
Event Calendar
Billy Townes Performs with Guitarist Steve Marquez
Friday, May 9
12 Children Finalize Adoptions in Mass Ceremony
Friday, May 9
"Art is Not Dead" Show at The Percolator
Friday, May 9
Verse & Harmony: An Evening of Open Mic Poetry & Music
Saturday, May 10
News
Historic Veto: Cook Cancels Council Decision Against Homeowner
Posted on May 2, 2008
Cook issued the veto this afternoon, overturning the council’s approval of the appeal filed by residents of the Austin Terrace Historic District of a decision by the city’s Historic Land Mark Commission to give the Valenzuelas a certificate of appropriateness for the design of their home.
The Public Heard, it's Time for Stormwater Fee Reductions
Posted on May 6, 2008
Reductions are planned, but for who and how much, you'll have to wait until the PSB meeting Wednesday evening.
- Historic Correction? City Will Work With Home-Builder to Fix Permit Mistake
- The city will make it right with the property owner, West Central city Rep. Susie Byrd said. And the city staff will need to get better at checking building permits, something for which the department previously had been warned.
- Holguin Pushes Stormwater Fee Rollback
- A familiar back-and-forth: The issue is fees and taxes, Holguin said, not whether improvements on the city drainage system are needed, or if so, what level of improvement is needed. Fellow council member Ortega said he'd welcome a discussion on policy alternatives.
- Asarco, City Agree on $1.2 Million Penalty Stemming from 1990s Waste Disposal
- The agreement, signed in April, apparently ends one of the battles between the city and Asarco. Review the six-page document, and read NPT background articles on the issue.
- Stormwater Fees Go Down
- Residential and non-residential fees will be reduced by 37 percent, effective June 7, 2008. Because the fee reduction reflects revenues collected for March, April and May, the new fees are not retroactive.
- A Historic Mistake: Property Owner May Have to Tear Down Partially Completed Home
- The city gave them a building permit, but now requires that a Central El Paso home-builder in a historic district stop construction and possibly tear down the partially completed home and start over. The would-be home-owner, an El Paso ex-pat, says it's the city's mistake and he plans to sue.
- Apartment Owners File Stormwater Lawsuit
- The lawsuit charges the stormwater fee is really a tax prohibited by the Texas Constitution, and also that it violates the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and is discriminatory because most apartment renters are minorities.
- Reyes Comments on Border Fence
- "From the testimony we heard today, it is clear that DHS is not communicating with the border communities that would be most adversely affected by this project." -- Reyes speaking at a subcommittee hearing titled “Walls and Waivers: Expedited Construction of the Southern Border Wall and the Collateral Impacts on Communities and the Environment.”
Opinion
There's No Sparing the Change
Posted on May 4, 2008
If we’re in a genteel neighborhood we want to protect it from the barbarians. If we’re in a funky neighborhood we want to protect it from gentrification. All this over a house? But it really does make sense.
- A Written Exchange Regarding HACEP, and Public Information
- What I thought was a routine request for documents has turned into a back-and-forth e-mail debate that has gone on for weeks. In addition, the exchange revealed a discrepancy in some information I was given.
- Social Engineering and Unintended Consequences
- A request from developers for a 30-day delay on subdivision rules, which City Council will consider today. From the letter: "What began as an effort to improve on a system that has had failings in the past appears to have blossomed into an effort at social engineering."
- EPISO Walks for Water and Sewers
- EPISO members and representatives from churches in the area are now going door-to-door in the community to ensure that residents are aware of the election and the board's role. Voters will be encouraged to go to the ballot box on Saturday, May 10.
- Voter IDs: a Modern Poll Tax?
- Despite innuendo, there actually is no proof of any widespread fraud in Texas, at least not the kind that government ID would take care of. In fact, there are far greater possibilities of fraud or malfunction with Texas’ paperless electronic voting machines.
- Shopping the Downtown Plan, Phase Two
- City Economic Development Director Kathy Dodson wrote pointedly in the El Paso Times that "Any concerns that retail development is not supported are unwarranted, and we recognize that it is integral to Downtown revitalization." But what if it isn't?
- Rush Puts Racial Foot in Mouth With "Shoeshine Guy" Comment, And He's Not Alone
- As a member of the largest minority ethnic group and a member of the media, I am continually puzzled and outraged by the idea that anyone can say anything about Latinos without fearing any consequence. Rush, Lou Dobbs, and a host of shock jocks are well aware of this different set of rules.
- Readers Respond: Rebirth of Cool
- Some of you think there's no cool left, and no redemption. Others keep the faith. Your responses to "El Paso Needs the Rebirth of Cool."
Politics
$131 Million Hunt-PSB Land Sale Back On
Posted on May 6, 2008
Council members suggested that Hunt was backing out because it had bid too much for the land, especially in light of the looming national recession driven by the crisis in home financing. But after the hot words, negotiations quietly resumed between the city and Hunt.
City Council Approves New Development Rules
Posted on May 6, 2008
The vote to approve new subdivision rules came after the defeat of a motion to postpone action on the ordinance for 30 days as requested by developers.
- The Inner Loop: Pledging a Negative Campaign
- Why would a Democratic stalwart in El Paso sound like a Republican from Mississippi? Must be a Clinton-Obama thing. Yes, it's still primary season! And, does it matter if someone left town?
- The Inner Loop: Democratic Mass Marketing
- Democrats in El Paso are pretty active. Report on Republicans coming, just as soon as it comes.
- Postpone Subdivision Ordinance? It's a Close Call
- Developers request an extension for more review, but the City Council member who has taken the lead in working on the proposals says the changes are ready to go.
- Commissioners Resolution: U.S. Immigration Policy Fails
- "Instead of rejection and hatred, we should all be working toward making our border communities and our U.S. society more hospitable and humane." -- From a resolution passed by El Paso County Commissioners Court Monday.
- On the Agenda: May 5-9
- The Hunt-PSB land deal officially is back on the city agenda. At the county, they're talking phones for inmates. At the PSB, they're considering changing rates for the stormwater district. A look ahead at some key government meetings.
- Development Rules Approved
- The vote in favor of portions of the new subdivision ordinance -- the rules for how new neighborhoods will look -- sets up next week's final vote on the package of changes.
- Shaping the City: Subdivision Ordinance in Stretch Run
- Few seem satisfied about the rules under consideration Tuesday at City Council. The rules would widen sidewalks, narrow streets and increase park space.
Features
Gina is a Woman Now
Posted on May 7, 2008
Gina, born male, has achieved a woman's life. She is married to a man, makes a living, and is proud of living through her struggle.
On Bob Bullock, the Genius of Power, and How He Helped Make Bush
Posted on April 18, 2008
By background and by upbringing Bob Bullock and his protégé couldn’t have been more different. Bullock was self-made power, not self-made money, as opposed to George W. Bush, who was born with both. But they saw something in each other.
- NPT Sunday Under the Tree: On Change, Cool and Lucha Libre
- The best in commentary, analysis, opinion and essays from the Center of North America.
- NPT Special: Rich Wright
- Ten columns from one of El Paso's best writers. Taken as a whole, it is a wide-ranging story about the Center of North America.
- NPT Family Tree: Bloggers and the Commissioners Court Resolution
- From left to right, from smart to ...., from highbrow to lowbrow and all shades in-between, the Web offers plenty of reading. Highlighted here are some of the reads available at the El Paso stop on the information superhighway. Feel free to send in your suggestions and we'll make this an ongoing feature.
- NPT Weekly: El Paso Cool, Lomas, Lucha, and the Best Saxophone Player in Mexico
- The best new, used, and updated stories for the week of April 28-May 2. Scroll to the bottom for longer-form pieces, including a review of Lomas de Poleo and an interview with the city's redevelopment manager. We also have news pieces, and photo essays and commentary. Read at your leisure!
- Fasting at the Plaza de Los Lagartos
- Despite winds that reached about 48 mph Thursday, about a dozen fasters and their supporters spent hours in the Downtown Plaza to promote immigrants' rights.
- Lomas de Poleo, and the Value of Land and People
- Ringed in by mean guards and forbidding towers that evoke images of J.R. Tolkein's Mordor, long-settled families are locked in an ownership battle over hundreds of acres of land with members of the Zaragoza family, one of Ciudad Juarez's most powerful clans.
- Media Watch: It's Raining Media on Saturday
- Two Saturday events at which you can Meet the Press. Early, it's NPT at the Pearson Group, and later, Gary Warner at the El Paso Press Club.
Elections
NPT Special Report: District 3 Candidate Guide
Posted on April 30, 2008
City Council District 3 candidates answer questions regarding industry, stormwater, development, and the challenges of the district.
NPT District 3 Questionnaire: Fabiola Ruiz-Arras
Posted on April 30, 2008
City Council District 3 candidate Fabiola Ruiz-Arras answers questions regarding industry, stormwater, development, and the challenges of the district.
- NPT District 3 Questionnaire: John Burch
- City Council District 3 candidate John Burch answers questions regarding industry, stormwater, development, and the challenges of the district.
- NPT District 3 Questionnaire: Emma Acosta
- City Council District 3 candidate Emma Acosta answers questions regarding industry, stormwater, development, and the challenges of the district.
- NPT District 3 Questionnaire: Naomi Gonzalez
- City Council District 3 candidate Naomi Gonzalez answers questions regarding industry, stormwater, development, and the challenges of the district.
- NPT District 3 Questionnaire: Joseph Villescas
- City Council District 3 candidate Joseph Villescas answers questions regarding industry, stormwater, development, and the challenges of the district.
- Leon Announces Endorsements, Candidates Tangle Tonight
- Leon announces endorsements, and a forum takes place this evening on the East Side. A little update on the sheriff race.
- Texas Democratic Party: The Caucus Must Go On
- Texas Democratic Party will not do as suggested by one campaign and circumvent Party rules to set up an unnecessary, ad hoc "verification" process that could effectively disqualify delegates selected at their precinct conventions after the fact.
- The Inner Loop 3.17.08: Reyes Headlines for Chavez
- There's still an election to be had. Fund-raisers for Chavez and Gutierrez. Also, a peek ahead at city politics, and some lobbying (hint, think land sale) at City Hall.
Culture
"Art is Not Dead" Show at The Percolator
Posted on May 9, 2008
The Percolator is located at 217 N. Stanton and will celebrate an art opening tonight from 5-9 p.m. The owner Bobby Smith plans to feature art on the coffee shop walls from now on.
Photo Essay: Lucha Libre
Posted on May 1, 2008
The theatrical sport made its way onto our own city streets with a recent match on Zaragosa Avenue. Several El Paso photographers attended the event and came back with these up close and personal images.
- Calendar of Events 5.2: Flamenco and Mannheim Steamroller
- Music and politics. Get out there or get in there. Just get.
- The Best Saxophone Player in Mexico. George Harrison Said So.
- Only four of the seven members of The 7 Teens are still alive. One of them plays jazz at Yankee’s bar on Avenida Juarez. Beto, who met George Harrison on the Ed Sullivan show in 1963, teaches music at the University of Juarez.
- Calendar of Events 5.9.08: Billy Townes and Billy the Kid
- Big wheel keeps on turning. Get out and roll.
- Chucobilly at the Desert Crossing
- Like Al Gore invented the internet, I invented rockabilly in El Paso. Or maybe it was me and some other guys, like the Fernandez brothers, and the Hemperly's, and maybe Troy Calhoun. Maybe rockabilly in El Paso was like calculus, developed by Leibniz and Newton at the same time separately.
- "This Play is a Nightmare": Director Chuck Gorden on Macbeth
- The show continues Friday and Saturday night, 8 p.m., and Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the Wise Family Theater on the UTEP campus.
- Rie Kawakami at Olo Gallery
- Kawakami’s work is surprisingly broad. I say surprising because I witnessed the shaping of the large-scale sculpture and presumed that was her sole project. In fact, her productivity while “in residence” covers much more than steel fabrication.
- Calendar of Events 4.24.08: Chess and Combat
- Do it.
Sports
NPT at the Masters
Posted on April 10, 2008
Winning a online lottery, three El Pasoans gained access to the practice rounds leading up to this weekend's Masters Tournament.
- The 74th Annual Brut Sun Bowl: El Paso's Grand Fiesta
- At the end of every year, fans and community leaders gather to celebrate the biggest party of the year -- the Sun Bowl. Got Brut?
- NFL Says Show Me the Money; Fans Say, Show Us the Game
- A brief primer on the issues involved as titans struggle over your money; meanwhile, a few places to watch the game. You know which one we're talking about. If you don't hint: It's a team from the Dallas area playing a team from a cheese-producing state in a sport featuring an oval projectile.
- Miners Coming on, With Three Chances at Postseason
- Though UTEP got knocked out of this tournament, there will be more to come. This was the first of many obstacles that the young Miners will endure this season. After watching the Miners in their first three games, they have the size and the speed to compete for a spot in one of the three post-season tournaments.
- Sports Nut Says "Run it Up"!
- Who is this guy? Tom Brady? Next thing you know Montwood quarterback David Reza will be seen with some Victoria’s Secret model at the mall. In last week's game, after a hot first half, Coach Veliz toned down his guy. I respect that, but at the same time, I have not lost any respect for Belichick. He is making a point to the National Football League that the Patriots may be the best team ever.
- Sports Nut Goes UTEP Hoops
- You know what they say, size does matter. And UTEP sure has that. Head coach Tony Barbee begins his second season here in El Paso. Barbee’s ballers will try to improve upon a 14-17 record of a year ago.
- The Sporting Meltdown
- ESPN, our most beloved cable channel besides Cinemax late at night, has pegged its top stories revolve around some sort of “meltdown.” Sports Center ’s top stories have included Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy and the New York Mets. A "meltdown" is defined as “choking," “tanking” and even “paralysis.” Then there is the animated rant or very loud rebuttal.
- Belichick and New England Part of that Cheating Sports History
- From Barry Bonds steroid issues (which everyone has to be sick and tired of hearing about) to NBA referees gambling on games and making calls that will save their knee caps from getting shattered by big mob bosses -- where is the honesty?
