This Weekend’s Open House Listings In El Paso

EL PASO, TX —Everyone loves starting off the new year with a clean slate, but it wold feel good to start it off in a new home too.

If you’re looking to find that new home in 2018, why not let the pros handle it and start with the open house listings on realtor.com.

Open house events are a great way to find the home you really want without wasting your time going house to house.

Take a look at the open houses in and near El Paso listed by our partners at realtor.com.

Would you like real estate listings and open house events delivered right your inbox? Sign up for the free Patch.com/texas newsletter for your area.

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Moscow Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ to feature young area dancers in El Paso performances

Each holiday season, the Plaza Theatre becomes a place where Christmas magic happens.

Sugar plum fairies, snowflakes and mice come to life. Life-sized matrushka dolls reveal dancing moors. A nutcracker becomes a prince.

They are all part of the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. The internationally acclaimed dance troupe will perform the holiday classic at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 23 and at noon Dec. 24 at Downtown’s Plaza Theatre.

Not only does the ballet feature renowned dancers from Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries, it features many talented, young dancers from Las Cruces and Alamogordo, as well.

More: Steve Aoki takes Kolony Tour to El Paso County Coliseum with special guest Designer

Moscow Ballet performer Romana Dumanska travelled to dance studios in Southern New Mexico earlier this year to audition young performers and prepare them for the show.

"It’s a lot of work," the Ukrainian-born dancer said during a phone interview before a performance in Indiana. "They have 2 or 4 days to learn the choreography and 8 weeks of rehearsal."

Area dance students auditioned at the Las Cruces School of Dance and Music and the Alamogordo Academy of Ballet in October. The studios are owned by Monique Foster. More than 30 students were cast in roles of party children, mice, snowflakes, snow maidens and others, to perform alongside the 40-plus professional ballerinas and dancers in the Moscow Ballet.

Ukrainian-born dancer Romana Dumanska is a performer and audition director with the Moscow Ballet.

"We worked with the teacher, Monica," Dumanska said. "All the kids were great. It’s a new thing for them. It’s really interesting for them to be able to perform with dancers from the other side of the world. I think they feel so special because of the audition and all the roles are really important to the show."

Dumanska, who dances in the show with the snowflakes, has been a member of the Moscow Ballet, travelling, performing and auditioning children for about a year.

"I come, audition kids for about two hours, work with them and spend a day doing rehearsal," Dumanska said. "We record the choreography and then the teachers rehearse with them."

By the time the ballet returns to town, all of the performers are expected to know their choreography.

Prior to joining the Moscow Ballet in the U.S., Dumanska was a ballet teacher at the Lviv School of Classical and Modern Ballet in Ukraine. She won first place for her solo performance of "Napoli" in the International Ballet and Contemporary Dance Competition in Lecce, Italy; was a finalist at the 2017 international Dance Competition in Spoleto, Italy; and was a finalist in the 2015 and 2016 Kiev Grand Prix International Ballet Competition. She has been dancing professionally since 2014, after graduating from the Lviv State Ballet School.

While dancing is Dumanska’s first love, she also gets joy from teaching dance to young students.

"The kids are really excited," Dumanska said. "I love the feeling when you see them see their costumes for the first time. (Moscow Ballet’s) costumes are beautiful and expensive and sparkly. The kids are really excited about that. They can feel the audience when they go out on stage. Kids are inspired by that and it’s a big maturation for them."

Now in its 25th year, the Moscow Ballet’s yearly Great Russian Nutcracker tour features 200 hand-sewn costumes created by one of the oldest theatrical shops in Russia. The costumes were recently renovated about two years ago. The show also features five hand-painted backdrops designed by the concept designer of the hit musical movie "La La Land," Carl Sprague.

The Great Russian Nutcracker also features scenes and characters not seen in other Nutcracker productions, such as the Russian Troika Sleigh and the Dove of Peace, created by two dancers, each with one 20-foot wing.

More: Gather your friends and family, popular Fred Loya Christmas lights show kicks off soon

Dumanska said that touring with the Moscow Ballet has been unlike any of her other experiences as a professional dancer.

"The Moscow Ballet is a big professional group and everyone has a good level of (expertise)," Dumanska said. "You see a lot of American cities and learn the culture and speak with people. (Americans) are so sweet. It’s nice to give something and take something, emotionally. Audiences are really thankful and you get to see the kids improve and do what they love."

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

Make plans

What: Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker

When: 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 23 and noon Dec. 24

Where: Plaza Theatre, Downtown

Tickets; $28-$175; Plaza Theatre Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com, nutcracker.com

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El Paso’s largest garment factory gets new CEO

El Paso’s largest garment factory, which employs mostly people with physical and mental disabilities, has hired Luis Alvarez as its new CEO. Wochit

Luis Alvarez brings 35 years of manufacturing expertise to ReadyOne, which mostly employs workers with disabilities

Luis Alvarez was enjoying semi-retirement in San Antonio after a 35-year career in the manufacturing industry, including managing factories in Mexico for several years, when he took a big detour to El Paso.

He’s the new chief executive officer of ReadyOne Industries, which operates El Paso’s largest garment factory and other smaller enterprises.

It’s one of El Paso’s largest private employers with about 1,100 employees, and is the city’s largest employer of people with mental and physical disabilities. It mostly makes uniforms and other garments for U.S. military branches.

Alvarez’s first day on the job at the not-for-profit company was Nov. 27.

Since March, the 56-year-old Alvarez was in semi-retirement mode, but kept his hand in business by sitting on boards of companies in China, San Francisco. and Denver, and doing business consulting for those companies. That took him on recent trips to China, Asia and Europe, he said. He was living a life he’d dreamt about, he said.

"I was having fun, it was exciting,and everything," Alvarez said recently during an interview in his new office at ReadyOne’s East El Paso headquarters . "I guess in a way, though, I missed the day-to-day responsibility of running a large company."

He left his job in March as president of Lancer Corp., a large, Japanese-owned manufacturer of soda fountain machines with annual sales of about $200 million and about 1,500 employees worldwide, including at factories in San Antonio, Australia, India, Belgium, and Mexico. Its main customers were Coca-Cola and Pepsi, he said.

He worked as an executive at San Antonio-based Lancer for 11 years, including seven years as president, and helped improve its manufacturing processes and grow the company, he said.

ReadyOne Industrie’ headquarters and main garment factory is located at 1414 Ability Drive in East El Paso.

In August, a head hunter called him about the ReadyOne CEO job.

He liked what he saw at ReadyOne and liked the idea of working for a company with the mission to employ people with disabilities.

“It’s a feel-good thing,” he said. It also brought him back to the large-company environment he missed.

Gary Hedrick, former El Paso Electric CEO who is chairman of the ReadyOne board of directors, said a national search firm found 20 candidates for the ReadyOne CEO job, and the board narrowed that to five finalists.

The board unanimously picked Alvarez because of his “rich background” in various manufacturing companies and because of his “cultural fit,” Hedrick said

“He is bilingual, and we thought he’d understand this community better than some of the other candidates,” Hedrick said.

Alvarez grew up in San Diego, where he did a lot of surfing. He now likes to swim, bike, and run.

He spent some of his early school years in Tijuana, Mexico, and he lived in the Mexican towns of Puebla and Leon with his Mexican-born wife and their two children, now in college, for five years when he managed automotive-bumper factories in Mexico for the French company Plastic Omnium.

His family has lived in San Antonio the last 11 years.

He replaces Tony Martinez, an El Paso lawyer who served as CEO for just over three years. He left in February for personal reasons, and was temporarily replaced by Tom Ahmann, a garment industry veteran who came out of retirement to serve several stints as ReadyOne CEO over the last 10 years.

Alvarez’s salary wasn’t disclosed. But Hedrick said he will be paid more than Martinez, who, according to Internal Revenue Service documents filed by ReadyOne, had total compensation of about $266,300 in 2015, the latest available information.

Ahmann, who was on ReadyOne’s CEO selection committee, said it will be easy for Alvarez to pick up the skills for government contracting and running a company aimed at hiring mostly people with physical and mental disabilities. Alvarez’s manufacturing and marketing expertise is what’s valuable, he said.

Alvarez comes to the company just as it picked up $90 million in new government contracts to make military uniforms. That’s expected to more than double ReadyOne’s sales next year from this year’s estimated $67 million, Ahmann said.

The company in October announced it was hiring 500 people due to the new contracts, and so far has hired only about 100 people because it’s difficult to find workers in El Paso’s current low-unemployment environment, Ahmann said.

Besides the company’s not-for-profit division, which employs the bulk of its workforce, it also has a for-profit division, named Roicom, which does work for a jean maker and the U.S. Postal Service. Roicom workers do not have to disabilities.

Juanita Ramirez works on a military jacket at ReadyOne Industries’ garment factory in East El Paso. She has worked at the company for 13 years.

Both divisions operate garment factories — the not-for-profit at 1414 Ability Drive, and the smaller, for-profit factory at 12100 Esther Lama Drive in East El Paso. Both factories will be involved with the new military garment contracts, Ahmann has said.

ReadyOne also operates a box-making operation at 11460 Pellicano Drive with about 100 employees, and a small call center with about 15 employees, which include both disabled and regular workers.

"We sell boxes for Juárez maquilas now, and there’s possible growth opportunities" by getting more companies in the maquiladora, or manufacturing sector, in Juárez and other parts of Mexico, to buy ReadyOne-made boxes for their products, Alvarez said.

"Part of my function is to grow the business," and create more employment, Alvarez said. "We have plenty of space and capacity to do more."

He’s a certified lean-manufacturing teacher, and plans to implement a "cost of waste initiative" at ReadyOne in the future, he said.

"Part of being lean is to look for cost reductions without affecting employment," Alvarez said. "People think leans means cost cutting, but lean’s first priority is customer satisfaction. Once you have satisfied customers, you can grow."

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.

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Thousands of free Thanksgiving meals served across El Paso

EL PASO, Texas – A warm Thanksgiving meal, with plenty of seconds, means a lot to Anthony Sharp and his son A.J.

Sharp has hit some tough times, and is out of work. He said he’s grateful the Salvation Army opened its doors.

"This meal is something that I could not prepare myself without the proper equipment or the proper funding. Without the salvation army, this would just be another day for us," Sharp said. "It’s just — it’s more than words can say."

The Salvation Army provided free Thanksgiving meals to over 500 people on Thursday.

"They’ve helped me to reestablish footing in life with food and clothing and shelter," Sharp said.

Similarly, the City of El Paso helped feed those who are less fortunate. Organizers said they estimated they fed 4,000 people at the Thanksgiving luncheon held at the Convention Center.

"It was my wife’s idea to give something back to the El Paso community on thanksgiving day. Rather than staying at home and cooking turkey with our family, we found a way to feed the homeless and the needy," former mayor John Cook said.

Eric Massingill went to the luncheon with his wife and parents.

"I’m actually grateful that the community here is opening their heart for everybody that — if maybe they don’t have a place to call home or go to their own home and make their own turkey dinner," Massingill said.

Jalisco Cafe, a Mexican restaurant in the Segundo Barrio neighborhood, continues its 14-year tradition of offering free meals for Thanksgiving.

"We give something back to the community because a lot of people here, it’s a poor neighborhood," owner Hector Chavez said. "A lot of people don’t have the means or the ways to cook Thanksgiving dinner. It’s something I just like to give back to the community."

Chavez said in his first year, he only cooked three turkeys. He prepared 35 turkeys for this Thursday.

"I’ve been cooking for the last two days," Chavez said.

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El Paso’s Sparta set to play first hometown show in nearly 5 years

(Photo: Times file)

It’s official: Sparta is back.

The longtime El Paso alternative-rock band announced Monday that it will perform Dec. 16 at Tricky Falls, 209 S. El Paso St. It will be Sparta’s first hometown concert in nearly five years.

The concert is a benefit for the El Paso Community Foundation. Tickets for the concert are free and may be reserved beginning at noon Wednesday at trickyfalls.com.

Donations will be accepted at the event.

"I’m excited to continue working with the El Paso Community Foundation to use live music, which I love dearly, to raise money for our community," Jim Ward, a member of Sparta and a board member of the El Paso Community Foundation, said in a news release. "Our hope is to continue developing a program that balances music and charity to benefit multiple areas of need in the El Paso/Juarez area."

Sparta, led by El Paso musician and business-owner Ward, was formed in 2001 when the critically acclaimed El Paso group At the Drive-In splintered into two camps. Ward, guitarist Paul Hinojos and drummer Tony Hajjar formed Sparta’s original lineup, later adding fellow El Pasoan Matt Miller on bass. Singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez formed the group The Mars Volta.

Sparta enjoyed its own critical and fan success, releasing three albums, "Wiretap Scars," "Porcelain" and "Threes," between 2002 and 2006. In 2008, the group went on hiatus, with Ward focusing on his alt-country group Sleepercar and solo work.

On Monday, Sparta released its first new music since 2012. The new single, "Graveyard Luck," is available for purchase on iTunes and on streaming services such as Apple Music.

The band is currently made up of Ward, Miller, guitarist Gabriel Gonzalez, and drummer Cully Symington.

El Paso band Emily Davis and the Murder Police will open the concert.

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

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Renowned pianist Dzmitry Ulasiuk to perform in El Paso

Renowned pianist Dzmitry Ulasiuk, from Belarus, will give a series of concerts and lectures Tuesday through Thursday in El Paso.

The series includes two free concerts, which are open to the public, Wednesday. Ulasiuk will give a lecture-recital on composer and pianist Aleksandr Scriabin from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fox Fine Arts Center, Room 140, on the University of Texas at El Paso campus; and will perform works by Chopin, Ravel and Scriabin at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 5005 Love Road.

Ulasiuk has performed internationally as a soloist and is the winner of several international piano competitions. He is currently the official staff accompanist for the International Keyboard Odyssiad & Festival piano competition, held in Fort Collins, Colo.

Ulasiuk is known for his passionate performances, musicality and lyricism, as well as his embodiment of Russian piano techniques.

Ulasiuk also will give master classes and perform for Coronado High students Tuesday, followed by a private recital later that evening. On Thursday, Ulasiuk will give a presentation on teaching techniques for El Paso Music Teachers Association members and give master classes and a minirecital for students at Franklin High.

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

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Explore The Southwest – Take A Trip To El Paso!

From unique landmarks to beautiful outdoor destinations to museums and family attractions, El Paso has exciting interest points for first time visitors, yearly tourists and locals alike. People of all ages can take the time to get out and explore the Wyler Ariel Tramway or the Franklin Mountains State Park.

If you have children in tow, take them to visit the El Paso Zoo, or stop by the National Border Patrol Museum. It does not matter what attraction you want to see, or what you want to do, it is located within minutes from downtown El Paso.

Hueco Tanks State Historic Park

Located a little over 30 miles from El Paso, the Hueco Tanks State Historic Park covers over 860 acres and it is named for the many natural rock basins in the area that trap rainwater. These basins are known as huecos.

In addition to these basins, the park also has other features like a ranch house, rock paintings and also a stagecoach station. There are also a range of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed by everyone in your group including:

Camping
Hiking
Bouldering
Rock climbing
Picnic sites
Guided tours

Wyler Ariel Tramway

You can enjoy a completely different view of El Paso when you ride on this popular tourist attraction. While traveling over 5600 feet above sea level, you will reach the summit of Ranger Peak. This is a Swiss-created gondola that allows visitors the opportunity to go up to an observation deck where they can overlook the entire city. The cacti garden will help cement your experience on the Tramway.

As a gateway to the southwest, El Paso is a city that gives visitors the chance to explore natural scenery. With the abundance of activities and attractions, El Paso has something for everyone.

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Atlas Genius shares favorite guitarists ahead of El Paso show

Atlas Genius (Photo: Courtesy of Anna Maria Lopez/Press Here Publicity)

Australian duo Atlas Genius recently released its first new song in two years, "63 Days."

That doesn’t mean the duo, now based in L.A., has been resting on its laurels. Brothers Keith and Michael Jeffery have appeared on numerous late night TV shows, toured with acts such as Imagine Dragons, Incubus and Jimy Eat World.

Atlas Duo are set to perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Lowbrow Palace. Tickets for the show are $20 at ticketfly.com.

Magic Giant and Half the Animal also will perform.

Ahead of the show, guitarist and vocalist Keith Jeffery listed his Top 5 favorite guitarists for The Beat:

Angus Young (AC/DC)

Jeffery: He’s Australian, he’s been rocking those school boy shorts for over 40 years and nobody plays a solo that can keep 50,000 people enthralled like that guy.

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

Jeffery: He was the mastermind because of so many legendary riffs, tones, and weird-ass psychedelic moments. His playing was sloppy, frantic, and delicate with more vibe than a NYC dive bar. Somehow morphed from the debaucherous into the classy, elder statesman of rock that he is today.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Jeffery: Fast, bluesy and THAT tone! Nobody has sold more Fender Stratocasters since Hendrix. If he was a one-trick-pony, what an incredible trick that was.

Kurt Cobain

Jeffery: Never the most technically proficient, yet the most captivating guitarist I’ve ever seen (on video at least). There was life before Nirvana, and then a devastated landscape after. Nobody touched me the way Nirvana did.

John Frusciant

Jeffery: Funk guitar that went beyond one-chord vamps. Songs that made me wanna dance, even though I couldn’t, and then songs that ripped my heart out. One of the best Strat tones ever! And he was soooo young when then came out with "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"!!

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

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Owners of El Paso Chihuahuas seek soccer team, stadium

William Yarbrough FC Leon Goal Keeper talks about the team during 2016’s soccer match at Southwest University Park.

Mark Lambie – El Paso Times

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Whether a controversial Downtown multipurpose arena will ever get built is still up in the air, but that’s not stopping the owners of the El Paso Chihuahuas baseball team from pursuing another stadium in an effort to recruit a minor league soccer team.

Alan Ledford, president of MountainStar Sports Group, said the group is talking to city and county officials about getting financial help to build what likely would be a 7,500-seat stadium. That’s the same seating capacity as Downtown’s $78 million Southwest University Park, where the Chihuahuas play, and the city helped finance mostly with hotel taxes.

A new stadium is needed to get an El Paso team in the United Soccer League, or USL, Ledford said.

The league is adding expansion teams to form a third conference, most likely in 2019, and is looking at El Paso as a potential expansion city, according to a USL official.

The USL is "kind of like Triple-A baseball," of which the El Paso Chihuahuas are a part, for pro soccer, Ledford said.

MountainStar Sports Group President Alan Ledford at Southwest University Park in Downtown El Paso. The group is pursuing a United Soccer League expansion team and Downtown-area soccer stadium.

MountainStar in June 2014 announced plans to pursue a Major League Soccer, or MLS, team for El Paso. But the group discovered El Paso doesn’t fit the MLS’ metrics for a team, including TV market size, and having a certain number of corporate headquarters in the area, Ledford said.

"After talking to people in the professional soccer world, the commissioner of the MLS, and the USL, it became clear the USL would be a great fit for El Paso," Ledford said.

The USL has 30 teams, including teams in San Antonio, Phoenix, Reno, and even Edinburg, Texas, which entered the league in 2016.

It currently has five expansion teams: Las Vegas, Nashville, and Fresno, Calif., that will begin playing in 2018; and Austin and Birmingham, Ala., which will start playing in 2019.

The USL has set a 2020 deadline for all its teams to be in soccer-specific stadiums. And it prefers those stadiums be located in or near a city’s downtown, Ledford said.

Rendering of the proposed 10,000-seat soccer stadium to be built in Louisville for its United Soccer League team. The stadium is expected to cost about $40 million to build, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper.

MountainStar "would potentially get both the city and county involved" in building a soccer stadium, Ledford said.

"We are in ongoing discussions" with city and county officials, he said.

Problems with getting a proposed Downtown arena built" plays no factor in this," Ledford said.

MountainStar in September began an advertising campaign supporting the proposed $180 million multipurpose arena, approved by voters in a 2012 bond referendum.

The campaign is aimed at countering efforts by a group of El Paso preservationists and community activists, who are pushing to stop the city from putting the proposed arena in the Duranguito neighborhood, which is in the Union Plaza entertainment district, next to the Downtown convention center.

The fate of the project is tied up by a court battle between the city and some of the arena-site opponents.

More: Nearly a month after Duranguito demolition, volunteers keep watch at Chihuahua Street camp

Even as the arena debate boils, Ledford said he sees "enthusiasm in the community at large for the opportunity" for an El Paso soccer team and stadium.

Mayor Dee Margo declined an interview with the El Paso Times this week about the potential of the city getting involved with building a soccer stadium. Margo and other city officials were in Washington, D.C., attending the Association of the United States Army annual meeting.

Margo’s office issued a statement from the mayor confirming city officials have engaged in "preliminary conversations with MountainStar regarding a professional soccer team" for El Paso.

Former County Judge Veronica Escobar and County Commissioner David Stout, who represents the Central El Paso area, including Downtown, said they and other county officials have discussed the stadium idea with MountainStar officials.

MountainStar officials are "working with the county administrator, and they soon should have some type of more concrete plan to present to the court" about a proposed soccer stadium, Stout said this week from Mexico City, where he was on vacation.

"It may be a contentious issue in light of what is going on with the (Downtown) arena," Stout said.

"I definitely think on the county’s and my behalf (that) there will be complete transparency" in any soccer stadium plans that involve the county, Stout said.

"We don’t need to be shoving this down people’s throats. We need time for the public process," Stout said.

Stout opposes putting the city’s proposed multipurpose arena in the Duranguito neighborhood. But, he said, he’s not opposed to a Downtown sports arena.

An arena and soccer stadium would help revitalize Downtown by drawing more people to the area for games and other events, he said.

Esocobar, now running to represent El Paso in the United States Congress, agreed that the Downtown arena controversy makes it more difficult to get public support for a Downtown soccer stadium.

"You need public involvement and community buy-in, and I think it’s possible," Escobar said. "If the county did it (soccer stadium) alone, then the arena (issue) doesn’t need to be settled (first)."

"My preference would be a county soccer stadium," Escobar said. "But if not the county, then some kind of city-county collaboration on building it. The ideal revenue source would be hotel taxes" so that property owners don’t have to pay for it, she said.

"Soccer is such a huge hit in El Paso and our region. I think soccer would be bigger than baseball" for this area, she said.

The USL issued a statement that said league officials "have spoken to, and been extremely impressed with, the (El Paso) group spearheading the effort to bring the excitement of professional soccer to the region."

"We believe El Paso has all the ingredients to become home to a first-class professional soccer (team)," according to the USL statement.

Woody Hunt, speaking to news reporters in 2012 outside City Council chambers, and left to right in back, Josh Hunt, Paul Foster,and Alejandra De La Vega, owners of MountainStar Sports Group.

The statement added that MountainStar has a proven track record with its successful operation of the El Paso Chihuahuas.

The group also owns the FC Juárez Bravos soccer team across the U.S.-Mexico border. The Bravos periodically play games at Southwest University Park in El Paso.

MountainStar is owned by Woody Hunt, and his son Josh Hunt, who operate Hunt Companies, a national real estate development and property-management group based in El Paso; Paul Foster, founder of the former Western Refining company, which in June was sold to San Antonio-based Andeavor; and Foster’s wife Alejandra De La Vega Foster, who heads the Innovation and Economic Development Department for the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

Ledford said MountainStar has spent the last three years looking at potential soccer stadium sites in and around the Downtown area.

"We have several (potential sites) that look promising. I am not prepared to talk about where," Ledford said.

Finding a site Downtown is challenging because not as much land is available as in other areas of the city, Ledford said.

The group also has looked at the former Asarco copper-smelter site just northwest of Downtown, Ledford said.

The University of Texas Board of Regents in late 2016 approved negotiating with the site’s trustee to buy almost 460 acres for UTEP’s expansion, including the main 210-acre site located between Interstate 10 and the Rio Grande, where Asarco operated a copper smelter for 126 years. Only 50 to 70 acres of the other rugged, hilly 248 acres, next to the UTEP campus, could be developed.

The former Asarco copper smelter site northwest of Downtown is one possible site being considered by MountainStar Sports Group for a proposed soccer stadium.

UTEP officials declined to discuss anything about the land until its purchased by the UT System.

However, UTEP President Diana Natalicio at a recent press conference offered to lease 200 acres of the Asarco site to Amazon, if it wanted to put its proposed second North American headquarters there, according to TV and print reports. The El Paso area and dozens of other metro areas around the country are expected to submit proposals in Amazon’s HQ2 competition.

The El Paso County Coliseum, located at 4100 E. Paisano in South Central El Paso, has been rumored as another possible soccer stadium site.

Commissioner Stout said he hadn’t heard that rumor, but, he said, the county can’t do anything with the coliseum until 2021 when its lease expires with the El Paso Sports Commission, which operates it for the county.

Ledford said having the USL team temporarily play in an existing El Paso stadium until a new one is built is not an option.

"Our focus is to be in a new stadium when (an El Paso team) starts in the league," he said.

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.

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Dutch duo Yellow Claw shares Top 5 ahead of El Paso concert

Dutch EDM duo Yellow Claw. (Photo: Courtesy)

Dutch trap and EDM duo Yellow Claw are set to perform at 9 p.m. Saturday at Buchanan’s Event Center, 11540 Pellicano.

Tickets are available for $26 at eventbrite.com.

Ahead of the show, Jim Aasgier and Nizzle shared their Top 5 go-to airport meals.

Starbucks

Yellow Claw: The Starbucks croissant has nothing to do with a real French croissant. But it’s warm and works with a cup of coffee. Perfect for those early flights that make us leave the hotel before breakfast is served.

Panda Express

Yellow Claw: Damn. I think we ate this stuff the most throughout our touring years. Probably because or love for Indonesian food and rice based cuisine. But this stuff is nothing like that. A sorry excuse even. But we seem to forget this every time we’ really really hungry.

Las Vegas juice bar

Yellow Claw: Like many people know, we go to Vegas a lot. There’s this juice spot over at the 30-40 gates. You don’t wanna have the stuff they normally serve but if you ask for a juice without all the ice, no sugar and add some ginger etc. You can get your vitamins on for sure.

Yogurt and granola

Yellow Claw: One of those lesser bad things to eat when you’re at an airport and experiencing munchies. They sell it everywhere. Sometimes they don’t separate the granola from the yogurt. Then you’re automatically eating Bircher Muesli, that German stuff.

Qdoba

On this list, our No. 1 spot has to be the taco shell salad from the Qdoba Mexican food spots. It’s honestly the best thing available. Low on carbs if you don’t eat the shell, chicken for protein and your daily dose of veggies. We’ve had times we couldn’t stand them, we’ve known times we ate these bad boys every day for two weeks straight.

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

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El Paso students host concert and supply drive to benefit Houston and Mexico

EL PASO, T.X. – El Paso students hosted a supply drive downtown Sunday to benefit Houston and Mexico, inviting the local community to donate items for those in need.

The event, called "El Paso Together for Houston" started at 6 p.m. in San Jacinto Plaza and ended at 11 p.m.

UTEP student Maria Fuentes had the original idea for the supply drive after watching the devastation from the Houston floods on television.

"It doesn’t matter where you’re from," Fuentes said. "The thing is to get together as humanity and help each other."

Fuentes said she originally planned the event provide assistance to victims of the Houston flooding, but after Mexico’s devastating earthquake, the group decided to gather items to send south as well.

"People from around the world are able to get together and bring help toward those in need," Fuentes said.

The student governments at El Paso Community College and UTEP joined UTEP students for public health as well as local high school students.

"We never know when disaster’s going to happen here in El Paso," said Abner Moreno, a UTEP student who lived in Houston over the summer.

Moreno said he was able to evacuate before witnessing the deadly flooding.

"(We need to) extend our hand to other communities are suffering right now," Moreno said.

Several local bands played, including FrenZi, San Ligre, Condor, Say Verse and Speak no Evil.

The groups gathered for water bottles, toiletries, baby food, pillows, blankets, first aid supplies and pet food.

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Pablo Francisco headlines Comic Strip in El Paso this weekend

"Here We Go Again."

But fans of longtime comedian Pablo Francisco won’t be complaining when the funnyman returns to the El Paso Comic Strip Comedy Club Thursday through Saturday.

The show features new material Francisco has been working on ahead of a new one-hour special, to be titled, "Here We Go Again."

Francisco became known for his off-the-wall characters and impersonations on his two one-hour Comedy Central specials, "They Put It Out There" and "Ouch!" — as well as his stint on Fox’s sketch-comedy show "Mad TV." Later this year, Francisco will be featured on the new MTV show, "Acting Out."

Francisco took a brief break from standup, but returned to the stage, and El Paso, in 2016.

"I missed (performing)," Francisco said during an interview ahead of his show at the Comic Strip last year. "YouTube and the Internet have been so good to me, but I decided to go out there and try some new stuff. I always miss it. I just like to jump up there and have fun with it."

Ahead of his return performances this week, Francisco shared his Top 5 reasons for returning to perform in the Sun City with the El Paso Times entertainment blog, The Beat:

The women

Francisco: There’s a lot of hot Mexican women. Lord knows that’s a good thing.

Home improvement

Francisco: Since I am Latino and white mixed up in one, I can hang out at Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Sentiment

Francisco: I love the fact that the Comic Strip was my very first out-of-town comedy club that I performed at when I got started.

Culture

Francisco: TEXAS and MEXICANS IS A GOOD MIX.

Late-night eats

Francisco: When I am partying, only in El Paso, Taco Cabana is open late to help me prepare for my hangover.

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

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Who: Standup comedian and actor Pablo Francisco

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: El Paso Comic Strip Comedy Club, 1201 Airway Blvd.

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Cabela’s set to open in new $100 million West El Paso center

Cabela’s, an outdoor sporting goods chain known for its mammoth, tourist-destination stores, plans to open a smaller-format store Sept. 14 in West Towne Marketplace in West El Paso.

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The Cabela’s outdoor sporting goods chain plans to open its first El Paso store this month — the first retailer to open in the $100 million West Towne Marketplace in West El Paso.

Cabela’s was known most for its mammoth, tourist-destination stores. But the 50,000-square-foot El Paso outlet is one of its smaller-format stores, which is now the chain’s focus.

The store in West Towne, located at Interstate 10 and Paseo del Norte (Artcraft Road), is set to open Sept. 14. Some sneak preview events will be held for special guests and the news media several days before the public opening.

The store features an archery range, gun hub kiosk and several mounted animal trophies. It employs about 125 people.

The store will open just as Cabela’s is being acquired by Bass Pro Shops, another outdoor sporting goods chain also operating large, destination-type stores. The $5 billion deal is expected to be completed this month.

The PetSmart and T.J.Maxx/HomeGoods stores are set to open in late September and early October in the new West Towne Marketplace in West El Paso.

Cabela’s will be the first of a string of stores and restaurants to open from mid-September through the middle of next year in West Towne, said Adam Frank, president of River Oaks Properties, which developed the 500,000-square-foot shopping center.

River Oaks is a large El Paso shopping center development company owned by Gerald Rubin, founder of Helen of Troy, the El Paso consumers products company he left in 2014. He’s River Oaks’ chief executive officer.

PetSmart is scheduled to open in late September, followed by the T.J.Maxx/HomeGoods store in early October, Frank said. The name signs on those stores are already in place in one row of buildings above Cabela’s.

The 500,000-square-foot West Towne Marketplace is located at Interstate 10 and Paseo del Norte (Artcraft Road) in West El Paso.

Cabela’s is one of three large anchors in West Towne. The others are a Walmart Supercenter, which is to be under construction soon and is expected to open by the middle of next year, and a movie theater, which likely won’t open until 2019, Frank said. River Oaks has not yet announced which company will locate a movie theater on an empty lot next to Cabela’s.

Other announced tenants: Ross Dress for Less, Rack Room Shoes, Tuesday Morning; Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Boss Tenders, Dogs & Custard, Pieology Pizzeria, and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt.

More information: ropelpaso.com/new-projects

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.

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Visit the Most Interesting Places in El Paso

El Paso is a city that offers many interesting things to see and do. If you are considering taking a trip within the United States, this is one city that you should put on your must-see list. El Paso is situated in west Texas right along the Rio Grande and sits along the Mexican border and the city of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua.

It is surrounded Franklin Mountains State Park which is home to beautiful desert cacti and wildlife like eagles and coyotes. The area is unique in that it is where the desert meets the mountains. The tramway at the state park offers incredible views of the city and of nearby Mexico. There are many beautiful flowers and plants to see when enjoying the Franklin Mountains State Park as well.

The US Border Patrol was established here and it is worth taking a visit to the National Border Patrol Museum to see and learn more about its history from 1924 up until today. The city of El Paso has other interesting historical tidbits. It is allegedly the place where the Margarita drink was invented. The tequila based drink was first mixed at Tommy’s Place Bar in 1945.

In 1930, Conrad Hilton opened his first high rise hotel. The building is still a landmark of the city and is now home to the Plaza Hotel. The International Hotel was visited by such notable individuals as Elvis Presley and Steve McQueen. Today, it is a Doubletree Hotel.

More history can be taken in along El Paso Street, the city’s first and oldest. Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid and President Taft all strolled along this street.

Plan a visit to El Paso, Texas. There is something for everyone to see and do, and the location is perfect for a quick domestic getaway.

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Fifth case of West Nile Virus confirmed in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas – A fifth case of the West Nile Virus was confirmed in El Paso by the Department of Public Health.

The El Paso man diagnosed is in his late 40’s and lives in West El Paso. Officials said he does have underlying meidcal conditions.

"It is not too late to start taking West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne diseases seriously," said Lead Epidemiologist Fernando Gonzalez.

With recent rain in the Borderland, officials encourage residents to remener using the the 4 D’s:

• DEET – Use insect repellents when you go outdoors.
• DRESS – When weather permits, wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors.
• DUSK and DAWN – Although mosquitoes associated with Zika can be active throughout the day, residents should take extra care during peak mosquito biting hours (from dusk to dawn) or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.
• DRAIN – Help reduce the number of mosquitoes around and outside your home by emptying standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires, and birdbaths on a regular basis.

For more information on the programs and services provided by the Department of Public Health, call 2-1-1.

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El Paso firefighter gets probation in 2016 fatal beating

Do you know what to do if you see something bad happening? Here are some tips. Keri Hensley/USA TODAY NETWORK

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(Photo: Courtesy El Paso Police Department)

An El Paso firefighter involved in the beating of a man at a bar last year was sentenced to two years of probation.

Raul Ruiz Jr., who was 37 at the time of the incident, received a suspended one-year jail sentence and two years of probation July 20 in the 2016 death of 49-year-old Arturo Martinez, according to court documents. He also was fined $1,000.

Ruiz originally was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of criminal negligent homicide, but as part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault causing serious bodily injury, documents show.

He was scheduled to go on trial in August or September, according to court records.

The sentence was handed down by 409th District Court Judge Sam Medrano Jr.

Ruiz and Adrian Chavez were arrested Feb. 5, 2016, in connection with the beating.

El Paso Fire Department officials declined to immediately comment on Ruiz’s current employment status, citing employee confidentiality issues.

El Paso Police Department officials said at the time of his arrest that Ruiz was an El Paso firefighter assigned to Fire Station 18, 7901 San Jose Road, in the Lower Valley.

In February 2016, fire officials said that Ruiz had been with the department for 10 years and was working as a fire suppression technician.

Ruiz was off-duty at the time of the beating, police said.

Adrian Chavez (Photo: Courtesy El Paso Police Department)

Chavez, Ruiz and another unnamed man allegedly surrounded Martinez on Jan. 22, 2016, inside the El Patron Sports Bar, 5622 E. Paisano Drive, in Central El Paso, police said at the time of the arrests.

Court documents do not state the name of the third man involved in the incident.

According to a complaint affidavit, Ruiz grabbed Martinez “aggressively and pushed him violently.” Martinez then hit the backdoor of the bar, causing it to open, and he fell onto the pavement outside.

The fall caused Martinez to hit the back of his head on the pavement, the affidavit says. He then lost consciousness.

While Martinez was on the ground, Chavez allegedly got on top of him and “continued the assault," the affidavit states.

Martinez sustained life-threatening injuries in the attack and was taken to University Medical Center of El Paso in critical condition, officials said. He died six days later due to the injuries he sustained in the beating.

Chavez also was indicted by a grand jury on one count of criminal negligent homicide. His case is pending in district court. He is expected to go on trial in September.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinez31 on Twitter.

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Laughnans named Honorary Citizens for El Paso Days

Pauline (left) and Roger Laughnan are this year’s Honorary Citizens for El Paso Days. The Laughnans have lived all their lives in El Paso Township and have been heavily involved in the festivities for many years. Matthew Lambert / RiverTown Multimedia

Pauline and Roger Laughnan will represent El Paso as the designated honorary citizens for the 31st annual festival, set for Aug. 18-20.

Pauline grew up in the farmhouse in which she and Roger reside. Pauline said the farmhouse is over 100 years old and she only moved off the property for a few years until her parents retired.

Roger, a farmer, grew up a little outside of El Paso, but has always enjoyed the festivities and heavy involvement with the horseshoe teams.

In fact, Roger said horseshoe teams had floats in the parades and had a pretty big competition to see whose float was the best in the early days. Roger still plays on the West El Paso horseshoe team.

Pauline, who has worked in the Ellsworth Community School District for 29 years in food service and as a secretary, said she was "really surprised" when they were selected as the honorary citizens for El Paso Days.

"I don’t think I’ve done anything to be an honorary citizen and they said, ‘You’ve lived here all your life and you’ve farmed,’" Pauline said.

El Paso Days Committee President Merlin Blaisdell said it’s gotten harder to find people for the Honorary Citizen status for El Paso Days, but choosing Pauline and Roger just made sense. Blaisdell described the couple as a "big, big help" when it comes to the Millie Christopherson/Ivo Schlegl Memorial Breakfast.

In fact, Christopherson is Pauline’s mother, and Pauline said she always looks forward to the breakfast and volunteering.

The Laughnan family is large with four daughters and eight grandchildren they get to spoil. Their children are still close, with the furthest one living in Hudson.

The couple heads to Mexico in the winter time each year, but nothing beats trout fishing in the Rush River in their backyard. Pauline can be found tending her flower gardens during the summertime as well.

The couple says El Paso Days is a lot of fun, beginning on Aug. 15 with the annual golf tournament and going through Aug. 20. With so many things to do and see, Pauline and Roger say their favorite thing about El Paso Days has to be the parade.

"Their parades are always fun," Pauline said.

Roger said seeing the reactions of people who are not from the area during the parade is one of his favorite moments; it’s difficult for some people to fathom where they can even have a parade in El Paso.

"We’ve heard many, many, many that come to El Paso Days on Sunday, they cannot believe that many people show up for that parade. I said you’re going to be surprised," Roger said. "Then they come to the parade and they say, ‘Oh my god, I’ve never seen a parade like that before.’"

Aside from the parade, Roger will be throwing horseshoes, Pauline will be assisting at the breakfast, and they wouldn’t miss the horse pull and pulling up in their 1955 Chevy to the car show.

Watch for Pauline and Roger in the parade as well, taking part in the timeless classic that has shocked many for its size and quality for years.

Matthew Lambert

Matthew Lambert joined the Pierce County Herald and River Falls Journal in December 2016 covering government, school board, and writing features about the community. He is a graduate of Winona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

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El Paso’s Khalid nominated for Best New Artist VMA

El Paso-native Khalid signed copies of his debut album, "American Teen," on Friday at Bassett Place. Thousands of fans packed the mall to get their CD copies signed.

Nominations for the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards were announced on Tuesday and among the nominees was El Paso’s own pop sensation Khalid.

The singer and Americas High graduate was among five nominees for Best New Artist, along with R&B singer SZA, rapper Young M.A., rapper Kodak Black, singer-songwriter Julia Michaels and Miley Cyrus’ kid sister, Noah Cyrus.

After nominations were announced, Khalid tweeted the following message to his fans and followers:

The MTV VMA show will air live on MTV on Aug. 27.

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

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‘American Animator’ exhibit features work of El Paso-born Don Bluth

Take a look inside the Plaza Theatre. The Plaza is home to many shows and the Plaza Classic Film Festival.

Sarah Ann Dueñas/El Paso Times

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For the seventh year in its 10-year existence, the Plaza Classic Film Festival has teamed with the El Paso Museum of Art to showcase the filmmaking industry and behind-the-scenes movie artifacts.

The Plaza Classic Film Festival, organized by the El Paso Community Foundation, will feature more than 90 movies, guest stars, a local filmmaker series and more, from Aug. 3-13 at the Plaza Theatre and other Downtown venues.

But, movie-lovers can already visit an exhibit featuring one of the film festival’s guests of honor, animator Don Bluth, a native El Pasoan.

More: Richard Dreyfuss joins Plaza Classic Film Festival lineup

The exhibit, "An American Animator, Don Bluth," will be on display through Sept. 7 in the Peter and Margaret DeWetter Gallery at the museum. The exhibit features more than 40 character concept sketches and drawings, animation cels, storyboards, backgrounds and publicity photographs which demonstrate Bluth’s animation style and the animation process.

“An American Animator: Don Bluth” is on display at the El Paso Museum of Art through Sept. 7. The exhibit of animations by the El Paso-born artist run in conjunction with the Plaza Classic Film Festival.

"There’s something interesting about his work as an independent filmmaker," said Patrick Cable, senior curator at the El Paso Museum of Art. "This exhibit focuses on the start of that (career). There’s a variety of work from throughout his career that are represented and help show the process of animation."

Bluth was born in El Paso in 1937. His interest in animation was sparked when he saw the 1944 reissue of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in an El Paso movie theater. His family moved to Payson, Utah, when he was 6 years old.

Bluth would go on to work on Disney animated features, including "Sleeping Beauty," before leaving the company in 1979 along with his partner, fellow animator Gary Goldman and several others, to found Don Bluth Productions. The company later became Sullivan Bluth Studios.

The company’s first feature-length movie was the 1982 hit, "The Secret of NIMH," a showcase of Bluth and Goldman’s classic hand-drawn style of animation.

"In 1979, when Disney was moving toward computer animation, Bluth appreciated that classic technique," Cable said. "He really became a leader in animation, He was a major artist at (Disney) studios and he made the choice, at a time of transition, to stick with (his style). He became an example of that classic style."

A pre-production drawing for the animated film “Thumbelina” by Don Bluth.

The exhibit features several of Bluth’s original drawings of "NIMH" characters, including Mrs. Frisbee. Several of the drawings include character notes on how to draw various body parts, as well as, notes on each character’s personality.

The collaboration between the Plaza Classic Film Festival and the El Paso Museum of Art enhances the movie-going experience, said Doug Pullen, the festival’s artistic director.

"It goes beyond just watching movies," Pullen said. "Each year, there’s something and build upon what’s in the main event."

Bluth and Goldman will be interviewed on stage at the Plaza Theatre before a screening of “The Secret of NIMH” at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 12. The duo also will be present for a question-and-answer session during the Plaza Classic Film Festival’s free Filmmaker’s Brunch at 11 a.m. Aug. 13 in the Foundation Room, 333 N. Oregon St.

A pre-production drawing for “All Dogs Go to Heaven” by Don Bluth.

In addition, six of Bluth and Goldman’s films will be screened at the museum during the film festival.

Cable said that the exhibit is a great way for festivalgoers to see how an animated film gets created, from start to finish.

"Whether you’re interested in classic print making or comic book art, or just someone who enjoys (hand-drawn art), people can enjoy the physicality of the process," Cable said. "I can see why an artist might like to keep that element of the classic hands-on style."

Dave Acosta may be reached at 546-6138; dacosta@elpasotimes.com; @Chuy_Vuitton on Twitter.

Make plans
What: "An American Animator, Don Bluth," featuring more than 40 character concept sketches and drawings, animation cels, storyboards and backgrounds by the El Paso native. Part of the 10th Annual Plaza Classic Film Festival.When: Regular museum hours through Sept. 7Where: Peter and Margaret DeWetter Gallery, El Paso Museum of Art, DowntownAdmission: Free
BLUTH & GOLDMAN

Schedule of movies by Bluth and Goldman that to be shown at the El Paso Museum of Art:

Aug. 5: "Rock-a-Doodle" (1991), 1 p.m.; "Thumbelina" (1984), 3 p.m.Aug. 6: "A Troll in Central Park" (1994), 2 p.m.Aug. 12: "The Pebble and the Penguin" (1995), 1 p.m.; "Anastasia" 1997, 3 p.m.Aug. 13: "Titan A.E." (2000), 2 p.m.

10th Annual Plaza Classic Film Festival

Where: Plaza Theatre and other nearby locations in Downtown El PasoTickets: Prices vary by showing; available at the Plaza Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at ticketmaster.com; $200 Festival Pass and $100 Film Club Pass available at plazaclassic.com/tickets

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Where To Go When You Get To El Paso

When you travel into El Paso, you might wonder what you will be able to do. You might be on vacation, doing a tour of Texas, and you have arrived at this South Texas city. It is situated on the Rio Grande River, close to the Franklin Mountains State Park. It is a beautiful place if you enjoy cactus, coyotes and warm dry weather. Here are some things you can do in the city if you would like to have a lot of fun in El Paso when you visit.

Take The Scenic Drive

One of the best things that you can do when you get to El Paso is get a feel for the area. You can see the mountain ranges in the background, the city itself, and you want to do this at night to see how beautiful it looks. Along the way, you could go to the Wyler Aerial Tramway which will take you to the top of a peak where you can see even better from this vantage point.

Museums You Can Visit

You can also visit museums such as the El Paso Holocaust Museum, the Museum of Archaeology, and the Museum of History. These are all open to the public, and you will get to know a little bit more about this city that is situated right on the border of Mexico, a place that many people enjoy visiting during the spring. If you do happen to go, try to avoid the summer months because of how incredibly hot it is. However, as long as you have a nice air-conditioned hotel room, you will certainly enjoy your stay. If you have kids, you can take them to the El Paso Zoo, or simply go for a nice drive to the Hueco Tanks State Historic Site.

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El Paso animal shelter full, issues ‘SOS’

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The El Paso animal shelter on Wednesday issued a call for help because it was filled to capacity with lost pets following the Fourth of July holiday.

The city Animal Services department made an "SOS," or "Support Our Shelter" in this case, with more than 500 animals housed at the facility.

"We are well over full," said Ramon Herrera, a city spokesman.

Animal Services urged residents to go to the shelter to find lost pets, adopt, foster or donate supplies, such as canned puppy or kitten food, dry dog or cat food, new towels or blankets.

The shelter is normally considered full with 450 animals, though the facility can find ways to house extra animals, Herrera said.

"It is very busy with people looking for lost pets," Herrera said. "It will get busier in the afternoon with a lot more people coming in to drop off pets that they found."

The day after July 4 is historically busy at the shelter as workers deal with calls about pets that ran away after being scared by fireworks, officials said

More: Animal Services prepares for pets lost over July 4 holiday

Herrera said the shelter is doing something it hasn’t done before—waving the $60 impoundment fee for dogs and cats and the daily handling fee of $18 until Sunday.

The waiver of fees is part of an effort to help residents reunite with their pets, Animal Services said in a news release.

Through the summer, pet adoption fees are reduced to $30 for dogs and $5 for cats.

Additional fees will be charged for microchips, rabies vaccines and licenses.

Typically, animals with a microchip or a collar are held at the shelter for five days before the adoption process is started, Herrera said. Animals without identification are held for three days.

The Animal Services Shelter is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and located at 5001 Fred Wilson Ave. across from Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

Information: 212-7297 (PAWS) or www.elpasotexas.gov/animal-services

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.

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The construction reshaping El Paso

Photos by Jorge Salgado

Cranes have sprung up across El Paso. They are building new highways and entertainment centers, a towering expressway and streetcar line.

Over the past few years, El Pasoans have heard about plans for future projects – teased by artist renderings. Now, steel and concrete is rising out of the ground as projects get underway.

Downtown revitalization and the construction of new shopping centers and office space across the city have pushed the value of commercial construction to historic levels, according to the latest Borderplex Economic Outlook, published by the University of Texas at El Paso.

It’s hard to keep up with it all. When can you expect to go for a ride in a streetcar? What is the price tag on the new Westside pool? Where is Topgolf located? El Paso Inc. is compiling a list. We will continue to update and add projects online at ElPasoInc.com.

If you notice any projects that should be added or know of a project that has broken ground, let us know. Please include the location, name, size, owner/developer, price tag, planned completion date and a brief description. Email us at news@elpasoinc.com.

Marriott Urban Courtyard

Plans for the nine-story hotel on a busy corner in Downtown El Paso include 151 rooms, a 107-space parking garage, swimming pool, bistro and bar. El Paso lawyer and hotelier Jim Scherr purchased the property at auction in March 2015 and demolished a vacant building that once housed the Texas Workforce Commission. City Council approved an incentives package for the project that includes a 100-percent rebate of property tax, up to $844,089

Location: The corner of Santa Fe and Missouri. Across the street from the Downtown ballpark

Owner: Jim Scherr

Price tag: $18 million

Size: 151 rooms

Planned completion date: End of October

Topgolf at Montecillo

Topgolf describes it as a “premier golf entertainment complex.” The three-story facility will include an interactive driving range with 102 climate-controlled hitting bays, 11 outfield targets, 270 televisions, 50-table restaurant, 3,000-square-foot event space, 2,500-square-foot kitchen and 3,000-square-foot roof terrace. City Council approved a $5.2 million tax incentives package.

Location: Visible from I-10 in the Montecillo urban village. West of Executive Center Boulevard.

Owner/developer: Topgolf is the owner. EPT Land Communities is the developer behind Montecillo.

Price tag: Topgolf will invest $15.7 million.

Planned completion date: End of the year or early next year.

West Towne Marketplace

Developer Adam Frank said Cabela’s will be the first store to open in the shopping center. The retailer of outdoor recreation merchandise is set to open in September. A Walmart Supercenter and movie theater are scheduled to open in early 2018. Other stores include T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, PetSmart and Rack Room Shoes.

Location: Intersection of Artcraft and I-10

Developer: River Oaks Properties

Price tag: More than $100 million

Size: 63 acres.

Planned completion date: Stores will begin opening in September.

Westside indoor pool

The facility will include an Olympic-size swimming pool with eight long-lanes and 24 short-lanes, scoreboards, seating for 780 spectators, moveable bleachers and Wi-Fi. The project was funded by the 2012 quality of life bonds and is designed to meet USA Swimming standards.

Location: 650 Wallenberg

Owner/developer: The owner is the City of El Paso. The developer is Arrow Building Corp.

Price tag: $15.5 million

Size: 35,980 square feet

Planned completion date: 2018

Go 10

The Go 10 project is expanding I-10 on El Paso’s Westside, adding new lanes. It also includes the reconstruction of ramps and overpasses and other infrastructure improvements. A Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson said the project is ahead of schedule and may finish by February 2019.

Location: Between Executive Center and North Mesa

Owner/developer: The owner is TxDOT. The developer is Sundt Construction

Price tag: $159 million

Size: 5.75 miles

Planned completion date: Summer 2019. Could finish as early as February 2019.

Border West Expressway

The expressway will extend 7.4 miles from Racetrack Drive to U.S. 54, completing Loop 375 and providing an alternate route to I-10 on the Westside. More than 140 concrete columns are being built to hold up the four-lane highway. Some of them tower over the Rio Grande, close the border fence.

Location: Racetrack Drive to U.S. 54

Owner: Texas Department of Transportation

Price tag: $650 million

Size: 7.4 miles

Planned completion date: Fall 2018

Streetcar Maintenance and Storage Facility

El Paso’s vintage streetcars are being refurbished, and when they hit the tracks, they will need a home to spend the night. The $97 million streetcar project includes a $10 million Streetcar Maintenance and Storage Facility. The 4.8-mile streetcar line will loop around Downtown and run up to the University of Texas at El Paso. The whole project is scheduled to finish by the end of 2018.

Location: Santa Fe Street, next to the Sun Metro Downtown Transfer Station

Owner: City of El Paso, Sun Metro

Price tag: $10 million

Planned completion date: Fall 2017

Email El Paso Inc. reporter Aaron Montes at amontes@elpasoinc.com or call (915) 534-4422, ext. 105.

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Trust, ethics don’t get stale, leaders tell El Paso group

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Trust and ethics are long-lasting foundations to live and work by no matter the generation, five community leaders agreed during a panel discussion on ethics at the El Paso Better Business Bureau’s annual awards luncheon.

"I think the reason the (El Paso) Chihuahuas are successful, and in another month and a half are going to draw their two-millionth fan, is because . . . you all have embraced us because you trust us," Brad Taylor, the minor league baseball team’s general manager, said during Wednesday’s panel discussion.

"We screw things up on a daily basis. You don’t always see it. But we believe we need to stand up to it when things happen. We make phone calls to say, ‘I’m sorry’ and fix it if we goof up and give you a cold hot dog or put you in the wrong seat. I think for us, being honest and building trust and building relationships is critically important to what we do."

Army Col. Michael Hester, Fort Bliss garrison commander, a job likened to being mayor of the Army post, moderated the panel, which also included Sally Hurt-Deitch, market chief executive officer for The Hospitals of Providence; William Serrata, El Paso Community College president; and Stuart Schwartz, a lawyer for the ScottHulse law firm, and chairman of the city of El Paso Ethics Review Commission.

About 400 people attended Wednesday’s luncheon at the Wyndham El Paso Airport Hotel.

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"People can be pretty brave online where they wouldn’t be face to face," Hester said. "People take joy watching other people’s misfortunes online because they can hide behind a label or something."

Schwartz said even in leisure hours, people have to realize they are still representing their employer or profession even if you are out of uniform or not wearing a company badge.

"You need to conduct yourself as you would in the office, as you would in your profession, ethically, morally, at all times — whether you’re wearing a badge or not, that’s who you are," Schwartz said.

Hurt, a registered nurse for 27 years, said getting into a career for money rather than because it’s a calling may produce ethical dilemmas because that can make standing up for a profession or career less important.

"Are you being called to do this, and seeking this as a profession that you are willing to stand up and scream from the rooftops, ‘this is who I am and what I believe and what I stand for’ or are you looking at it as a paycheck, and it’s the dollars that are driving your decision?," Hurt said.

Marybeth Stevens, CEO of the Better Business Bureau Paso del Norte since January, said after the luncheon that building trust and ethics in the business community is part of the BBB’s role, and that’s why she wanted a discussion about ethics at the annual luncheon.

Ethics is talked about a lot, but it’s often a negative conversation, she said. The discussion needs to be more positive and get people and businesses to look at best ethical practices, she said.

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Nine area students also were given awards for their submissions to the BBB’s 2017 Laws of Life essay and drawing contests.

More information: bbb.org/elpaso

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.

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El Paso Is A Good Place For An Electronics Warehouse

If you run any kind of business that deals in electronics at a regional or national scale, then El Paso in Texas is a great place to look at for warehouse possibilities, and maybe even use as a central shipping hub.

El Paso straddles the Mexican border with Juarez sitting on the other side of the Rio Grande. The cumulative border crossings between these two cities together form the busiest international crossing anywhere in the world based purely on the numbers of people and vehicles crossing every day.

That’s actually a big boon to businesses that base operations here, as they get easy access to the cheaper manufacturing and repair services available on the Mexican side of the border.

Microsoft famously used this in its early iterations of its Xbox 360 console. While one of the longest video game console generations in history, many early units suffered from a defect that would wind up with users having nonfunctional boxes displaying the ‘red rings of death.’ The fix to this problem was rather simple to put into effect, and given the volume of units needing repaired, Microsoft established repair centers in Juarez to handle it.

Broken or defective units where shipped domestically to Texas, then trucked across the border for quick fixes at wages and rates impossible in the United States. They were then trucked back into America and mailed or flown back to their owners.

Given that Texas is a central state within the United States, it has relatively short shipping times to places like Chicago and both coasts. It also holds the advantage of nice winter weather over other central states like Kansas or the Dakotas, making it a year-round safe place to ship from without severe weather disturbances impacting things.

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Main break sends water flying in Central El Paso

A water main break in Central El Paso caused several customers to lose service for several hours Wednesday morning.

The break sent water flying into the air, some of it hitting power lines, after a gas company crew hit a water main in an alley behind Fort Boulevard near Piedras Street, El Paso Water Utilities officials said.

The 12-inch line took several hours to repair and affected 35 El Paso Water Utilities customers.

No injuries were reported.

An El Paso Electric employee checks a geyser that was hitting power lines after a construction crew Wednesday morning hit a water main in an alley behind Fort Boulevard.

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There Are Indeed Luxury Apartments To Be Had In El Paso TX

If you have spent significant time in Texas, if someone were to say search for luxury apartments, what area of the state would you select? If west Texas is your last pick, I would agree, but that doesn’t mean a city like El Paso isn’t a great place to live. It’s just a different way of life out there and in surrounding cities especially. However, there are great places to live and that includes luxury apartments in El Paso.

You might think of landscaping without grass, tons of sand, dry heat and a utilities grid on all accounts from the 80s. Well just wait until you see some of these great luxury apartment listings in El Paso TX. While people sometimes paint primitive pictures of living out in west Texas, El Paso is of course a well established city. The great thing about exploring different places is that it’s so easy to do it virtually these days.

That means you don’t have to have lived in Texas like I did to be able to know what El Paso is like. As a matter of fact, by the time you get done looking up information about the city and its apartment listings, you will likely know more about El Paso than I ever will. I will tell you one thing though. It is still going to be different if you step foot in Texas for the first time.

I get to go back to Texas for a trip in June, and I am so excited. When I first started out teaching, I was looking at jobs out in west Texas at one point. It would have been interesting, but it wasn’t in the cards for me. I am so happy where I am out of all the places that I could be. You need to feel the same way as you pick a luxury apartment in El Paso out of all the listings.

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How To Quickly Locate Luxury Apartments In El Paso Texas

Residents that live in El Paso, specifically in apartments, may realize that it’s time to move. They may have received a notice from the apartment complex where they live that the cost of rent is going to go up substantially. This will prompt most people to start looking for a new place to live. Fortunately, El Paso is a very large city. There are likely hundreds of apartments available every single day, but unless you do the research, you will not be able to find one for you to live in. The research that you do should be continuous until you can find a place to live that is much more affordable. To find luxury apartments in El Paso Texas, you will use the same strategies, techniques that we will present here.

Three Ways To Find These Apartments Fast

The initial search that you do should be with a local paper that you can pick up at a store in your area. The second place to search online, specifically on the search engines, where some of these companies advertise. Third, find apartment websites where these listings will show you all of the apartments that are currently for rent. The combination of all of this information will lead you to several different websites where you can print the application, and submit it right away.

How To Save The Most Money Possible

Special discounts are sometimes made available to individuals that take advantage of promotional codes that are online. These businesses could be brand-new, looking to fill vacancies that they currently have. They may also have specials that they simply run from time to time. It really doesn’t matter why they are providing these lower costs. Your job is to simply submit your applications as soon as possible to take advantage of what could soon be your apartment.

By submitting an application for every apartment that you find that is within your parameters, one of them will eventually become yours. Try to find one that is large enough, with a price that you can afford, located in an area of El Paso that you will enjoy. It’s all about the effort that you put into finding these apartments, and luxury apartments come available all the time. If your goal is to move into something that is much nicer, at an affordable price, these strategies will lead you to a fantastic unit that you will definitely enjoy.

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Man, woman identified in Lower Valley shooting